Woc, thank goodness for Zhuo Ya's presence.
I let out a long sigh. This damned place is truly fraught with danger everywhere; one wrong step and you could be plunged into an abyss of no return!
Zhuo Ya had also reverted to the dazed and cute appearance I first saw him in, pulling me towards the side.
"The snakes of this kind are called 'hunters' by the people of my tribe; they are among the most dangerous animals in this forest.
They never leave this tree from birth. Whenever they catch prey, the snake will eat the flesh and blood, then discard the bones at the base of the tree for the tree to absorb the remaining nutrients.
If we had walked a few steps further just now, it wouldn't have been so easy to escape today."
Zhuo Ya's words left me utterly shocked. To think that there existed pythons that could coexist with trees!
It sounded so unbelievable; if I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed Zhuo Ya's words at all.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. If we had landed on this island and immediately found ourselves in this forest, we probably wouldn't have lasted two days before becoming completely unrecognizable.
At the same time, I also worried about Shangguan Yao and the others. I could only hope that they hadn't ventured into the territory of these hunters while they were rushing.
Zhuo Ya and I navigated through the rocks. As we walked, I even spotted a giant creature, about two meters long, with black skin, resembling a lizard.
Fortunately, it was sound asleep and hadn't noticed us. Zhuo Ya and I tiptoed past it.
As I passed by, I was terrified it would suddenly open its eyes and take a bite.
With that gaping maw, half my body would likely be gone if it bit me.
If only there was enough time, I really would have liked to hunt this creature with Zhuo Ya.
I cast a reluctant glance back. The monster's glossy black skin looked incredibly warm and protective.
We continued on our journey.
I had no idea how far Shangguan Yao and the others had gone. Zhuo Ya and I had been walking for about an hour, and there was still no sign of them.
Seeing so many terrifying animals just at the foot of the mountain, I was determined that once I found Shangguan Yao and the others, we would find a way to return to the sea as soon as possible.
Only then would we have a chance to return to the outside world!
At this point, I was still holding onto naive hopes.
What I never expected was that all of this was merely the tip of the iceberg of this nameless island.
And the experiences that followed would give me a much deeper understanding of this island...
Zhuo Ya and I walked until sunset, my heart filled with anxiety and unease.
Logically, the speed of these women shouldn't have allowed them to get this far. Could something have happened to them on the way?
The thought of never seeing Luo Yaqin and Shangguan Xue again filled me with an inexplicable panic, leaving a void in my heart.
As I was thinking, I suddenly heard someone shouting in the distance!
That voice? It was Guan Hai'er!
My spirits soared. I quickly scrambled over the giant rocks ahead and, sure enough, Guan Hai'er was squatting on the ground on the other side, weeping.
"Hai'er, what's wrong? Where are the others?"
Guan Hai'er looked up and, upon seeing me, immediately threw herself into my arms, sobbing, "Brother Ye, I thought I would never see you again! Sister Yun Ran and Xia Liuli are missing!"
Hearing Guan Hai'er's words, my heart tightened instantly. I quickly pressed her for details of their experience.
Amidst Guan Hai'er's tearful and somewhat smelly narration, I finally understood what had happened.
It turned out that after I had been gone for a day, Guan Hai'er, while searching for me, discovered footprints of wildmen. The other women then hurriedly left to avoid them.
During this time, they encountered the same hunters that I and Zhuo Ya had met. In their panic, Xia Liuli pulled Su Yun Ran and ran deeper into the forest.
They got separated from Guan Hai'er and the others.
They had to proceed ahead to this location and found a temporary shelter.
The other women were now resting in a cave. Guan Hai'er, unable to rest easy, had gone out to search for Su Yun Ran and Xia Liuli.
After hearing this, my anger surged!
I fiercely punched a nearby rock.
Damn those hunters, one day I'll set your trees on fire!
But for now, there was nothing else to be done. I could only pray that Xia Liuli and Su Yun Ran would be blessed and manage to find us alive.
After Guan Hai'er recounted her story, her emotions finally stabilized. She took my hand and led me towards the cave.
As we walked, Guan Hai'er kept stealing glances at Zhuo Ya following behind me. Zhuo Ya, in turn, was looking at Guan Hai'er with great interest and curiosity.
Upon entering the cave, Luo Yaqin was the first to spot me and rushed forward with surprise.
"Thank heavens, you heartless man, you're finally back! Do you know how worried we were about you!"
Looking at Luo Yaqin's haggard face, I felt an overwhelming wave of tenderness.
I smiled, gently plucked a piece of wild grass from her hair, and said softly, "I'm back now, aren't I."
Pan Yaqin could no longer control her emotions and threw herself into my embrace.
She held me tightly, weeping out all the grievances she had suffered over the past two days in my arms.
Shangguan Yao had also intended to approach me, but upon seeing Zhuo Ya behind me, her expression changed instantly.
She pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and said with a sour tone, "Well done, Lu Zi Ye. We were all worried sick about you, and you come back with another stunning young lady in tow. Hmph, quite capable, aren't you!"
Hearing Shangguan Yao's words, Pan Yaqin also lifted her head from my embrace, looked behind me, her eyes widening as if silently questioning me.
I rubbed my nose, feeling a little helpless.
Come to think of it, Shangguan Yao had a point.
I don't know why, but I never had much luck with women at the company. Yet, since arriving on this island, beautiful women just keep flocking to me, I can't stop them.
It's almost a troubling situation.