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After hearing Zhang Nu’s words, Liu Hai also understood—there was no avoiding it now. Zhao Yang would be joining them when they leave the village. Since that was the case, there was nothing left to argue. This decision had already been nailed into place.
“Well then, we’d better leave quickly,” Liu Hai said. “If we wait any longer, I’m afraid we really won’t be able to get out. This place is terrifying... it made us idle so much without even realizing it.”
Zhang Nu nodded. He hadn’t expected this village to be so dangerous either. At first, they had thought it was the most peaceful place they had ever stayed in, but in the end, it had proven to be the one that almost pulled them in the deepest.
The villages they’d visited before only tempted them with physical rest. This one had tempted them into spiritual complacency.
And to cultivators like them, it was far more dangerous.
As they spoke, the group walked over to Zhao Yang. The boy glanced at Liu Hai—now fully recovered—with a sly grin, then shot a smug look at Zhang Nu.
“Well? I didn’t lie to you, did I?” Zhao Yang said. “Told you your friend would snap out of it after eating that grass. You guys just didn’t believe me.”
Zhang Nu gave an embarrassed smile. “Anyone in our position would’ve had doubts. We had to be sure. Liu Hai’s life was on the line.”
“Right,” he continued sincerely, “Now that Liu Hai’s awake, thank you, Zhao Yang. I owe you an apology for my earlier doubts. Are you ready to leave with us? We plan to depart soon.”
Zhao Yang nodded and jumped down from the wall he’d been lounging on. “I already told you I’m coming with you. If you’re all leaving, why would I stay behind?”
He replied in his usual carefree tone—a style Liu Hai disliked immediately. In Liu Hai’s eyes, people should be either upright and dependable like himself, or stoic and serious like Lin Xiao. This kind of loose, lazy attitude was the exact opposite of what he respected.
“Zhang Nu, are we really bringing him with us?” Liu Hai frowned. “He doesn’t exactly scream reliable. And don’t forget. He’s a villager here. Would his family even allow it?”
“I remember him saying he tried to leave before and was stopped by his parents.”
Zhao Yang’s expression darkened. He glared at Liu Hai, clearly angered. To him, Liu Hai’s attitude was nothing short of biting the hand that fed him. If not for Zhao Yang’s help, Liu Hai might still be trapped in that mind-numbing peace.
“You’ve got a hell of a way with words,” Zhao Yang snapped. “No sense of gratitude. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be in a daze. So this is how you treat the one who saved your life? Really?”
Liu Hai’s eyes grew sharp. “See? He’s proving my point. One little comment and he explodes. If we bring him along, he’s just going to be a liability. We’ve already got four people, and that’s enough. No need to drag him into it.”
Zhao Yang’s anger boiled over. He stared at the two of them with narrowed, reptilian eyes—his pupils slitting like a serpent about to strike.
Sensing the shift in tension, Lin Xiao quickly stepped forward.
“Enough, Liu Hai,” he said. “Don’t provoke him. The fact that he grew up in this village and still managed to keep his sense of self—that’s not easy.”
“If he wants to come with us and experience the outside world, then let him. If he changes his mind later, he can always turn back.”
Only after hearing Lin Xiao’s words did the dangerous glint in Zhao Yang’s eyes begin to fade.
Yes, he’d let his temper get the better of him. He didn’t even know if these people were truly trustworthy, yet he’d already exposed his temperament. If they were bad people, he would’ve been finished, and so would the entire village.
“Fine,” Liu Hai said at last. “If Lin Xiao’s okay with it, then let’s bring him along. It’s not a big deal. We’ve already taken in this many people.”
“But I’m warning you,” he added, casting Zhao Yang a sidelong glance. “Our group isn’t that strong. Everyone has to rely on themselves. If you can’t pull your weight, don’t expect us to babysit you.”
Zhao Yang nodded lightly, though he didn’t look Liu Hai in the eye. He still remembered what Liu Hai had said about not letting him come. Zhao Yang was the type to hold a grudge.