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墨書 Inktalez
“Danger?”
Ye Xiaohan looked somewhat puzzled. “Aren't there supposed to be people here?”
Gu Bei pondered for a moment, organizing his thoughts. “Besides people, there could be other things. I’m not sure, but during my time hiding here, I've had this feeling that something else exists in this place.”
Something terrifying.
This was rare for Gu Bei. Over the years, he had faced various harsh realities and rarely experienced significant emotional fluctuations.
Especially something that instinctively made him tense up, preparing for any potential crisis.
“Hm?” Ye Xiaohan furrowed her brows. She trusted Gu Bei's instincts, which meant that this forbidden area held secrets yet to be uncovered.
However, they were not interested in this secret right now; if possible, they hoped to avoid encountering this trouble-causing mystery altogether.
“We need to hurry back. There’s no one stationed at the military camp right now, and it will be difficult to rally the troops, giving those Bandits an opportunity.”
Gu Bei was worried. He had already lost some of his subordinates and couldn’t afford to let more people sacrifice themselves.
“But your injury…” Ye Xiaohan understood what would happen to the army without a leader, but Gu Bei was severely injured. If conditions allowed, she truly wished he could take some time to rest and recuperate.
Gu Bei cut her off, firmly stating, “I’m fine; I can hold on. The priority is to reorganize the troops.”
“Alright.” Knowing that further objections would not sway Gu Bei, Ye Xiaohan could only agree.
At the same time, she began collecting more herbs along the way, trying her best to apply them on Gu Bei, making him sticky with the mixture.
The forbidden area was vast and its complex terrain made it feel like stepping into a labyrinth; sometimes they would stray off course without realizing it.
Gu Bei led the way ahead while Ye Xiaohan closely followed behind him. As they advanced, both remained vigilant against any potential dangers they might encounter.
First came the threat from the Bandits. Regardless, this place still belonged to their territory; even if it was a forbidden area, it was hard to guarantee they wouldn’t come in.
Especially after Gu Bei had escaped, they hadn’t found him, and Ye Xiaohan had also gone missing here. In special circumstances, there would be special responses; it wouldn’t be surprising if the forbidden area became part of the search zone.
Secondly, there was the inexplicable sense of crisis that Gu Bei had felt earlier. Although he didn’t know where it came from, since Gu Bei had such a feeling, they decided to take it seriously.
Walking anxiously for a while, the two encountered nothing.
They neither faced danger nor found a way out.
“Is there really an exit here?” Ye Xiaohan leaned against a large tree, rubbing her sore muscles. She had a thick layer of branches and leaves beneath her, along with Gu Bei’s outer robe that he insisted on taking off for her.
Gu Bei handed her some washed wild fruits. “Just hang in there a little longer; we’ll be out soon.”
Even though the future remained uncertain—there were even things they couldn’t confirm about the present—his tone was resolute.
Encouraged by Gu Bei’s tone, Ye Xiaohan stopped complaining. In truth, she hadn’t meant to complain; she just unconsciously relaxed her heavy feelings.
Clearly, even if she were alone, she could remain calmer and more resilient. Ye Xiaohan glanced at Gu Bei before quietly lowering her head again.
She could now clearly feel that it was because Gu Bei was by her side that she unconsciously let down her guard and relied on him.
Regarding this feeling, Ye Xiaohan didn’t know how to respond at that moment, so she chose to temporarily ignore it.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Bei noticed Ye Xiaohan’s brief expression and thought she needed something. He asked, “Is it not tasty? Just bear with it; once we get out, I’ll buy you something delicious.”
He assumed that the sourness of the wild fruits had displeased Ye Xiaohan. However, in reality, she wasn’t particularly pleased with these superficial wild fruits either.
But at times like this, who would care about such things? Surviving was the most important matter.
Moreover, if she didn’t like them, Gu Bei would surely go find other food; Ye Xiaohan couldn’t just watch him drag his injured body around.
"I don't mind; I actually enjoy these sour, wild fruits that aren't fully ripe yet." To prove her point, she deliberately took a big bite, chewed it haphazardly, and swallowed.
As night deepened, they refrained from lighting a fire for fear that the Bandit would catch up to them, settling for a night of uncomfortable sleep. Fortunately, it was summer; even though the temperature dropped quickly in the mountain forest at night, it remained within tolerable limits.
However, in the middle of the night, Ye Xiaohan unconsciously moved closer to Gu Bei, seeking his warmth as she slept.
Gu Bei woke up instantly when Ye Xiaohan leaned against him but remained still, gently closing his eyes and acting as a warm cushion for her throughout the night.
The next morning, Ye Xiaohan awoke to the sound of birds chirping.
Stretching lazily, she moved her limbs and was somewhat surprised. She had thought that after sitting against a tree all night, she would wake up sore all over. To her surprise, she felt quite refreshed and had no discomfort.
Noticing that Gu Bei was not in place, Ye Xiaohan guessed he must have gone to find food. Sure enough, after a short while, she saw Gu Bei returning with a bundle of something.
It was still simple wild fruits, but they were clearly different from those of the previous day.
It seemed Gu Bei had noticed her forced consumption last night and had specifically picked other varieties today. She felt a bit resentful, thinking he shouldn't have gone through so much trouble.
On the other hand, she couldn't suppress the sweet taste that began to spread within her heart. It was like a drop of ink falling into water, diffusing outward.
After filling their stomachs, the two continued on their journey.
The dense forest of the forbidden area was incredibly thick; even on a sunny day, the foliage blocked out most sunlight, leaving the ground almost devoid of bright light.
Moreover, this forest seemed rarely visited by anyone; a thick layer of debris had accumulated on the ground, making it soft and spongy underfoot—each step varied in depth.
"Yesterday you scouted ahead; today it's my turn," Ye Xiaohan insisted on taking the lead. Navigating through the dense forest was no easy task; it required constantly cutting away obstructing branches and thorns, which was quite labor-intensive.
Gu Bei's injuries had improved slightly under Ye Xiaohan's care after a night's rest. She wanted him to take it easy for a while longer.
Understanding that Ye Xiaohan meant well and that Gu Bei's condition was improving was good news for both of them. However, Gu Bei worried that if his health continued to deteriorate, he might not be able to protect Ye Xiaohan and could become a burden instead.
This time, Gu Bei did not refuse but instead complied with Ye Xiaohan's suggestion.
Ye Xiaohan took the dagger that Gu Bei handed over and waved away the branches blocking their path. Some of them had thorns, which could easily leave wounds if brushed against.
Although the wounds were not fatal, the sheer number of them was quite bothersome. Especially in this sweaty atmosphere, being soaked in sweat made the tiny prickling sensations even more unbearable.
The two of them walked forward, chatting along the way, and it didn’t feel too stuffy.
“Hmm?” Ye Xiaohan suddenly slipped, as if stepping on something decayed, losing her balance and sliding forward.
That wasn’t the worst part; the worst was that after Ye Xiaohan slid out, the sensation under her feet revealed that she was not on flat ground but rather on a smooth, sloped surface.
“Ah!” She barely had time to let out a startled cry before she rolled down the slope, crashing to the ground before finally coming to a stop.
“Xiao Han!” Gu Bei shouted anxiously as he leaned over the slope towards Ye Xiaohan. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
Ye Xiaohan moved her limbs and found that she was mostly fine; she had only twisted her ankle. The soil below, or perhaps the layer of decayed matter, was very soft, so the impact wasn’t as severe as it would have been on hard ground.
It was only then that Ye Xiaohan realized this wasn’t just a slope; it was a large pit. The sides were curved, and with her currently injured ankle, she couldn’t climb back up.
“I’m fine!” Ye Xiaohan stood up and showed Gu Bei that she was okay. “Look around for some vines or something to pull me up.”
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