Chapter 1 The Wilderness “Stop crying.”

Chapter 1: The Wilderness

"Stop crying."

Xie Chi had listened to the weeping for half the night.

The crying wasn't actually loud—like the whir of a mosquito's wings, it was clear she was trying hard to suppress it. But the softer it was, the more it felt like ants crawling over his skin, making him uneasy.

And it had gone on for too long.

Xie Chi opened his eyes. His vision was still hazy, with only a faint glow of light in the distance standing out—the mouth of the cave.

Being able to see light meant his eyes were improving, so he wasn't blind.

Good.

Unfortunately, the drug's effects were too strong. He still felt dizzy and weak, unable to muster much strength.

After taking stock of how his body was recovering, Xie Chi finally looked toward the source of the crying. The cave was too dark, but he could make out a faint silhouette facing sideways, sobbing and trembling slightly.

Still crying.

Xie Chi looked for a moment before finally lowering his voice and speaking as gently as possible, "Stop crying."

The crying abruptly stopped. The girl quickly turned around, her tearful voice tinged with surprise, "You're awake?"

Xie Chi heard rustling sounds, as if the girl was moving toward him.

"Ouch!"

—She tripped, nearly falling.

When the rustling sounds resumed, they came from a low position, as if she had clumsily crawled over.

"Are you alright?" the girl asked with concern as she reached Xie Chi's side. Without waiting for his reply, she sniffled and added, "It's already dawn, and the rain outside has let up a lot. They might come looking for us soon..."

Her voice faltered again, sounding as though she was about to cry once more.

Xie Chi immediately cut her off, "Did you finish what I asked you to do?"

The girl mumbled a soft "yes" and said, "I covered the cave entrance with branches and scattered a lot of small stones..."

Then, in a weak and aggrieved tone, she added, "...My hands are all scratched from the branches..."

Xie Chi pretended not to hear and said gently, "Then rest for a while."

The girl fell silent, and for a moment, the only sound in the cave was the rain outside, rustling through the leaves.

Finally, quiet.

But the quiet didn't last long. The low sobbing started again, making Xie Chi's temples throb.

"Stop crying," he said again, his voice much deeper this time.

The girl seemed to notice, choking back tears as she said, "Do you think my crying is annoying?"

Xie Chi didn't respond.

"You don't have to say it—I already know. This is the fourth time you've told me to stop crying, and each time you sound less patient." The girl had been kneeling in front of him but now turned and sat down beside him. Wiping her tears, she said in a hoarse but earnest voice, "I know you find me annoying, but I'm just an ordinary girl. When ordinary girls like me face something like this, it's only natural to be scared."

Xie Chi remained silent.

The girl didn't seem to care; it was as if she just needed to vent and kept talking: "When that wolf pounced on me, opening its gaping mouth to bite my neck, I saw clumps of crimson flesh and gore stuck between its teeth, torn from who knows whose body... Maybe the innkeeper's. When I was taken away, I saw him lying on the ground covered in blood, not knowing whether he was alive or dead..."

She started sobbing again.

Xie Chi's brow furrowed deeply.

Ordinary people, regardless of gender or age, would be scared out of their wits after almost getting eaten by a beast.

Xie Chi could understand that, but...

"Stop crying," Xie Chi said, trying his best to be gentle, though he was truly not skilled in this area, and his voice betrayed his true feelings.

Realizing this, he added, to make up for it: "That wasn't a wolf; it was a dog."

The girl glanced at him. Though her voice was soft, her tone was firm as she insisted, "It was a wolf. Dogs don't eat people."

"Dogs don't eat people, but people can teach them."

Using trained, ferocious wolfhounds to launch a surprise attack and cause chaos, then following up to cut people down and loot the place—this was the usual tactic of the Misty Mountain Bandits.

Misty Mountain was a range of mountains north of the capital, named for the perpetual thick fog that shrouded it. The mountains were teeming with poisonous insects and wild beasts, and unless life had become truly unbearable, locals steered clear of the place. Only desperate outlaws with nowhere left to run would dare venture inside.

The mountains were dangerous, yet they also provided refuge. Over time, those fugitives who managed to survive gradually gathered into strongholds. As they grew in strength, they began raiding towns and cities.

Most of them were desperate outlaws, ruthless and cruel in their methods.

The imperial court had sent troops multiple times to suppress them, but due to unfamiliarity with the terrain inside Misty Mountain, they had never managed to uproot them completely.

Xie Chi had walked into their trap.

He'd also been careless himself. He hadn't expected there to be a six- or seven-year-old child among the bandits, and that's how he ended up drugged and his eyes injured.

"You can't even see, and yet you still want to argue with me? And at a time like this, what harm would it do to just agree with me and say it was a wolf?" The girl's voice was filled with grievance and dissatisfaction. "Besides, I helped you get here."

She spoke slowly, her voice as soft and gentle as willow catkins in March, but also as irritating as catkins—fine and clinging, impossible to shake off once they stuck to you.

Xie Chi closed his eyes and said, "Fine, it was a wolf. Are you satisfied?"

Xie Chi thought his patience had never been so tested.

There was no other way—he owed this girl a small favor.

The Misty Mountain Bandits had wanted to take him away. Since he was drugged and blind, they specifically captured a girl from the inn to take care of him.

The one before him was that girl.

They had likely chosen her because she was weak and defenseless, unable to offer him any real help. Though Xie Chi couldn't see clearly, he could tell from her voice that this girl was delicate and prone to tears, probably a pampered young lady cherished by her parents.

In the carriage, he had untied the ropes and, using the last bit of strength he had mustered, swiftly killed several bandits. Unfortunately, while he could sense the bandits' positions by sound, his inability to see prevented him from controlling the panicked horses, which was how they ended up lost in the mountains.

They had only managed to reach this cave for shelter from the rain thanks to this girl.

"It was definitely a wolf," the girl said, her mood slightly improved by his concession, and she began to chatter on. "Dogs are very gentle. The ones my second brother raises even play kickball with me and fetch my handkerchiefs..."

Somehow, this remark touched on a sore spot for her, and by the end, her mood began to dip again.

It was the first time Xie Chi had met a girl whose emotions fluctuated so wildly and who cried so easily.

He frowned deeply, telling himself over and over to show forbearance toward his benefactor. After a moment, he steadied his tone and said, "The rain will drown out our scent; they won’t find us so quickly."

The girl replied, "They will. They’re sure to find us before my servants do. You don’t know—I have the worst luck. I once went to a temple to offer incense and a Buddha statue collapsed right there. I was feeding fish in my own pond and got a faceful of water. Now, staying at an inn, I ran into bandits. They’ll definitely find us..."

"I’m so beautiful—I’d surely be kidnapped to be the bandit chief's bride. I don’t want a husband like that. My husband must be of good lineage, scholarly and accomplished, and handsome too..."

"My mother says choosing a husband depends mainly on character, but my friends and I agree that the face is important too. Just think—if you marry an ugly man, you’d have to look at him day and night, awake or asleep, for decades..."

"Shut up."

The sudden command startled the girl, and her rambling ceased abruptly.

Xie Chi collected himself and said, "What I mean is, if they find us first, I’ll kill them."

Silence filled the cave for a while before the girl spoke again, whispering, "I can't kill. I’ve never hurt anyone since I was little..."

"If you want to survive, you must learn." Xie Chi, no longer wanting to hear her voice, closed his eyes and said, "It’s simple. Use sharp stones to strike the head, the Adam's apple, the side of the neck, or the vitals. With enough force, it can be fatal."

"I... I..."

"If you lack strength, strike multiple times." Xie Chi cut her off. "At the very least, aim for the eyes or nose. Even if you don’t kill them, the pain will incapacitate them temporarily."

"But..."

"Would you mind getting me some water? Thank you, miss."

Repeated interruptions finally silenced the girl. Not long after, Xie Chi heard rustling sounds as she stood up.

She walked toward the cave entrance.

The cave was somewhat large, and she seemed afraid, pausing frequently with each step, causing the gravel underfoot to crunch loudly.

Xie Chi listened as the sound of gravel gradually faded into the distance, then, after a while, grew closer again, approaching rapidly.

Though his injured eyes prevented him from seeing the girl’s appearance, the sounds alone painted a vivid picture of her panicked, flustered return—like a startled bird.

A weak and helpless girl.

As her hurried footsteps and panting drew near, the brief moment of peace came to an end.

"I’m back!" she called out, perhaps to avoid startling Xie Chi, or maybe to remind herself that she wasn’t alone and didn’t need to be so afraid.

Xie Chi nodded. Soon, someone approached him and brought a broad leaf filled with cool rainwater to his lips.

After drinking, Xie Chi said, "Thank you, miss."

"My name is..." She started to give her name but stopped mid-sentence, changing it to, "Call me Yaoyao."

"Thank you, Miss Yao. I will repay you generously someday."

"It’s not Yao..."

The girl seemed about to speak again, but Xie Chi cut her off: "Would Miss Yao like to rest for a while?"

She paused, then shook her head. "No, I’m not tired. I can’t sleep either. Every time I close my eyes..."

"Then I’ll rest a bit longer. Thank you for keeping watch." With that, Xie Chi closed his eyes.