As the light from outside refracted into the room, the fear in my heart began to recede.
While I didn't know what that monster was, daytime was much better than nighttime.
At least during the day, I could clearly see my surroundings.
Fu Kui's arm injury had been controlled, but he was still unconscious.
Everyone was exhausted, and after a night of turmoil, my stomach grumbled incessantly.
It was then I remembered the compressed biscuits Fatty had given me. After taking them out and sharing them with everyone, they felt like a drop in the bucket, but it was better than having nothing to eat.
Just as we finished the compressed biscuits, Fu Kui, lying beside us, muttered something groggily.
I leaned closer to listen carefully and found him repeating, "Suíhóu pearl... I must find the Suíhóu pearl... Suíhóu pearl..."
His eyes were tightly shut, and it seemed he hadn't woken up.
Even in this state, he was still thinking about finding the Suíhóu pearl. I felt a wave of helplessness.
"Third Master, don't worry, I will definitely help you find the Suíhóu pearl!" Ah Yuan, knowing full well that Fu Kui was speaking in his sleep, actually chimed in with agreement.
I didn't know what to say.
"Where do we go next?" Fatty asked.
I glanced at Fu Honglang. He met my gaze and said, "Given the current situation, I think we should find a way to leave here as quickly as possible."
"No!" Ah Yuan objected.
I looked at him, "You're not seriously going to listen to Third Master and go find the Suíhóu pearl, are you?"
"Yes." He nodded very seriously.
I said helplessly, "Look at his condition now. Do you think he has any hope of surviving if we don't get out of here quickly?"
Ah Yuan sighed, "Third Master said that the Suíhóu pearl has the ability of eternal life. As long as we find the Suíhóu pearl, Third Master will be fine."
"Crazy!" Fatty cursed. "Are you out of your mind?"
Fatty's scolding didn't anger Ah Yuan. He calmly replied, "I don't know. Anyway, whatever Third Master says, I will do."
"What if he told you to die?" Fatty asked irritably.
"If Third Master commands it, I will," Ah Yuan said very seriously.
I hadn't expected Ah Yuan to be so loyal to Fu Kui. Seeing that Fatty was about to say more, I quickly interrupted him, "Whether we're looking for the Suíhóu pearl or trying to get out, we have to act now. Staying here is just waiting to die. We're out of food, and the longer we stay here, the more danger we are in."
Fu Honglang nodded, "Brother Xiang is right, we need to act quickly."
After speaking, he gave me a meaningful look, and I understood instantly.
Where we go now, I don't decide, nor does Fatty. Only Fu Honglang does.
No one doubted his sense of direction. As long as he said to go to a certain place, I believed everyone would agree.
Last night, we had already agreed that there might be a way out on the other side of the ancient city.
As long as he led everyone to that place, whether they could get out or not would depend on each individual.
Just as we decided and prepared to leave, Jin Qiaoyue woke up groggily.
"Water... I want to drink water..."
I quickly opened the remaining glucose and gently poured some onto her lips. After she sipped twice, she slowly opened her eyes.
Seeing me, a hint of vulnerability and gratitude appeared in her eyes.
"How are you?" I asked. "Are you feeling any better?"
She nodded, "Much better..."
I helped her up and found that her calf injury had improved significantly compared to yesterday.
This was all thanks to Ah Yuan. If he hadn't treated Jin Qiaoyue's wound back then, she might not have woken up by now.
Having been unconscious for so long, Jin Qiaoyue had no idea where she was. I briefly explained the situation to her. After listening, she looked at Fu Kui, who was not far away, "My uncle..."
"He's injured. If he doesn't receive timely treatment, his life could be in danger," I said.
Actually, I felt like telling her about how Fu Kui had been too lazy to even bother with her earlier, but I decided against it. After all, what was the use of saying such things in this situation?
"Where are we going now?" Jin Qiaoyue asked.
Fatty pursed his lips and said sarcastically, "Where else? Naturally, we're going to find the Suíhóu pearl... We're out of food, and there are two injured people. Still thinking about finding some Suíhóu pearl, it's simply madness."
Jin Qiaoyue looked at me, her brow furrowed with confusion.
I explained, "When your uncle was unconscious, he kept mumbling about needing to find the Suíhóu pearl. Brother Ah Yuan only listens to your uncle, so we..."
I didn't continue after that. Jin Qiaoyue's eyebrows knit together, "Ah Yuan, we must find a way out now!"
"Miss, I'm afraid I cannot obey!" Ah Yuan directly refused. "Third Master said we must find the Suíhóu pearl... and only by finding the Suíhóu pearl will Third Master have a chance to live."
After speaking, he stood up and glanced at me and Fatty. "I don't care about you two. If you don't want to go, I won't force you, but they can't."
Ah Yuan looked at Fu Honglang, "You took Third Master's money, so you must help Third Master get things done. As for Miss, you can do as you please."
Soon, he found a door panel and made a simple stretcher, placing Fu Kui on it, and asked Fu Honglang to carry it with him.
We had all seen Ah Yuan's skills. Fu Honglang was not confident he could defeat him, and this person was decisive and didn't dawdle at all.
I had no doubt that if Fu Honglang didn't listen to him, his life could be ended in an instant.
Facing such a person, I was completely helpless.
Fatty kept winking at me, signaling that we should split up.
How could that be possible?
Fu Honglang had helped me so many times before; I couldn't just abandon him. Besides, without Fu Honglang, finding a way out would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
So, I could only help Jin Qiaoyue up and follow them.
Fatty sighed and came over to me, "Master Xiang, what are you doing?"
"Do you think splitting up now is a good thing for us?" I asked. "If we encounter that monster again, can you handle it?"
Fatty was speechless and didn't know what to say.
I continued, "Don't worry, let's see how things unfold first."
After saying this, I winked at Fatty. His eyes rolled, and he instantly understood, saying, "Alright, wherever you go, I go..."
Seeing that we were speaking in veiled terms, Jin Qiaoyue wanted to say something but held back, ultimately only able to silently limp out of the room, supported by me.