51: Chapter 51 Dawn Breaks

Chu Xuan did not look back.

As early as when Qin Qing got off his back, he had picked up Tang Zheng, whom he had been dragging along the way. Without looking back, he carried the lantern and walked forward.

Even earlier, when Chu Xuan took the oil lamp and returned the long saber to Qin Qing, he already knew that at the critical moment, Qin Qing would definitely choose to face death of her own accord.

"You're a bit different from before..." Tang Zheng's weak voice suddenly sounded.

"This was her choice."

Chu Xuan said calmly, "By taking the oil lamp earlier, I could reduce her consumption. Facing that monster that controlled the Night Demons, she would have a slightly better chance of survival."

Chu Xuan stumbled forward.

Currently, the amount of spirituality value being drained by the oil lamp had returned to 1 point every two seconds. However, after that period of chanting just now, only 10 points of spirituality value remained.

It was about to be exhausted.

"Put me down, I'm just a burden to you... I'm dying, I can feel it..." Beads of blood were seeping out of every pore in Tang Zheng's body, long since soaking and staining him red from head to toe.

"Then I'll deliver your corpse back."

[Current spirituality value: 0]

As the spirituality value was completely emptied, Chu Xuan's whole body suddenly trembled. He felt his essence, energy, and spirit rapidly draining away, being continuously drawn out. Tang Zheng on his back felt like a great mountain, and his legs felt as if they were filled with lead.

[You are affected by the negative effects of a spiritual item. You are in a continuous bleeding state. The current state will reduce your health points by 5-8 points per minute.]

[Current health points: 50]

Chu Xuan's footsteps only paused for a moment before he continued forward.

He could not let the oil lamp go out, because they were still in the "night." According to Qin Qing, without the assistance of this oil lamp, one's sense of direction would likely be distorted, leading them into a trap similar to being led in circles by ghosts.

A soft sigh sounded, and Tang Zheng murmured, "I already owe you enough. Why, when I'm about to die, do you still have to make me owe you?"

"Because we are brothers from different parents..."

Chu Xuan didn't want to talk; he wasn't a sentimental person.

But for some reason, at this moment, his emotions suddenly surged, becoming difficult to suppress.

He let out a long breath and said slowly, "My parents died early. No relatives at home were willing to look after me; they only wanted to swindle my parents' inheritance...

"It was your parents who helped me get back the inheritance that belonged to me, helped me sell and rent out the family's storefront, and often looked out for me, cooking for me. Your sister was also willing to take me along to play, so I wasn't bullied too much. If there were snacks, she would always leave a portion for me...

"From then on, a beam of light entered my life, and you became my closest brother."

"So that's how it was. I forgot long ago." Tang Zheng murmured, "I only remember that in the first year of high school, when I was fighting with some thugs at a BBQ shop and was pinned to the table, almost having my hand chopped off, you saved me by carrying over a charcoal brazier... I always thought about paying you back once. Today I finally had the chance, but in the end, I still messed it up..."

Tang Zheng's voice suddenly became panicked: "Chu Xuan, I can't see! Did the oil lamp go out? How are you doing now..."

Chu Xuan glanced at the oil lamp that was still emitting light, pursed his lips, and remained silent.

"Chu Xuan, am I... really about to die?"

"Stop talking and save your strength."

"But... when a person is seriously injured, shouldn't they talk as much as possible to stay conscious?"

“Heh, you studied for nothing. Don't you know that the drowsiness caused by excessive blood loss isn't actually helped by staying conscious?"

Chu Xuan said softly, "If you feel bored, sing a song."

After a brief silence, amidst Chu Xuan's stumbling footsteps, a somewhat disjointed, raspy voice slowly rose:

"A tiny little cloud... slowly drifting by... please take a rest... stop for a while..."

Accompanied by the singing, a faint light radiated from around Tang Zheng's body, like a spark from the oil lamp, flickering and swaying as if it would go out at any moment. This was a side of Tang Zheng's fragility that Chu Xuan had never seen before.

As the singing stopped, the light faded.

"How great it would be if there were no monsters in this world, how great it would be if we could still be as carefree as when we were kids... Eh? Why am I being so sentimental today..."

With a soft sigh, Tang Zheng's voice suddenly rose a bit: "Chu Xuan, if I don't die this time, my life will be yours from now on!"

"Fine, I'm taking your life for sure!" Chu Xuan gritted his teeth and continued to persevere forward.

Tang Zheng's voice became as faint as a mosquito's buzz again: "Chu Xuan... take me home..."

"Okay, let's go home."

Chu Xuan's head felt as heavy as a mountain, and drowsiness swept through his entire body. His health points had dropped to only 40. Relying on sheer willpower, he stumbled forward another dozen steps.

[You have left the Place of Gloomy Convergence. Task rewards are being prepared for distribution.]

Chu Xuan suddenly looked up; the path ahead was suddenly clear.

Moonlight was like water.

The view was wide.

Under Chu Xuan's already blurred vision, the familiar asphalt road stretched forward. The greenery on both sides, the adjacent dormitory buildings, and the school buildings further away all came into view.

"Tang Zheng, we're out..." Chu Xuan's voice trembled slightly.

No one answered, only the chirping of insects.

Chu Xuan's brain stalled for a moment. After a few seconds, he murmured:

"I'll take you to the hospital... No, I should call emergency services first..."

"That's not right either... I should ask the security guard for help..."

"No, none of that is right! I should take you home... take you home..."

His consciousness was already groggy. At this moment, his throbbing head felt as if it were being repeatedly struck by a heavy hammer. His ears were filled with a buzzing sound, like the screech of a microphone near a speaker.

His brain's functioning became extremely sluggish, to the point where he didn't even have the energy to look back at the situation behind him. After standing dazed for a while, he finally relied on instinct to get as far away from this place as possible.

Controlling the oil lamp to extinguish it, Chu Xuan stepped out through the school's side gate.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

When he passed the security booth, the guard inside was fast asleep with his legs crossed. It wasn't until Chu Xuan walked past and the guard felt a shifting shadow and the sound of receding footsteps that he sleepily opened his eyes.

Turning his head to see that Chu Xuan had already walked some distance with Tang Zheng on his back, the security guard smacked his lips a few times and closed his eyes to snore again.

Until another few minutes passed, the security guard suddenly snapped his eyes open and jumped up to look outside the booth where Chu Xuan had walked.

His pupils shrank suddenly, and his breathing became rapid.

Immediately, he pulled open the door and rushed outside with a speed he hadn't shown in nearly twenty years.

The path was covered in bloodstains.

The security guard peered into the distance, trying to find Chu Xuan's figure, but could only vaguely see a stumbling back in the darkness ahead.

Trembling, he pulled out his phone to make a call, but suddenly felt his surroundings darken, and he shivered violently.

Looking up, he realized it was just a dark cloud passing by, obscuring the moonlight.

The security guard was stunned for a moment: "Eh? What was I about to do? I forgot... Forget it, I'm a bit sleepy, better go back to sleep for a while..."

The dark cloud drifted away, and the moonlight spilled down once more. Chu Xuan reached the open road, moving further and further away.

Until a touch of pale white appeared on the horizon.

Finally, dawn had broken.