The monkey saw Xiaoyu climb down and spoke, "I am Da Yong. Do you still remember me? I was with you all when we went to the Sea of the Dead looking for the Blood Kin Compass, and I ended up having my body consumed by the Man-Eating Netherworms after being summoned by the young master."

"Ah?" Xiaoyu’s eyes went completely dark, his mouth agape in astonishment, unsure what to say. At that moment, the four people and the one monkey fell silent.

After a long pause, the monkey continued, "You already possess an undying body; you don't need any of that water or anything. Just unwrap the bandages, and you'll be able to see."

Hearing this, Xiaoshu and Elder Sister looked at Xiaoyu with surprise. They watched as he peeled off the gauze from his head layer by layer. When he reached the final layer, Xiaoyu stopped, seemingly unable to quite believe what the monkey claiming to be Da Yong had said.

However, Elder Sister stepped forward and gently plucked the gauze away with two slender fingers. She saw a ring of dried bloodstains stuck around Xiaoyu's eyes. She promptly fetched the alcohol from the sickroom and, dabbing the gauze, began to wipe the bloodstains away bit by bit. As the blood vanished, a pair of clear and healthy eyes were revealed to everyone. All they needed was for their owner to gently open them to know if the monkey spoke the truth.

Xiaoyu touched his eyelids with both hands, still hesitant to open his eyes. He softly asked the others, "Do I look like a panda now, with dark circles around my eyes?"

"The panda would probably prefer you not become one of their kind," Xiaoshu teased with a smile. "There isn't a hint of a dark circle; your complexion is rosy beneath the snow-white skin—you could star in a cosmetics advertisement."

This remark made everyone laugh. Taking advantage of the levity, Xiaoyu gently lifted his eyelids upward. A sliver of light immediately pierced his vision. He saw the crouching figure of Hou Da Yong on the floor, and the light in those pupils was indeed nine-tenths similar to the Da Yong from before. Thus, he widened his eyes further, carefully examining Elder Sister, Xiaoshu, and Old He on either side.

He could really see! Tears streamed from Elder Sister's eyes. Sobbing, she clutched Old He’s hand and told him, "It's your eyes; even the look in them is just like they used to be!" Old He held Elder Sister's hand in return and said softly, "Then I am relieved. At least my components are intact. Whether they are on me or on Xiaoyu no longer matters."

Seeing that everyone's attention was focused on Xiaoyu and had forgotten about escaping, Xiaoshu offered a reminder: "We don't have much time; we need to leave here quickly."

Unexpectedly, as soon as the words left her mouth, Xiaoyu suddenly said, "You all go first. I still have something I need to take care of."

At first hearing this, everyone was stunned, wondering what scheme he was hatching. Xiaoshu emphasized again, "The Man-Eating Netherworms will quickly overrun the entire hospital. They will devour everyone, living or dead." And she said it word by word: "Even... you... will... not... be... exempt!"

"I understand." Xiaoyu looked around, walked over to Da Yong, and knelt down. With a look of sincere appeal, he said to the monkey, "I'm worried about a friend still inside the hospital. If I don't go find her, this place will ache." He pointed to his chest as he spoke, "Could you please take them and leave first?"

"Then I'll stay too." Seeing that he wouldn't leave, Xiaoshu could not settle her mind either. She decisively abandoned the thought of retreat and decided to stay and fight alongside him to the end.

"Then you two come with me," Da Yong said, hopping and skipping as he led them out of the sickroom.

Elder Sister tearfully bid Xiaoyu farewell, urging them to be extremely careful, before helping Old He leave the hospital with Da Yong.