Just as he was about to collapse in despair, a voice near his ear seemed to warn him, "Whether you live or die now depends entirely on how hard you try. The incense of your parents' legacy and the blood feud of your friends rest solely on your shoulders!" In a moment of clarity, he suddenly realized that this was a critical juncture, far removed from the comfort of home where he could seek solace in front of his parents. Here, not only would no one care if he cried himself to death, but with each passing minute, time slipped away, and soon he would be separated from his head. The thought of the gruesome deaths of his peers filled him with terror. He immediately mustered his courage, stood up despite the pain, and began once again to push the bricks on the wall. This time, with experience, it was easier than when he had first started. Every time he moved thirty or forty bricks, he placed them in the middle of the stone cave, stacking them layer by layer like a pagoda. Back and forth he went, his hands and feet tirelessly working. He had no idea how much time had passed, but eventually, he had built a brick pile about seven or eight feet high. He estimated that tonight was the third night, and time was running out. He calculated that by standing on the brick stack, the rope could reach the round hole above, so he stopped working, drank two sips of water, and ate a few bites of steamed buns. The blade of his knife had become dull, and he tied one end of the rope to the middle of the knife, braced himself, and began to climb the steps he had built. Slowly, he climbed to the top, where the area was less than two feet wide, just enough to stand on. In the darkness, the bricks he had stacked were unstable, swaying and almost toppling over, startling him. He knew that if they collapsed, he wouldn't have the strength to build them up again. He steadied his footing and, standing at the top, began to swing the rope tied to the knife, waiting for a flash of lightning to see the hole above and throw the rope to hook onto it so he could climb out. Unfortunately, he missed several opportunities during the lightning flashes. As he swung the knife, it spun in an increasingly large circle, and his arms grew tired, but he didn't dare stop for fear that the knife would rebound and injure him. He was preoccupied with the lightning above, the knife in his hand, and the fear that the bricks would collapse, feeling incredibly anxious. Suddenly, dizziness overcame him, and with a clang, the knife and rope flew out of his hand. Startled, he lost his balance and slid down from the brick pile. When he felt around, both the rope and knife were gone. After toiling for half the night, his efforts had come to nothing. Exhausted, he had no more strength to continue and could think of nothing but waiting for death. The more this young man thought about it, the more heartbroken he became, and he couldn't help but burst into tears.
Just as he was in despair, a flash of light from the round hole above caught his eye, and he seemed to see a rope swinging there. He quickly stopped crying and stared intently. With another flash of lightning, he clearly saw a rope hanging and swaying in the wind. It turned out that when he had lost his grip earlier, the rope had slipped toward the top and happened to hook onto the hole. He had thought it had flown out, but it had actually saved him. In the darkness, the sudden appearance of hope filled him with joy, and he instantly felt reinvigorated, forgetting his fatigue. He crawled over to the brick pile and gave it a push, relieved to find that most of the bricks were still intact, except for a few that had slid down when he fell. After this scare, he was even more careful. He crawled back up, cautiously adjusting the bricks that had fallen and slowly made his way to the top again. Standing unsteadily, he reached up for the rope. Just as another flash of lightning lit the sky, he estimated the distance was about a foot above his head. Focusing his mind, he waited for the next flash, and in that brief moment, he leapt up and grabbed the rope. With a sudden crash, he fell back onto the bricks, startling him again. He thought the knife hadn't secured the rope properly, but fortunately, it had only slipped a foot or two before holding firm. Testing it, he found that the rope was tightly wedged and secure. Now, there was no need to wait for more lightning. In his desperation to escape, he forgot the pain from his wounded hands and started climbing the rope. Though he had no martial arts skills, he was young and light, and it didn't take long before he reached the hole. Using his left elbow, he hooked onto the edge and, with great effort, pulled himself up to safety. Exhausted, he collapsed, too tired to move. The storm above raged on, drenching him to the bone. After resting for a while, the cold rain revived him slightly. He realized that even though he had escaped the cave, he was still in a perilous situation, where time was slipping away. He knew he had to keep going to escape death. The top of the cave was high above the ground, and a fall would surely break his bones. He had to wait for the lightning to illuminate his path before continuing.
The east side of the cave led back to the route he had come from days earlier. The west side faced the main hall, and the south led to the courtyard of the temple. Only the north side was near a wall, possibly adjacent to a neighboring house, so he decided to escape to the north. The rain poured harder, and the world was dark and still. There was no light at all, and water streamed down the branches like waterfalls. Several times he lost his footing and almost slipped off. The center of the cave's top was high, and the sides sloped down, so he had to be extra careful, moving step by step only when lightning flashed. Finally, he reached the north wall, but to his dismay, the gap between the cave and the wall was three to four feet. He had no martial arts skills, and in this stormy night, how could he dare jump across? Even if he managed to reach the wall, he had no idea how high it was or if a fall would mean certain death.
Just as he was at a loss, a gust of wind blew something across his face. He grabbed for it and felt a powerful force that almost pulled him off the cave top, startling him. He calmed himself and, by the next flash of lightning, saw that he had caught a few leaves from a large tree. The wind had blown the tree's branches over from the other side of the wall, and he had grabbed two leaves. Just as he was thinking this, a loud clap of thunder was followed by another flash of lightning. He looked carefully and saw a large yellow poplar tree, swaying in the storm, with one of its branches stretched toward him, partially broken by the wind. The lightning faded, and darkness returned. He thought, "If the wind blows the branch closer again, I might be able to grab it and climb over the wall." The lightning flashed continuously, and the thunder roared. Several times the branch swung close to him, but he hesitated, afraid to take the risk. When the chance passed, he regretted it deeply. Finally, he summoned his courage, gritted his teeth, and prepared to leap for his life. At just the right moment, a gust of wind and a flash of lightning brought the branch directly into his hands. He jumped and grabbed it. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind lifted him off the cave top, and he flew toward the wall. In that moment, he gave no thought to life or death, closing his eyes and gripping the branch tightly. Just then, he felt a heavy blow to his feet, followed by a deafening thunderclap. The two shocks were too much for him, and he let out a cry. Losing his grip, he fell to the ground and passed out.
When he woke up, he found himself lying on a wooden bed, with an old man and a young girl standing nearby, appearing to be father and daughter. The girl said, "Father, he's awake." She handed him a bowl of warm water to drink. As he drank, Yun Cong remembered his narrow escape and realized that after falling from the tree, he must have been rescued by these two. He tried to stand and thank them, but the old man quickly said, "How did you end up here, and why did you fall from the temple wall?" Yun Cong tried to rise but felt a pain in his leg, likely from being hit by the wall during his escape. Exhausted from the night's ordeal, he lay back down and briefly explained his escape.