Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

Finally, ripples appeared on the water's surface, and Chengfeng emerged. Ye Xingchen felt Gu Ruoxiao beside him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Found it! Found it!" Chengfeng shouted. Everyone rejoiced.

“I just swam a bit further out. To the northeast, there are stakes driven into the water, about five feet below the surface, big enough for a person to stand and walk on,” Chengfeng said.

The other three miners, still in the water, hurriedly said, "You rest first, we'll go scout ahead." They then plunged into the water.

After resting on the shore, Chengfeng offered his idea: "There are about thirty of us. I think we can split into three small groups, each tied with a rope, and drop into the water separately. The few of us who are good swimmers can look after each other. We'll definitely make it out."

“Okay, we’ll do as you say,” Gu Ruoxiao affirmed, while Chengfeng scratched his head sheepishly.

Ye Xingchen couldn't help but smile. A boss who listens to his subordinates' suggestions must be a good boss.

So everyone busied themselves with dividing the work and preparing, helping each other tie the ropes and supporting one another.

Explosions continued to echo overhead, but the group had seen hope and their spirits were high.

"Master, I'll go first, you..." Chengfeng said worriedly.

“I’ll cover the rear,” Gu Ruoxiao replied.

And so, like dominoes, they hopped into the water one by one. "Everyone, keep your footing! Those wooden posts might be slippery with moss, so let's watch out for each other!" The group helped each other out.

As the crowd gradually went into the water, only Ye Xingchen and Gu Ruoxiao remained on the shore.

"Let's go," Gu Ruoxiao said.

"Ah, okay." Ye Xingchen hesitated slightly. She was actually terrified of traveling by water. As a child, she had fallen into the water and had suffered nightmares ever since. In her past life, when she was being teased by the steward's children in the villa, the suffocating feeling of being held underwater made her tremble uncontrollably. At this moment, her heart was pounding, every inch of her skin was taut, and she could almost hear the unease flowing through her blood.

"Miss Ye?" Gu Ruoxiao turned around when she saw that Ye hadn't followed.

"Oh, oh." Ye Xingchen was flustered. She silently told herself: I'm not afraid. I've already died once. I'm not afraid.

Gu Ruoxiao led the way, with Ye Xingchen following behind. She gripped the rope tightly and took each step carefully.

The icy water began to rise, the sensation instantly spreading from her feet throughout her body, sending shivers down her spine. From her ankles to her calves, then to her waist, and finally to her chest, she grew increasingly tense, her hands trembling slightly. As her body gradually sank, the surrounding water pressure made her feel an unprecedented sense of oppression. Suddenly, her foot slipped, and she lost her balance. Ye Xingchen closed her eyes in terror.

The imagined suffocation didn't come; a pair of large hands held her firmly. She opened her eyes, and Gu Ruoxiao was looking at her with a frown and a complicated expression. "Hold on tight," he said, and then swam forward with her.

"Thank you so much," Ye Xingchen said, still shaken.

The light inside the cave grew brighter, and the exit was just ahead. Some people in the crowd began to cheer. Once outside the cave, everyone was exhausted and collapsed on the shallows to rest, breathing heavily and gazing at the blue sky and white clouds.

"What are you planning to do after you come out?" A relaxed chat began among the crowd.

"I need to go back and see my big, chubby son. I haven't seen him for three years. He should be starting school soon."

"I need to go back and fix my wooden house. I'm suffering here. But I did learn some carpentry from Brother Xu, so thank you, Brother Xu."

Xu Li waved his hand.

"I want to go back and eat lots of candy, and also my second aunt's lotus seed paste buns, they smell so good!" Erdan said eagerly.

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Look, the sunset!" Erdan shouted excitedly.

As the sun sets, the sky is adorned with golden hues, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

"That's good. It gives me a sense of hope, like I've survived a disaster." Ye Xingchen pondered.

"I want to take this opportunity to go to Hundred Herbs Valley to dig up some medicinal herbs to take back to my family. I want to live a few more years!" Uncle Zhang said.

Hundred Herbs Valley? Hundred Herbs Valley! Isn't that the place I've been looking for? Ye Xingchen stood up excitedly.

"Uncle Zhang, do you know about Hundred Herbs Valley? Where is Hundred Herbs Valley?" she hurriedly asked.

"The Valley of a Hundred Herbs is over there, very close by," Uncle Zhang pointed to the distance.

"Can you take me there?" Ye Xingchen asked expectantly.

“Sure, I was just about to go too.” Ye Xingchen quickly helped Uncle Zhang up.

"Me too, me too!" Many people echoed from behind.

Gu Ruoxiao, who was standing to the side, frowned as she looked at the scene and said to Chengfeng, "Let's go take a look too."

“Look at the foot of the mountain, that’s it,” Uncle Zhang said, pointing to the foot of the mountain.

"Uncle Zhang, I'll go take a look first." Ye Xingchen hurriedly ran off, her heart filled with joy; this was her hope!

"Hey, young lady, slow down!" Uncle Zhang called out from behind.

"I can be cured!" Ye Xingchen hadn't done anything wrong in this life, so she wouldn't meet a bad end. She cried out in her heart.

When she arrived at the legendary Valley of a Hundred Herbs, she froze. A wave of helplessness washed over her instantly, like a chilling current, silently seeping into every inch of her heart, instantly enveloping her once warm soul in icy despair. The unwavering strength within her seemed to have been ripped away, leaving only emptiness and weakness. Ye Xingchen was at a loss.

"What a tragedy, what a tragedy!" Uncle Zhang, who had just arrived, wailed. "How could this happen? If it were alright, how many people could it have saved!"

The Valley of a Hundred Herbs before us is no longer the legendary Valley of a Hundred Herbs that can cure all poisons. It is desolate and dilapidated due to the blasting of the mountain, replaced by patches of withered yellow and decay.

Undeterred, Ye Xingchen jumped into the thicket and turned over the herbs. Large swaths of soil had been eroded beyond recognition by sulfur and gunpowder. In short, Hundred Herbs Valley was beyond saving, and so was she. She stood up dejectedly.

Should he accept his fate? No, there's still time. After all, he didn't die this quickly in his previous life, and the poison hasn't taken effect yet. Ye Xingchen rekindled the seed of hope within himself.

Gu Ruoxiao, who was not far away, watched the ever-changing expression on Ye Xingchen's face, his brows furrowed without ever relaxing.

Soon, Major General Xu found everyone and also captured several prisoners who were preparing to continue blasting the mountain. Now that it was dark, the group was arranged to camp at the foot of the mountain and enter the city early the next morning.

Ye Xingchen changed her clothes and got out of the carriage, washing her face with the water that Zhu Ling had brought.

When Zhu Ling saw him again, her eyes were red from crying, and she refused to leave his side. No matter how much they tried to comfort her, she was still shaken. But it was alright; she's a carefree girl, she'd be fine in a couple of days.

Just then, a commotion arose from not far away.