Chapter 51: The Escape Plan (Part Two)

Naya led Su He through the woods to the spot where Briar, Bramble, and Baldy Qiang had rested yesterday.

"Brother Xiaohe, this is it. I've brought you here. Can you put down the arrow now? Please."

"Heh, put it down? Put it down for what? To let you capture me again?"

Ignoring Naya's bitter pleas, Su He turned his head upward and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Briar! Bramble! Brother Qiang! I've come to find you! Where are you?!"

He shouted for a long time until his throat was hoarse, but not a single soul appeared. He glared angrily at the flustered Naya beside him.

"Damn it, what on earth are you trying to do? I was practically ready to die for you to see, and you're still lying to me? Is there any reason left in you?"

"No, no, they really were here last night. Maybe we came too late this morning, and they've already set off for the Golden Deer Antlers?"

"Fine then, we're going to the Golden Deer Antlers right now. Let me tell you, don't try any tricks, understand?"

"Mm-mm, I know. Na'er is very obedient."

Hearing this, Su He spat on the ground. "Obedient my ass."

On the way to the Golden Deer Antlers, Su He was nearing his limit. He had already been through hell yesterday, and today he was forced to drag his heavily injured body all over the place.

He felt as though his feet were floating as he walked, panting heavily every two or three steps with cold sweat constantly beading on his forehead. If not for the few shattered spiritual stones he had relied on today, he would probably have met the King of Hell long ago.

Noticing his condition from the front, Naya's lips curled into a slight smile. She slowed her pace, wanting Su He to get closer to her. Soon, seeing the distance between them closing, she suddenly turned and lunged backward, attempting to snatch the arrow from Su He's hand.

Just as she was about to succeed, Su He reacted out of nowhere. He violently dodged to the side and drove the arrow straight into his own abdomen, blood instantly staining his clothes red.

He had known Naya would resort to trickery, and he refused to let his body fail him at a time like this. Rather than issuing endless warnings, he preferred to go all out and shock her into submission.

"No, Brother Xiaohe! Don't do this!"

Seeing Su He collapsed on the ground and bleeding profusely, Naya rushed over and pulled him into her arms.

"Heh, Naya, even if you drag me back now, it's too late to save me. If we don't reach the Golden Deer Antlers in time, nobody can save me."

"But Brother Xiaohe, what good will it do to reach the Golden Deer Antlers? You need immediate medical treatment right now!"

"What business is it of yours how I handle this? I'm not in that much of a hurry to die. If you don't listen to me, just watch me die."

With that, Su He closed his eyes as if ready to be buried, successfully terrifying Naya.

"Okay, okay, I'll take you there! I'll take you there right now!"

Naya wiped the tears from her eyes, scooped Su He up into her arms, and sprinted toward the Golden Deer Antlers.

Along the way, she happened to encounter the green-haired big dog and the colorful bird, which helped speed up her journey even further. Before long, the mountain burying the great deer came into view ahead.

At that moment, she noticed the others locked in fierce combat right in front of the Golden Deer Antlers.

The previous three individuals had donned brand-new equipment, and they were accompanied by a young man in a suit, ruthlessly beating Briar, Bramble, and Baldy Qiang.

"Naya, put me down. I can go on by myself, you go help Briar and Bramble."

Having lost too much blood along the way, Su He's face had turned ghastly pale. His eyelids kept drooping, though he forced them open. He wasn't faking it anymore; he really was about to meet the King of Hell.

"No, you're hurt way too badly. You can't be this reckless."

"Ha, so now you care about me? Why didn't you show any care when we were in bed?"

"I—"

Naya was instantly rendered speechless by Su He's retort.

"Enough. If this keeps up, you won't be able to protect the Golden Deer Antlers, and my wounds won't heal either. You'd better go stop them and buy me some time."

Naya thought carefully for a moment, then gritted her teeth and nodded.

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Brother Xiaohe. You must be careful."

With that, she gently lowered Su He to the ground, cast a worried glance at him, and rushed toward Briar, Bramble, and Baldy Qiang.

At that moment, the fat man was relentlessly toying with and abusing Briar, while the thin man and the woman were attacking the fleeing Baldy Qiang and Bramble. The tech geek attempting to seize the Golden Deer Antlers had also been intercepted by Iron Pier.

"Baldy Qiang, these guys are even fiercer than last time! I'm practically being hung up and whipped by this woman!"

"How should I know? Ever since they showed up this time, they've been acting like they've got cheats enabled, totally fearless! Naya's not here, and Xiaohe's not here either—protecting the Golden Deer Antlers is a pipe dream; protecting ourselves would be a miracle!"

"Heh, you still have the energy to chat here." The woman leaped forward abruptly, flicking her whip to wrap around Bramble's legs and yank him to the ground. At the same time, the thin man jumped out, pulled a small ball from his backpack, and hurled it at Bramble.

"Oh no, Bramble!"

At that critical moment, a sharp arrow flew swiftly through the air and detonated the small ball mid-air. The woman turned her head, saw Naya aiming her bow and arrow at her, and sneered.

"Well, well, look who it is! I thought you were too scared of death to show up. Since you're here, let's settle the score from last time." She turned her head to look at the thin man. "Hey, go deal with those two, leave this one to me."

"Hmph."

Meanwhile, Su He dragged his battered body slowly toward the Golden Deer Antlers. The tech geek, blocked by Iron Pier, spotted him and mistook him for a rival competing for the Golden Deer Antlers, immediately calling out to the fat man.

"Fatty, stop playing with that bear in your hands and hurry over here to stop him!"

"Got it, boss!"

Just as the fat man prepared to charge over, Briar, lying on the ground by his feet, grabbed his leg and looked up at him with resolute eyes.

"With me here, you won't touch the Golden Deer Antlers, and you won't hurt my friends!"

Briar had already noticed Su He's arrival, but seeing the blood covering his body, he knew Su He was no match for these people.

"Hmph, guess you didn't get beaten hard enough just now if you still have the energy to resist."

With that, the fat man hoisted Briar up and hurled him into the air, then delivered a savage kick as Briar fell, sending him flying. He then lunged toward Su He, who was nearing the Golden Deer Antlers.

"Dammit, a disabled person dares to meddle in this? Are you looking down on me?"

The fat man raised his iron fist and smashed it fiercely toward Su He. If that blow landed squarely, Su He would undoubtedly die.

Naya, engaged in battle with the woman, caught sight of this scene and screamed in panic, "Brother Xiaohe, watch out!"