There is an arrow in the forest.

At this very moment, Zheng Fanren’s life was no different from that of an ant, and the arrows in the forest were proof enough of this fact.

“Are we going to die?” asked the girl on his back. Her voice, a blend of fear and defiance, was a little unclear.

“I won’t die so easily. If anyone dies first, it’ll be you!” he replied.

She knew that if her death could ensure the boy’s survival, the one carrying her would not hesitate for even a blink of an eye. Still, she obediently clung to his back, motionless, afraid to waste an ounce of his strength and not daring to utter another word.

A barrage of arrows, like a torrential downpour, whistled through the air from behind. In an instant, the heavy sound of their breathing vanished, replaced by a terrifying silence.

The arrows, sharp as daggers, pierced the thick trunks of towering pine trees, each impact resonating like knives stabbing into thick stacks of wet paper. The pines shuddered under the onslaught.

The only sound in Zheng Fanren’s ears was the relentless, threatening thrum of arrows. He knew all too well the terror of this deathly music, which drove him to move and dodge with every ounce of speed he could muster. The girl on his back bit her lip with all her might, focusing every thought on suppressing the scream that threatened to escape her throat.

Suddenly, Zheng Fanren hooked his left hand around a slender pine, using all his strength. With a powerful swing, he hurled both their bodies aside. Arrows grazed his arm, drawing blood as, in an instant, he propelled them more than twenty feet away.

Grateful the arrows hadn’t pierced his arm, Zheng Fanren cursed inwardly, “Damn it!”

A massive predator, a devouring panther, appeared before him, its jaws agape, ready to strike!

Their landing thudded in the ears of the expert archers, triggering a fresh volley of arrows. Zheng Fanren exploded with power, dropping to all fours like a beast, charging fearlessly at the panther.

The leaping panther dwarfed their small forms, but what awaited it was a storm of a dozen formidable arrows.

Using the beast as a shield, Zheng Fanren changed direction and sprinted left with all his might.

Fortunately, neither of them was stained by the panther’s foul black blood.

Only then did the girl finally let out a terrified scream.

“Bite down on my wound!” Zheng Fanren urged urgently.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the girl shifted position and clamped her teeth on the bleeding wound, not caring whether the taste was salty, sweet, or nauseating—there was simply no time for such thoughts.

No matter how unpleasant, there was no other way. Zheng Fanren would never let her use her hands to cover the wound—one slip and she might fall, which would mean certain death.

Feeling no more blood dripping to the ground, he shifted direction again, sprinting right.

Though skilled archers could sense whether their arrows had struck, the sight of the felled panther and the girl’s belated scream caused the arrow storm to cease just in time.

Thirteen master archers had hunted them for a full day. Even with their steady nerves, frustration began to creep in as all their figures rushed to the panther’s corpse.

In less than half a minute, the disabled beast was shredded under another rain of arrows.

...

Zheng Fanren continued his desperate flight northward, but the girl’s mystical energy was slowly running out, unable to sustain his pace much longer.

He sensed the magical power coursing into him was growing weaker. Unfastening his belt, he bound the two of them together tightly. The girl’s soft chest pressed against his back with each step, sending jolts through his nerves. Luckily, he couldn’t see the deep blush on her cheeks.

The tingling sensation helped clear her mind as well.

After securing them together, Zheng Fanren asked, “Are you sure if we keep heading north, we’ll reach the Wei River?”

Finally aware of the blood and flesh in her mouth, the girl’s embarrassment vanished, replaced by a wave of nausea. She coughed and spat for a moment before answering weakly with all her strength, “Yes...”

Only now did Zheng Fanren allow himself to feel the searing pain in his wound—and was surprised to find the bleeding had stopped.

Suddenly, thunder raged overhead and rain poured down as if the heavens were collapsing. The wind and rain lashed furiously at the trees, and no other sound dared disturb the forest.

“How exhilarating!” he murmured, feeling the girl’s mystical power still flowing into him and silently praising her in his heart.

Now, with the rain pouring and the Wei River swelling, none of the pursuers expected the boy to head straight for it.

After running twelve or thirteen miles, they emerged from the woods into an open expanse, and before them lay a vast, mist-shrouded river. Amid the wind and rain, they could make out boats moving busily upon the water.

Just then, a splendid large boat drifted downstream—a vessel about forty feet long, double-decked, clearly belonging to someone of wealth or status.

Zheng Fanren’s heart leaped—this was the perfect hiding place: there were too many boats on the river to track anyone easily, and the owner of such a vessel was surely someone important, making it unlikely the pursuers would dare board at will.

He quickly asked, “We need to get onto that big boat. Can you manage it?”

Without hesitation, the girl replied, “No problem!”

Then, a little shyly, she added, “Untie me, please.”

Without further thought, Zheng Fanren undid the belt, secured it around his own waist, and together they slipped into the river.

Early summer had left the water a little cold. They timed their movements, clinging to the underside of the boat as it drifted downstream.

As the sky darkened, Zheng Fanren nodded to the girl, signaling her to surface. Glancing up, they spotted an open window on the upper deck. He knew that if they didn’t act quickly, they’d be discovered. With a swift motion, he vaulted up to the railing and, with a burst of strength, leaped through the window like a bird.

He scanned the cabin quickly—empty. Belt snapping free, he moved as fluidly as water to help the girl inside.

His movements were smooth and unhesitating, proof of his growing prowess.

The girl summoned the last of her mystical energy and, with the help of the belt, slipped gracefully through the window to land before him.

Only then did Zheng Fanren turn to examine their refuge.

The first thing that caught his eye was a finely carved bed, with a writing desk beside it bearing the Four Treasures of the Study and an incense burner emitting a faint, delicate fragrance.

He whispered, “A scholar’s cabin?”

The girl nodded, then, after a moment, exclaimed in surprise, “It’s Heavenly Eye incense!”

Uncertain of the situation on the boat, her excitement was kept to a whisper, which sounded amusingly eager.

Zheng Fanren mused, “Heavenly Eye incense? The owner of this room must be someone remarkable.”

Just then, the distant sounds of applause drifted in, with voices praising, “What a poem! What a poem!”

Hearing this, Zheng Fanren smiled inwardly, stepped to the desk, and prepared to write.