In terms of numbers, the group that ventured into the terrifying forest consisted of nearly ten men, all male, while the remaining men and women joined the team on her side. The two groups parted ways shortly after leaving the area near the settlement cave.
Sha Yi followed Xi Gu’s group, and before long, the entire team arrived at the slope. At that moment, the clouds dispersed, and sunlight poured down.
However, the scene on the slope was quite different from what she had seen during her previous two visits. Now, looking out from the massive boulder, the entire slope was covered with the same unknown plant species, appearing lush and verdant from a distance. Though the greenery followed the undulating contours of the slope, the rich emerald hue was remarkably harmonious.
In contrast, during her previous visits under the gloom of continuous heavy rain, the grassy slope she had observed didn’t seem as vividly colored as it did now. She wondered whether her memory was playing tricks on her or if this was indeed a real change.
Xi Gu quickly divided the team into smaller groups, assigning each a specific search area. As for her, Xi Gu gestured for her to do as she pleased.
Sha Yi was momentarily speechless, but upon reflection, she found it reasonable. Her modern-era tall and well-proportioned physique was considered petite and delicate even among the ancient women, let alone the men of this era. Coupled with her lack of manual dexterity, Xi Gu’s arrangement made perfect sense.
After some thought, Sha Yi decided this setup was actually beneficial. While they scouted and searched, she could carefully analyze their findings and use her modern knowledge to narrow down the search area through elimination. If any of them made a notable discovery, they could quickly consult her.
Settling back onto the massive boulder, she picked up a small stone and began scratching marks on its surface.
From what she had learned over the past few days, the environment where Xi Yi and the others lived was just as she had imagined—no trace of an ocean. However, based on the conditions required for mineral salt formation, this area must have once been a sea or lake. Due to tectonic movements, the water dried up, leaving behind the present-day slope.
Though she was fairly confident that this area contained salt deposits, she still couldn’t be entirely certain.
Her gaze drifted to the terrifying forest not far below the slope, and it suddenly occurred to her that a few days ago, while observing what appeared to be petroleum deposits in the river within that forest, she had also suspected tectonic activity there. Now, even though neither hypothesis could be confirmed with absolute certainty, the two lines of reasoning—approached from different angles—were both highly plausible. This bolstered her confidence further.
However, another consideration was that mineral salt deposits were typically buried hundreds of meters underground. Yet, the rodent-like creatures resembling a cross between rats and squirrels couldn’t possibly inhabit such depths. Therefore, she deduced that the salt deposits on this slope couldn’t be too deep. Still, even a few meters would pose a significant challenge for the ancient people, who lacked specialized tools and sufficient manpower.
Frankly, if these were the only deductions and known conditions, she wouldn’t have dared to suggest mobilizing so many people to search. But now, she had not only proposed it but also acted on it—because there were two or three additional advantageous factors:
First, using the lighter to create controlled explosions was a feasible method, though the cost in this world would be substantial. Second, relying on the reddish-brown thick vines—this approach demanded high efficiency from Xi Yi’s group, requiring them to gather a considerable quantity of these vines quickly to harness the power of lightning for excavation. Third, leveraging the heavy rains—during this rainy season, while flooding on the slope was unlikely, altering certain terrain features to induce a landslide wasn’t impossible. In fact, if successful, the payoff would be immense.
Considering all three methods, the first was the most straightforward but costly, the second was relatively easy but time-sensitive, and the third had cascading benefits but was exceptionally labor-intensive. Of course, combining all three would likely yield an unstoppable, foolproof approach!
However, the final outcome hinged on first locating the salt deposits. Thus, the immediate priority was pinpointing the exact coordinates.
A considerable amount of time had passed. The hazy morning sunlight had intensified into a scorching midday blaze, and the boulder beneath her had grown uncomfortably hot. Sha Yi endured it for a while longer before finally giving in. She stood up and spread the animal hide Xi Yi had left her over one side of the boulder.
At that very moment, her sharp eyes caught sight of a small, tarnished blue-purple speckled ore fragment wedged between the boulder and the ground. It looked familiar, but she couldn’t immediately recall what it was. She placed it on the hide and turned her attention to the others scouring the grassy terrain.
Apart from Xi Gu, who was assigned the area near her and thus remained relatively close, the rest had ventured far out, their brown-yellow figures dotting the expanse of green like scattered specks.
She wasn’t sure how Xi Gu had allocated the search zones. She had only caught a glimpse of Sai Na at the start of the morning and hadn’t seen him since, unsure which remote corner he’d been assigned to. Regardless, her morning had been peaceful.
After drinking some water, she began to feel hungry—just as Xi Gu turned to her and, noticing her sipping, loudly asked if it was time for a meal.
This midday meal wasn’t part of the ancients’ usual routine, but since efficiency required energy, they had added it. Now that Xi Gu had brought it up, Sha Yi nodded eagerly.
Receiving her affirmation, Xi Gu bellowed the call, and within moments, the message was relayed from one to another until everyone had returned to the slope.
Fortunately, lighting fires with the lighter was a matter of seconds. In no time, several bonfires were blazing, significantly shortening the cooking time. Soon, everyone was enjoying hot roasted meat, though they couldn’t help stealing awed glances at her “magic fire-making device,” leaving the atmosphere oddly silent.
Sha Yi had no intention of breaking the quiet. She took the roasted meat Xi Gu handed her and ate in peace.
On the outskirts of the group, Sai Na sat with his companions, eating quietly without a word. Occasionally, his gaze flickered toward her, but it never lingered. Unlike before, he no longer acted with reckless audacity, remaining subdued and composed.
Once the makeshift lunch was over, the group tirelessly resumed their second round of searching without needing any prompting from Xi Gu—completely self-motivated.
Perhaps they, too, had long been plagued by the issue of food preservation, seizing even the slightest chance to change their circumstances. Yet, their enthusiasm in the morning hadn’t been as high as it was now. Could it be that her use of the lighter had inflated their expectations?
Whatever the reason, she lacked their stamina and vigor. In the end, she could only drape the animal hide over herself and lean against the massive boulder for a short rest.
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