"Who will be first to arrive, who will be last?" Yu Sheng muttered as he watched the contestants through the surface of the water. Then, he turned to Shen Qi who is sleeping. He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped each finger of Shen Qi. "Do you want to help them? Save them?" he asked. Then, he paused. "However, technically, you do not know them right now. Your soul from Cheng Sheng's body still hasn't left. We should wait for Cheng Sheng to die first, like what happened to him in Bailong Kingdom before, then take your soul back to your body." he explained.
In other words, Cheng Sheng, whether before or right now, should die. And then Shen Qi will live.
The Hall of the Cursed.
Cheng Sheng froze when he felt a chill ran down his spine. He felt his body stiffened and his eyes narrowed as he warily looked around.
Fei Yin noticed his change. "What's wrong?" he asked.
They have just finished dealing with the cursed creatures by lighting a big fire in the place. The cursed creatures melted on their own like their body was made of wax.
"Sheng?" Fei Yin called when he saw Cheng Sheng was still warily looking around the illuminated places by the fire.
"Do you… feel like we are being watched?" Cheng Sheng quietly asked as he slowly turned to Fei Yin.
Fei Yin was puzzled. However, even though he was, but he decided to feel the atmosphere. "There's none." He said. "I don't feel a gaze on me." he told him.
Cheng Sheng frowned. He is obviously displeased being peeped at. "I just felt a gaze on me." he said. "And it was a cold gaze, filled with hostility." He explained.
Fei Yin's heart skipped a beat. "No. Maybe it was just your imagination, or you're overthinking things…" he said before his voice faded. He knew, Cheng Sheng wouldn't raise a matter if he didn't feel that there's something wrong. "Sheng. Can you still feel it now?" he asked as he scanned the surroundings with his qi. No matter how he searched, but he didn't find anything out of ordinary.
"Yes. The gaze is still there." Cheng Sheng's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He could feel his heart was beating fast. Out of fear because of uncertainty, he doesn't know. He just feels strange. "Fei Yin…" he called as he held Fei Yin's hands with his clammy hands. "I don't like this. I don't like when things are out of my control…" he told him as he raised his head and looked at Fei Yin in the eyes.
Fei Yin felt his heart clenched as he held Cheng Sheng's hands tight. He leaned down and kissed Cheng Sheng on his temple to appease him. He's the most familiar with Cheng Sheng, thus he knows that Cheng Sheng wants for things to be certain, or is under the limit of his control. He didn't panic that much when their group separated, but now… "Don't worry. I'm here. I am with you. I'll watch your back. I won't let anything harm you." He told him.
Comforted by his lover, Cheng Sheng's unease finally subsided. He hugged Fei Yin and buried his face on Fei Yin's chest. "I don't like how things are going on right now." he said. "The competition shouldn't be this dangerous…" he muttered.
Fei Yin nodded in agreement. "The death rate shouldn't be high. Although no one has died yet, but…" his eyes narrowed.
"I won't let anyone die." Cheng Sheng said, his voice firm. "This place… gives me a strange feeling. It's eerie…" he pursed his lips. "We have to find everyone. Fast." He told Fei Yin.
Fei Yin nodded. "En." He answered. They immediately ran, leaving the large fire still burning.
The shadows created by the dancing fire looked like they are mourning, or laughing at them.
The Deep Catacombs.
"C-Chen Han?" Li Tian called when he heard Chen Han's deep breaths.
"I – I… it's fine now." Chen Han said after he burned the last piece of the bones in the catacombs. "You can remove the cloth over your eyes." he told Li Tian.
"Chen Han…" Li Tian's lips quivered. He wanted to cry. He is very grateful to Chen Han. He can smell the burnt ground and could feel the hot air around.
Chen Han burned all the bones just to relieve his fear.
Li Tian immediately remove the cloth covering his eyes and saw Chen Han. His eyes widened when he saw Chen Han was filled with wounds. They must be from the walking skeletons that attacked Chen Han. His eyes were filled with tears and he hugged Chen Han from behind.
Chen Han's eyes widened in surprise. "A-Ah Tian?!" he exclaimed. "W-what happened? Were you hurt? Were you burned?!" he anxiously asked when he heard Li Tian sobbed. He thought he was hurt.
"… thank you." Li Tian whispered as he hugged Chen Han tight. "I'm fine. I wasn't hurt. But, you…" he said and looked at the cuts in Chen Han's arms. His heart ached as he immediately took out a healing salve.
Chen Han sighed in relief when he heard Li Tian's answered. "I'm fine. They're just shallow wounds." He told him as he turned to him. He smiled when he saw Li Tian's reddened eyes while he diligently applied the salve on his wounds. Such a wife, indeed. I am glad I have him as my wife. He thought and felt his heart itched.
He leaned down and kissed Li Tian, which made Li Tian shock he almost dropped the healing salve. What happened to Chen Han?! Li Tian exclaimed in his mind as he raised his head to look at Chen Han after Chen Han kissed him. "Y-you… what's wrong?" he asked. Does he have an internal wound?!
"Nothing. Just…" Chen Han chuckled as he pinched Li Tian's cheek. "You're so cute." He told him.
Li Tian. "…" can I still return him? I don't want a husband who has a brain damage.