Chapter 12: The Blood Moon Returns

"Let's try walking it again!" Xiao Tian stood before the yellow tent once more.

Zhidoxing pounded his knees, then sat down on the ground and said, "I can't walk anymore. You all go ahead." He braced his hands behind him and added, "To be honest, I think it's become very difficult to get out of here. We must find another way."

"Xiao Tian, shall we give it another try?" Rou Guang walked over.

"Frankly speaking, the two of you standing together like that reminds me of what I just heard," Zhidoxing teased.

"Can you not mention that..." Rou Guang rolled her eyes.

"Hahaha, why don't you two go and walk it again? I'll rest here for a while by myself." Zhidoxing extended his right hand and gestured forward.

"Let's walk it again," Ning Jing said as she walked over.

"Are you sure you'll be fine staying here by yourself?" Qian Cangyi was somewhat surprised by Zhidoxing's choice. As for whether Zhidoxing was truly tired or just pretending, he was inclined to believe the latter. Qian Cangyi did not know what Zhidoxing was planning, but he knew that Zhidoxing had no intention of sharing it with the others.

"Let's go." Qian Cangyi headed toward the exit.

The situation was different this time; the sounds of arguing and discussion did not reappear, and only the quiet sound of footsteps remained in the dense forest. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the woods on the right, as if something were running from deep within the thicket. Qian Cangyi took two steps back, putting some distance between them.

"That wouldn't be Zhidoxing, would it?" Rou Guang muttered softly. No one replied to her. The rustling grew closer and louder. Xiao Tian stepped forward, standing in the front. The next second, everything fell silent; nothing happened.

"I'll go take a look." Xiao Tian turned and said this without waiting for a reply, diving into the dense forest. However... less than two seconds later, he ran back. "I can't get in at all; it’s all tree branches." As he spoke, he brushed the leaves off his clothes.

"Let's keep moving," Rou Guang sighed.

The four of them returned to the clearing, where Zhidoxing was lying on the ground resting. Seeing the four of them return, Zhidoxing sat up and asked, "How did it go? Did you find anything? Even a lie would do."

Qian Cangyi shook his head and found a place to sit down as well. Having walked from morning until now, he also felt quite exhausted.

"Are we really just going to wait here for death?" Ning Jing squatted on the ground, clawing at her hair with her right hand.

"We can wait for the sun to set and the Blood Moon to rise," Zhidoxing said, looking up at the sunset in the distance. The sky was growing dark, and the sun had already begun to sink below the horizon. Qian Cangyi looked at his own shadow, lost in thought.

As the sun disappeared completely, all five stood up. Shortly after, a massive crimson Blood Moon hung in the night sky, its red hue creating a stark contrast against the blackness of the night. Then, ripples began to spread across the Blood Moon, expanding outward until they reached the very ends of the world.

Immediately, a sinister aura emanated from the Blood Moon, coiling around everyone's ankles like a dangerous viper. The venom of this viper felt like an electric shock, causing everyone to tremble uncontrollably and nearly lose their footing.

Zhidoxing walked to the side and signaled to Rou Guang with his eyes. Rou Guang frowned, unsure of what Zhidoxing wanted.

"Yan Ruoxuan, can we still get out of here?" Zhidoxing asked.

*Yan Ruoxuan?* Qian Cangyi realized immediately that it was the time of the Blood Moon, so they could no longer use their actors' codenames but had to use the names of the characters they were portraying. Rou Guang was playing the key character, Yan Ruoxuan. Only Yan Ruoxuan knew what Heifang Island really was and what it contained.

"I... I don't know," Rou Guang shook her head.

Upon hearing this, Zhidoxing’s expression darkened. He kept twitching his eyebrows and asked again, "Then, Yan Ruoxuan, do you know what place this really is?"

Rou Guang had to detach herself so that Yan Ruoxuan could answer. Qian Cangyi thought, but he couldn't say it directly because Mo An would not speak that way. Rou Guang was about to answer, but suddenly remembering something, she widened her eyes. In the next second, she spoke, but her tone was completely different.

"Zhang Sibo! Get away from me!"

It was her—it was Yan Ruoxuan! Qian Cangyi watched Rou Guang. After she said those words, Zhidoxing did not respond; he neither continued questioning nor walked away. Seeing this, Rou Guang reached out and pushed Zhidoxing back a few steps.

Zhidoxing turned to look at Qian Cangyi and the others, signaling with his eyes that he needed help. Qian Cangyi understood his intent and walked over. He had been paying attention to one thing: whenever Mo An and Yan Ruoxuan spoke, their tones were aggressive, yet Yan Ruoxuan was never afraid. The result of their interaction was always a contest of who could be more ruthless, ending unpleasantly every time. Therefore, he decided to have Mo An change his approach.

"Ruoxuan," Qian Cangyi’s voice was very soft, like a whisper in her ear, "everyone is truly worried."

Rou Guang turned her head and looked at Qian Cangyi with a strange expression. Qian Cangyi did not know whether it was Rou Guang or Yan Ruoxuan standing before him, but he had to bite the bullet and continue: "Ruoxuan, are you worried that we blame you? Rest assured, we would never blame you."

"You can see the situation we are in now. Do you really want everyone to die here? I believe you wouldn't do that." After saying this, he stopped and waited for Rou Guang to speak. If she suddenly said, "You're so greasy," then his words would have been for nothing. Qian Cangyi glanced at the other actors and saw that Zhidoxing had already secretly given him a thumbs up.

At this moment, Ning Jing walked over and said softly to Rou Guang, "Sister Ruoxuan, no matter what happens, I will stand by your side." As she spoke, a gentle smile appeared on her face.

Rou Guang turned her head, her expression softening significantly. Then, she began to speak:

"This is Heifang Island. There is a legend about this place."

"It is said that there is a Moon God Altar on the island. As long as you can find this altar and make a wish to the Moon God with sincerity, the Moon God will grant your wish."

"However, no one knows exactly where the altar is. They only know that it is very easy to lose yourself on Heifang Island, because those who arrive here gradually forget the direction they are heading."

"Once trapped on Heifang Island, you can never leave. Even in death, your soul must remain on the island to serve the Moon God for eternity."

After she finished, she lowered her head, not daring to meet the eyes of the other actors.

"Is what you're saying true?" Xiao Tian walked over.

"Believe it or not, that's up to you." Rou Guang glanced at Xiao Tian, her tone turning cold again.

"Why?" Qian Cangyi was becoming increasingly curious.

"Have you all forgotten what happened a year ago?" Rou Guang looked at Qian Cangyi with a look of surprise.