Translated by Team DHH.
Book 1: A New Lease on Life
Chapter 36: The Levelheaded Zhong Shan
Tianling-er watched in fright. How could it be? How could it be?
Zhong Shan didn't want to die, truly didn't want to die. He finally entered an immortal school and end up dying here? Yet, the boulder on top was swaying; it looked like the two of them would fall down together in no time.
"Ling-er, get on the red silk and fly up. Get me near the mountain side so I can anchor myself with my machete." Zhong Shan made a quick decision.
"I can't. The red silk is too torn. I can't use it to fly anymore." Tianling-er spoke with great anxiety.
Zhong Shan was horrified. What to do now?
"Zhong Shan, I won't leave you. But I can't hold on any longer. I only regret that I won't see da shixiong ever again." Tianling-er sadly said.
Zhong Shan felt a mix of emotion. He looked at Tianling-er and said, "If we survive, I'll take you to look for da shixiong."
As he finished speaking, the boulder above suddenly broke off; the rock, Tianling-er, and Zhong Shan all fell downward together.
"AH~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
Tianling-er screamed panic. She, together with Zhong Shan, quickly fell into the deep valley below.
There was nothing they could use as leverage to change their direction. Were they going to fall to their death? Zhong Shan knew for certainty that they would die from a high fall. Maybe, they would turn into meat pies the next moment.
However, Zhong Shan kept his cool at this critical moment. Even though his body was falling rapidly, his brain was quickly spinning as if the world around him had stopped moving.
Within the span of two breathes, Zhong Shan had come up with a difficult plan.
He used his right hand to pull the red silk on his waist quickly pulling Tianling-er into his arms.
"AH~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
Tianling-er, with eyes tightly shut, was still screaming as she fell into Zhong Shan's arms. When she realized Zhong Shan had caught her, she held on to Zhong Shan with both hands even tighter as if he was a lifeline.
Zhong Shan was not in the mood to care about Tianling-er. With great urgency, he grabbed the red silk and continued to pull. The boulder above came closer to Zhong Shan.
He held Tianling-er tightly and used the red silk as leverage to flip onto the boulder. He squatted on the rock.
Tianling-er regained her composure as he maneuvered above the rock. She was held in Zhong Shan's arms and didn't know what to think.
"Release the red silk." Zhong Shan said.
Like a conditioned reflex, Tianling-er quickly released the red silk from the boulder.
Below, not too far down, they could already see the bottom of the valley.
They were already falling at a terrifying speed.
"Hou~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
Holding Tianling-er tight, Zhong Shan roared and suddenly straightened his body to jump up with all his might.
"Hu~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
The boulder instantly shot downwards five times faster, like a cannonball fired towards the ground. Zhong Shan, holding Tianling-er, on the other hand, was falling at a much slower speed now.
However that wasn't enough to save them. They were still falling too quickly.
Tianling-er's fear was replaced by a glimmer of hope with this successful maneuver. She began to trust on Zhong Shan to save them; they would be alright, they would be alright for sure!
However, the ground was still closing in too fast.
Zhong Shan turned his hand to take down his big machete.
"Hold on tight."
Zhong Shan called out to Tianling-er.
Tianling-er quickly held onto Zhong Shan tighter, with all her strength.
Zhong Shan used all his might again to throw the big machete towards the bottom.
"Hou~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
The big machete rapidly flew down and the two of them slowed down once again.
"Boom~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
"Boom~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
The sound of both the boulder and the big machete impacting the ground rush up to their ears.
At this point, Zhong Shan, judging the distance to the bottom, was certain that they would at worst be seriously injured, but still survive.
As long as they could live, then everything was worth it.
However, when Zhong Shan threw down the big machete, his body had tilted forward. So now Tianling-er was under Zhong Shan.
Zhong Shan acted decisively. He firmly grasped onto Tianling-er and strived to turn around. He reversed their position so he was at the bottom, with Tianling-er on top.
Tianling-er sensed the reversal of their positions when she was pressing against Zhong Shan's chest. She understood what Zhong Shan's last actions meant. Suddenly, Tianling-er's eyes welled up with tears and held even tighter on Zhong Shan.
"Boom~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
With a loud bang, Zhong Shan landed on his back, a large plume of dust rose into the air.
Though Zhong Shan had some protection from the Demonic Body Toning Method, the tremendous impact still churned his insides. Both him and Tianling-er passed out upon the impact.
Two hours later.
Zhong Shan was the first one to come around in the quiet valley. He woke up not because he had regained consciousness, rather it was because of the time limit for the Demonic Body Toning Method was up. He was awakened by the pain and soreness all over his body.
The moment he woke up, Zhong Shan burst in delirious laughter.
"Hahahaha"
Still alive, still alive! Hahaha.
Though Zhong Shan hurt all over, he was euphoric. He survived.
After the hearty laugh, Zhong Shan felt the pain; it was so painful that it seemed like all of the bones in his body had shattered.
After a short rest, Zhong Shan felt a little better. He noticed Tianling-er still had traces of tears on her face.
Was the fall that terrifying to her? Zhong Shan had a warm smile on his face. He didn't know the tears was because Tianling-er had been moved by his final maneuver before their landing.
"Ling-er. Ling-er!" Zhong Shan called.
Her lashes moved lightly, Tianling-er slowly opened her eyes.
The instant she opened her eyes, she blushed and quickly stood up when she noticed that she was in Zhong Shan's arms.
"Ouch!"
As she was standing up, Tianling-er's body gave out and she fell back into his arms.
Zhong Shan caught her and saw the bloody slash caused by Liu Ming's sword on her calf.
With pain in his body, Zhong Shan helped Tianling-er sit against a big rock. He carefully tore open one leg of Tianling-er's pants, revealing a white and smooth leg.
Tianling-er blushed again seeing her pants torn open around her calf. She bit her lips and kept quiet knowing that Zhong Shan was just checking her wound.
Zhong Shan sat down in front of Tianling-er and lightly put her wounded leg on his lap, checking her wound carefully.
"Water bag." Zhong Shan said.
"Water bag?" Tianling-er, with a red face and a blurry brain, not understanding what Zhong Shan was talking about.
"In your storage bracelet. I'm sure I left it there." Zhong Shan said with a frown.
"Oh, oh." Tianling-er took out the water bag right away.
Using the leg of the pants which had been torn off, Zhong Shan carefully wiped the cut clean with water. He was very careful. Yet Tianling-er's heart was beating wildly. Without knowing why, Tianling-er flushed, even her neck was turning pink. Tianling-er felt that Zhong Shan's hands were like a searing iron touching her leg. The heat came from her leg and reached her heart. Though Zhong Shan was merely cleaning the wound, Tianling-er felt extremely nervous for no apparent reason.
"Liquor." Zhong Shan told Tianling-er.
"Oh." Tianling-er immediately took out a jar of liquor like a puppet.
Zhong Shan poured the liquor onto Tianling-er's white leg to sanitize it!
"Ah~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
A sharp pain woke Tianling-er up from her daydreaming.
"White cloth." Zhong Shan spoke again.
Tianling-er took it out and Zhong Shan carefully wrapped the leg with the white cloth.
Tianling-er watched all that Zhong Shan had done for her. Tianling-er's heart was aflutter; she didn't even know what she was even thinking about.
Zhong Shan put down Tianling-er's leg and said, "Do some breathing exercises. Try to recover as soon as possible."
"En." Tianling-er nodded.
She quickly sat down with legs crossed and sat there for two hours before she gradually came out of it.
"Feel better?" Zhong Shan asked.
"En, much better." Tianling-er nodded.
"It's your turn to guard me. Let me do some breathing exercises." Zhong Shan said.
Tianling-er almost choked up from hearing Zhong Shan but she nodded without letting her tears fall down.
With Tianling-er's promise, Zhong Shan instantly closed his eyes to do breathing exercise. He was hurt badly.
Looking at Zhong Shan, Tianling-er couldn't stop her tears anymore.
She blamed herself. If she had listened to Zhong Shan in the first place, Zhong Shan wouldn't have to act as a human cushion for her. He must have been hurt even more seriously than her. Yet, he didn't rest after he woke but was taking care her first. Later he even guarded her for her to recover, then he finally took care of himself.
Tianling-er for the first time felt that she was too headstrong. They were in this situation all because of her own stubbornness.