Before dawn, a strong smell of blood suddenly filled the air.
"puff!"
Bei Ye's condition suddenly worsened, and he vomited a large mouthful of blood.
Bai Yu was also plagued by a violent cough, his face turned black, and his body trembled with pain.
Qi Guze stood aside, his gaze cold and complex, clutching the last bottle of life-saving medicine tightly in his hand. He had obtained it with great difficulty from the Ghost Doctor, but he never expected that it would become the key to a life-or-death decision at this moment.
“Aze, this medicine…” Xu Yuehuai’s eyes lingered between Bai Yu and Bei Ye, each decision seeming to weigh a ton.
Bei Ye barely opened his eyes, his gaze gentle. He looked at Xu Yuehuai with a weak smile on his lips: "Sister, save him. I... I can hold on a little longer."
Those words contained a longing for life, yet were also full of selflessness towards their companions.
Xu Yuehuai's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She bit her lower lip, as if waging a silent struggle. Finally, with trembling hands, she handed the medicine bottle to Bai Yu, her voice choked with emotion: "Bei Ye, hold on! The Ghost Doctor will be here to save you soon!"
Bei Ye smiled slightly, full of trust in Xu Yuehuai. Then, he fell into a coma again, leaving only faint breathing sounds.
Xu Yuehuai felt a sharp pain in her heart as she watched Bei Ye fall, but she couldn't fall down at this moment. So, she forced herself to pull herself together and began to administer medicine to Bai Yu, taking each step with utmost care, afraid of making any mistakes.
Qi Guze silently supported and encouraged Xu Yuehuai. Once Xu Yuehuai calmed down a bit, he said softly, "Ayue, go and get some sleep. I'll take care of things here."
Xu Yuehuai shook her head and said firmly, "I won't leave. I want to see them get better."
Knowing he couldn't persuade her, Qi Guze quietly walked to the side, took out a sharp dagger from his pocket, and without hesitation slashed his wrist. Blood gushed out instantly, dripping into the mouths of the two unconscious people.
"Aze, you..." Xu Yuehuai exclaimed in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and wanted to stop it, but she was powerless to move.
Qi Guze didn't turn around, but simply said to the two unconscious people, "I didn't originally want to save you, but considering that you protected A-Yue during this time and prevented her from getting hurt, I will save you one more time." His tone was calm and indifferent, but it couldn't hide the deep-seated tenderness and responsibility within him.
As Qi Guze fed them more and more blood, a strange power seemed to permeate the air. Bei Ye and Bai Yu's complexions gradually improved, and their breathing became more steady.
"Enough!" These three words seemed to pierce through the long darkness, a call from the depths of Xu Yuehuai's heart.
As Qi Guze's blood gradually drained away, the invisible binding force on Xu Yuehuai also dissipated.
Without further hesitation, Xu Yuehuai took a step forward and came to Qi Guze's side. Her hands trembled as she lifted his still bleeding hand, her eyes filled with unbearable pain.
"They've recovered and don't need your blood anymore."
Xu Yuehuai hurriedly took out clean strips of cloth and quickly bandaged Qi Guze's hand wound, each stroke seemingly weaving a message of protection and gratitude.
Her gaze occasionally swept across the bed. Bei Ye and Bai Yu's faces had changed from their previous deathly black to a healthy rosy glow, and the breath of life was surging through them once again.
"Let's all go and rest," Xu Yuehuai suggested softly. She was afraid that if she collapsed from exhaustion, Qi Guze would be left without anyone to take care of him and would be in an even more dangerous situation.
So she suggested that the three of them go to the chair next to them. Although it was very simple, it was their warmest haven at that moment.
As the first rays of dawn pierced through the window and illuminated the simple dwelling, Bei Ye and Bai Yu slowly opened their eyes. They were somewhat delighted, yet also a little bewildered.
"That's great, you're out of danger." Xu Yuehuai felt a little relieved about them, but then her gaze fell on Qi Guze again, and that worry returned to her heart.
She gently rose, walked to Qi Guze's side, knelt down, and lightly placed her fingers on his pulse. At that moment, her heart sank to the bottom.
"Aze!" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. Qi Guze's physical condition was far worse than she had imagined; excessive blood loss had plunged him into a deep state of weakness.
Upon seeing this, Bei Ye quickly asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Xu Yuehuai tried to calm herself down and gave him a reassuring smile: "It's okay, he's just too tired and needs to rest."
She deliberately concealed the fact that Qi Guze had donated blood for them because she knew that this secret was too heavy to be told to anyone else.
Later, Xu Yuehuai took care of Qi Guze almost every step of the way. She only had eyes for him, as if the whole world had stopped for him.
However, not long after, people began patrolling outside their house, and it was clear that their hiding place had been exposed.
"You take Aze and go first," Xu Yuehuai decided in an instant.
Despite their physical weakness, Bei Ye and Bai Yu could sense the urgency of the situation. They struggled to get out of bed, their steps slow, but they did not choose to back down.
"Sister, what about you?" Bei Ye felt very sorry for Xu Yuehuai.
Xu Yuehuai smiled gently and said loudly, "I'll lead them away. You all go to the north side of the village and wait for me. I'll come find you then." After saying that, she turned around, leaving them only with her resolute back view.
For Qi Guze's sake, and for the safety of all of them, she had to step forward!
Bei Ye and Bai Yu worked together to gently lift the unconscious Qi Guze. Bei Ye's gaze pierced through the darkness, locking onto Xu Yuehuai, who was about to disappear into the night. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke, cutting through the silence: "Sister! You must go to the north of the village to find us! No matter what happens, we won't leave until we see you!"
Xu Yuehuai paused slightly in the night breeze, without turning around, but her voice clearly echoed back: "Okay! See you there!"
Before she finished speaking, she strode out of the simple thatched hut, the door slamming shut behind her as if separating two worlds.
Bei Ye and Bai Yu withdrew their gaze, carefully helped Qi Guze, avoided possible eyes and ears at the front door, went around to the back of the house, nimbly climbed over the rickety earthen wall, and disappeared into the depths of the night.
Meanwhile, Xu Yuehuai was well aware of the heavy responsibility she bore. She quickly searched for suitable stones around her, tossed them lightly, deliberately making a sound, in an attempt to distract the patrolling guards.
However, just when she thought her plan was about to succeed, a sudden burst of light ripped through the night sky, followed by a swarm of torches that, like the breath of a dragon, instantly illuminated her world.
“I told you, we’ll meet again.” A deep, chilling voice echoed in the firelight. A man in black robes, wearing a crimson mask, slowly stepped into the darkness temporarily disturbed by the light. His eyes, peering through the gaps in the mask, were as deep as an abyss, sending chills down one’s spine.
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