Journey In A Fantasy World
Secret

When I went to Neo's room, he was seen chatting with other people, Zhi and I approached the two of them.

"She's my sister, her name is Zhu," Zhi smiled at me, she saw me looking at Zhu so long before, she probably felt I was a little curious maybe?

"She's the girl I was telling you about, Zhu," Neo looked at me with his ignorant expression.

"Zhu, what did he tell you?" I immediately turned my gaze towards the beautiful-looking adult woman who was standing not far from me.

"She said you were a very pleasant girl, Jian. You are very strong and always help your friends when they are in trouble," Zhu smiled as she patted me on the shoulder, "She also said she doesn't want to make you trouble again."

Eh? Where's that point from? Did Neo really say that? He shouldn't know thank you, right? Why did you suddenly say such an unreasonable thing?

"Neo, take your medicine again," Zhu picked up the tray that was on the table. It contains a lot of herbal medicines.

Is Neo really that bad? Why did he have to take so much medicine?

"Zhu, can't you let Jian see it? I don't like to look weak," Neo received the first bowl, he finished it in one swallow, then passed it on with the second and third bowls, he didn't even need to eat the fruit to remove the bitter taste.

"You don't look sick at all, Neo. You take medicine like someone who is thirsty," I don't care about Zhi and Zhu's gaze that seems to disagree with my words.

But I realized something was wrong there, Zhi and Zhu looked at each other, then both of them looked at Neo together, as the two of them looked at Neo, Neo's face immediately turned serious in response to the gaze of the two.

"Is there something you're hiding from me, Neo?" I asked suspiciously.

Nei immediately shook his head, "I just feel .. very hungry! Zhu, can you bring me breakfast now?" Neo looked at Zhu with sparkling eyes. Actually it's disgusting.

"We checked first the state of your friend who was exposed to the black energy poison, it should have improved, right?" Zhu looked at his sister, Zhu immediately nodded right then and there.

Zhu helped Neo to stand up, then rubbed him as he walked. He shouldn't be okay, right?

"Neo, do you still feel uncomfortable?" I asked hesitantly, she seemed to be covering something up from me.

Neo waved, "Just calm down, Jian. I was just tingling," Neo replied unconcernedly, continuing to walk in front of me.

I sighed in annoyance, what is Neo hiding? Could it be that Zhi and Zhu knew about it? Or is it something that only the three of them know?

"I'm warning you, Neo. If you dare to cover anything from me and Rui, I will get you out of our team! It's best not to try to keep something yourself and not share it with us," I said seriously, Neo must not forget this unwritten rule.

Neo was silent for a while, then turned to look at me with a smile, "Say calm down, Jian. What am I supposed to cover from you?"

I was silent, not looking at him anymore. We went into Rui's room. My timid friend had apparently woken up, when I visited him before going to Neo's room, Rui was still sound asleep, her originally blackened lips had gradually normalized. Now that the color of her lips was real again, Rui even smiled welcoming me while asking if I was okay.

Basic, he should have asked himself first if he was okay.

"Has it improved, Rui?" Zhi asked softly.

Rui nodded and thanked him, he said he was starving since last night.

"Of course, you guys haven't eaten since yesterday morning. Continues unconscious until the day passes night. Isn't it time for you to eat?" Zhu chuckled softly, taking us to the main room in their house.

I took a deep breath, I was already very hungry. It means that my strength was completely drained from the fight, let alone Neo, he had previously been injured, but forced himself to help. Rui had also just recovered from Rux's black poison.

I don't know if we can continue this journey without—

I rounded my eyes, how could we forget this important point? We could not continue our journey without the Hourglass. And Neo didn't even ask Ruu anything before killing her, where did Rux keep the Sand Clock?

I don't feel good asking in front of Zhi and Zhu. I hate it when someone reminds us that we're dimensional passersby. It was not a pleasant fate to discuss.

"Neo, can you come a little closer?" I whispered to Neo who was sitting beside me, just that his seat was almost a meter away.

Neo shifted his chair closer, then brought his ear closer to me, "What's the matter?"

"I remember when we forgot something, that hourglass, Neo. Did you find him?" ask me while whispering.

"Just relax, that thing is in my room, Zhu helped me make a seal so that no one can take it away other than us and them," Neo made a circle with his thumb and index finger, then blink one eye.

"Have you woken up before me and Rui?"

Neo nodded, "I've been up since last night, and discussing about the hourglass with Zhu, he agreed to help us. Apparently we are very meritorious to their village, Jian," Neo smiled, "They want to help us until we can really return to our world."

If it's like that, great. But why don't I find happiness in Neo's countenance?

"Neo, are you so sure we can go home?" I wanted to make sure of one thing to him.

I looked into her slightly gloomy eyes. Neo, what are you hiding from me? Until you say something unimportant like that.

...----------------...

At ten o'clock in the morning, we simultaneously bid farewell to the fairies in the small village. They call it the Village of the Cursed, for people who have never entered it just think this small village is a haunted village inhabited by ghosts from various regions.

"Neo, are you really okay?" I asked again, now we will prepare to climb the Eternal Ice Mountain. In the next few days we will be dealing with snow and various other snow problems.

"Of course I'm fine, Jian. Don't you also know for yourself, how Zhu prepared the medicine for me? He never forgot a bowl. How am I not okay?"

I don't answer, if he's okay, thank God. I was the one who thought too much. Neo would be fine if he was still annoying as usual.

"Neo, this is the map of the Iceberg of Eternity. You will find the Candle of Eternity quickly with the help of this map. Inside was a spell that could activate the attachment between the Candle of Immortality and the Magic Sand Clock, it took time to learn it before bringing it into the Dark Cave. There is no mistake so that there is no mistake in the cave. Accept," Zhi reached out, a red map scroll Neo received from Zhi's hand.

"Also don't forget this," Zhu gave a few bottles of potion, "This is your medicine, drink three sips every morning and night, don't forget it."

Neo nodded, then kept it inside his small pouch. I stared at the look in Zhu's eyes that looked so worried as we let go.

Zhu helped us remove the Hourglass seal, then handed it to Neo.

"This hourglass is actually just a regular hourglass. But he had a different time rhythm than the standard of time in this world. When the spell is activated and you enter the Dark Cave, you must turn it over, you must come out before the sand is exhausted, otherwise the Candle of Eternity will be extinguished and you will be trapped in the cave. Let alone finding the magic key, you won't even be able to get out of there" Zhi gave us a warning.

I gulped, Rui grasped my arm very tightly, "What if it happens to us, Jian?" he asked in fear.

I touched the back of his hand, "It's okay, Rui. As long as the three of us are together, nothing will happen, believe me."

Rui smiled at me, again she thanked me.

Zhi and Zhu also smiled at me, "The three of you are special friends. As long as you guys continue to be together, I can even guarantee that you guys will be fine," Zhi patted me on the shoulder again.

"Zhu, Zhi, can we leave now?" Neo covered his head with the hood of the white robe he was wearing, then wrapped around his neck with a hairy scarf.

I close my robes too, this journey will be the coldest as we go.

Only Rui wore clothes without being covered in thick robes, her pink socks covering her legs to her knees, Rui had never been afraid of the cold since she had the power of fire.

We walked on the crowded village streets. Snow covered the entire road, actually this village was perfectly covered with snow since yesterday, Zhi said, this village was already outside the Forest of Curious Spirit, and entered the territory of the Ice Mountain of Immortality, it's just that the arrival of Rux yesterday made him become arid and creepy.

"Hey, that's the market I'm talking about! Can we come by for a minute?" Rui exclaimed in excitement, he had since yesterday wanted to go around in that market. I agreed, we could walk around for a while before continuing on our way.

Rui's main goal is to buy fruit sweets, she really likes it, of course will not miss that one.

Neo parted from us for a while, he said he wanted to buy something, I nodded, giving him the condition not to go too far.

"Jian, taste this one, it tastes so good," Rui smiled widely, wanting to feed me one fruit, I opened my mouth, chewed it, even though it was too sweet, and I just wanted to feed it, I will still nod and say I like it in front of Rui.

"Friends!" Neo ran up to us, he was carrying three jade hangers, there were carvings of our names on each of his jade pieces.

Mine is white, Rui is red, Neo is blue, looks beautiful, we accept it and say thank you.

"Where did you get it from, Neo?" I asked curious.

"Actually I went here last night, and had asked an accessories dealer to make three jade hangers for the three of us. Today I took it, do you like it?" Neo smiled broadly.

She was so weird since this morning, I thought a little bit of her lying about her going to the market last night, but seeing her make a jade hanger for me and Rui, I had no reason to suspect her anymore.

Meow!

Piu Piu just appeared between us, he kept meowing and wagging his tail. I laughed crisply, Piu Piu seems to be angry at Neo.

"Neo, I think you should buy him too," I said, Piu Piu is jealous because he is the only one who doesn't get the prize.

Neo laughed, "I know, I've also prepared it," Neo pulled out a very pretty necklace, "It's a necklace for pet cats that the owner doesn't give a necklace to," Neo put it on Piu Piu's neck, "Because you're a woman, I bought it pink, you don't mind, do you? I'm afraid you object because when you fought yesterday, you looked very gallant, Piu Piu," Neo laughed loudly.

I frowned, "He should be a female, not a female," I murmured.

"It's okay, Jian. It's not the same, is it?" Neo waved his hand not caring.

"That means you equate all women with animals, Neo! We're both women, of course we don't accept!" Rui looked at him annoyed, I nodded.

"Oh!" Neo let out a rude breath, "Alright, alright, I'm sorry then!"