The place where Sha Yi stood was still some distance from the pouch-like object. She had already been wary of the unsettling mass on the tree trunk, and now with a murky pool of indeterminate depth blocking her path, she felt an even stronger aversion, her confidence waning further.
At this moment, she regretted her impulsiveness. She had rushed in without understanding the situation. If fate had destined her to encounter something, perhaps there was no avoiding it. But if she hadn’t been so hasty earlier—if she had waited for Xi Yi to return and asked about the circumstances—having another person with her would have made the current predicament far more manageable. Now, even if she wanted to turn back, it was already difficult. The forest was not only dimly lit but also filled with a deep green mist, like smoke, drifting through the trees.
The interior of the forest was highly disorienting. When she had entered, she had followed the sound, twisting and turning through the maze of trees. The waterlogged ground left no traces, and now she couldn’t remember the way back. The thick green mist obscured most of her vision, and with the fading daylight, even objects slightly farther away were impossible to see clearly.
Nightfall was approaching, and the thunderstorm was about to resume. Sha Yi felt a surge of anxiety but could do nothing about it.
The baby’s cries continued. After such a long time, the once-tender voice now sounded hoarse. Sha Yi stood frozen for a moment, but in the end, her compassion overcame her fear, and she steeled herself to take a step forward.
With that step, the water, which had only reached her thighs before, suddenly rose to her ribs. The icy, viscous sensation made her shudder, and she instinctively recoiled.
Though she had already noticed that the terrain here was much lower than the slope where she had been sitting earlier, she hadn’t expected it to be this deep. She found it hard to believe that this was solely the result of a day and night of relentless heavy rain, but she couldn’t think of any other explanation. For now, she could only assume it was a ditch or a river.
But this realization made her hesitate to proceed. First, she didn’t know the terrain, and second, she couldn’t swim. If she failed to save the baby and lost her own life in the process, it would be a terrible trade-off.
Thinking this, Sha Yi began scanning her surroundings, hoping to find something like a tree branch.
Luck wasn’t entirely against her. She soon spotted a broken branch floating nearby. It was long enough, but its surface was coated with a slimy green substance, making it utterly repulsive.
Sha Yi felt a wave of nausea but pushed it aside. She had already come this far—what was there left to hesitate about? She stretched out her arm and pulled the branch toward her.
The branch reeked, but its length was sufficient. With great effort, Sha Yi managed to pry open the vine-woven pouch trapped between the tree trunk and the charred humanoid figure. However, the branch couldn’t bear the pouch’s weight—it was too thin and had been soaked in water for too long. She could only rely on the buoyancy of the vines in the water to quickly drag the pouch toward her.
Just as she had suspected, the pouch contained a small male infant. His skin was wheat-colored, his features wrinkled and somewhat unattractive. His body was barely longer than half her forearm, drenched and icy to the touch. She had no idea how long he had been trapped there, but his cries had managed to draw someone to him—a stroke of incredible luck.
That said, Sha Yi was far from an expert in rescuing babies. Having had little prior experience with infants, she examined the child carefully several times but still couldn’t determine his age. Eventually, she gave up.
Concerned that the baby, naked and exposed to the cold, might fall ill after being suspended from the tree for so long, Sha Yi lifted him from the pouch, wiped him dry, and gently cradled him against her chest.
From start to finish, Sha Yi had no idea how to soothe him—she lacked even the most basic knowledge. Strangely, the moment he nestled against her, his crying ceased. He clung tightly to the fur she wore, refusing to let go.
Sha Yi was surprised, but only for a brief moment. That flicker of astonishment was soon replaced by an indescribable, wondrous feeling—one that made her forget the surrounding dangers, immersing her in a rare sense of peace.
Sadly, this beautiful and peculiar sensation didn’t last long. It was abruptly interrupted when ripples suddenly appeared in the water around her. The murky, viscous liquid formed concentric circles before settling back into stillness. A few splashes landed on her, making her skin crawl.
Sha Yi tensed, instinctively glancing at the small creature hanging lazily from her waist.
It remained utterly indifferent, its eyes still half-closed.
She exhaled in relief, but the strange unease in her heart only grew. She had a vague sense that something was approaching her, yet she couldn’t see or guess what it was. Logically, in such a silent place, the only possible threat would be snakes. The prehistoric era shouldn’t have creatures like crocodiles… at least, she had never encountered them or heard Xi Yi mention them.
But no amount of self-reassurance could dispel her suspicion and the overwhelming intuition gnawing at her. Soon, her fears were confirmed—though not in the horrifying way she had imagined. Instead, it was the sound of another baby crying.
Compared to the infant she held in her arms, this new cry was much weaker, as if the child was gasping for breath. Sha Yi’s heart clenched.
Could there be more than one baby trapped here?
Strangely, the sound seemed very close, yet no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t spot anything resembling a child. The cries lingered persistently in her ears. She wanted to search but had no sense of direction. Frustration set in, but she couldn’t think of a better way to proceed.
She hadn’t planned on exploring further, but now she had no choice. After all, she was already deep in this place. Relying on herself to find a way out seemed nearly impossible. Whether she followed the sound to find another baby or not made little difference to her predicament. If luck was on her side, she might still escape. If not, the outcome remained the same—she’d be stuck here regardless.
With that in mind, there was no point in hesitation. Perhaps Xi Yi had already returned to the boulder on the slope by now. If he heard the baby’s cries, it might make finding her easier.
Still, she needed to mark the deep water area. Otherwise, if she—or Xi Yi—circled back, they might stumble into danger.
She grabbed the foul-smelling branch again and carefully probed for a soft patch of ground to plant it in.
The tall branch stood upright. Even in the dim forest light, it would be visible up close. Sha Yi felt slightly reassured. But just as she turned around, a loud noise erupted from the other side of the deep water.
Sha Yi’s heart nearly stopped in terror.
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