The stout woman was so terrified that her limbs went limp. A brownish-yellow stain slowly seeped from her mud-caked jeans.
"I heard you just told Yu Fenghua to get rid of me quickly. I'm not mistaken, am I?"
A smile played on my lips. I leaned on my blade, not rushing to strike, but calmly waiting for the stout woman's reaction.
"Brother Ye, Brother Ye, don't kill me! It was Yu Fenghua who forced me to say it! She forced me! I really didn't mean it. You know I've always listened to you. I'll do anything you want!"
The stout woman's face contorted into an ingratiating smile as she crawled on her knees towards my feet.
But her already unattractive face, coupled with her sweat-soaked, mud-caked hair, was enough to make one nauseous.
I truly wondered how such people managed to survive in this world.
Perhaps it was the peaceful era that saved her.
I held no great resentment towards enemies. For instance, the wildlings of the Kasa tribe were simply a matter of life and death.
However, for traitors like the stout woman and Yu Fenghua, who, after being saved by me, showed no gratitude and instead plotted to kill me, I wished to flay them alive, killing every last one!
"Considering you were with Gulininna before, I'll give you a chance. Do you want to do it yourself, or should I?"
I coldly took out a dagger from my embrace and tossed it in front of the stout woman.
The moment that changes one's life often comes in an instant. Making the wrong choice might offer a chance for redemption in peacetime, but on this nameless island, where the law of the jungle prevailed,
no one would trust a companion who might turn their blade on them in a moment of crisis.
The stout woman looked at the dagger before her in disbelief. Her taut nerves finally snapped completely, and tears and snot streamed down her face.
"No, please, I beg you, don't kill me! You can't do this to me! I'm still young, I don't want to die…"
I merely watched her hysterical reaction with indifference, hoping she might have a chance to be born into a better family and be a good person in her next life.
Seemingly having come to a realization, the stout woman snatched the dagger from the ground, clutching it like a lifeline. Her hand trembled as she pointed the tip of the blade at me, her face contorted as she snarled, "If I kill you, I can survive! Yes, die!"
She lunged at me, flailing the dagger wildly.
I sidestepped, evading her attack, then twisted her dagger-wielding arm and shoved her hard backward. The sharp blade sliced across the stout woman's throat.
With a crisp thud, the dagger landed askew in the ground.
The stout woman instinctively covered her throat with her hands, but bright red blood continued to gush uncontrollably from between her fingers. Finally, she collapsed to the ground, motionless.
Finally, all the trouble was resolved.
I clapped my hands together, took out some of the fresh water I carried, and meticulously cleaned the bloodstains from my body.
After a while, Zhang Huihui and Liu Xiaodie finally regained control of their bodies.
Seeing their frightened expressions, I said calmly, "Rest assured, I always have my principles. As long as you don't betray me, I won't lay a hand on you. Once we return to the settlement, we'll be family. I hope you won't follow Yu Fenghua's path."
Seeing that I had no intention of harming them, Liu Xiaodie and Zhang Huihui nodded profusely, readily agreeing.
In truth, I could have avoided such a bloody scene. If I had subdued Yu Fenghua the moment she handed me the mandara fruit, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.
However, Yu Fenghua's betrayal was not only a crisis but also an opportunity to test people's hearts, allowing me to identify who among the remaining three could not be relied upon in times of crisis.
And by eliminating all the traitors, I could leave a profound impression on the survivors.
From ancient times to the present, the principle of inspiring both fear and respect in subordinates has been the key to winning hearts.
On the journey back, I was not as strict with them as usual; instead, I chatted with them familiarly and cheerfully.
As expected, under my methods of alternating authority and benevolence, Liu Xiaodie and Zhang Huihui were completely subdued.
Whatever I asked them to do, they would likely not refuse.
As I drew closer to the settlement, my feelings grew increasingly complex.
This expedition to find the crashed plane had left me with mixed emotions. On one hand, we had found much-needed supplies and brought back two new members. On the other hand, Zhuo Ya, who had faced life and death with me all along, was gone.
I wondered if this was ultimately a good or bad omen.
Moreover, we had been gone for far longer than planned. I didn't know how Shangguan Yao and Liu Yaqin had fared over the past half-month.
Finally, we reached the entrance of the cave. As I pushed through the undergrowth, I suddenly saw two female savages clad in animal skins standing at the cave's opening!
My heart sank.
Could it be that during my absence, the Kasa tribe had found this place and captured Shangguan Yao and the others?