Fortunately, there was a cave halfway up the cliff. During the day, they would use vines to rappel down and search the forest for wild fruit and mountain springs to stave off hunger. At night, they would return to the cave to sleep. Having faced life and death together, their bond grew exceptionally deep over those few short days.
But good times did not last; their pursuers soon tracked them down. They fled together for several more days, hoping to cross from Nanxin State into Dongji Kingdom. If they reached Dongji, where no one knew them, they might find a way to survive.
Both were on the run, and Li Tianzhuo had nothing to his name at the time. He took the jade pendant he always carried, broke it in two, and gave half to Deng Youning. They made a pact: if they were ever separated, they would use the pieces to recognize each other.
Chapter 26