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

Zhang Shi's heart sank upon hearing this, but he didn't want to give up any hope and continued to ask, "So, how much do you know about this place? Do you have any clues or suggestions for us?"

Huo Xiuxiu pondered for a moment, as if weighing how much information to reveal to them. Finally, she slowly said, "This place is shrouded in an ancient curse. The fog is part of the curse. It not only confuses people's sense of direction, but also gradually erodes their vitality. As for your friend, I can't help him. After all, I am trapped here myself. Moreover, this fog hides many unknown dangers, including those cursed and twisted creatures. They are extremely sensitive to the presence of living people. I advise you to consider yourself first."

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

"Dark shadows?" Huo Xiuxiu frowned in thought. "They could be wandering souls in the mist, or beings even more deeply cursed. They have no fixed form, appearing and disappearing, making them difficult to grasp. You're lucky to have found this place alive."

Zhang Shi's eyes were determined. He didn't want to sit here and wait for death. "We must find a way to leave here. We can't put our friends in danger."

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

"Do you still have the Soul-Removing Bell? The two bells together can dispel some of the fog. This place is not far from the village. We might be able to find the way back if we try our luck."

"for you."

Without thinking, Zhang Shi took out the bell from his backpack and handed it to Huo Xiuxiu. He didn't care about the grudge between her and Master An. Compared to those things, the most important thing was that he and his men could escape alive.

"Master An is in there too."

When Huo Xiuxiu heard this, her face suddenly turned gloomy. She picked up the soul-releasing bell, but after checking it, she put it down in disappointment.

"He ran away."

Zhang Shi was startled, suddenly remembering that he had kept the bell on him for a while, and that Master An had probably secretly escaped during that time. Zhang Shi shook his head, thinking that this was a good thing. Old Deng might be plotting something secretly, and carrying him around was like carrying a time bomb. Now that he had nothing to do with him, it was a good thing.

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

"Black Tiger is dead. It must be the village chief who took action. Huojia Village has become a dead zone. Even if you find a way back, you can't defeat the village chief. I suggest you try to go through the fog. Maybe there is a way to survive."

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

Ge Dalong knew that their understanding of the fog was quite limited, and the probability of the three of them successfully getting out of the fog was very low, so he humbled himself and spoke well of Huo Xiuxiu.

"Ms. Huo, you've been in the fog for some time now, so you should be familiar with the situation here. We're in trouble together, so why don't we form a team together? If we really encounter any danger, we can look after each other. One more person means more strength."

Huo Xiuxiu looked at Ge Dalong with a half-smile, then spoke indifferently.

"You can follow me if you want. You are outsiders, so many taboos don't apply to you. But I've made it clear in advance that I have the final say in everything here, and all actions must be under my command. You all should pay attention and don't drag your feet. If something really goes wrong, I won't spend time and energy on rescuing you."

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong exchanged glances, each seeing a sense of helplessness and compromise in the other's eyes. The current situation didn't allow for much hesitation. Huo Xiuxiu seemed to be their only clue and hope, and her demands weren't excessive.

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

Huo Xiuxiu nodded in satisfaction, a subtle cunning glint in her eyes. "In that case, we must devise a plan. First, we must avoid those cursed creatures, which are usually more active at night. During the day, while the fog is still thick, it's relatively safer."

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

"We need to rest and regain our strength when daybreak comes." Huo Xiuxiu said as she walked to a corner of the cabin where some hay and old clothes were piled. "We'll just make do with this tonight. We'll set off early tomorrow morning."

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

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

"Ms. Huo, what's the situation with this wooden house? How did you find it?"

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

"I discovered it by chance. Seeing that this place was relatively safe, I used the cabin as my base camp. I found a direction and explored a certain distance every day before returning. After a while, I have become familiar with the surrounding environment."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shi didn't say anything more. He turned his head, closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

……

Finally, the sky began to turn pale. Although the fog was still thick, the light began to gradually penetrate, bringing a hint of life to this dead world.

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

Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong quickly stood up. Zhao Feng had also woken up and was full of energy again. Zhang Shi briefly explained their situation. Zhao Feng nodded and 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.

"Come with 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 behind, carefully following Huo Xiuxiu's steps as they passed through patches of foggy woods and around corners that might have hidden dangers.

As they went deeper, the fog seemed to grow thicker, and their sight was limited to no more than five meters. But Huo Xiuxiu seemed to know the place well, and each step she took was firm and confident.

After a whole morning, all they could see was endless thick fog. Zhang Shi had long lost his direction and could only move carefully behind Huo Xiuxiu.

"Here..." Huo Xiuxiu suddenly stopped and pointed to an open space ahead. "Let's rest here and wait for the fog to clear a little before continuing on."

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