The situation had become critical. Xiao Shu's wound, initially the size of a broad bean, had festered considerably after their difficult trek and a recent struggle with a large boulder, further irritated by the completely non-healing stream water. Without proper medical attention, it was uncertain if the leg could even be saved.

"It's nothing, stop making a fuss," Xiao Shu said, pushing away my hand resting on his thigh and turning his body to shield the wound from view.

"No, if this continues, your leg will be ruined. We must find a way to get some Water of the Sea of the Undead," I declared resolutely, gazing out at the grayish sky beyond the cave entrance.

The sun had completely set by now, leaving only a faint, ashen afterglow shining up from beneath the horizon. In less than an hour, the sky would be utterly dark, with the moon and stars claiming the entire expanse. I wanted to reach the Sea of the Undead and fetch some water to treat the wound on Xiao Shu's knee before darkness fell, yet I dreaded getting lost in the forest if I returned after nightfall.

"Wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, you can fetch some water for me from the Sea of the Undead. It’s too late, and it’s very dangerous outside; it’s best we both stay in the cave," Xiao Shu murmured weakly, leaning against the rock. Large beads of sweat dripped, one after another, from his forehead onto the back of my hand resting near his leg. I reached out to feel his temperature; it was as scalding as a furnace—not just a fever, but a high one.

Previously, we had only used the Water of the Sea of the Undead for external injuries. Although it guaranteed a complete cure, it was not an all-powerful panacea. If the body suffered tissue loss, the water could only promote wound closure; it could not regenerate lost tissue. If the infection were to spread throughout the body, it would become an internal affliction, and whether the Water of the Sea of the Undead could still soothe the symptoms remained unknown. Thus, I wavered desperately between the coming night and the worsening of his condition. On one hand, I was loath to venture into a grim and terrifying forest at night to retrieve water from the Sea of the Undead; on the other, I feared that by delaying, Xiao Shu would miss the optimal window for recovery.

After much hesitation, I decided to risk everything and make a solitary night journey to the Sea of the Undead for Xiao Shu. If danger struck, it was a debt I already owed him; I would simply pay it with my life. If I returned safely, I hoped the Water of the Sea of the Undead would save Xiao Shu, making the hardships of this journey worthwhile.

Once my mind was made up, I went outside the cave to gather firewood. The monkeys had all vanished; not a single trace of them remained guarding the cave entrance. The task of collecting wood met little resistance, and in a short while, I returned to the cave carrying three large armfuls. I piled them near the large rock, and with a flick of the lighter, the kindling ignited fiercely, blazing like a sun and illuminating the entire cavern. I moved Xing'er to a position opposite Xiao Shu, instructed Ah Li to vigilantly tend the bonfire and add fuel as needed, and then took one branch, as thick as my arm, from the unburnt pile of wood. Next, I tore off half a piece of clothing from the lifeless Xing'er, wrapped it around one end of the branch, soaked it with oil from a candle, lit the tip, and fashioned a torch.

The flame on that torch coiled and burned around the cloth wrapped around its top, brighter and more dazzling than the one I had made during my first encounter with the spiders. Gently, I draped the coat—which Xing'er had worn and which had now slipped to the ground—over the unconscious Xiao Shu, picked up my water flask, turned, and hurried out of the cave, following the tracks I had made earlier toward the Sea of the Undead.