TSWPF -Chapter 104 Escape

Liu Zhimou held his younger brother and sister in his arms, his eyes reddening. His voice caught slightly as he said, “It’s okay. Big brother is here.”

He felt both heartache and pride. These two were still so young, yet they had managed to survive and act so bravely on their own.

After crying for a while, Liu Zhiyan finally quieted down. Liu Zhimou took Liu Zhirou from his arms, rubbed his little brother’s head, and gently comforted him.

“Brother, where’s Sister Xiaoling?” Liu Zhiyan looked up at Liu Zhimou, his face full of worry.

“Sister Xiaoling is waiting for us back in the cave. Once we find Dahe, we’ll return and meet up with her.”

Thinking about Xiaoxi, who was no longer with them, Liu Zhimou’s voice lowered. How devastated would Dahe be when he found out she was gone?

Hearing this, Liu Zhiyan finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Sister Xiaoling was safe, it was fine.

“Zhiyan… Sister Xiaoxi was… bitten to death by the wolves.” It was Li Qingfeng, who had been silent until now, who finally spoke. “She died to save us. She ran off to lure the wolves away. From now on, we must treat Dahe well — otherwise, we’ll be letting Sister Xiaoxi down.”

At those words, Liu Zhiyan turned to look at the old man standing behind them. Slowly, he walked forward and called softly, “Grandpa…” His eyes then shifted to the still figure in the old man’s arms. He whispered, “Sister Xiaoxi…”

But she would never shyly respond to him again. The tears he had just managed to stop started falling all over again.

He reached out and gently held Xiaoxi’s cold hand. “Sister Xiaoxi, don’t worry. We’ll definitely take good care of Dahe.”

She was their savior. If she hadn’t drawn the wolves away, they might have all died. That kindness — they would remember it forever.

Liu Zhimou patted Zhiyan’s head. “Let’s find Dahe first. We’ll talk more when we’re back at the cave.” This was the deep mountains — wild beasts roamed here. Staying too long wasn’t safe.

Zhiyan wiped his tears and nodded.

Liu Zhimou turned to Shiyi. “Please, lead the way. Let’s go find Dahe.”

Shiyi nodded and began heading south.

After walking for nearly an hour, they finally found Dahe hiding behind a large rock. The moment Zhiyan and Li Qingfeng saw him, they ran up and threw their arms around him tightly.

Dahe was just as emotional. “You’re safe… thank goodness, you’re all safe.”

He had regretted splitting up from them almost the instant he’d done it. He should have stayed with Li Qingfeng. Sister Xiaoling had always been so good to him and his sister — how could he have left Xiaofeng and Ningning in danger like that? But at the time, his mind had gone blank; he’d just run without thinking.

He’d wanted to turn back and find them, but he didn’t even know which direction they’d gone. In the end, he’d just kept moving forward, praying he’d see them again.

When he finally heard Brother Zhimou’s voice, he had hidden behind a big rock and waited for them to find him.

“Dahe,” Li Qingfeng said softly after loosening his grip on him a little, “I have some bad news… You need to be prepared.”

Dahe looked at him, then at Zhiyan. Their faces were so full of grief that his heart suddenly sank. His hands trembled as he asked, “W-what bad news?”

Before anyone could answer, the old man came forward, carrying Xiaoxi in his arms. Li Qingfeng and Zhiyan stepped aside, letting Dahe see.

“Dahe…” the old man said hoarsely. “It’s my fault. Xiaoxi died saving me. The wolves…”

His voice broke. Even with all his medical skill, he couldn’t save this little girl. The guilt and sorrow were crushing.

Dahe froze. He stared at Xiaoxi’s lifeless face in the old man’s arms, completely motionless — like he had turned to stone.

Li Qingfeng and Zhiyan worriedly nudged him. “Dahe… Dahe…”

He finally moved — trembling all over, he stepped forward and took out his sleeve to gently wipe the dried blood from Xiaoxi’s face. “Sis… you always liked being clean. Why is your face so dirty now?” he murmured, wiping again and again. “It’s okay, I’ll clean it for you. You’ll be fine soon.”

Watching him like that, the old man and the others felt their hearts twist painfully. They would rather he cried — this quiet denial was even more frightening.

The old man’s eyes turned red. “Dahe, if you’re hurting, cry. Don’t hold it in.” His voice was thick with guilt. “It’s Grandpa’s fault for not protecting her.”

He was so old already, yet he had needed a young girl to sacrifice her life to save him. The shame was unbearable.

Dahe shook his head gently, managing a smile. “Grandpa, why should I cry? My sister’s just tired. She’s sleeping. Once she rests enough, she’ll wake up.”

He wouldn’t cry — his sister had told him before, a man doesn’t cry easily.

“Dahe…”

Before the old man could say more, Dahe held out his hands. “Grandpa, let me carry her. I’m big enough now. I can carry her.” He was taller and stronger than Xiaoxi now — he could manage it.

The old man opened his mouth to refuse, but Liu Zhimou tugged on his sleeve, signaling for him to agree.

Finally, the old man sighed and nodded. He helped Dahe bend down and carefully placed Xiaoxi on his back.

Dahe smiled faintly. “Sister, let’s go home.”

Then he started walking forward, step by step.

The others followed closely. It took them two and a half hours to make it back to the cave.

Li Qingling was standing at the entrance. When she saw them returning, she ran toward them — but when her eyes fell on the figure Dahe carried on his back, her smile faltered. “Dahe…” she called softly.

Something about Xiaoxi’s stillness told her everything she needed to know.

Her gaze shifted to Liu Zhimou. He gave a small nod.

Her heart sank completely.

Dahe, however, lit up when he saw Li Qingling safe and sound. “Sister Xiaoling!” he called cheerfully. He’d been too focused earlier to ask about her — now that he saw she was fine, he felt relief wash over him. “My sister got tired and fell asleep. I’ll take her inside to rest. After that, I’ll come talk to you!”

“…Alright.” Li Qingling swallowed her grief, forcing a small smile.

Once Dahe carried Xiaoxi inside, Li Qingling hugged each of the children one by one before turning to Liu Zhimou. “What happened?”

Liu Zhimou looked at the old man. The old man sighed heavily and explained everything.

When he finished, Li Qingling closed her eyes, her heart aching. She bowed deeply to the old man. “Grandpa, thank you for taking care of them.”

If it hadn’t been for Xiaoxi and the old man, the others wouldn’t have survived.

Her chest felt painfully tight, like a giant hand was squeezing it.

Liu Zhimou quickly patted her back, comforting her. “Don’t think too much. The children are safe now.”

The old man’s eyes were red. “I’m useless. If I’d known martial arts, Xiaoxi wouldn’t have died.”  He’d never hated himself so much. If he had the skill to protect them, a child wouldn’t have had to die for him.

“If it weren’t for you and Xiaoxi, the others would’ve been gone too,” Li Qingling said firmly. “You both saved them.”

“Enough… don’t say more.” The old man waved his hand weakly, staggering into the cave.  When he saw Dahe sitting in the corner, holding Xiaoxi and smiling as he spoke to her, the pain in his heart deepened.

Li Qingling and Liu Zhimou exchanged a glance, sighing before following him inside with the children.

When Li Qingling approached and saw Dahe talking to Xiaoxi’s lifeless body with a gentle smile, her worry grew heavier.

She knelt down in front of him. “Dahe… Xiaoxi is gone. You have to accept it.”

She didn’t want to see him lose his will to live because of grief.

Dahe froze, then frowned at her and hushed her softly. “Sister Xiaoling, don’t talk so loud — you’ll wake her up.”

“You…”

Before she could finish, the old man stopped her quietly. “Let him stay with her a while longer,” he murmured. “After this… he won’t get the chance.”

Li Qingling sighed and nodded, stepping back.

But none of them expected that Dahe would stay like that for an entire day and night. When they tried to bury Xiaoxi, Dahe refused to let her go. The moment they moved her, he went wild with panic, screaming and crying until they had no choice but to give in again and again.

“The weather’s too hot,” Li Qingling said with a deep frown. “If we don’t bury her today, her body will start to decay. We can’t let this go on.” She was worried not just about Xiaoxi’s body — but about Dahe’s mental state.

Though Liu Zhimou and the old man knew she was right, they couldn’t bear to act when they saw the boy’s pitiful state.

Seeing their hesitation, Li Qingling sighed, steeling herself.

She walked over. “Dahe, Xiaoxi is gone. You have to face it. For her sake, we need to lay her to rest today.”

“Sister Xiaoling… what are you saying? I don’t understand,” Dahe said blankly. “She’s just sleeping. She’ll wake up soon.”

Li Qingling looked at him steadily, swallowing her grief. “Xiaoxi is dead. Dead. Do you understand?”

If she didn’t force him to face it now, he might never recover.

The word “dead” hit Dahe like a thunderclap. His face twisted, and he shouted, “Don’t curse my sister! You’re a bad person! Go away — I don’t want to see you!”

He shoved Li Qingling with trembling hands.

Her jaw clenched. Then, with a crack, she slapped him hard across the face.

“Your sister sacrificed herself so you could live,” she shouted, her voice breaking. “And this is how you repay her? Acting like this — aren’t you ashamed of her?!”