The meeting was initiated by Jialuo, and the exchange location was set at the stone cliff where she had first encountered him.
It wasn’t until she arrived at the cliff that Sha Yi learned the location of Jialuo’s cave.
It was a cave situated beside a hot pool beneath the cliff. Due to the gentle flow of the small waterfall, the sounds inside the cave were muffled, making it difficult to hear clearly. Moreover, the cave faced another open forest, which explained why the surroundings felt entirely unfamiliar to her.
The people from Xiyi’s group rarely visited the clear pool below, and even the massive stone trough that served as a bathing container had only been used once by her. This sudden turn of events had caught everyone off guard. Given the remote location, it was no surprise that they couldn’t find her.
To prevent their temporary hideout from being exposed, Jialuo chose to ride a giant-toothed eagle up the cliff. Naturally, she went with him, as did the rest of his group, while a few others climbed up using thick vines on the cliff face.
At first, she thought Jialuo was retaliating for the mockery earlier that morning, but later, it seemed he was too focused on the trade to remember. Although the giant-toothed eagle still couldn’t land steadily, its speed had slowed considerably.
In the end, the eagle ended up crashing into a tree, and Jialuo, still holding the thick vine tied around her, jumped off midway.
On the opposite side, the people from the new settlement cave had already arrived, including Xiyi. He stared at her from a distance, his brows tightly furrowed, his expression a mix of complex and conflicting emotions—happiness at seeing her, but mostly anger and worry.
After not seeing him for over a day, she noticed he looked haggard. His strong, angular face had taken on a sickly pallor, and the stubble she had shaved for him back in the old settlement cave had grown back. His curly black hair was unusually disheveled.
Not only that, she also spotted several wounds on his body, and his animal-hide skirt was stained with mud, making him look utterly exhausted.
He must have searched for her for a long time, covering many places. Unfortunately, Jialuo had cunningly set up their main camp beneath the cliff, a place they rarely visited. It was no wonder they couldn’t find her, especially since time had been so limited.
She only knew that Jialuo might have informed them about the trade beforehand but had chosen to notify the new settlement people of the exchange location only that morning.
Jialuo didn’t want to put himself in danger, but in doing so, he had put Xiyi through hell. He must not have slept all night.
Sha Yi couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.
But Jialuo wasn’t about to give her a moment to dwell on it. He yanked her forward and shouted at the people from the new settlement cave, “Bring the food for the exchange! No tricks, or I’ll throw her down!”
The group across from them froze for a moment, then all turned their eyes to Xiyi. But Xiyi acted as if he hadn’t heard anything, his fiery gaze locked onto Sha Yi and Jialuo.
Sha Yi sighed inwardly, disgusted by Jialuo’s deceit. He forbade Xiyi’s group from playing tricks, yet he was the one being underhanded. His audacity was thicker than the giant-toothed eagle’s hide.
Growing angrier by the second, Sha Yi finally couldn’t hold back and warned, “Are you sure you won’t specify the amount of food for the exchange?”
“Let’s see how much they’re willing to offer. That way, you’ll know your worth in their eyes. What’s the rush?” Jialuo feigned innocence. “I’m doing this for your own good.”
“Stop pretending to be kind. You’re just trying to cheat them!”
“I’m not.”
“Do you want to die together?” Sha Yi sneered. “Don’t overestimate your intelligence, and don’t treat others like fools. If you don’t state the amount clearly, I’ll make sure you leave empty-handed!”
Her words visibly stunned Jialuo. He glared at her resentfully before finally grinding out through clenched teeth, “I want enough food for thirty people to last through the rainy season! Not a single bite less!”
Despite her repeated warnings, Jialuo had still demanded nearly ten extra portions of food without hesitation. Though Sha Yi felt a surge of disgust, she decided against haggling further.
Jialuo was the type who responded only to force, not kindness. Though he often acted foolishly and wasn’t hard to communicate with, he was ruthless when pushed too far. This concession had been hard-won, and she didn’t dare provoke him further. If he felt cornered, he might resort to desperate measures, and any harm caused would be irreparable.
At least he had finally stated the amount. Given Xiyi’s group, she believed they could easily provide that quantity of food. They had prepared before the rainy season, and with the rare sunny days, they had been hunting. Supplying a month’s worth of food for thirty people wouldn’t be difficult.
The people across from them visibly relaxed. Some stood guard while others went to retrieve the preserved food hidden in the bushes.
Jialuo remained highly vigilant, not daring to relax for a second during the standoff. Sha Yi, however, was the opposite.
From her height and angle, she could see the bushes were packed with preserved meat.
At that moment, her heart swelled with emotion.
Not just Xiyi—every one of them must have been prepared to give up all their food to get her back!
This was a far cry from the situation when she had left the old settlement cave. It truly proved that only those who stood together through thick and thin were worth trusting.
As Jialuo had said, she disagreed with him because they weren’t on the same side. But he was right—the amount of food they were willing to offer reflected their sincerity toward her. Now, the quantity of food determined her worth in their eyes.
They genuinely wanted her back!
Tears welled up in her eyes. Her heart, once chilled by betrayal, was now warmed again. At this moment, nothing could stop her tears from falling.
Jialuo, who had been restraining her arms, noticed her distress. When he looked down and saw her tearful expression, he panicked. “I didn’t use much force…”
She ignored him.
Seeing her silence, Jialuo seemed to understand something and shut his mouth without another word.
The food Jialuo demanded was quickly gathered and, as per his instructions, tied onto the backs of several giant-toothed eagles with thick vines. No one hesitated.
Jialuo kept his word. After pushing her to the center between the two groups, he retreated to his original spot. But he made no move to leave, instead watching her intently.
Sha Yi knew he was waiting for her to fulfill the second condition.
Originally, she had planned to give them some salt crystals out of consideration for Tuge. But after Jialuo’s greediness, she felt no obligation to be generous.
Turning around, she pointed at the giant-toothed eagles and said, “See, all this food is preserved. It contains the substance that can cure Tuge’s eyes—including the food you stole from the old settlement cave. It has the same effect!”
Jialuo flew into a rage. “You lied to me! You tricked me!”
“You know exactly who played tricks first. I was going to give you separate salt crystals,” Sha Yi said calmly. “But you broke your own rules. You didn’t even keep your promise—why should I?”
“I didn’t ask for extra!” Jialuo roared. “Besides us, we have people back at our permanent camp. I had to think of them too! This amount isn’t excessive!”
“You think of your own group, but did you ever consider others?” Sha Yi’s patience snapped. “Do you think only your group deserves to live in this world? Instead of working hard, you think it’s justified to take from others? Do you really believe the new settlement people can’t fight back?”
Jialuo was silenced again, his anger simmering. He knew he was in the wrong but couldn’t suppress his fury. “That’s different! You promised me!”
“I did fulfill my promise. The cure for Tuge’s eyes is just mixed into the food. There’s no difference. If you had been honest about your group’s numbers and settled on a fixed amount earlier, we wouldn’t be here.” Sha Yi didn’t hold back. “You just wanted to exploit the ambiguity to extort more. I warned you not to treat others as fools, but you didn’t listen. Now, who’s to blame?”
“I never should have trusted you!” Jialuo spat. “You deceitful woman! You tricked me!”
“Let me repeat—kidnapping me was your deceitful act. Don’t cry foul when your schemes backfire. If you’re so angry, then fight us head-on. Wiping Jialuo’s group from this world wouldn’t be hard.”
Her final words shut him up instantly. He stared at her in disbelief before falling silent.
After a long, tense moment, Jialuo finally raised his hand and climbed onto the back of a giant-toothed eagle. As he urged the bird to take off, he turned back and warned nervously, “You liar, don’t you dare set our backs on fire again!”
Sha Yi was stunned speechless.
At the same time, the rest of Jialuo’s group snapped out of their daze and mounted their own eagles, flying down from the cliff.
Finally able to relax, Sha Yi was about to turn around when she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace.
Xiyi didn’t even bother untying the thick vines binding her before crushing her against his chest.
Understanding his emotions, Sha Yi didn’t remind him to free her first. But his grip grew painfully tight, and she couldn’t help but yelp in discomfort.
Xiyi snapped out of it and immediately released her, quickly cutting the vines with a fruit knife.
This time, the binding had been just as tight as when she was first taken to Jialuo’s cave. Likely due to her bold negotiation the night before, they had feared she might cause trouble in front of her own people and tied her extra tightly. Once freed, her arms were covered in deep red marks.
Fortunately, she was unharmed.
But Xiyi didn’t see it that way. The moment he noticed the marks, his eyes turned red with fury and concern.
Afraid he might seek reckless revenge, Sha Yi quickly wrapped her arms around his neck to reassure him she was fine.
He seemed to understand, gently massaging her arms before muttering, “When I woke up yesterday and you were gone, I thought…”
“Thought what?” She couldn’t help but smile. “That I ran away again?”
Xiyi nodded sheepishly, uncharacteristically bashful. “I thought you left me again… didn’t want to be with me. I panicked and searched for you all day without stopping.”
All day? Jialuo had said the sleeping effect lasted a full day. She hadn’t woken until evening.
Confused, she pressed, “When did you wake up? Why did you assume I ran away?”
“Morning.” Xiyi’s voice turned resentful. “Everyone was still asleep, except you. You usually don’t wake up before me, and even if you do, you don’t leave the cave. Yesterday, I searched everywhere and couldn’t find you. What else was I supposed to think?”
“But you should’ve realized—if I had left first, how could I have moved the boulder blocking the cave entrance?”
“I was too frantic to think straight. I just…” He paused, then admitted quietly, “When you’re not by my side, I can’t think clearly. This time… I don’t even want to remember it. Are you hurt? Did they treat you badly?”
Compared to their usual exchanges, Xiyi’s words were unusually disjointed. Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “From what you just saw, how do you think they treated me?”
“They seemed afraid of you.” After a moment’s thought, he added angrily, “But they tied you up so tightly!”
“They thought I’d trick them. What could I do? But look—I’m fine now.” Resting her head against his chest, she felt his heartbeat racing. When she glanced up, she found him staring intently at her and blushed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You’re beautiful.”
His simple, direct answer made her face burn even hotter. She buried her face in his chest, too embarrassed to meet his gaze.
Xiyi seemed pleased, hugging her tighter. But when a strong wind suddenly blew, he tensed. “There’s a storm coming. We should hurry back.”
Sha Yi looked up. The sky had turned even paler than it had been that morning. It was a shame the rain hadn’t fallen during the exchange—now it seemed unnecessary.
But this was still the rainy season. Storms were to be expected. After three days of scorching sun, today’s downpour would likely be heavy.
Without hesitation, she nodded. “Let’s go back.”
Xiyi immediately scooped her up, signaled to the others gathering the remaining food, and led the way at a run.
Knowing she couldn’t match their speed, Sha Yi didn’t protest being carried.
As they ran, she noticed some of the men carrying food were sprinting even faster, as if afraid the storm would ruin their provisions. It was both amusing and endearing.
Their method of transporting the food was clever—using wooden rafts covered with animal hides and leaves to protect it.
However, she didn’t see Xigu or Saina among them.
Given their personalities, she would’ve expected them to be present for such an occasion. But they were conspicuously absent.
Puzzled, she finally asked Xiyi.
Xiyi answered without hesitation. “They’re setting fires. Xigu went to the old settlement cave. Saina went to the cave of the people who captured you.”
Sha Yi was stunned but couldn’t help admiring their boldness.
The old settlement group truly deserved retribution. She had never met people so devoid of conscience—betraying their own former companions. She held no hope for their remorse. They needed to be taught a lesson.
As for Jialuo, he also needed a wake-up call. Though not inherently evil, his troublemaking warranted consequences.
Just then, Xiyi spoke again. “The old settlement people colluded with those savages to trap us. We only realized it yesterday afternoon. At first, they blamed the two captured women, but Saina overheard that savage in the cave—it was all the old settlement’s doing!”
Sha Yi suddenly remembered hearing someone call her name the previous night. Had that been Saina? If he had overheard Jialuo, he must have heard her too. Did that mean he had known her location since last night?
A strange thought crossed her mind. “Xiyi, did you know where I was being held?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“When Saina told you about overhearing the savage, did he say anything else?”
“We asked him where you were, but he said he couldn’t find any trace of you. I wanted to keep searching, but Xigu said since it was a trade, you wouldn’t be in immediate danger.” Xiyi wasn’t foolish—he grew wary. “Were you in the same cave as that savage?”
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