Not long into their break, Bai Ruyi and Feng Kuanglan sensed something approaching them. Drawing their swords again, the two prepared themselves to fight. Quickly, a group of animals rushed towards them. At first, they thought these were the prey that had not yet been released into the grounds. However, they soon realized that these were not ordinary animals. Instead, they were the same as the hawks from before, mutated with bloody red eyes, hungry for blood, and an exterior as strong as steel coated with poison.

Slicing their way through the crowd, they discovered that it was much harder to kill these animals than the hawks from before.

Nearly an hour later, the beast kept coming. Both Bai Ruyi and Feng Kuanglan were exhausted, and they were covered in new wounds and bruises.

"There is no end to these monsters!"

"They're not monsters. These animals are still alive."

In between striking down the beast with Bingfei, Bai Ruyi would use Xiao Yue to push the beast back. Yet no matter what they did, the beasts continued to charge. It was as though they did not know fear, and attacking was their only mode. In a final effort to eliminate these beasts, Bai Ruyi struck her qin to push them back as far as possible before sitting down to play a melody.

"Bai gongzi, what are you-"

Suddenly, Feng Kuanglan saw Bingfei float into the air and split into a thousand swords. In a flash, all the swords attacked the beast, destroying them all in one shot. The only thing that was left behind was a pile of ashes. After Bai Ruyi withdrew Xiao Yue into her qiankun ring, she stood up and examined the aftermath.

"Whispers of Ashes..." Feng Kuanglan mumbled.

He had once heard of a unique and secret skill of the Bai clan, combining music and swordsmanship. The skill allowed the user to multiply their sword into thousands, and in a single strike, it could obliterate all of the enemies in a few seconds, leaving nothing but ashes behind, hence its name.

"You've heard of it?" Bai Ruyi asked.

Feng Kuanglan nodded.

"I once heard about it in a book. Later on, during my travels, I was told that the skill was long lost and no longer used by the Bai clan."

"Whispers of Ashes is a dangerous skill. If the user is not careful, it can turn against them. That's why it is not used often or discussed in the Jianghu."

"I see."

Relieved that there were no more beasts, the two found a small cave to take shelter in. The cut on Feng Kuanglan's leg had made it extremely tough for him to move around. So, after helping take a seat, Bai Ruyi went back out to find some branches to make a fire.

With the fire started, Bai Ruyi began to pull out various bottles from her qiankun ring. Starting with a small skinny bottle, she poured out a few pills and handed them to Feng Kuanglan.

"Here, take this. It will help to regulate your qi."

As he swallowed the pills, Bai Ruyi handed him another bottle.

"Sprinkle this on your wounds made by the beasts."

Again, he did as he was told.

Although Bai Ruyi wasn't sure what kind of poison coated the animal's skin, judging from the smell and her own wound, it wasn't deadly and could be treated with the universal antidote developed by her family. Lastly, she gave Feng Kuanglan a small jar that contained a salve for the wound from the fall.

After Feng Kuanglan applied the ointment, Bai Ruyi ripped off a clean piece of fabric from her clothes and wrapped it around his wound.

"Thank you, Bai gongzi."

"No need to thank me. You saved me earlier. Now I am repaying the favor."

Just as Feng Kuanglan leaned his head against the wall, Bai Ruyi pulled out her guqin again. As she played the melody, Feng Kuanglan felt the pain dissipating from his body, leaving him feeling lighter.

The Bai clan was known for its expertise in medicine, often combining music and spiritual power to calm the mind and aid the process of healing. However, Feng Kuanglan had never heard of a music score that could immediately relieve pain and help to heal the body.

"Bai gongzi, what..."

"Quiet, focus on your breathing."

In the midst of their dire circumstances, where one could not predict the future, Feng Kuanglan unexpectedly felt very calm. He didn't know if it was an effect of the music, but there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Feng Kuanglan watched as Bai Ruyi continued to play. As his eyes lingered, it drifted to the wound under her collarbone.

"Bai gongzi, your wound."

Bai Ruyi looked at her wound and said she was alright. She continued to play until Feng Kuanglan fell asleep. After ensuring he was out, Bai Ruyi began to undress to clean and treat her wounds. While fighting the beasts, she had gotten a few scratches here and there, which didn't bother her. But the wound from the hawks left a searing pain. Since the wound was close to her heart, she had to be extra careful, and after meditating for a few hours, she managed to expel all the poison from her body.

Unsure of how long they had been down there, Bai Ruyi assumed it was already past the hour of the rat. As she watched the fire, she occasionally checked on Feng Kuanglan to ensure he didn't have a fever. While sleeping, Bai Ruyi could clearly see all of his features. Unlike her father and brother, his face was a bit smaller and incredibly symmetric. Every feature was well-defined but wasn't overpowering. The more she looked at him, the more she could see why he was so popular among the girls and ranked first in terms of looks.

A few hours later, Feng Kuanglan woke up. The fire was still going, but Bai Ruyi was gone.

"Bai gongzi? Bai gongzi?"

No response.

"Bai Ruyi?!"

Feng Kuanglan never casually called anyone by their courtesy or birth name. But consumed with worry that Bai Ruyi might have been hurt by the beast, he found himself calling out for her desperately as he rose to search for her.

Hearing Feng Kuanglan calling out to her, Bai Ruyi returned to their spot. Seeing him stumbling, she came over and supported him.

"Feng gongzi, you're awake."

Seeing Bai Ruyi in front of him, Feng Kuanglan felt a sense of relief.

"You're okay..."

"Of course I am. Is everything okay?" Bai Ruyi asked.

Feng Kuanglan nodded his head. Bai Ruyi then helped him back to his spot.

"There is a wind current flowing in from deep within the forest. If we follow it, we may find a way out."

"Have you been looking for a way out the entire time?"

"Hmm." Bai Ruyi responded.

"But you need some rest as well."

"I'm fine."

Feng Kuanglan knew that no one could be fine after what they just experienced. But he could also understand the feeling of wanting to return home.

"Bai gongzi, why don't I watch over the fire, and you get some rest."

"I'm fine," Bai Ruyi replied.

"The poison on those beasts may not be fatal, but they will still affect your body. We can't continue on like this. I will not be able to explain to your parents if something happens."

Sensing his worries, Bai Ruyi agreed and leaned against the wall for some shut-eye. As she drifted off, a memory came into her dreams—a part of her memories that she hadn't seen for many years—of a person teaching her Whispers of Ashes-of a person who her last memories of were filled with blood, tears, and pain.