Yu Hanjiang turned his head to look at Xiao Lou. Although he was blind, Xiao Lou's eyes were still clear and bright. However, his usually calm and smiling face now showed a hint of confusion. His world had suddenly turned dark, so it was no wonder that he was at a loss.
Xiao Lou noticed that Captain Yu had stopped and asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"
Yu Hanjiang whispered, "It's alright, watch your step."
After walking for a while, Xiao Lou suddenly remembered something. He took his card holder out of his pocket and handed it to Captain Yu, saying, "For the next three hours, I won't be able to see anything or control the cards. Captain Yu, I'm giving you all the cards. You can use them if you need them."
Yu Hanjiang took the card, his voice softening: "Don't worry, leave these three hours to me."
The two walked out of the grove together. The mountain path ahead was very narrow, making it impossible to pass side by side. Yu Hanjiang took the initiative to walk in front, turned around and gently took Xiao Lou's arm: "The path is slippery here, be careful."
Xiao Lou nodded, and followed Yu Hanjiang step by step, just like a child learning to walk.
Yu Hanjiang was very patient, slowing down and leading him down the mountain step by step.
They had only gone halfway when a couple came up the mountain—the same couple who had come to the ruined temple the night before and then left. The middle-aged man saw them, stopped, and asked in a sarcastic tone, "Gentlemen, there were actually gems in the ruined temple, and you picked them up, didn't you?"
Yu Hanjiang said coldly, "No."
The man said, "Do you think we're stupid? Nobody dared to search Villager's house last night. The two gems that were found are just outside the village. That dilapidated temple is strange; it must have gems inside."
The woman keenly noticed that Xiao Lou's eyes were unfocused, his expression blank, and he was being helped to walk. Her eyes lit up, and she whispered in her boyfriend's ear, "The person behind him seems to be blind."
After a careful observation, the man realized that she was indeed blind, so he lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "Make your move."
The two men clearly believed that Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang had taken the gems from the dilapidated temple. Since Xiao Lou was blind, this was a perfect opportunity; if they could subdue one of them, they could force him to reveal the gems' whereabouts. This quick way to pass through was far safer than risking their lives to find the gems themselves.
The two exchanged a glance, and the man suddenly threw out a Balance, a huge round electronic scale that trapped Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou simultaneously, while the woman swiftly swung out a long white silk ribbon.
The white silk seemed to have eyes, and like a serpent, it swept towards the two of them, precisely wrapping around Xiao Lou's neck!
The woman held the other end of the white silk, squinting her eyes and smiling: "This white silk card of mine can even break steel bars and concrete." She then changed the subject coldly: "Hand over the gem, or if I tighten my grip again, your friend's neck will really break."
Yu Hanjiang's face suddenly darkened, and he said sternly, "Let him go!"
The woman smiled and said, "Don't worry, I don't want to kill anyone, I just want to pass the level. There are still 5 gems left, you can go look for more. We can give you the one we found earlier, consider it an act of kindness, how about it?"
Xiao Lou's vision went completely black, her neck was wrapped in soft white silk, and her lips gradually turned pale.
Although trapped, he remained calm, smiled slightly in the woman's direction, and said, "Taking advantage of my blindness to snatch the gems from us is nothing more than taking advantage of someone in distress. There's no need to make up so many reasons."
The woman paused, realizing she was in the wrong, but still retorted, "The rules don't say you can't steal. Spade Secret Room is a dog-eat-dog world, you can only blame your bad luck."
Xiao Lou laughed and said, "It's not certain who will be unlucky."
The middle-aged man said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense and hand over the gems!"
Xiao Lou gently tugged at Yu Hanjiang's arm, giving him a signal. Yu Hanjiang understood and immediately took out Xiao Lou's card holder. Fortunately, the two had been together since Heart 3, so Yu Hanjiang knew exactly what cards were in Xiao Lou's card holder, their specific skills, and their placement.
Character Card's skill - Holding hands and gazing at each other with tearful eyes, speechless and choked with emotion!
This allows for the simultaneous control of two targets.
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou are trapped by Balance and cannot move, but the cards they summon are not restricted.
Yu Hanjiang quickly summoned the Character Card and designated the man and woman.
Affected by the card's effect, the two couldn't help but hold each other's hands, looking at each other with teary eyes.
The woman was utterly horrified—she discovered that she couldn't control her movements or her tears at all.
The man's expression changed drastically. Although he was unwilling to do this, his body seemed to be driven by a mysterious force. He reached out and held the other person's hand tightly, and tears in his eyes flowed like a tap that had been turned on, which he could not stop.
Because the woman and man were holding hands tightly, gazing at each other with tears in their eyes, her white silk was out of control, and Xiao Lou's neck was quickly loosened.
The rush of oxygen into his mouth and nose caused Xiao Lou to cough violently.
Yu Hanjiang immediately put his arm around Xiao Lou's shoulder, gently patted his back, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Xiao Lou shook his head: "It's nothing, just a lack of oxygen...cough..."
After coughing for a few moments to catch his breath, Xiao Lou's pale face regained its color. He turned to look in the direction of the two people. Although he couldn't see anything, he knew that Captain Yu was definitely trying to control them.
They stayed there.
Yu Hanjiang raised an eyebrow at the two people holding hands and crying, and said coldly, "I don't offend others unless they offend me. You two have come here to mess with me, so don't blame me for being impolite."
As soon as he finished speaking, he used Character Card's second skill to target the woman.
"I will not regret it even if my clothes become looser"—a woman instantly loses 30 pounds and cannot be attacked for 10 minutes.
She was already very thin, and losing 30 pounds resulted in her being nothing but skin and bones. Her face was gaunt and shriveled, her hands looked like those of a zombie, her legs were like two chopsticks, her skin was severely dehydrated and wrinkled, and she looked as if she had aged 30 years in an instant.
The man, seeing his girlfriend suddenly become emaciated, turned pale with fright: "What...what did you do to her?!"
The woman looked at her hand, which was now just bones, and exclaimed in horror, "Ah... how could this be?!"
The Balance under Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou's feet had expired. He moved like a ghost, quickly appearing behind the woman. He held a sharp fruit knife to her throat and said coldly in her ear, "You dare to strangle him with white silk? Do you think he can't see?"
The voice was as cold as if it came from the depths of hell.
The sharp knife was pressed against her vulnerable neck; an inch closer and it would sever her carotid artery. The woman cried out in terror, "I was wrong! Ahh, spare me, spare me! Please don't kill me... I'll apologize to your friend!"
The emaciated woman was crying and sniffling, looking extremely disheveled.
Her partner's expression also changed, and he said, "Let's talk this out. We didn't hurt your friend. Please, please don't kill her."
Yu Hanjiang didn't intend to kill her. He thrust the knife forward forcefully, and the woman felt the sharp blade cut her skin. She immediately screamed in despair, "Ah..."
However, the knife suddenly stopped and did not continue cutting.
Yu Hanjiang stopped in time, leaving a clear and distinct bloodstain on her neck. Yu Hanjiang said calmly, "Remember this lesson. Don't think that just because someone is blind, they are easy to bully. Taking advantage of someone in distress is not a good habit."
He sheathed his knife and confiscated the white silk card from the woman's hand: "You used this card to bully him, so I'm taking it. You're welcome." He used Balance to trap the two of them in place before turning to find Xiao Lou.
Xiao Lou was blind and dared not move. Only when Yu Hanjiang's familiar scent approached and the man's long, strong hand gently supported his arm did Xiao Lou breathe a sigh of relief and ask, "Is it resolved?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Yes, I confiscated the card she used to tie you up."
Xiao Lou couldn't help but smile. Captain Yu truly hated evil and wouldn't suffer the slightest loss. However, this woman dared to strangle him with white silk, so having his card confiscated was arguably her own fault.
Yu Hanjiang glanced at the winding mountain road and said in a low voice, " Professor Xiao, how about I carry you down the mountain? The road here is narrow and slippery, it won't be easy for you to walk."
Xiao Lou, who was blind, could not move forward step by step. He stopped hesitating and simply nodded: "Then I'll trouble Captain Yu."
Yu Hanjiang bent down and gently carried Xiao Lou on his back.
The feeling of being suspended in mid-air made Xiao Lou feel slightly awkward. When he was a child, only his father had ever carried him like this, and as an adult, it was even less likely that he would be so intimate with someone of the same sex.
Clinging to the man's back and being carried by him, Xiao Lou's breath hitched slightly, and her heart suddenly raced.
With everything pitch black, his senses of hearing and touch were sharper than usual. He could clearly hear Yu Hanjiang's breathing and feel the other's firm muscles.
The pounding of his heart echoed in his ears, and Xiao Lou's ears felt slightly hot. He turned his head to one side, afraid that he might accidentally brush against Captain Yu's neck.
Yu Hanjiang carried Xiao Lou on his back and walked with great speed.
For Yu Hanjiang, Professor Xiao was too light; it was less important than the burlap sack he carried during his weighted hikes at the police academy.
Yu Hanjiang carried Xiao Lou with ease. Along the way, many Challengers looked at them curiously, but Yu Hanjiang ignored their stares and carried Xiao Lou back to the temple. Shao Qingge couldn't help but wonder, "What's going on?"
Ye Qi also ran over worriedly and asked, " Professor Xiao, are you injured?"
Yu Hanjiang carried Xiao Lou into the room, gently placed him on the ground, and said, "He has gone blind."
Xiao Lou nodded: "It's the one that gives you a hint when you enter the secret room, the three hours of blindness every day."
Ye Qi waved a finger in front of Xiao Lou's eyes and found that his eyes did not react: "Did he suddenly go blind?"
Xiao Lou said helplessly, "Yes, it happened without any warning."
Shao Qingge stroked his chin and said, "This is troublesome. What if we suddenly go blind while we are on the move? Wouldn't that be a real problem?"
Yu Hanjiang shared this concern, suggesting: "If we all experience three hours of blindness before the operation this evening, it would actually be a good thing, as this negative effect only occurs once a day, and those who have experienced blindness before will not be affected again. However, if someone is not blind during the day, it would be best not to participate in the operation in the evening to avoid problems along the way."
Xiao Lou agreed: "Then let's stay in the temple today. If anyone goes blind, it will be easier for us to take care of each other."
Neither Ye Qi nor Shao Qingge had any objections.
Yu Hanjiang took out the card that had just been confiscated and said, "A-grade tool card, white silk. It can freely stretch and extend, up to fifty meters. Once you run out, it can instantly bind a designated target."
Xiao Lou praised, "This card is good."
Ye Qi asked with a face full of curiosity, "How come you got a new card after going out for a short trip?"
Xiao Lou was also helpless: "Someone saw that I was blind."
They wanted to take advantage of my vulnerability and capture me to threaten Captain Yu into handing over the jewels…
Ye Qi recalled the time in Spade 3 secret room when he and Xiao Lou were guarding supplies at the Construction Site. Six men, seeing they were outnumbered, pounced on them to steal their food, but Xiao Lou managed to retaliate. It seemed another uncooperative Challenger was coming to cause trouble today.
However, it's only the first day, and they're already grabbing things. They're being too impatient.
Ye Qi couldn't help but curse, "Some people just want to steal other people's things to take shortcuts. What kind of despicable habit is that?! Don't say we don't have gems. Even if we did, we found them through our own abilities. Why should we give them to them!"
Shao Qingge said, "It's just the inherent weakness of humans who bully the weak and fear the strong." He looked at Xiao Lou and said with a smile, "Unfortunately, they bullied the wrong person. Even if our Professor Xiao is blind, he is as clear-headed as a mirror and has a good hand at cards."
Xiao Lou laughed and said, " CEO Shao, please don't make fun of me. I'm blind and can't operate the card. I was only able to do this because of Captain Yu." He turned to look at Yu Hanjiang, who said calmly, "It's nothing."
Ye Qi asked curiously, " Professor Xiao, aren't you blind? How do you know if Captain Yu is on the left or the right?"
Xiao Lou's ears burned. She thought to herself, "I can sense his presence, so of course I know where he is." But she couldn't say that directly, so she quickly changed the subject, saying, "By the way, Captain Yu and I caught a wild rabbit. We can roast it for lunch today."
Ye Qi's eyes lit up: "You guys actually caught a wild rabbit! There's still some leftover grilled fish from yesterday, plus some grilled rabbit meat, we can have a big meal at noon!" He eagerly took the rabbit: "I'll take care of it."
Shao Qingge glanced at Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang with a half-smile, then turned and went out with Ye Qi.
Only Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang remained in the dilapidated temple. Seeing that Xiao Lou's face was slightly pale, Yu Hanjiang asked with concern, "Would you like some water?"
Xiao Lou, who had just been choked and was extremely thirsty, smiled and nodded upon hearing this: "Mm."
Yu Hanjiang got up, found a clean bamboo tube, fetched some water from the mountain spring outside, and brought it to Xiao Lou's lips.
Xiao Lou lowered his head and took a sip. The mountain spring water carried the fragrance of bamboo leaves and was even clearer and sweeter than the mineral water he usually drank. He couldn't help but take the bamboo tube that Yu Hanjiang handed him and drink a few more sips.
His lips were soon wet from the spring water. The sweet spring water went down his throat, and Xiao Lou's expression softened a lot, with a smile appearing on his face.
The dilapidated temple was quiet. He sat there quietly drinking water, his profile appearing particularly soft in the sunlight. Yu Hanjiang stared at him intently, momentarily forgetting to look away.
Yu Hanjiang only snapped out of his daze when Xiao Lou finished drinking all the water and handed the bamboo tube back.
Ignoring the strange feeling in his heart, Yu Hanjiang calmly took the bamboo tube, his deep voice revealing a gentleness he himself couldn't perceive: "Want some more?"
Xiao Lou said, "No need, thank you."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Are you hungry? I'll go get you something to eat."
Xiao Lou asked in confusion, " Did Ye Qi go to roast a wild rabbit?"
Yu Hanjiang said disdainfully, "I can't let him grill it, he'll definitely burn it. I'll do it myself."
Xiao Lou smiled and said, " Captain Yu's grilled fish is really delicious. I can't see and can't help you, so thank you for your help."
Yu Hanjiang blurted out, "No trouble at all, you can rest here and wait for me for a while."
Xiao Lou nodded: "Mm."
When Yu Hanjiang walked out the door, Ye Qi was frantically plucking rabbit fur.
The rabbit fur wasn't plucked clean, and instead, the rabbit's fur got all over itself.
Shao Qingge wasn't good at handling ingredients, so he stood by with his arms crossed, watching the show.
Yu Hanjiang shooed Ye Qi away, saying, "Give it to me."
Ye Qi awkwardly handed him the rabbit: "Uh, I'm not very good at handling this."
Yu Hanjiang said, "I'll take care of it. You guys just go inside and wait to eat."
Ye Qi turned to look for Xiao Lou, but as soon as he entered the house, he tripped and fell to the ground with a loud "bang".
Xiao Lou couldn't see what was happening, but after hearing the loud noise, he immediately asked, "What happened?"
Shao Qingge rushed over upon hearing the commotion and joked, " Ye Qi, you don't need to kneel down to Professor Xiao like that, do you?"
Yu Hanjiang walked in with a puzzled look, and seeing Ye Qi lying in front of Xiao Lou, asked, "What is Xiao Ye doing?"
Ye Qi's face turned ugly: "Damn it, I've gone blind too! I tripped and fell!"
Xiao Lou was both amused and exasperated. He reached out and groped around until he found Ye Qi lying in front of him. He said, "That's perfect, you can keep me company."
Ye Qi scrambled to his feet, groping around in the air for a while before grabbing Xiao Lou's arm. He held on tightly as if it were a lifeline: "The feeling of being blind is unbearable! It's hard to imagine what kind of life the people in this village lead, having been blind since childhood."
Shao Qingge and Yu Hanjiang exchanged a glance.
Yu Hanjiang suddenly said, "I have an idea."
Xiao Lou sensed that he might have deduced some clue and immediately said, " Captain Yu, you tell us."
Yu Hanjiang said, "The escape room allows us to experience three hours of blindness every day, which is probably indirectly telling us that life is actually very difficult for blind people."
Xiao Lou agreed, saying, "That's right. After I went blind just now, I couldn't even walk steadily. It's hard to believe how children who are born blind learn to walk with their blind parents. They must have fallen countless times in the process."
Yu Hanjiang crossed his arms thoughtfully: "Everyone in this village is blind. Could it be because their ancestors offended the blind, and this is their revenge?" He said, word by word, "Because of them..."
"Did they bully the blind, so they destroyed the mountain god temple they worshipped, plunging their descendants into eternal darkness?"
There are many kinds of disabilities. The Villagers are not deaf, lame, or mute; they are collectively blind.
The Challenger who enters the secret chamber will also experience three hours of blindness for a day.
Xiao Lou couldn't bear it even after only half an hour of blindness.
Descendants are blind from childhood, plunging into darkness for their entire lives—what intense hatred must drive someone to seek revenge on an entire village?