Leaving the Canyon, A Man’s Dignity and Pride

The tension and worry faded away at Serena's playful remark. William Wang Jinling could only laugh wryly; he wanted to defend himself, but Serena was right—he had no grounds to argue. That purple-robed woman truly had chased after him, step by step, all because of his looks.

He possessed a face and bearing that could captivate the world, yet this woman before him remained unmoved. He had talents and charm that drove women mad, but not this one—she showed no sign of being swept away.

She accepted his closeness with perfect composure, not finding it inappropriate nor feeling the slightest flutter. He didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh—amused by her trust, which he couldn’t betray, and exasperated by her obliviousness, treating him as a confidant rather than a man. To preserve that trust, he didn’t dare cross any line that might ruin their friendship.

A fleeting trace of disappointment and sorrow passed through William's smiling eyes, vanishing before Serena noticed. He changed the topic with a smile: "Serena, I can't be sure if the Skyvault Palace Sect people are still out there. Leaving might be dangerous."

Right now, all he could do was hold Serena back; he was powerless to help.

"Danger or not, we have to go. Whether Skyvault Palace Sect is still out there or not, we must leave. Staying here is a dead end. I saw no one outside when I came to the canyon, so I think they're waiting for us to come out. Since they're conserving their strength, we need to leave in the best condition possible. If we wait any longer, we'll be too starved to even run, let alone escape from them."

The longer they stayed in the canyon, the less advantage they had. And honestly, in this vast gorge, just the two of them—a man and a woman—awkward things were bound to happen over time. To keep their feelings from changing, Serena decided to leave no matter how dangerous it was outside.

"Alright, let's go. I’ll have to trouble you again for the road ahead." He was a man whose laughter could rout armies and whose gestures could turn the tide of battle, yet now he couldn’t even walk out of this canyon. For him, as a man, it was a bitter humiliation. If he weren’t so open-minded, and if the woman before him weren’t Serena, he would never be able to accept it.

"William, I don't like hearing things like that. Don't talk about being a burden. We're not related by blood, but in my heart, you're family. Between us, there's no such thing as trouble or gratitude. If our positions were reversed, you'd do even more for me, wouldn't you?"

"Yes. As long as Serena needs William Wang Jinling, I’ll be there." William promised solemnly. And if she doesn’t need him, he’ll stay away.

He could do anything for Serena, and he liked that she trusted and needed him. But he couldn't accept relying on her for everything. For a 'stronger,' it's not natural to depend on others all the time—even if that person is someone they truly trust.

William might not be the strongest in martial arts, but in terms of ability and strength, he was without a doubt a true 'stronger.' His current situation was a blow to both his pride as a stronger and as a man.

But... reality doesn't change for anyone's will.

Since they were leaving, Serena needed to take care of everything in the canyon. She had no intention of coming back—falling from hundreds of meters up would be fatal, and she didn't want to starve to death trapped in the gorge.

Serena found a spot and buried the bodies of the loyal guards before preparing to climb out. Given William's condition, he could barely walk—he'd have to be carried out by Serena.

A grown man relying on Serena for everything—even after her explanations, the frustration in his heart didn't lessen. But William understood this wasn't the time for pride. Without the slightest resistance, he lay on Serena's back and let her carry him out.

With William on her back, Serena’s pace barely slowed—not because she was that strong, but because William was so emaciated, he weighed less than Serena herself.

Carrying William, Serena reached the spot where she'd descended into the canyon. She tested the rope above, and once sure it was secure, she took out the safety line and wrapped it around both herself and William.

"William, we're heading up. Hang on tight." Serena took a deep breath, gripped the rope, and started climbing, teeth clenched.

Even with William so light, Serena still felt her legs go weak. Climbing alone was already exhausting—let alone carrying another person.

Every step felt impossibly heavy, but Serena refused to let herself rest. She knew if she stopped for even a moment, she might never find the strength to climb again.

"Serena, I’m sorry. Seeing you work so hard, I really feel useless." Lying against her back, William watched sweat pouring down her face, his gaze growing darker until he finally fell silent.

At this moment, saying nothing and doing nothing was the best help he could give Serena.

After climbing only a few dozen meters, Serena felt she was at her limit. If she hadn’t set a carabiner at the canyon’s edge when she descended, she doubted she’d even manage a single step upward.

"I really overestimated my stamina." She was an excellent doctor, not a soldier. Even in her previous life, she was only a qualified military doctor.

On the battlefield, there were plenty of female emergency doctors, but almost no female field medics. Out of a hundred, maybe one. That woman, whether in appearance or strength, was nearly indistinguishable from her male peers.

It wasn’t that women were unwilling to do dangerous work, but their strength and endurance were naturally less than men’s. Carrying a heavy medical kit, most women couldn’t run fast or last long, and in danger, they’d only add to their comrades’ burdens.

In her previous life, to become a qualified military doctor, Serena had to excel in both medicine and military skills. She couldn’t match elite soldiers, but she was equal to the average ones—otherwise, the unit would never have accepted her.

In the army, everyone was a man. They didn’t like female doctors; to them, women just meant trouble. No matter how easy-going or open-minded she was, awkward moments were inevitable.

In the field, comfort didn’t exist. Doctors ate and slept alongside soldiers; if lucky, they had a tent, but on urgent missions, everyone just collapsed where they stood. There was no room for propriety—insisting on it could cost lives.

That’s why, when Serena cared for William, there were no boundaries between man and woman. In the wild, in crisis, at the edge of life and death, gender didn’t matter. If you were a woman, you were simply more unlucky—besides being killed, you might be violated.

Once a mission began, Serena saw only comrades and enemies. Enemies were to be killed; comrades, supported—so everyone could survive.