Rise of the Otherworld.

Zhang Hao, carrying the herbalist on his back, trudged through the forest. Each step felt like lead, his breathing quickening, sweat pouring down like rain. The herbalist on his back felt like a thousand pounds, weighing him down, yet his steps held steady without a single hesitation.

The herbalist lay on Zhang Hao's back, his heart full of guilt: "Zhang Hao, let me go, don't let me drag you down." His voice was weak and powerless, with deep self-blame.

Zhang Hao gritted his teeth and said, "Don't talk nonsense. I won't abandon you." His eyes were firm, revealing an unyielding will. The dead branches and leaves under his feet made a crunching sound, as if telling of their hardships.

The forest was filled with a decaying smell, and the road became increasingly rugged and difficult to walk on. Zhang Hao's feet were often tripped by rocks and branches, and he stumbled and almost fell, but he quickly adjusted his balance and continued to move forward.

Just when they were about to despair, a dilapidated temple suddenly appeared in front of them. The temple's walls were mottled and the tiles on the roof were incomplete, as if it was struggling to survive under the erosion of time.

"Look, there's a temple!" A glimmer of hope flashed in Zhang Hao's eyes. That glimmer of hope was like a candle in the darkness, faint but enough to illuminate their path forward.

They arrived at the temple, the door was half-open, and a stale smell filled the air. The temple was dark and damp, with cobwebs in the corners. A dilapidated statue stood there quietly, as if silently watching them.

Zhang Hao walked in carefully and found that although the room was shabby, it was still able to shelter him from the wind and rain. He gently placed the herbalist on a relatively clean piece of ground.

"Let's rest here first." Zhang Hao said with a hint of fatigue in his voice.

The herbalist's wound had begun to fester due to prolonged friction, emitting a foul odor. Zhang Hao searched everywhere and finally found some tattered cloth strips and a jar of herbal ointment that had been there for who knows how long.

"Bear with it." Zhang Hao cleaned the herbalist's wound gently and attentively. The herbalist grimaced in pain, but he clenched his teeth and remained silent, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

Zhang Hao carefully squeezed out the herbal ointment, applied it on the herbalist's wound, and then carefully bandaged it with a cloth strip.

After treating their wounds, the two leaned against the wall and closed their eyes tiredly. Their breathing gradually became steady as they took a short rest.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Hao was awakened by a loud noise. He stood up alertly and peeked through the crack in the door. He saw a group of travelers heading toward the temple. They were carrying their bags, chatting and laughing, and looked energetic.

Zhang Hao was delighted and quickly opened the door.

"Everyone, we are trapped in this forest. Can you help us?" Zhang Hao said, his voice filled with a hint of eagerness and expectation.

Seeing how miserable they were, the travelers expressed their willingness to help.

"No problem. We are all away from home, so we will help if we can." The leader of the travelers said readily.

With the help of the travelers, Zhang Hao and the herbalist got food and water to replenish their strength. They also treated the herbalist's wounds and used better herbs.

After parting ways with the other travelers, Zhang Hao and the herbalist continued their journey. Although the road ahead was still full of unknowns, this experience filled them with hope.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting patches of light onto them. Zhang Hao stared ahead, his steps firm.

The herbalist followed him and said, "Zhang Hao, this time it's all thanks to you."

Zhang Hao smiled and said, "We've been through so much together, why would we talk about this?"

They walked along the path, wild flowers bloomed on the roadside, and the breeze brought bursts of fragrance.

As we walked, we saw a small town in front of us. The town gate was bustling with people coming and going.

"Finally, we see a populated area." The herbalist said excitedly.

They walked into the town, where people were busy and fulfilled. Zhang Hao and the herbalist found an inn and prepared to rest up.

In the inn, they heard a lot of news from outside.

"I heard there is a mysterious cave on the mountain ahead, which may contain treasures and secret books." said a guest.

Zhang Hao and the herbalist exchanged glances, and new hope ignited in their hearts...