Just then, a knock came from the door. I walked over and opened it to see Weixi standing there.
"Is there something?" I asked.
"I want to discuss something with you," Weixi said. "I hope you'll hand over the item."
Hmm?
Was he coming directly to ask for the thing?
What if I didn't give it to him? Did he think I couldn't fight?
"I don't understand," I said with a smile, my body tensing. If this guy made any unusual moves, I wouldn't hesitate to strike.
"Don't be so tense. You might have just arrived and don't feel it, but we've been here too long. I want to leave as soon as possible," Weixi said.
"Can you tell me what happens if all the items are gathered?" I asked.
"I don't know," Weixi replied. "But you must have already noticed that these so-called natives, while appearing lifelike, are not actually like that."
I didn't answer.
"So, help me!" Weixi exclaimed. "I've been trapped here for so long, I've had enough!"
I took a deep breath. "Wait a moment..."
"Any other questions?" Weixi asked.
"Can you give me some of that lake water from before?" I asked. "I need to prove something!"
"Okay!" Weixi nodded without hesitation and handed me a bottle filled with a pale green liquid.
"Thank you," I said. "I'm going through my things, and maybe I can find something!"
Weixi glanced at me, then turned and left.
From that look, I even felt a hint of danger.
Was he planning to make a move on me?
But, don't forget, I'm not someone to be trifled with. We could still talk things over if we were reasonable, but if it came to a fight, I wouldn't hold back.
After Weixi left, I closed the doors and windows. Now, it was time to test my own hypothesis!
I took out the note from before, spread it flat on the table, and then sprinkled a little of the green liquid on it.
Seeing the change before my eyes, I was utterly shocked.
The piece of paper seemed to come alive, starting to writhe. The liquid did the same.
Within a few breaths, it had completely enveloped the small note.
Then, some characters appeared before my eyes.
These were definitely not Chinese characters, but for some reason, the moment they appeared, I understood their meaning.
It was as if the meaning represented by these characters had been etched into my mind long ago.
I knew this must be because of Mu Shen.
There was only a short sentence on the note.
"Break and then establish, born from death!"
Another riddle?
I felt like I was about to go crazy. Why was I encountering all these nonsensical things?
As I was thinking, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside.
Immediately, Richard barged through my door, panting and speaking with terror in his voice, "Run, Lu, run!"
"Run?" I looked at Richard. "What happened?"
"They're here!" Richard shouted.
Seeing the confusion on my face, Richard couldn't afford to explain. He grabbed my shoulder and shoved me towards the window.
To my surprise, on the distant hillside, something seemed to be approaching at an incredible speed.
Seeing the dust rising from the forest, I knew their numbers were extraordinary.
"What is that!" I asked.
"Don't ask, just run!" Richard said.
"What about the others here?" I asked.
Even though I knew the natives here might not be entirely real.
But I could feel the human connection they conveyed.
Even now, I could still taste the apple pie.
Leaving them to escape alone, I, Lu Zi Ye, couldn't do that!
"Don't worry, they won't die!" Richard said. "I've been through this countless times, trust me!"
"How is that possible?" I asked.
"Go!" Richard suddenly roared, his whole body seemingly frenzied, his face trembling madly. "Listen to me, leave immediately, go now, without any hesitation!"
Although I was deeply unsettled, since it had come to this, I naturally couldn't say any more.
"Let's go!" I said, not having anything else to grab, and followed him out.
Just then, I heard a commotion on the street.
Immediately after, a monkey-like savage appeared on a rooftop not far away.
"It's over!" Richard's face turned instantly pale.
"Can't these guys be killed?" I asked.
"They can be killed, but I can't defeat them," Richard said. "These guys are very strong!"
"Since they can be killed, then it's fine," I laughed, and then quickly charged towards the monkey-like savage.