A faint sadness lingered in my heart. I thought I had become accustomed to such things, yet each time they happened, I still felt a profound sense of powerlessness.
I was not strong enough yet!
As soon as I entered the cave, I leaned against the cave wall and lay down.
The life-and-death struggle with the bespectacled man and the greasy man at night, followed by the escape, had greatly exhausted my energy. I felt a throbbing pain in my head, my vision went black, and the whole world spun.
After resting for a while, my spirits gradually recovered, and the pain in my head subsided.
Meanwhile, Zhuo Ya had already gathered some firewood from outside and started a small campfire.
Under the glow of the fire, I felt all the coldness from my body dissipate.
After a series of battles, to have this simple warmth was truly the greatest happiness in life.
Night deepened, and the wind began to blow through the forest, rustling the leaves and creating a sense of impending storm.
Inside the cave, I carefully roasted the freshly skinned Firebird hide over the campfire. The fresh hide was bloody, and it could only be used after the blood was thoroughly dried.
After a while, I laid the slightly scorched hide on the ground. The roasted hide still retained a faint scent of char, and it was quite warm to lie on.
The only drawback was that the hide was not as large as the bear skin I had slept on at the settlement. I had no choice but to huddle with Zhuo Ya on a single Firebird hide.
The temperature difference in the forest at night was immense. If one slept on the cold ground, body heat would slowly dissipate, and one might never wake up again.
Holding Zhuo Ya's soft body and listening to the wind outside the cave, I couldn't help but think of Shangguan Yao and the others.
I wondered if they had encountered any danger in the days since we left.
I longed to return, for in a way, the settlement where Shangguan Yao and the others resided had become a home for me on this nameless island. I wished I had wings to fly back to them at once.
Just as I was drifting into sleep, a strange sound suddenly echoed from the forest, which had been silent except for the wind. It sounded like something was moving, and the bushes not far away began to shake.
Such a commotion indicated something of considerable size.
My drowsy mind instantly snapped awake.
"Zhuo Ya, wake up!" I shook Zhuo Ya, who was fast asleep in my arms.
Zhuo Ya, still groggy from sleep, saw my tense gaze fixed on the outside of the cave and realized what was happening. She quietly took out the pistol from her waist, its muzzle pointed downwards, ready to fire at any moment.
The forest was now shrouded in darkness, and the wind grew stronger, making the leaves sway wildly. It felt like rain could pour down at any moment.
In the darkness, only our cave emitted a faint glow, like a solitary lighthouse in a capricious sea.
Slowly, I found myself adapting to the darkness outside. I didn't think much of it.
Because I saw a humanoid creature in the forest, walking towards us!
It was not a wild beast, I exhaled the breath I had been holding, and a sense of curiosity arose.
Were they among the survivors who had been separated, or was there a native population in this forest?
Regardless, I was confident in Zhuo Ya's and my martial prowess. I was not afraid of any single person who might come, not even a terrifying living weapon like the Sea God's attendant from the Casa tribe. I was sure I could make her never return!
Finally, the approaching figure reached the mouth of the cave. I squinted in the firelight and was stunned!
It was Gu Linina!
Gu Linina was not in good condition. Her clothes were stained with mud, and her usually fair face was smudged with dirt, making her look quite dishevelled.
When she recognized us inside the cave, she was filled with joy.
I quickly beckoned her into the cave. As she sat by the fire, her lips, which had been purplish from the cold, gradually regained their color.
I asked, "Gu Lin, where are the two girls who escaped with you?"
She had entered the woods with two other women, so why was she alone now?
Although I didn't even know the names of the other two women, they had shared the ordeal of escape with us. I didn't want anything to happen to them. With the rain about to fall, how could they possibly survive in this forest?
Gu Linina bit her lip as I asked, her face dejected.
"After we escaped, we didn't get far before we ran into a pack of wild dogs. In our panic, the three of us got separated. I saw the firelight here and followed it. I don't know about them..."
I sighed, not knowing if they were still alive. It was a matter of fate. They had been fortunate enough to escape from the Firebirds with us, and I hoped they would be able to rejoin us safely tomorrow.
Just then, the long-awaited rain finally poured down. The torrential rain carried a biting mist. Gu Linina's clothes were not thick, and she huddled closer to the fire, managing to feel a faint warmth.
Seeing Gu Linina's reaction, I found myself in a dilemma.
It was fine for Zhuo Ya and me to lie on a beast hide together, but I had only known Gu Linina for half a day. If I rashly invited her to lie with us, wouldn't my image in her eyes plummet?