Ashalina immediately brightened, turning to Bai Youwei with elated eyes. “The color segments cycle eight times, and the cave numbers cycle eight times too — the route you described has to be right!”
Bai Youwei’s expression was distant.
She had always been confident in herself — perhaps even a little overconfident. But now she hesitated, wavered, as though she barely recognized herself.
If they were wrong again, they would face four merfolk. With just her and A-Long, an injured Ashalina, and the young Pan Xiaoxin, it would be impossible.
In games past, she had always been at ease, always felt she could recover from mistakes — and that ease had come from Shen Mo standing at her back, giving her the certainty that even if things went wrong, they could be made right. But now…
Now. Did she dare try?
Gamble with her companions’ lives, just to try?
“What’s the matter with you?” Ashalina’s impatience broke through. “Back in the red-yellow-blue puzzle, you had no trouble making calls. Why are you dithering now? You sound like a child who never grew up. The moment the stakes get high, you curl up and go timid. You can call it ‘being careful’ if you like, but what it really is, is cowardice — being afraid to take responsibility!”
Bai Youwei bit down on her lower lip.
Pan Xiaoxin protested: “Youwei just doesn’t want to make a reckless decision!”
“But the old man beside you doesn’t have much time left!” Ashalina looked at Pan Xiaoxin. “Kid — are you afraid to die?”
Pan Xiaoxin’s face was stiff, but he shook his head. “No!”
“A-Long, are you afraid?” she asked again.
A-Long’s expression was resolute. He shook his head.
Ashalina looked at Bai Youwei. “You see? None of us are afraid to die. So make the call. If you keep going like this, how are you ever going to compete against the other players for the throne? — The throne! Remember — you are a king! Don’t make me regret pledging myself to you!”
Ashalina’s words hit Bai Youwei like a slap across the face, stinging fiercely.
She was cowardly. She was weak. She was afraid to be responsible for the lives of others.
All this time she had been alone — no one’s care, no joy of reunion, no grief of parting. She had grown accustomed to it! So she couldn’t bear this — she truly couldn’t bear it!
It was too heavy.
And it was utterly heartbreaking — the people she cared about. If they died because of a mistake she made, she would never forgive herself. Never.
A hand gently tugged at her sleeve.
Bai Youwei looked down. It was Teacher Cheng.
He had half-opened his eyes, his expression calm and warm. “It’s alright… take your time thinking… don’t rush… we’re not in a hurry…”
Bai Youwei’s nose prickled. She quickly turned her face away so Teacher Cheng wouldn’t see her cry.
After a long moment, she spoke: “A-Long… carry Ashalina and Teacher Cheng into the cabin. Xiaoxin, go to the wheelhouse…”
She bit her lip. It stung. Then she opened her mouth again:
“Take us into Cave 7.”
Ashalina exhaled with pure, deep relief.
“We’re going to make it,” Ashalina said firmly. “This time, we will not be wrong.”
To escape this labyrinth of seven cave entrances, they had to follow some pattern — and what was that pattern?
—
The ouroboros had given them the clue.
Seven serpents formed seven closed paths. Each path had its own rule. And they had to be steadfast — find one rule, and follow it through, all the way until the cycle completed, from the serpent’s head, back to the serpent’s head.
The serpent’s head they had chosen was Cave 4. To return to Cave 4, they had to pass through eight choices —
1-2-3-**(4)**-5-6-7-1-**(2)**-3-4-5-6-**(7)**-1-2-3-4-**(5)**-6-7-1-2-**(3)**-4-5-6-7-**(1)**-2-3-4-5-**(6)**-7-1-2-3-**(4)**-5-6-7
Like a snake, black and red alternating, cycling endlessly.
Ashalina calculated silently, closed her eyes, and made a silent prayer: *It will work, Bai Youwei… you will succeed.*
—