162: Chapter 162 Healing in Hidden Acupoints, Awaiting the Right Timing

Ling Ye endured the excruciating pain in his back and the waves of dizziness washing over him. He stopped, leaned against the cold, slippery rock wall, and panted heavily. He had to conserve his strength and find a suitable place to rest as soon as possible.

He concentrated, sweeping his remaining "Spiritual Sense" around like a searchlight. He was near a rock face with jagged stones and uneven ground. Through his "Spiritual Sense," he perceived a fissure about twenty meters ahead at the base of the rock wall. It was recessed inward and half-hidden by a few huge fallen rocks. The interior space was small, but large enough for one person to curl up in, and the entrance was hidden, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.

That was the place!

Dragging his exhausted body, he carefully skirted around the puddles and sharp stalagmites on the ground, arriving at the fissure. The entrance was indeed narrow, requiring him to turn sideways to squeeze in. The interior was slightly larger than expected—about two meters deep and over a meter wide, with an inclined rock layer for a ceiling. The ground was relatively dry, with only some floating dust. Most importantly, although the air here was stagnant, there was no distinct odor or signs of a creature's nest.

Ling Ye struggled to squeeze inside sideways and sat down with his back against the innermost wall, finally letting out a long sigh of relief. Cold sweat had soaked his entire body.

He first checked his wound. His hasty bandage was soaked with blood. After unwrapping it, he could see a burn abrasion about ten centimeters long with torn skin. Although not deep, the wound was quite large and still oozing blood. Fortunately, it hadn't damaged his bones or vital organs.

He tore off more of his relatively clean inner lining (his clothes were already in tatters) and carefully cleaned the wound with the last half-bottle of water (which he had grabbed from a utility room in the base corridor). The cold water made him shiver, but it also cleared his head. After Cleaning it, he carefully applied the anti-inflammatory ointment he had exchanged for credits in Rust Town, then re-bandaged it with clean cloth strips, tightening them to temporarily stop the bleeding.

After treating the wound, he finally felt a wave of collapse-like exhaustion and a bone-deep chill wash over him. The temperature in the underground cave was very low, and his clothes were thin and damp.

He rummaged through his backpack for the last bit of food—half a synthetic flatbread as hard as a rock and a few pieces of long-wilted wild vegetables. He chewed slowly and forcefully, swallowing them down with the last few sips of water. The rough food scraped against his throat, bringing a slight sense of substance, but it also caused his stomach to cramp slightly.

After finishing this pathetic "meal," he sat cross-legged with his back against the rock wall. He didn't immediately enter deep meditation; instead, he first performed a simple, gentle circulation to guide his "Qi," focusing on warming the injured back area and his cold limbs. The faint flow of "Qi" was like a warm stream, bringing a hint of tingling and relief wherever it passed. Although it couldn't instantly heal the wound, it promoted local blood circulation, alleviated the pain, and restored a bit of warmth to his nearly frozen body.

Only after doing this did he truly enter deep, restorative meditation. This time, he did not visualize the "Stars," nor did he attempt any complex "Qi" circulation. It was just the simplest act of clearing his thoughts, centering his mind, and letting his body and spirit enter the deepest state of rest and repair. Like a wounded beast, he silently licked his wounds in the cave, gathering strength for the next life-or-death struggle.

In the darkness, time lost its meaning. Only his own slow, long breaths and the eternal whimpering of water deep underground kept him company.

He didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps an hour, perhaps longer. Ling Ye slowly awoke from his deep state of meditation.

The wound on his back still hurt, but it was no longer continuously oozing blood, and that searing, burning sensation had lessened significantly. His mental exhaustion had been greatly relieved; although he was still far from his peak state, his mind had at least regained clarity, and he was no longer dizzy.

He moved his limbs and felt that his strength had recovered quite a bit. Most importantly, the suffocating sense of urgency from being driven into a corner by death and pursuit had, after a brief rest, transformed into a cold, settled determination.

The "Purification Net" had been activated. He was underground and safe for the moment, but this was by no means a long-term solution. The search net on the surface was tightening; Su Qing, Zhou Ming, and even the entire "Cleaning" network would be hunters pursuing him. As a "High-Threat Insider" or even a "key-associated individual," he was a target they were determined to capture.

He could not sit and wait for death. He had to take the initiative to break the deadlock.

But how to break it?

Clash head-on with the entire "Cleaning" network? That would be no different than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Escape Dawn City completely? That would require identity, resources, and a route, and he might not even be able to evade their tracking network.

Then, there seemed to be only one path left—utilizing information asymmetry and the internal conflicts of the other side to create chaos, find a way to survive, and perhaps... fight back.

What did he possess?

The second phase of "Cleaning," the "Purification Net," has been activated, with a full-scale arrest of sensitives/insiders within 12 hours (or less). Su Qing and Zhou Ming know this, but those ordinary "sensitives" (like Sun Li?), "insiders" (like "Old Zhao"? or even "Midnight Wind"?), and the vast majority of citizens kept in the dark, do not. This information has immense destructive and incendiary power.

The true identities of Su Qing and Zhou Ming (collaborator liaisons, peripheral operatives). This information could perhaps be used for sowing discord, blackmail, or at least giving him a psychological advantage when he comes into contact with them.

The activity of the "secondary pollution source" in the Old Factory District is abnormally high, and the barrier may be overloaded. This information implies that a greater crisis may be imminent; it might tie up a large amount of the "Cleaning" side's energy, or perhaps... it is a "variable" he can utilize.

He is in a vast, unknown underground cave System and knows the location of an emergency exit for a "Cleaning" forward base. This is both a hiding place and potentially a path for reverse infiltration or sabotage.

He possesses "Spiritual Sense" and a special essence suspected to be related to the "Ancient Ring" and "the key." This is his greatest secret and potentially the only unique "bargaining chip" he has in this game involving the "Anomaly."

How to utilize this information?

Make it public directly? He has no channels and would immediately bring down the fiercest retaliation.

Contact "Midnight Wind" or a similar grassroots insider network to spread the news? It might trigger local panic, but it would be hard to shake the foundation of the "Cleaning" side, and it would expose these sources of information.

Perhaps... he could try to contact Sun Li? She has already been marked as a "potential sensitive," and her recent behavior has been abnormal. How much does she know about the incident? Has she sensed the danger? Would she be willing to cooperate with him, or at least exchange information, because of her own "sensitivity" or fear?

Or perhaps... a crazier idea: since the "Cleaning" side is searching with all its might for "the key," and he seems to have some vague connection to "the key" (the "Ancient Ring" mark), could he disguise himself as, or lead them to believe that he is, "the key" or a part of "the key"? Use this as a bargaining chip to negotiate or stall? But this is like playing with fire; he could be instantly and completely controlled or "studied."

The road ahead remains shrouded in mist and riddled with murderous intent.

But at least, after a brief respite and reflection, Ling Ye's heart was no longer filled with only the panic of flight; there was now a cold, resolute determination to plan in a desperate situation and find a way out of a dead end.

He slowly stood up, moving his still-stiff body. His gaze was cast toward the boundless darkness outside the fissure.

It was time to start exploring this darkness, finding a way out, and... preparing his "answer sheet" for that impending final "Purification" on the surface.