Chapter 12: He Fell into the Pit! How Dare He…?

Rong Ye walked ahead, while Gu Changhuai quietly followed behind.

He trailed him all the way.

The mountain path was secluded, surrounded by dense trees. While tailing him, Gu Changhuai hid behind the trees to avoid detection and sent a transmission to Hua Mei: “How’s the situation? Is it dug yet?”

Hua Mei was burying traps into the freshly dug black pit at his feet. He replied, “Don’t worry, I dug it very deep. There’s double the Ten Thousand Jin Sinking Body Curse at the bottom. Anyone who gets close will be sucked in, and once they fall, they’ll never climb out!”

“Finish up and get out of there quick. Rong Ye is coming,” Gu Changhuai warned.

Hearing this, Hua Mei’s scalp tightened in fear—he didn’t want to end up as another soul under the Qing Lian Immortal Lord’s sword. He hastily covered the pit’s traces and slipped away. “Handle the rest yourself. I’m running for my life first.”

Gu Changhuai said, “Got it.”

He continued following Rong Ye, who didn’t walk quickly. After just a few steps, Rong Ye stopped and turned his gaze to the flowers, plants, and trees planted beside the path. He stood there with his hands behind his back, his handsome face expressionless, his eyes deep and inscrutable.

Gu Changhuai, hiding in the woods, felt his heart skip a beat. Had he been discovered? But following Rong Ye’s line of sight, he saw only two ordinary camellia flowers there—nothing special.

Gu Changhuai stayed vigilant.

He waited for a moment.

Rong Ye finally moved again, but stopped after just a few steps.

Gu Changhuai: “…”

After a short while, that tall, jade-like figure in profound azure robes continued forward. The pit trap was perfectly camouflaged on the surface, indistinguishable from the path at a glance. The only marker was an inconspicuous pink petal lying on the ground—Hua Mei’s signal that the pit was right below.

With this pattern of starting and stopping, he finally reached a spot not far from the petal.

Gu Changhuai’s lips curved upward as he thought to himself: Step on it, step on it! Fall in!

At that moment.

A sudden gust of wind arose, carrying bits of sand that stung Gu Changhuai’s eyes, forcing him to instinctively lower his head and rub them.

In that instant as he looked down, Rong Ye’s eyelids twitched slightly. The pink petal on the flat ground shifted backward by an inch.

…

The wind passed. When Gu Changhuai looked up again, he saw Rong Ye standing in front of the petal, having stopped. Instead, he raised his head to gaze at a white plum blossom in full bloom atop the hillside.

Gu Changhuai: “…”

Just one step away.

He crouched behind the tree and waited patiently.

Time dragged on, but Rong Ye showed no sign of moving. Gu Changhuai couldn’t help glancing at the pink petal again, sensing something off.

Logically, with the Ten Thousand Jin Sinking Body Curse Hua Mei had set—doubled in effect—even without stepping wrong, anyone approaching should be sucked in. Why had there been no reaction after so long?

Gu Changhuai transmitted to Hua Mei: “Are you sure it’s double the Ten Thousand Jin Sinking Body Curse?”

Hua Mei replied solemnly, “You can question my looks, but not my skills. Actually, you can’t question my looks either!”

“What’s going on…” Gu Changhuai muttered to himself.

Perhaps he hadn’t stepped right on it, but one more step forward to the trap’s position should trigger it for sure.

He waited and waited. No matter how long it took, Rong Ye remained motionless, his gaze fixed calmly on the white plum, showing no intention of advancing.

Who knew how much longer he’d stare? It was just one step away… After hesitating, Gu Changhuai decided to give it a push. He circled quietly to a spot nearby and appeared on the path as if by chance.

The mountain woods were lush and verdant, the winding path hidden amid misty clouds. A cool breeze blew toward him, carrying a faint floral fragrance mixed with the fresh, spiritual mountain air.

Gu Changhuai approached at a leisurely pace and called out casually, “It’s almost the hour of the sheep. Is Immortal Lord heading to the Stone Long Platform?”

Rong Ye turned his head, his gaze landing on Gu Changhuai for a pause. His expression remained as indifferent as ever. He gave a slight nod and uttered a curt “Mm,” his low, calm voice betraying no emotion.

Gu Changhuai smiled faintly. “I’m heading to the Heaven Discussion Assembly myself. It’s my honor to share the path with Immortal Lord.”

Rong Ye neither confirmed nor denied it. “Then let’s go together.” With that, he stepped over the petal as if walking on flat ground and advanced a few paces.

His posture was perfectly normal—no sign of falling into the trap as expected.

Gu Changhuai: “?”

He stopped, staring suspiciously at the ground, a sense of absurdity rising in his heart. There was no way the Ten Thousand Jin Sinking Body Curse had failed. Could the trap not be here? Had Hua Mei marked the wrong spot?

Seeing him frozen, Rong Ye turned back, his deep, serene eyes questioning, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Changhuai composed himself and smiled. “Nothing.”

It must be the wrong marker. The trap was probably ahead. Anyway, Rong Ye was walking in front—if there was a trap, he’d hit it first.

With that thought, he relaxed and followed.

But as he took a single step, a heavy pull came from underfoot. In an instant, a sensation of weightlessness hit him. Caught off guard, Gu Changhuai’s vision blurred. His eyes widened as he instinctively reached forward, but before he could grab Rong Ye’s robe hem ahead, he plummeted entirely!

“…”

Damn it!

He fell into the pit!

He crashed to the deep pit’s bottom, his back slamming into the stone wall, half his arm going numb. Fine pains radiated everywhere, and his body felt impossibly heavy—moving even a little was a struggle. The doubled Ten Thousand Jin Sinking Body Curse lived up to its name.

Once he recovered a bit, he could only lean against the wall where he sat, unable to process it for a long time.

How had Rong Ye walked over fine, but he’d fallen right in…? This didn’t make sense!

He couldn’t figure it out.

Then a shadow fell over him, blocking the light from the pit’s edge. Gu Changhuai looked up and met a pair of dark, inscrutable amber eyes.

Rong Ye stood at the pit’s edge, looking down at him. From this superior position, his aloof chill seemed even more pronounced. In a deep, cold, unflappable voice, he asked, “Are you badly hurt?”

“…”

Gu Changhuai felt like there was a hint of amusement in those glancing eyes, but upon closer look, there was nothing.

This wasn’t on purpose, was it…

Though doubt flickered in his heart, Gu Changhuai didn’t dare ask. He could only guiltily make excuses: “I don’t know who dug this pit. Luckily Immortal Lord didn’t fall in. With my low cultivation, I couldn’t break free from this Ten Thousand Jin Curse. I’ll need Immortal Lord to pull me up.”

As he spoke, he laboriously pushed against the sides to stand. Perhaps dug in haste, the pit wasn’t wide—cramped at the bottom, his arms couldn’t fully extend.

Though narrow, it was very deep. Even two people stacked wouldn’t reach the top; external help was needed to climb out.

Rong Ye said, “Reach up.”

Gu Changhuai leaned against the wall and extended his hand upward. A vine snaked down, wrapping around his wrist. Using its pull, he began to climb. But the Ten Thousand Jin Curse acted on him too, the downward drag making his ascent slow and sluggish.

A large, distinct-knuckled hand reached down before him, its voice deep and cold: “Grab hold of me.”

Gu Changhuai’s long lashes trembled as he looked up. Rong Ye had leaned over from the edge, crouching down, his handsome, stern face like a descended deity.

“…”

An idea sparked in Gu Changhuai. He placed his hand on it and gripped firmly.

Just as Rong Ye was about to pull him up, Gu Changhuai’s eyes shifted. His foot slipped backward, toppling him, while he secretly exerted force on Rong Ye’s hand. At the same time, the Ten Thousand Jin Curse at the pit’s bottom surged, yanking them both down hard.

In a flash, the world spun, positions inverted. Gu Changhuai hugged onto Rong Ye amid the chaos to keep him from escaping. He closed his eyes, bracing for the fall. A wind seemed to brush past, his body twisting uncontrollably.

Silence surrounded them.

Feeling no pain, his feet touched solid ground. Gu Changhuai cautiously opened his eyes to find perfectly shaped, pale thin lips right before him—tempting to kiss.

No time for stray thoughts.

Startled, he tried to pull back, but his head bumped the stone wall, drawing a hiss of pain as his brows furrowed.

Instantly, a hand cushioned the back of his head, stopping further movement.

“This trap must be the Demon Clan’s doing. Don’t panic,” Rong Ye said. His low voice sounded especially reassuring and pleasant in the cramped space. “I’ll get you out shortly.”

The very Demon Clan perpetrator, Gu Changhuai: “…”

He gave an awkward smile. “Immortal Lord is wise. It’s all my fault for dragging you in. But now that we’re both down here, how do we get out?”

As he spoke, he shifted uncomfortably.

The space was tiny—one person could barely extend their arms, let alone two standing pressed so close. A step back was the wall. He’d prepared to drag Rong Ye down and cushion him below, but somehow they’d both landed on their feet.

Right now, the distance between him and Rong Ye… was far too intimate.

Gu Changhuai released his arms from around Rong Ye, trying to stand on his own. But as he moved, Rong Ye gave a casual glance.

The moment his hands left Rong Ye’s body, the surrounding Ten Thousand Jin Curse intensified, making Gu Changhuai stagger and nearly fall. He could only press against Rong Ye’s shoulder for support—luckily, Rong Ye steadied him.

“…”

Damn this Ten Thousand Jin Curse!

The atmosphere grew subtly awkward. Gu Changhuai explained candidly, “I suddenly couldn’t stand steady. Sorry to trouble Immortal Lord again.”

Rong Ye’s expression remained indifferent as he lowly acknowledged, “Mm.” The next moment, Gu Changhuai felt a large palm press against his waist, forcefully steadying him with irresistible strength.

What a good person…

Gu Changhuai sighed sincerely from the heart.

Even as he lowered his gaze to express thanks, his index finger abruptly transformed into a sharp Shattered Shadow, silently grazing Rong Ye’s neck. A trace of blood seeped onto the silver Shattered Shadow. Gu Changhuai felt the restless bug in his body calm down immediately.

His eyes flickered.

A sudden pang of guilt arose in his heart.

Immortal Lord saved him from peril, yet he schemed against Immortal Lord.

Rong Ye said nothing, a shadow passing through his eyes. His gaze swept over Gu Changhuai, brows slightly furrowing in faint disbelief.

How dare he?

How could the Demon Clan raise such a naive fool trying to deceive heaven and earth, treating everyone else like idiots…

The narrow space fell exceptionally quiet.

Time seemed frozen, the calm carrying a subtle, oppressive sense of crisis.

Gu Changhuai kept his head down, heart uneasy. Though his strike had been light—just a nick lighter than a mosquito bite—it was still drawing blood. Rong Ye might notice.

If he did, a fierce battle was inevitable. Gu Changhuai rapidly calculated his odds against the Qing Lian Immortal Lord.

Rong Ye’s gaze fell on Gu Changhuai’s lightly trembling long lashes, tense like awaiting judgment. That jade-like, exquisite face had paled, lips pressed into a thin line, as if deeply aggrieved.

Rong Ye’s eyes softened slightly.

…Forget it. What’s the point of quibbling with him.