The dragon considered it for a moment but then just sighed and got up again, not paying any attention to Ma Zhi Wu for now. Before taking care of that, they should see if there were other survivors. Especially people they might still be able to save.
Inside the cell, Shao Hai who had still been standing, ready to defend Xiao Dong, collapsed onto the ground. He had seen how that man had looked at Ma Zhi Wu and then just got up and walked away. This … This had to mean that there was no way to save him anymore, right? That he was actually already …
He closed his eyes again, cursing himself for being useless. If only he had taken that key and then closed the door from outside, throwing it back inside to Xiao Dong so he could get out himself later on. Then he could have helped Ma Zhi Wu against these disciples. If he had been able to hold back at least one of them, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe he would still be …
The dragon turned toward him at that sound and then glanced at the person behind him. His eyes widened and he rushed over to the door, not even bothering to say anything or look for the key. He extended his claws and then cut down the bars, only wincing at the pain that followed from touching the material the Chun Feng Sect had used.
He shook his hand but then threw the bars away, rushing inside. He ignored Shao Hai for the moment and knelt down in front of Xiao Dong, cupping his cheeks. "Hey! Are you alright?"
Xiao Dong blinked his eyes, trying to focus his gaze on the person in front of him. "You …" He narrowed his eyes, feeling that this person looked slightly familiar.
Hearing that Xiao Dong was still able to answer and at least seemed conscious enough to realize that somebody was talking to him, the dragon gave a relieved smile. "His Majesty sent us to break you out of here. We'll bring you back home." He helped Xiao Dong onto his feet but seeing how he swayed from side to side, he just picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. Before he left the cell, he turned back to Shao Hai. "You can also leave here, boy. Be careful when you go out though. There are traps outside. If you can't find the way on your own, then follow one of our people."
Shao Hai still looked at Ma Zhi Wu in a daze before he looked up at the man in front of them that was trying to take away Xiao Dong. He didn't quite understand what was happening but at least he felt that this person wasn't trying to hurt them. "What … What about Ma Zhi Wu?"
The dragon raised his brows. "I'm afraid I don't know who you are talking about."
Shao Hai raised his hand, pointing at Ma Zhi Wu shakily.
The dragon glanced over, giving yet another sigh. "I'm afraid there's nothing we can do anymore. He was already pretty weakened and they got him quite badly."
"That can't be. We have to do something to help him!"
"We could at most put him out of his misery." The dragon shook his head and then glanced at the person lying on his shoulder. "Anyway, we only came to get him. What everybody else does is none of our concern." And they didn't even know if that person over there was a demon.
"But … He helped us! If not for him, then Xiao Dong and I would already be …"
The dragon looked back over, reconsidering things. While they didn't have any duty to save others, it still would be wrong to leave somebody behind who had protected one of their own. Especially since without his help, they might not have been able to save Xiao Dong and fulfill the task given by their king.
One of the other dragons came over, taking a look at Ma Zhi Wu and sighing as well. "I doubt it's going to help him anyway but we might as well bring him out of here. At the very least, he can be brought back to his people."
The first one nodded and then finally, they picked him up and left the room, making their way back, now once again evading the traps.
Shao Hai needed a moment longer but finally leaped to his feet and rushed after them. There was nothing much he could do but maybe these people could help him bring Ma Zhi Wu and Xiao Dong back to the Yun Zou Sect. Then the Grandelder could take a look at them and maybe he would be able to save Ma Zhi Wu. It was still worth a try, wasn't it?
Soon enough, they reconvened with Hao Zan and the others. The dragons looked at Xiao Dong who was carried by one of them and then at Ma Zhi Wu that was still being carried by the other one.
Hao Zan furrowed his brows. "What happened?" Behind these three, the only one he saw was one child. Nobody else was following them. He couldn't help but have a bad feeling about that.
The dragon in the front gave a wry smile. "Those disciples in the back started to kill everybody as soon as they heard us. These three are the only ones who are alive. And that is mostly because that one protected them. Unfortunately …" He shook his head, not saying anything else. The condition Ma Zhi Wu was in was pretty obvious at a glance.
Hao Zan sighed. "I see. Well, let's get going then. We should bring them out of here as soon as possible." He took another glance at Xiao Dong but didn't say anything and just turned around, leading them back toward the surface.
The dragon carrying Ma Zhi Wu furrowed his brows further and further the closer they came to the entrance of the dungeon though. "I'm afraid he is not going to make it out of here." He glanced at the people behind him before looking back at Hao Zan in the front, wondering what he should do.
Hao Zan glanced at Ma Zhi Wu's face and couldn't help but come to the same conclusion. It really was unlikely, wasn't it?
He glanced at Shao Hai who was walking in the back when motioning for the others to continue walking. "Hey, child, this person … Do you know if he's human?" At the very least, he did not seem to be a dragon. Most of them would revert back to their other form when dying after all.
Shao Hai looked at them with a strange expression. "Of course he is! It's just those people of the Chun Feng Sect saying that he's a demon. I'm sure it's not true! They're all mad."
Hao Zan sighed. It seemed that this child didn't know anything. Well, they could only hope that they would make it out of here before that person really took his last breath.