"I don't remember you liking me." I frowned, my gaze hazy and indifferent, as though I were looking at a complete stranger.
"It doesn't matter," he paused, speaking slowly. His voice was low and gentle, carrying a trace of imperceptible bitterness. It sounded as though it came from the depths of a secluded valley, laden with endless vicissitudes and desolation. "I will make you remember."
He raised his head, looking at me with a resolute gaze, a stubborn light flickering in his eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he tried to force a smile to comfort me, yet that smile appeared so strained that it could not help but send a pang of heartache through anyone who saw it.
As I looked at him, an inexplicable emotion surged in my heart. The persistence and determination revealed in his eyes moved me in spite of myself. Yet my mind remained a complete blank; I had no inkling whatsoever of this affection he spoke of.
Seeming to sense my confusion, he sighed softly and drew slowly closer to me. His breath brushed against my cheek, bringing a strange warmth. He reached out and gently touched my forehead, as if transmitting a certain strength.
"Trust me, you will surely remember me," his voice sounded by my ear, dreamlike and illusory. "No matter how long it takes, I will stay by your side."
I stared into his eyes, trying to find a trace of familiarity within them. Yet, what met my gaze was only deep tenderness and attachment.
After a long while, I gently averted my gaze and said in a low voice, "Then let us try."
A look of surprised joy bloomed instantly across his face, like a bright lamp suddenly igniting in the dark.
From that day on, he truly stayed by my side at all times, just as he had promised. Together, we walked the mountain paths, watching wild flowers sway in the breeze; together, we sat in the pavilion by the lake, listening to the gentle lapping of the water against the shore.
Mu Yanfeng never tired of recounting our past stories to me, describing every single detail so vividly. Sometimes I would catch a faint shadow of familiarity in his words, yet whenever I tried to grasp that feeling, it would disperse like mist.
As the days passed, my heart unknowingly began to change. I grew accustomed to his companionship and began to enjoy his gentleness.
Until one day, something utterly unexpected happened: Qingmiao, Mu Yanfeng's usually well-behaved and sensible disciple, had suddenly vanished.
Qingmiao's abrupt disappearance drove Mu Yanfeng to distraction, making him as frantic as an ant on a hot pan. With a hurried expression, he summoned all the disciples and stood solemnly before them.
"Does anyone among you know anything about Qingmiao's disappearance?" Mu Yanfeng's gaze was like a torch, his sharp eyes sweeping swiftly across every disciple present.
The disciples looked at each other in dismay, then shook their heads one after another, their faces filled with bewilderment and worry.
At that moment, a usually observant female disciple timidly spoke up, "Uncle-Master, that day I saw Junior Sister Qingmiao heading toward the back mountain. At the time, I simply thought she had found another quiet corner to concentrate on her cultivation, so I didn't pay it any mind."
Hearing this, a flash of hopeful light instantly crossed Mu Yanfeng's eyes. "Heading to the back mountain?" He furrowed his brow, pondered for a moment, and then resolutely decided to head to the back mountain to investigate.
Hearing that he intended to go to the back mountain alone, I offered, "Senior Brother, I will go with you to search for Qingmiao."
Mu Yanfeng turned his head to look at me and nodded slightly.
Upon arriving at the back mountain, the two of us proceeded with every step cautious and circumspect, searching the wooded hills with utmost care. The mountains here were tall and dense with vegetation, the terrain complex and rugged. Steep slopes, deep canyons, and thick jungles intertwined, presenting immense difficulties to our search.
After a hard search, we finally discovered some faint footprints and snapped branches. From all indications, these appeared to be traces left by Qingmiao.
Following these clues, we ventured deeper and deeper into the back mountain. Finally, in an extremely remote valley, we found an ancient immortal cave hidden within the woods.
The doors of the immortal cave were tightly shut, and a mysterious aura lingered around them, giving Mu Yanfeng a strong intuition that Qingmiao was very likely inside. Approaching the cave cautiously, he reached out and tried to push the tightly closed doors open.
However, the moment his hand touched the doors, a force of shocking magnitude violently hurled him backward. He instantly realized that some immensely powerful restriction or formation was likely set up here.
Without giving up easily, Mu Yanfeng steadied himself and began to observe the surrounding environment with absolute concentration, missing no minute detail as he diligently sought a way to break the restriction. I stood close by, lending my full focus to help and keeping a sharp eye on any slight movement around us.
After who knows how long, he finally discovered certain hidden patterns and successfully broke the restriction, gaining smooth entry into the immortal cave.
Inside the cave, he indeed found Qingmiao.
At the sight of Mu Yanfeng, Qingmiao's eyes revealed a complex emotion blending surprise and guilt. Mu Yanfeng let out a long breath of relief. Without a single word of reproach for Qingmiao, he promptly took her hand and led her quickly away from the immortal cave.
Watching him unhesitatingly hold his disciple's hand, an inexplicable ache gripped my heart, as though I had been fiercely stabbed by a knife. I shook my head, wanting to banish this strange emotion from my mind, only to find myself utterly unable to do so. Thus, I could only choose to look away, lest anyone witness my loss of composure.
Mu Yanfeng furrowed his brow and asked Qingmiao with a stern expression, "What on earth happened?"
Qingmiao took a deep breath to steady her emotions, then began, "That morning, I woke up early as usual, planning to head to the woods behind the sect's back mountain to cultivate. Once I stepped into the woods, I found a quiet spot I frequently visit and began to close my eyes and circulate my energy."
She paused briefly before continuing, "However, after cultivating for a while, I suddenly heard a faint, strange sound. It seemed to come from a distant place—low and mysterious, as though calling out to me. A strong sense of curiosity welled up inside me, and I slowly opened my eyes, looking toward the direction from which the sound came."
"That sound seemed to possess a certain magic, pulling me to stand up involuntarily and walk step by step toward the depths of the woods. The further I walked, the more I gradually strayed from the familiar area. By then, the surrounding mist had somehow begun to rise, growing thicker and making it somewhat difficult for me to discern the direction. Yet that mysterious sound still echoed faintly ahead, driving me to press on."
"As I carefully felt my way forward, trying to memorize the path I had traveled, my foot suddenly seemed to step on something, producing a faint snapping sound. Lowering my head, I saw a broken branch, and beside it lay a string of indistinct footprints that didn't look like my own. A trace of doubt couldn't help but rise in my heart, but the attraction of that mysterious sound now took precedence, so I didn't linger and continued following the noise."
"As I penetrated deeper into the woods, the surrounding scenery grew increasingly unfamiliar. The trees became taller and denser, blocking out almost all the sunlight, leaving only faint beams filtering through the gaps in the leaves. I felt as though I had entered a secluded world cut off from everything."
"Walking on, Qingmiao came to the entrance of a small valley. That mysterious sound seemed to emanate from within. I hesitated at the mouth of the valley for a moment before ultimately deciding to go in and investigate."
"Upon entering the valley, the mist grew even denser, rendering it nearly impossible to see one's hand before one's face. I could only move forward slowly by instinct. Suddenly, I felt a powerful force violently pull me forward. I struggled, but was unable to break free. Then, everything went black before my eyes, and I lost consciousness."
"When I woke up again, I found myself in a dark cavern. An aged, stale atmosphere permeated the cave, and all around was dead silence. I tried to stand up, but discovered my body had grown abnormally heavy, and my spiritual power seemed suppressed by some force, leaving me unable to deploy it. Panic began to set in; I had no idea where on earth I had been brought, nor how I could leave this place."
"I shouted loudly for help, but only my own voice echoed in the cavern. I forced myself to calm down and began to observe my surroundings closely, searching for any possible clues or exits. However, aside from the darkness and damp stone walls, I found nothing... And so it continued, until Master found me."
Having heard her account, Mu Yanfeng knitted his brows tightly and fell into deep thought. He knew full well that this back mountain harbored many unknown dangers and secrets, yet he had never expected Qingmiao to encounter something so bizarre.
"There must be more to this matter than meets the eye; that mysterious force is clearly unusual," I analyzed from the side.
Yet I noticed that Mu Yanfeng appeared somewhat preoccupied, a hidden worry and unease lingering in his eyes. His gaze flickered from time to time, as though pondering some matter of great importance.
However, upon noticing my scrutiny, he swiftly regained his composure and warned Qingmiao never to go to that place again. This left me utterly bewildered. Did he know what danger lurked there? Or did he harbor other secrets unknown to others?