“Then take your people and get ready to assist by the trench.” After another glance at Garlo, Sena instructed, “I suspect the few on my side must have already met up with Kapa and the others. Hurry up. Yeli has mobilized everyone this time, and since they haven’t been here long, it’s highly likely they’ll regroup. We need to seize this critical moment.”
Upon hearing this, Garlo immediately scowled. “Who are you to order me around?”
“This isn’t an order, just a suggestion.”
“If it’s just a suggestion, why don’t you do it yourself?” Garlo retorted, visibly displeased. “Don’t expect me to help you!”
“I’d love to,” Sena replied calmly, unfazed by Garlo’s earlier provocation. “If I weren’t injured, you know I’d be moving right now.”
Sena didn’t mention the source of his injury, but Garlo’s face flushed red with anger. “Blame yourself for all the bad things you’ve done without restraint! Why did you have to snatch things for no reason? If it weren’t for that incident, would I have treated you this way? You brought this on yourself!”
“Given your temperament, this outcome is the most reasonable,” Sena said coolly. “Regardless of whether we’ve clashed recently, our past conflicts were enough to determine this result—unless you actively choose to resolve them. Whether you provoked us first or I tied up Tug, it doesn’t matter. As you said, I brought it on myself, and you’re someone who repays grudges. But now, we’re on the same side. If you refuse to follow my suggestion, I’ll have to act alone. However, if I’m delayed, you must compensate for my shortcomings. These are hard times, and no one can endure them endlessly.”
“…” Garlo was left speechless by Sena’s composed words. Fuming but unable to retort, he shot her a resentful glare before storming off, muttering curses under his breath.
Sha Yi wasn’t surprised by this outcome.
Over this period, Sena’s transformation had been particularly striking. The sharp edges of his personality had been smoothed into calm composure by the upheavals. She realized now that there would be no more pointless conflicts between him and Garlo.
Still, she was curious. During Yelai’s ambush, though she hadn’t noticed it immediately, she had sensed something different about him compared to when they were in the old cave settlement. At the time, she assumed it was due to his severe injuries, never imagining that his personality had already shifted.
Yet, this made his earlier fight with Garlo over the lighter even more perplexing.
If he had such self-control, why bother fighting Garlo over something as trivial as a lighter? If he needed one, he could have simply asked her. Even if supplies were scarce, given how he’d risked his life to save her, she wouldn’t have refused him.
Puzzled, she asked, “Sena, why did you clash with Garlo over the lighter?”
“That was your possession,” he replied, snapping out of his thoughts with a faint smile. “Only you have those peculiar, incredibly useful items. The moment I saw it, I knew it was yours.”
“But you knew Garlo had been here long before us, staying close to our group,” Sha Yi pressed. “When we captured Yelai, you should have realized—if he had the lighter, it meant we gave it to him.”
“I understood that,” Sena nodded, his tone still light.
“Then why fight him over it? If not for that, he might have listened to your suggestions and not sabotaged you. You wouldn’t have been injured.”
Before she finished speaking, he suddenly looked down at her, a flicker of joy crossing his face—brief and fleeting. After a pause, he said slowly, “I’m glad you worry about me.”
The words were tender, but his tone remained detached. It unsettled her slightly. When she met his gaze, he smiled again. “I just couldn’t help reflecting. Don’t dwell on it.”
“Still…” Sha Yi hesitated. “You need to answer my question first. Why fight Garlo for the lighter? You know if you needed it, I wouldn’t have withheld it.”
“Starting a fire with your strange tool is far easier than the tedious process of drilling wood. I know you wouldn’t withhold it.” Frowning slightly, he gently grasped her shoulders. “I just… had my own selfish reasons.”
“Selfish reasons?”
“I know what Garlo feels for you. I also know that once he sets his mind on something, he’ll cling to it relentlessly—much like I once did. But perhaps he isn’t as ruthless as I was.” Sighing, Sena released her and turned away, his voice firm. “Compared to Xi Yi, I was just unlucky. And it was that unfair twist of fate that cost me everything. Because of that, the only man I can tolerate by your side is Xi Yi. As for Garlo, I don’t believe he deserves that place. So, selfishly, I didn’t want him to possess anything of yours—not even a lighter, let alone a piece of fur.”
“You said earlier that if I hadn’t fought him over the lighter, I might not have been injured?” He half-turned, lips quirking. “If you told Garlo that, even he wouldn’t believe it. Between him and me, this confrontation was inevitable.”
“You’re right.” Time had passed, and the man before her now exuded such calm that it left her wistful. Sha Yi sighed. “But if this clash could have been delayed, it would have been better than erupting at a critical moment.”
“Perhaps.” He nodded, still smiling. “But if Garlo didn’t stir trouble at crucial moments, he wouldn’t be Garlo. I’ve known him for a long time. Even back when we were on the other side, though he didn’t come every rainy season, he appeared often enough. Every time, he’d fight tooth and nail to take something. Of course, he never crossed me back then—otherwise, he wouldn’t be here now.”
This time, Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh.
Indeed, Sena’s mind was sharp—his entire approach to things, combined with his ambitions, made it clear that dealing with Garlo would have been effortless back in their old settlement.
Even though Garlo was cunning and deceitful, he was still a step below Sena. Most of the time, Garlo came across as comically impulsive—a flamboyant extreme of his personality that dragged down his other traits. His temper and rashness only exacerbated his recklessness.
Yet, neither man’s temperament quite suited her tastes. In her previous life, she had been an ordinary person, accustomed to a simple, uneventful existence. Her greatest desire was someone like Xi Yi—gentle and doting. Of course, Xi Yi had the same sharp mind as Sena, but he preferred not to scheme. He’d rather focus on her needs and their relationship, showing little interest in anything else.
And she loved that about him—his indifference to worldly conflicts.
Now, though Sena spoke softly, his words still struck deep. This reflection on the past lightened the mood, and she felt more at ease. Meanwhile, activity had picked up by the trench.
From afar, they spotted a group of torchbearers approaching.
Within moments, a tall, burly figure sprinted toward them, skidding to a halt before them.
It was Kapa.
The moment Kapa reached them, she threw her arms around Sha Yi, babbling excitedly, “Sha Yi, I did everything you asked! Our people have all come over. Most of those left behind were loyal to my mother, but a few were Yeli’s. Luckily, they’re all unconscious now.”
“So Yeli and his group didn’t notice what you did? They left earlier and weren’t with you, right?” Before Sha Yi could respond, Sena interjected. “Yeli didn’t suspect anything?”
“No, he didn’t. They left at dusk.” Releasing Sha Yi, Kapa turned to Sena, eyeing him curiously. “How did you know all this?”
“Given how Kasan threatened us during the trade, Yeli wouldn’t have doubted her,” Sha Yi cut in, since Sena hadn’t been part of the negotiations. “You just said some of Yeli’s people were left behind. He might not have suspected, but he didn’t fully trust you either.”
“Right. Yeli never trusted us. Even this time, though he went along with it, he left very few of his own behind—still, it was a big concession.” Kapa nodded emphatically before addressing Sena again. “Garlo and your people prepared rafts for us to cross, so we brought everything from the other side. We tied up Yeli’s unconscious followers. By the time Yeli returns, the place will be empty.”
“Well done.” Sena nodded approvingly, a faint smile on his lips. “But Tug was captured.”
“What?” Kapa’s eyes widened in shock as she looked between Sena and Sha Yi. “Yeli succeeded?”
“In a way. Whoever was taken, it’s the same.” Sena acknowledged. “They must have a purpose.”
“A purpose? Are they using hostages as leverage?” Kapa struggled to process the news before suddenly gasping. “I—I swear, my mother and I had no idea about his plans…”
“We’re not doubting you. We just need to understand Yeli’s motives so we can respond appropriately.” Sha Yi patted Kapa’s shoulder reassuringly. “Do you or your mother know anything about this?”
“At first, Yeli only sought a place like yours because my mother suggested it. Later, after what happened with Yelai, he grew to hate you.” Kapa hesitated, uncertain. “Honestly, I think it’s still about Yelai. During the trade, you heard my mother say he’d recover soon, but Yeli is paranoid—he might not believe her. If he has other motives, I don’t know.”
“That makes sense.” Sena’s voice was grave. “For Yeli, Kasan’s twin prophecy is terrifying. This could be one of his precautions.”
“I agree.” Sha Yi didn’t hesitate. “Given Yeli’s ambitions, he wouldn’t be satisfied with just taking our land. His actions since arriving here show he wants to absorb our group too. With Manlun’s involvement as a catalyst, he has every reason to act.”
“That’s exactly it.” Sena’s expression turned serious. “And with insiders on our side, if he succeeds, he’ll have no qualms about using them as leverage.”
“What a schemer!” Kapa laughed bitterly. “But he miscalculated. Yelai is back with us now. If he wants to threaten us freely, he’ll have to wait until the prophecy breaks. But has anyone told him that?”
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