Night Escape and a "Helper"

"Walk."

Lin Xiao's eyelids were so heavy he could barely lift them, and he managed to squeeze out a single, hoarse word. "Now?"

Lu Yuan didn't say a word, but yanked open the broken wooden planks of the shack. A cold wind rushed in, and the sounds of the search outside grew closer—shouting, banging on the door, and crying. The nearest checkpoint was only four or five shacks away.

He bent down, stuffed the food and water pouch into his arms, and turned to support Lin Xiao.

"Can you walk?"

"I won't die." Lin Xiao gritted his teeth, propped himself up against the wall, and swayed slightly.

Lu Yuan peeked out and glanced over. The search team had their backs to them and were questioning people diagonally opposite. The guide held a torch, and the people from the Hundred Refinements Pavilion formed a semi-circle around him.

Chance.

He carried Lin Xiao out of the shack, skipping the muddy path and plunging directly into the shadows of a pile of scrap next to them. His movements were light, but Lin Xiao's breathing was heavy, like a bellows.

Behind the shantytown was a wasteland, overgrown with waist-high weeds, and buried beneath it were garbage and animal carcasses. It stank, but it was a place where people could hide.

They trudged deeper and deeper into the mud, the sounds of the search fading into the distance behind them.

Lin Xiao rested his forehead on Lu Yuan's shoulder, panting heavily. "They... will catch up."

"I know." Lu Yuan's voice was steady as he scanned the surroundings. The market was brightly lit to the left and behind, while the dark shadows of mountains loomed directly ahead. "Let's go into the mountains. The terrain is complex, making it easier to hide."

"In the mountains..." Lin Xiao coughed twice, "There's an abandoned soul-guiding mine nearby. It was hollowed out years ago and has collapsed several times. Locals don't go there."

Why?

"Miasma. Pale purple in color. Inhaling too much will cause dizziness and make it difficult to circulate your Soul Power." Lin Xiao paused. "It's not fatal, but prolonged exposure will weaken you."

Lu Yuan didn't stop. "It's better than being caught by the Hundred Refinements Pavilion."

That's undeniable.

The two moved silently toward the mountain shadow. Lin Xiao pressed down almost entirely on Lu Yuan, who could feel his body temperature rising again, burning hot. The wound was definitely worsening.

We need to find a hiding place as soon as possible.

Before dawn, they stumbled and climbed a gentle slope. Looking back, the lights of Gray Stone Market shrank into a small, blurry patch of light.

Lin Xiao suddenly stopped and listened intently.

There's a sound.

Lu Yuan heard it too. It was very faint, but definitely there—the crisp sound of a dry branch snapping underfoot, and hushed conversations moving uphill from the direction they came from.

The pursuers didn't give up.

"Damn it," Lin Xiao cursed, his voice laced with malice, "It's like a ghost that won't go away."

"Let's go." Lu Yuan supported him tightly and quickened his pace.

The slope grew steeper. The trees thinned out, revealing the grayish-white rocks beneath. There were signs of human intervention—rough steps, half-collapsed mine cart tracks, and rusty iron wheels.

A faint, cloying, and pungent smell filled the air.

Like rotten flowers mixed with sulfur.

Lu Yuan frowned, channeling his Soul Power to form an extremely thin filter near his nasal cavity. A little trick from his past life, it was somewhat useful against low concentrations of poisonous gas.

Lin Xiao didn't have that ability. He took a few breaths, then immediately gagged, shaking his head. "... That's the smell. Mine miasma."

A dark, gaping hole appeared ahead. It was huge, as if a piece of the mountain had been gnawed away. The edges of the hole were jagged and covered with dark green moss and vines. Looking inside, it seemed bottomless.

A sweet, cloying aroma was wafting out of it.

The sounds of the pursuers behind them grew closer. The torchlight flickered through the trees, and they could faintly hear shouts of "There are footprints here!" and "They've entered the mountains!"

There was no choice.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath—trying to filter out the sweetness—and, supporting Lin Xiao, plunged into the mine entrance.

*

Darkness instantly engulfed them.

His eyes needed time to adjust. Lu Yuan stopped and listened intently, holding his breath. Apart from his and Lin Xiao's heavy breathing, the only sound in the cave was the dripping of water, coming from a great distance.

The air was damp and cold, and the sweet smell was even stronger. Inhaling it made my throat itch and my head feel heavy. My Soul Power circulation was noticeably sluggish, as if there was sand mixed in with my blood vessels.

He took out the last piece of hard biscuit, broke it in half, and handed it to Lin Xiao. "Hold it in your mouth. Don't swallow too quickly; it will stimulate saliva and relieve nausea."

Lin Xiao took it and put it in his mouth, giving a muffled "hmm".

My vision gradually returned. With the faint light filtering through the cave entrance, I could tell that this was a mine pit converted from a natural cave. The cave ceiling was very high, with stalactites hanging down. The ground was uneven, with scattered gravel and rotten wood.

Several dark tunnels extend in different directions.

"Which way?" Lin Xiao asked, his voice even weaker.

Lu Yuan didn't answer immediately. He squatted down, ran his fingers across the layer of dust on the ground, and brought them to his nose to smell. He looked up to observe the rock walls and ground near the tunnel entrance.

The second tunnel from the left has sparse, yellowish moss at its entrance. The dust on the ground shows fine lines caused by air currents blowing outwards.

There is air movement.

"This way." He helped Lin Xiao up and walked over.

The tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The rock walls were wet and slippery. Water dripped from above, icy cold.

The deeper they went, the darker it became. The sweet, cloying miasma faded a bit, but another kind of stifling air, with a metallic, rusty smell, began to permeate the air. The sluggishness in their Soul Power did not lessen.

Lin Xiao's breathing became increasingly erratic.

Lu Yuan could feel his body trembling. It wasn't from the cold, but from spasms caused by exhaustion and a high fever.

"Hang in there," he whispered, more like he was saying it to himself.

The tunnels began to branch out. Each time, Lu Yuan would stop to observe the airflow, the distribution of moss, and the orientation of the gravel on the ground. He always chose the path with relatively unobstructed airflow and the fewest signs of life.

This is very mentally taxing. It's difficult to concentrate under the influence of miasma.

After walking for about half an hour, a soft "whoosh" sound came from ahead.

Lu Yuan suddenly stopped and pressed Lin Xiao against the rock wall. The two held their breath.

The sound did not reappear.

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Lin Xiao tugged at his sleeve and pointed to the side and front.

Lu Yuan looked in the direction he pointed. The tunnel turned here, and a faint, dark red glow could be seen at the corner.

Not a torch. More stable, but dimmer.

He gestured for Lin Xiao to stay still, then moved along the rock face. When he reached the corner, he carefully peered over his shoulder.

dead end.

The tunnel was completely blocked by collapsed boulders. Moss with a faint red glow grew in the crevices of the boulders. The light was so weak that it only illuminated a few feet around.

Lu Yuan's heart sank.

We took the wrong turn.

He retreated to Lin Xiao's side, shaking his head. "A dead end."

Lin Xiao didn't say anything, but slid down against the rock wall, his head drooping. He had reached his physical limit.

Just then, footsteps came from the direction they came from.

Very light, very cautious, but definitely approaching. More than one person.

The people from the Hundred Refinements Pavilion followed them in.

Lu Yuan clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palms, the stinging pain keeping him alert. Turning back meant pursuers, and ahead was a dead end. The rock walls on both sides were too solid to climb.

A desperate situation.

The footsteps grew clearer, and hushed conversation drifted over.

"... This miasma is fucking wicked; my Soul Power can't move."

"Enough nonsense. That kid's heavily injured; he can't have gone far. Five hundred Gold Soul Coin are enough for him to live a carefree life for half a year."

"The boss said they need them alive, especially Blue Silver Grass Kid."

"I know. Losing an arm or a leg is fine, just don't kill him."

The sound grew closer. The torchlight flickered on the rock face around the corner.

Lin Xiao suddenly looked up. In the darkness, his amber pupils contracted, flashing with a cold, beast-like light. He tried to stand up, but his legs gave way and he sat back down.

"You go." The voice was hoarse as he stared at Lu Yuan. "You're thin enough to squeeze into the crevice on the right. I'll stay here; I can hold them off for a while."

Lu Yuan didn't move. His gaze quickly swept over the surroundings. Dead end, collapsed boulders, glowing moss... There was an inconspicuous crack at the bottom of the right rock wall, very narrow, and its destination was unknown.

But what about leaving Lin Xiao here?

The footsteps reached the corner. The torchlight could already illuminate their section of the tunnel.

"Over there!" someone shouted.

It's over.

Lu Yuan bent down and grabbed Lin Xiao's arm, wanting to try one last time to lift him up. Even if it was just a few steps towards the crevice in the rock.

The instant his fingers touched Lin Xiao's arm—

"Cough... cough cough..."

A weak cough suddenly came from the side.

It wasn't from the direction they came from, nor was it a dead end. The sound was very close, muffled, as if something were covering it.

Lu Yuan and Lin Xiao both froze.

The pursuers' footsteps stopped. The torchlight froze at the corner.

A few seconds of deathly silence.

Then, a hoarse, dry voice, filled with deep vigilance, drifted out from behind the collapsed boulder—from the depths of a narrow tunnel, half-hidden by several pieces of fallen rock, which they had previously completely overlooked:

"Who's there? Get out! Or else..."

Before he could finish speaking, another suppressed cough broke out.

Lu Yuan's heart pounded.

Someone's there!

There's a third group of people deep inside this mine! They sound terrible, but they must have something to rely on to survive in this miasma-filled environment!

A straw to grasp at in a desperate situation, even if it has thorns.

He acted decisively, lowering his voice to urgently respond into the dark, narrow passage:

"We are being hunted by the Hundred Refinements Pavilion. We did not intrude unintentionally and only wish to find a way to survive! If you can help us, we will be richly rewarded!"

A moment of silence followed inside the tunnel.

Around the corner, the torchlight began to flicker again, and the footsteps of the pursuers resumed, rapidly closing in!

Just as Lu Yuan thought the other party wouldn't respond and was preparing for a desperate fight—

The hoarse voice rang out urgently, speaking rapidly with a desperate, reckless intensity:

"Push aside the third loose stone slab on the left! Come in quickly! Don't touch the purple moss on the ground!"