Chapter 56: Going Home

Hu Li told everyone with unwavering certainty that she had buried her parents right here, beneath this forest, and very, very deep. Even though the ground was now riddled with pits and gullies of all sizes, she was sure the place where she had laid them to rest was still there.

Now, she began to dig.

With the strength of a demon fox and unaffected by hunger, she dug incredibly fast, even with her bare hands.

Soft soil was continuously tossed out of the pit. Yu Sheng and Irene stood by, watching the scene in silence, while not far away stood the trio—Li Lin and his companions—who, despite not knowing the full details, had begun to grasp the situation.

Irene sat on Yu Sheng's shoulder, watching Hu Li dig below, and couldn't help but speak up again: "Um... how about we come back next time? It's been a while. The Hunger Entity might pop up again at any moment, and we'll have to fight it all over again..."

"It won't. I can feel it... I know when it appears. I've been here for many years," Hu Li said, lifting her head from the large pit. "It's not in this hole. It should be... nearby."

With that, the fox girl climbed out of the pit, stood in the center of the wasteland to judge the direction, and quickly moved to a nearby patch of ground to continue digging with all her might.

Irene opened her mouth as if to say more, but Yu Sheng gently patted her arm.

"Don't say anything. Let her dig. If she doesn't find them, she'll be trapped here forever even if she leaves."

Irene pursed her lips, but her voice echoed in the depths of Yu Sheng's mind: "I'm not afraid of what she might dig up; I'm afraid she'll end up digging up nothing at all."

"I know," Yu Sheng replied in his mind.

"Then you..."

"But I believe she will find them."

Irene fell silent for a moment. "But you saw her mental state before. When the influence of 'Hunger' was at its worst, she could barely think straight. And given the sight deep within that dream..."

Yu Sheng simply shook his head.

He then stepped forward toward Hu Li. "Do you need help?"

While digging rapidly downward, Hu Li shook her head obstinately. "No. I'll dig. Myself. It's right here. I saw it... the cloth strips I buried before. They're just a little deeper."

Yu Sheng nodded and stepped back two paces. "Alright, I'll wait for you here."

He then led Irene aside to a spot where the bottom of the pit was out of sight, waiting quietly for the fox girl to finish what she had to do.

Yu Sheng himself didn't know how long he waited—he waited calmly and patiently, yet gradually felt as if every passing second was as long as a year. He felt an urge to check on the situation in the pit, but his legs felt as if they were slowly growing into the ground beneath him. He didn't know if Irene, on his shoulder, felt the same, but he could sense that the little doll's body had been tense for some time.

"Once we get back, I'll fix your body first," Yu Sheng said, breaking the silence in an attempt to distract Irene.

"Okay, sure," the doll replied absentmindedly.

"But we might run out of clay at home. I'll probably have to use some flour or something. You don't mind, do you?"

"I don't mind."

"How about two sections of lotus root?"

"I don't mind."

"Are you sure? I said two sections of lotus root."

"I don't mi—wait, no! I mind!"

Irene snapped to attention, glaring fiercely (or so she thought) at Yu Sheng.

At that moment, she suddenly noticed that the sound of digging at the bottom of the pit had stopped.

It became very quiet below. No more soil was being tossed out, yet there was no sign of Hu Li's movement.

Irene froze, then suddenly locked eyes with Yu Sheng. "Oh no! It can't be empty down there, can it!"

Without a word, Yu Sheng bolted toward the large pit.

He saw Hu Li.

The fox girl was curled up quietly at the bottom of the pit—her body was bent, her fluffy tails clutched in her arms, while her other tails wrapped around her like a blanket.

Beside her lay two sets of neatly arranged skeletal remains.

She was curled into a ball between the two skeletons, her chest rising and falling slightly, like a young beast sleeping beside its mother.

Yu Sheng let out a breath and sat down among the rubble beside the pit.

Irene also exhaled, lying flat on top of Yu Sheng's head.

After a few minutes, the fox curled at the bottom slowly climbed up. She looked at the two skeletons beside her, then looked up at Yu Sheng sitting above, and a slow smile spread across her face.

Yu Sheng looked at Hu Li. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, let's go."

The demon fox nodded, then leaned down and carefully broke off one sharp, non-human canine tooth from each of the two skeletons before standing up to walk over.

Yu Sheng reached into the deep pit, grabbed Hu Li's arm, and pulled her out.

"Is it enough to just take these?" Irene asked curiously, looking at the two teeth Hu Li was clutching tightly. "What about the rest..."

Hu Li shook her head. "Just the teeth is enough. My parents said... the fox's rule... when the teeth go home, you are home."

"Then that's fine." Yu Sheng nodded, then raised his hand to open the door to the real world. But just as he was about to open it, Hu Li seemed to remember something and tugged on his sleeve. "Benefactor, wait, there's also..."

Yu Sheng realized what she meant before she could finish and slapped his forehead. "Ah, right, I almost forgot one thing. Wait for me a moment."

As soon as he spoke, he pulled open another door and slipped inside, leaving the nearby Li Lin trio staring in bewilderment.

He didn't stay away long. Only ten seconds later, another door appeared out of thin air in the same spot. Yu Sheng emerged from the door carrying Irene on his shoulder, holding a somewhat damaged plastic bag in his hand.

Inside was the food that had been left behind in the ruins of the broken temple.

"Some of it was ruined by those monsters, but I brought back everything with intact packaging."

Only then did a brighter, happier smile appear on Hu Li's face. She immediately reached out to take the plastic bag and carefully counted the contents, checking twice before she felt at ease.

"Alright, nothing's missing now. Let's go home," Yu Sheng said, smiling as well. He reached out toward the air beside him and pulled. A door leading to No. 66 Wutong Road manifested and opened—at the center of the shimmering phantom was a familiar living room. "Li Lin, you three, come over quickly. Let's all go back together."

"Oh... oh, okay!" Li Lin hurriedly agreed, rushing over with Little Red Riding Hood. Xu Jiali, following behind them, couldn't help but cast a strange look at the door Yu Sheng had opened. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, her eyes flickering with hesitation, but she eventually quickened her pace to follow.

Passing through the door, the chilling wind of the Hunger Valley was blocked out. The familiar scent of home brought a sense of security that made Yu Sheng take several deep breaths the moment he returned.

Unconsciously, he felt that this place truly felt like a home.

Hu Li's eyes widened as she stared in wonder at this place that seemed strange in every way.

She had lived in that desolate valley for too many, too many years; she had even become unaccustomed to "houses." The intact, enclosed roof and the bright lights made her feel somewhat lost.

After being stunned for several seconds, she set down the food she was carrying and sat directly on the floor, cautiously guarding the instant noodles, biscuits, and eight-treasure porridge, only occasionally stealing curious glances at her surroundings or checking on Yu Sheng.

Li Lin, Xu Jiali, and Little Red Riding Hood were also cautiously observing the place. Through the living room window facing the street, they immediately confirmed that this was indeed a location deep within the old district on Wutong Road. However, judging from the perspective looking out the window...

Even as a professional Bureau agent, Li Lin could not confirm which specific building on Wutong Road this was.

At the same time, their spiritual intuition pulsed faintly in their hearts, constantly reminding them—this was not a truly stable part of the real world, but still some kind of anomalous space with a non-zero depth.

The three exchanged glances, seeing reflection and gravity in each other's eyes.

Something was wrong with this place.

But they couldn't exactly pull out a depth probe to measure the environment—the man named "Yu Sheng" might seem friendly, but his unorthodox methods for killing the Hunger Entity and his eerie ability to open doors between the otherworldly realm and reality all pointed to one thing: this man was powerful and dangerous.

Provoking such a mysterious and dangerous figure was not wise. If they truly angered this seemingly friendly "human," none of the three would likely leave this place alive.

"Is this... your home?" After a long hesitation, Li Lin was the first to break the silence.

"Yeah," Yu Sheng nodded. "Find a place to sit first. I'll go get you some water—today was unexpected, and I didn't prepare anything for guests, so don't mind it."

"Ah, no need to trouble yourself," Li Lin said, waving his hands hurriedly. The more friendly and ordinary Yu Sheng acted, the more uneasy Li Lin felt—after all, the sight of the Hunger Entity self-devouring in the valley was far too unforgettable. "We'll leave in a bit, just in a bit..."

He paused, then added as if casually, "By the way, where is this? Is this still in the Boundary City?"

"Of course it is," Yu Sheng said matter-of-factly. "You can tell just by looking outside. It's Wutong Road—weren't you guys specifically tailing me here?"

Cold sweat broke out on Li Lin's forehead. "This... please don't take it personally, we didn't know the situation at the time..."

"It's no big deal," Yu Sheng waved it off; he truly didn't mind. "I was actually looking for you guys, I just couldn't find you."

Li Lin and Xu Jiali both froze, asking in unison, "Huh?"

"You're looking for them, right?" Little Red Riding Hood reacted immediately, pointing at Xu Jiali and Li Lin. "I'm just a part-time worker..."

"No, I'm looking for all of you," Yu Sheng's expression turned serious. "Professionals like you."