Chapter 22: Verdant Shade

Dawn was breaking, and a haze of white shrouded the entire world, lending the morning a gloomy, oppressive air.

Mo Han, exhausted, lowered Jiang Qiang from his back and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Fang He, limping on blistered feet, dropped heavily to the earth, utterly spent and breathing hard.

Jiang Qiang’s face was still pale, haunted by terror. She coughed fiercely, trying to rid herself of the nauseating stench that clung to her, but despite her efforts, she could not vomit.

“I—I say, where are we now?” Fang He stammered, eyeing the desolate, empty landscape before them with lingering dread.

“I suppose—we’re out of danger—at least for now,” Mo Han replied, squinting, barely lifting his eyelids, his voice drained of strength.

He had spent the entire night fleeing for their lives with Jiang Qiang on his back, and it had nearly cost him everything.

“I still feel like something’s following us. We should move farther away,” Jiang Qiang rasped.

“Jiang Qiang, stop being so paranoid! We’re so worn out we can’t take another step. If we keep running, forget getting caught by those spirits—we’ll drop dead from exhaustion first,” Fang He grumbled, his face twisted in frustration.

Last night, he’d run barefoot, stumbling through the dark, his feet aching unbearably. On top of that, Jiang Qiang’s sudden frights had kept them all on edge, and he’d had no choice but to ignore his pain. Now, feeling utterly miserable, he wished he could bash his head against a rock and be done with it.

“Let’s—let’s rest for a while,” Mo Han managed to say after several seconds.

The three of them were famished and parched, their bodies overwhelmed by fatigue.

…

The oppressive heat seeped through thick leaden clouds, scattering faint rays of sunlight. It was nearly midday.

The vast, barren plain stretched endlessly into the distance, littered with jagged rocks and stones. Sparse, yellowed grass struggled up through cracks, casting an air of lifelessness.

“Grrr…” Fang He rubbed his shrunken stomach, licking his dry lips, his shifty eyes scanning their surroundings.

“I want food. I want a bath,” Jiang Qiang whimpered.

“Jiang Qiang, just bear with it. If you keep this up, you’ll attract those spirits for sure,” Fang He’s face turned green with irritation; Jiang Qiang’s stubbornness was a force to be reckoned with.

“What are we supposed to do, then? Are we just going to starve here and wait for death?” Jiang Qiang complained. She had never suffered like this before.

“How should I know? In this godforsaken place, it’d be a miracle if even a bird laid an egg,” Fang He grumbled, his mouth running nonstop as he surveyed the dead wasteland.

“Enough, Fang He! Stop whining—you’re giving me a headache. Let’s check out ahead,” Mo Han said, rubbing his temples and frowning.

The environment was ominous, and they had to find food and water or risk dying here.

One hundred meters, five hundred, a thousand!

…

Endless rubble and grotesque rocks, with nothing but yellowed grass—no sign of life.

The three wilted.

“Damn it, Guan Qian, where have you brought us?” Jiang Qiang choked out, staring hopelessly at the deserted landscape, tears streaming down her face.

“Heavens and earth, I, Fang He, haven’t even married yet! Damn you, Guan Qian, I never did anything to you—how could you ruin me like this? If I don’t make it back, how many beauties in our class will be heartbroken?” Fang He dropped to his knees, looking skyward, bawling and wiping away snot and tears.

“Shut up, Fang He!” Mo Han, thoroughly exasperated, strode over and kicked him twice.

“Mo Han, don’t worry. I’ll hold out just long enough to die after you, and I promise to handle your burial,” Fang He clung to Mo Han’s leg, smearing his tear-stained face.

“Get lost! Go cool off somewhere else!” Mo Han kicked him aside, glaring at the sticky residue left on his leg.

“Seriously, Mo Han, you’re so heartless,” Fang He muttered, squatting and chewing on a piece of dried grass.

“Enough, you two! Think of something—I refuse to die of starvation in this cursed place!” Jiang Qiang wiped her tears and shouted, her temper flaring.

“Just a moment ago you were sobbing like a kitten, and now you’re a tigress,” Fang He whispered, glancing slyly at her.

“I think we should keep moving—let’s climb that steep hill ahead,” Mo Han suggested, eyeing the low rise in the distance.

“All right,” Jiang Qiang calmed herself. They could only take things step by step; staying put meant certain death.

“Hey! Hey! Slow down, you two—I’m injured, you know. At least give me a break—ow!”

With Fang He limping behind Mo Han and Jiang Qiang, the trio set out once more into the unknown.

Meanwhile, several kilometers away, Guan Qian and Tang Ruyan were heading northeast, searching for the Domain Gate Key. Last night, they’d managed to kill a few more spirits, dodging assaults and surviving peril after peril.

“I can’t sense any spirits now,” Guan Qian said, his eyes white, ever alert.

“Could it be that they hide during the day?” Tang Ruyan smoothed her tangled hair.

“Most likely. These spirit creatures only come out at night, and vanish completely during the day,” Guan Qian speculated cautiously.

“Are they afraid of sunlight?”

“Maybe—or perhaps there’s another reason,” Guan Qian replied, frowning at the sky heavy with leaden clouds.

“We’d better stay vigilant,” Tang Ruyan murmured.

“Wait, the Domain Gate Key is moving!” Guan Qian’s senses trembled; he felt a faint presence shifting far to the northeast. The information relayed to his mind was unmistakable: the Domain Gate Key.

“What?!” Tang Ruyan exclaimed, shocked that the key was moving. This made their task much harder—a truly unfavorable development.

“Damn it, we have to pick up the pace. While the spirits are dormant in daylight, we must catch up with the Domain Gate Key!” Guan Qian said, pulling Tang Ruyan along as they vanished instantly from sight.

…

“Look—what’s that?” Fang He crawled atop the low hill, pointing ahead.

“It looks like a patch of greenery,” Mo Han said, rubbing his nose and peering intently.

“Greenery! It’s greenery!” Jiang Qiang shouted, leaping up, her face alight with wild joy.

Green meant water—a blessing beyond belief.

“Whoosh—”

Fang He shot forward like a rabbit, running with newfound speed, as if fueled by pure adrenaline.

“Damn, when did his leg heal?” Mo Han cursed, chasing after him.

“You two are so ungentlemanly! You left a woman behind!” Jiang Qiang cried, hurrying after them.

That patch of green was their sole hope for survival; all complaints and fears were cast aside. Human survival instinct was truly remarkable—so long as there was a chance to live, any peril seemed insignificant.

The greenery was small, like a single leaf in this wasteland, but to the three travelers, it was a sight for sore eyes.

“Look, there’s a small lake!” Fang He entered the green patch and immediately spotted the lake nearby, running toward it in excitement.

“Splash—”

The three of them jumped into the lake, sending up waves as the cool, sweet water refreshed their tired bodies.

“This is incredible—honestly, I’ve never had such a satisfying bath,” Fang He grinned lewdly, his mouth nearly splitting his face.

“God, I’m dying of thirst,” Mo Han gulped down handfuls of crystal-clear water.

“Stay away, you two! You’re filthy! Ugh!” Jiang Qiang swam to the side, wiping her dirty face and keeping her distance from the others.

“Whatever,” Fang He rolled his eyes and dove under.

But the trio, lost in their excitement, failed to notice the lurking danger creeping ever closer!

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