Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi's heart sank, but he was unwilling to give up any hope and continued to press, "How much do you know about this place? Do you have any clues or suggestions you can give us?"

Huo Xiuxiu pondered for a moment, seemingly weighing how much information to reveal to them, before finally speaking slowly: "This place is shrouded in an ancient curse. The mist is part of the curse; it not only confuses people's sense of direction but also gradually erodes their vitality. As for your friend, I can't help him, since I'm trapped here myself. Moreover, many unknown dangers lurk within this mist, including those cursed and twisted creatures that are extremely sensitive to the presence of the living. I advise you to consider your own safety first."

"Then... what are those dark figures?" Ge Dalong couldn't help but interject, his voice tinged with doubt.

"A shadowy figure?" Huo Xiuxiu frowned in thought. "That could be a wandering spirit in the mist, or a creature cursed even more deeply. They have no fixed form, appearing and disappearing unpredictably. You're lucky to have found this place alive."

Zhang Shi's eyes were resolute; he didn't want to sit here and wait to die: "We must find a way out of here; we can't let our friends be in danger."

Huo Xiuxiu sighed and took out the Soul-Binding Bell.

"Do you still have the Soul-Soothing Bell? These two bells together can dispel some of the fog. The village isn't far from here; maybe we can try our luck and find our way back."

"for you."

Without a second thought, Zhang Shi took out a bell from his backpack and handed it to Huo Xiuxiu. He didn't care about her grudge with Master An. Compared to that, the most important thing was that he and his group could leave alive.

"Uncle An is inside too."

Upon hearing this, Huo Xiuxiu's face immediately turned cold. She picked up the Soul-Releasing Bell, but after examining it, she put it down in disappointment.

"He ran away."

Zhang Shi was startled, suddenly remembering that he had carried the bell on his person for a while, and that was probably when Master An secretly escaped. Zhang Shi shook his head, thinking that it was for the best. That old man was probably plotting something in the dark, and carrying him around was like carrying a time bomb. It was a good thing to sever ties with him now.

Huo Xiuxiu didn't care about An Ye's escape; she just played with the two bells and started talking to herself.

"Black Tiger is dead. It must have been the village chief who made the move. Huo Family Village is now a dead end. Even if you find your way back, you can't defeat the village chief. I suggest you try to travel through the fog. Perhaps you can find a way to survive."

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong remained silent. They had suddenly lost the system's prompts and guidance, and no matter what choice they made, they would always feel uneasy.

Knowing that their understanding of the mist was quite limited, and that the chances of the three of them successfully escaping the mist were very low, Ge Dalong humbled himself and spoke kindly to Huo Xiuxiu.

“Miss Huo, you’ve been in the mist for quite some time now, so you should be quite familiar with the situation here. We’ve been through thick and thin together, so why don’t we form a team? If we encounter any danger, we can look out for each other. More people mean more strength.”

Huo Xiuxiu looked at Ge Dalong with a half-smile, then said in a lukewarm tone.

"You can come along if you want, but you are outsiders, so many taboos don't apply to you. But I'm telling you in advance, I'm in charge of everything here, and you have to follow my orders. Be careful and don't hold us back. If something really happens, I won't waste my time and energy rescuing you."

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness and compromise in each other's eyes. The current situation left them no time to hesitate; Huo Xiuxiu seemed to be their only clue and hope, and besides, her demands weren't unreasonable.

“Okay, we’ll do as you say.” Zhang Shi nodded in agreement, his tone resolute. “As long as we can leave this place, we’re willing to cooperate.”

Huo Xiuxiu nodded in satisfaction, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes. "In that case, we need to devise a plan. First, we must avoid those cursed creatures, which are usually more active at night. During the day, although the fog is still thick, it will be relatively safer."

"When do we set off?" Ge Dalong asked eagerly, not wanting to stay in this unknown world for even a second longer.

“We need to rest and recover our strength when it gets light,” Huo Xiuxiu said, walking to a corner of the wooden house where some hay and old clothes were piled up. “We’ll make do for tonight, and we’ll set off early tomorrow morning.”

Zhao Feng was still unconscious, and it was unknown when he would wake up. Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong each found a corner to lie down. Although they were exhausted, they did not fall asleep immediately. Instead, they silently pondered their respective fates and the unknown challenges they were about to face in the darkness.

Zhang Shi looked at the beam above his head and suddenly asked a question.

"Miss Huo, what's the story behind this wooden house? How did you find it?"

Huo Xiuxiu did not fall asleep, but sat at the table studying two bells. When Zhang Shi asked her a question, she answered casually.

"I stumbled upon it by chance. Since this place seemed relatively safe, I made the cabin my base. I would choose a direction and go out to explore a certain distance every day before returning. After a while, I have become very familiar with the surrounding environment."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi didn't say anything more, turned his head, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

...

Finally, the sky began to lighten, and although the fog was still thick, light began to penetrate, bringing a glimmer of life to this desolate world.

"Get up, it's almost time." Huo Xiuxiu's voice rang out in the wooden house, breaking the silence.

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong quickly got up. By this time, Zhao Feng had also woken up and was full of energy again. Zhang Shi briefly explained their situation, and Zhao Feng nodded, then thanked Huo Xiuxiu. Huo Xiuxiu ignored him and stood at the door of the wooden house, holding two bells in her hands, seemingly sensing something.

“Come with me, and try to keep quiet,” she whispered, then stepped out of the cabin and into the mist.

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong followed closely behind, cautiously keeping pace with Huo Xiuxiu. They traversed through forests shrouded in mist, skirting around corners that might conceal danger.

As they ventured deeper, the fog seemed to thicken, obscuring visibility to no more than five meters. But Huo Xiuxiu appeared to know the place intimately, each step she took firm and confident.

As the morning passed, all that remained before them was an endless expanse of thick fog. Zhang Shi had long since lost his bearings and could only cautiously move behind Huo Xiuxiu.

"Here..." Huo Xiuxiu suddenly stopped and pointed to an open space ahead, "Let's rest here for a while and continue on our way when the fog clears up a bit."

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong obediently stopped and sat down on the open ground. They knew that in this cursed place, any small oversight could have fatal consequences.