Chapter 30 The Mysterious Figure in Red

The further they swam, the stronger the fragrance became, so much so that it felt almost suffocating. Chen Yage suddenly burst out of the water, followed closely by Li Bai. Before them stretched a vast expanse of purple flower umbrellas, their petals vibrant and full of life beneath the sunlight. Without exchanging a word, both Chen Yage and Li Bai instinctively edged toward the cliffside. The cliff was remarkably steep, and both were puzzled—how could such splendid purple flower umbrellas bloom so luxuriantly on this barren land?

“Brother Bai, do you think the purple flower umbrellas here are prettier, or the ones Chaoyun planted?” Chen Yage asked as she plucked a blossom from the cliff, lowered her head to sniff its scent, and toyed with it in her fingers.

Li Bai replied, “They’re all purple flower umbrellas—I don’t see any difference between them. What strikes me is how such gorgeous flowers can bloom on these sheer cliffs, and yet we didn’t notice them the first time we came.”

Chen Yage chuckled, put her hands on her hips, and pointed across the way. “You can’t see the other side from here at all—the cliff blocks the view. That day, when we were across the river, of course we couldn’t see these flowers.”

At her words, Li Bai moved closer to Chen Yage and looked toward the opposite bank. Sure enough, the view was completely blocked by the jutting cliff, just as she’d said.

“Brother Bai, once we catch the culprit, let’s plant purple flower umbrellas ourselves!”

“Do you like it here that much?”

This place, with its clear mountains and waters, the song of birds and scent of flowers, and its diligent, honest people, was like something out of Tao Yuanming’s utopian retreat—a dream life for many. Of course she liked it! Chen Yage answered with certainty, “Of course. If I could settle here for the rest of my life, it would be a great happiness.” Yet, she did not truly feel this way in her heart. Though it resembled the utopia Tao Yuanming described, there was a key difference—here, the people were fierce and menacing, wolves in human skin. Still, she knew better than to judge them all the same way; after all, good always outweighs evil, and there are more good people in the world than bad.

Li Bai, having grown up in Shu, had long been deeply imprinted with the region’s natural splendor and the warmth and honesty of its people—qualities that even this utopia could not rival. However beautiful this place was, there was always something strange about it, something he could never quite put into words.

“Perhaps,” Li Bai sighed softly. Suddenly, a glint of light flashed before his eyes. He noticed a gap in the cliff face—a narrow opening, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through. He was about to call out to Chen Yage, but she had already climbed up the cliff and was waving at him.

It turned out Chen Yage had spotted the gap before him. Li Bai carefully followed her up. “Brother Bai, this looks like a cave!” she called.

“What kind of cave?”

“I don’t know either. Let’s go in and see for ourselves.” With that, Chen Yage headed for the entrance. In an instant, a flash of red shot out like a specter. Before Li Bai could even warn her to be careful, Chen Yage had already fallen spectacularly into the lake, and before he could react, the red figure flicked its sleeve at him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

When Chen Yage awoke, her whole body ached. She twisted her neck and suddenly remembered Li Bai, sitting up in alarm. Li Bai was lying right beside her. A face loomed suddenly in front of her, so close that she recoiled in fright.

“Well? Have you two had enough fun yet?” The newcomer was none other than Yue Ji. She looked down at Chen Yage with utter disdain.

At that moment, Li Bai also woke, rubbing his throbbing forehead. He said to Yue Ji, “Why are you here?”

“If the young master hadn’t sent me to check whether you two were dead, I wouldn’t have bothered!” Yue Ji’s tone was as cutting as ever.

“Did you save us?” Li Bai asked. He distinctly remembered a red figure leaping from the cave, and after that, everything was a blur.

Chen Yage snorted and cut in, “Her? Save us? She’d love nothing better than to see us dead. There’s no way she’d save us.” Chen Yage was not one to speak harshly for no reason, but she was no pushover either; she would repay kindness tenfold, but she would always return ill will in kind. She had never done a losing trade.

Compared to her, Li Bai was clearly more level-headed. There was no one here except Yue Ji, and he couldn’t think of anyone else who might have saved them.

After some hesitation, Li Bai asked, “Did you see a woman in red appear?”

Yue Ji turned her back, arms folded, and replied loudly, “Didn’t see any woman in red, but I did see two drowned ghosts! Well, my orders from the young master are done. You can get back to your investigation. I won’t stand in your way. But let me warn you—time is running out. If you keep dawdling like this, you’ll end up as a couple in hell. Then again, that might not be so bad—you’ll at least have each other for company on the road to the Yellow Springs. You won’t be lonely or bored, hahaha...” With that, Yue Ji laughed and strode away.

Love in the Tang Dynasty: Immortal Poet, Please Stay! 030—Mystery of the Red-Clad Figure, completed.