CHAPTER 418: CHAPTER 418: JUMPING OFF THE CLIFF

War Wolf, Beauty Snake, and Climbing Tiger, the three leaders, revealed sinister smiles. Now, Ye Fan and Chu Mengyao were captive turtles, not far from death, so there was no worry anymore.

The three leaders ordered the others to cease fire; there was no need to shoot anymore. The prey had reached their dead end; now they simply waited to see how the prey would die to vent their anger.

Ye Fan and Chu Mengyao were hiding behind a boulder, facing the cliff. Ye Fan’s expression changed as he pondered a strategy, whereas Mengyao’s expression fluctuated, as if she were making a decision.

"It seems that the two of us cannot both retreat unscathed now. At this point, we must make some sacrifices." Mengyao resolutely said, "Don’t worry about me. Try to fight your way out. If I fall into their hands, they probably won’t kill me. I believe that without me, you will definitely be able to carve a path out of here."

Mengyao made this decision; she had no choice but to sacrifice. If they continued like this, neither of them would have a way out.

Actually, her thinking was simple: Ye Fan had a chance to fight his way out. As for her, how could she have a way out? Initially, when Meng Yinglong captured her, it was to use her as leverage against Ye Fan. But now, her value had reached its peak; she had already lured Ye Fan here. For Meng Yinglong, she was of no further use.

Her only thought was to jump off the cliff, leaving her fate in the hands of destiny. Of course, she realized long ago that the chance of survival was almost zero. Even if she were to die, she didn’t want to be a burden to Ye Fan anymore.

If there was hope, she’d consider living, staying by Ye Fan’s side for safety. But now, there was no hope. She must make a choice. She didn’t want to watch Ye Fan die with her.

She thought that without the burden, Ye Fan would flourish and have a chance to survive.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ye Fan reprimanded, "No absurd thoughts, understood?"

How could he not understand Mengyao’s thoughts, full of reproach in his tone?

"But..." Mengyao was anxious, exceptionally worried, "I don’t want you to die. This is the only way. If I fall back into Meng Yinglong’s hands, life will be worse than death. I might as well end it here and stop dragging you down. You must live well and have a chance to avenge me."

She voiced her thoughts. Now she had to make a choice; she couldn’t delay any longer, or it would become more unfavorable.

"Listen to me. Don’t let your mind wander," Ye Fan insisted.

He had long observed the cliff ahead. It was a place where several rivers converged, forming a massive waterfall. The sound of water echoed from the mountain stream, audible clearly. But he didn’t know how deep the abyss was below, whether there were cliffs or a pool below, or how high the cliff was, so he wasn’t very confident. Jumping down was likely dangerous.

However, if he and Mengyao were together, even jumping off the cliff, if there were a chance, they might survive. If Mengyao acted alone, certain death awaited.

Seeing War Wolf and others temporarily cease the attack suggested jumping down the cliff was a path to doom. Thus, they hadn’t rushed to surround them but wanted to watch them die in despair.

No matter the outcome, Ye Fan believed that as long as he and Mengyao were together, there was a chance they could survive.

Ye Fan wouldn’t take risks unless absolutely necessary, but now there was no choice.

At this moment, War Wolf’s mocking voice reached them, laughing: "Ye Fan, Chu Mengyao, you are doomed. Stand out and await our judgment. If you want a swift death, it’s simple; have Ye Fan kill Chu Mengyao first, then commit suicide. Then you can die with dignity. Otherwise, fall into our hands, and there’ll be no good end. At that time, your fate will be evident without me explaining."

War Wolf was not in a hurry, coldly mocking them. By now, there was no path of survival.

He firmly believed that slowly tormenting them, forcing them to make a final choice, was the most entertaining thing.

"If you have the guts, jump off the cliff; you’ll definitely be smashed. We certainly won’t stop you." Beauty Snake interjected confidently, "Let me be honest; we’ve long investigated this cliff. Jumping down guarantees no survival. Though there’s a pool, there’s mostly rock and cliffs."

The base of the Lone Wolf Mercenary Corps was just outside this primitive forest. In some ways, it was their backyard. They had a thorough understanding of the forest inside, facilitating their survival here.

"Five minutes to decide how to die. If you haven’t decided, we’ll make you die by our means, starting by shooting you indiscriminately. We won’t hit lethal spots first; we’ll cripple you, leaving you to fend for yourself in this chilling forest. At that time, you won’t have your own choices." War Wolf issued the final ultimatum.

Ye Fan ignored the mocking and taunting of War Wolf and others.

He looked at Mengyao, warmly asking, "Are you afraid to jump off the cliff together?"

"Not afraid, there’s nothing to fear. As long as you’re with me, I’m not afraid of anything." Mengyao softly smiled, eyes full of tenderness, "As long as I can die with you, that’s my biggest wish now. Though I want you to survive, I’ll follow your lead now and won’t say anything else."

"Who said we’d die? Didn’t you hear the sound of water beneath the cliff?" Ye Fan warned, "Remember, always think about how to survive. Don’t keep thinking about death, okay?"

"Yes." Mengyao nodded affirmatively, deeply convinced by Ye Fan’s words.

Originally, she harbored the determination to die by jumping, but listening to Ye Fan heightened her desire to live to the extreme.

Ye Fan wanted this result. Jumping off this cliff, who knew what might happen? Thus, the desire to survive was critically important. One couldn’t jump off this cliff with a mindset of despair; if the heart was dead, even a small injury could become a major one.

Once Mengyao’s gaze became extremely determined, Ye Fan lifted Mengyao and leaped towards the cliff.

Beside them, a sinister wind roared.

Within sight were turbulent waterfalls and protruding stones.