Chapter 113: The Final Glimmer of Hope

Jun Yeli crouched down to check the pulse at the woman's neck. After confirming there was neither a pulse nor a heartbeat, he looked back at the others and shook his head. "She is dead."

"What? Dead? When did this happen?" Hua Rong, still in disbelief, hurried over. Looking at Cui Liu, who bore no visible wounds on her body, she found it hard to accept that she had already breathed her last.

However, after a brief search, Jun Yeli extracted a silver needle from the back of her neck.

"If I am not mistaken, this is what took her life. The hidden weapon that tried to assassinate you earlier was likely the same."

He examined the short silver needle in his hand; the tip had turned a dark, murky orange, clearly indicating it was coated in a potent toxin.

As Jun Yeli studied the needle closely, Su Yun hurried over, holding another needle in one hand and a dagger of unknown origin in the other. "My Lord, this is the hidden weapon that attacked the Lady, along with this mysterious dagger!"

Jun Yeli took them and inspected them carefully. As expected, the lethal hidden weapons were identical. However, the unexpected appearance of the dagger left him puzzled.

Watching Jun Yeli turn the dagger over in his hands, Hua Rong asked, "Could it be that there are others in this forest besides us?"

"You may have noticed that the person who came and went has vanished. This dagger might be the key to their exit."

"But if they chose to save me, it suggests the owner of the dagger has no ill intentions. Yet, why would they refuse to show themselves and resort to such surreptitious behavior?"

Just as they were all baffled, Zhuifeng approached, clutching his chest. He was soaked through, water dripping from his clothes as he shook his head. "Don't waste your time guessing. That person is likely in league with this woman. As for why they didn't kill you, they surely have their own reasons, but they will certainly not help us escape."

The identical hidden weapons told the whole story.

Looking at the lifeless body of Cui Liu on the ground, a thought struck Hua Rong. "The forest is intricate and complex. You mentioned earlier that she had to leave marks as she walked, implying she wasn't familiar with this place either. But if she managed to get in, she must have had her own methods. Perhaps we can find some clues on her."

This realization snapped the others to attention. Zhuifeng nodded in agreement. "Hua Rong is right. You should search her body and see if you can find any clues."

Hearing this, Jun Yeli gave him a cold, sharp look. Ignoring him, he stood up. "Why don't you do it? Do you not know that men and women should maintain a proper distance, especially when one is a married man? I think you are quite suited for this task!"

Jun Yeli emphasized the word "married" with a provocative tone, clearly asserting his status.

His overbearing and rude demeanor was irritating. Zhuifeng gritted his teeth, and the tension between the two flared up again, almost enough to dry their soaking clothes.

"Oh, these two!" Seeing them bickering like children, neither willing to yield, Hua Rong shook her head helplessly and rubbed her temples.

Without further persuasion, she knelt beside Cui Liu and began to search her carefully. "What is wrong with these two? Do they not think of me as a woman at all?"

Just as she was complaining to herself, she felt something with a distinct texture.

A flash of joy crossed Hua Rong's face. She reached out with her other hand, ready to open the woman's clothing.

The two men, seeing this, quickly turned away, silently reciting to themselves, "Do not look at what is improper."

"You can turn back now. It seems to be a map!"

Hua Rong unfolded the paper. The markings were simple yet complex, appearing as though they had been revised many times.

The group gathered around, ignoring the state of Cui Liu's clothing, and stared at the map, their faces filled with confusion.

"What is this? It's all a mess."

"I suspect this woman wasn't familiar with the terrain either. She must have been searching for clues to escape, and this is the result of her efforts over these past days."

Jun Yeli took the paper and pointed to a spot. "Look, this place resembles the entrance where we came in. Further in, there is a wooden hut, which must be where she lived. According to our current path... we are right here at the waterfall!"

They turned to look at the waterfall behind them, still cascading down with immense force.

Looking at the map, the details ended abruptly at the waterfall. Hua Rong tilted her head, her gaze shifting between the map and the rushing water. "Could this be the exit?"

"The earlier parts of the map are very detailed, but it becomes rougher here. She likely didn't have time to investigate further. Regardless, let's search."

Jun Yeli tucked the map away and gazed at the massive waterfall.

Beyond the roar of the water, there was not a single sign of birds or beasts. The sight alone was daunting, let alone venturing inside.

"Stay here and don't move. We have better agility; we can use our light-foot skills to scout the surroundings!"

After delegating the tasks, Jun Yeli leaped, stepping onto the stones in the pool toward the waterfall.

Watching him take the lead, Zhuifeng curled his lip. "That brat, by what right does he command me?"

"By the right that our Young Master has the brains!" The two guards stuck their tongues out at him before following.

Zhuifeng gritted his teeth, feeling the urge to give them both a sound beating, but he looked back at Hua Rong instead. "Don't worry, I promised to get you out, and I will not break my word!"

With that, he joined the search party.

Hua Rong stood on the bank, her eyes following them, feeling increasingly nervous.

After nearly an hour, the group returned. Although they hadn't ventured deep into the water, they were drenched by the spray.

"Are you all alright? Did you find anything unusual?"

They shook their heads. "Nothing. Could we have guessed wrong, or is the map incomplete?"

As they pondered, a frustrated Zhuifeng picked up a stone and hurled it violently toward the waterfall. "What kind of place is this? If I ever get out, I'll burn this wretched place to the ground so it stops harming people!"

Just as he vented his anger, Hua Rong's face lit up with surprise. She quickly grabbed Zhuifeng's arm. "Wait! The stone you just threw—it seemed to go inside the waterfall!"