Zhang Yuqiu’s words stunned Wang Jue into silence. She was completely correct; regardless of Xiao Shu’s feelings, ensuring the guarantor remained unharmed was the absolute priority. To pander to his emotions now would only let the situation spiral further out of control, and by the time Li Xiaohao was truly needed, the help would be too far away, arriving too late. So, Wang Jue replied softly, “I’ll listen to you then.

Tell me what we should do.” “You wait here. I’m going to ask Li Xiaohao,” Zhang Yuqiu said, hurrying away. After a considerable wait, she returned to Wang Jue’s side, bringing Hou Dayong with her. Wang Jue was initially taken aback to see a massive monkey trailing after the beautiful woman.

When Hou Dayong greeted him, Wang Jue burst out laughing, pointing at him and saying, “I thought you were dead! How did you end up looking like a hairy ape?” Hou Dayong looked somewhat disgruntled and said in a low voice, “It’s a blessing I can look like this, old man, so bear with it! Also, my legs are only suited for climbing; crawling on flat ground is exhausting. I’ll have to trouble you!” As soon as the words left his mouth, Hou Dayong zipped twice and hopped onto Wang Jue’s shoulder, settling in comfortably.

Wang Jue thought the guy was certainly good at finding comfort, clearly using his legs as an excuse to retaliate for the earlier ridicule. Who runs faster than a monkey? But he had no choice; he could only offer a faint smile and let him be. “Xiao Hao told us to look for her first, and notify him once we find her,” Zhang Yuqiu explained.

“Right, let’s get moving then!” With that, Wang Jue led Hou Dayong and Zhang Yuqiu away, slipping out behind the shelter through the refuse pile, intentionally avoiding others. The three assumed their departure was discreet, yet someone quietly followed in their wake. Relying on yesterday’s memory, Zhang Yuqiu surmised that Xiao Shu must have headed in the direction of the mental hospital. That was where she had quietly pulled Xiao Shu aside yesterday to separate from Li Taiming and Ming Xiaoyu.

If Xiao Shu was searching for Xiaoyu, her first destination should be the spot where they parted, and then she would trace the vehicle route from there. Sure enough, when they reached the place of separation, the tire tracks were still visible on the ground. Perhaps because the city had been abandoned, vehicle traffic was sparse, and sanitation workers had ceased their duties, leaving a thick layer of dust that preserved the tracks for so long. The trio followed the tracks for nearly half a day, and they showed no sign of ending.

However, they did spot two or three discarded bicycles by the roadside. Wang Jue rushed ahead to inspect them, finding that apart from slightly low air pressure in the tires, everything else was in good condition. He promptly selected one for himself and one for Zhang Yuqiu. Riding the bikes made chasing the tire tracks much easier, and Hou Dayong instinctively hopped onto the back seat.

After traveling for about another half hour this way, they finally saw Li Taiming’s old, rattling car abandoned by the roadside. The vehicle was deserted mid-route; the driver’s compartment was smeared with blackened blood, and the back seat was splattered with gore. A photograph pendant had fallen onto the floor. Wang Jue leaned in and picked it up.

When he opened the locket, he froze: the picture, once a warm family portrait, now only contained Xiaoyu’s father, mother, and sister. The space where Xiaoyu’s head should have been was empty—as if that person had simply evaporated from the world. Zhang Yuqiu peered over his shoulder and exclaimed in surprise, “Good heavens! One person is missing from this family photo!” “It’s Xiaoyu who’s gone,” Hou Dayong stated flatly.

“He has already transcended the cycle of reincarnation and achieved an immortal body. I suspect Xiao Shu isn’t going to save him; she’s going to meet King Yama.”