Crossing the wilderness to survive, starting with a broken kitchen knife

Zhang Shi's heart sank when he heard this, but he was unwilling to give up any glimmer of hope and continued to ask: "Then how much do you know about this place? Are there any clues or suggestions that you can give us?"

Huo Xiuxiu pondered for a moment, seeming to be weighing how much information to reveal to them. Finally, she said slowly: "This is a place shrouded by an ancient curse. The fog is part of the curse. It will not only confuse people's sense of direction, but will also gradually It erodes people's vitality. As for your friends, I can't help you. After all, I am trapped here myself, and there are many unknown dangers hidden in this fog, including those cursed and twisted creatures that are extremely sensitive to the breath of living people. I advise you to think about yourself first.”

"Then... what are those black shadows?" Ge Dalong couldn't help but interrupt and asked, with a hint of doubt in his voice.

"Dark shadows?" Huo Xiuxiu frowned and thought, "They may be wandering souls in the fog, or creatures that are more cursed. They have no fixed form, disappear and appear, and are elusive. You are lucky to find this place alive. ”

Zhang Shi's eyes were firm. He didn't want to sit here and wait for death: "We must find a way to get out of here, and we can't put our friends in danger."

Huo Xiuxiu sighed and took out the soul-binding bell.

"Do you still have the soul-relieving bell on you? These two bells together can dispel part of the fog. It's not far from the village. If you try your luck, you might be able to find your way back."

"for you."

Zhang Shi took out the bell from his backpack and handed it to Huo Xiuxiu without thinking. He didn't care about her grudges with Mr. An. Compared with that, the most important thing was that he and the others could leave alive.

"Master An is also inside."

Upon hearing this, Huo Xiuxiu's face turned cold. She picked up the soul-relieving bell, but after checking it, she put it down in disappointment.

"He ran away."

Zhang Shi was startled and suddenly remembered that he had put the bell on his body for a while. Master An probably escaped secretly at that time. Zhang Shi shook his head and thought that this was good. That Lao Deng might be plotting something secretly. Taking him with him was like carrying a time bomb with him. It was a good thing to cut ties with him now.

Huo Xiuxiu didn't care about Master An's escape. She just played with the two bells and talked to herself.

"Black Tiger is dead. It should be the village chief who took action. Huojia Village has become a dead place. Even if you find a way back, you can't defeat the village chief. I suggest you try to walk through the fog. Maybe you can still get there. A way out."

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong were silent. They suddenly lost the system's prompts and guidance, and they always felt uneasy no matter what choice they made.

Ge Dalong knew that their understanding of the fog was quite limited, and the probability of the three of them successfully walking out of the fog was very low, so he put down his posture and put in good words for Huo Xiuxiu.

"Miss Huo, you have been in the fog for some time, so you should know the situation better. Now we share the same difficulties, so why not form a team together so that we can take care of each other if we encounter any danger? One person is more powerful.”

Huo Xiuxiu looked at Ge Dalong with a half-smile, and then said lukewarmly.

"You can follow me if you want. You are outsiders, and many taboos are not valid for you. But I have said it in advance. I have the final say in everything. All actions must be obeyed by me. Please pay attention to yourselves. Don't hold back, if something happens, I won't spend time and energy to rescue you."

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong looked at each other and saw helplessness and compromise in each other's eyes. The current situation did not allow them to hesitate too much. Huo Xiuxiu seemed to be the only clue and hope they could find, and the other party's request was not excessive.

"Okay, we listen to you." Zhang Shi nodded in agreement, with a hint of determination in his tone, "As long as we can leave here, we are willing to cooperate."

Huo Xiuxiu nodded with satisfaction, a hint of subtle cunning flashed in her eyes. "In this case, we have to make a plan. First, we must avoid those cursed creatures, which are usually more active at night. During the day, although the fog is still thick, it will be relatively safer."

"Then when will we set off?" Ge Dalong asked eagerly. He didn't want to stay in this unknown world for another second.

"We need to rest until daybreak to recover our strength." Huo Xiuxiu said, walking to a corner of the wooden house where some hay and old clothes were piled. "We will make do with it tonight, and we will set off early tomorrow morning."

Zhao Feng was still in a coma and didn't know when he would wake up. Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong each found a corner to lie down. Although they were exhausted physically and mentally, they did not fall asleep immediately. Instead, they silently thought about their fate and the upcoming challenges in the dark. unknown challenges.

Zhang Shi looked at the beam above his head and suddenly asked.

"Ms. Huo, what's going on in this wooden house? How did you find it?"

Huo Xiuxiu did not fall asleep. Instead, she sat at the table and studied the two bells. When she heard Zhang Shi ask, she answered casually.

"I discovered it by accident. Seeing that it was quite safe here, I used the wooden house as my base camp. I found a certain direction and went out to explore a certain distance every day before coming back. Over time, I already know the surrounding environment well."

Hearing this, Zhang Shi didn't say much, turned his head and closed his eyes to let himself fall asleep.

…

Finally, the sky turned white. Although the fog was still thick, the light began to penetrate gradually, bringing a glimmer of life to this dead world.

"Get up, it's almost time." Huo Xiuxiu's voice rang out in the cabin, breaking the silence.

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong quickly got up. At this time, Zhao Feng had also woken up and became lively again. Zhang Shi briefly informed them of their situation. Zhao Feng nodded and then thanked Huo Xiuxiu. Huo Xiuxiu ignored him and stood at the door of the cabin, holding two bells in her hands, as if sensing something.

"Follow me and try to be quiet." She whispered, then walked out of the cabin first and stepped into the mist.

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong followed closely, carefully following Huo Xiuxiu's steps. They passed through patches of woods shrouded in mist and bypassed corners that might hide danger.

As they went deeper, the mist seemed to become thicker, and the sight was no more than five meters. But Huo Xiuxiu seemed to know this place well, and every step she took was firm and confident.

After a whole morning, the endless fog was always in front of everyone. Zhang Shi had lost his direction and could only move carefully behind Huo Xiuxiu.

"Here..." Huo Xiuxiu suddenly stopped and pointed to an open space in front of her, "Let's rest here and wait for the fog to dissipate a little before moving forward."

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong stopped obediently and sat on the open space. They knew that in this cursed place, any small negligence could have fatal consequences.