A Shocking Dream

At the summit of Qiuluo Mountain, the night was still deep and cold. The blast of the fireworks seemed to still linger in the air, but then Yuanyuan screamed in terror, "Ah, a snake! A snake's out!" Her voice was sharp and filled with fear, piercing the silence of the mountaintop.

Qin Rongchen and Qin Ruoyu reacted quickly, almost instinctively protecting Yuanyuan behind them. Qin Rongchen's face was grim, and his eyes were wary of the snakes that kept crawling out of the cave. The snakes seemed to be greatly stimulated, twisting their bodies at an extremely fast speed.

The darkness of the cave seemed to be broken by the surging snakes, which flickered eerily in the light of the fire. Some snakes hissed and spit out their tongues, while others raised their heads, as if searching for targets to attack.

Yuanyuan was trembling all over. She clutched the corner of Qin Ruoyu's clothes tightly, her eyes full of fear. She had never experienced such a terrifying scene before. These snakes were like demons crawling out of a nightmare.

Qin Ruoyu was also filled with anxiety and fear, but he tried to remain calm. He knew he had to protect Yuanyuan. He stared at the snakes, holding a stone tightly in his hand, ready to respond to any attack. His heartbeat was like a drum, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Qin Rongchen calmly observed the snakes' movements, pondering his response. His mind raced, trying to find a safe escape. His eyes were sharp, not missing a single subtle movement from the snakes.

"Uncle, what should we do now?" Qin Ruoyu's voice trembled slightly. He had never felt so helpless.

Qin Rongchen didn't answer immediately. He scanned the surroundings, looking for something useful. Suddenly, his eyes fell on a pile of branches not far away.

"Ruoyu, bring those branches over here." Qin Rongchen said calmly.

Qin Ruoyu reacted immediately. He carefully walked around the snakes and quickly took the branch.

Qin Rongchen took the branch and lit it with a torch. Instantly, the branch burst into flames, emitting a bright flame. The snakes seemed a little afraid of the flames, and their movements slowed down a little.

"We use torches to drive them away." Qin Rongchen said.

Qin Ruoyu nodded, and together they waved torches, trying to force the snakes back. Threatened by the flames, the snakes slowly retreated, but they didn't leave completely, still lurking not far away.

Yuanyuan hid behind them, her body trembling. Her eyes were full of tears, and her heart was filled with fear and anxiety. But seeing the brave actions of Qin Rongchen and Qin Ruoyu, she gradually mustered up the courage.

The wind on the top of the mountain howled, making their clothes rustle, but they had no time to care about the cold. They had only one thought in their minds, which was to protect Yuanyuan and wait for rescue to arrive.

On the dangerous Qiuluo Mountain, they fell into an unprecedented predicament, and the snakes that kept pouring out were like an inescapable nightmare. But they knew that they could not give up and had to face it all bravely.

The threat of the snakes still loomed over Qin Rongchen, Qin Ruoyu, and Yuanyuan. They nervously confronted the snakes. Although the torches in their hands temporarily drove the snakes back, no one knew when these dangerous creatures would attack again.

At this tense moment, a melodious flute sound emanated from the silent mountaintop. The sound seemed to float from the distant sky, ethereal and graceful, instantly breaking the tense atmosphere on the mountaintop.

Qin Rongchen, Qin Ruoyu, and Yuanyuan were all captivated by the sudden flute sound. They looked in its direction in surprise. As the flute continued, they were surprised to discover that the restless snakes seemed to be controlled by the sound. The snakes gradually calmed down, no longer scurrying around, and slowly crawled back into the forest. Even the snakes trapped in the cave obediently crawled out and into the forest.

Qin Ruoyu's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief: "Uncle, this flute sound... can actually control those snakes?"

Qin Rongchen also looked puzzled. He narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to find the source of the flute sound. "This is indeed strange. It seems that there is a mysterious person in Qiuluo Mountain that we don't know about."

Yuanyuan gradually recovered from her fear. She stared at the snakes controlled by the flute sound, her heart full of curiosity.

The sound of the flute echoed on the mountaintop, as if holding a magical power. Following the rhythm of the flute, the snakes gradually retreated into the forest, and the danger on the mountaintop seemed to be temporarily resolved. However, Qin Rongchen and the others knew that behind this mysterious flute sound, there might be more unknowns and dangers hidden.

They stood quietly on the top of the mountain, waiting for the owner of the flute to appear, while also being alert to the danger that might appear again.

Atop the mountaintop, the melodious sound of a flute still lingered in the air. Yuanyuan, her face brimming with excitement, shouted to the surroundings, "Master Uncle, I know it's you, right? I'll be very obedient and wait for Master Uncle and Sister to come pick me up." Her voice echoed in the silent mountaintop, filled with anticipation and longing.

Qin Ruoyu was filled with astonishment. He had never imagined that the owner of the flute music was actually Lin Bingshuang. Had she remained on the mountain the entire time, or was there some other reason that kept her from leaving? Qin Ruoyu's mind was swirling with thoughts. He couldn't help but look up at his uncle, Qin Rongchen, to see his reaction. However, Qin Rongchen's expression was calm, nothing unusual. Could it be that the uncle didn't know that Yuanyuan's great-uncle was Lin Bingshuang?

Qin Ruoyu's doubts grew deeper and deeper. He looked at the emperor's uncle's calm face, trying to find a clue. At this moment, the sound of the flute gradually faded, as if responding to Yuanyuan's cry.

"Uncle, didn't you notice anything?" Qin Ruoyu finally couldn't help but ask.

Qin Rongchen shook his head slightly, his eyes still deep and calm: "It is not appropriate to speculate at this time. Let's wait until the owner of the flute sound appears."

Qin Ruoyu sighed helplessly. He knew that the emperor's uncle was always cautious and would not jump to conclusions easily. But in his heart, he was eager to know why Lin Bingshuang appeared at this time and what kind of story was there between her and the emperor's uncle.

Yuanyuan still looked around expectantly, hoping that her uncle-master would appear before her immediately. The wind from the top of the mountain blew gently, carrying a hint of mystery.

The flute music stopped abruptly, and the mountaintop instantly returned to peace. It was as if the melodious flute music just now was just a fleeting dream, and the messy mud on the ground, everything that had just happened was real.

Yuanyuan felt a surge of joy, a bright smile spreading across her face, as if she had forgotten her earlier fear. "Brother Immortal, our uncle-master won't be coming. She still has a lot of things to do. The crisis is over, let's go into the cave." Her voice was clear and melodious, but even though she was delighted, she didn't dare rush into the cave first. Clearly, she was still reeling from the shock she had just experienced.

Qin Ruoyu looked at Yuanyuan's appearance and felt a little relieved. He turned to look at Qin Rongchen, only to see the emperor's uncle looking into the distance thoughtfully.

"Ruoyu, the great-grandmaster of the Su Nu sect, is so capable." Qin Rongchen's voice was steady and tinged with emotion. His eyes gleamed with thought, as if he was trying to guess the identity and purpose of this mysterious great-grandmaster.

Qin Ruoyu nodded slightly, his heart filled with curiosity. "Uncle, this great-grandmaster is truly mysterious. Her appearances are always unexpected." He cast his gaze back towards the cave, hoping Yuanyuan wouldn't let anything slip.

"Let's go into the cave and take a look." Qin Rongchen said, and he took the lead and walked towards the cave. Qin Ruoyu quickly followed, while carefully protecting Yuanyuan.