Chapter 276: A Rescue Attempt

The woman’s scream startled everyone. Following her trembling finger, the crowd spotted a seven- or eight-year-old girl crouching on the ground, wailing amidst the rushing mud and rocks.

She was sheltered by a large boulder, which had shielded her from the initial mudslide. However, with the relentless flow of mud and debris, the boulder began to shake. It was on the verge of collapsing.

“Someone save my child!” a desperate voice suddenly cried out.

The crowd turned toward the sound and saw a woman in her thirties stumbling down the mountain. Her hair was disheveled. Her limbs were covered in blood. Her expression was filled with despair and helplessness.

“Please, save my daughter!” she pleaded, grabbing the arm of a nearby hiker before collapsing to her knees.

The hiker awkwardly pulled away and turned his head aside. “I’m sorry, it’s too dangerous. I can’t help.”

Undeterred, the woman crawled to another hiker, a tall and strong-looking man. Before she could speak, he quickly stepped back as if avoiding a venomous snake.

Though some in the crowd felt a pang of sympathy, none dared to step forward. The situation was too dangerous. One wrong move and they could be swept away by the mudslide.

“Someone, please save my daughter…”

The woman’s desperate gaze swept across the crowd, her voice trembling. But no one met her eyes. Everyone averted their gaze, unwilling to confront her despair.

As admirable as a mother’s love might be, life is irreplaceable. Few would risk their own lives for the sake of another.

Realizing no one would help, the woman’s face twisted in utter despair. Clenching her teeth, she suddenly cried out, “Don’t be afraid, my child! Mommy’s coming to save you!”

She was about to charge into the mudslide when a firm hand grabbed her shoulder.

“Ma’am, I’ll save your daughter.”

The voice was calm yet steady, carrying an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

The woman whipped around in disbelief and saw a young man with an ordinary face and calm eyes standing behind her. Beside him stood a sweet-looking girl, and on his back, he carried another girl.

The woman, as if clutching at a lifeline, immediately fell to her knees, but the young man caught her and held her up.

The crowd murmured in discomfort upon hearing his bold declaration.

“This young man has a death wish.”

“Saving someone in a mudslide? Does he think he’s a superhero?”

“What if he can’t save the girl and ends up losing his own life too? It’s just not worth it.”

“Young people are too impulsive. They don’t understand the value of life.”

Lin Xiao ignored the chatter. He set Yuan Yu down gently and said to the two girls, “Wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

“Big Brother Lin…” Huang Caixing, supporting Yuan Yu, grabbed Lin Xiao’s hand hesitantly.

Though both girls wanted to help and sympathized with the mother, they knew this was a gamble with life itself, and Lin Xiao was the one taking the risk.

“Don’t worry. Don’t you trust me?” Lin Xiao smiled faintly, shook off Huang Caixing’s hand, and strode toward the mudslide.

The two girls bit their lips as they watched his retreating figure.

The closer Lin Xiao got to the mudslide, the more intense the ground trembled. From afar, the scale of the disaster was already daunting, but up close, the sheer force of nature made him keenly aware of human insignificance.

Standing at the edge of the mudslide, Lin Xiao let stones fly past him and mud splatter his face without blinking. His eyes darted rapidly, calculating a safe path to the girl.

A deafening roar suddenly echoed from the mountain above as another surge of mud and rocks thundered downward. The crowd gasped in unison, their faces pale.

“Big Brother Lin…”

Huang Caixing’s worry peaked. She couldn’t help but call out, her voice trembling. Yuan Yu clasped her hands over her chest, her eyes glued to Lin Xiao.

Before Huang Caixing could finish her sentence, Lin Xiao moved.

With a burst of speed that defied belief, Lin Xiao darted forward. His agility surpassed even Olympic sprinters, and each step he took landed precisely on rocks amidst the flowing mud as he dashed toward the girl.

Huang Caixing’s voice caught in her throat. She instinctively covered her mouth in shock.

A fist-sized rock struck Lin Xiao’s head with a dull thud, but he didn’t even flinch. In a few swift bounds, he reached the girl and scooped her up without hesitation.

Above him, the advancing mudslide crept closer. It was now less than ten meters away. The massive boulder sheltering the girl wobbled violently, about to collapse.

Holding the girl securely with one arm, Lin Xiao stood still, taking a deep breath.

It was as if he were a giant whale inhaling, drawing in every ounce of air around him. His chest swelled, and his body seemed to expand, emitting a thunderous resonance from his bones and muscles.

At that moment, Lin Xiao was challenging the forces of nature itself.

As he finished inhaling, the mudslide surged over him, burying his figure entirely.

Huang Caixing and Yuan Yu turned pale as the mud swallowed Lin Xiao. Their hands trembled, and their hearts seemed to stop.

“Big Brother Lin!”

They cried his name in panic, their voices shaking with fear.

The other hikers, witnessing the scene, were equally stunned. While their thoughts varied, their faces reflected regret.

“What a pity…”

“See? Even if you want to save someone, you have to know your limits. Heroism can’t be blind.”

“Exactly. That young man was too impulsive. Not only did he fail to save the girl, but he also sacrificed himself.”

The crowd’s murmurs painted a grim picture. It was hard to fault their assumptions—any ordinary person would have had no chance of survival in such a situation.

Hearing the discussions, the girl’s mother trembled violently, covering her mouth as she collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

“My daughter…”

At that moment, a muffled boom echoed in the distance.

The sound, distinct even over the roar of the mudslide, drew everyone’s attention. They turned toward its source, and what they saw left them utterly stunned.

“Oh my god!”

“What am I seeing?”

Some rubbed their eyes, doubting their senses, unable to believe the scene unfolding before them. Their shock wasn’t unwarranted. What lay before them was nothing short of miraculous.