We hurried on our way, but it was getting late, and we definitely wouldn't reach my camp before sunset. So, we discussed it and decided to find a safe place nearby to make do for the night and tend to their injuries.
All along, I was secretly wary of those so-called scientific expedition members, and their attitude towards me was ambiguous.
The bald old man's face always wore a smile, but it gave off an unsettling feeling.
As for Hathaway, the blonde with blue eyes, she seemed very interested in me, striking up conversations with me frequently along the way.
"Lu Ziye, where are you hiding on this island? It's so dangerous, life must be tough here."
I chuckled after hearing her.
Hathaway truly lacked foresight. With my current abilities, did I still need to hide and scurry around this island?
Since I had nothing else to do, it was a good opportunity to get acquainted with Hathaway and the others and probe their backgrounds.
"After I arrived on this island, I endured blizzards and battled giant beasts..."
Thus, I recounted most of my experiences since arriving on the island to everyone. As I spoke, they all reacted.
"Is that true? You actually survived after going through so much!"
I felt a secret thrill watching Hathaway's slightly parted lips in surprise.
In fact, Qu Xiangyun had mentioned me to them when they first met.
But at that time, all of them had concluded that someone without any training wouldn't survive on this island for more than a month.
I was no exception.
So, when Qu Xiangyun sought help from the outside world not long ago, they all thought it was a futile effort, impossible to succeed.
This desolate island was not a place ordinary people could survive.
Now that I was alive and had rescued them, Hathaway and the others already found it somewhat unbelievable.
And after hearing about my experiences, the way they looked at me was now filled with infinite admiration.
"Young man, after we arrived on this island, we secretly made contact with the island's natives. These savages seem to worship an ancient deity and possess some supernatural powers. It's truly remarkable that you managed to survive their hands."
The bald old man, after hearing my account, patted my shoulder with great enthusiasm.
Facing the bald old man's flattery, I simply smiled faintly, feeling no sense of pride.
I had only told them about my battles with the Kasa tribe, not about Ke Ya.
If they knew I had helped Ke Ya ascend to the position of tribal chief, they would probably look at me as if I were a monster now.
Of course, this was also a trump card I kept hidden.
If I were to fall out with these people in the future, Ke Ya and her people could very well become my unexpected force.
Furthermore, from the bald old man's words, I inferred that they hadn't been on the island for long, as they seemed surprised when I mentioned the unpredictable weather, indicating they hadn't experienced it.
So, I casually brought it up, intending to probe their backgrounds.
They didn't hesitate to answer this question, merely telling me they arrived on the island a month ago.
Their landing point was on the opposite side of where I was.
An area I had never explored.
As I subtly questioned him, the bald old man's answers were flawless.
I didn't gain much useful information.
However, the more information I gathered about them, the deeper my suspicion grew.
The bald old man had an East Asian face, while Hathaway and another dark-skinned girl had high noses and big eyes. The fact that these people came together to form a so-called scientific expedition made their true purpose highly suspect.
In the blink of an eye, the sun was about to set. We took advantage of the last rays of light and finally found a relatively safe clearing to set up camp.
Regardless of anything else, the backpacks these people carried were filled with many practical and professional tools.
And Hathaway didn't seem to be setting up camp for the first time, skillfully using those tools.
She was actually faster than me, clearly an experienced hand.
While we were busily setting up camp, Qu Xiangyun appeared behind me at some point and slipped a small piece of paper into my hand.
On our way here, Qu Xiangyun had stayed close to me, but Hathaway and the others were following behind, so we hadn't had a chance to speak alone.
Perhaps, this note contained what Qu Xiangyun wanted to tell me.
Clenching my fist, I subtly tucked the note into my pocket.
I planned to find an opportunity when no one was around to open and read it.
Soon, night fell.
Our camp was finally set up. While Hathaway was bandaging others' wounds, I used the excuse of looking for food and slipped into the nearby forest.
After confirming no one was following me, I cautiously opened the note. Upon reading it, my heart skipped a beat.
The note contained only one sentence, seemingly written in Qu Xiangyun's panic.
"Beware of Civiere, run!"