Chapter 9: It's Indeed You

The rest of the group wore expressions of impatience, wishing they were more competent.

"Is there 'Jack of All Trades' written on my face?!" retorted Dong Lier impatiently.

Liu Xiaojiu scratched his head apologetically, smiling, "Well, how about we go find them and ask directly? Then we'll know."

Dong Lier, arms crossed, scrutinized Liu Xiaojiu, giving him an inquisitive look until he felt a chill down his spine. He stammered, "Wh-why are you staring at me like that?"

Ignoring Liu Xiaojiu, Dong Lier spoke to the others, "Let's go."

Liu Xiaojiu asked, "Go where?"

"To find people!" Dong Lier rolled her eyes.

At this moment, Dong Lier understood. If they didn't clarify this matter, Liu Xiaojiu might remain troubled, and who knows what he might encounter.

Moreover, the group not only took the meat they had hunted so hard for but also attracted trouble. They must think she's an easy target.

With that in mind, she prepared to follow the direction indicated by the lead man.

"Wait!" The leader lying on the ground suddenly shouted.

Observing the situation, he realized that this group was under Dong Lier's command. Girls were said to be soft-hearted and kind, so he decided to try negotiating with her.

Dong Lier turned around, calmly awaiting the man to continue.

"We were offensive just now, and it was our fault. However, it's been a long time since we had a good meal. If you really hunted some meat, can you... share some with us?"

Dong Lier pondered for a moment and asked, "You haven't hunted anything since entering here?"

"At first, we did, but only small animals. Later, in the deep woods, even those became scarce. We managed to find a few wild fruits to barely sustain ourselves."

The man's words further confirmed Dong Lier's speculation. This forest was peculiar, and it seemed the black-clothed people, when placing them here, had already predetermined the quantity of wild animals. The purpose? Perhaps to make this group turn against each other due to a shortage of resources.

With these thoughts, Dong Lier's eyes cooled a few degrees. Looking at the group of people bound behind her, a trace of pity emerged.

However, pity alone wouldn't change anything. She wasn't a savior; she had to survive as well. As the saying goes, 'Help yourself before helping others.'

"We did hunt, but it was stolen. Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Saying this, Dong Lier walked away without looking back, and the others followed suit.

...

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a warm glow on the hot and humid air surrounding Dong Lier's group.

Their clothes were scant from the start, and even after this journey, they still felt hot and thirsty.

"Lier, it seems like rain is coming. Let's find a place nearby to take cover," suggested Ah Long.

Dong Lier looked around dismissively, "It's all the same place, and you can't see the end at a glance. Where can we hide?"

"Lier, I... I can't walk anymore," whispered He Fei.

As everyone looked at He Fei, they noticed blood seeping from her shoes.

Dong Lier frowned, momentarily at a loss.

Cong Wenhuo said, "Considering the terrain, we should be halfway up the mountain. Although we can't see the sky, the air is unusually humid. It's likely to rain, but the dense forest should prevent landslides. Let's look around, there might be rocks to shelter from the wind and rain."

"It won't rain for a while. Let's rest here and then continue," suggested Lu Xiaojiu, carrying a large knife on his back. Yesterday, most of the journey was on flat ground at the mountain's foot, so he wasn't tired. Climbing the slope for half a day left him panting.

Without waiting for the others to respond, he planned to sit directly on the large, relatively hard rock behind him. However, as soon as he leaned on it, he fell squarely on his buttocks.

"Ouch! Why am I so unlucky? Why is it always me?" Lu Xiaojiu complained even after falling.

"Good fall!" Dong Lier said as she and Cong Wenhuo helped Lu Xiaojiu up.

"It's not you who fell; luckily, everything's fine," Lu Xiaojiu rubbed his buttocks, still grumbling.

Cong Wenhuo straightened Lu Xiaojiu, patted his shoulder, and pointed at the dark cave entrance ahead, saying, "But you brought us good luck!"

"A cave! A cave, hey!" Lu Xiaojiu became excited.

"Thanks to you, we got a bit lucky," Dong Lier teased.

Looking at the cave entrance covered in green vines, if Lu Xiaojiu hadn't accidentally fallen, Dong Lier's group might not have noticed it.

"Lu Xiaojiu, carry He Fei in the middle, with me and Cong Wenhuo at the front. Ah Long and Ah Hao, you guard the rear," Dong Lier instructed.

Everyone agreed, except for He Fei, who felt a bit embarrassed. However, the others didn't find it inappropriate.

Prepared to lead the way, Dong Lier was about to enter the cave when Cong Wenhuo pulled her back, proceeding ahead himself.

Dong Lier was speechless, understanding that Cong Wenhuo's intentions were good. She didn't want to brush off his concern and followed closely behind him, stepping cautiously into the dark and narrow cave.

"This cave is really dark and narrow. Lu Xiaojiu, be careful not to bump into He Fei," Dong Lier commented and instructed as they moved forward.

"I'm fine," He Fei replied before Lu Xiaojiu could respond, eager not to seem like a burden to the group.

The rock walls were cool, and occasional breezes blew from the cave, causing everyone to shiver involuntarily, their back hairs standing on end.

"Lu Xiaojiu, haven't we reached the end yet?" Dong Lier turned around, making a hushing gesture, silencing Lu Xiaojiu.

Dong Lier then patted Cong Wenhuo on the shoulder and whispered, "There seems to be some movement up ahead. Be cautious."

Cong Wenhuo, unaware of Dong Lier's acute hearing, paid attention nonetheless. There was a faint light ahead, indicating they were approaching the end. Cong Wenhuo tightened his grip on his sword, advancing slowly and quietly toward the corner.

Suddenly, a slender figure emerged, and before anyone could react, a chilling dagger was already pressed against Cong Wenhuo's neck.

"Don't move!" Cong Wenhuo's mind went blank, shocked by the sudden turn of events. He instinctively followed the figure deeper into the cave.

Dong Lier and the others followed suit, weapons at their sides, reluctant to make any sudden moves as Cong Wenhuo remained at the mercy of the mysterious figure.

After walking for a while, they entered a brighter section of the cave. In the light from above and the flickering flames, they finally saw who the figure was.

"Miss Ranran?"

"It's indeed you!"

Both Lu Xiaojiu and Dong Lier spoke simultaneously, but their tones and feelings were vastly different.

"How did you find your way here?" Ying Ranran asked.

"What? Scared someone might come knocking after committing a wrongdoing?" Dong Lier mocked.

It indeed was a wrongdoing. The smell of delicious meat wafted from the nearby campfire, and it was clear they had stolen it from Dong Lier's group.

Ying Ranran, feeling guilty, justified, "It's a test of survival. Each to their own abilities."

Dong Lier chuckled, casting a glance at Lu Xiaojiu, as if to say, "See, this is your beloved Miss Ranran."

Lu Xiaojiu, not getting angry, stared at Ying Ranran. But before he could speak, Dong Lier interrupted.

"What do you want to do?" Dong Lier pointed at Cong Wenhuo beneath the dagger.

Caught off guard by Dong Lier's question, Ying Ranran didn't know how to respond. Originally, she just wanted to take their food, never intending to harm anyone. In the current situation, Ying Ranran felt trapped.

After a moment of consideration, she instructed her companions, "You guys, cut some vines nearby and tie them up."

"What do you mean? Do you think we'll surrender just because you've captured one of us? You're being too naive!" Dong Lier sneered.

Dong Lier's words stunned not only Ying Ranran and her group but also Dong Lier's own companions.

Lu Xiaojiu was about to step forward to persuade, but Ah Long held him back, shaking his head as he subtly walked behind Dong Lier.

Ying Ranran didn't anticipate that Dong Lier and her group really wouldn't care about the fate of the captive. Uncertain about the truth behind Dong Lier's words, Ying Ranran decided to take a gamble.

"If you don't care about his life, then I'll deal with him first!" Ying Ranran said and raised her dagger.

Lu Xiaojiu exclaimed, "Miss Ranran, don't!"

"Ah Long!" Dong Lier shouted from behind, and at the same time, she signaled to Cong Wenhuo with her eyes.

The two instantly understood.

Taking advantage of the moment when Ying Ranran was distracted by Lu Xiaojiu's exclamation, Ah Long threw a dart. It collided with the dagger in Ying Ranran's hand, and in that instant, she felt a numbness in her hand.

Cong Wenhuo, as the dagger dropped, swung his elbow backward, creating a force that caused Ying Ranran to grimace in pain, retreating several steps.

At this point, Dong Lier wasn't idle either. She turned and, without a word, kicked the remaining girls to the ground.

"Remember, don't harbor thoughts about things that don't belong to you!"

After saying that, Dong Lier casually picked up a piece of well-cooked meat, chewed it deliberately loudly, and praised, "Mmm, delicious! Perfectly cooked."

Ying Ranran watched Dong Lier with disdain, turned her head, and refused to look at her.

Dong Lier didn't mind, turning back to He Fei and the others, preparing to deal with He Fei's foot injury.

"Ah Long, go get some water. We need to clean the wound," Dong Lier instructed.

"Here."

Without looking back, Dong Lier reached out to receive, but after a while, she realized she hadn't gotten the water. Curious, she turned around and burst into laughter.

"Where did this stubborn old man come from? Hahaha!"

Ah Long, holding a container filled with water, covered his eyes with one hand and turned away as if he felt it wasn't enough. When he turned back, he noticed Cong Wenhuo doing the same. Dong Lier found this amusing.

Men shouldn't casually look at women's feet, unless she is their wife. Otherwise, it would tarnish the girl's reputation, and the man might be criticized as indecent. Despite the dire situation, Dong Lier and Ah Long adhered to propriety. Gradually, Dong Lier couldn't help but stop laughing, finding a hint of admiration in her eyes.

Ah Long blushed as Dong Lier laughed, but Cong Wenhuo remained unaffected. A man should be upright and courteous; where did the term "stubborn old man" come from?

"Enough, you can go about your business. No need to help," Dong Lier said.

With that, Dong Lier took the water from Ah Long and began tending to He Fei's wounds.

"There's dragon sprout grass nearby; it can stop bleeding and aid in the healing of her wounds," Ying Ranran suddenly spoke.

Everyone was surprised, but no one said anything except Dong Lier.

"Do you understand medicine?" Dong Lier asked.

Ying Ranran only raised her head without answering.

Dong Lier didn't press further and said, "Come, if you handle it well, I'll let you go."

"Agreed."

"Of course."

Hearing Dong Lier say she would release Ying Ranran and her group, Lu Xiaojiu felt a bit relieved. He immediately went to untie Ying Ranran, urging her to hurry and treat He Fei's wounds.

Seeing Lu Xiaojiu's reaction, Ying Ranran, feeling a bit guilty, said, "Thank you."

Hearing the familiar gratitude, Lu Xiaojiu shook his head. He felt a bit uncomfortable and forced a smile.

With Ying Ranran free, she took out her dagger and went to the grassy area near the water pool. She dug out several plants with needle-like leaves, plucked the leaves and flowers, crushed them with a stone, mixed the juice with the roots, and applied it directly to He Fei's wound. Finally, she tore off a relatively clean piece of silk from her clothes and secured it in place.

Dong Lier watched Ying Ranran's movements closely, noting her meticulous and serious approach. There was a touch of appreciation in her eyes.

"Done, it's time to fulfill your promise!" Ying Ranran stood up and said.

Dong Lier was straightforward. She signaled Ah Long, who stepped forward to cut the vines from the captives.

"How about making another deal?" Dong Lier looked at the departing group and spoke.

Ying Ranran paused, turning to ask, "What kind of deal?"

"You continue to help He Fei with her injuries until we leave the forest, and we'll split the meat and territory with you."

Ying Ranran sneered, "Are you being so kind?"

"Her injuries hinder her mobility, which is of no benefit to us. Survival in these mountains is difficult, and we naturally hope she recovers quickly. It's also a help for us."

While Dong Lier spoke this way, in reality, it was only part of the reason. She was also worried that after these people left, they would join forces with the other group that had dug the pit earlier to seek revenge. Additionally, if she remembered correctly, the group that dug the pit consisted of only fourteen or fifteen people. Including Dong Lier's two groups, there were barely thirty of them. However, the initial number of people entering the forest was sixty, meaning half of them had yet to show themselves.

Ying Ranran observed Dong Lier, hoping to discern the truth in her words. Try as she might, Dong Lier's face only showed sincerity. Considering the situation, Ying Ranran decided to take advantage of the situation and agreed.

"Okay, I promise you."