The next few days passed by in a blur.
Every morning began the same way, rising before the sun, packing what little we had, and moving forward while the world was still half-asleep. By noon the air grew heavy, and by nightfall our legs ached too much to complain. We rested only when the sky demanded it, then rose again at dawn as our bodies demanded against it.
There was no sense of time anymore. Only movement.
Renshu made sure I stayed near him at all times.
At first, I thought it was strategic, protecting the one who knew where we were going. But as the days passed, it became something else entirely. He rarely let me walk more than a few steps ahead or behind him. If I slowed, he slowed. If I stopped, he noticed immediately.
It was suffocating, if I was being honest.
He cared—but far too much.
"Can you tell me more about the tree?" Rong Xu asked as he walked beside me, carefully stepping over exposed roots. "What exactly should we be looking for? Are we extracting the leaves? Or the roots? Or—"
"Slow down," I interrupted, holding up a hand. "The tree isn't particularly tall, average height. The leaves are bright green, oval-shaped. But you won't identify it by sight alone."
He leaned closer, clearly interested.
"The smell gives it away," I continued. "The flowers have a foul odor. Sharp. Unpleasant. Once you smell it, you won't forget it. The bark is rough, covered in tiny raised bumps—"
Before I could finish explaining, something else caught my eye.
I stopped walking.
"Aryan?" Rong Xu asked, noticing the sudden halt. "Is everything alright?"
The rest of the group slowed behind us, murmurs rising in confusion. But my focus was elsewhere.
I had seen it.
Just for a moment, but I was certain. A tree trunk, partially hidden among the foliage. Rough bark. Uneven texture. Covered in tiny nodules.
Could it be…?
"Sir Renshu," I said without turning back. "How far are we from Yunnan?"
He frowned slightly. "About five li. Why—" (A li is ⅓ of a mile)
I didn't wait for him to finish.
I stepped off the path and moved toward the right, ignoring the sharp protests from behind me. My crutches sank slightly into the soil as I pushed forward, eyes scanning every trunk, every branch, every shadow.
Where was it?
I knew what I had seen.
The bark. That exact bark.
The voices behind me grew louder, calling my name, telling me to stop, but none of that mattered. If this tree was growing here, if my instincts were right, we could save an entire day of travel.
Then it hit me.
The smell.
A sharp, nauseating stench filled the air, so sudden and strong that it made my stomach twist. I covered my nose instinctively, fighting the urge to gag.
That was it.
I turned slowly, heart racing, and scanned the area one last time—
There.
"Finally!" I exclaimed, stopping just short of touching the trunk. "I've found it."
"What?" someone exclaimed behind me. "But we aren't even in—"
"Extract it," Renshu said immediately, stepping forward. His tone was sharp, decisive. "Quickly. The faster we finish, the better. Show me the tree, Aryan. Explain the process."
I blinked, surprised by the urgency in his voice—but I obeyed.
"To extract the poison," I explained as I pointed to the bark, "the outer bark and wood must be shaved and soaked in water for several days. Hands must be clean and dry while handling it. Afterward, wash thoroughly."
As I showed them the exact areas to cut, Renshu leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"I've heard reports about this area," he said quietly. "Thieves. Many of them. We shouldn't linger longer than necessary."
That explained his restlessness.
Once the men began carefully shaving the bark, Renshu pulled me aside.
"What should we do?" he asked. "We can't extract enough bark in only a few days."
"I understand," I said. "If time becomes an issue, we can cut down the tree and take the seeds and wood instead."
His eyes widened. "Then why instruct them to shave the bark?"
"Because shaved bark poisons water more efficiently," I replied calmly. "The wood works too—but bark is better."
Before he could respond, I added, "I'll search nearby for more trees."
"I'm coming with you."
It wasn't a suggestion.
I sighed lightly. "You do know I won't get lost just by walking a few steps away, right?"
"With your incompetence," he replied flatly, "anything is possible."
I glanced at him. "And what exactly is incompetent about me?"
"The list would be shorter if you asked what isn't."
For a moment, I wasn't sure whether to laugh.
After several minutes of searching—
"I think I found one," he called out.
I approached, fully prepared to correct him.
But he was right.
"Good job," I said, genuinely surprised. "We should cut this one down as well, in case the first tree's bark isn't enough. We have just over a week to extract everything, correct?"
His expression tightened.
"Well…" he hesitated. "Given the situation here, we can stay for around five days."
I stayed silent for a while before finally realizing what he just said.
"What—why?!" I yelled in disbelief. "Why would it suddenly be so unsafe!?"
"Because we are in the forest Meilina! We will have to camp out here! The nearest inn is too far, if we rested there it would take more time for us to travel here than to actually shave off the bark!"
I felt my heartbeat rise as he yelled my real name out like that. Though the others were quite far, yet still....
"I apologize for raising my voice," he added quickly.
"It's fine," I said. "But we have weapons. Why is it such a risk?"
"The law here is weak," he replied. "Groups of men roam forests like this, targeting travelers. We can defend ourselves—but larger groups will come if we stay too long."
"I understand."
We returned to the others. I instructed them on wrapping the bark properly and helped pitch tents where I could, limited by my arm. By evening, more bark had been collected than I expected.
At this rate, we could finish within five days.
As night fell, Renshu addressed the group.
"There are thieves in this area," he said. "One person must stay on guard each night."
Groans followed. Everyone was exhausted.
"I'll take the first watch," I said.
The forest fell silent.