“Let’s go our separate ways,” Lu Wuyai said.

Why?

“I don’t want to get involved in this mess, or people will die.” Lu Wuyai took out a bottle of water and some marching rations from his bag and handed them to Wu Jiujiu, then decisively chose another path.

Wu Jiujiu watched the other person's departing figure, pursed her lips tightly, lowered her head, and continued on her way.

At this point, Lu Wuyai moved swiftly without stopping. He was in a hurry to rush back to the cave. He had been outside for a day and a night, and he had no idea how worried Yuri must be about him.

He was still lost, but Lu Wuyai had determined a direction and bravely walked forward. He had to leave this withered forest before tonight.

Along the way, Lu Wuyai did not encounter anyone else.

He jogged along like this until dusk, when he finally found himself outside the deadwood forest again.

Looking at the distant sunset, the twilight sky finally cleared up.

Having roughly determined the direction, Lu Wuyai began to walk along the outer edge of the withered forest, hoping to return to the stone mountain as soon as possible.

Under the light of the stars and the moon, it quickly grew dark.

Lu Wuyai looked at the half-empty bottle of mineral water in his hand. This was his only source of water. He would have to go collect dew first thing tomorrow morning, unless he could go home tonight.

"I don't know if Dawu is safe or not."

For some reason, he thought of that woman. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but her figure was absolutely stunning.

“What a pity.” Lu Wuyai shook his head. Although he didn’t understand the relationship between those people, it seemed that those men were really persistent. They chased him all night and were still looking for Wu Jiujiu during the day.

After walking for a while, Lu Wuyai chose a relatively clean spot, laid out his luggage, and prepared to take a good rest and recharge before continuing on his way.

But as he lay down, he suddenly felt a sharp pain. He got up to check and found a bracelet on his luggage. To be precise, it was a bracelet made of sandalwood.

"When this was placed on my luggage bag," Lu Wuyai looked at the sandalwood bracelet in his hand with a puzzled expression.

"It must have been Aunt Wu who put it there."

Lu Wuyai scratched his head, still feeling that the other person's ghost was lingering.

"Did the other party do this on purpose, or did they accidentally leave it here?" Lu Wuyai recalled what had happened before and noticed that the bracelet was blurry. He hadn't carefully examined whether Da Wu was wearing the bracelet.

Yeah.

Just as Lu Wuyai was playing with the bracelet, he suddenly noticed that there was something else on one of the beads.

Fortunately, Lu Wuyai had night vision, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to see anything clearly in the dark.

Inside that bead, there was actually a metal piece embedded. It was black, and one edge appeared to be curved. In fact, it had many irregular markings.

"Ignore it for now. If I run into her again, I'll give it back to her," Lu Wuyai thought to himself.

That night, the Deadwood Forest was very quiet, but Lu Wuyai woke up several times, feeling uneasy.

Dawn was approaching, and he had only slept for a few hours. When he woke up, he felt refreshed and began to continue his journey.

Although we have left the Deadwood Forest, it covers a vast area. Just walking around its edge gives the feeling that we can never reach the end.

"This is really troublesome." Lu Wuyai spat on the ground. He had collected some dew when he got up in the morning, and now it was almost all used up.

The weather was quite comfortable. Lu Wuyai walked quickly, but he tried to regulate his breathing to avoid losing too much water.

That day, Lu Wuyai kept walking forward, and only when evening did he notice a subtle change in the shape of the outer edge of the deadwood forest. This meant that he had reached the end and was beginning to walk towards the other side of the deadwood forest.

"Finally, things are changing." Lu Wuyai sighed. This terrible experience made him deeply aware of the terror of the Deadwood Forest.

Getting lost alone can drive most people to despair.

Lu Wuyai didn't stop. He hadn't drunk any water all afternoon.

There were no plants in the deadwood forest, and Lu Wuyai had no way to fetch water, so he could only continue walking.

As time went on, the night grew colder and the moisture in the air increased.

At one point, Lu Wuyai stopped and frowned. He smelled the blood in the air, and his weakened body immediately tensed up.

"Really, there's no need to worry." Lu Wuyai took out a switchblade from his pocket; he had already returned the dagger to Da Wu.

Night vision and X-ray vision are not the same thing.

Lu Wuyai discovered that the forest of dead trees was far too dense; with his limited vision, he couldn't clearly pinpoint the source of the bloody smell. As for the dead trees themselves, he couldn't see anything at all.

As Lu Wuyai continued walking, he discovered many signs of a fight on the ground, which extended all the way to a dead tree.

"The less trouble the better." Lu Wuyai didn't meddle in other people's business and walked forward at twice the speed.

Soon, the smell of blood disappeared, and Lu Wuyai breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed nothing unusual had happened.

Call it out.

The moment he heard the wind, Lu Wuyai didn't realize the danger until something pierced his neck, and he touched it with his hand.

Then, he looked at the silver needles in his hand and felt a wave of dizziness.

"How could this be?" Lu Wuyai's consciousness became blurred, making it difficult to determine whether it was the world that was spinning or the earth that was spinning.

His instinctive sense of danger compelled him to pull out his switchblade again, conceal it in his sleeve, and then fall to the ground, giving himself one more chance before completely losing consciousness.

He vaguely sensed someone approaching, and his remaining consciousness suddenly coalesced the moment the other person helped him up.

The next second, Lu Wuyai stabbed him with a knife, and the other man screamed in agony.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Wuyai collapsed to the ground again, but this time, his consciousness returned slightly, and the dual images in front of him briefly converged.

He struggled to stand up, and it flashed through his mind that he had been drugged.

"Oh shit."

Lu Wuyai cursed inwardly. He vaguely saw the person he had stabbed lying in a pool of blood, struggling more and more slowly, as if he were already dead.

But hurried footsteps could still be heard coming from the forest.

At this point, Lu Wuyai had already run into the withered forest, stumbling and staggering along the way. He didn't know how long he had been running, but his consciousness never faded.

As he spoke, Lu Wuyai felt a lightness in his body, as if he were flying in the clouds.

As he felt himself stepping back onto the ground, a hand appeared behind his neck, sending shivers down his spine once again.

In the darkness, he controlled his numb neck and saw a familiar person; it was Wu Jiujiu.

"Why, what, are you tired of me?"

Lu Wuyai has a large tongue when he speaks, but it doesn't hinder his expression.

Beside her, Wu Jiujiu also wore a complicated expression. After going around in circles, the two of them had unexpectedly met again. But this time, she also noticed that Lu Wuyai was in very bad shape. He looked like he had been drugged.

"You haven't fainted yet?" Wu Jiujiu was taken aback. She knew very well the dosage of the drugs those people had used. Even elephants would faint long ago, let alone ordinary people.

Then, a rustling sound came from the forest again.

The two bodies pressed together immediately, neither daring to speak loudly. Although Lu Wuyai felt intense dizziness, he could still feel the amazing elasticity of the woman beside him.

“Great Wu, truly Great Wu.”

Lu Wuyai muttered something, but Wu Jiujiu took the opportunity to beat him up.

By this time, the others had already gone far away. Lu Wuyai was pulled out of the forest by Da Wu, and they stumbled towards the edge of the forest.

Breathing in the cold night air, Lu Wuyai's dizziness immediately subsided by more than half, and he no longer walked unsteadily.

"Do you have a good place to go?" Da Wu asked in the darkness, still holding Lu Wuyai's hand with one hand.

Lu Wuyai said, "Keep moving forward. If we're lucky, we might get there tomorrow."

After that, Da Wu followed Lu Wuyai, and nothing else happened along the way. However, Wu Jiujiu had already confirmed one thing: Lu Wuyai really could see at night.

Two hours before dawn, Wu Jiujiu took a break. Everyone was exhausted after running all night.

Lu Wuyai made no attempt to feign anything. He lay on the ground, slowly regaining his strength, and told Da Niu that he had to get up at dawn to collect dew.

They could have collected dew at this time, but Wu Jiujiu couldn't see anything at night, and Lu Wuyai still felt dizzy. The medicine was too powerful.

Soon, the two of them started snoring, and the surrounding environment seemed particularly deep.

About two and a half hours later, the two of them opened their eyes almost at the same time.

“Back to normal.” Wu Jiujiu looked at Lu Wuyai with undisguised surprise in his eyes.

Lu Wuyai nodded, took a nap, and felt that he was back to his best state.

The most important thing now is to collect dew from nearby dry branches. Once this time is missed, it may be difficult to find a water source.

So, for the next hour, Lu Wuyai and Wu Jiujiu diligently collected dew using plastic bottles. Both knew the importance of the water source, so they remained completely focused throughout the collection process, not uttering a single word.

An hour later, Lu Wuyai drank the first mouthful of dew and fully recovered his energy.

Wu Jiujiu was the same. He had been dehydrated for more than ten hours. Now, after drinking water, his energy and stamina were noticeably different.

"Let's hurry up and go," Wu Jiujiu said, looking at Lu Wuyai with a hint of curiosity.

However, Lu Wuyai glanced at Wu Jiujiu and remembered the bracelet in his backpack, so he took it out and asked what was going on.

"Of course I put it here for you."

Upon hearing this, Lu Wuyai frowned, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Wu Jiujiu's arm, asking her who she was.

"Let go first, it hurts so much." Old Wu frowned, wondering to himself why this person always looked at him with such impatience.

Lu Wuyai did not let go; he was carefully taking the woman's pulse.

His hearing was very acute; he could hear Old Wu's heartbeat through his pulse. The feeling was very real. During the questioning, he could perceive the other person's psychological changes and, to a certain extent, the authenticity of their words.

"Hurry up and tell me, or I won't play with you anymore," Lu Wuyai said seriously. If the other party hadn't saved him last night, he probably would have tied up Old Wu and left her to fend for herself.

At this point, Old Wu was genuinely angry, but he still said, "I'm just an ordinary little girl that everyone loves..."

"Stop complaining. Do you think I can knock you out and leave you here?" Lu Wuyai said impatiently, as the other party was testing his patience.

But Old Wu pouted, refusing to say anything.

In the end, Lu Wuyai still couldn't do anything to her. He simply returned the bracelet to her and then started running wildly.

"Lu Wuyai!" Old Wu called out, but Lu Wuyai was too fast, and she couldn't catch up.

This time, it was Wu Jiujiu's turn to be dumbfounded.

She glanced around, gritted her teeth one last time, turned and entered the deadwood forest, disappearing into the labyrinthine nature.

At this point, Lu Wuyai realized he had abandoned Old Wu, so he gradually slowed down his running speed. After all, the physical exertion was his own responsibility.

"This forest of dead trees is really huge." Lu Wuyai looked at the edge of the forest of dead trees that stretched out before him. He was worried that he might not be able to find the location of the stone mountain today.

Coo coo coo.

In the withered forest, a familiar voice suddenly rang out. Lu Wuyai heard the voice and went over. After searching carefully, he found several pheasants, each one plump and healthy. Clearly, they were doing well here.

“It’s really strange.” Lu Wuyai shook his head, found some wood nearby, sharpened it to use as a crossbow, and tucked it directly into his sleeve.

I nocked the arrow, aimed at the target, and shot decisively. Unfortunately, I didn't catch the pheasant. Instead, the pheasant scattered hastily, and not a single feather could be seen.

"Never mind, be patient."

Lu Wuyai continued on his journey and finished his last ration of marching food at noon.

"I'm so hungry I want to eat dinner." Lu Wuyai shook his head, looking at his empty luggage bag, feeling a little irritated.

That night, a few raindrops fell from the sky.

Looking up at the sky, Lu Wuyai had a bad feeling; a storm was coming.

"What bad luck."

"After I got out, one thing like this happened after another."

To escape the approaching storm, Lu Wuyai had no choice but to find a place to shelter from the rain, but all he could see were withered trees.

But no matter how dense the deadwood forest is, it cannot stop the raindrops from seeping in.

A rumbling sound.

A bright flash of lightning streaked across the pitch-black sky, which was so majestic that all evil spirits retreated.

Lu Wuyai weaved through the rain curtain, but still couldn't find a suitable place.

Although there were road signs along the way, Lu Wuyai was still worried about getting lost. In the end, he simply chose a triangular area. The dead trees above him formed a tent-like shape, and he opened his duffel bag to cover it.

"Alright, that's enough for tonight."

Lu Wuyai planned to spend the night casually and take action the next day.

A few minutes later, the rain got heavier and heavier. Even though we covered it with a duffel bag, the rain was still pouring down.

A bolt of lightning struck the dead tree, producing a terrifying sound. Seeing this, Lu Wuyai trembled. If it had struck a person, their bones might have melted.

“These dead trees aren’t all lightning rods, are they?” Lu Wuyai swallowed.

That night, the wind and rain raged, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and terrifying movements blotted out the sky, filling people with fear and unease.

"No wonder people in the past were so superstitious. When people are extremely afraid, they always have some mysterious thoughts." Lu Wuyai sensed this. Unconsciously, his eyelids gradually became heavy.

Soon, Lu Wuyai fell into a deep sleep. Even though the rain soaked his body, it did not wake him.

The next day, when it was windy and rainy, Lu Wuyai woke up, looked at the outside world, and licked his chapped lips.

Lu Wuyai collected some rainwater in a plastic bottle and drank a few sips to quench his thirst. He dared not drink too much. After all, rainwater wasn't clean. It would be even worse if he fell ill in the wild.

Lu Wuyai took off his clothes, wrung them out, and used them as a towel to wipe his body.

After washing his upper body, Lu Wuyai began to take off his pants, even carefully wringing out his underwear to prevent it from getting damp and catching a cold.

But just as he was about to put on his underwear, someone suddenly burst in from the rain. Startled, he crouched down and snatched the dagger from beside him.

"Why you?"

The two spoke in unison, and Lu Wuyai was surprised to find that the person who came was Wu Jiujiu again.

Wu Jiujiu blushed, unable to look at the naked Lu Wuyai.

"Turn around," Lu Wuyai said dejectedly. "Why is Wu Jiujiu everywhere?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Jiujiu immediately turned around and muttered, "It's not like I've never seen a man before."

Lu Wuyai was speechless and quickly put on his pants and clothes. His body felt cold again.

"Why are you everywhere?" Lu Wuyai said angrily.

How would I know it was you who was dressed?

"Get dressed."

After saying that, Wu Jiujiu turned around, his cheeks flushed red, and he didn't dare to look at Lu Wuyai at all.

"How did you find this place?" Lu Wuyai asked.

"I was just wandering around, I really didn't know you were here." Wu Jiujiu was soaked to the bone and felt very uncomfortable. Besides, the shelter here was leaking, though much better than the water pouring outside.

Afterwards, seeing that Lu Wuyai did not speak, Wu Jiujiu also sat on the ground, the rainwater on her body slowly falling and flowing into the outside world.

A sneeze.

Wu Jiujiu sneezed, felt dizzy and hot, and realized that he probably had a fever again.

"No need to put on any more clothes." Wu Jiujiu glanced at Lu Wuyai and began to take off his down jacket, as if he had been pulled out of the water.

Lu Wuyai glanced at him and secretly thought that Old Wu's physique was really amazing.

Soon, Lao Wu wrung out the rainwater from his down jacket, then started taking off his sweater, and finally his cotton sweater.

Looking at its astonishing scale, Lu Wuyai felt the temperature in the small shelter rising steadily.

Fortunately, Old Wu was quick enough. He turned around and put on the down jacket he had wrung out earlier. Then there was another rustling sound.

"Yang, Lu Wuyai." A faint buzzing sound came from beside Lu Wuyai.

What's wrong? Speak louder.