Shen Jingqi felt the monster's ferocious face magnifying before his eyes, its sharp claws like the scythe of death, swooping towards him with the sound of a rushing wind. He sidestepped swiftly, and the monster's claws grazed his sleeve, bringing a gust of wind.

"Lin Yue, watch your back!" Shen Jingqi shouted loudly, his voice filled with urgency. Lin Yue was fully concentrated on finding a weakness in the monster. Hearing the shout, she hastily turned around, only to see another claw of the monster coming fiercely at her back. Startled, she instinctively dived forward, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike.

However, the monster's assault was relentless, showing no signs of stopping. Shen Jingqi seized the moment and lunged at the monster, grabbing its arm tightly, attempting to restrain its movement. The monster swung forcefully, and Shen Jingqi felt a tremendous force, flinging him away and slamming him onto the ground. He felt as if his internal organs had shifted, waves of intense pain overcoming him. Yet, he gritted his teeth, suppressing the pain, and struggled to stand up again.

At that moment, the monster's claw slashed fiercely across Shen Jingqi's arm. A surge of sharp pain instantly spread through his body. Looking down, he saw a deep gash on his arm, blood gushing out, quickly soaking his sleeve. But he couldn't afford to check the wound, only having one thought in mind: he mustn't let the monster harm Lin Yue. With a loud roar, he charged at the monster once more, grappling with it fiercely.

Lin Yue anxiously searched for an opportunity to deliver a lethal blow to the monster. Suddenly, she spotted a few sharp stones and a sturdy branch on the ground. Her eyes lit up as she quickly ran over, picked them up, and hurled them forcefully at the monster. The stones struck the monster with loud thuds, and the branch whipped harshly across the monster's body. The monster roared in pain, turning its head to lunge at Lin Yue.

Seeing this, Shen Jingqi was alarmed. With all his might, he lunged at the monster from behind, tightly holding onto its legs and pulling hard. The monster staggered and fell to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yue picked up a few more stones, hurling them at the monster's head with all her strength. The monster's head was battered and bloodied, but it didn't seem significantly affected, instead, it struggled more frantically.

As time went on, they gradually became exhausted. Each attack became feeble, and every dodge seemed more difficult. Shen Jingqi felt his legs growing weak, his vision darkening, as if he might collapse at any moment. Lin Yue was also gasping for breath, her clothes drenched in sweat, and her arms were too sore to lift after swinging stones and branches continuously.

Just when they felt hopeless, suddenly, an enchanting flute sound drifted down from the sky. The melody, crisp and pleasant, seemed to possess a magical power, piercing through the tense and dangerous atmosphere. Upon hearing the flute, the monster's body jerked violently, the red glow in its eyes gradually dimming. It ceased its attack, standing motionless as if enchanted by magic.

Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue exchanged a look filled with puzzlement. They didn't know where the flute sound came from or why it made the monster stop attacking. Silently pondering, Shen Jingqi thought, "Who on earth is playing this flute? How could it make the monster react this way? Could there be someone behind all of this?" Lin Yue was equally bewildered, softly saying, "This flute sound is so strange, it doesn't seem like an ordinary flute; it feels magical."

But they knew this was a rare chance. "Run now, quickly!" Shen Jingqi shouted, his voice raspy with tension and exhaustion. He took Lin Yue's hand, sprinting away into the distance. Behind them, the monster remained standing still, the flute sound gradually receding, yet their hearts were filled with doubt and unease.

"What on earth is going on? Who is playing the flute? Why is the monster controlled by it?" Lin Yue asked as she ran, her eyes full of confusion and fear. Gasping, Shen Jingqi replied, "I don't know either. But I feel there must be a huge secret behind this cave and the monster. Perhaps we've unwittingly gotten caught up in a larger conspiracy. We must be cautious; there might be other dangers waiting for us."

They ran as fast as they could, the path beneath their feet uneven and rugged, but they paid it no mind, focused solely on leaving this place, fleeing from the dangerous cave and mysterious monster. Uncertain how long they'd been running, it was only after the monster's roars and the flute sound faded completely did they finally stop.

They collapsed to the ground, panting heavily as if they had just survived a life-and-death trial. Shen Jingqi felt as if all the strength had been drained from him. Leaning against a rock, he closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. Lin Yue, too, showed signs of utter exhaustion; her hair disheveled, clinging to her face, her eyes reflecting deep fear.

"What on earth happened? How did we end up in such a situation?" Lin Yue asked with a sob in her voice. Opening his eyes, Shen Jingqi looked at her and comforted, "Don't be afraid, Lin Yue. Since we managed to come out alive, we will surely uncover the truth. No matter what secrets lie ahead, we can't back down."

After resting for a while, they stood up, heading in the direction of home. But peace eluded their hearts, as the mysterious cave, terrifying monster, and enchanting flute sound, like a nightmare, kept resurfacing in their minds.

On their way home, they encountered an old man. The elder wore a tattered robe, his hair and beard whitened, carrying an aura of depth and mystery in his eyes. Noting their disheveled appearance, a hint of strange light flickered in his eyes.

"Young ones, did you come out from that mysterious cave?" the elder asked, his voice deep and mystic, as though carrying an invisible pressure. Shen Jingqi and Lin Yue exchanged wary glances, a surge of caution rising in their hearts. Yet, driven by their thirst for the truth, they nodded.

"That cave is no ordinary place; it harbors many unknown secrets. It's a blessing that you came out alive," the elder said, a warning glinting in his eyes. Eagerly, Shen Jingqi asked, "Old man, do you know the secrets of that cave? And what about the monster and the flute sound, what's going on?"

The elder fell silent, seemingly lost in recollection. After a while, he slowly replied, "Some things are better left unknown. The more you know, the greater the danger. You'd best hurry home and live your lives in peace," he said, then turned and walked away.

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