Lora Luo listened to Evan Yang's words and expressed helplessness. All they could do was wait. Meanwhile, Evan wasn't idle; he set up Phantom Spirit Birds throughout the area, ready to alert him if anything unusual happened.
White Snow was slowly recovering, but among the three, she was the most restless and impatient. Her mind was unsettled and she often wanted to rush out.
Evan Yang kept checking his Transmission Stone for news, but there was still nothing.
Half a day later, White Snow asked, "Well? Any news yet?"
Evan Yang shook his head helplessly. "Maybe he's still escaping from the Black Bear," he said.
White Snow grew worried. "I want to go check," she said.
"Wait a bit longer," Evan Yang replied.
Hearing that she had to wait, White Snow grew even more anxious, but there was nothing she could do. If Richard really left midway, going back would only cause more trouble.
So she could only sit there, lost in worry.
Seeing White Snow like this, Evan Yang and Lora Luo felt powerless. A few hours later, a piercing sound swept through the forest.
The sound made both Evan Yang and Lora Luo tense up—it felt strange and unsettling. White Snow, however, turned pale and said, "Don't wait any longer."
"Why? What kind of sound is it?" Seeing White Snow's expression, Evan Yang knew it was serious and asked curiously.
Lora Luo was also curious—what kind of sound could make White Snow go so pale?
White Snow explained, "It's their signal. It means they've already captured Richard and are calling back the scattered demons outside. It's also a message for me: if I want to see Richard alive, I have to return, or they'll execute him in one day."
"How come I can't understand it? All I hear is a screech," Evan Yang frowned after learning the sound had so many meanings.
"It's a special demon language. Humans can't understand it," White Snow replied.
Evan Yang nodded. "So that's how it is."
"Alright, thank you for helping me this time. From here on, I'll go alone." White Snow knew what she had to do next—either trade herself for Richard, or die with him.
Evan Yang didn't know her plan, but he understood that if White Snow went alone, there was no way she could save Richard—she hadn't recovered her strength at all.
So Evan Yang turned to Lora Luo and asked, "What about you?"
Lora Luo understood what Evan Yang meant and said, "We're stuck in the demon realm anyway, and there's no way out. Anywhere else we go, we'll just run into dangerous beasts. We might as well go back and capture a few to interrogate."
Evan Yang smiled, "Exactly. Let's go, then."
"No, you can't risk yourselves for this. If I go, it's because I've decided to die with Richard," White Snow shook her head.
"Miss White, don't be so pessimistic. As long as it's not the very end, don't give up hope. Who knows, maybe we'll find a way," Evan Yang said with a smile. If it truly came to a life-or-death moment, as long as he could control his inner tower, he didn't believe the demons had the power to destroy it.
Even if it meant risking the tower being discovered, he was determined to try.
"You two..." White Snow saw the determination in Evan Yang and Lora Luo's eyes. She knew there was no way to stop them, so she could only sigh, "Richard and I owe you both so much."
"Alright, enough talk—let's go. We don't have much time. But first, you need to listen to us. That's the only way we can hope to save Richard," Evan Yang said firmly.
"You have a plan?" White Snow asked, curious after hearing Evan Yang say he had a way to rescue Richard.
Evan Yang nodded, "As long as I can get close to Richard, I have a way to guarantee everyone's safety."
"Really?" White Snow exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes." Evan Yang replied. Hearing Evan's words, White Snow couldn't tell if he was bluffing, but it was better than nothing. Excited, she got up and led Evan Yang and Lora Luo back the way they had come.
After a short while, they arrived at the mountain where they had disappeared. Now, several demon beasts were gathered there.
White Snow saw them, and the demons sensed Evan Yang and company as well. Instantly, they surrounded them. White Snow spoke up, "I'm back. Take me to see him."
The demons naturally knew White Snow's identity, so the group was overjoyed. They led Evan Yang and the others around the Black Mountain, flying toward the rear.
After a while, they stopped at a place with scattered rocks and a cave.
Many demons had gathered there, but the most noticeable was a person tied up in a pile of rocks—Richard.
Evan Yang could hardly imagine that even someone as fast and strong as Richard could be bound like this. It made him even more certain the demon leader was no ordinary foe.
After a moment, a young, seductive-looking man stepped out from the beasts. Seeing White Snow, he smiled, "Welcome back."
"Let him go," White Snow demanded.
The young man clicked his tongue, "We'll deal with our matters later. I want to chat with these two humans first."