"Brother Li!" Lily White's voice, tinged with sobs, made Leo Blaze, holding a lantern in the dark, turn around and look at the others standing in the sunlight outside the door. <br><br>He waved them off again and said, "Go on, all of you, go home." <br><br>"Brother Li, why don't you come with us? It's safer to travel together. Did you forget something?" Joe Wu said nervously from where he was lying on the Fool's back, as if sensing that something was off. <br><br>Leo Blaze turned around, hiding his face in the shadows again. "Go where together?" he said with a faint chuckle. <br><br>"To go home for the New Year, of course. Brother Li, where’s your home?" <br><br>In the dark, Leo Blaze smiled silently and started walking back with his lantern. "Home? Where do I have a home now? My home... it’s long gone. I can't go back, I can't go back!" <br><br>Leo Blaze walked quietly in the darkness. Breezy Haven was silent at this hour, and the only sound accompanying him was the echo of his footsteps. <br><br>Suddenly, Leo Blaze began to hum a song, his steps becoming lighter. The lantern in his hand swayed rhythmically from side to side. <br><br>With his singing to keep him company, Leo Blaze returned to his room. He closed the door, placed the lantern on the table, and, without even bothering to clean the blood off his face and body, lay slowly on the stone bed and closed his eyes. <br><br>"Today is the first day of the month. I didn't eat that disgusting Dark Sentinel this month. Maybe I’ll get to see Anna Yang again soon," he thought, a faint smile appearing on his lips. <br><br>He waited quietly, waiting for his beloved Friend from the Cradle to take him back to their world. <br><br>Leo Blaze, who hadn't slept a wink all night, felt his consciousness gradually fading. But just as he was about to fall into a blissful dream, the door suddenly opened. <br><br>Rubbing his eyes, Leo Blaze sat up and saw Joe Wu, Doggie, and the others standing at the doorway. <br><br>Lily White stood there uneasily. After a moment of hesitation, her gaze became resolute. <br><br>"Brother Li, if you can't go home, come to my house instead. It's spacious, and the east wing is empty..." <br><br>Leo Blaze looked at the kind-hearted young girl in front of him and shook his head slightly. "This place is fine. I've gotten used to it here." <br><br>A self-talking, gesticulating madman could only stay in such a gloomy place without frightening others. <br><br>Lily White's lips trembled slightly, as if she couldn’t believe what Leo Blaze had said. <br><br>"I had a home. I had a family. But..." Leo Blaze tilted his head back to look at the pitch-black ceiling, his expression complex as he delved into memories. <br><br>Doggie thought for a moment and then subtly gestured to the others to leave. "Since Brother Li wants to stay here, why don’t we leave?" <br><br>"Shut it!" Lily White snapped, startling Doggie. This was unlike the timid little girl they knew. <br><br>Lily White strode forward with a determined expression. "How could you face your family like this? If your family from the past saw what you’ve become, how would they feel?" <br><br>Leo Blaze’s face showed a bitter smile. "How they feel? How would I know? I can't even be sure if they were real!" <br><br>"Maybe I'm just a madman with nothing. Maybe I have nothing at all. Everything and everyone is just a figment of my imagination." Leo Blaze’s expression grew pained. <br><br>Lily White’s pale, almost translucent hands reached out and grasped Leo Blaze's hand. "Brother Li, you're not all alone. You still have us." <br><br>Leo Blaze stared blankly at the young girl before him, her obstinate yet delicate face. <br><br>For a moment, he realized how little he knew about this girl. "Why is she so kind to me?" <br><br>Suddenly, everything around him began to change. The cave walls and the pristine white walls of a hospital alternated in his vision. <br><br>Lily White’s features began to melt and then reformed into the face of Anna Yang, her tearful face filled with concern. <br><br>"Nana!" Leo Blaze lunged forward, his face contorted with anguish, holding her tightly. <br><br>"Fire Blaze, you must not give up on yourself. You have to live, no matter what happens. Promise me, will you?" Anna Yang’s voice trembled. <br><br>"You have to keep going. No matter what you encounter, never fall down." <br><br>Then her face transformed into his mother’s face. "Son, you can’t die. If you die, how will I and your father live?" <br><br>The face kept shifting, transforming into different people Leo Blaze knew, all encouraging him and cheering him on. <br><br>All of a sudden, everything froze in place. The bright hospital room dimmed rapidly. <br><br>Leo Blaze slowly loosened his embrace and realized he was holding Lily White. <br><br>The girl in his arms was visibly shy, but her gaze was firm. "Brother Li, let’s go. I feel uncomfortable staying in this place." <br><br>She then pulled out a bundle of paper slips from her pouch and placed them in his lap. "Brother Li, these are no use to me. None of us can even read." <br><br>"Exactly, Brother Li. This is something only you can handle," the others chimed in from the doorway. <br><br>"I... I… I can r—" The Fool started to say before Joe Wu covered his mouth and whispered in his ear, "Even if you can read, you better not admit it now!" <br><br>Leo Blaze stared silently at the farewell notes written by those people. What was he thinking? <br><br>Lily White pushed the paper slips closer to him with both hands. "Brother Li, you gave them your word. A real man doesn’t break his promises." <br><br>Reality and hallucination blurred in his mind. Finally, Leo Blaze reached out and took the papers. "Let’s go." <br><br>Leo Blaze had made up his mind. Wherever he was, he would do his best to live. Not just for himself but for those who might or might not exist—his family. <br><br>Hearing this, everyone immediately smiled with relief. <br><br>They didn’t know what Leo Blaze was thinking, but as long as he wasn’t staying in this haunted place, it was good enough. <br><br>The group escorted Leo Blaze out of the dim room, heading toward the cave entrance. After a few steps, Leo Blaze stopped them. <br><br>"Wait. Since we’ve decided to leave, we should scavenge this place. Fool, carry Joe Wu and take the others to the kitchen to grab some food for the journey. We can't travel on empty stomachs." <br><br>Leo Blaze then led Lily White to the Potion Making room to gather some Elixirs he recognized. Leo Blaze had been practicing alchemy for some time, and with these supplies, he could act as a makeshift doctor. Who knew how far they’d have to travel to reach their homes? It was better to be prepared. <br><br>However, he only took what he recognized. The Elixirs concocted by Master Dan that he didn’t understand, he didn’t dare to touch, let alone take. <br><br>The group reconvened at Zhengyi Temple, where Leo Blaze spoke again: "Hold on. There’s one last thing I need to get." With that, Leo Blaze carefully carried the lamp oil and headed toward the cave where the Dark Sentinel was imprisoned.")
