Chapter 226: Taking Advantage of the Crisis

None of the processes took too much time. As she had expected, it was completed within a single day.

From digging the trenches to embedding sharp wooden stakes and then camouflaging the entrances, the efficiency of the ancient people was truly astonishing.

The group spent the entire day peacefully, and by the time the moon rose, it should have been a relatively calm night. However, all problems arise suddenly—Yeli had led his men to besiege Saina and his group in the afternoon.

This was an unfortunate event she hadn’t anticipated at all.

Originally, she had thought that after the failed negotiations, Yeli might pay more attention to them. So, even during this trench-digging incident, she had discussed with Xi Yi and the others to keep an eye on Yeli’s movements, but no action had been detected.

Now, she finally understood.

Yeli had probably intended to take revenge on Saina all along. His negotiations with them were merely a ploy to eliminate Saina, as the two sides had long since broken all ties, making conflict inevitable.

Thus, Yeli had initially tried to win them over to eliminate Saina first.

He must have assumed that since they and Saina occupied the same area but lived separately, it was proof of their irreconcilable hostility.

Initially, Yeli had likely heard Manlun’s description of their situation and concluded that Saina was also their enemy.

Based on this assumption, Yeli had schemed, seeking cooperation while being utterly dishonest—trying to exchange for Yelai without revealing the truth, and even plotting to turn against them.

Now, Sha Yi was somewhat relieved that Yeli had acted on his flawed understanding of them. Otherwise, they might have truly fallen for his trap.

Of course, they weren’t oblivious to Yeli’s cunning. But if he had shown more sincerity, his scheme might have succeeded. As pacifists, if exchanging Yelai could secure greater stability and benefits, they wouldn’t have been entirely opposed—just as she had once investigated whether Jialuo had been harmed.

However, the opposite had happened. Yeli’s cleverness backfired. His assumptions led him to make unreasonable demands, which in turn became the very reason for their vigilance.

Moreover, Yeli likely didn’t know that when Yelai had tried to kill her, Saina had been present. He had nearly died trying to save her.

Despite past conflicts and unforgettable grudges, they had endured the hardest times together. And regarding Yelai’s incident, without Saina, she would have died a thousand times over. Furthermore, Saina had acted solely for her sake—Xi Yi was unharmed now.

If they could reconcile with Jialuo, they could certainly let go of past grievances with Saina—provided he no longer behaved as he once had. Otherwise, there would be no room for negotiation.

In reality, Saina seemed to have abandoned his earlier stubbornness. Otherwise, when they had met before, he would have forcibly taken her away. Or perhaps, at the volcanic crater, he wouldn’t have waited outside the cave until dawn.

For someone of Saina’s temperament in this era, such restraint was rare. It was precisely because of his desperate effort to save her that she had changed her view of him—no longer hostile. In fact, compared to Yeli’s side, Saina was far more reliable.

She even suspected that Saina’s preemptive strike against Yeli was motivated by Yelai’s attack on them.

However, this news had been brought by Jialuo, who seemed biased in favor of Yeli. Despite Saina’s advantage with bow and arrows, numbers still mattered. Seeing Jialuo’s gleeful expression, she guessed that Saina hadn’t gained the upper hand.

Both were Jialuo’s enemies, but compared to his capture and Tuge’s, Saina’s actions had angered him more. Though their current conflict seemed like a dogfight to him, seeing Saina suffer clearly delighted him.

Jialuo had arrived in the evening, seemingly keen on keeping his whereabouts hidden from his own people. His movements were erratic, and his actions almost furtive.

At the moment, Xi Yi was more concerned with the bigger picture. Knowing Jialuo had no energy for internal schemes, he ignored him, letting him come and go mysteriously while helping her tidy up the damp clothes she had left the previous day.

Sha Yi was certain Jialuo had more than just news to share. Without pressing him, she simply let Masa send away Tuge, who kept visiting them, to satisfy Jialuo’s wishes.

But Jialuo ignored their goodwill, immediately demanding a lighter again.

Sha Yi was reluctant.

They had already used several lighters, and the box was nearly empty. They still had a long journey ahead. Though matches were reliable, they couldn’t compare to lighters. Having already given Jialuo one, she was unwilling to part with another.

Shaking her head firmly at the shameless man, she slowly uttered, “No.”

Seemingly caught off guard by her refusal, Jialuo froze for a moment before scowling. “Why not?”

“Didn’t I give you one a few days ago?” She eyed him skeptically. “Don’t tell me you’ve already used it up!”

“So what if I have?” He glared, indignant. “It’s gone.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?” She scoffed at his unreasonable attitude. “Either tell me the truth or give me a good reason, or I’ll call Tuge over.”

“You can’t call him! Tuge can’t keep his mouth shut. If he comes, everyone will know where I am. That’s bad for our situation!” He lectured her sternly, clearly displeased.

“Then speak up.” Used to his evasiveness and bargaining, even if she guessed his intentions, she wanted him to admit it. “Otherwise, no lighter. You know we only have so many—once they’re gone, they’re gone!”

“I lost the last one!” True to form, under pressure, Jialuo confessed immediately. Grinding his teeth, he added, “Saina picked it up!”

Sha Yi was speechless but somewhat relieved—at least Yeli hadn’t gotten it. Otherwise, who knew what trouble might arise?

The lighters she had bought were all push-button types, easy to operate. Even if the ancient humans had never seen one before, they could figure it out with minimal effort. The real issue wasn’t that.

Jialuo had been spying on Yeli, who lived nearby. Saina hadn’t come to their area since his arrival. How had Jialuo even encountered him?

Given the current situation—Yeli retaliating against Saina, who had launched the initial attack—Yeli must have taken his men to Saina’s camp. Clearly, Jialuo and Saina had clashed again.

Her frustration deepened. Frowning, she blurted, “Did you fight Saina again?”

“What, was I supposed to laugh with him?” Jialuo snapped after a pause. “He knew it was my lighter, yet he took it and refused to return it. Of course I had to hit him!”

“You actually fought?” Though she had guessed they’d clash, she was still surprised they had come to blows.

“Obviously! He stole from me—you expect me to just take it?” Jialuo smirked triumphantly. “But he’s an idiot. Already covered in injuries, weak as he was, he still tried to snatch things. Asking for a beating!”

“Injuries? He hasn’t recovered from last time?” Stunned, she questioned, “Are you sure you didn’t provoke him first?”

“Those wounds don’t heal so fast.” Jialuo remained gleeful. “And no, I didn’t start it. He’s the one who took my stuff.”

“*My* stuff.”

“Once you gave it to me, it’s mine.” He grinned cheekily. “Fine, what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours.”

Rolling her eyes, she snapped, “Then since it makes no difference whether the lighter’s with me or you, why ask? Forget it.”

“No, no—I swear I need it for something important!” Jialuo hastily backtracked.

“After fighting Saina, who was already injured, you still didn’t get the lighter back?” She glared, unimpressed. “Or are you planning to use it for cooking again?”

“That was an accident! I almost had it, but his people showed up. I’m not stupid enough to take on a crowd!” He fumed. “And no, cooking isn’t the only use!”

“Then what?”

“I want to start a fire!” His excitement returned. “I’ve seen it before—Saina’s camp is near a cluster of dry trees. They have few and small caves, mostly living in wooden huts, just like Yeli’s group. And Yeli’s people are newcomers—they don’t even know how to build shelters. When they captured me, I saw most of them sleeping in trees. It’s the perfect opportunity.”

“You plan to set fire to *both* Yeli and Saina’s camps?”

Nodding eagerly, Jialuo confirmed, “It’s perfect. Kapa told me Yeli ordered the attack on Saina today, but he’s planning another ambush tonight. What better timing?”