Chapter 2: Escaping Death

“What lowly scoundrel dares to snatch my opportunity? You seek death!”

Hua Changxi woke to the sound of clashing weapons. As soon as she opened her eyes, the pillar of light before her forced her to squint.

When she finally focused her vision, she realized it was a circular pillar of light about one meter in diameter, rising from the center of the stone platform.

Within the light, a golden pillar as thick as an arm held aloft a brilliant, crimson-glowing orb.

Hua Changxi had no mood to admire this red stone, which shone brighter than a diamond; instead, her gaze shifted toward the two figures fighting intensely in the distance.

One was a red-robed elder, and the other was the young lady who had untied her.

Hua Changxi was astonished to see the young lady fighting the red-robed elder to a standstill. When she noticed that both seemed to be heading toward her, her eyes fell once more upon the red stone within the light.

The red-robed elder and the young lady were fighting over that red stone!

Hua Changxi shook her dizzy head. Taking advantage of the fact that the combatants were not paying attention to her, she pulled out her hairpin, slit a tear in her clothing, and with great effort, tore off a piece of cloth to bind her bleeding wrist.

Originally, Hua Changxi had intended to continue feigning unconsciousness, waiting for the red-robed elder and the young lady to settle their score and leave before finding an opportunity to escape.

To her surprise, the battle between the elder and the young lady grew increasingly violent, and the shockwaves from their attacks began to affect the others on the stone platform.

Those caught in the crossfire were sent flying; some lost arms or legs, while others were simply cleaved in two.

Witnessing this, Hua Changxi was struck by both shock and terror.

The red-robed elder and the young lady would surely come toward her. By then, she wouldn't die from blood loss, but would instead be dismembered by the shockwaves of their attacks.

Hua Changxi looked at the fighting pair, then at the red stone in the light. Her mind raced frantically, calculating her chances of survival.

Both the elder and the young lady seemed determined to possess the red stone. If she could take it, she would have bargaining chips. Even if negotiations failed, it could buy more time for her father to find her.

With this thought, Hua Changxi moved.

"Bastard!"

"Drop the red stone!"

The red-robed elder and the young lady were locked in a fierce struggle, both believing the stone was already within their grasp—once the opponent was dealt with, the stone would inevitably be theirs.

Neither expected that a single moment of distraction would allow someone to snatch the stone right from under their noses.

Both the elder and the young lady ceased their fighting simultaneously and charged toward Hua Changxi in unison.

Hua Changxi had already sprinted to the edge of the stone platform, holding the red stone aloft with both hands. "Stop! If you dare take a single step closer, I will throw this red stone into the magma!"

The expressions of both the elder and the lady changed instantly.

The young lady said, "Don't be impulsive."

The red-robed elder was livid, but at this moment, he did not dare to clash head-on with her. Gritting his teeth, he spat, "Hold that stone steady! If it falls, I will skin you alive!"

Hua Changxi shouted even louder than him, "You'd better not try to scare me right now. If my hand slips, the stone might just fall!"

The red-robed elder’s face darkened, his gaze turning ferocious.

Noticing that he seemed to be gathering strength for a sneak attack, Hua Changxi quickly added, "Don't even think about attacking me. If you try, I'll jump into the magma with the stone. Even if you are a martial arts master, you won't be faster than me."

As she spoke, she moved the red stone even closer to the edge of the platform.

The young lady lost her composure and hurried to persuade her, "Hua Jiuniang, do not be impulsive!"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi’s expression shifted as she looked at the lady. "You know me?"

Realizing she had let a slip of the tongue escape in her urgency, the young lady looked momentarily vexed, but she quickly recovered. She did not answer the question, only saying, "Everything can be discussed calmly. You must hold that red stone steady."

Hua Changxi knew now was not the time to investigate why the lady knew her. Ignoring the lack of an answer, she simply followed her lead: "I only want to live."

The red-robed elder barked, "Fine! As long as you give the stone to me, I will let you go."

Hua Changxi snorted. "Do you think I'm a fool? If I give you the stone, you'll definitely kill me immediately."

The elder gritted his teeth. "Then what do you want?"

Hua Changxi’s gaze darted back and forth between the elder and the young lady.

The elder had bound her and the others for sacrifice; he certainly didn't want her alive. The young lady likely wasn't a saint either, but since she knew her and had helped her, using the red stone to negotiate with her would likely yield a higher chance of survival.

With this logic, Hua Changxi looked at the young lady. "Little lady, you want this red stone very much too, don't you? Kill the red-robed elder, and I'll give the stone to you."

The elder let out a cold snort, while the young lady looked helpless. "I cannot defeat him."

Hua Changxi did not believe her. She said directly, "You were pretending to be captured, weren't you? You came here for this red stone! If it falls into the elder's hands, he certainly won't let you touch it. What will you do then?"

The young lady looked at the red stone in Hua Changxi's arms and remained silent.

Hua Changxi continued, "In any case, only one of you can have it. Little lady, I only want to live. If you take out the elder, I will give you the stone immediately."

Before the young lady could respond, the red-robed elder launched an attack against her.

Watching the two clash instantly, Hua Changxi did not lower her guard. She stood at the edge of the platform clutching the stone, looking ready to throw it at any moment.

After only a few exchanges between the elder and the lady, a sound came from the stone door, which then swung wide open.

Hua Changxi’s face lit up with joy, thinking her father had arrived. To her surprise, it was a middle-aged man in wide-sleeved robes.

Upon seeing the newcomer, the red-robed elder’s expression changed drastically. He unleashed a flurry of palm strikes at the young lady, forcing her to retreat.

Having driven the lady back, the elder charged toward Hua Changxi without a word.

Hua Changxi could not evade his attack. Seeing him rush at her, she grew desperate. She threw her hands up and tossed the red stone straight off the platform.

"Even if I die, I won't let you have your way!" As she shouted this, Hua Changxi also threw herself off the platform.

"No!"

"No!"

The elder and the young lady screamed in unison.

Watching the falling red stone, the red-robed elder actually threw himself off the platform in a suicidal attempt to catch it.

The young lady was a step too slow. Reaching the edge, she looked down, but saw nothing but the churning magma below.

At that moment, the middle-aged man reached the edge of the platform as well.

"Qi Niang, are you alright?"

Gu Jinfan shook his head. Looking at the rolling magma, he said regretfully, "It seems I am destined to have no connection with the opportunities here."

The middle-aged man said guiltily, "If I hadn't encountered the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture, I wouldn't have been late."

Gu Jinfan’s expression shifted. "You encountered the Jingzhao Prefecture people?"

The man nodded. "Not only them, but the Six Doors as well. From the look of it, they are all heading toward this ruined temple."

Gu Jinfan clearly did not want to run into the authorities. He looked down at the magma once more and said, "Let us go."

Shortly after they left, a hand, scorched and bloody, appeared at the edge of the stone platform, followed by Hua Changxi’s pained and distorted face.

Hua Changxi’s hands gripped the indentations in the stone platform with all her might, her feet struggling to find purchase on the protrusions of the statues around the edge. She gritted her teeth, fighting to endure.

The carvings were too low, and since she had no strength left, she could not climb up the platform on her own.

However, while she was hanging from the statues, she had overheard the conversation between the young lady and the middle-aged man. She knew the officials were coming.

As long as she held on until they arrived, she would be saved.

One hour?

Two hours?

After an unknown amount of time, just as Hua Changxi was about to lose her grip, the stone door opened. Seeing the soldiers rushing in, Hua Changxi wept with joy.

"Help me~"