Chapter 55 — Dying Together

The Mystic Fire Mirror resting on her chest gradually stilled, and all its radiance slowly faded away. Zhang Qingyue suddenly started—the great fiery dragon that had been churning below, he knew not when, had vanished as well.

Truly, he did not know how long had passed...

He stood rooted to the spot, a thousand, a million thoughts surging through his mind, and yet he still felt that his head was utterly blank.

The six-tailed white fox was silent for a long while before it slowly raised its head and said to Zhang Qingyue, "Young man, come here a moment."

Zhang Qingyue walked slowly toward it, and behind him, in the passage, the howling of the wind had already grown louder and louder!

The six-tailed white fox still held tightly to the body before it, which had long since lost all feeling. At some point its expression had regained its calm, and even its voice was serene as water: "Will you do me a favor?"

Zhang Qingyue was silent a moment, then said, "What is it?"

The white fox glanced at the woman in its arms and said quietly, "Throw the two of us together into the lava below!"

Zhang Qingyue jerked his head up and took a step back.

The white fox looked at him and said not a word.

Zhang Qingyue opened his mouth wide, as though he wanted to say something, yet not a single word could he get out. He only felt that his eyes, all at once, as if scorched by flame, had begun to burn.

He nodded heavily.

The white fox smiled and drew the woman in its arms closer.

One step, two steps—Zhang Qingyue, cradling the two foxes locked in tight embrace, walked slowly toward the edge of the platform.

The roaring waves of heat surged and bellowed beneath his feet.

At last he reached the end and stood upon the very brink of life and death.

The white fox's face suddenly looked a shade better. It lifted its head and gazed at the youth.

No one saw Zhang Qingyue's expression in that moment.

Then it suddenly smiled, as though all grievances and grudges had been forgotten, and it was only an elder of many years gazing upon a youth.

"Young man, why do this?"

Zhang Qingyue did not speak.

The white fox gently took up the Mystic Fire Mirror still resting on the woman's chest, and with its last strength pulled back the sleeve of Zhang Qingyue's right arm, and with the two ends of red silk tassel bound the Mystic Fire Mirror to his arm.

"This is the supreme divine artifact our fox clan traded countless lives to obtain. Let it be a keepsake for you!" It smiled, and at the same time its whole body began once more to tremble violently, and black blood trickled from the corner of its mouth: "But you must not let anyone else see it..."

Its voice, at last, too, sank away.

Zhang Qingyue bit his lip hard, drew a deep breath, and then let go with both hands.

In the distance, with a tremendous boom, Bili and Stone, together with Li Xun and Yan Fei of the Fenxia Valley sect, shot like lightning from the passage and appeared upon the platform. They arrived just in time to see Zhang Qingyue cast the two foxes into the lava.

Zhang Qingyue stood at the edge of the platform, oblivious to all that was behind him, staring blankly at the figures tumbling through the air.

A wind, from some unknown place, lifted the hem of his garment.

A faint light flickered past, and that gentle, lovely woman, in the midst of her turning grace, shed her mortal garments and revealed her true form—a beautiful three-tailed fox.

The two foxes, bereft of life yet still beautiful, clung tightly to each other, tumbling through the air as they fell. Until, with a low, muffled sound, they melted into the surface of that lake and were seen no more.

Bili, somewhat worried, stepped forward and called out loudly, "Xiaofan..."

But the youth, as though he had not heard, only stood there dazed and motionless.

Emerging from the Fire Dragon Cave and passing once more through the dark Black Stone Cave, they finally returned to the surface. By now the sky was fully bright.

Every one of them let out a long breath, Li Xun and Yan Fei included. From the look of the two of them, there was a measure of weariness as well—small wonder, for the monster called the "Great Black Leech" (Note 1), which the four of them had only subdued the night before by joining forces, was clearly no easy thing to deal with.

But Zhang Qingyue alone, for some reason, had remained silent all along.

Bili, standing beside him, asked him softly, and Zhang Qingyue only shook his head.

Li Xun glanced their way, then walked over and said to Zhang Qingyue, "So Junior Brother Zhang has escaped a great calamity after all, and come out alive from beneath the Abyss of the Dead. Truly a matter for congratulations."

Zhang Qingyue forced a smile, nodded, and returned the courtesy: "Many thanks, Senior Brother Li."

At this, Yan Fei came over as well. Her manner was far gentler than Li Xun's, and she said with a smile, "Senior Brother Zhang, your blessings run deep. One who survives a great calamity is sure to enjoy good fortune hereafter." Here she suddenly laughed. "Speaking of which, back when we were beneath the Abyss of the Dead, since we could not find you, your fellow disciples were beside themselves with worry—especially that Sixth Senior Sister of yours..."

Zhang Qingyue's heart stirred, and he raised his head to look at Yan Fei. Yet he saw that her face wore a smile that was not quite a smile, and she cast a glance at Li Xun beside her.

Li Xun, feeling Yan Fei's gaze, gave a rare smile, though deep within his eyes a faint light flickered past. He nodded slowly and said, "Indeed. Those fellow disciples of yours were all very worried about you. You had best return soon and set their minds at ease!"

Zhang Qingyue felt a touch of gratitude and bowed slightly. "Many thanks to you both."

Yan Fei smiled and returned the courtesy, but from the corner of her eye she inadvertently caught sight of the green-robed woman standing beside Zhang Qingyue—comely of feature, yet her expression at this moment somewhat dark.

Yan Fei was ever attentive, and at once she took note, unable to keep from studying Bili a little more closely. Then she said to Zhang Qingyue, "Senior Brother Zhang, might I ask who these two are..."

Zhang Qingyue turned and said, "Oh, this one is named Stone, a disciple of the Venerable Mighty Strength of the Vajra Sect, a righteous cultivator school."

Then he said to Stone, "Brother Shi, these two are Senior Brother Li Xun and Senior Sister Yan Fei of the Fenxia Valley sect."

At this, Stone was at once filled with reverence. In the eyes of cultivators the world over, Fenxia Valley was renowned, in no way inferior to the famous Canglan Sect. He made his salute and said, "Greetings to you both."

Li Xun and Yan Fei bowed in return. Yan Fei smiled and said, "Brother Shi's cultivation is very deep indeed!"

Stone flushed, but being a man of blunt and straightforward nature, he could not help letting a trace of pride show on his face. He laughed and said, "You flatter me."

Yan Fei turned with a smile, glanced at Bili, and said to Zhang Qingyue, "And this young lady?"

Zhang Qingyue faltered and said nothing. Bili, standing beside him, slowly let her gaze turn cold.

It was Stone who, seeing them silent, laughed and said, "This is Miss Bili. She is a friend of Brother Zhang, and her cultivation runs very deep."

Li Xun glanced at Bili, but seeing that she had no intention of greeting them, he turned his head away as well. Yan Fei, however, seemed to take considerable interest in Bili, and said with a smile, "Ah! So you are Miss Bili. Might I ask which school you hail from?"

Bili glanced at Zhang Qingyue, but saw that he remained silent, and suddenly gave a cold laugh. "I belong to no school and no sect. I have been alone since birth. Once in a while I lend someone a hand, and still I am held in contempt!"

Zhang Qingyue heard this and frowned. Yan Fei, however, only smiled and looked her over.