But it wasn’t something she could accomplish just because she wanted to.
Mining wasn’t like searching for salt deposits, where a stroke of luck—like a collapse or landslide—could yield results. Ore deposits didn’t work that way.
Even though everything they needed was based on weaponry, even if this unexpected guess turned into a pleasant surprise, they still lacked the necessary conditions in the short term. Moreover, there was still the smelting process to consider later.
So for now, they had to proceed step by step, relying on the tools they already had and working diligently under normal conditions, starting with the easiest tasks first.
As for the more complex ones, with numerous intricate steps, those would have to wait. There was no point in worrying when they were powerless—sometimes, the right opportunity could make a minute’s work equal to a month’s effort. The best approach was to keep working while waiting for such a moment.
Their first priority was hunting tools—bows and arrows were essential. To eliminate uncertainty, they needed long-range weapons. They didn’t need extreme range or overwhelming power; just something that could handle most of the hunting tasks would suffice.
Next were lightning protection measures. However, proper lightning protection required far more preparation than they currently had. For now, they could only rely on those reddish-brown thick vines. Additionally, she had to experiment with harnessing lightning under these makeshift conditions to produce some of the timber they needed.
Because the raft was now more critical than anything else, she had to prepare for the very real possibility of flooding. After all, the rainy season had barely begun a month ago, and the situation had already deteriorated this much. Living right by the water, she had to ensure the safety of everyone in their makeshift settlement if a flood struck.
Yet, the twisted and bizarre trees around them were clearly unsuitable. Judging by Xi Yi’s expression, it seemed he was silently telling her, *What you need is still ahead.*
Sha Yi didn’t ask further and simply followed him quietly.
The forest grew denser as they walked, but unlike the terrifying, low-lying swamp they had encountered before, the trees here were spaced apart. Combined with their relatively sparse foliage, even on a cloudy day without sunlight, there was enough light filtering through—nothing eerie or oppressive about it.
Xi Yi soon led her to a cluster of bamboo-like trees.
They were identical to the branch she had initially picked up—the one with two arcs and a node—as well as those she later saw in Pan Kuo’s cave. This was indeed a grove of bamboo-wood.
Their growth pattern was bizarre. She had assumed their tangled branches were a result of post-growth dehydration or some developmental necessity, but it turned out even their main trunks grew this way.
Unlike ordinary trees with a single thick trunk, these had multiple thinner trunks coiled together from the roots upward, tightly interwoven in various shapes—like a modern rattan chair, but without the neat craftsmanship. Instead, they seemed haphazardly tangled, yet paradoxically, there was an underlying order to the chaos.
Sha Yi couldn’t quite describe these trees. They defied logic, full of contradictions, yet somehow didn’t feel out of place.
The piece she had picked up earlier was likely a branch from one of these trees. All such trees around the lake had shed their branches in a ring around them. Strangely, they had no leaves but were instead draped with finger-thick, thread-like strands. Curious, Sha Yi reached out and tugged at one.
Damp and fragile, it snapped easily. The strands were hollow inside, almost like conduits for liquid nutrients.
When she pulled her hand back, she noticed something translucent and jelly-like clinging to her fingers. It smelled fragrant, cool to the touch—somewhat like modern lemon, but not quite.
Assuming it had seeped from the broken strand, she pinched the snapped end again. This time, a large amount of the jelly-like substance gushed out, splattering onto her hand and clothes.
Sha Yi sighed and wiped at it with her other hand, but after just a few swipes, she realized something was wrong.
The substance, initially slick and cool, quickly became unbearably sticky. By the time she noticed, her hand was already glued to her clothes. No matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge—and tugging too hard only made her skin sting.
Xi Yi, standing nearby, burst into laughter, thoroughly amused by her predicament.
Sha Yi rolled her eyes at him, which only made him laugh harder.
Judging by his reaction, the substance probably wasn’t harmful, and he must have encountered it before. Feeling slightly reassured, she extended her stuck hand toward him, pouting in annoyance. *”Stop laughing and help me get this off!”*
Xi Yi chuckled again before snapping off a branch from the tree. He smeared the pale green sap from the broken end around the stuck area, and soon, her hand was free. The jelly-like substance had completely vanished, leaving only a faint green tint and a stronger lemony scent on her skin.
Curious, Sha Yi looked up to ask Xi Yi about it, but he swiftly cupped her chin, pecked her lips, and then playfully rubbed her hand.
Speechless, she met his warm brown eyes—filled with nothing but her reflection, his affection unmistakable.
For a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to scold him. Flustered, she turned away, but he showed no signs of stopping. Seizing the opportunity, he pulled her hand and effortlessly drew her into his arms.
She knew he adored her, loved touching her, loved everything about her—but right now, she really didn’t want him to have his way!
If they kept getting distracted like this, there’d be no hope of finishing the bow or the raft.
Panicking, Sha Yi pushed against him with all her might, but he held firm. Finally, as if taking pity on her, he loosened his grip, allowing her to gasp for breath as she wriggled free.
Still, she had no time to indulge his antics. Turning, she pointed at the jelly-like substance and said, *”Xi Yi, I want some of this. Do you have anything we can use to carry more of it back?”*
*”You can’t use anything else—only its original vine casing,”* Xi Yi replied, his playful demeanor fading as he realized she was serious. *”Back when Xi Mang was around, he tried. The only way is to break off the ends of these vine casings and carry them like that. Otherwise, they either dry up or stick to everything.”*
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