Su Lai, seeing the brothers looking at him with confusion, asked, "Why are you two looking at me... grab some food."
Yu Daochen remained silent, while Da Hu, standing beside him, got straight to the point: "Old Su, answer us honestly, have you run into some trouble?"
Su Lai was taken aback, shook his head, and asked in confusion, "No, what's wrong with you two?"
Yu Daochen was speechless, "Alright, the three of us don't need to hide anything from each other. The Corpse Retrievers aren't so down on their luck that they'd send you to lead disciples to guard something, are they?"
Seeing Yu Ye's question, Su Lai could only spill everything, "Actually, the Corpse Retrievers didn't send me out; I volunteered."
"Why?" Yu Daochen blurted out.
Given Su Lai's personality, he wasn't the type to sacrifice himself for others.
Su Lai raised his wine cup and took a small sip, glanced at Da Hu, then at Yu Daochen, and said with a smile, "Of course, it's because I'm worried about you two. Can you manage without me?"
Da Hu: "..."
"..."
Yu Daochen was filled with speechlessness, "Can you speak human language?"
Su Lai shook his head helplessly and sighed, "Actually, I don't want to, but because..."
At this point, Su Lai also let out a long sigh.
Da Hu, standing beside him, added, "Is it because of Li Mumu?"
Su Lai nodded, "That's right."
The two fell silent. In fact, they should have thought of this long ago.
Yu Daochen took out his cigarette case, offered one to each of them, then lit one himself, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled, saying, "If I remember correctly, the Yin-Yang Master Li family should be guarding the eleventh floor."
Su Lai nodded, "That's right, and Li Mumu is there too."
As soon as he said this, their expressions turned grave.
"So, you volunteered because of Li Mumu?" Da Hu asked.
Su Lai nodded and said, "I've already discussed it with the sect leader. My junior brother will lead the team this time, and I want to go to the eleventh floor to find her."
Hearing this, Da Hu became anxious, "Old Su, you know how dangerous the eleventh floor is. Why are you doing this?"
Su Lai shook his head, a smile appearing on his face, and teased, "You single dog, what do you know about this."
Da Hu was instantly speechless.
He had never been in a relationship, so naturally, he didn't understand these things.
Yu Daochen exhaled smoke, his voice serious, and asked, "Do you have confidence going alone?"
Su Lai shook his head and honestly replied, "It would be a lie to say I have confidence. I'll do my best to protect myself."
"Mm," Yu Daochen nodded and said no more.
Given Su Lai's personality, there was no point in trying to dissuade him once he had made up his mind.
The atmosphere fell into silence.
Da Hu suddenly broke the silence, "Alright, since you've decided, let's go for it. Come, let's drink!"
Su Lai and Yu Daochen exchanged knowing smiles and raised their wine cups. As their cups clinked, three cups of wine were downed.
The three of them didn't know how much they had drunk, only remembering that the sky had turned dark, and the dishes on the table had been reheated after cooling.
Late at night.
Da Hu had been helped into a room in the tavern by the other two and had fallen asleep.
Su Lai and Yu Daochen, however, were by the river, leaning against the railing and smoking.
Yu Daochen leaned against the railing, his hands supporting himself, a cigarette in his mouth. He looked up at the night sky and slowly said, "Old Su, if you were guarding the entrance to the fifth level of hell, with major sects on both sides, your safety would be guaranteed. But if you're on the eleventh level, I can't look out for you."
Su Lai nodded and smiled, "I understand. I'm already very satisfied that you arranged for the Corpse Retrievers to be on the safest fifth level. I also know you're worried about my safety, but everyone has to face things they don't want to face in life. You can't protect me forever."
"Isn't that right?"
Yu Daochen merely smiled, his smile unspoken.
Yes, everyone has to face things they don't want to face in life.
Su Lai was like this, and so was he.
Su Lai exhaled the smoke from his mouth, a signature goofy smile on his face, "Yu Ye, if I die in battle, I hope you can do one thing for me."
"Get lost. Go and do it yourself while you're alive. I'm busy, I don't have time to help you with anything."
Yu Daochen said with a face full of annoyance, but still asked, "What is it?"
Su Lai reminisced about the past and smiled, "If I die, I hope you can bury me and Li Mumu in Peach Blossom Village."
"Peach Blossom Village?"
Yu Daochen looked perplexed, "Why bury us there?"
That place had almost killed the four of them, and it was also where he and Qiang Zi had fallen out.
Su Lai extinguished his cigarette butt and said, "That's where the four of us brothers parted ways, and it's also where I lived a life of drunken oblivion."
Yu Daochen nodded and agreed, "Alright, I'll definitely bury you and Li Mumu there then."
"Thanks!" Su Lai said and then fell silent.
The gentle night breeze brushed against their faces.
Su Lai's face, which wasn't particularly handsome, now looked slightly weathered.
They stood there smoking, and for a moment, there was nothing to say.
The cigarettes in their mouths never stopped, one after another.
It wasn't until the third cigarette was smoked down to the filter that Su Lai finally spoke, "Alright, it's getting late. Let's go back and rest."
"Mm," Yu Daochen nodded.
The two walked back to the tavern.
Back in their respective rooms, Yu Daochen lay on the bed with no sleepiness.
If he could, he truly didn't want Su Lai to take such a risk.
Everything had been planned, yet this unexpected trouble had arisen.
Damn it!
Early morning~
Yu Daochen was still fast asleep when his phone suddenly rang.
He groggily answered the call, only to hear Wang Ming's urgent voice, "Yu Ye, the entrance to hell has been opened!"
"What!"
Yu Daochen was shocked, all sleepiness gone. He sat up and said anxiously, "Is it the entrance to the fifth level?"
He heard Wang Ming's serious tone on the other end, "The eleventh level!"
"Su Lai!"
Yu Daochen cursed inwardly, not bothering to put on his shoes. Barefoot, he ran out of his room to Su Lai's room next door.
When he reached Su Lai's doorway, he saw the door was open, and Su Lai was already gone.
Just then, Da Hu's door next door suddenly opened.
Da Hu also rushed out in a hurry.
Upon seeing Yu Daochen standing at the doorway, Da Hu understood everything.
Su Lai had already left.
Wang Ming's voice came from the phone again, asking, "Yu Ye, did something happen on your end?"
Yu Daochen came back to his senses and replied, "Nothing."
He heard continuous wails from the other end of the phone, clearly indicating that a battle had already broken out.
"Yu Ye, be prepared. The great war has arrived!" Wang Ming warned before hanging up.
Da Hu angrily cursed, "This bastard, he really doesn't consider us brothers. I'm going to chase him back right now."
Just as Da Hu was about to leave, Yu Daochen suddenly called out, "Don't go. The eleventh level of hell has been opened, and the other two levels should be soon too. Be prepared."