My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Chapter 155 Recollection Part 22 - The Perilous Fall from the Cliff 1

Almost as soon as the fire was extinguished, Xie Yan tiptoed and quickly took a few steps back.

Even though he couldn't see anything for a moment, his eyes remained fixed on the corner where the figure had just appeared.

He hadn't forgotten that what had just appeared was a moving black shadow.

The next second, with another clanging sound, a foul, damp smell sprayed onto Xie Yan's face.

Xie Yan's pupils contracted sharply. Before she could even process what had happened, her body instinctively swayed to the side.

He leaned on the longsword he had found, and just in time, he dodged a gust of wind that was coming his way.

However, before he could straighten up, an iron chain that appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, grazed Xie Yan's face and wrapped around his sword.

"clang!"

The iron chain instantly coiled around Xie Yan's sword like a snake, sparking tiny sparks in the darkness.

Before Xie Yan could even be surprised, she felt her feet slip and her whole body was pulled by the long sword and slammed against the stone wall next to her.

With this throw, Xie Yan was flung directly from the entrance of the passage to the very back of the cave.

The impact was so powerful that it made Xie Yan, who was already covered in injuries, dizzy and her blood and qi churned all over her body.

A strong, metallic taste of blood spread through Xie Yan's mouth and dripped from the corner of her lips.

Xie Yan barely managed to gather her inner energy, and while rolling around, she tried to shatter the chain binding the sword blade.

But the iron chain was made of an unknown material, and it was exceptionally hard.

No matter how Xie Yan tried to circulate his energy, the iron chain remained firmly locked to the sword, unmoving, and even tightened its grip.

The longsword trembled, emitting a humming sound as if it could not bear the weight, and there were even faint signs that it was about to break.

Xie Yan's heart sank. At this critical juncture, he naturally could not abandon his sword.

So he lunged forward, trying to rush up the chain.

But before he could take two steps, a whooshing sound suddenly came from behind him!

Another iron chain appeared!

Xie Yan instinctively wanted to dodge, but he was completely unfamiliar with the place in the darkness, and the iron chain came too fast.

He couldn't dodge in time, and the iron chain whizzed past his left shoulder.

In an instant, a hideous wound was slashed open on Xie Yan's left shoulder.

Blood spurted out.

Xie Yan endured the excruciating pain and barely managed to steady herself. Before she could even make a move, the sound of chains cutting through the wind rang out behind her one after another.

This time, he finally heard it clearly.

There are four chains in total!

The crisp sound of chains rubbing together rang out continuously, intertwining and swinging in the darkness, sparking a series of sparks.

In this already small space, Xie Yan's movements were not only restricted, but her path was also firmly blocked by iron chains in all directions.

Blood continued to flow from the wound, and Xie Yan felt dizzy for a moment, her movements faltering.

The next second, the chains spotted his weakness and quickly wrapped around his limbs.

Immediately, Xie Yan was dragged a few steps by the force and slammed heavily against the cave wall again.

This time, the chains kept moving, giving Xie Yan no chance to catch his breath, and kept pulling him and slamming him against the wall.

With each impact, Xie Yan's vision gradually darkened, and a constant buzzing sound filled her ears.

His wound reopened, and blood stained the mountainside. His consciousness began to fade.

With a clang, the longsword fell to the ground.

Xie Yan fainted.

When he regained consciousness, the fire inside the cave had been lit again.

He was unable to move, his hands and feet were bound by iron chains, and he could only lie on his side on the ground.

And the iron chains binding him were inexplicably long.

One end was firmly embedded in the stone wall, and after Xie Yan was entangled by the protruding branches, the other end appeared on a human figure.

It was the same figure that had been huddled in the corner.

At this moment, he was still facing away from Xie Yan, squatting on the ground, as if doing something.

A sharp, grinding sound rang out.

By the light of the fire, Xie Yan could see that the man was sharpening his knife with his back to him.

Oh no, to be precise, it was the sword Xie Yan found that was being sharpened.

The sword had been worn down considerably during the previous battle, but after this person rubbed it against the iron chain, it regained its sharp gleam.

Xie Yan observed her surroundings discreetly and discovered that the claw marks and bloodstains were so numerous that they could cover the entire stone wall.

But what was even more shocking was that in the corner that had just been hidden by that person, there was a tall pile of white bones.

In such a gloomy and eerie environment, even the most carefree person would feel a chill run down their spine.

Not to mention, the way that man was sharpening his sword looked exactly like a butcher preparing to slaughter livestock.

Xie Yan watched silently as the man sharpened his sword.

He ground the ink for a full half-incense stick's time before finally stopping and turning around.

At this moment, Xie Yan finally saw his face clearly—

He was an old man, as withered and lifeless as a dead tree.

He was extremely thin, with his ribs protruding one by one, his skin so dry that it seemed to have no moisture at all, and his face was covered with wrinkles.

The old man looked at Xie Yan, who had regained consciousness, and suddenly grinned.

It revealed a set of yellowed and slightly broken sharp teeth, which looked particularly frightening.

The next moment, the old man slowly opened his mouth.

His voice was dry and hoarse, extremely unpleasant to hear.

"...You look delicious."

A chill ran down Xie Yan's spine in an instant.

He realized it immediately.

For some unknown reason, this person appeared to have been trapped in this cave for many years.

Years of food shortages have caused him to become so emaciated.

Under such torment and hunger, the only food he could obtain was from those who had escaped after falling off the cliff and discovered the cave.

The items scattered on the steps were probably left behind by the people he had eaten over the years.

After the old man finished speaking, he started grinding his teeth.

The "crunching" sound seemed to be grinding not teeth, but Xie Yan's bones.

Xie Yan: ...How come everyone else encounters kind-faced old men who can teach unparalleled martial arts after falling off a cliff, while I encountered an evil old bastard?

The old man, holding a sharpened sword, slowly approached Xie Yan, step by step.

Just as the sharpened sword was about to slash Xie Yan's neck, it was about to strike her hard.

Xie Yan suddenly cried out—

"and many more!"

The old man stopped in his tracks, the blade still hovering a few inches from Xie Yan's neck.

He looked at Xie Yan with a deep gaze and said, "What, do you have any last words to say?"

Xie Yan sighed, "Don't you think I'm too thin?"

Old man: "...So?"

Xie Yan: "How about I gain some weight before I eat it?"

elder:"……"

This is the first time I've heard of such a dying wish.