Chapter 156: The Biggest Puppeteer

Before she could continue the conversation, heavy raindrops began to fall.

The man holding her hesitated for a brief moment before abandoning his questions and quickening his pace. Sha Yi didn’t say much either, but even so, they didn’t make it back in time. By the time they reached the cave, both of them were soaked. Those responsible for transporting the food were also drenched, but the food covered with animal hides remained unharmed.

Soon, the rain intensified, pouring down in torrents, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

There weren’t many people in the cave.

Since most of the food had been taken for the exchange, and Xigu and Saina had split up to lead separate groups, only a few men and women remained behind. Blocking the entrance with a large boulder posed no major issue.

Watching the sky, pale before the rain and now dark and heavy, Sha Yi couldn’t help but worry about the water levels.

With this kind of downpour, it wouldn’t even take a full night to completely undo the effects of three days of scorching sun. The problem wouldn’t just be standing water—their new settlement was located near a sizable tributary of the river, making flooding a real possibility.

Their terrain was already at a disadvantage. Unlike the old cave settlement, which had a high slope that could serve as a buffer in case of flooding, their current location lacked such a refuge.

Right now, neither Saina nor Xigu and their teams had returned.

The rain had already started, and it was unlikely they’d be able to light a fire. She wasn’t too concerned about Xigu, but Saina was a different matter.

She had always known he was cunning. Though he rarely showed it openly, it was an undeniable fact. Compared to Jialuo, Saina was clearly the more formidable opponent. Jialuo might be stubborn and ruthless, even willing to fight to the death, but fundamentally, he wasn’t much of a threat.

When it came to analyzing situations and weighing pros and cons, Jialuo lacked insight into their group, giving Saina a clear advantage.

As for setting fires, Saina’s plan probably wouldn’t succeed either, which gave her some relief. But at the same time, she couldn’t shake her unease. Knowing Saina’s temperament, he would surely resort to other methods.

These plans had been agreed upon before the exchange. Without knowing the actual outcome of the trade, it was understandable that they’d made such arrangements in secret. But Jialuo had already fallen for her trick due to his own scheming. If they burned his remaining supplies to teach him a lesson, he’d likely just fly into a rage. However, if they harmed Tuge, the old man left behind in the cave, Jialuo would undoubtedly retaliate with madness.

She really didn’t want Saina to hurt Tuge, especially since the old man had just expressed his gratitude to her that morning.

She didn’t want to—and couldn’t bring herself to—harm that old man, who wasn’t truly malicious.

But now, there was no other choice.

Moreover, Saina’s decision to hide the discovery of her whereabouts from Xiyi and the others had deepened her distrust of him. Because of this, she even began to suspect that his insistence on letting the people from the old cave settlement in that night had been deliberate.

Perhaps, ever since their first encounter with Jialuo’s ambush, he had harbored resentment—or maybe he had been planning to deal with Jialuo and his men in secret all along.

Though she still couldn’t pinpoint his exact motives or whether she was overthinking things, her distrust of Saina grew stronger by the minute. It was like a steel needle lodged deep in her heart, tormenting her endlessly.

Lost in her troubled thoughts, a piece of roasted meat was suddenly placed in front of her. When she turned to look, Xiyi was bending down with a smile. “I heard your stomach growling. Eat this first to tide you over. I’ll make some broth for you later—I know you like that.”

Her nose stung, and Sha Yi nearly burst into tears.

It wasn’t because of how miserable she’d been during the past two days of captivity, nor was it because of Jialuo’s harsh treatment. It was simply the stark contrast between his attitude and Xiyi’s.

Jialuo might have been easy to deceive, but he could decide whether or not to feed her based on his mood. That morning, after she’d angered him, he’d outright refused to give her any food. His so-called “preferential treatment of captives” had turned out to be nothing but empty words. He’d even pointed at her nose and called her a “damned liar.” Just thinking about it was depressing.

Xiyi, however, was different. From the moment they’d met, even when he had forced her at times, he had never allowed her to suffer the slightest grievance.

Comparing the two was enough to make her blood boil.

Taking the roasted meat, Sha Yi felt a tumult of emotions and couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Seeing her silence, Xiyi reached out and ruffled her hair before turning back to the cooking area. Without thinking, she followed him.

Only when he stopped did Xiyi realize she had trailed after him. For a moment, he seemed puzzled, but he quickly responded by pulling her close, his eyes filled with undisguised affection.

Seeing the blatant tenderness in his expression, Sha Yi felt a pang of guilt for the first time. “Xiyi… actually, all of this might be because of my deliberate concealment…”

“Hmm?” Clearly not understanding, he turned to look at her while tending to the fire, his face confused.

“The day we made the raft, when you went to wash clothes by the cliff, I ran into Jialuo.” Biting her lip, Sha Yi spoke slowly, stealing glances at his expression as she did. “At the time, I didn’t know who they were, and I was afraid telling you would make you angry and cause unnecessary conflict…”

Before she could finish, Xiyi’s brows furrowed. “So the injuries on you that day were from him?”

Her heart pounded with anxiety, but she didn’t dare say another word, fearing he might explode in anger. To her surprise, he simply sighed and gently pulled her closer. “Knowing this now is unpleasant, but it’s in the past. I’m not worried about anything else—I just worry about you.”

“What about Saina?” Relieved about Jialuo, she remained wary of Saina’s intentions.

“Saina might be a bigger problem.” Mentioning Saina, Xiyi shared her concerns. “I always knew he was ambitious, but I never imagined he’d go this far. I can tolerate his secrecy and deception, but I can’t accept him using you as bait at a critical moment. Maybe leaving you with those savages last night was the right call, but I still can’t accept him knowing you were there and pretending otherwise. If only I’d searched in his direction last night—I would never have abandoned you.”

“I don’t really care if he used me as bait.” After a pause, she decided to voice all her doubts. “You said he told you he heard Jialuo admit to his dealings with the old cave settlement. That means when I was talking to Jialuo, Saina was outside listening. And when I was falling asleep, I thought I heard him call my name. Given his personality, he wouldn’t have left after hearing just that. It’s very likely he overheard the entire negotiation between me and Jialuo. Did he mention any of this when he returned?”

Xiyi shook his head immediately.

“I thought so.” Her heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation. “This time, his plan to burn Jialuo’s temporary cave isn’t just about teaching him a lesson. On the contrary, he’s probably aiming to stab Jialuo in the back. Not only that—I suspect he deliberately let those people from the old cave settlement in that night.”

“But how did he know about all this?” Though equally suspicious, Xiyi was still baffled.

“We might need to ask the man we rescued from the old cave settlement that day.”

“He went with Xigu to burn the old cave. This morning, when he insisted on joining, he was furious. I didn’t understand his anger then, but Xigu agreed. We can ask her when she returns.”

Sha Yi fell silent, leaning against him as she nibbled on the roasted meat.

By the time Xigu returned, it was already afternoon.

Coincidentally, Xiyi had prepared a large meal, and the group eagerly feasted. Eventually, Xigu volunteered to share what had happened at the old cave settlement.

As Sha Yi had expected, the fire outside the old cave had been quickly extinguished by the rain.

Frustrated but unwilling to give up, they had set a fire inside the cave. The people weren’t inside at the time, but by the time they returned, everything in the cave would likely be reduced to ashes.

Sha Yi couldn’t help but sigh, but Xigu added nonchalantly, “I still think we weren’t harsh enough. The rainy season won’t last much longer, so even without stored food, they’ll manage. Burning their supplies doesn’t pose much of a threat. If we’d decided earlier, we should’ve burned them in the middle of the night. But you should’ve seen Mentu’s ferocity when he threw the torch!”

As she spoke, Xigu glanced back at Mentu, the man who had fled the old cave settlement after Jialuo’s attack. Her previous disdain had vanished, replaced by a hint of admiration.

Sha Yi, however, skipped over Xigu’s words and addressed Mentu directly. “Mentu, why did you join in burning the old cave? You left because of Jialuo, not because of any feud with them, right?”

Caught off guard, Mentu remained silent for a long moment, his face still etched with anger and resentment.

Sha Yi wasn’t in a hurry. If he didn’t answer one question, she’d ask another. He couldn’t stay silent forever—after all, the people in the new cave were relatively united. As a newcomer, even if he wasn’t an outright outsider, everyone likely harbored some reservations about him. One way or another, he’d have to cooperate.

“Or, you could just tell us—if Saina discussed this with you, there’s no need to hide it.”

“Wait, you didn’t know about our conversation?” Mentu exclaimed the moment she finished speaking. “I thought Saina had already talked to you about it!”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Mentu spilled everything. “That afternoon, after I told you about Jialuo’s attack on the old cave, you all went to the river that night. Saina came to me afterward and said he didn’t believe what had happened there. He asked me to go back with him to see for ourselves.”

“So we went together. But near the riverbank of the new settlement, in the bushes, we saw the people from the old cave negotiating with those savages. They were planning to pretend to ally with us that night.”

“After that, I wanted to get my younger brother out of there. But when I arrived, I found him dead, thrown into the grass.”

“He had been injured, yes, but it shouldn’t have been fatal. They didn’t even bother to treat him with herbs. He was all I had left. They went too far… So I decided never to go back. That’s why I was so eager to join Xigu in burning the old cave.”

Once Mentu finished speaking, the group exchanged stunned glances.

Sha Yi was equally shocked. Though she had already begun to suspect Saina, the situation was far more complicated than she’d imagined. What had started as a ploy between the old cave and Jialuo’s group for self-preservation had been completely upended by Saina’s interference—and everyone had been kept in the dark.

Even the two scheming parties had fallen victim to Saina’s machinations.

After a moment, she spoke again. “Mentu, did the people from the old cave specify what they planned to do when they came here?”

Shaking his head, Mentu said bitterly, “You’d have to ask Saina. As soon as I heard they were plotting against us, I rushed back to the old cave in a panic. Whatever was said afterward, only Saina knows.”

Having gleaned what she could, she stopped pressing Mentu and turned to Xiyi instead. “Xiyi, you said you were the first to wake up yesterday. Was Saina awake when you woke?”

“I woke up early and left immediately. I didn’t pay attention. All I know is that by the time I returned the first time, the original members of our group were already awake. It was almost noon by then.”

Pulling out the dried blue-purple plant leaves Jialuo had given her, Sha Yi murmured, “This is what made everyone fall asleep. According to Jialuo, if these are burned, the fumes can knock people out for an entire day. I don’t know why you woke up so early, but I didn’t wake until last night.”

“Wait, isn’t this Mudagrass?” Xigu snatched the leaves, her eyes widening in surprise. “I heard it only grows in a place far beyond the clear pond. We saw it many times when we were kids in the dense forest tribe. They used it for hunting.”

As she spoke, Xigu handed the leaves to the two women who had joined later. “You’re both from there, right? Take a look—isn’t this it?”

“Yes, it’s definitely Mudagrass,” the women confirmed after examining the leaves. “You, Ximang, and Xiyi were often knocked out by it as kids. Back then, a single whiff could put you to sleep for a whole day, though prolonged exposure weakens the effect.”

Their words instantly explained why Xiyi and the others had woken up early. The unexpected revelation gave Sha Yi some clarity, but she still pressed on. “Xigu, when you woke up, were Saina and the others awake?”

“That…” Xigu hesitated. “I really didn’t notice. All I know is that most of the others didn’t wake up until evening. They wouldn’t budge no matter how much we shook them during the day.”

Just as the questioning hit another dead end, Masa, sitting at the edge of the group, suddenly raised her hand. “I woke up at noon yesterday. As soon as I did, I went outside and ran into Saina. He scolded me for not watching where I was going.”

“Where is Saina from?” The question slipped out reflexively, and Sha Yi’s heart clenched again.

Pointing in the opposite direction of where the Mudagrass grew, Xigu said firmly, “He’s never been to the dense forest or beyond the clear pond. The old cave settlement is where he’s spent most of his time. Everyone knows that.”

Masa and Xigu’s words sealed the biggest question. Combined with what Saina had told her in the small cave they’d temporarily stayed in, Sha Yi was suddenly certain—Saina had known about the plan to use Mudagrass all along!

Otherwise, given that he’d never encountered it before, there was no way he would’ve woken up in less than half a day unless he’d been prepared in advance.

Jialuo’s claim that the fumes could knock someone out for a full day wasn’t a lie either.

She herself was living proof. Even if the others had stronger constitutions, most of them hadn’t woken up until evening. No further evidence was needed!

But she still couldn’t fathom Saina’s motives.

She knew he was ambitious, but did his ambition have to target them?

Did he not even consider them his companions?

After leaving the old cave together and living side by side for so long, what could he possibly want from them?

Thinking back on every interaction with Saina since their first meeting, there had been many changes, but one realization struck her like lightning—

—She had almost forgotten. He seemed to have genuine feelings for her!

If that was truly the reason, then his goal must be…

After a stunned pause, Sha Yi abruptly turned to the burly man beside her.

Could his real target be Xiyi?

Did he want to use Jialuo to eliminate Xiyi?

Perhaps from the very beginning, after accidentally overhearing Jialuo’s plot with the old cave, he had hatched this plan.

What he had told Xiyi and the others last night was based on earlier information. What he had actually overheard was her discussion with Jialuo about treating Tuge’s eyes—yet he had said nothing about it. He must have not only identified Jialuo’s weakness and taboo but also devised his own scheme. The so-called “burning” was likely just a cover to capture Tuge.

But now, it was too late.

During the exchange that morning, it had been Xiyi who showed up—Saina had never appeared. So there was no way to connect him to anything. In the end, Xiyi would be left holding the bag.

And Jialuo’s ultimate retaliation would be directed solely at Xiyi.