Lin Chun paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
I could clearly feel that the doubts and unhappiness in Lin Chun's heart had completely vanished.
"Alright, let's head back. Two more to go, we'll continue searching tomorrow!" I said.
"Got it!" Lin Chun nodded.
As we headed back, Number Three was still sound asleep, drooling all over the place.
We didn't pay much attention to it, found a spot to lie down, and closed our eyes to rest.
The next morning, when we woke up, we found that it was already close to noon.
These past few days had been truly exhausting. Chatting last night had also taken up a lot of time, and this sleep felt exceptionally comfortable.
I glanced at where Number Three had been sleeping, and my expression suddenly changed. Number Three was gone!
"Wake up quickly!" I said in a deep voice, "Number Three is gone!"
Lin Chun heard me and immediately got up, looking around. He indeed couldn't see Number Three's figure, and his face instantly turned grim.
"It's all my fault... We should have had someone on watch yesterday. If Number Three went out, he might encounter danger, and then it would be troublesome!" Lin Chun said hastily.
"Let's search the surroundings quickly!" Without another word, I prepared to rush out.
Just then, a dull sound came from the doorway.
Lin Chun and I ran out to see Number Three standing there, wiping sweat from his brow.
Beside him lay a wild sheep, a wild deer, and a wild boar. On a nearby rock was a tuna weighing around two hundred pounds.
"Brother Chun, roast the sheep, make jerky from the deer, keep the boar for later, and boil the fish!" Number Three proudly looked at his spoils, licking his lips, clearly famished.
"Where did you go?" I asked.
"When I woke up, I saw you two sleeping. I knew you must have been exhausted, so I went out hunting..." Number Three thought for a moment, "Oh, do you have any seasonings?"
"Yes, I'll handle it later," Lin Chun replied.
Only then did we both relax.
Number Three had a very simple mind. He felt like a child to me, and I knew it wasn't an act. Spending a few days with him had made me feel much more relaxed and happy.
If something were to happen to this guy, we might not be able to accept it for quite some time.
After we had a sumptuous lunch, we set out again.
According to my calculations, the time should be about right.
The reason was simple: we were looking for them, and they were also looking for us. From the spot where we anchored, they could definitely see my city, so they would surely be moving to surround it. And we were currently on the way to meet them.
We spent almost half a day more, and by the time night fell, there were still no clues.
There were no signs of human activity around, making everything look too normal.
"Another day of coming up empty..." Lin Chun said with a smile.
Since he and I had been open with each other, his smile had clearly become more frequent.
"Let's rest for now..." I said with a smile, then glanced at Number Three, "Come here..."
Number Three looked a bit confused but still sat down beside me.
"Extend your left arm, let me see!" I said.
Number Three nodded and rolled up his sleeve.
Then I clearly saw a black dot on his elbow.
If one didn't look closely, it would seem like just a mole, but if someone looked carefully, they would realize.
It wasn't a mole at all, but something was covering it!
The markings were spreading outwards, giving the impression of water seeping in.
Most importantly, under these circumstances, the coverage area was constantly expanding.
It was evident that the guy from before hadn't lied. If he didn't return for treatment on time, he could very well be completely done for by these black runes.
"Interesting..." I looked at the dark spot. I initially wanted to forcefully remove it, but after hesitating for a good while, I decided to use the Shepherd's Power!
I placed one hand over the scar area, and pale green energy flowed back and forth in my palm.
The moment the pale green energy covered the area, I immediately locked onto that thing resembling a mole.
With almost no hesitation, a surge of power shot out, instantly grasping Number Three.
Then it was all directed at that mole-like object.
In my estimation, using this method should have allowed me to perfectly separate the mole.
Once that happened, Number Three would no longer be controlled by Vixi.
As for other matters, they could be thought about and decided upon slowly, but I felt uneasy until this ticking time bomb was removed.
But then, the unexpected happened!