Living Requires More Courage Than Dying

No one knew what was happening on the evil cultivators' side. Only Feng Qingping paused for a moment on the path before continuing to hurry forward with the rest of the group.

Everyone rushed along the dark tunnel, the sound of footsteps echoing between the narrow stone walls.

Ling Suxin's breathing grew increasingly rapid. The effects of the burning blood pill had worn off, leaving her face as pale as paper. Every step she took felt like treading on the edge of a blade. Jingyi and Qinghe supported her on either side, fearing she might collapse at any moment.

Feng Weilan was in slightly better condition, but having been bound by spirit-siphoning iron chains for so long, the spiritual energy in his body was nearly exhausted. He could only barely manage to stay on his feet. Feng Qingping supported him with one hand while her other hand tightly gripped her array flags, vigilantly sensing the surrounding movements.

Li Nanzhu walked at the back of the group, dragging the evil cultivator whose limbs had all been broken. The chains scraped against the ground, making a piercing, grating noise.

That evil cultivator had long since fainted, blood still staining the corners of his mouth, but at least he wasn't causing any more trouble.

"Hang in there a bit longer. There should be a fork ahead where we can rest," Rong Yuying said from the front, her voice calm and low. A faint wisp of spiritual light coalesced at her fingertips, illuminating the path ahead.

The air inside the tunnel was damp and heavy, carrying a faint scent of blood and mildew. The group moved forward in silence; no one spoke, and only the sounds of ragged breathing and footsteps intertwined.

Finally, a slightly wider fork appeared ahead. Rong Yuying raised her hand to signal a stop.

"Rest for fifteen minutes," she said briefly.

As if granted a grand reprieve, everyone immediately found a place to sit. Ling Suxin went limp and collapsed to the ground almost instantly. Jingyi hurried to support her, taking a bottle of pills from her storage bag and pouring out a pill to feed her.

"Senior Sister, hold on a little longer. We'll heal properly once we reach a safe place," Jingyi comforted her in a low voice.

Ling Suxin nodded weakly and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

Feng Qingping checked on Feng Weilan's condition. After confirming he was fine for the time being, she turned to Rong Yuying. "Fellow Daoist Rong, which way next?"

Rong Yuying unfolded a yellowed parchment map, her fingertip tracing lightly across it. "We are at this position. Three miles further ahead, there's an abandoned mine. We can hide there temporarily."

Li Nanzhu leaned in to take a look. The map was densely marked with the directions of the tunnels; some places had even been crossed out, clearly indicating dead ends that were sealed off.

"You've been here before?" she asked.

Rong Yuying shook her head. "The Hehuan Sect once sent people to investigate this area, but they didn't go deep. Furthermore, this map was drawn decades ago. Some places might have collapsed, so we must be careful."

After saying this, she sighed. "I didn't expect this place to have become a nest for evil cultivators now."

Li Nanzhu nodded, her gaze falling back onto the unconscious evil cultivator. "I wonder what we can find out from his mouth..."

After all, the "Elder" the other party had mentioned earlier also weighed heavily on her mind.

The rest period passed quickly, and the group stood up again to continue their journey.

This time, the group's speed was slower. After all, there were too many injured, and dragging a burden along made it impossible to move fast.

The temperature inside the tunnel dropped lower and lower, and a thin layer of frost even condensed on the stone walls. Li Nanzhu rubbed her arms and muttered in a low voice, "Why is this damn place so cold?"

Feng Qingping explained, "The yin energy is heavy deep underground. Combined with the fact that evil cultivators have been active here for years, the baleful yin energy is even more intense."

Li Nanzhu gave a click of her tongue but said nothing more.

After walking for about another half an hour, a faint sliver of light finally appeared ahead.

"We're here." Rong Yuying stopped and pointed toward a cave entrance not far away. "That is the abandoned mine."

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they quickened their pace.

The mine was much more spacious than imagined. Rusty picks and wooden frames were scattered around, clearly showing that no one had been here for a long time. There were even a few old straw mats in the corner that could barely serve as bedding.

"Finally, we can catch our breath..." Jingyi let out a long sigh of relief as she helped Ling Suxin sit down.

Feng Qingping quickly set up a concealment array at the entrance to ensure they wouldn't be easily discovered. Rong Yuying then took out several night-luminescent pearls and tossed them around, their soft glow immediately illuminating the entire mine.

Li Nanzhu tossed the evil cultivator onto the ground and stretched. "Are you going to contact the people from your second team next?"

Rong Yuying nodded. "Yes, though whether we can reach them is up to fate." Looking at her weak fellow sect members, a flicker of worry crossed her eyes. "After all, our current condition isn't suitable for further travel, and we're quite far from the second team's direction. It's better to heal first and find a way to regroup once everyone has recovered a bit."

Noticing that Li Nanzhu's gaze seemed to be subtly scanning the storage bags at their waists specifically meant for carrying corpses, Rong Yuying spoke up directly.

"If you have something to ask, just say it."

Li Nanzhu organized her thoughts before asking, "Does your Hehuan Sect... often have to handle things like this?"

Rong Yuying glanced at her, a faint smile curling at her lips. "Why? Do you think we are too cold-blooded?"

"No," Li Nanzhu shook her head. "I just think you are... more authentic than the rumors say."

Rong Yuying chuckled, a trace of complexity flashing in her eyes. "On the path of cultivation, there isn't actually that much romance and elegance. The disciples of the Hehuan Sect have a poor reputation outside, but because of that, we know better than anyone—sometimes, living requires more courage than dying."

Li Nanzhu unconsciously rubbed the edge of her clothes. She knew better than anyone the weight contained within those words.

Seeing that Feng Qingping was also looking over, Rong Yuying's gaze fell upon the storage bag at her waist. Her fingertips lightly brushed the dark patterns on it, her voice low and calm. "It has never been easy for female cultivators in the cultivation world."

The mine fell silent for a moment, with only the faint light of the night-luminescent pearls casting flickering shadows on the stone walls.

"Do you think men and women can truly stand on equal footing in those great sects?" Rong Yuying gave a cold laugh. "Even in the Sword Heart Sect, which claims to be the righteous path, female cultivators make up less than thirty percent of the inner sect disciples recruited in the last hundred years. And those who can climb to the position of elder are even fewer."

Li Nanzhu frowned slightly. Although she was a transmigrator, the original story had very few descriptions of these details.

"The mortal world values men over women, and is the cultivation world any different?" Rong Yuying continued, her fingers unconsciously stroking the storage bag. "Women with spiritual roots are rare to begin with. Those who can successfully step onto the path of cultivation are as rare as phoenix feathers. How many female cultivators die silently in some secret realm before they even grow up, or become someone's cauldron?"

Her voice was very soft, yet it seemed to make the temperature in the mine drop a few more degrees.

Feng Qingping remained silent for a moment before saying, "It is indeed so. Master also told us back then that in recent decades, female disciples with outstanding talent have become fewer and fewer. Even though Master doesn't limit disciples based on their spiritual roots, it is still hard to find suitable female cultivators. Otherwise, you should have had at least one more senior sister."

Li Nanzhu was stunned. No wonder... no wonder Feng Yi had accepted her as a disciple so easily... When had female cultivators in the cultivation world fallen to such a state?