Taking out the waterskin, Li Bai slowly poured water over the clay figure's head. The dried mud melted far faster than she had expected. Before long, Hu Jingyi's head was exposed.
But Hu Jingyi now looked nothing like the fair-skinned art teacher they remembered. His eyes were gone, leaving two bloody sockets. His entire face was twisted in a horrifying expression, and his shriveled skin clung tightly to his bones, as if he had been drained dry.
The most terrifying thing was his mouth. The corners had been torn open, and his gums were turned outward. Li Bai could imagine how Zhusheng Niangniang's fleshy tentacles had burrowed inside.
His torn mouth kept twitching, making a faint sound.
Hu Jingyi couldn't see them in this state. He must have recognized their voices, then used the last of his strength to call their names.
"How are you?" Li Bai poured a little water into Hu Jingyi's mouth. He was clearly suffering from severe dehydration.
"Kh... kh..."
To Li Bai and Zhang Yuanchao's dismay, Hu Jingyi could do nothing now but say their names and make meaningless, breathless sounds from his throat, like an old man on the verge of death.
Zhang Yuanchao swallowed and awkwardly nudged Li Bai. "Girl, Teacher Hu can't be saved. We can't... we can't take him with us like this."
Li Bai understood that. They would save him if they could, but if they couldn't, there was nothing to be done. Still, she thought that if Hu Jingyi had even a tiny bit of awareness left, she might be able to learn something about this place from him—like who had brought him here and wrapped him up as a clay statue. He might even know how to get out.
With that in mind, Li Bai gave Hu Jingyi