After becoming rich overnight, I handed over the system.

Chapter 457 Liu Rushuang

The moonlight was obscured by clouds, and the forest was pitch black.

He heard the footsteps getting closer and closer, and could even smell the sweat and blood on the pursuers.

Suddenly, his footing gave way, and he fell into a hidden cave.

Upon landing, he instinctively rolled to absorb the impact, but still felt dizzy from the impact. The footsteps outside the cave stopped abruptly, and the light of the torches shone on the cave entrance.

"There's a hole here!" someone shouted. "That kid might have fallen in!"

Lin Han held his breath and, enduring the pain all over his body, retreated deeper into the cave.

In the darkness, his hand touched a protruding rock, which felt unusually smooth, as if it had been touched by someone often.

He pressed down hard, and the rock caved in, followed by a barely audible "click".

A hidden door slid open silently, revealing a dark passageway.

Without a second thought, Lin Han slipped inside.

The moment the hidden door closed behind him, he heard the muffled thud of pursuers jumping into the cave and their cursing shouts.

It was pitch black behind the hidden door, and Lin Han could only move forward by holding onto the damp wall.

The passage was sometimes wide and sometimes narrow, and several times he had to squeeze through sideways.

The air was filled with a musty smell and a peculiar herbal aroma, which reminded him of the cabinet in his father's study that was always locked.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead.

Lin Han cautiously approached and discovered that it was a hidden cave exit, with cliffs and precipices outside.

Moonlight once again pierced through the clouds, shining on the steep cliffs and reflecting a cold, bluish light.

"Looks like we have no choice but to go down from here," Lin Han muttered to himself.

He grew up in the mountains and rock climbing was a daily routine for him, but now he was exhausted and carrying the secret manual that his father had protected with his life. He really had no confidence that he could safely get down to the bottom of the valley.

Just as they were hesitating, they suddenly heard a soft laugh from above, like a clear spring striking a stone: "Young man, do you need any help?"

Lin Han was shocked, and his muscles tensed up instantly.

He looked up and saw a woman dressed in white sitting on a horizontal pine tree on the edge of a cliff, her legs swinging leisurely, her toes lightly touching the air, as if she might ride the wind away at any moment.

The moonlight, like water, outlined her slender figure. A long, thin sword hung at her waist, its scabbard wrapped with silver threads that gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"Who are you?" Lin Han asked warily, his right hand already resting on the Qingfeng sword his father had just given him at his waist.

The red silk wrapped around the sword hilt was warm to the touch, as if it still retained the warmth of his father's body.

The woman leaped down gracefully, causing the pine branches to tremble slightly without making a sound.

She landed three steps in front of Lin Han, a distance that was neither too aggressive nor too intimidating, allowing her to react quickly in case of an emergency.

Lin Han noticed that she landed on her toes first, as nimbly as a cat.

"Just a passerby." The woman's voice was clear and cold, like a mountain stream.

She was about eighteen or nineteen years old. Her face appeared exceptionally fair in the moonlight. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were like cold stars. There was a small beauty mark at the corner of her left eye, which added to her charm.

"Judging by your disheveled appearance, are you being chased by enemies?"

Lin Han did not answer, but instead took half a step back, his back pressed against the cold rock wall.

His father often warned him that the world was dangerous and that he should be wary of the most beautiful women.

He subconsciously touched the "Mysterious Heaven True Scripture" in his arms, the solid feel of the book giving him a slight sense of reassurance.

Seeing this, the woman smiled nonchalantly, a beautiful curve forming at the corners of her lips. "Fine, don't say anything then. But you now have two choices—" She held up two long, slender fingers, "either try to climb down and fall to your death, or accept my help."

She pointed down the cliff, and Lin Han looked in the direction she was pointing, and couldn't help but gasp.

At the foot of the mountain, torches stretched like dragons, and Qingcheng Sect disciples could be vaguely seen setting up checkpoints and conducting inspections; there were at least twenty or thirty of them.

"The Qingcheng Sect has already sealed off the foot of the mountain," the woman said calmly. "You can't escape."

Lin Han was startled: "How did you know it was the Qingcheng Sect?"

He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth; it was tantamount to admitting that he was being hunted down.

"That scoundrel Yu Canglang's voice," a cold glint flashed in the woman's eyes, her right hand unconsciously stroking the hilt of her sword, "could be recognized from ten miles away."

She paused, her tone suddenly turning sharp, "I also have some grudges against the Qingcheng Sect. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, isn't that right?"

Lin Han carefully observed the mysterious woman by the moonlight.

She was dressed in pure white, but there were several subtle silver patterns embroidered on her cuffs and collar, which appeared and disappeared with her movements.

This attire doesn't resemble that of ordinary martial arts practitioners; it's more like the clothing of a reclusive sect.

The woman seemed to sense his scrutiny and suddenly untied a long silver ribbon from her waist.

The long ribbon gleamed strangely in the moonlight, seemingly soft yet subtly possessing a metallic sheen. "Hold on tight, I'll take you down."

Lin Han hesitated.

Her father's dying words still echoed in her ears. This woman's origins were unknown, and what if she was bait from the Qingcheng Sect...? But for now, there was truly no other choice.

As if seeing through his concerns, the woman sighed softly, "If I wanted to harm you, I could easily call for help right now. The Qingcheng Sect has offered a reward of five hundred taels of silver for the capture of the Lin family remnants; that money isn't hard to earn."

These words, however, solidified Lin Han's resolve.

He grabbed the long ribbon; it was cool and silky to the touch, yet incredibly tough.

"My name is Lin Han. May I ask how you are addressed, young lady?"

"Liu Wushuang." The woman skillfully tied the other end of the long ribbon to a pine tree, making a strange knot, and then unexpectedly reached out and put her arm around Lin Han's waist.

"Hold on tight, I won't be responsible if you fall."

Before Lin Han could react, he felt his body lighten and he was lifted into the air.

The wind howled in my ears, and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my throat.

The cliff was rapidly rising before their eyes—no, they were rapidly descending!

He instinctively hugged Liu Wushuang's slender waist, smelling the faint herbal fragrance in her hair mixed with a hint of blood.

Liu Wushuang, however, moved as if on flat ground, lightly touching the cliff face with her toes, each contact providing just the right amount of leverage.

The long silver ribbon stretched taut and relaxed at times, emitting a faint clanging sound.

Lin Han noticed that her wrists moved flexibly, and her control over the long ribbon was exquisite, clearly the result of long-term training.

After using their strength three times, the two landed steadily in a thicket at the bottom of the cliff.

Liu Wushuang swiftly put away the long ribbon, her movements fluid and graceful.

"The Qingcheng Sect has set up a roadblock in the north; we'll head south."

She led Lin Han through the dense forest, her steps as light as a cat's, without making a sound.

Lin Han tried his best to imitate her steps, but he still couldn't help but break the dry branches.

Whenever this happened, Liu Wushuang would frown slightly, but say nothing.

After winding their way through the mountains, they arrived at a secluded ravine.

The rushing stream drowned out the sound of footsteps. The moonlight was blocked by the towering cliffs, making the place exceptionally dark.

“We’ve arrived.” Liu Wushuang parted a clump of dense vines, revealing a simple thatched hut behind it.