"We still haven't found a way out." Yan Qing's voice was low and dejected.
Xu Yuehua encouraged, "Perhaps the real solution is hidden somewhere around us that we haven't noticed? We need to be more careful and more united to find it!"
Her words were like a clear spring, nourishing everyone's hearts and rekindling the flame of hope within them.
So they split up again, trying to find a way out.
But just then, a faint light seemed to flicker.
Without prior arrangement, everyone started walking towards the source of the light.
As the outline of the light gradually became clear, they were astonished to discover that it was not natural light, but rather originated from a hidden passageway above them, as if it were a gateway to an unknown world.
Yan Qing stepped forward, his eyes resolute: "Your injuries are more severe, and it's not advisable for you to take any more risks. I'll go scout ahead."
Xu Yuehuai tried to stop him, but the Ghost Doctor gently pressed down on her arm.
"Your Highness, please don't be stubborn."
Despite her many worries, Xu Yuehuai could only suppress them and let Yan Qing do as he pleased. "If there's no way out, hurry back!"
Yan Qing then lightly leaped onto the stone at the edge of the cave, gripped the edge of the passage tightly with his fingers, and nimbly slipped inside like a monkey.
Before leaving, he glanced back at Xu Yuehuai and said, "Yes, Your Highness, I will return as soon as possible."
Yan Qing's figure quickly blended into the faint light, and Xu Yuehuai's heart jumped into her throat.
She paced anxiously in place, glancing towards the entrance of the passageway every now and then, hoping to see that familiar figure soon.
Lu Li gently comforted her, "Your Highness, rest assured, Brother Yan is highly skilled in martial arts and will surely return safely."
Xu Yuehuai forced a smile, but the worry in her eyes did not disappear.
Half an incense stick later, Yan Qing's scream suddenly rang out, piercing the silence like a sharp blade.
Xu Yuehuai's expression changed drastically, and she shouted desperately, "Yan Qing! Come back quickly!"
Inside the passage, Yan Qing's voice, though weak, remained firm: "I'm fine! There should be an exit ahead!"
These words seemed to offer Xu Yuehua a sliver of comfort, but they also made her even more worried. She tried several times to rush in, but the Ghost Doctor held her firmly back.
Time seemed to freeze, each second feeling incredibly long. Suddenly, bright red blood began to drip from the entrance of the passage, like a harbinger of the slow opening of the gates of hell. Xu Yuehuai's heart sank to the bottom; she knew Yan Qing was truly in trouble.
"Yan Qing has probably gotten into trouble."
"I'll go with you, so I can treat Yan Qing." The Ghost Doctor's voice rang in my ears.
Xu Yuehuai gave him a grateful look. "Alright then, Lu Li, General Liu, you two stay here and provide backup for us later."
Without the slightest hesitation, the two quickly slipped into the unknown passage. The passage was narrow and winding, even more difficult to traverse than they had imagined.
As she went deeper, Xu Yuehuai saw more and more bloodstains and fragments of Yan Qing's clothes, and her heart ached terribly.
She quickened her pace, climbing forward with all her might.
But when they reached the end, they were shocked to find that there was no sign of Yan Qing ahead, only emptiness and deathly silence.
Xu Yuehuai's eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't believe what she was seeing: "There might be other passages here. We probably got separated from Yan Qing."
The Ghost Doctor's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's as he scanned the mottled stone walls around him. "Look around, there might be a mechanism hidden nearby that can open a new path."
His words made Xu Yuehuai beside him tense up as well. The two of them tacitly went their separate ways. Xu Yuehuai tiptoed across the scattered pebbles. Every time he touched a protruding stone, it felt like a taut string in his heart was being touched.
Her ears picked up every subtle sound around her; even the seemingly harmless sound of falling rocks seemed particularly jarring at that moment, as if foreshadowing some unknown crisis.
"Buzz—" Suddenly, an ominous buzzing sound broke the silence, and countless tiny flying insects swarmed out from the surrounding gaps, like black clouds, instantly surrounding the two of them.
These flying insects are not only numerous, but even more terrifying is that their sharp mouthparts can easily pierce the skin and suck blood and flesh.
Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened, and she cried out urgently, "These flying insects can devour human flesh and blood, Yan Qing, he..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Ghost Doctor interrupted his worries: "But based on the previous clues, Yan Qing should still be alive. We must not panic."
The ghost doctor's words were like a shot of adrenaline, calming Xu Yuehuai's mind.
She quickly waved her sleeves, trying to drive away the bloodthirsty swarm of insects, but it was clearly in vain.
The swarm seemed to be enraged by their commotion and attacked even more fiercely.
The Ghost Doctor made a decisive decision: "We must retreat immediately!"
"But what about Yan Qing? If we leave like this, won't he be in even more danger?" Xu Yuehuai asked.
The Ghost Doctor turned around, his gaze profound: "Staying here is nothing more than providing these vermin with a delicious meal. It would be better to retreat to a safe area, where there is still a chance to save Yan Qing."
Although his words carried a hint of helplessness, they also revealed an undeniable calmness and decisiveness.
The two fought and retreated, their sleeves fluttering as they temporarily dispersed the swarm of insects, but the ever-present sense of fear lingered.
Finally, they rushed back to the entrance of the passage and jumped down without hesitation. The feeling of being on solid ground again made them both breathe a sigh of relief.
"Hurry up!" Xu Yuehua urged urgently as soon as she landed.
At this moment, Lu Li and General Liu were anxiously waiting and wanted to come forward, but before they could, they were pulled away by Xu Yuehuai and the Ghost Doctor.
But the swarm's pursuit did not stop because they escaped; instead, they drew ever closer.
"Master, your arm!" Lu Li, with his sharp eyes, immediately noticed the strange bluish mark on Xu Yuehuai's arm, which was clearly a sign of insect venom invasion.
Xu Yuehuai gave a wry smile: "It seems these insects are more poisonous than I imagined."
The Ghost Doctor quickly stepped forward, examined the area, and said, "It's alright, I can handle it."
In this deep, winding underground passage, the stone slabs beneath their feet seemed to tremble slightly in rhythm with their heartbeats.
Finally, at the edge of a forest formed by strange stalagmites, a hidden cave, like a blessed haven, quietly awaited their arrival.
Without hesitation, Lu Li pushed aside the vines at the cave entrance and gently placed the weak Xu Yuehuai to the side.
On Xu Yuehuai's arm, the shocking green patch silently testifies to the rampant spread of the toxin.
"Ghost Doctor, please."
The Ghost Doctor swiftly drew silver needles from his medicine pouch and skillfully and precisely inserted them into Xu Yuehuai's acupoints. Each needle's insertion seemed like a silent battle against death. As the needles slowly rotated, the green on Xu Yuehuai's arm gradually faded, replaced by a warm red—a sign that life was returning.
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