Zhang Nu followed closely behind Lin Xiao, and before long, they had successfully walked out of the strange area. The eerie cries of Ghost Cry Forest had completely disappeared. Both Zhang Nu and Liu Hai stood there, stunned. They had no idea what had just happened.
“How… how did we get out so easily?” Liu Hai muttered, still trying to process the situation. “What just happened? Lin Xiao actually got us out?”
Zhang Nu swallowed hard and nodded. Even though it seemed unbelievable, the truth was right in front of them—Lin Xiao had indeed led them out. There was no denying it.
“Yes, Lin Xiao really got us out,” Zhang Nu said. “I didn’t expect him to be this capable. I didn’t think it was even possible.”
Liu Hai nodded in agreement, a newfound admiration for Lin Xiao growing inside him.
Before, he had thought only Zhang Nu was exceptional, but now Lin Xiao had proven himself just as remarkable. That left only one question—what about him? Zhang Nu had incredible martial arts skills, and Lin Xiao had his uncanny instincts. But what did he have?
He wasn’t exceptionally strong. He didn’t have Lin Xiao’s heightened senses. Was he just… ordinary? Destined to be nothing more than a burden?
Zhang Nu, too caught up in his own thoughts, didn’t notice Liu Hai’s shift in mood. But Lin Xiao did instantly. Though he wasn’t good at comforting others, he immediately picked up on Liu Hai’s subtle change in expression.
“What’s on your mind?” Lin Xiao asked, narrowing his eyes at Liu Hai. “You look upset.”
Liu Hai was caught off guard. He hadn’t expected Lin Xiao to notice such a small shift in his emotions.
“You… you could tell I was upset?” Liu Hai asked, looking at him in disbelief. “How sharp are you?”
Lin Xiao frowned slightly. He noticed that Liu Hai had dodged the question rather than answering it. Why was he avoiding it? Did he not want to talk?
“Why aren’t you answering my question?” Lin Xiao pressed.
Liu Hai blinked, in truth, he hadn’t even fully processed Lin Xiao’s question.
“What… what did you just ask?” Liu Hai asked, still somewhat dazed.
Zhang Nu, who had been watching their interaction, let out a small sigh. He could already tell they were operating on completely different wavelengths. This conversation wasn’t going anywhere without his help.
“Alright, Liu Hai, just answer the question,” Zhang Nu said, stepping in. “Lin Xiao is asking why you were upset. And Lin Xiao, calm down—Liu Hai wasn’t avoiding your question. He just didn’t catch it the first time.”
Both Lin Xiao and Liu Hai fell silent for a moment, then nodded seriously. They turned to each other, their expressions as if they were about to have a deep discussion about life itself.
Seeing this, Zhang Nu rubbed his forehead. How did these two end up having such an oddly intense conversation over something so simple?
Finally, Liu Hai let out a sigh and admitted, “I was feeling down because you have such sharp instincts, and Zhang Nu has incredible martial arts skills.”
“But I don’t have anything special. Compared to you two, I feel like I’m just holding you back.”
After he finished speaking, his usual bright demeanor dimmed, replaced by a look of self-doubt.
Lin Xiao frowned so deeply that it looked like he could crush a fly between his brows. To him, Liu Hai had never seemed useless at all. If anything, he admired Liu Hai for being so carefree and easygoing.
“If you’re asking me, I think you’re actually really useful,” Zhang Nu said bluntly.
“You know a lot of things. And sometimes, you joke around and lighten the mood.”
“Liu Hai, you need to stop underestimating yourself. You’re more important than you think.”
Zhang Nu had never realized Liu Hai felt this way. If Lin Xiao hadn’t noticed, he probably would’ve kept this bottled up indefinitely. It was only now that Zhang Nu truly recognized just how sharp Lin Xiao’s senses were. Not only could he detect external dangers, but he could also pick up on the subtle shifts in emotions.
For a brief moment, a thought flashed through Zhang Nu’s mind—would he and Liu Hai ever have any privacy with Lin Xiao around? But before he could dwell on it, he brushed the thought aside. Lin Xiao was their friend now. If anything, his heightened awareness was an asset.
At that moment, Lin Xiao turned to Liu Hai, his expression completely serious.
“Well, if that’s really what’s bothering you, then yeah, you should probably feel bad about it,” he said flatly. “You should definitely work on improving yourself.”
Liu Hai was speechless. He had expected some words of encouragement—maybe even a little reassurance. But instead, Lin Xiao had basically told him to reflect on his own shortcomings.