A man slowly approached the little girl at the edge of the faint glow, his blade gently tracing her cheek. With a hint of regret, he said, "What a pitiful child. Can you understand the torment congenital diseases inflict upon us?"
"Hey, why did you tie us up?"
"Why? To survive, of course!"
Ren Yuanhao, still confused, continued to ask, "To survive?"
The man lowered his hood, his voice trembling. "You people can never understand the pain of being confined to dark corners, nor the intensity of our longing for sunlight."
He raised his knife, his sinister eyes sweeping over everyone. "It's different now. By flaying your skins and decocting them for forty-nine days, I can stand in the sunlight again, feel warmth anew!"
"Hmph, really? Kill us, and you won't escape punishment." Ren Yuanhao sneered. For someone so deeply consumed by inner demons, appealing to reason or emotion was impossible. The only thing he could do now was to fully unleash his inner strength.
"You don't need to worry about that. No one will find this place. Don't worry, I'll try my best to let you live well for the next forty-nine days."
The man gripped his knife, his smile as cold and sinister as a vampire crawling from an evil tomb. He then slowly retreated into the darkness.
After the man left, Zhang Jing slowly spoke, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be a very deep cave somewhere in the Northwest winds."
Ren Yuanhao also heard the dripping water, and even the dull echo of footsteps hitting the rock walls. He detested this place. It was the source of his painful memories. The word "cave" would always bring to mind a little girl with pigtails and a sailor suit, who then walked into the Luan River and was gradually swallowed by the water!
"Young Master Ren, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Ren Yuanhao suddenly stood up from his chair. The ropes binding him snapped. He twisted his neck, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and his entire demeanor seemed to have changed drastically from before!
"I almost forgot, Young Master Ren's martial arts are first-class. You managed to break free from your restraints in such a short time." Zhang Jing didn't show excessive excitement. Everything seemed to be within her expectations.
"No, that guy tied me too loosely. Miss Zhang, please bear with me for a moment, I'll untie you right away."
"You untie the child first. Her body can't withstand such suffering." Zhang Jing was full of worry. The child hadn't woken up since the incident.
"Don't worry, I will definitely find a way to get you all out." Ren Yuanhao's words were resolute. After all, the last time he walked out of a cave, he was holding Cheng Li's corpse. This time, he didn't want to repeat the same mistake.
"Don't underestimate that man. I can't figure out his martial arts style. If we have a direct confrontation later, if you can escape, don't mind me. Try to take the child with you. I'm afraid..."
"No need to say more. I will bring both of you out safely."
Ren Yuanhao stood under the dim, aquamarine light. At this moment, he didn't even realize that Zhang Jing behind him had been completely moved by his words. In the flickering lamplight, it wasn't just broad shoulders; it was as if they could truly support this collapsing world.
Ren Yuanhao had now completely freed the two from their chairs. Without a word, Zhang Jing carefully picked up the little girl. Ren Yuanhao held the aquamarine lamp and first scanned the surroundings, trying to find any useful items.
Under the dim, aquamarine shadows, the cave walls were covered with moss of various colors. Some snake-like hanging mosses twisted and drooped. Water droplets continuously dripped from these mossy plants, filling the air with a raw scent. The cold, misty ground was unpleasantly damp, like a ghost of a long-tongued woman brushing past your ankles on a fog-shrouded morning, her cold, chilling tongue licking your skin.
"It seems we can only rely on this lamp to get out. Miss Zhang, remember, stick closely behind me, no matter what happens, stay right with me!"
Zhang Jing nodded and softly replied, "You don't need to call me Miss anymore. My brother calls me Jing'er, you can call me that too."
"Okay, let's go."
Ren Yuanhao, holding the lamp, naturally headed in the direction the cloaked man had left. He had already checked, and besides that passage, there were no other exits. He cautiously peered out with the dim lamplight and immediately recalled an important issue! That's right, since the order hadn't been completed, he could use the system map to locate Yin Shili's position, and the cloaked man was also very likely with her!
Ren Yuanhao immediately connected to his brain system. The moment the map opened, it made him gasp! This cave was terrifyingly deep, at least a kilometer, with numerous branching paths. A moment's carelessness could lead them into a labyrinthine cave system. What was even more terrifying was the unknown dangers lurking within such a cave.
"Hey, System Sister, can you draw me a path to the exit?"
"Cannot. I can mark the path to the employer for you."
"Don't mess with me. If I were alone now, I'd go deal with the employer first, but..."
"Your decision is yours. However, I have a welfare benefit to tell you about, if you want it."
"What benefit?"
"According to my perception, this cave is scattered with strange energy. I don't know what it is specifically, but you might want to check it out if you have the chance. It might be some rare material."
"Hey, isn't that like revealing the secret of a treasure map to me?"
"No, a treasure map is much more useful than this. At least it can pinpoint a more accurate location."
"Forget it. This place is no different from a maze. If it's mine, I might even drop it."
Ren Yuanhao had a brief exchange with the system. The map showed Yin Shili's location to be about three to four hundred meters away, with seven or eight branching paths. The only path leading to the exit was the one leading to Yin Shili.
—It's over. It seems what you must face, you can never avoid.
He boldly moved forward according to the map, also keeping a wary eye on the cloaked man. After advancing about 100 meters, they finally reached the first fork.
"So many岔路, which way do we go?" Zhang Jing frowned slightly, her arms bearing the red marks left by the ropes.
"Look here." Ren Yuanhao pointed to the faint footprints and water stains on the ground, quickly identifying the exit.
"Amazing. You saw such faint footprints." Zhang Jing didn't know that Ren Yuanhao was using the map. Otherwise, it would have been almost impossible to spot such inconspicuous footprints.