The children sat around the old man, asking, "Grandpa, what happened to them later?"

The old man smiled and looked into the distance, as if he could see the three travelers walking in a wider world.

"They continue their journey, carrying this courage and hope to even more distant places. And we, too, should be like them, bravely facing life and constantly moving forward."

Meanwhile, in a distant corner, Xu Yuehuai and his two companions were on their way.

"I finally managed to sneak away from the village. Those people were just too enthusiastic." Bei Ye's smile was unusually bright.

During their stay in the village, they received a great deal of hospitality. Suddenly, all the crops in the village yielded a bountiful harvest, and everyone believed they were divine beings descended to earth. They expressed their gratitude repeatedly and even tried to persuade them to stay.

Bai Yu remained quiet and ignored him.

Xu Yuehuai looked down at the map and said, "Thanks to everyone's cooperation this time, I hope the journey ahead will be just as smooth."

"We're almost at another marker, so stay alert!"

Bei Ye blinked. "Okay, sister! I'll definitely make you happy!"

"Xiaoyue, you stay behind me, I'll go ahead and scout the way."

As Bai Yu spoke, he quickly rode forward to block all unknown dangers.

Under the dim yellow sky, the surroundings were shrouded in thick fog, as if every step was leading into an unknown abyss.

Suddenly, the white-feathered horse stopped, its hooves lightly striking the ground with a dull thud, breaking the surrounding silence.

Bai Yu turned to look at Xu Yuehuai, "Xiaoyue, we can't go any further. There's miasma around here; entering rashly would likely be extremely dangerous."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuehuai frowned slightly, her gaze shifting between the hazy mist ahead and Bai Yu's serious face, appearing somewhat hesitant.

At this moment, Bei Ye rode up, a hint of disdain on his face: "What are you afraid of? We've all taken the antidote pills, what's a little miasma? Why be so timid?" He seemed quite dissatisfied with Bai Yu's caution.

Bai Yu sneered, "It's fine if you go to your death, but don't drag Xiaoyue down with you. I care more about her safety than you do."

Bei Ye's face instantly darkened as he glared at Bai Yu: "You! Don't think you're always right. Sometimes being too cautious can cause you to miss opportunities."

Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai quickly spoke up to stop them, "Stop! Stop arguing! You two, all you do is argue all day long. The problem now is that we have indeed encountered miasma, and it is too risky to continue. Since there is miasma ahead, let's stop for now and wait until tomorrow when the sun is shining brightly. The miasma will naturally dissipate, and then we can continue our journey."

Her voice was gentle yet powerful, like a clear spring, instantly extinguishing the tension between the two. Bei Ye and Bai Yu exchanged a glance; though unwilling, they knew Xu Yuehuai's words made sense, so they both nodded in agreement.

The three decided to rest there temporarily. Bei Ye was the first to dismount and search for a suitable place to camp. With sharp eyes, he finally chose a dense forest where the tall trees and lush foliage could provide shelter from the cold night winds and offer relatively safe protection.

"Let's build a wooden frame for sleeping, so we can sleep more soundly at night," Bei Ye said, clearing a space and getting to work.

Not to be outdone, Bai Yu untied the ropes and tools he carried and quickly joined the construction effort.

Although the two had argued during the day, they were now working in perfect harmony, skillfully building a simple yet sturdy wooden platform.

Xu Yuehuai wanted to help with the chores, but the two politely declined, saying, "You're a girl, you should leave these things to us." Unable to refuse, she turned to helping pack her luggage and prepare dinner.

"Xiaoyue, sit there and rest for a while. We'll do the heavy work." Bai Yu turned around and smiled at her.

“Okay, then I’ll take care of the hot rations. We can eat together when you’re all done.” Xu Yuehuai agreed with a smile. She found a clean rock to sit on and started a fire to heat the food.

After Bei Ye and Bai Yu finished their work, they came over and sat around the fire.

"Sister, it tastes so good when you heat it up." Bei Ye picked up a piece of slightly burnt dry food without any hesitation.

Bai Yu rolled her eyes at Bei Ye and started eating as well.

Dinner was simple yet cozy; the dry food was roasted in the fire until golden and crispy, filling the air with its aroma.

They ate and chatted, their conversation ranging from their daytime journey to their treasure hunt plans, and in that moment their fatigue was released.

“It’s not wrong to be cautious. It’s rare for us to get together and have a proper meal.” Xu Yuehuai looked at the stars in the sky, and the other two also felt relieved.

They spent the night peacefully in this place shrouded in miasma.

In the dead of night, all was quiet except for the flickering campfire inside the shelter, casting dappled shadows and adding an unsettling atmosphere to this temporary refuge in the wilderness.

Suddenly, Bei Ye shuddered violently, and a violent cough shattered the tranquility of the night.

"It hurts so much...cough cough, what's bothering me?" His voice was filled with fear and confusion.

Xu Yuehuai was startled awake by the sudden noise. Her blurry eyes quickly focused as she looked at Bei Ye across from her, her brows furrowed.

"What's wrong, Bei Ye? You don't look right." She said as she sat up, trying to catch more clues in the dim light.

"Something is biting me, like something is wriggling under my skin." Bei Ye scratched his thigh desperately, but seemed unable to reach the invisible threat.

Bai Yu also showed some concern, but more so dissatisfaction with Bei Ye's reaction.

"Hey, you surnamed Bei, don't make a fuss. You've disturbed Xiaoyue's rest." He said as he stood up, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a hawk, trying to find any possible threats.

However, Bei Ye's cry of alarm pierced the air once again: "Ah! My leg! It, it's getting stronger and stronger!"

That scream made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.

Xu Yuehuai quickly took out a tinderbox from the package, and with a gentle flick of the wrist, the faint light instantly illuminated everything around her, including Bei Ye's face, which was contorted with fear.

"What exactly is that?" Xu Yuehuai cautiously approached Bei Ye, trying to see the so-called "thing" clearly.

Just then, Bei Ye suddenly grabbed Xu Yuehuai's arm, his fingers turning white from the force. "Look...look there, it's a human head!"

He pointed to his thigh, where, in the firelight, there seemed to be a blurry human figure slowly wriggling, as if trying to break free from under his skin.

Seeing this, Bai Yu quickly moved to Xu Yuehuai's side and shielded her behind him, saying, "Xiao Yue."

The atmosphere inside the shelter instantly plummeted to freezing point, and everyone's breathing became unusually heavy. The flickering firelight cast long shadows, as if countless eyes were secretly watching them.

"How is this possible?" Xu Yuehuai's voice trembled slightly. She tried to remain calm, but she could not ignore the extraordinary scene before her.