Rong Yi took off the jade pendant, examined it closely for a few moments, reached a conclusion, and commanded, "Take the Moon's Guide immediately and head in the direction it points. If it encounters the Moon Gem, it will emit a blazing white light. Watch carefully—the brighter the silver thread, the closer you are to the gem; the dimmer the light, the farther away."
Rong Yi handed the jade pendant to Qiqi. Before Xiao Zuo could respond, he had already crashed to the floor with a thud!
"Rong Yi—" Qiqi exclaimed in shock.
"I'm fine, just exhausted from overexertion... I need to sleep for a while." Lying on the ground, Rong Yi was too weak to even open his eyes, his face pale as if he had just fought a prolonged battle.
Qiqi was secretly alarmed—Wolf King, don't you dare die from overwork!!
Fortunately, they were both in the study, and where he had fallen wasn't far from the bed. Qiqi quickly stepped forward and, with great effort, moved him onto the bed.
She settled him down and grabbed a blanket to cover him, but at that moment, Rong Yi suddenly opened his eyes and tightly grabbed her sleeve. "Go! Immediately take the Moon's Guide and find the gem! Hurry! Come back soon! My soul exchange can only last at most one day. Within twelve hours, you must bring the Moon's Guide back to me, or my soul will dissipate!"
"What?" Qiqi's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say so earlier? What happens if your soul dissipates?"
"Then I'm as good as dead."
"Ah?!?!"
Qiqi was stunned—so you're basically handing your life over to me?
She was utterly shocked, staring blankly at Rong Yi—suddenly holding someone's life in her hands, what was she supposed to do?!
Lying in bed, Rong Yi shot her a fierce glare. "What are you spacing out for? Go! Make sure you get back in time! Otherwise... I'll die right in front of you!"
Well...
Alright, I really don't want you to die.
Qiqi quickly nodded, stuffed the jade pendant into her bag, and ran to the kitchen to pile food and drinks by Rong Yi's bedside, ensuring he wouldn't starve while bedridden all day.
Then, clutching her bag, she hurried out the door.
Once outside, determined to find the Moon Gem as quickly as possible and avoid someone dying on her watch, Qiqi did something unprecedented—she hailed a taxi on the street.
The taxi driver asked, "Miss, where to?"
Qiqi pulled out the jade pendant and glanced at it as if checking a watch. "Head southeast, straight ahead, no turns. I'll tell you when we get there."
The driver shot her a wary look—this girl's request was really odd! If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have taken the fare, given how many criminals were out there and how taxis weren't exactly safe to rob these days... But this young lady seemed harmless enough, unlikely to cause trouble, so he followed her directions.
The car drove southeast, but the jade pendant remained unchanged, suggesting the target was still far off.
Qiqi alternated between glancing at the pendant and the meter, growing a bit uneasy—they'd been driving for nearly an hour, far from the old town and deep into the bustling city center. The taxi meter kept ticking away, jumping as fast as an electrocardiogram! Those were all hard-earned silver coins! If it kept jumping like this, she'd have high blood pressure before finding the gem!
She regretted not bringing more money—Rong Yi had rushed her so much that she hadn't had time to prepare.