Taking the fruit knife handed by Tuge, Sha Yi was slightly stunned: “Where did you pick these up? Did everything get washed here? What… is this place? And why are you here?”
“Just in the shallow water outside. I don’t know what this place is either.” Shaking his head, Tuge sighed helplessly. “It seems all your things ended up here. As for me…”
He paused, hesitating. “Actually, I wanted to ask you a question.”
“What question?”
“After you left with Jialuo that time, a group of people suddenly showed up at the cave where we were staying. They didn’t say a word—just tied me up and took me to an unfamiliar cave. Was that your idea, or this man’s?” Pointing at Xiyi, who was lying unconscious on the boulder, Tuge stared intently at the woman standing before him. “I just want to know that.”
“You already have an answer in mind. Why bother asking me?” Glancing sideways at the older man, Sha Yi had no intention of explaining.
“I just want a clear answer. I need complete trust—both given and received. So no matter what, you have to tell me.”
After a moment of silence, Sha Yi decided to lay it all out: “Xiyi was stabbed by Jialuo, and we got separated from the group, including being swept over the waterfall—all because you were captured. Even though it might seem like we were aligned with the person who took you, we were once part of the same group as the people from the old cave settlement.”
At this point, no more words were needed. Even the most confused person would understand by now, and Tuge was no exception. After a brief consideration, he spoke: “I see. Jialuo was reckless, but he didn’t mean any harm. I’ll heal this man. I hope you can let go of what happened before. After all, we’re all in this together now…”
“I get what you mean.” Signaling that she understood, Sha Yi didn’t hold back. “If Jialuo stops scheming, I won’t have any other thoughts either. But you still haven’t told me why you’re here. With your eyesight, you couldn’t have…”
She left the last part hanging, her gaze lingering on him, waiting for his response.
Defeated, Tuge raised his hands in surrender. “Fine, I’ll tell you. My eyes… sometimes return to normal. It doesn’t happen often or last long, but it does happen.”
Clearing his throat, he continued, “Second, the place where the man who captured me kept me wasn’t far from here. He only left two or three people to guard me. I knocked them out with some herb juice and escaped. When I got out, my vision happened to be clear, and I saw you and that man by the waterfall. So I followed the current down. Luckily, you both ended up here. I don’t know what this place is, but it’s only separated from the cave where I was held by a low underwater tunnel. I don’t even know if that man is aware of this place.”
“Whether he knows or not, we need to be careful. He’s far more cunning than Jialuo. One misstep, and we’ll be in trouble.” Glancing outside the cave, Sha Yi had no immediate plan. “By the way, does Jialuo know the specifics about your eyes?”
“You’re right.” Nodding in agreement, Tuge scratched his thinning hair. “I didn’t dare tell Jialuo the details about my eyes. That hot-tempered guy has too much anger.”
“Then help me take care of Xiyi.” Sha Yi stood up. “I’ll go check the things that were washed up here.”
“No problem, but…” Agreeing, Tuge quickly added, “I’m starving, and about my eyes—now…”
“I know. I’ve already told Jialuo. If nothing goes wrong, he should be preparing food by now.” Cutting him off, Sha Yi lowered her eyelids. “As for the specifics about your eyes, I won’t breathe a word of what you’ve kept secret. Of course, if everything’s still here as you said, and you behave well, I won’t go back on my word. But if things are missing, there’s nothing I can do.”
Tuge immediately raised both hands in assurance. “I’m telling the truth. We’re in this together now. I get it—you can trust me.”
Giving him a sidelong glance, Sha Yi said nothing more. She tucked the two fruit knives into her shorts’ pockets and stepped out through another opening in the small cave.
This area seemed to be behind the place where she had woken up earlier, with much more open terrain. The ground, possibly untouched for a long time, was covered in coarse, sand-like particles, larger and rougher than those in the previous area. Yet, it wasn’t actual sand.
While the earlier spot had some resemblance, this place was entirely different. Every step she took crushed the rough particles underfoot, shimmering under the blazing sun—beautiful but eerily strange.
Looking at them, Sha Yi suddenly recalled the weather before they arrived.
Before they ended up here, there had been thunderstorms, rising river waters, and floods. According to Tuge, it had been two days since the storm ended. But given the intensity of the flood, if they had followed the current, this place shouldn’t be dry. Moreover, even if the rainy season was nearing its end, how could the weather shift from relentless storms to scorching sun so abruptly?
From her modern perspective, this was impossible. But this was the prehistoric era—she couldn’t compare the two. Xiyi was still unconscious, so she couldn’t ask him. Jialuo lived far away and might not know either.
Frustrated but with no solution, Sha Yi decided to let it go for now and focus on checking the items Tuge had mentioned.
True to the old man’s word, she spotted the large wooden raft almost immediately.
It was lodged vertically in the sand-like ground, its upper half holding the bathtub and secured food, while the lower half, submerged in clear, shallow water, was empty.
Thanks to the bamboo resin, most of the raft’s logs remained tightly bound despite being soaked and sun-dried. The only flaw was a broken trunk at the raft’s edge, likely from a heavy impact.
But given the force of the waterfall’s drop, it was a miracle only one log had snapped. That the bathtub—containing all her belongings—had survived intact was even more fortunate.
As for the food, it had been soaked but was mostly preserved. The salted items would be fine after drying. Best of all, thanks to Xiyi’s secure knots and the bathtub’s support, nothing had been lost. She even found the bow and arrows Marei had discarded in the nearby shallows.
At this point, Sha Yi felt they lacked nothing for survival.
The only thing left to inspect was the bathtub.
First were the lighter and matches. The night before the storm, she had wrapped them in multiple layers of hide and hung them on the bathtub’s metal ring. Not only were they still there, but upon unwrapping, only one matchbox’s corner was slightly damp—everything else was intact.
Even the large chunks of mineral salt crystals Xiyi had chiseled during their search for salt were untouched. She had previously refined plenty of pure salt from brine and hadn’t needed the crystals. Considering the rainy season’s humidity, she had carefully wrapped and stored them—now, they remained perfectly preserved.
Sha Yi couldn’t have been happier.
With this, preserving food was no issue. They could easily last until the rainy season ended. Tuge’s salt needs could also be met. As long as they cooperated, she could keep her promise.
Other items—her clothes, toiletries, the stainless steel basin, even resin-coated galvanized wire—were all accounted for. Even the black wooden arrows she had later tucked into the food bundle to lighten her load were mostly still there.
For the first time in a while, Sha Yi felt a surge of joy and relief.
But elation soon gave way to a new problem.
Due to its weight, the raft was deeply embedded in the water. She couldn’t pull it free. Cutting the thick vines with a knife risked cracking the bathtub. The raft itself was massive—she doubted even Xiyi and Jialuo combined could reach its top.
After some thought, she decided to enlist Jialuo’s help. A man of his strength would be wasted not doing labor. Even if Xiyi were awake, she’d still pick Jialuo for the job.
Instead of retracing her steps through the cave, Sha Yi circled around the outside. When she returned to the front, Jialuo was sitting on the ground, frantically drilling wood for fire.
A pile of damp branches lay scattered before him, each bearing one or two indentations from his efforts—yet not a single spark.
Watching from a distance, Sha Yi saw his patience snap as he flung the branches aside, his temper flaring.
The damp wood’s refusal to catch fire wasn’t his fault, but his attitude was exasperating. “Didn’t you prepare food before trying to start a fire? Did you think someone else would do it for you?”
Jialuo jerked his head up, scowling. “Didn’t you say Tuge was hungry and needed food?”
“He is hungry, and he does need food.” Pointing at the mess of damp branches, Sha Yi sighed. “But is this how you do it? Where’s the food?”
Grabbing a thick branch, the man grumbled, “I was going to roast some for him!”
“Keep that for yourself!” Walking over, Sha Yi rolled her eyes. “Forget the fire for now. Come with me to move the stuff behind the cave.”
Instantly wary, Jialuo narrowed his eyes. “Trying to trick me again? Think I’ll fall for it?”
“Really not coming?” Sha Yi crouched down. “You sure?”
“No!” With another huff, he flopped onto his back, muttering, “Asking for my help but not begging? That stony face of yours—skinny little liar!”
Sha Yi’s expression darkened, but she knew Jialuo’s nature—he responded to force, not kindness. Rare as such a temperament was, it made him easy to manipulate. Without another word, she reached into her front pocket.
Before the flood, she had stashed a lighter for emergencies.
Now, that emergency had arrived. Thankfully, her lighter wasn’t electric. After baking in the sun, a flick of her thumb produced a flame.
While the grumpy man lay there pretending to be dead, Sha Yi didn’t bother speaking. She lit the fringe of his feathered skirt and stepped back, arms crossed, watching.
A burnt smell filled the air almost instantly.
Jialuo, oblivious at first, kept muttering until he finally noticed and leapt up—his skirt half-charred.
Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh, while his face twisted in fury.
In the end, he succumbed to her “tyranny” and grudgingly followed her to move the raft. But her fire-making left him awestruck. He kept trying to grab her hand to inspect it, but she knew better than to let him.
Even if they were on the same side now, she couldn’t fully trust him.
Take Saina—they had once been part of the same group, yet even close allies could commit atrocities. With Jialuo, their relationship had always been adversarial. Caution was necessary.
Though Jialuo lacked Saina’s cunning, she had seen his deceit and ruthlessness firsthand. She wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.
An old saying came to mind: *Harm none, but trust none blindly.*
Back at the raft, Jialuo effortlessly hauled the massive structure from the water—even carrying it to the front without her lifting a finger.
Sha Yi marveled once more at the primal strength of ancient humans.
With the raft dealt with, Jialuo set up two fire pits. Sha Yi fetched preserved meat, started the fires, and added resin. Once the flames roared, she handed the skewered meat and roasting duties to Jialuo.
Her own roasting skills were abysmal, but Jialuo was a master—his technique rivaled Xiyi’s. She trusted him with the task.
Jialuo, however, was far from pleased, glaring at her repeatedly. Sha Yi ignored him, letting him seethe.
Realizing protests were futile, he resigned himself to silently roasting the meat.
Compared to Jialuo’s straightforward task, Sha Yi had more to worry about.
Aside from refining salt crystals into brine for Tuge, she needed to prepare nutritious food for Xiyi. She feared complications from his injury.
This wasn’t the modern era—conditions were harsher, resources scarcer. Xiyi’s wound would mostly heal on its own. Worse, he hadn’t eaten in over two days.
Preserved meat alone wouldn’t aid recovery. He needed protein and lighter fare. The current provisions were merely for sustenance.
Taking a small salt crystal from the hide bundle and filling the stainless steel basin with water, she set the crystal inside. Once the basin was secure, she carefully tended the fire.
Nearby, Jialuo—unfamiliar with such methods—kept sneaking glances.
Sha Yi pretended not to notice.
Let him watch. It’d save her from future requests. Once the crystal dissolved and the water evaporated, the remaining salt could be used directly. She could instruct Jialuo to mix a pinch with water for Tuge daily—far simpler than relying solely on salted food.
This batch of brine required extra resin, with minimal damp wood. Jialuo’s attempts to add more were thwarted. She offered no explanation, and her firm stance forced his reluctant compliance.
The damp wood’s real issue wasn’t difficulty burning—it was Tuge’s earlier words.
Saina’s holding cave was close. Whether separated by an underwater tunnel or not, burning damp wood would produce thick smoke. Even if these people didn’t understand its significance, smoke meant humans—a universal signal.
She couldn’t be sure if Saina remained nearby, but she knew he had secrets from the cave group. Originally, he had planned to capture her at the waterfall. Her defiance had foiled him.
But that didn’t mean he’d given up—especially with Tuge’s escape. Given Saina’s nature, he wouldn’t let them go easily. Even without certainty, he’d search.
For safety’s sake, avoiding any potential risks was paramount.
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