Ren Tianqing let out a sinister cackle. "So what if she dies? Do you think I absolutely have to learn the Skull's secret? Here's a suggestion: hand over the Key, and I can let Qin Yutong live a few more days, so you two can be a pair of doomed lovebirds."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Even if I wanted to give it to you, would you dare come in and take it?" As he spoke, he searched for the source of the voice, but Ren Tianqing's voice seemed to come from every direction, making his precise location difficult to determine.
Ren Tianqing said, "Walk seven steps diagonally from the Square Cauldron's upper-right corner, and you'll find a hole. The Key is small enough. Just toss it to me through that hole."
Hu Xiaotian followed Ren Tianqing's instructions and indeed found the hole he had described. It was about the size of a cup's mouth and was probably used for ventilation. Escaping through such a tiny opening was utterly impossible. He held Qin Yutong the entire time, unwilling to let go for even a moment. She curled weakly against his chest and whispered, "Xiaotian... don't listen to him... he's always been utterly deceitful... he's never kept his word."
Meizhuang followed them over and said, "You mustn't fall into his trap!" Anything Ren Tianqing wanted could be used as leverage against him. If he got everything he wanted, their chances of escaping would be even slimmer. With life and death hanging in the balance, Meizhuang had unwittingly taken Hu Xiaotian's side.
Ren Tianqing said coldly, "Junior Sister, you're actually helping outsiders harm me?"
Meizhuang snapped, "You have the nerve to say that? When have you ever cared whether I lived or died?" At this critical moment, the fellow disciples turned against each other