Li Wei lay at the bottom of the gorge, his body sprawled out like a broken puppet, limbs askew and clothes torn. His first coherent thought was, At least I'm not dead. His second thought: Why does everything hurt?
He stared up at the impossibly high cliffs, their jagged peaks disappearing into the thick fog above, and groaned. "Really, universe? Was this necessary?" he muttered to himself. A few birds screeched in response, as if to say, Yep, totally necessary.
With great effort, Li Wei began to assess the damage. His body was a symphony of aches and bruises, but miraculously, no bones seemed to be broken. Just another day in the life of a martial artist who consistently defied death, gravity, and common sense.
Slowly, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, hissing as splinters embedded in his skin from the tree branches that had graciously cushioned his fall. "Thanks, nature," he groaned, pulling a particularly large one from his forearm. "I really needed this."
Looking around, the gorge was a dismal sight. A thick fog clung to the air like an overenthusiastic ghost that refused to leave him alone. The narrow chasm stretched ahead, filled with towering trees and undergrowth that looked like it hadn't seen sunlight in centuries. The place felt eerie, like the kind of setting where horror stories began, minus the creepy haunted mansion.
Standing up was the next hurdle. His legs wobbled like a newborn calf's, and his ribs protested with every breath. Still, he managed to get to his feet, leaning against a nearby rock for support. The cold, damp air didn't help his situation. It seeped into his bones, making him shiver despite his best efforts to pretend everything was just fine.
"No problem," Li Wei said aloud, his voice echoing slightly in the stillness. "I've survived worse. A bunch of overgrown trees and misty cliffs aren't going to finish me off." He winced as his ribs disagreed with him. "Okay, maybe slightly problematic."
With no other option, Li Wei began to move. Each step was a test of endurance, every muscle in his body screaming in protest as he shuffled through the undergrowth. The ground was uneven, filled with rocks and roots that seemed determined to trip him at every turn. Several times he stumbled, catching himself just before his face introduced itself to the ground.
The echoes of the bandits he had fought before his fall still rang in his head, their voices taunting him. Should've finished them off when I had the chance, he thought bitterly. But here he was, stuck at the bottom of some godforsaken gorge while they probably toasted their victory up top.
Hours passed—or at least it felt like hours. Time in the gorge was impossible to track. The fog blotted out the sky, and the strange silence made it feel like he was walking through a dream—or, more accurately, a nightmare. The only sound that accompanied him was the faint trickle of water in the distance, taunting him with the promise of relief.
After what felt like an eternity of trudging through the undergrowth, Li Wei finally found what he was looking for: a small cave. It was little more than a dent in the rock face, but at that moment, it looked like a five-star resort. "Home sweet home," he muttered sarcastically as he crawled inside, his body protesting every inch of the way.
The ground was hard and uneven, but Li Wei barely noticed. He collapsed in a heap, staring up at the low ceiling of the cave. "This is fine. I'm fine," he told himself, though the situation was anything but fine. His breathing was shallow, his limbs felt like lead, and the constant throb of pain in his side suggested that maybe his ribs weren't as unbroken as he'd hoped.
The next few days were a blur of misery and recovery. Li Wei remained in the cave, moving only when absolutely necessary. Each morning, he dragged himself to a nearby stream he had discovered by following the faint sound of running water. The journey was agony. His legs felt like jelly, and his ribs—oh, his ribs—were on a mission to make his life a living hell.
Still, the fresh water was worth the effort. He drank deeply, letting the cold liquid soothe his parched throat, and washed his wounds as best he could. The cold water did little to numb the pain, but it at least made him feel human again.
Back at the cave, he used what little knowledge he had of medicinal herbs to gather anything useful from the surrounding area. Most of the plants in the gorge were foreign to him, twisted and strange, as if the place existed in some alternate dimension where normal flora didn't exist. But he recognized a few that could at least dull the pain and stave off infection.
Each day was a test of patience. Li Wei wasn't the type to sit still for long, but with his body in shambles, he had no choice. He spent most of his time lying in the cave, staring at the ceiling and imagining all the things he would do once he got out of this forsaken gorge. Revenge on the bandits was high on the list.
By the end of the first week, his body had begun to mend. The deep cuts had closed, and though his ribs still ached, the pain was less debilitating. His legs, once shaky and unreliable, were now steady enough to allow him to venture out of the cave for longer periods.
The gorge, for all its eerie fog and creepy vegetation, wasn't entirely devoid of life. Strange, ghostly shapes moved within the mist—probably animals, though Li Wei couldn't be sure. He wasn't in any condition to chase after shadows, anyway.
Each day, he explored a little further, marking the boundaries of his new, temporary home. The gorge seemed endless, a maze of towering trees and twisting plants. The silence unnerved him. There were no bird calls, no rustling of leaves—just the occasional drip of water or the creak of wood.
One morning, Li Wei ventured farther from the cave than he had before. His strength had returned enough for him to practice a few slow martial techniques, and he felt a familiar rhythm returning to his movements. It wasn't much, but it was progress. He moved carefully, avoiding anything that looked remotely dangerous, and stumbled upon a patch of strange fruits. They were bitter but edible, and in this place, that was a win.
By the second week, Li Wei had recovered enough to start foraging more seriously. He fashioned makeshift tools from fallen branches and began testing the limits of his strength. His sword, which had miraculously survived the fall with him, felt heavy in his hand at first, but soon, it became an extension of his body once more.
The gorge was starting to feel less like a prison and more like a training ground. Leave it to me to turn a near-death experience into an opportunity, he thought wryly. He was already mentally categorizing the plants, animals, and terrain for future use. After all, this wasn't just survival anymore. This was training.