Injured

At that moment, a large mass of dark clouds moved swiftly, obscuring the solitary moon, and the world around them dimmed significantly. Chen Yage and Li Bai felt a tightening in their hearts and cautiously retreated under the peach tree, leaning against each other for support.

If she had not seen it with her own eyes, Chen Yage would never have believed such a bizarre phenomenon could occur. However, after a brief moment, the solitary moon broke through the clouds, gradually rising to reveal its round and bright form, just like a jade plate. "Brother Bai, is it the fifteenth tonight?" Chen Yage asked, puzzled.

Li Bai quickly covered Chen Yage's mouth. As she was about to question him, she noticed that he was staring blankly at the surface of the lake. Turning to look, she was horrified, nearly screaming as she collapsed into Li Bai's arms.

In the lake, a woman dressed in red, with disheveled hair, was staring directly at them—not just staring, but gazing at them with a look filled with deep sorrow.

Her face was mostly hidden by her hair, leaving only her hauntingly sorrowful eyes and lips as red as blood. Her skin was as pale as snow, devoid of color. She reached out with a pair of ghostly hands toward Chen Yage and Li Bai. Chen Yage's mind went blank, and she forgot to run, while Li Bai was also significantly frightened, his breath quickening. As those hands shot towards them like arrows, Li Bai swiftly wrapped his arms around Chen Yage and rolled away several meters.

Those hands did not relent. They reached out again toward Chen Yage, but Li Bai quickly positioned himself in front of her. The ghostly hands, like iron claws, dug into Li Bai's back, tearing away a large portion of his clothing, leaving behind patches of blood. He furrowed his brow but did not utter a sound.

Fortunately, Li Bai managed to remain calm. He pulled out a talisman prepared for this occasion and threw it at the ghostly woman in the lake before grabbing Chen Yage, who was still in shock, and running swiftly as if they were prey fleeing from a hunter, using all their strength to survive!

It was hard to tell how long they ran; only when they were utterly exhausted did they stop. Chen Yage, unaware of the injury on Li Bai's back, plopped down on the ground, and Li Bai sat beside her, struggling to catch his breath.

Chen Yage said, "I have to admit, I believe now. I must say, that ghostly woman is truly intimidating; she left me stunned! It was so thrilling!" Was there really no such thing as the divine in this world? Chen Yage began to doubt. Had it not been for this night, she would have continued to assist Marx in promoting the idea of a godless world, but now her faith began to waver, and those convictions no longer felt so solid.

Li Bai attempted to force a faint smile, but when he heard Chen Yage's last words, his expression changed. With a hint of anger, he said, "Did you come here just for the thrill and fun?"

This night exploration of the moonlit lake was fraught with danger. To seek excitement and amusement while being so reckless with life was unwise. Fortunately, they had only sustained minor injuries without serious harm, but Li Bai was still angry, feeling somewhat inexplicable himself, and he ignored Chen Yage as he walked away.

Chen Yage hurriedly got up from the ground and called, "Brother Bai!" But Li Bai had no intention of listening to her explanation and quickly disappeared into the night.

"The historical record of Li Bai describes him as a bold and free-spirited romantic poet—it's simply nonsense!" Chen Yage stomped her foot in frustration. Li Bai's action of leaving her alone infuriated her—not just anger, but rage! She was not someone who frequently lost her temper, but when she did, she transformed into someone unrecognizable!

Fuming, Chen Yage lay back down on the ground, firmly believing that Li Bai would return to find her. He was a chivalrous swordsman; he could never leave a weak woman alone in the dead of night. Though, in truth, she was not weak; no one in her family had ever treated her as a girl. But nothing could change the fact that she was, indeed, a woman. So, Chen Yage lay beneath a peach tree, crossing her legs and gazing at the starry sky, starting a counting game.

"One times seven equals seven, two times seven equals fourteen, three times seven equals twenty-one, four times seven equals twenty-eight..." Just as she was counting to five times seven, a drop of water splashed onto her face. She wiped it with her right hand and curiously brought it to her nose to sniff, concluding that it was not an ordinary drop of water! So, she licked her right hand, and a foul taste hit her palate. Looking up, she saw a bird perched on a branch, gazing down at her with an air of arrogance.

Chen Yage sprang to her feet, shouting, "Ugh!" Realizing that the earlier drop was bird droppings, she felt a strong urge to roast that bird. However, in reality, she was someone who looked fierce but was kind-hearted; she was too scared to even kill a chicken, let alone a bird.

Time always slips away quickly, and before she knew it, over an hour had passed, yet Li Bai still had not returned.

"Have I been overly sentimental? In his eyes, I am nothing!" Chen Yage thought to herself. Of course, who would be attracted to a girl who is ugly, wild, and unruly? She mocked herself internally.

With no direction or purpose, she wandered aimlessly and unexpectedly found herself back on the road to the moonlit lake, completely oblivious.