Gu Yi forcefully turned the knife, widening the wound.

Blood gushed out, staining the surface of the water red.

Mr. Rat made a choking sound in his throat and instinctively pushed Gu Yi away. A cut opened on his back, and countless small mice ran out from inside him.

However, as soon as these mice landed in the water, they lost their mobility and sank under the surface.

Mr. Rat pushed Gu Yi away.

Gu Yi started swimming and rushed forward, gripping the knife and stabbing toward Mr. Rat's neck.

"Hu—"

Mr. Rat fell completely silent, clutching Gu Yi's wrist, his eyes gradually losing focus.

In a frenzy, Gu Yi kept stabbing three or four more times before finally letting go of Mr. Rat's lifeless body.

"Ah! He's killed someone!"

Onlookers on the shore screamed in terror.

Under the adrenaline rush, Gu Yi felt an inexplicable thrill, but soon after, a sense of horror washed over him. The wounds on his wrist and chin started to throb painfully.

Gu Yi quickly swam to the bottom of the bridge and took out emergency supplies and bandages from his bag to treat himself.

The first aid kit was waterproof, and the bandages remained dry.

Gu Yi had only pretended to cut his wrist; he hadn't severed any major arteries. The cut on his chin was a bit too deep due to excessive force, and without proper stitches, it wouldn't stop bleeding.

Sirens sounded in the distance.

Gu Yi swiftly bound the wound on his wrist and covered his chin with his hand, then floated downstream along the water flow.

Ten minutes later, Gu Yi emerged from the water and crawled onto the riverbank, running a short distance to find a rundown motel.

"Give me a room."

The motel's owner was terrified at the sight of Gu Yi covered in wounds and blood, her face trembling.

"You... you... let me call an ambulance for you..."

Gu Yi took out the small knife and pressed it against the owner's neck, "Can't you understand what I said? I want you to give me a room."

"Please don't panic, I'll get you one right away."

The motel owner quickly handed over the key to Gu Yi.

"Do you have a needle and thread?"

"What are you planning to do?"

"Bring me the needle and thread."

Gu Yi held the knife against the owner's neck and walked into the room.

A while ago, Gu Yi took a moment to deduce. The police would probably trace him here in about thirty minutes, giving him enough time to rest and treat his wounds.

Gu Yi sat on the sofa, untied the bandage on his chin, and fresh blood began to flow.

Even with his strong willpower, he couldn't hold on for much longer with the bleeding going on for so long.

"You...Hurry up! " Gu Yi pointed to the sewing kit, "Help me stitch up the wound."

"I... I don't know how. I'll call a doctor for you..."

Thump!

Gu Yi slammed the small knife on the coffee table, startling the motel owner.

"Don't talk nonsense, hurry up!"

"Okay, okay."

The owner nodded and, under Gu Yi's command, used a lighter to sterilize the needle. Then, just like sewing clothes, she stitched up Gu Yi's wound.

Gu Yi's knife was always pressing against the owner's stomach.

Her hands trembled continuously.

"Stay steady, don't panic."

"Y-yes, I'm sorry."

The owner gulped nervously and looked at Gu Yi with fear.

This young man appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, extremely pale, yet his willpower was remarkably strong. The needle pierced and weaved through his chin, but he didn't even flinch.

After all, she hadn't used any anesthesia!

Gu Yi's eyes stared blankly, but his mind continued to race.

After returning to the surface world, Gu Yi always had a doubt: why hadn't the countdown on his phone disappeared?

Could this so-called surface world be another layer of illusion?

To verify this, before killing Mr. Rat, he deliberately tested him by claiming that everything was just a dream.

Mr. Rat vehemently denied it, but that couldn't escape Gu Yi's eyes. His powerful mental strength told him that Mr. Rat was clearly lying.

This world was still within a dream, but it was closer to the real world than the inner world, and the countdown on the phone served as the best clue.

Additionally, there were two clues that Gu Yi had been overlooking all along.

The first was the unreadable contract found in the underground basement.

The second was the other half of the eye path found in the basement.

The contract had the word "Gu," on it and Gu Yi immediately assumed it referred to his sister. But what if this "Gu" referred to "I" instead?

Could the other half of the eye patch in the basement be "I's" ticket?

Could it be that "I" had also made a deal with the Dark Moon?

"Hey, young man? young man?"

"Hmm?"

Gu Yi suddenly looked up and saw the motel owner looking at him with anxiety.

"The wound is stitched up."

"Hmm."

Gu Yi nodded and stood up from the sofa.

He had been so focused on thinking that he hadn't felt the pain until now.

The motel owner looked at Gu Yi, unsure of what to do.

"Can you lend me some clothes? Mine are all dirty."

"Uh... wait a moment."

The owner left the room, and Gu Yi followed her.

"These are my son's clothes; he's about the same height as you. They should fit."

The owner handed Gu Yi a set of clothes.

Gu Yi quickly put them on, but as he covered his mouth and coughed twice, blood spurted into his hand.

"Are you sick?"

"No, it's probably internal injuries."

"Are you a gangster?"

"Heh..." Gu Yi chuckled coldly, "Something scarier than that. I'm an arsonist."

"Child, what trouble have you gotten into? Maybe I can help you. There's no need to go down the wrong path."

The motel owner felt that Gu Yi didn't seem like a bad person and tried to persuade him.

"Auntie, if I told you that you were actually living in someone else's dream, and I need to wake that person up, how would you feel?"

The motel owner tilted her head, not understanding a word.

Gu Yi shook his head; he knew these people couldn't possibly comprehend what he was saying.

Based on his calculations, the police would arrive in ten minutes. He needed to leave immediately.

"Wait, child."

Gu Yi paused as the motel owner spoke up.

She came closer and held Gu Yi's hand. "Child, what about your parents? Have you thought about them?"

"They're gone."

"What about grandparents, do you have any?"

"My grandmother passed away a few days ago."

"Then what about your hometown, right? Don't you have any relatives there?"

"Hometown..."

Gu Yi hesitated for a moment.

"Auntie, do you know a place called 'Huan Dao Town'?"

"Oh, I know." The motel owner blinked. "Are you talking about the residential area in the east of the city or the town next door?"

"The town next door, where is it?"

"Huan Dao Town is an old name; that's what our older generation used to call it. Now it's renamed Huang Dao Town. If you take a taxi there, it'll take half a day."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Gu Yi took out a hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to her. "Although I'm reluctant, but I have to go. You'll surely have great fortune."