TM CH26

Chapter 26 The Third Person

Boom—

A muffled thunderclap echoed across the sky. The weather at sea changes extremely quickly. The two had only taken a few steps back when a torrential rain began to fall. Thunder roared one after another, and the surroundings darkened in an instant.

Gu Yunxing’s voice was nearly drowned out by the wind, rain, and thunder. “Can you still see?”

Rong Qi nodded. Although the light had dimmed, he could still make out the path beneath his feet.

This wasn’t their first time getting caught in a storm. As long as they made it back to the cliff quickly, they’d be fine.

But this storm turned out to be fiercer than the previous ones.

In the blink of an eye, the rain intensified. The raindrops formed a curtain of water, slanting down from the dark sky, making it almost impossible to keep their eyes open. Rong Qi reached up to wipe his face, but the moment he lifted his hand, Gu Yunxing caught it.

Rong Qi shut his eyes and stopped trying to see. Instead, he let Gu Yunxing pull him forward as they ran through the storm.

It was said that when things were unusually out of the ordinary, something strange was bound to happen. After an unusually sunny and clear day came an even more terrifying storm. Rong Qi regretted it silently. Had he known, they wouldn’t have gone so far.

The cliff was still a distance away from the shore. They used their lightness skills and ran, but within moments, they were already soaked through by the wind and rain.

Gu Yunxing finally came to a stop, though Rong Qi had no idea how much time had passed.

Rong Qi was abruptly pulled to a halt. Panting heavily, he asked “Are we he-mmph!”

Gu Yunxing suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth, using so much force that the rest of his words were completely stifled.

Startled, Rong Qi opened his eyes wide. He even forgot to push him away and instinctively grabbed Gu Yunxing’s hand, trying to turn his head to convey his confusion.

Gu Yunxing leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “Someone’s here.”

Someone?

A person!

Rong Qi immediately looked around, but the curtain of rain blurred everything. He couldn’t see a thing.

Who could it be?

He only felt his heartbeat suddenly quicken with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Had someone finally come to rescue them?

Was it someone from Lihuo Palace?

Or one of Gu Yunxing’s people?

Would they take him too?

Gu Yunxing still had his hand over Rong Qi’s mouth.

Rong Qi struggled slightly, but in the next moment, he was suddenly pushed down, his entire body pinned to the wet, muddy ground by Gu Yunxing.

“Shh.” Gu Yunxing’s breath brushed against his ear as he whispered for silence.

Rong Qi was confused but didn’t dare to move. A flood of thoughts rushed through his mind.

What was going on? Was something wrong?

Could it be they weren’t Gu Yunxing’s people?

If they were from Lihuo Palace… Considering all they had been through together, Rong Qi figured he could grudgingly agree to take Gu Yunxing with him when they left the island.

Gu Yunxing remained pressed against him, heavier than ever.

Rong Qi felt a bit uncomfortable. They were so close that he could almost feel the quickened beat of Gu Yunxing’s heart through his back.

What had Gu Yunxing seen?

Rong Qi lifted his head, forcing his eyes open. All he could make out were blurred shapes.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning split across the sky, casting everything in a stark, blinding light for a brief moment.

Rong Qi held his breath in shock.

The lightning vanished in an instant, and darkness returned. But the scene that had just unfolded remained etched clearly in his mind.

It was indeed a person — a towering figure with long, tangled hair, draped in the bloody pelts of some unknown beast. The figure was facing away from them, swinging his arms, tearing and pounding at something with an extraordinarily terrifying force.

The light had come and gone in a blink, plunging the world back into shadow. Only the roar of wind, thunder, and rain remained. Rong Qi’s heart pounded wildly. The moment he saw that strange silhouette, a sharp sense of danger surged through him.

There really was a third person on the island.

After three months of being stranded, they had finally seen someone else.

But that person…

Rong Qi was certain he wasn’t from Lihuo Palace, and definitely not a crew member. Gu Yunxing’s reaction made it clear he wasn’t from Tianji Sect either. The man had appeared out of nowhere, standing unfazed in the middle of the storm, radiating an eerie, unexplainable aura.

Gu Yunxing pressed them even lower to the ground.

With darkness closing in again, Rong Qi could no longer see, and his other senses sharpened. In the thick, damp air, he caught the faint, pungent scent of something strange.

A noise came from ahead, and Gu Yunxing’s breath faltered for a few moments.

Rong Qi couldn’t help but tense up in response. Just then, another flash of lightning split the sky, and in the brief moment of white light, he finally saw what the strange figure was tearing apart…

It was another person.

Blood and flesh were mangled beyond recognition, the face a grotesque mess. In the monster’s arms, the body looked nothing more than a lifeless, disfigured lump of flesh.

Rong Qi narrowed his eyes. If he wasn’t mistaken, the torn-up body was wearing the robes of a Lihuo Palace disciple.

The flash of lightning was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and in the darkness, the strange scent grew even stronger.

Rong Qi’s mind snapped into clarity. It was the unmistakable stench of blood. After months on the island, he had momentarily failed to recognize the scent.

He tilted his head back, trying to see more clearly, but Gu Yunxing’s arm wrapped around his neck, and his elbow pressed into his shoulder, keeping him in place.

The position was uncomfortable, but Rong Qi stayed silent.

Gu Yunxing was likely still observing.

Rong Qi could only sensed the faint warmth of Gu Yunxing’s breath against his neck and the subtle beat of his heart against his back, using these sensations to try and make sense of the situation.

Suddenly, Gu Yunxing’s breath became much heavier.

Rong Qi sensed a change. Before he could ask, Gu Yunxing’s voice sounded in his ear. “Run!”

Gu Yunxing quickly grabbed his wrist and yanked him off the ground.

Rong Qi stumbled but quickly steadied himself, frowning as he made a split-second decision to follow Gu Yunxing and run.

“What did you see?”

Rong Qi knew the strange figure must have discovered them, so he no longer hesitated and asked directly.

Gu Yunxing’s answer was brief. “He’s dangerous.”

Rong Qi frowned. Dangerous?

Just moments ago, he had been running through countless thoughts, suspecting that the freak might be some wild savage living on the island, skilled in hiding his tracks like the beasts of the mountains, which explained why they hadn’t been discovered until now.

But now, Gu Yunxing had actually used the word ‘dangerous.’

Rong Qi knew just how extraordinary Gu Yunxing’s martial arts skills were, so he really couldn’t understand why Gu Yunxing would choose to drag him away and run after encountering a freak of unknown origin.

Even though he was now partially blind and more or less a burden, surely it couldn’t have been enough for Sect Master Gu to turn tail and run?

Gu Yunxing must have seen something, and his judgment couldn’t have been baseless.

In this uncertain situation, Rong Qi was more inclined to trust Gu Yunxing.

The two of them used their lightness skill to dash through the rainstorm. Rong Qi couldn’t see the path beneath him, and his unease grew stronger, especially after he realized there were footsteps relentlessly following them.

Gu Yunxing’s lightness skill was incredibly fast, and while Rong Qi didn’t consider himself slow, they still hadn’t shaken off the person behind them.

Rong Qi drew the dagger hidden in his clothes and gripped it tightly in his hand.

Gu Yunxing yanked him closer, pulling him in more tightly.

“Rong Qi…”

A thunderclap echoed across the sky, and the rain intensified. Rong Qi couldn’t hear him clearly. “What?”

Without hesitation, Gu Yunxing pulled him even closer. “There’s a mountain path ahead. On the left is a forest, and on the right, a steep slope.”

Rong Qi understood what he meant and gritted his teeth. “Just what is it! If we join forces, can’t we defeat it?”

Gu Yunxing: “I’ll lead it away. Let’s meet at the shelter tomorrow.”

Rong Qi felt the hand holding his wrist loosen. He hurriedly grabbed back, annoyed. “Are you kidding me? Gu Yunxing, this venerable one can’t see anything!”

Gu Yunxing spoke in a low voice, “Trust me.”

Rong Qi: “……”

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but felt bewildered instead. Suddenly, alarm bells rang loudly in his mind. Having faced death so many times, he felt an icy chill on his back, and before he could think, his body instinctively moved to the side.

It had caught up!

Rong Qi immediately understood the situation. It was too fast. Despite their lightness skill being nearly equal, the rain was so heavy that even with their speed, they had still been caught.

A flash of lightning split the sky, its blinding white light illuminating a bloodied face, barely an arm’s length away.