Volume One: Unfathomable Freedom Among Paper Leaves Chapter Seventeen: The Broken Cliff

Old Mu lay motionless on the ground, and Yang Ning thought that, if nothing else, the way this old fellow had bashed his head against the wall just now was enough to keep him unconscious for a while. At this moment, taking Old Mu’s life would indeed be effortless, yet the stabbing pain in his chest worried him; if the old man truly died, he feared he wouldn't survive either. But if he waited for Old Mu to recover, he might face grave danger himself. Torn between these choices, Yang Ning felt truly at a loss.

He had originally intended to take a shortcut and catch up with the escort team, hoping to find Xiao Die. Now, however, he was trapped in the mountains, growing farther and farther from her. After pondering for a moment, he turned his gaze back to the scroll on the ground.

The scroll bore the name "Six Harmonies Divine Skill," but Yang Ning could not discern what was divine about it, nor could he understand the meaning behind the red lines sketched upon it. With nothing else to do, he carefully examined each illustration, identifying the acupoints the red lines traversed.

The first diagram passed through sixteen acupoints. Yang Ning spent only a brief moment to clarify them all; he had learned to identify acupoints before, though many lay close together and could easily be confused. His memory was exceptional, so confirming their locations did not take long. He even touched each acupoint in turn as the diagram indicated.

By the time he had identified all the acupoints in the sixth diagram, a low moan sounded behind him. Yang Ning immediately became alert, turned, and saw Old Mu stirring. He quickly rolled up the scroll and quietly placed it back in its original spot, then returned to the cave entrance.

Soon, he heard the rustling sounds behind him again. Turning, he saw Old Mu sitting up and feigned concern, saying, "Old Mu, are you... are you all right?"

Old Mu was evidently much clearer now, staring at Yang Ning with a strange expression. "Why didn't you come inside?" he asked.

Yang Ning quickly replied, "When I returned, you were in terrible pain. I wanted to help, but... but you tried to hit me. I'm no match for you, so I could only stay outside, afraid to come in."

"You never came inside?" Old Mu pressed.

Yang Ning forced a bitter smile. "You were suffering from your poison, very wary of others. I... I truly didn't dare enter."

Old Mu snorted coldly and said no more. His complexion was ghastly pale as he asked in a low voice, "Did you find any wild fruit?"

Yang Ning promptly handed over the fruit he had gathered. Old Mu examined them, ate two, and then, after finishing, looked at Yang Ning with a cold smile and asked, "You had a chance to leave—why didn’t you?"

Such a question, as if he didn’t already know the answer.

Yang Ning kept his face pleasant. "You’re injured here. I did think about leaving, but I’d worry about abandoning you alone."

"You’re quite the smooth talker," Old Mu said coolly. "Has your injury flared up?"

Yang Ning forced another smile. "Old Mu, you needn’t be like this. I respect the old and care for the young; I wouldn’t leave you behind."

Old Mu said nothing further, but suddenly raised a palm and struck Yang Ning’s chest. The blow was swift—Yang Ning had no time to react.

"Old Mu, you—!"

"Don’t be afraid," Old Mu said calmly. "I told you, three days of massage and your injury will heal naturally. You can go out now. Unless I summon you, stepping even half a foot into this cave will mean certain death."

Massage, he called it? Yang Ning shook his head in resignation. He glanced around and saw that the scroll had vanished, clearly taken by Old Mu.

Yang Ning went outside again. By dusk, the cave echoed with Old Mu's agitated voice: "What’s going on? Where is the mistake—where exactly is it?"

Yang Ning was startled and peered inside. He saw Old Mu sitting cross-legged, clutching his white hair and bowing his head in pain, muttering to himself, "Impossible. There must be a mistake somewhere—what is it? Could it be... could it be that I’ve been duped? No, impossible. If it were truly fake, they wouldn’t have chased after it..."

He was clearly lost in thought, forgetting Yang Ning was at the cave mouth.

Yang Ning was baffled, unable to grasp Old Mu’s meaning.

Afterward, Old Mu fell silent, sitting cross-legged in the cave. Yang Ning ate two wild fruits and, as midnight fell, Old Mu remained motionless as if carved from stone.

Yang Ning worried that the people from the Five Venoms Palace might search the mountains, but thankfully, apart from the occasional wolf howl or bird call, no one came. Still, keeping company with this old man was wearing on his nerves.

After midnight, Yang Ning dozed off outside the cave. In his dreams, his mind wandered over the many acupoints traced by the red line—not only Central Residence, Spirit Ruins, Heavenly Mansion, and Purple Palace, but also Joining Valley, Side Passage, and Crooked Pool. He never fully slept.

Half-awake, a piercing, eerie scream jolted him upright. He heard Old Mu's strange cries echoing from the cave. Yang Ning frowned, peered inside, and saw a shadow darting wildly in the dim light, circling the cave in a mad frenzy, terrifying and bizarre.

Old Mu's voice was a beast-like howl, echoing with the wolves of the deep mountains—strangely harmonious.

"What on earth is wrong with this old man?" Yang Ning grew even more suspicious. "It seems his condition isn’t just poisoning."

After a while, Old Mu suddenly collapsed and lay still. Yang Ning called to him twice with no response, so he ventured inside. He found the scroll at Old Mu's feet and assumed the old man would sleep for several hours. Yang Ning picked up the scroll, walked to the cave entrance, and mused, "Whenever he goes mad, the scroll is nearby. Could his madness be connected to this scroll?"

He was pondering this mystery when a sudden movement sounded behind him. He turned quickly and saw Old Mu had somehow risen, advancing step by step toward the cave entrance. His eyes gleamed like a wild beast’s in the night, filled with cold murderous intent.

"Hand it over!" Old Mu fixed his gaze on the scroll in Yang Ning’s hand. "You’re courting death—it’s mine, no one can take it away!" With a fierce shout, he lunged at Yang Ning.

Yang Ning cursed inwardly; he hadn’t expected Old Mu to awaken so soon. Seeing the murderous intent in the old monster’s eyes, he knew he truly meant to kill. Without hesitation, Yang Ning turned and fled for his life.

"Stop!" Old Mu shouted. "I’ll kill you!"

If anything, that only made Yang Ning run faster. Clutching the scroll, he dashed forward with all his might. He knew Old Mu was adept at ensnaring people with vines; this time, he was determined to keep his distance. If he were caught by Old Mu in his current state, death would be certain.

Fortunately, Yang Ning had become familiar with the terrain while foraging for fruit, so he managed to keep ahead for a while. Old Mu chased him like a madman in the night.

But Bullhead Ridge spanned dozens of miles and it was deep into the night. After a while, Yang Ning became disoriented; towering trees surrounded him, and Old Mu’s pursuit grew louder and closer. He dared not slow, plunging deeper into the dense forest.

After some time, his legs began to ache, and his body was scratched by thorns and branches, leaving many small wounds.

Suddenly, he heard the roar of water ahead, a thunderous sound like ocean waves. Yang Ning pressed on, and his heart sank as he saw, not far ahead, a waterfall pouring from a high cliff like a suspended river of stars. There was no path forward.

Barely ten steps ahead lay a sheer drop, facing another cliff across a wide chasm.

"Finished!" Yang Ning shivered. The ridges of Bullhead Mountain rose and fell endlessly, and in his blind panic, he had run straight to the edge of an abyss.

He approached the cliff and looked down. In the darkness, the bottom was invisible, but the waterfall on the opposite cliff suggested a mountain river below.

"Hahaha...!" Wild laughter rang out behind him. Yang Ning turned and saw Old Mu closing in, barely ten steps away. His gray robe was tattered from the forest, his hair disheveled—a veritable madman.

Yang Ning drew a deep breath, steadying himself, and called out as Old Mu approached, "Stop!"

Old Mu ignored him, his voice chilling. "I had hoped to let you live a few more days, but you seek death yourself. Even if I wanted you to live, you couldn’t." He extended a hand. "Give it to me."

"Old liar, I knew you had no good intentions," Yang Ning sneered. "Stop right there—take one more step..." He suddenly stepped back, standing at the edge, and held the scroll out over the abyss. Old Mu’s face changed dramatically, crying, "Don’t...!" He rushed forward, but stopped abruptly.

Yang Ning instantly understood—the scroll was of utmost importance to Old Mu. He calmed himself and smiled, "Old Mu, I know killing me would be easy for you. But as you can see, throwing this scroll—no, throwing the Six Harmonies Divine Skill—down there would be just as effortless. There’s no bottom here; if I toss it, you’ll never find it again."

Old Mu’s facial muscles twitched, his eyes icy. "Little Rabbit, who are you really?"

"I told you, I’m a destitute refugee, with no grudge against you." Yang Ning spat. "I saved you, yet you repay kindness with betrayal. For someone your age, how can you be so shameless and ungrateful?" He shook the scroll. "It’s in my hands. If you try to kill me, I’ll drag it down with me!"

"No, you’re definitely not an ordinary refugee," Old Mu’s eyes flashed. "You... you can read the words on it; you must have studied somewhere. Little Rabbit, did you disguise yourself to win my trust and steal the Six Harmonies Divine Skill? Who sent you?" His gaze was sharp as a blade, voice chilling. "Who sent you?"