Chapter 203

Chapter 203

Temple Run is a classic adventure running game.

The game's setting revolves around an adventurer who retrieves a treasure from an ancient temple, only to be chased by monsters guarding it. Players must control the protagonist, dodging obstacles and monsters, with longer distances and more collected coins resulting in higher scores.

Why say the character dies instead of reaching an endpoint?

Because the game has no endpoint. No matter how long or how far the character runs, they always end up back at the beginning, running in an endless loop until their eventual demise.

And now, their current predicament eerily resembled the game's narrative – after taking the immortal spring water from the temple, they had disturbed the golden snake guarding it, and now they had to escape on this serpentine floating stone path.

To add to the tension, Liu Bu Hua remarked, "Oh, Temple Run. I've played it too. But I recall that game having no end. Are we in the same situation?"

Zheng Shu, gripping his hair and wearing a mask of agony, exclaimed, "Xie Yin Xue, control your godson! He never says anything uplifting!"

Liu Bu Hua turned to Bu Jiu Zhao and said, "Little godmother, I wish you and godfather a lifetime of happiness."

Bu Jiu Zhao smirked, raising an eyebrow at Zheng Shu, "Isn't that something positive? I think he's doing just fine. Continue."

Zheng Shu: "..."

Song Qu You, not interested in their banter, repeatedly asked Yun Qian, "Is there really no more information on the treasure map?"

Yun Qian shook her head, "That's all. It mentioned that outside the temple is the exit."

Song Quyou stamped her foot in frustration, "What kind of exit is this?"

These floating stone paths resemble the suspended staircase leading to the Temple of the Lost Land. They defy the laws of physics with no support underneath. As Song Quyou peered cautiously over the cliff's edge, she lamented, "Help, I'm afraid of heights."

At least beneath the suspended staircase, you could see the ocean. But under these floating stone paths was a hazy abyss that darkened the deeper it went. It felt like an endless chasm. Who knows, as they treaded the path, whether a giant hand would emerge and drag them down.

The unknown is the greatest fear.

Yi Yiling stared blankly, "So... we have to traverse these stone paths to escape?"

But they didn't have much time to ponder. After absorbing all the undying spring water inside the Temple of the Lost Land, the golden snake didn't just heal its wounds – its size increased tenfold. The stone door, which only a multi-rayed star key could open, crumbled like tofu before it.

The golden snake's head emerged from the exit, its blood-red eyes cold and menacing. It fixed its frenzied and excited gaze on the group, not attacking immediately but constantly flicking its tongue, seemingly selecting its first victim.

Zhan Meng, thinking he looked the most appetizing, couldn't contain himself, "The snake is out, run!"

Now, their only option was to flee via the floating stone paths.

Right after Zhan Meng's shout, Bu Jiuzhao once again played the role of a palanquin bearer, effortlessly lifting Xie Yinxue onto his shoulders. Even carrying someone, he was the fastest among them.

"Is he even human?" Zhan Meng, unable to catch up, turned to Zheng Shu in disbelief, "Are you sure he's just an ordinary chef?"

Zheng Shu looked equally astonished. But then recalling that Bu Jiuzhao was the chef in Xie Yinxue's home, he wasn't that surprised. After all, while Bu Jiuzhao had exceptional physical abilities, Xie Yinxue could survive even after decapitation. They were all far from normal.

"Stop worrying about others and run!" Zheng Shu panted as he ran, his chest heaving, "The snake is catching up!"

Among the fourteen participants, the slowest runners were Yi Yiling and Song Quyou. Being female, they were naturally slower and had less stamina. Especially on these winding floating stone paths, if they didn't manage their momentum, they might fly off the edge. After ten minutes of full-speed running, Song Quyou couldn't keep up. Worse, she couldn't control her momentum downhill and found herself falling off the path.

"Quyou!"

With quick reflexes, Yi Yiling threw out her rope with a grappling hook, catching Song Quyou. But while she managed to catch her, she didn't have the strength to pull her up.

Fortunately, participants like Mu Jinhai, You Lan, and Yi Yao, who had run ahead, heard the commotion and hurried back to help Yi Yiling pull Song Quyou to safety.

"Are you alright?" Mu Jinhai asked, pulling a tearful Song Quyou to her feet, "If you're not hurt, stop crying. We need to keep moving."

Song Quyou knew that if she stopped, she'd become prey for the golden snake. So, even with wobbly legs, she resumed running with the others, sobbing, "How long do we have to run on this path?"

Hearing her, You Lan looked ahead at the seemingly endless winding stone paths and sighed, "I suddenly miss the car driven by Bu Jiuzhao."

Riding in a car is different from running. In a car, you might be scared and stressed, but at least there's less direct threat to your life – the risks are certainly lower than confronting the golden snake head-on.

Upon his mention, Ying Yiling also noticed the width of this suspended stone path. It seemed just wide enough for an off-road vehicle. However, she had her doubts about Bu Jiuzhao's driving skills and asked Yu Lan, "The question is, would you dare ride with Bu Jiuzhao driving on this?"

Song Quyou grabbed Ying Yiling's arm, so out of breath she could barely string her words together: "They might not dare, but I do... I just can't run anymore..."

"I kind of wish I was in Bu Jiuzhao's car now," said Mu Jinhai, looking up at Bu Jiuzhao, who was still leading the group. His expression was a mix of emotions, "I'm impressed by him. How can he run for so long while carrying Xie Yinxue?"

Yi Yao remarked wistfully, "That's the power of love, I guess. It's a shame we're all single and can't tap into that kind of energy."

Mu Jinhai: "..."

Bu Jiuzhao, fueled by the "power of love", seemed tireless. He could probably keep running for another decade without pause. But not everyone had that stamina, including Liu Buhua.

Even the sturdy man, Zhan Meng, couldn't endure this marathon-like run. He asked the uniquely skilled doctor Liu Buhua, "Doctor Liu, do you have any medicine that can turn me into Superman? I'm about to drop."

Gasping for breath, Liu Buhua managed to reply between breaths: "If I had any, I'd have used it on myself by now."

From atop Bu Jiuzhao's shoulders, Xie Yinxue looked back at Liu Buhua and, after a few seconds, said with a slight frown, "Buhua is also nearing his limit."

Knowing how much Xie Yinxue cherished his godson, Bu Jiuzhao slowed down, "Alright, then I'll carry him too."

"That won't help," Xie Yinxue, looking into the distance with her excellent vision, noticed a white object near a sharp turn on the floating stone path. She directed Bu Jiuzhao, "There's something ahead, go check it out."

As the gap between them and the white object diminished, others also recognized its presence.

Yun Qian squinted and asked, "What is that?"

"It's a gasoline barrel," Zheng Shu identified at once, noting that its size and shape were identical to the one they found in the trunk of their vehicle before entering the dense forest.

When Zhan Meng passed by, he picked it up, sniffed the lid, and exclaimed, "Damn, it's really gasoline!"

And it wasn't just one barrel. They subsequently found four more. Xie Yinxue carried two, while Yi Yao and Yu Lan each held one.

Holding a gasoline barrel, Yi Yao lamented, "Why do video game protagonists get gold coins during temple escapes, while we end up with gasoline?"

"If there are gasoline barrels... does that mean there's a vehicle nearby?" Song Quyou was thrilled, her eyes practically glowing. She shook Ying Yiling's hand and urged, "Yiling, quickly check the detector."

But Zheng Shu had already checked. Holding a metal detector, he shouted to the group, "There's a signal! Turn right at the next intersection."

During their escape, they had come across many intersections, yet they never paused to consider which way to go. They simply followed Bu Jiuzhao. It was like playing a Temple Run game: just follow the path ahead without thinking. At least Bu Jiuzhao hadn't led them to a dead-end, whereas in the game, taking a wrong turn could lead to being captured.

"I hope there's a car," Zhan Meng said, nearly fainting, "Even if Bu Jiuzhao is the driver, I'd be fine with it because I truly can't run anymore."

Fortunately, this time, Zhan Meng's words seemed to carry a touch of luck. After everyone made a right turn onto the suspended stone path, they soon spotted an off-road vehicle covered in mud and moss. The car looked familiar, but with the golden snake chasing them closely, they didn't have time to ponder. Instinctively, they settled into the positions they had arranged for the previous day and got into the car.

However, once inside, Bu Jiuzhao frowned, looking at the exposed ignition under the steering wheel, saying, "There's no key."

Zheng Shu, seated in the back and unable to see the driver's seat, replied, "Can't you start the car without a key? Why do you need it?"

Atop the car, Zhan Meng was frantically pounding on the roof, shouting, "Bu, hurry! The snake is coming! Faster, faster, faster!"

As Zhan Meng's voice trailed off due to the wind filling his mouth, everyone in and on the car let out a collective sigh of relief. Song Quyao was so overwhelmed that he cried tears of mixed emotions. It wasn't a cry of joy; he lamented, "I've never looked forward to riding in a car driven by Bu Jiuzhao as much as I do now..."

Bu Jiuzhao: "..."

"Bu, you can do it! We believe in your driving skills! Go, go, go!"

Ying Yiling, trying to encourage Bu Jiuzhao, started with good intentions. But before she could finish, Bu Jiuzhao pulled off a 90-degree drift, startling Ying Yiling and Song Quyao into screaming. Those on the roof, including You Lan, shut their eyes, fearing that riding with Bu Jiuzhao was more dangerous than facing the golden snake.

It's worth noting that they weren't on the flat grasslands where if a car flipped, the passengers might still be unscathed. Here, if Bu Jiuzhao were to crash, they'd plunge from the floating stone path into a bottomless abyss, ensuring the death of all aboard.

Yet, after scaring everyone half to death, Bu Jiuzhao remained expressionless, calmly stating, "We're out of gas."

Regaining her composure, Ying Yiling responded with confusion, "What?"

Bu Jiuzhao: "I said, the car is running out of fuel."

Zheng Shu asked, "Can you even read the dashboard? I recall your book, 'Mastering Modern Transport in Three Minutes', didn't cover that."

"I'm not blind," Bu Jiuzhao retorted, "Someone from the backseat, refuel the car."