"Lin Yue, do not panic! Do not struggle wildly!"
Zhou Fugui once again plunged into the icy, bone-chilling water, once again in a desperate situation. However, Zhou Fugui was already a skilled swimmer, and combined with the harsh training he endured in the Ice Bone Camp's ice cave, he found himself relatively at ease with his current predicament.
The waterfall's drop was not significant, so Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue, upon falling into the frigid stream, were not knocked unconscious by the impact. They merely bobbed and drifted in the water. The warhorse, on the other hand, exhausted, had already sunk into the unfathomable depths of the stream.
Zhou Fugui, being a good swimmer and having undergone the rigorous training in the Ice Bone Camp's ice cave, did not panic. He used the water's momentum to stay afloat, observing his surroundings for any chance of escape. Lin Yue, however, was not so fortunate. She was a woman, and a "landlubber" from the northern grasslands. In her life, she had barely encountered water outside of a bath. Thus, after falling into the water, she thrashed and struggled desperately, gulping down several mouthfuls before sinking, her senses growing hazy.
Lin Yue's descent through the water was, in a way, graceful. Her raven-black hair fanned out on the surface, her body sinking into the depths, her expression serene, refusing to lose her composure even in the face of death.
Zhou Fugui, however, had no inclination to admire Lin Yue's graceful sinking. Upon seeing her, he was greatly alarmed. Battling the current, he swam vigorously towards her. As he neared, he plunged underwater and, with a grasp, embraced Lin Yue's body.
As for which part he embraced, it was certainly not a matter Zhou Fugui had the time or choice to consider.
With a splash, Zhou Fugui, one arm around Lin Yue, propelled himself upwards with his other, breaking the surface and bringing Lin Yue out of the water.
"Hold on tight!" Lin Yue's wet hair clung to her forehead, yet she appeared like a lotus emerging from the water. Zhou Fugui, with no time for romance, shouted at her, his words like a bull trampling a peony.
Lin Yue, after surfacing, began to regain some clarity, and a surge of panic. Hearing his command, she clung to Zhou Fugui like an octopus, nearly dragging him back down.
As to which part she clung to Zhou Fugui with, that too was not something she had the time or choice to consider.
Zhou Fugui struggled to break free from Lin Yue's embrace and shouted again, "I told you to hold my neck, why are you clinging to my arms? Do you want us to die together?"
Only then did Lin Yue coil her arms around Zhou Fugui's neck, her body pressing almost entirely against his.
This allowed Zhou Fugui to swim.
"Rumble!"
"Ah!"
The torrent rushed downwards. Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue, struggling desperately in the water, were swept towards a cliff. The water cascaded down, naturally carrying them with it. Lin Yue let out a scream that nearly deafened Zhou Fugui.
With a splash, they both plunged down the cliff, hitting the water and sending countless spray into the air.
The current continued to surge, sweeping Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue into a long tunnel. The current battered against the tunnel walls, emitting wave after wave of deafening noise.
"Hold on tight, don't let go," Zhou Fugui shouted loudly at Lin Yue, while inwardly groaning at his misfortune. Yet, there was nothing he could do. Being swept by the water offered no leverage. Conversely, the lack of leverage was fortunate, for had there been sharp rocks in this tunnel, Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue would have met their end immediately.
Zhou Fugui struggled desperately in the torrent, pulling Lin Yue closer. He wrapped his left arm tightly around her, while his right hand repeatedly reached out, attempting to grasp the vines on the cave walls. However, it was all in vain. The one vine he finally managed to grasp snapped immediately, offering no resistance to their descent.
The current roared with terrifying intensity, carrying them downwards. Ahead, a rock appeared in the path of the torrent, blocking their way. Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue were on a collision course with it.
They were at the mercy of the current, unable to evade. All hope seemed lost.
In this critical moment, just as they were about to strike the rock, Zhou Fugui drew the long saber from his back and, with a roar, slashed at the rock.
With a crack, the saber struck the rock, sending sparks flying. Zhou Fugui's full-force blow managed to push them a mere three inches away from the rock, but the inferior saber snapped. The broken tip spun through the air, embedding itself in Zhou Fugui's shoulder with a thud. Blood immediately gushed out like a torrent.
Zhou Fugui cried out and lost consciousness. The two of them were then swept by the current into a cave, and with a splash, landed in a pool of water.
After a night of fierce fighting and a subsequent escape from Luojiao City, and now battling the raging current, Zhou Fugui was utterly exhausted. Even without the incident with the broken saber, he was already on the verge of collapse.
...
"General Zhou, General Zhou..."
The pool here was not deep, reaching only to the waist at its deepest. Lin Yue, protected by Zhou Fugui's efforts, had not suffered much harm. After they fell into the pool, Zhou Fugui lost consciousness. Lin Yue, however, was awake. After calling out to Zhou Fugui twice and receiving no response, she began to drag his lifeless body towards the shore.
Lin Yue was only a few steps away from the shore, yet these few steps felt as distant as the horizon. She exerted all her strength to drag Zhou Fugui to the bank, collapsing beside him, breathless and exhausted.
Lin Yue was also utterly fatigued and longed for sleep. But she dared not rest, dared not sleep, for Zhou Fugui was still unconscious.
"General Zhou, General Zhou... *sob sob sob*..." Lin Yue called out to Zhou Fugui twice more, but he remained unresponsive, appearing as if he were dead. Seeing this, Lin Yue began to weep. She then extended her delicate fingers, like chives, to check for breath beneath Zhou Fugui's nose.
Lin Yue had cried once before in her life, on the day her brother was killed by Duo Yongjian in the grasslands. Aside from that, she had never shed tears. Now, she could not help but sob.
In Lin Yue's eyes, Zhou Fugui had "died" saving her.
Fortunately, Zhou Fugui was not dead. The warm breath beneath his nose brought a measure of peace to Lin Yue. She stifled her sobs, took a couple of breaths, and then dragged Zhou Fugui away from the water's edge to a dry spot within the cave.
"General Zhou, General Zhou..." Lin Yue called out to Zhou Fugui again, but still no response. She then looked around.
This was not a completely enclosed cave. A beam of light shone down from above, allowing visibility within the cave.
The immediate priority was to start a fire. Otherwise, in this cold winter, their wet bodies would surely freeze to death. With Zhou Fugui unconscious, the situation was even more dire.
Lin Yue then felt at her animal skin pouch at her waist and couldn't help but feel a flush of shyness and a pang of joy.
Lin Yue's clothing had been torn to shreds by the torrent, as had Zhou Fugui's. Most of their skin was exposed, and they were now almost entirely naked. But amidst the misfortune, a stroke of luck: Lin Yue's animal skin pouch was still intact. The pouch was waterproof, so the flint and other fire-starting materials within were still dry and usable.
Lin Yue's flint was a "yang sui," a fire-starting tool from the Central Plains, a special device in this world that could quickly ignite a fire using sunlight.
Lin Yue then looked around the cave, searching for dry twigs, withered grass, and other flammable materials.
Lin Yue noticed several stone platforms on the cave walls. Beneath the sunlight from the cave ceiling, she could vaguely see some shrubs and branches emerging from these platforms. Lin Yue's heart filled with joy, but also a touch of apprehension.
Flammable materials were available, but she would need to climb onto the stone platforms to retrieve them. Since she was two years old, she had been indoctrinated with teachings such as: "Purity of body leads to purity of spirit; chastity leads to honor. Do not look back when walking, do not lift your lips when speaking. Do not move your knees when sitting, do not shake your skirt when standing. Do not laugh heartily when happy, do not speak loudly when angry. Maintain order within and without, men and women are separate. Do not peek at external walls, do not step outside the courtyard," and so on.
These were Han Dynasty customs. Although the previous dynasty was founded by nomadic peoples, they also favored Han culture and adopted Han rites. Therefore, women in the imperial court were taught some Han court etiquette, and princesses were expected to do so even more.
The kingdom had fallen, and her family was destroyed. Lin Yue was only two years old at the time.
Wei was destroyed, the Emperor and Empress committed suicide. Loyal ministers escorted Lin Yue's father, King Huyan Chenggu of Xiliang, to flee the capital and crowned him in Yongzhou. Later, Yongzhou Wei was destroyed by the Yan army, and Huyan Chenggu died in battle. At that time, Lin Yue was barely two years old.
Lin Yue possessed the bearing and demeanor of a Han princess. It was precisely for this reason that Duo Yongjian favored her. However, they were now mortal enemies.
Lin Yue glanced back at the still unconscious Zhou Fugui. All of that was now in the past. She retrieved a short knife from her animal skin pouch, tucked it into her waist, bit her lip, and began to climb towards the stone platforms.
Her clothing had been ripped to shreds by the torrent. As Lin Yue climbed, her body was naturally exposed. However, as only Lin Yue and Zhou Fugui were in the cave, and he was as lifeless as a corpse, there was no great issue.
As for whether the unconscious Zhou Fugui could see, only he himself would know.
"Crackling... crackling..."
With immense effort, Lin Yue finally retrieved dry firewood, dry grass, and even some herbs she couldn't name. She lit a bonfire, and the cave was as warm as spring under the firelight.
Lin Yue then removed Zhou Fugui's remaining wet clothes and hung them near the fire to dry.
The wet clothes were now more of a hindrance than a help.
Lin Yue then knelt beside Zhou Fugui, her brow furrowed as she looked at the broken blade still embedded in his shoulder.
A blade could not remain in a body indefinitely. But if it were removed, blood would flow, and Lin Yue did not know if the herbs she had gathered could staunch the bleeding.
"Kill!"
After a long moment, Lin Yue gritted her teeth and pulled out the half-broken blade from Zhou Fugui's shoulder. Blood immediately spurted out. Zhou Fugui roared, sat up, glared at Lin Yue, and then collapsed back down.
Lin Yue hastily smeared the mashed herbs onto Zhou Fugui's shoulder.