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墨書 Inktalez
The dawn was beginning to break, around four or five in the morning.
Noticing that Gu Ze was missing, Xu Nuan had cautiously made her way along the path, engaging in a few skirmishes with He Min and Deng Yinyin before continuing her search. Eventually, she exchanged a few moves with Feng Feng.
It was a straightforward process, yet it consumed several hours for Xu Nuan.
At this moment, Xu Nuan had no time to lament how quickly time was passing; she was filled with surprise and eagerly awaited an answer from Gu Ze.
Rather than speculate on her own, she preferred to hear the answer directly.
"This matter is likely to take quite some time."
When Gu Ze saw the emotions swirling in Xu Nuan's eyes, he felt a jolt of surprise. His tone was slightly helpless, but he had no intention of hiding anything from her.
"Then just give me a rough idea."
Xu Nuan felt a sense of relief when she realized that Gu Ze wasn't planning to brush her off. Her mood unexpectedly brightened, and the earlier tension and anxiety faded away. Being with Gu Ze made her forget that he was seriously injured and not as capable as before.
"If you're tired, just let him handle it."
She was now directing others without hesitation.
Feng Feng, still astonished, recalled how Xu Nuan had been distrustful of him no matter how he explained himself. Despite her injuries, she had insisted on fighting him. Yet now, with Gu Ze's mere presence, she seemed to drop her guard without needing any explanations. The stark contrast left Feng Feng feeling both amused and exasperated; he didn’t argue against Xu Nuan's suggestion. Gu Ze was in poor condition, and conserving energy was crucial. After all, they would soon face a confrontation where Gu Ze would undoubtedly be a key player.
Unfortunately for Feng Feng, who had meticulously plotted everything and believed he had a significant advantage,
"Then you go ahead and explain."
Gu Ze spread his hands and walked towards a slightly brighter area. They had arrived at a more open space, where low hills could be seen in the distance, and the pale light of dawn was finally beginning to spread, signaling the retreat of the dim moon.
In the jungle, when darkness fell, one could not see their hand in front of their face; yet, when it was time for light to return, it happened in an instant. The transition between these two states took only a matter of minutes.
Xu Nuan had long since grown accustomed to this and could adapt well to the shifts between darkness and light. She took a step forward, intending to support Gu Ze so they could rest and listen to Feng Feng's explanation. However, she forgot that she was currently unsteady on her feet and stumbled forward.
Fortunately, Gu Ze was quick on his feet and rushed forward to catch Xu Nuan, teasing her with a smile.
"Is that how eager you are for a hug? Being too proactive isn't good."
Feng Feng rolled his eyes from the side, a rare smile flickering in his eyes. He thought of his wife outside the game, but after all the plotting and scheming that had led them to this moment, it was finally time for a resolution.
Feng Feng was in a good mood and did not look down on Gu Ze at that moment.
However, as Xu Nuan stumbled into Gu Ze's arms and regained her footing, she happened to glance over his shoulder and saw movement in the distance. Her expression suddenly changed dramatically as she grabbed Gu Ze's hand and urged him to leave.
"There's danger! We need to go now!"
This was the most flustered Xu Nuan had ever been; her face turned pale, and her lips trembled.
"Zhang Xiao is lying in ambush over there!"
Xu Nuan felt like shouting but managed to keep her voice low as she exclaimed this warning.
From her vantage point, she had caught sight of the lower ground ahead and clearly saw Zhang Xiao and Wu Yue. Most importantly, she noticed the formidable weapon in Zhang Xiao's hand.
The distance was far enough that they wouldn't be harmed by that weapon, but what if Zhang Xiao caught up to them?
It was clear that Zhang Xiao had been keeping an eye on their movements, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
When would that be?
When she and Gu Ze were alone.
Gu Ze's expression changed as well; his face turned pale as he exchanged a glance with Feng Feng. The three of them hurried deeper into the dense forest, hoping to use the terrain to their advantage.
"Have you been discovered?"
Gu Ze's face looked grim, a hint of embarrassment creeping in.
"No, I acted like everything was fine," Feng Feng replied, his expression no better. The corners of his lips twitched slightly, a subconscious reaction to the terrifying thoughts crossing his mind.
"Or," Feng Feng proposed a bold hypothesis, "he never trusted me from the beginning."
Xu Nuan was, after all, a clever person. Even in their hurried escape, she could catch subtle hints from the brief exchange between the two.
A counter-plot.
A counter-counter-plot.
This is the important role that Feng Feng plays among Gu Ze, Chi Xiaoming, and Zhang Xiao.
Feng Feng was likely coerced and tempted by Zhang Xiao from the very beginning, just like several designers including Wu Wu. Since then, Feng Feng has been outwardly compliant while secretly plotting, which explains the later collaboration with Gu Ze.
Even though Gu Ze's identity is quite special, he entered the game too late to quickly grasp Feng Feng's identity and weaknesses. The only explanation is that Feng Feng sought out Gu Ze.
The two hit it off and reached an agreement, while Zhang Xiao conveniently had Feng Feng act as an insider. Thus, Feng Feng became a double agent. To maintain appearances and pretend to protect Wu Wu, Feng Feng harmed Chi Xiaoming and then returned to Zhang Xiao's side, becoming Gu Ze's informant.
Now, in the Forest of Hatred, this decisive battleground, the returning Feng Feng will play a crucial role alongside Zhang Xiao. All along, Feng Feng has held the upper hand, which makes it easy to understand why he severely injured Chi Xiaoming. After all, the deeper Chi Xiaoming was hurt, the more it demonstrated Feng Feng's 'loyalty' to Zhang Xiao. This also indirectly proves that Feng Feng is ruthless; judging by Chi Xiaoming's reaction, that strike was not premeditated.
However, this incident also shows that Gu Ze and Feng Feng did not fully trust Chi Xiaoming. The three were cooperating yet still held back from one another—tragic but realistic.
In the midst of their calculations and thoughts, Xu Nuan guessed the situation roughly. At this moment, they had not run far; none of them dared to look back to see if Zhang Xiao was pursuing them.
"There’s a possibility of that; after all, you know what kind of person he is."
Gu Ze referred here to Zhang Xiao being the illegitimate son of the Rao Group's chairman. At that time, the summoned designer Feng Feng had interacted with Zhang Xiao and described him as "an ambitious coward."
Now, Zhang Xiao has become the ultimate mastermind on Openly, determining the direction of the game and many people's fates. However, this version of Zhang Xiao is also being manipulated by someone unseen—a person whose depth of thought is terrifying.
But that is a future opponent; for now, they need to deal with Zhang Xiao. Given Gu Ze and Feng Feng's reactions, it clearly isn't the best time to confront him.
"That would be bad."
The fear in Feng Feng's eyes was genuine; there was even a hint of panic. It seemed he truly did not anticipate Zhang Xiao appearing nearby. It appeared that Zhang Xiao's intentions were very inconsistent with what Feng Feng had expressed through his actions.
In contrast, Gu Ze appeared much calmer upon realizing the dire situation. Although he was flustered by Zhang Xiao's unexpected arrival, he still managed to keep his wits about him.
However, it was evident to anyone with eyes that Gu Ze was in a weakened state; those injuries were not fabricated, and the increasingly strong smell of blood was not merely a figment of imagination. Xu Nuan understood Gu Ze's predicament all too well and felt a pang of concern for him wanting to fight at this moment.
She quickly formulated her own plan ahead of Gu Ze.
"Feng Feng, you need to get away from here as fast as you can, the farther the better. Let's execute a counter-counter-counter strategy."
Xu Nuan's thoughts were quite straightforward; since Zhang Xiao had never trusted Feng Feng from the start yet allowed her to play different roles in both camps, it meant that Feng Feng was of some use to him. This way, if Feng Feng wanted to come over to Gu Ze's side as an insider, even if she had doubts, she would still believe it to some extent. This was the downside of Zhang Xiao's initial distrust of Feng Feng; he needed to think more rationally and comprehensively about everything. Xu Nuan was precisely that kind of person; she knew exactly how to deal with herself.
Now it was Gu Ze and Feng Feng's turn to be shocked. They hadn't revealed anything yet; how did Xu Nuan know about Feng Feng? Where did this information come from?
Feng Feng looked at Xu Nuan in disbelief, momentarily at a loss for words, questioning when she had started to show signs of slipping up.
Gu Ze, being the one who understood Xu Nuan best, could only smile helplessly.
"You are just too clever."
Yet within that exclamation, a sense of concern dominated his emotions.
Xu Nuan paid no mind to their reactions and urged Feng Feng when she saw her hesitating.
"You need to leave now! Do you really want to be cornered by Zhang Xiao?"
"Ah, oh."
Feng Feng felt short of breath, and before she could think things through, her body instinctively chose another path and quickly disappeared from Gu Ze and Xu Nuan's sight.
With only the two of them left, their expressions were equally unclear.
"Where are we?" Xu Nuan exclaimed, urgency lacing her voice.
"We need to get back quickly," Gu Ze replied. Zhang Xiao was likely trying to take advantage of their isolation, but staying with the main group was the safest option. Even if they didn't want to seek others' protection, there were no more choices at this point. After all, Zhang Xiao wielded a weapon that was far too formidable for mere flesh and blood to confront.
"I've never been here before," Gu Ze said, frowning as he scanned the surroundings. He felt unfamiliar with this place but wisely knew he couldn't panic. He bore not only his own life but also Xu Nuan's. If he lost his composure and it endangered Xu Nuan, he would never forgive himself.
"Let's go this way!"
After surveying the area, Gu Ze quickly chose a path and supported Xu Nuan as they moved in that direction; at that moment, he was more than just a companion—he was her human crutch.
Xu Nuan didn't question Gu Ze's choice; she trusted him completely and would willingly follow him into the depths of hell if necessary.
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