"Sister, put me down, I can run by myself."
Chi Shao had been carrying Jiang Xuan on her back. Because she was running so fast and the jungle path was difficult to navigate, she was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.
"You're still injured. Running too fast will tear your wounds open, which will cause a lot of trouble. It's okay, I can still keep going."
Chi Shao continued running forward, not daring to stop, because behind them she could faintly hear the cawing of crows, indicating that the Crow Tribe's Hunting Team had not been left behind.
Jiang Xuan felt helpless. If the Crow Tribe's Hunting Team had appeared a few days later, his injuries would have healed, and he could run on his own without making Chi Shao carry him.
The cawing of the crows gradually faded. Who knows how long they ran, when a bamboo grove appeared in front of them. Chi Shao's face showed a look of joy.
"We've reached it. This is the furthest temporary overnight spot of the Hunting Team."
Chi Shao carried Jiang Xuan up the mountain and walked into a bamboo grove. Deep in the grove, there was a bamboo hut built by the previous Hunting Team.
"Oh no, someone's inside!"
Chi Shao was just about to go in when she suddenly noticed a faint white smoke rising from the rooftop, clearly indicating someone had lit a fire inside.
Chi Shao immediately hid behind a large rock with Jiang Xuan, not daring to make a sound.
"Who's there? Come out!"
At that moment, someone shouted from the direction of the bamboo hut, followed by the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching.
What should they do? After escaping for so many days, were they finally going to die?
Despair showed in Chi Shao's eyes. She had run too far carrying Jiang Xuan and no longer had the strength to flee with him.
Of course, she could abandon Jiang Xuan here and run herself. With him as a distraction, and being familiar with the area, she had a good chance of escaping.
"Sister, you should go, don't worry about me."
Jiang Xuan had somewhat resigned to his fate. Chi Shao was a good sister, having taken care of him carefully for so many days. Since they were destined not to escape, he saw no need for them both to die together.
It was just a pity that he had just crossed over and hadn't realized his dream of building a tribe before facing death.
However, Chi Shao tightly held his hand, her eyes firm as she said, "You're my brother; you're my only family. Even if it means death, I won't leave you behind!"
"You don't have to do this..." Jiang Xuan's feelings were complicated. Only he knew that he wasn't Chi Shao's real brother.
"Don't say any more; they're here!"
Chi Shao drew her Stone Knife with her left hand and held her short spear in her right, her eyes fierce and determined, ready for a last stand!
The footsteps grew closer, and instead of being very anxious, Jiang Xuan felt a sense of calm.
He looked at Chi Shao's profile, and something touched the softest part of his heart.
For all these days, he had felt awkward because he was an outsider. Even though he had the original owner's memories, he didn't feel a genuine familial bond with Chi Shao.
But now, faced with Chi Shao's willingness to die rather than leave him, her resolve deeply moved him.
Thinking of the meticulous care Chi Shao had given him these past days, Jiang Xuan finally resolved his inner conflict and formally accepted Chi Shao.
"Sister, thank you..."
He called her sister willingly, and the sense of alienation in his heart vanished completely.
Without looking back, Chi Shao charged fearlessly at the unknown enemy, holding her short spear and Stone Knife.
Gritting his teeth, Jiang Xuan picked up a stone and also rushed out, intending to fight.
However, when he charged out from behind the rock, he saw Chi Shao holding her short spear in an attacking stance but not striking.
"Gou Teng, Shi Qiu, Nan Xing, it's you..."
Three young boys stood in front of Chi Shao, about eleven or twelve years old, holding Bone Spears or Bamboo Bows, staring in daze.
Jiang Xuan silently dropped the stone he was holding because he was familiar with these people.
The tribe Jiang Xuan originally belonged to was the Deer Tribe, and these people were all members of the Deer Tribe.
The three young boys were named Gou Teng, Shi Qiu, and Nan Xing.
Gou Teng was the same age as Jiang Xuan, twelve, while Shi Qiu was eleven, and Nan Xing was only ten—fairly young.
The boy named Gou Teng put down his Bone Spear and exclaimed in amazement, "Chi Shao, Xuan, you're still alive, that's wonderful."
The three boys lowered their weapons. After the Deer Tribe's destruction, this was the first time they saw familiar faces and they were particularly excited.
Chi Shao put away her short spear and asked, "How did you end up here?"
Gou Teng said, "Let's talk inside; we're roasting bamboo chicken in there."
"Alright."
Chi Shao and Jiang Xuan followed them into the bamboo hut.
Inside, Jiang Xuan saw two roasted bamboo chickens, some golden-yellow grubs on a stone slab, a pile of wild fruits, and several blocky plant roots.
"We caught these two bamboo chickens with snare traps here, take them."
Gou Teng handed the two roasted bamboo chickens to Chi Shao and Jiang Xuan without hesitation.
Chi Shao took one of the chickens, tore it in half, gave half to Jiang Xuan, and returned the chicken in Jiang Xuan's hand to Gou Teng.
"One is enough for us."
Gou Teng didn't refuse. Given their young age, getting meat was difficult.
Chi Shao ate while asking, "How did you escape to here?"
Gou Teng recounted the escape process.
It turns out, when the Crow Tribe attacked the Deer Tribe, due to the disparity in strength, the Deer Tribe's Witch and leader both knew that the battle was lost and their tribe was doomed.
The Witch and leader ordered Hunting Captain Cang Shu to lead the tribe's children to escape, preserving a seed of hope for their clan.
But escaping through layers of encirclement was no easy task.
During the battle, Cang Shu was severely injured, and the warriors around him died one by one. When he finally broke through, he only had these three boys left with him.
Cang Shu took these three boys and fled until they arrived here.
Chi Shao quickly asked, "What happened to Uncle Cang Shu?"
Their eyes dimmed immediately.
Gou Teng softly replied, "He died. Uncle Cang Shu was badly injured. After bringing us here, he died within a few days. We buried him in the bamboo grove."
Chi Shao showed a trace of sadness, but she was strong and did not cry.
Jiang Xuan pondered, "The Crow Tribe has already taken over the Hunting Ground. They'll eventually find this place; it's no longer safe here."
The mention of the "Crow Tribe" brought a look of fear into the boys' eyes, making them momentarily panic.
Gou Teng asked, "Then what should we do?"
Jiang Xuan said, "To survive, we must move far away from the Crow Tribe's territory. We'll run farther and find a safe place to settle first."
Chi Shao nodded, "Xuan is right. With the tribe gone, we need to live well to take revenge in the future!"
Gou Teng clenched his fists, "Revenge!"
In Shi Qiu and Nan Xing's eyes, flames of revenge burned. They were young and didn't understand how difficult it would be to seek revenge on the Crow Tribe.
Jiang Xuan said, "Let's pack up. The Crow Tribe could come anytime; we'll leave here tomorrow."
"Alright, we'll listen to you."
The three boys had no opinion on this. At their young age, they instinctively relied on those stronger than themselves in such major matters.
So, the five had a full meal, set more traps in the bamboo grove, and gathered bamboo worms, trying to prepare as much food as possible.
The large worm that Jiang Xuan brought was also roasted and shared among everyone. It tasted surprisingly good.
In the evening, Chi Shao quietly walked into the bamboo grove and added some dirt to the lonely grave. No one knew what she was thinking.
The next day, the five set out again to search for a safer place to live.