In the days that followed, Yun Ge devoted all his energy to taking care of Lily. Under Yun Ge's meticulous care and the Candylord's diligent treatment, Lily quickly regained her spirit.

  Now, Lily could at least move around like a normal person and participate in some simple tasks. Of course, since Lily's physical vitality was far from what it used to be, even light tasks would quickly leave her feeling physically drained.

  According to You Lan, Lily's condition was perfectly normal, as everyone's body would be like this during the recovery period, so she told Yun Ge not to worry too much. However, seeing the lively and lovely Lily become so weak, how could Yun Ge be at ease?

  Thus, after becoming familiar with the other women who had been sacrificial offerings, Yun Ge began to subtly understand their aftereffects and tried to find a way to cure them.

  After a series of inquiries by Yun Ge, the answer still pointed to the bloody sweetaurum flower. Everyone said that the nectar of the bloody sweetaurum flower was the only way for them to regain their former vitality, which made Yun Ge question the Candylord's request for his help in finding the flower.

  Was the Candylord genuinely seeking help, or was he setting a trap to ensnare him as well? Yun Ge pondered in his heart. Although Yun Ge was also eager to find a cure for Lily, the thought that the Candylord and Rainbow Bear, as brothers, might be birds of a feather made him still hesitate whether to agree to the Candylord's request.

  So, Yun Ge had to seek You Lan again, hoping to further determine from her whether the Candylord was trustworthy.

  Since their heart-to-heart talk, You Lan had almost become Yun Ge's spiritual support. Not only would Yun Ge actively consult You Lan when encountering problems, but he was also very willing to listen to her advice. As for why Yun Ge was so close to You Lan?

  It was because Yun Ge learned from Lily that the reason You Lan took such meticulous care of Lily every day was not only because they had known each other before, but also because You Lan was Luke's ex-girlfriend.

  It was this unique relationship that made Yun Ge and You Lan become very good friends at first sight, and it further shook Yun Ge's idea of refusing to look for the bloody sweetaurum flower. Because every time he thought of You Lan as Luke's ex-girlfriend, Yun Ge's mind would once again bring to mind Luke's painfully regretful and helpless expression.

  "Sister You Lan, do you think the Candylord is trustworthy?" After much deliberation, Yun Ge finally approached You Lan, who had just walked out of Lily's room, and asked.

  "Ah! What's there to trust or not trust? We're all in the same boat now, and the most important thing is to stick together and survive in this forest. There's no need for everyone to keep dwelling on the past," You Lan responded with a broad-minded tone.

  "But Sister You Lan, what if the Candylord is using you all to achieve his goal of retaliating against the town mayor? Aren't you afraid he might treat you as pawns?" Yun Ge asked again.

  "Pawns? Haven't we always been pawns?" You Lan countered.

  You Lan continued, "Moreover, the Candylord not only saved the lives of us who were about to be sacrificed but also openly told us the whole truth. Also, instead of controlling us with hallucination witchcraft as before, the Candylord has been working with us to build this village, and we are all on guard together against the potential harm Rainbow Bear might bring us again. With all these efforts the Candylord has made, isn't that enough to earn our trust?"

  "But the Candylord still requires you to donate blood regularly. And he has been trying to heal his internal injuries and raise his own realm again, so that he can return to Candy Town and reclaim everything that belongs to him. Aren't you afraid he might betray you after achieving his goal?" Yun Ge questioned.

  Upon hearing this, You Lan sighed and then said, "Betrayal. So what if he betrays us again? To be honest, if the Candylord decides to leave us here forever and return to Candy Town alone, that might not be a bad thing."

  "Because here, unlike the Lost Woods above, we don't need to rely on the candies made by the Candylord to live freely. Although it's always icy and snowy here, and resources are relatively scarce, even so, the resources in this forest can meet our daily needs, allowing us to stay away from the hustle and bustle and return to a peaceful life."

  You Lan glanced at Yun Ge and added, "The Candylord not only saved us but is also constantly looking for ways to cure us. Moreover, instead of deceiving us into donating blood regularly, the Candylord told us the truth, making us willing to provide him with blood regularly and live together with him in the real world. For such a person, and after experiencing all these events, would we still doubt his sincerity?"

  You Lan sighed again, "Sigh! If the Candylord succeeds, we will also have a chance to be completely cured. We believe the Candylord will definitely do this. After all, the ones who want revenge are not just the Candylord. We, the women who were chosen as sacrifices and ruthlessly abandoned, also want to get back our justice and reclaim the lives we lost."

  You Lan paused for a moment, and her gaze towards Yun Ge gradually became firmer, "Don't you want to get back justice for Lily?"

  Faced with You Lan's questioning, Yun Ge did not respond immediately. It wasn't that Yun Ge didn't know how to reply to You Lan, but rather that he realized at this moment that the Candylord had not lied before.

  Although these women living in the village were very gentle and virtuous, and their illness had made them even more soft-hearted, their inner hearts were extremely resilient, and they indeed harbored a strong hatred for Candy Town, always waiting for an opportunity to take revenge.

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  Thus, Yun Ge couldn't help but ask himself, "Do I really want to watch these innocent women suffer from incurable injuries and illnesses for the rest of their lives? Do I really not want to get back justice for Lily?"

  The answer was naturally affirmative. Yun Ge once again remembered the ugly faces of Lily's family, who were willing to watch their own daughter become a lamb to the slaughter for a better life. He also remembered what Rainbow Bear had done to eliminate him as a potential threat.

  Thinking of this, Yun Ge's thoughts returned to Lily. Every time he thought of Lily's various sufferings after becoming a sacrifice, an angry tide of rage would surge in his heart again, making him tremble with anger.

  After deciding to take a risk for Lily, Yun Ge continued chatting with You Lan on this topic. Then he learned that these women, who had been used as sacrifices, not only had incurable aftereffects but also their lifespans would be greatly shortened.

  As a fortunate one with a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people, he naturally did not want his lifespan to be reduced. So, everyone actually hoped that Yun Ge would go to the Icy Abyss to find the bloody sweetaurum flower.

  However, the journey to the Icy Abyss was too perilous, so everyone did not want to use Lily to persuade Yun Ge to take the risk for their own selfish interests. You Lan only mentioned this matter inadvertently during the conversation with Yun Ge, which made her, in a moment of urgency, tell Yun Ge more of the truth. But after telling Yun Ge everyone's expectations, You Lan immediately regretted it.

  So, You Lan hurriedly explained that she did not mean to tell Yun Ge these things and warned him repeatedly not to venture into the Icy Abyss on his own.

  Because the fog there would consume his mind and make him lose his way. According to You Lan, there had been brave warriors from the village who, in order to find the legendary bloody sweetaurum flower to cure their beloved, had ventured into the Icy Abyss on their own and never returned alive.

  Yun Ge naturally had no intention of blaming You Lan. On the contrary, he was very grateful to You Lan for informing him of this matter. Otherwise, he would definitely continue to hesitate whether to agree to the Candylord's request to go to the Icy Abyss. But now Yun Ge understood that if he did not do so, Lily would not only continue to be plagued by the aftereffects but also have her lifespan greatly reduced.

  Yun Ge certainly did not want to see this happen. So he made up his mind immediately, no matter how dangerous the Icy Abyss was, and no matter what ulterior motives the Candylord had in encouraging him to find the bloody sweetaurum flower, he would take the risk and go.

  After clarifying his goal, Yun Ge approached the Candylord again and expressed his willingness to go to the Icy Abyss. The Candylord, upon hearing this news, was naturally very pleased and immediately began to prepare for Yun Ge's expedition.

  Time quickly arrived at the day of Yun Ge's departure. Since the journey to the Icy Abyss was long, Lily and the others, unable to participate in such strenuous activities, could not accompany Yun Ge. So, after participating in the farewell ceremony held by the villagers for him, Yun Ge bid a reluctant farewell to Lily and then left the village under the escort of the Candylord and a group of strong villagers.

  Although the journey to the Icy Abyss was long, fortunately, the Candylord and his group had been to the Icy Abyss several times to investigate, making them very familiar with the environment along the way. Therefore, they were still able to follow the route that the Candylord had planned in advance and arrived at the Icy Abyss very smoothly.

  It was then that Yun Ge realized that the so-called Icy Abyss was actually a range of mountains covered in snow all year round.

  Since the altitude of this mountain range was not very high, Yun Ge only discovered its existence after passing through several forests that reached into the clouds. Just as the Candylord had introduced before, the upper half of this mountain range was enveloped by a dense layer of fog, making it impossible for Yun Ge to see the full view of the mountains.

  After walking for about half a day, the group finally reached the halfway point of the mountain range before noon. Then, at the end of this mountain path, Yun Ge saw a simple wooden cabin and a huge stone engraved with witchcraft spells. The mountain range behind this stone was completely shrouded in fog, so even if Yun Ge got closer, he couldn't see what the mountains and forests in the fog looked like.

  The Candylord pointed to the fog ahead and said with reverence, "Brother Yun Ge, we can only escort you here! Because this is the entrance to the Icy Abyss. Entering the fog in front of you is equivalent to entering the Icy Abyss! As for the road ahead, you can only explore it by yourself!"

  "Remember, although your vision will be affected after entering the Icy Abyss, it won't be so severe that you can't tell the direction to return. So, never be stubborn when you feel your body and mind are being disturbed by the fog! You must return the same way as soon as possible to avoid endangering your life!"

  "We will be waiting here for you during this period. Even if we leave, we will leave enough food in this wooden cabin for you to replenish your energy. May the spirit of the forest protect you, and good luck!"

  After speaking, the Candylord sat down on a wooden bench outside the cabin and began to chant witchcraft spells, praying for the forest spirit to bless Yun Ge.

  Yun Ge bid farewell to his fellow travelers and then, with courage, strode into the fog ahead along with the sound of the Candylord's witchcraft chanting.

  The first reaction Yun Ge had after entering the fog was that the dense fog was pungent, with a spicy taste mixed with a hint of bitterness, which instantly made his taste buds confused and caused a strong urge to vomit.

  However, Yun Ge quickly adapted to these adverse reactions. But the dizziness that followed made him a bit delirious, causing him to slip and fall to the ground due to his feet slipping.

  Yun Ge knew that his adverse reactions must be related to the fog's attack on his mind. So he immediately gasped for air and kept rubbing snow on his face to refresh himself with the cold stimulation of the snow. After a simple treatment by Yun Ge, the dizzy feeling that made the world spin indeed lessened a lot, and the spicy and bitter taste in his mouth was no longer so unbearable. So, after a short rest, Yun Ge got up again.

  At this moment, Yun Ge realized that although he had only taken a dozen steps into the fog, he could no longer hear the Candylord's loud chanting. Sensing something was wrong, Yun Ge immediately wanted to step on the footprints in front and return the same way.

  But to Yun Ge's surprise, after walking more than ten steps into the fog behind him following the footprints, he did not walk out of the fog but saw more footprints on the snow ahead.

  After carefully distinguishing, these footprints were exactly the same as the ones he had guessed, but Yun Ge was very sure that he had not walked such a long distance after entering the fog. So Yun Ge immediately realized that his mind must have been disturbed by the fog, causing him to see illusions. He must be trapped in this mysterious dense fog now!

  Thinking of this, Yun Ge quickly checked his body to see if there were any other hidden injuries. After making sure there were no other abnormalities in his body, Yun Ge turned around and walked again along the footprints in the direction where he had just fallen.

  As a result, after walking another dozen steps, Yun Ge found that the snow pit formed when he had just fallen in the snow had disappeared. Now, there was only a long line of footprints in the snow leading straight into the distant fog. And when Yun Ge turned around again, he was surprised to find that the footprints behind him had all vanished, leaving only a expanse of untouched white snow on the ground.