Xiao Qi’s expression was grim. He grabbed him and pleaded, “Brother Shan, what kind of time is this? Protect your own life first. If we let him go, the White Glove will kill us… Besides, the exchange is at noon. He… he won’t necessarily be in any danger…”

Those words carried very little conviction, because Xiao Qi knew full well that given Ye Chong’s brutal nature, even in a trade, he definitely wouldn’t hand Tan Xiao over in good condition.

Very likely…

Very likely, during the exchange, he would deliberately arrange it so they handed over a corpse…

They had, after all, been brothers once. Even Xiao Qi couldn’t bear it — but given their current situation, staying alive was the most urgent priority.

He pulled at Hu Dashan again, helpless. “Brother Shan, let’s go. What day does someone not die in this game? A’Jun, Guizi — they both died in the game. And Houzi — didn’t he die too? What happened to Tan Xiao… there was nothing we could do about it. We can’t save him. Let’s go…”

Hu Dashan was genuinely powerless. He stood up and followed Xiao Qi toward the exit, then looked back at Tan Xiao. “Will he die…”

“He won’t.” Xiao Qi pulled him once more. “He’s been through more labyrinths than us — he doesn’t die that easily. He took those terrible wounds yesterday and by the very next morning they were already starting to heal, weren’t they?”

Hu Dashan almost said that yesterday’s wounds had been narrower punctures — but the words died on his lips. What was the point? Could he save Tan Xiao?

No. He couldn’t. He couldn’t even protect himself right now. He couldn’t save anyone…

—

As it drew close to noon.

Tan Xiao awoke from unconsciousness to find himself on someone’s back, jolting up and down, every lurch sending pain through his whole body and making his vision swim.

Though perhaps “pain” wasn’t quite the right word — he’d lost so much blood that many parts of him had gone numb. He could barely feel them.

Hu Dashan set him down in a patch of dense undergrowth and hastily gathered branches and leaves to pile over him.

Tan Xiao weakly opened his eyes halfway, voice hoarse. “What are you doing…”

“Shh, don’t talk!” Hu Dashan’s voice was taut, suppressing a thread of frantic urgency. “Stay here and don’t move. I’ve thought of a way to save you!”

Tan Xiao had no strength left in his body. He closed his eyes again, wanting to say he couldn’t move even if he tried…

The sound of footsteps grew distant. Hu Dashan had run off.

Lying buried in the undergrowth, Tan Xiao thought to himself: Hu Dashan, scum of the martial world — you dump old Brother here and call that a rescue plan…

—

Hu Dashan hurried back to the cave. Not a soul was around. His heart instantly eased.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have dared. But this opportunity was simply too good — if he didn’t try, he’d regret it for good.

He walked into the cave.

Inside, only the muscular man was on guard — and he was fast asleep.

These people’s energy was deteriorating more and more, falling asleep at the slightest opportunity. If they didn’t replenish food and water soon, they’d probably not even have the strength to fight.

Strange, though — it wasn’t as if they had no food or water at all. Ye Chong had still given them some. By rights it should have been enough…

Hu Dashan shook his head, pushing aside these muddled thoughts. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching, he stepped outside the cave and quietly concealed himself.

He didn’t have to wait long. After only four or five minutes, someone came along the small path to the left of the cave.

It was Tian Li.

Tian Li came back with an exhausted expression, his steps as shuffling as an old man’s, knees almost seeming to buckle beneath him as he moved through the grass and brush.

Hu Dashan quickly emerged, pretending he’d returned from his patrol post at the same time, and called out a greeting: “You’re heading back to rest too.”

Tian Li glanced at him and gave a weary nod. “Couldn’t hold out any longer — came back to get some rest.”

The two walked into the cave together, and saw that the muscular man tasked with guarding it had fallen asleep — and aside from a pool of blood on the floor, there was not a trace of Tan Xiao to be seen!

Tian Li was simultaneously startled and furious. Exhaustion forgotten, he drove a fierce kick into the muscular man!

“Are you trying to get us killed?! Where’s the person you were supposed to be watching?! Where did he go?!”

—