All the way, it was me paying up front and Bai Huaqian trailing behind. The undead are things without life; they don't need to breathe, and can stay underwater for any length of time. But humans are different. The length of this passage clearly exceeded what I could bear. Without holding the oxygen rod, I would be suffocating, just like before. So, when Bai Huaqian wasn't paying attention, I quietly slipped the oxygen rod into my mouth. To prevent the bubbles from betraying my situation, I deliberately turned off the flashlight. The surroundings were pitch black; she couldn't see what was ahead at all.

The journey was silent, the two of us swimming to the end without incident. I surfaced first; Old He was already prepared and waiting nearby. Just as Bai Huaqian broke the surface, he used one hand, clad in a long rubber glove, to seize her by the neck. Bai Huaqian struggled twice. Old He dangled an open, transparent glass jar in front of her face, and she suddenly quieted down. Then, as he placed the jar beneath her neck, I finally saw that it contained several wriggling Ming worms.

“Man-eating Ming worms?” I exclaimed in surprise, startled that Old He possessed such things.

Old He grinned smugly. “Sharp eyes, young man! These are indeed the man-eating Ming worms. They devour anything—human, zombie, or specter. And they can fight a hundred to one!”

Bai Huaqian automatically raised her hands, a trace of fear flickering in her eyes, and she spoke to Old He in a trembling voice, “What do you want?”

“Up!” Old He commanded. Then, he altered his grip, taking hold of her hand to help her climb out of the pool.

Bai Huaqian obediently hauled herself out of the water pit. Her rounded body looked like a large water balloon, dripping water everywhere, which was somewhat comical. But truthfully, physique means nothing to the undead. Despite her bulky appearance, she didn't gasp for breath climbing out—though, of course, there was no air to gasp for anyway.

Seeing my sister lying on the side, Bai Huaqian let out a cold laugh. “I know why you’re looking for me. The question is, even if I cure her of the curse, will you truly believe me?”

That was an excellent question, hitting the mark precisely. Why hadn't I thought of that earlier? But even if I had considered that angle, I wouldn’t have dared risk deceiving Li Xiaohao; failure would mean losing everything, even the last sliver of hope. Therefore, regardless, the current situation was the best possible outcome.

“Because I believe you wouldn’t risk your own life, even though that life isn't real either,” Old He stated calmly. “You aren't leaving us anytime soon, at least not until we confirm she is alright.”

Bai Huaqian gave Old He a cold look, pulled a dagger from her robes, pricked her palm, squeezed out a pool of black blood, and began chanting an incantation over it. Finally, she prepared to use the small spoon on the table to feed the blood into my sister's mouth.

Just as my sister’s lips were about to touch the spoon, a splashing sound echoed from the pool behind us. Bai Huaqian stopped, and together with us, she turned to stare at the water.

A few seconds later, water erupted, and a man suddenly surfaced from the pit. At that moment, Bai Huaqian let out a cold sneer, and my face turned utterly pale. Only Old He, unhurriedly, handed the jar of Ming worms to me, signaling me to watch Bai Huaqian, while he walked to the edge of the pool and extended a hand to pull the newcomer out.

The person stood on the solid ground, shaking the water from his clothes. I felt utterly confused. Was the person before me Li Xiaoshu or Li Xiaohao? Which of the two brothers was he?