Regarding Li Nian's suggestion, Yue Zhenqiao naturally agreed wholeheartedly.

There had been too many unexpected incidents along the way, severely delaying the team's progress and schedule.

Although these dart masters often traveled through Fire Hell and had rich experience avoiding the heat, each wearing heat-insulating special beast hide clothing produced in Fire Hell and carrying plenty of water bags, ice stones, and other cooling items, making their condition seem slightly better than Flying Knife's.

But after all, they were just a group of dart masters, and they were also somewhat affected by the high temperature at this moment.

Moreover, precisely because they were experienced and active outdoors year-round, they clearly understood the consequences of staying outside for long periods during Fire Hell's midday and held greater reverence for such matters.

Walking along the winding mountain valley path, the team's travel speed was noticeably faster than before.

After another long while, having repelled several more waves of still abnormal but fortunately small-scale demon attacks, they were almost out of the Fuyuan Mountain area.

However...

Judging by Yue Zhenqiao's increasingly anxious and frequent glances at the sky, map, and hourglass used for timing, their progress still wasn't fast enough!

Lin Yu walked within the team, already feeling his lips becoming somewhat dry and parched.

He even had to temporarily put Hannah away—as an aquatic animal, even with a relatively high rank, the little octopus had its natural weaknesses before reaching that "do as one pleases" realm.

Hannah truly feared heat and dryness; exposed to such weather continuously, Lin Yu was very worried the little octopus might turn into dried octopus.

"What about me, boss? Am I not afraid of the sun either?"

Old Zheng, hidden in Lin Yu's sleeve cuff, said resentfully, "I'm also just a lump of delicate, fragile connective tissue. Without skull protection and directly exposed to the sun, I'll turn into roasted brain."

Lin Yu spoke helplessly, "You seem quite energetic to me."

"Actually, it's a final flicker before death," Old Zheng flashed light, "Take me back too, please."

"No, Hannah went back because she truly couldn't hold on, and I don't need her temporarily," Lin Yu cruelly refused Old Zheng, "But you... right now we're moving with a 'remnant body' whose situation we still don't understand, which could attract new demon attacks at any time, so..."

"You have to stay outside."

Hearing Lin Yu's words, Old Zheng let out a long sigh, "Alright, boss... then is there any high-temperature subsidy?"

"Did you even have a salary before, to talk about subsidies?"

"How heartless...!"

And if even Lin Yu, whose physique could be considered upper-middle robust even in the Black Marsh world, felt thirsty and scorching hot, and Old Zheng, a former Third Tier, was actively trying to get Lin Yu to stuff him back into the item space...

The other ordinary dart masters in the team were naturally even more heat-dazed with cracked lips.

Several previously injured ones had directly fallen unconscious, moaning continuously, sounding extremely painful just to hear.

The employer, Flying Knife, had already slumped motionless over the horse's back, about to suffer heatstroke and pass out at any moment.

In the entire team, besides Lin Yu, those in slightly better condition were only Yue Zhenqiao and his assistant, the head and deputy head escorts.

Of course, there were also Sanyang and Li Nian—Sanyang naturally went without saying. As a native Fire Hell demon, and a leader-class demon at that, although Sanyang also somewhat disliked being exposed to the sun, it clearly possessed extremely outstanding high-temperature resistance.

Even as time approached midday, Sanyang only occasionally stuck out its tongue to dissipate heat, not showing any signs of decline.

As for Li Nian, she was the one with the mildest symptoms among humans. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Wearing sunglasses and humming a tune, she even had the leisure to look around and chat idly with Lin Yu.

"On such a hot day, if only we had a big watermelon—preferably one chilled not by a refrigerator but by well water, crack it open, cut a large slice and bite directly into it, the juice so cold it hurts your gums, that taste would be truly refreshing!"

"Hey, Sister Zhu Ming, do you prefer crisp or sandy watermelon? I like crisp, watery ones. Sandy watermelon is certainly sweet, but I always feel my throat gets itchy after eating it..."

Lin Yu said helplessly, "You're not hot at all?"

"Not too bad. This outfit was stolen from a big source, useful for both cold protection and heat avoidance," Li Nian pinched her fingertip and shook it, making Lin Yu notice she wore a layer of transparent soft clothing, "However, although Dart Head Yue is getting more anxious, we should soon find a resting place."

As Li Nian spoke, Lin Yu felt somewhat surprised.

"How do you know?"

He was already too hot to bother observing Yue Zhenqiao.

"Because he's starting to hesitate," Li Nian said calmly, "Especially when looking at the map... This means Old Yue is struggling with something..."

Lin Yu's thinking wasn't yet affected by the high temperature, so hearing Li Nian say this, he also reacted.

"Dart Head Yue plans to take a shortcut, or not go to the originally planned resting village but change to another place to spend midday?"

"I guess so."

Li Nian nodded.

Not long after, the escort team finally left the territory of Fuyuan Mountain—emerging from the valley's end, two descending fork roads appeared before them.

The left one led into mountains with complex and treacherous terrain, the right also led into another area of mountains with complex and treacherous terrain.

Dart Head Yue Zhenqiao took out the map and hourglass here for the last time—and he even specifically reined in his horse to stop and look.

Finally, Yue Zhenqiao made up his mind.

"Everyone, I'm afraid we can't make it to 'Five Springs Village' anymore. It's almost midday now... So this time we'll take the other road, going a shorter distance, to rest and recuperate at Chen Family Fort over at 'Twin Saw Mountain'."

"Then we'll refill water bags at the well and give the injured a chance to recuperate. At night we'll rest at Five Springs Village as planned."

Yue Zhenqiao spoke, trying hard to sound spirited.

Hearing this, the dart masters in the team all seemed somewhat shocked by this decision and also hesitated.

"Twin Saw Mountain? Chen Family Fort?"

"This..."

But soon, the Deputy Head Escort spoke again, dispelling the team's doubts.

"Chen Family Fort's journey is more than half shorter than Five Springs Village. Getting to Chen Family Fort now takes less than a quarter hour, and setting out tomorrow won't be too much of a detour... What Old Yue said is already the best solution right now!"

"If we stubbornly go to Five Springs Village, arriving smoothly would be fine—we might barely make it just as midday begins. But if delayed by monsters even briefly, that would be huge trouble!"

As the Deputy Head Escort spoke, everyone was finally convinced.

"Alright, we'll follow Dart Head Yue's instructions."

The dart masters all turned their horses, following Yue Zhenqiao into the left mountain path.

But Lin Yu, mixed within the team, frowned again.

"It seems this Chen Family Fort also has something strange..."

Judging from what the Deputy Head Escort said, Chen Family Fort was much closer than Five Springs Village.

Then what was Yue Zhenqiao hesitating about earlier?

And after Yue Zhenqiao proposed this plan, why were these ordinary dart masters still hesitating?

Chen Family Fort must have some peculiarity that made them so conflicted!