"Which way are we going?"
As soon as Jiang Xiuxiu was pulled up, she hurriedly asked.
Ye Ming blinked and tilted his head at her. His meaning was obvious: he hadn't decided yet.
Jiang Xiuxiu sighed.
"What's happening in the village? What are the other players doing?"
She decided it was best to understand the current situation first.
Since Ye Ming had come over at night and said those things, it was likely that the remaining players had caused some trouble.
Sure enough, Ye Ming nodded and said, "They're burning houses."
Jiang Xiuxiu was taken aback. "Burning houses?"
She wasn't surprised that the other players had figured out the villagers would sacrifice a bride at night. But she hadn't expected them to dare burn the houses while the villagers were away.
Were they trying to completely break ties with the villagers?
Thinking quickly, Jiang Xiuxiu grabbed Ye Ming's hand urgently. "We need to go now!"
The villagers had already sent four or five people in their direction, and the flashlight in Ye Ming's hand was practically a beacon.
If they didn't leave immediately, they wouldn't have a chance to escape.
"Why do we need to run?"
To Jiang Xiuxiu's surprise, she couldn't move Ye Ming an inch.
Facing her shocked expression, Ye Ming turned his head and said in a puzzled tone, "Can't we just beat them?"
"Hey!" Jiang Xiuxiu exclaimed. Was he joking? Those were four or five strong, armed villagers!
While they were hesitating, on the coast, the remaining two female players were being thrown into the river by the instructions of the old man in the black robe. With two splashes, the river surface remained eerily still, the deadly silence making the already chilly air even colder.
Four or five villagers, wielding sticks and knives, aggressively approached Jiang Xiuxiu and Ye Ming. More villagers were watching them with hostile eyes.
Yet, Ye Ming remained relaxed. He smiled at the approaching villagers and then punched the tree beside him.
The motion was casual, almost indifferent. But as his hand touched the tree, something unexpected happened.
With a sharp tearing sound, the thick tree wobbled and then crashed to the ground.
Jiang Xiuxiu was stunned. "What kind of superpower is this?"
Only now did she remember Ye Ming had mentioned his special ability was "to become incredibly strong at critical moments."
But this strength was too much!
Staring at the nearly 30-centimeter-wide tree trunk, Jiang Xiuxiu was dumbfounded. The villagers, who were about to grab her, also looked shocked.
They looked at Ye Ming, then at the fallen tree.
" Are you still coming?" Ye Ming asked, smiling innocently, as he rolled up his sleeves leisurely. "If you're coming, hurry up. I've never really fought anyone before."
In a lawful society, "gentlemen use words, not fists." Fights were rare.
But in this situation, his words had a different meaning to the villagers.
Seeing Ye Ming's gentle smile, the villagers grew even more apprehensive.
Was it that he rarely fought because when he did, he would beat people to death?
"Run!"
After a few seconds, one villager made a decision. Not only did they stop advancing, but they also turned and fled in all directions.
They seemed calm, but they ran so fast it was frightening. In just a few moments, they were dozens of meters away.
Ye Ming hadn't even gotten the chance to fight before they scared the villagers off.
"They're gone already?" Ye Ming raised an eyebrow in surprise. He pulled his sleeves back down, looking a bit disappointed.
Jiang Xiuxiu sighed. "Since they ran, let's go back."
Alone, Jiang Xiuxiu couldn't fight a group or face the old man in the black robe, so she thought only of escaping. But now, with Ye Ming's strength, her fear subsided and rationality returned.
She remembered Wang Xiaoyue asking her to throw the black-robed old man into the water, using the story of Ximen Bao.
With Ye Ming's strength, they could deal with the old man now, further controlling Xu Bai.
Just as Jiang Xiuxiu was thinking this, the flashlight's beam wavered. Then, with a "clack," it fell from Ye Ming's hand to the ground.
In the light, Jiang Xiuxiu saw Ye Ming's face was pale, his forehead sweating, and his lips bloodless. Moments ago, he seemed fine, but now he looked gravely ill.
"Is your special ability causing aftereffects?"
Games often balanced powerful abilities with certain drawbacks. Seeing Ye Ming so weak, Jiang Xiuxiu quickly understood.
Ye Ming didn't answer, but Jiang Xiuxiu, realizing the situation, picked up the flashlight and supported him.
Never mind, they should find the other players. It's too dangerous alone, they'd be safer together.
"Do you know where the others are?" she asked urgently. "Where did they go to burn houses? We should find them."
Leaning against her, Ye Ming blinked slowly. "I don't know."
Jiang Xiuxiu was shocked. "You don't know? Do you at least have an idea of the direction?"
She thought he would know the players' whereabouts even if he wasn't close with them.
"I don't know," Ye Ming repeated, his breath warm and faint against her ear. "After they left, I came straight to find you."
Straight to find her?
Jiang Xiuxiu glanced at him, seeing his half-open, half-closed eyes filled with fatigue but also a surprising calmness. He wasn't lying.
Ye Ming often followed instructions and probably stayed with the players. He should know their movements.
But now, he knew nothing. He must not have joined them.
He hadn't gone with them to burn houses, he'd come to the coast to save her, even though he knew his ability's limitations.
Jiang Xiuxiu didn't know what to feel. She sighed. "Never mind, there should be firelight from the burning houses. We can follow that."
Ye Ming nodded slightly. "Alright."
He smiled gently, his fair, handsome face looking even more serene.
Jiang Xiuxiu suddenly realized how close they were. Ye Ming, much taller than her, was leaning on her, his arm around her. His head rested on her shoulder, his breath warm on her ear and neck.
Realizing this, Jiang Xiuxiu's steps faltered, and her expression became slightly unnatural.
Given Ye Ming's condition, their position was normal. But remembering his previous words made her mind wander.
She usually thought quickly, and now countless thoughts and images flooded her mind, leaving her unsure of her own thoughts.
Finally, Jiang Xiuxiu took a deep breath and kept moving.
Their position wasn't ideal, and with villagers heading back, they had to avoid being seen.
Jiang Xiuxiu avoided main paths, steering clear of Wang's house and Wang Xiaoyue's grandfather's house, moving through the hills to avoid villagers.
After a few minutes, they saw the village, where a fire was clearly burning.
The players had really set fires.
One house was ablaze, lighting up half the sky. Two others were already ashes, their fires nearly out.
They had really gone all out, burning three houses at once. If the villagers hadn't intervened, they might have burned more.
"Look over there," Ye Ming said suddenly. "They're coming."
Jiang Xiuxiu saw two players fleeing toward the hills, followed by two villagers.
Maybe by coincidence, the fleeing direction was right where Jiang Xiuxiu and Ye Ming stood.