Chapter 317: She’s Running Out of Air!!!

The constant struggling in his arms slowly brought Rong Qing back to consciousness. Instinctively, his body moved to restrain the restless person he held.

He dazedly lifted his head, his lips brushing against a strange coolness.

Rong Qing slowly pried his eyes open, the world before him sharpening from a blur into focus.

He remembered. He had followed Your Majesty into the quicksand pit.

’Your Majesty!’

He tried to shoot up, only then realizing he was tightly clutching a soft body, his lips pressed against delicate skin.

His senses came rushing back. The familiar scent of ambergris, mingled with Your Majesty’s unique fragrance, filled his nostrils and instantly threw his mind into disarray.

He was holding Your Majesty. And he had kissed her...

Xiao Li had grown tired from struggling and now lay motionless in his arms. Listening to the drum-like pounding beside her ear and the increasingly ragged breaths from above, she said listlessly, "Rong Qing, if you’ve had your fill of kissing, get your paws off me!"

’I’m going to suffocate!!!!’

Terrified, Rong Qing instantly released his grip. "Your... Your Majesty..."

The Empress’s coldest, most powerful General was now a flustered mess, his voice trembling.

He forced himself to calm his racing heart. "Your Majesty... are you injured?"

Xiao Li pushed herself up using his chest for support. It was pitch-black, so dark she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.

"Do you have a flint?"

Rong Qing did have a flint, but he pulled out another pouch instead. When he opened it, a soft, lustrous glow spilled out. It was a Luminous Pearl.

"Use this, Your Majesty."

Xiao Li shot the Luminous Pearl an odd glance. ’If I remember correctly, I think I casually tossed a Luminous Pearl to Rong Qing as a reward once. It couldn’t be this one, could it?’

Only with the light from the pearl did Xiao Li get to her feet. The ground beneath her was hard stone, but damp and slick. From the looks of it, an underground river must have once flowed through here. Now, only the damp riverbed remained.

Xiao Li scanned her surroundings. There was still a pile of sand ahead of them. They must have been pushed here by that sand; the undercurrent had then carried the sand away, leaving them behind.

Once she had assessed their surroundings, she turned back to Rong Qing. He had already sat up. He seemed fine from the front, but Xiao Li recalled smelling blood just moments ago.

"Where are you hurt?"

Rong Qing gingerly felt the back of his head. "I must have hit my head and back. It’s not serious."

’He was unconscious, and he says it’s not serious?’

Xiao Li found a slightly drier spot on higher ground. "Come here."

Rong Qing obediently rose to his feet. His body swayed uncontrollably for a moment, but he still managed to walk steadily to her.

By the Luminous Pearl’s light, Xiao Li saw the back of Rong Qing’s head. It was a bloody, mangled mess. The wound alone was terrifying to look at.

Rong Qing wasn’t wearing his silver armor, but he had on a special kind of Soft armor, so his torso was uninjured. His legs also seemed fine for the time being. The most serious injury was the one on his head.

"Medicine."

Every member of the Silver Armor Guards carried potent medicine, and Rong Qing was no exception.

It was wrapped in oiled paper and sealed within his belt, with different colors indicating their purpose.

Some were for internal use, others for topical application. They were made from the finest herbs and the most effective formulas, all to maximize a Silver Armor Guard’s chance of survival.

Xiao Li first had Rong Qing take the oral medicine, then she carefully cleaned the blood from the back of his head. Once she located the wound, she firmly applied the medicinal salve.

She wasn’t gentle. The sharp pain made Rong Qing flinch, and his hand instinctively clutched the hem of her robes.

With the internal medicine taken and the wound treated, Rong Qing was out of immediate danger, and Xiao Li could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"This is an underground river; there has to be an exit. If we follow the riverbed, we’re sure to find a way out."

Rong Qing nodded. "Mm."

Xiao Li was still worried about him. "Do you need to rest a little longer?"

"I’m fine."

Rong Qing stood up and extended a hand to Xiao Li. "The riverbed is slick and dark. Let me take your hand, Your Majesty."

Without any pretense, Xiao Li placed her hand in his. His large hand enveloped hers, holding it firmly.

Rong Qing had lost his primary weapon, but he still had a spare dagger. Holding the dagger in one hand and Xiao Li’s hand in the other, the two of them slowly made their way along the riverbed, guided by the Luminous Pearl’s faint glow.

The riverbed was slick and thick with sludge, making every step treacherous as their feet sank to unpredictable depths.

Rong Qing didn’t mind it for himself, but his heart ached seeing Xiao Li stumble in the sludge. ’His Majesty shouldn’t have to suffer like this.’

When they came to a deep pool, Rong Qing swept Xiao Li into his arms without a word. He waded through, half his body submerged, but he kept her from even touching the water.

Xiao Li didn’t struggle, only stating calmly, "You’re injured. You don’t have to do this. I’m not that delicate."

Rong Qing insisted, "An injury like this is nothing to me. It is my duty to care for Your Majesty."

He was her subject; it was only right that he use his own body to shield her from disaster and clear any dangers from her path.

Besides, he had his own selfish reasons. Opportunities to hold Her Majesty so openly were few and far between.

Just holding Her Majesty for a moment was enough to soothe all his pain.

The riverbed was rugged, a mix of sludge and jagged rocks underfoot. Above them, stalactites hung like sharp swords. The path, sometimes wide and sometimes narrow, was treacherous. Eventually, it split into a fork.

Both paths were slick with moisture, a clear sign that both were viable.

Rong Qing asked, "Which way, Your Majesty?"

Xiao Li didn’t want to choose. She had a feeling she was unlucky today, and she suspected some *thing* was trying to get her killed.

Still, she wouldn’t burden Rong Qing with such a difficult decision.

’It’s just another trial, isn’t it? I’d like to see if *They* can truly claim my life here.’

"This way."

Xiao Li made her choice quickly. But they hadn’t gone far before a strange rustling echoed from down the channel.

Both of them tensed at once. Snakes!

And not just one or two. It was more like a whole nest.

The foul stench was nauseating, so overpowering it was hard to breathe.

The Luminous Pearl’s light was limited. In its faint glow, they could only make out indistinct, writhing shadows—a great many of them.

’We can’t go this way.’

"Retreat."

She was willing to fight, but not to throw her life away senselessly.

With great difficulty, the two retreated to the fork in the path and entered the other tunnel. It was just as damp and treacherous.

Xiao Li was starting to struggle. The sludge-filled path was draining her stamina.

With no light, there was no way to mark the passage of time. It felt like they had been walking for ages, endlessly trudging through the darkness and damp.

"Your Majesty!"

Rong Qing tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her into his arms. "Stay focused."

There was a sharp, jutting rock right where she had been about to step. If she had put her weight on it, it would have surely pierced the sole of her foot.

"I know," Xiao Li said, gently patting his arm.

Rong Qing released her, and they continued on, hand in hand.

But they hadn’t gone much farther when a roaring sound surged toward them from behind.

Without a second thought, Rong Qing grabbed Xiao Li and pressed her hard against the cave wall. An instant later, a flash flood of river water, mud, and sand came roaring past.

In an instant, the water surged from the floor to Rong Qing’s waist. The current was so violent and turbulent it was impossible to keep a steady footing.

Rong Qing desperately dug his fingers into the cracks of the stone wall, shielding her with his body and absorbing the full impact of the torrent.