After a long pause, Xiaoshu finally lowered her head, not meeting her eyes, and pointed at me, who was clinging to life, with a single finger, saying, "What about Xiaoyu? He has to go with me."

"Ohohoho..." The hunchbacked crone let out a strange cackle. Only when both of us looked up, our gazes fixed on her, did she speak with relish, "Don't worry, the Bowel-Piercing Gu won't kill him, unless you two wish to betray me. With those little insects inside his body, I can monitor your every move at any time, using them to tell you where to go, what to do, and how to bring the ghost infant back."

Good heavens. I had literally been turned into this old woman's puppet. The journey ahead was not for Xiaoshu and me to explore alone, but rather to be led like marionettes whose strings she held. The thought ignited a blaze of fury within me, and I sprang up, intending to smash her with the chair. But the moment my feet shifted, an unbearable, sharp pain struck again, those disgusting insects writhing fiercely inside my gut.

"Don't struggle, young sir." The damnable old woman purred with a singsong tone, as if every move I made was within her grasp. "We are playing a game of perfect understanding. What you intend to do, the little insects will tell me; likewise, what I intend to do, they will tell you. However, even though they reside in your body, they obey only me. If you know what’s good for you, sir, don't waste your energy trying to resist."

I sank back into the chair, helplessly abandoning the thought of attacking her. The instant I ceased my resistance, the turmoil in my stomach subsided, and the agonizing pain slowly receded.

Xiaoshu looked at me with eyes full of guilt. I managed to force a thin smile for her and said calmly, "It's fine. Saving the two children is the priority."

Saying that, I suddenly felt the current situation wasn't so terrible after all. Although being held hostage was unpleasant, looking at it from another angle, having these Bowel-Piercing Gu inside us meant our movements could be reported to the old witch instantly. Any trouble we encountered along the way could also be resolved with her help. Since she desired the ghost infant, she wouldn't harm me or stand by idly if we faced real danger before our return.

With that thought, before I could even speak, the hunchbacked crone cut in, "Your thinking is quite correct. We should cooperate happily; that way, both sides benefit."

It seemed the claim that the Bowel-Piercing Gu could connect two minds was no idle boast. Yet, while she could perceive my thoughts, I couldn't actively know hers. The initiative remained firmly in her hands.

"Alright. We're going to save the two children now. But the prerequisite is that Hua Gu and A'Mang must remain unharmed here until we return. If anything happens to them, the ghost infant will certainly not come back." Seeing that my color had returned and I agreed to maintain this cooperative arrangement, Xiaoshu stopped hesitating and made a firm decision.

"Very well." The hunchbacked crone clapped her hands, an expression bordering on fawning directed at Xiaoshu. "As expected, Young Master is decisive. I will take excellent care of these two. The venom of the Red Spider Lily won't cause them pain; they are merely enjoying sweet dreams in their own world. When you return with the ghost infant, they will naturally awaken unharmed."

"How much do you know about why the Monkey Clan abducted the two children? Tell us how to cross the Sea of Spirits to reach the Monkey Clan's territory." Xiaoshu was all action. Her expression grave, she pulled paper and pen from her backpack, ready to record information as she questioned.