Xu Yuehuai quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and met Bai Yu's gaze. At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and all words seemed superfluous. Bai Yu's eyes held both surprise and deep self-reproach and helplessness.

"You... how did you get here?" Bai Yu's voice was weak and hoarse, each word seeming to be squeezed out with difficulty from the depths of his throat.

“How could I not come? You’re so sick, you’re about to die, I definitely have to come and see you off,” Xu Yuehuai said calmly.

The Ghost Doctor and Bei Ye then entered the house. The Ghost Doctor quickly stepped forward to take Bai Yu's pulse.

"The situation is dire, but there's still hope." The Ghost Doctor's voice, though soft, was like a shot in the arm, giving everyone present a jolt of hope.

Bei Ye stood to the side, seemingly deep in thought. He knew that this illness was not only a physical torment, but also a test of Bai Yu's will.

"Your Majesty, you must hold on. We are all here to help you through this difficult time," Xiao Rui said.

Inside, the atmosphere was heavy yet hopeful. Everyone understood that for Bai Yu and Dong Sang, they had to give it their all.

The candlelight flickered and then went out in an instant, making the already oppressive atmosphere even more tense due to the sudden darkness.

Xu Yuehuai's voice pierced the silence, "There are other people in this room."

"Hehehehehe!"

Before the words were finished, a chilling laugh swept in like a cold wind, each word like an ice blade, shattering the tranquility of the air.

Xu Yuehuai quickly looked around and then transmitted her voice to everyone: "Everyone stand back to back, be careful of being attacked."

Bei Ye and Xiao Rui responded quickly, forming a protective circle around Xu Yuehuai, the Ghost Doctor, and Bai Yu on the sickbed.

Bai Yu was already extremely weak, but at this moment he suddenly let out a cold laugh. That laugh contained too many complex emotions, which made Xu Yuehuai's alarm bells go off.

"Bai Yu, you..." Xu Yuehuai was about to ask when she was struck by a sudden force and staggered.

She endured the pain, her gaze sharp as she fixed on the source of the sound.

"Stop! Didn't you say you wouldn't hurt her?" Bai Yu's voice was filled with unprecedented anxiety and anger, as if this was not what he wanted.

In the darkness, a figure clad in a black robe with green eyes slowly emerged, his voice chilling as if from the depths of an abyss: "I only said I wouldn't kill her, but I didn't say I wouldn't let her get hurt."

After speaking, the man in black robes exuded a suffocating sense of oppression, causing the entire space to tremble.

Xu Yuehuai gritted her teeth, stood firm despite the pain, her eyes filled with both disappointment and determination: "Bai Yu, although I had my doubts about what happened at the palace and Tianxiang Tower before, I never truly blamed you. Now, you've actually joined forces with them, why?"

A flicker of pain and struggle flashed in Bai Yu's eyes: "I am doing this for my people, for the future of Dong Sang."

"Stop pretending!" Xu Yuehuai's voice was tinged with a hint of sternness. "If you truly cared for Dong Sang, why would you act this way?"

The man in black robes interjected at the opportune moment, his voice full of provocation: "You killed my clansman, and you should naturally bear the responsibility for his unfinished work."

The atmosphere was extremely tense. Xu Yuehuai knew the situation was critical, so she turned to the Ghost Doctor and Bei Ye and said, "You two go first and go back to spread the word. We can't let more people be put in danger."

Bei Ye refused, saying, "Sister, you should go. We can hold on."

The Ghost Doctor showed no sign of backing down; instead, he stepped forward, ready to confront the man in black robes head-on.

However, the black-robed man's power far exceeded their expectations. Each attack was like a landslide or a tsunami, and the light of the red rose appeared so weak in front of him.

The roof shattered during the fierce battle, rubble flew everywhere, and moonlight poured down, illuminating the chaotic scene.

Seeing this, Xiao Rui disregarded everything and picked Bai Yu up from the bed, protecting him behind him. Every action he took revealed his loyalty and protection of the king.

"Bai Yu is the king of Dong Sang, and I will protect him." He held fast to what he believed to be justice.

After a fierce fight, seeing that the man in black robes was about to kill Ghost Doctor and Bei Ye, Xu Yuehuai disregarded his own safety and suddenly exerted his strength, pushing the two of them out the door.

"Get out of here! You're no match for him if you stay!"

At the same time, Xu Yuehuai was grabbed by the throat by the man in black robes and lifted high.

"Please, don't hurt her!" Bai Yu struggled to get up, but could only kneel helplessly on the ground.

The man in black sneered, "What's there to be afraid of? She still has value." His words revealed his absolute control over Xu Yuehuai's fate.

...

In those dark days of imprisonment, time became an endless wait, each second heavy and suffocating.

Inside the room where Xu Yuehuai was imprisoned, light could only filter through narrow window cracks, barely outlining the room's shape, and an atmosphere of oppression and despair permeated the air.

She sat on the cold ground, her eyes filled with both defiance and exhaustion, occasionally glancing up at the door, hoping for a turnaround that seemed almost impossible.

Bai Yu's appearance was always accompanied by a light footstep and a brief hesitation outside the door. He carried food, his face pale, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"I'm sorry, Xiaoyue, I really didn't know things would turn out this way," he said, his body trembling slightly, the food in his hands seeming unusually heavy. "I'll find a way, I'll definitely find a way to get you out of here."

Xu Yuehuai sneered and looked at Bai Yu: "You are already their puppet, so what are you talking about saving me? From the very beginning, you should not have believed those alien races. 'Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.' Why don't you understand such a simple principle even now?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Yu's face flashed with pain. He lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly. "But what can I do? If I don't listen to them, everyone will die, including me... I don't want to die." His voice was choked with sobs, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the bottom of his heart.

"So you're using their power to prolong your life." Xu Yuehuai's tone was both sarcastic and helpless. "Bai Yu, you've changed. You're no longer the person I used to know."

"I just want to live, I want to be with you, I don't want to leave like this." Bai Yu's voice was choked with sobs. He tried to get closer to Xu Yuehuai, but stopped at the last moment, afraid that his approach would cause her more harm.

A resolute glint flashed in Xu Yuehuai's eyes: "You are utterly foolish. But since the food you brought isn't poisonous, I'll eat it to save you the trouble." She took the food and chewed mechanically, each bite seeming like she was chewing on the bitterness of fate.

Bai Yu watched with pity for a while, then turned away helplessly. His body was somewhat hunched, and he had long lost his former vigor.

A few days later, Xu Yuehuai was completely plunged into another abyss by the sudden change.