My premonition actually came true!
Inside the cave, everything was in disarray, as if it had been ransacked.
The wooden fence we had used for cover was leaning askew on the ground.
Everyone who should have been in the cave had disappeared!
Could it be that the wild men had found this place?
I forced myself to calm down. The more critical the situation, the less I could afford to panic. After carefully surveying the surroundings, I breathed a sigh of relief.
From what I knew of Guan Hai'er and Luo Yaqin, if they had encountered wild men, they would have put up a fierce resistance.
Yet, there were no signs of a struggle in the cave.
This was enough to prove that they had left voluntarily.
At this moment, I suddenly noticed a crumpled piece of paper in the corner, as if deliberately placed to attract attention, with a large exclamation mark drawn in red juice!
I opened it and saw it was Shangguan Yao's handwriting!
"Lu Ziye, we found traces of wild men nearby a couple of days ago. You still hadn't returned. So, we had no choice but to evacuate. We've headed south along the mountain cliff. If you see this note we left, you must hurry to find us!"
Fortunately, Shangguan Yao and the others were smart enough to find a place to hide from the wild men's pursuit.
However, this basin was fraught with danger. There was no guarantee Shangguan Yao and the others wouldn't encounter any threats. I had to find them quickly!
Without further delay, I made a simple cover for the cave entrance and, with Zhuo Ya, hurried south.
The group of wild men had already discovered our previous dwelling. During the two days I was unconscious, I feared the wild men from the Kasa tribe might have already arrived on this side of the mountain. I hoped Shangguan Yao and the others wouldn't encounter them.
My heart was filled with anxiety, but all I could do was urge Zhuo Ya to quicken our pace.
If anything were to happen to Shangguan Yao and the others, I would, even at the cost of my own life, eradicate this Kasa tribe!
Although I had taken my handgun with me when I left, the cave still contained the bamboo knives and arrows we had made. Shangguan Yao and the others could use these for self-defense. As long as they didn't encounter any large beasts, it should be sufficient.
As Zhuo Ya and I made our way, I mentally analyzed Shangguan Yao and the others' current situation. With Guan Hai'er, an expert in wilderness survival, by their side, as long as they didn't act foolishly, they should be able to safely find a new shelter.
The path ahead became increasingly difficult, with the foothills filled with loose stones and giant, undulating trees.
As we moved forward, we also had to be wary of hidden pits among the loose rocks.
Initially, I was only focused on making progress and didn't pay attention to these issues. It was Zhuo Ya who reminded me.
Zhuo Ya told me that despite the mountain's height, its foundation was composed of loose stones and quicksand.
At the foot of the mountain, there were often subtle sinkholes that were hard to detect. Once one fell in, they would be pulled down by the quicksand and find it difficult to escape.
Heeding Zhuo Ya's warning, I became more vigilant, probing the ground with my knife at every step.
This approach was certainly safer, but it significantly slowed down our progress.
After about half an hour, I saw a huge ancient tree in the distance.
Its bark was wrinkled, as if it had weathered a long period of time.
Feeling a bit tired, I intended to lean on the tree to catch my breath. Before I could approach Zhuo Ya, she suddenly pulled my hand as if I had been electrocuted, drawing me back two steps, her gaze fixed on the ancient tree with extreme caution.
"Little Wild Brother, let's go up and around this place!"
I looked at Zhuo Ya with some confusion.
Zhuo Ya's demeanor was unlike anything I had ever seen. Her muscles were tensed, like a leopard ready to hunt, poised to pounce on an enemy at any moment.
Seeing her stare intently at the ancient tree without moving, I couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this just an ordinary tree? Is there something strange about it?"
Zhuo Ya didn't answer me directly. Instead, she quickly picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the tree trunk.
When the stone hit the trunk, it produced a ripple, as if it had landed in water.
No, that was clearly alive!
The mottled trunk slowly writhed before my eyes, and a massive head emerged, staring at us with cold, ferocious eyes.
This was no ancient tree at all; it was a giant python capable of camouflage!
As the python moved, its scales no longer resembled bark but turned a deathly white, appearing terrifying under the sunlight.
Looking at the dense spots on the python's surface made my scalp tingle. It flicked its forked tongue, as if warning us that this was its territory.
Zhuo Ya calmly pulled me backward, step by step. Only when the python saw that we had moved away from the ancient tree did it slowly retract its head.
As the wind blew, it seemed as if nothing had happened. Only an ancient tree stood there, waiting for the next unfortunate passerby...