My words were very clear. Whether Fu Kui believed them or not was beyond my control.
Of course, he might also suspect that the Sui Hou Pearl was in my possession. Given the current situation, suspicion would lead to no good.
Fu Kui smiled and said, "Young brother, you worry too much. I was just speaking casually and meant nothing else."
I smiled back, "Naturally, I was also afraid that Third Master would misunderstand."
Although we both wore smiles, our minds were elsewhere.
Fu Honglang's attention quickly fell on An Ying in the photograph, clearly recognizing her.
We exchanged a glance; everything was understood without words.
Upon discovering the desiccated corpse, Fu Kui became even more worried. He called A Yuan to his side, and the two whispered to each other about something.
I couldn't be bothered with them. I was flipping through the notebook, hoping to find some clues about my father.
The handwriting in the notebook was very neat, indicating that the person likely wrote frequently while alive.
The content was somewhat like a report, not like a diary.
Furthermore, none of the entries had dates. The sole theme was the ancient kingdom of Taohuai.
As there wasn't much content, and much of it was summary reports, I finished reading it quickly.
The entries broadly described their journey in searching for the ancient kingdom of Taohuai, but the reason for their search was not stated.
According to the records, they did not follow our route but approached this place from a different direction.
It appeared they were an archaeological expedition association.
Many names were recorded, most of them unfamiliar to me.
Besides that, the most frequent mention was undoubtedly "her."
This "her" with the feminine radical appeared so often in the records that I felt the author might have some personal bias, perhaps harboring affection for this "her."
There was an entry that read, "Her work today was outstanding. Compared to her age, it is evidently not commensurate. I have never met a peer with such research into ancient Western regions. Even compared to the professor, she is not inferior."
Although there were a few women in the photographs, they were all relatively older, the oldest being around forty, and the youngest being An Ying.
Therefore, I was certain that the "her" mentioned was indeed An Ying.
Fu Kui took the notebook and flipped through it casually. Finding nothing he wanted, he returned it to me.
Naturally, I didn't say anything more and put away the notebook and photographs.
Next, I tidied up the desiccated corpse, laying it flat beside the others.
Regardless, he was of a generation senior to me, having worked with my father in the past.
It was only due to the circumstances that I couldn't give him a proper burial.
I performed a few bows, paying my respects.
The fatty placed Jin Qiaoyue on a stone chair nearby and came over to ask if I had found anything else. I shook my head.
He pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "Master Xiang, there's something I need to discuss with you..."
I looked at him suspiciously, "What is it?"
He pulled me aside, glanced at Fu Kui not far away, and leaned in to whisper, "We're running out of food... I checked the backpacks earlier, and there are only two packs of compressed biscuits left."
"Didn't we check the supplies when we fell? Wasn't there a backpack full of food?" I asked.
The fatty sighed helplessly, "That's what I thought too. But I was a bit hungry just now, so I rummaged through the other two backpacks. They were all filled with tools like ropes... Then I remembered that the backpack with the food was carried by Qu Chuan."
Hearing the fatty say this, I thought about it carefully, and it was indeed true.
When Qu Chuan vanished instantly, we hadn't paid attention to the backpack he was carrying.
"Now there are only two packs of compressed biscuits left. Once they're gone, that's it," the fatty winked at me and patted his pocket.
"What do you want to discuss with me?" I asked.
The fatty said, "I reckon that fellow Fu won't stop until he gets what he wants. We can't just waste our time here with him. My idea is, we don't need to bother with him anymore. Let's split up. They'll look for their Sui Hou Pearl, and we'll quickly find a way out."
I hadn't expected the fatty to already be planning to leave.
I didn't blame him. Given the current situation, finding a way out as soon as possible was indeed the most important thing.
Not to mention the food issue, Jin Qiaoyue's condition was also very unstable. If we delayed any longer, something serious might happen.
I nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go discuss it with Brother Fu."
"Okay," the fatty said, slipping a pack of compressed biscuits from his pocket to me. "Master Xiang, keep it for emergencies."
I couldn't help but laugh and cry, putting the pack of compressed biscuits into my pocket.
After explaining the situation to Fu Honglang, he said, "Indeed, we do need to find a way out quickly. When we entered the ancient city, I was already paying attention. In the southwest direction, there seems to be an exit."
"How do you know that?" I was taken aback.
Fu Honglang smiled and pointed to his nose, "Don't forget, no scent can escape my nose... The smell from the southwest is somewhat similar to the smell outside, faint but present, clearly coming from outside."
I couldn't comprehend his notion of "outside smell," as my nose wasn't as sensitive as his.
"Will we split up with Fu Kui and his group later?" I asked.
Fu Honglang shook his head, "No need. I'll lead them in that direction. More people make for easier work. If we really find an exit there, we'll discuss other matters then."
"Alright."
It was fortunate that Fu Honglang was one of us, which put me at ease.
After circling the great hall a few times and finding nothing else, Fu Honglang suggested moving towards the southwest.
Fu Kui, who had been very anxious before, was no longer in a hurry. He said that everyone had been working hard all day and should rest well here tonight before making plans for tomorrow.
I later realized that the power for the lighting equipment was almost depleted.
Apart from that lighting device, we only had two flashlights left.
His approach was the safest method. After all, if we encountered a special situation or fell into another hidden passage, being without light would be equivalent to waiting for death.
Having decided to rest in the great hall, we gathered the old wooden tables and chairs and managed to light a fire.
The firelight illuminated the entire hall. Afterward, we found some simple wooden planks to use as beds.
Without sleeping bags, if we were to sleep directly on the ground, we might not be able to get up the next day.