Mu yawned.
He opened his eyes and looked around.
The night was deep and dark.
Chi Hu and Reneedol were still asleep.
Gu Qingshan was already awake, chewing on something.
"When did you wake up?" Mu asked.
"Just now," Gu Qingshan replied indistinctly.
"What are you eating?" Mu asked curiously.
His stomach let out an undignified growl.
Gu Qingshan spat out the leaf in his mouth. "I'm checking whether these leaves are edible."
"Have we really sunk to eating leaves?" Mu sighed.
"No. These leaves are slightly poisonous. We can't eat them," Gu Qingshan said.
As they spoke, Chi Hu woke up, followed shortly by Reneedol.
"What are you arguing about?" Reneedol asked with a frown.
"Rod says we've run out of food," Mu said.
"Then let's go," Reneedol said. "We'll check the nearest settlement. Maybe we can find something to eat."
They all got to their feet, put out the campfire, packed their things, covered their tracks, and prepared to set off.
"We can't leave yet," Gu Qingshan suddenly said.
"Hm? Why?" Reneedol asked.
"Fate Commandment will officially begin in less than three hours. We have to make some preparations," Gu Qingshan said.
Mu chimed in, "Rod's right. The first Fate Commandment required two connections, and the second required three. No one knows when the third one will come, or whether its requirements will change."
Chi Hu looked despairing. "Can we even form new connections?"
The four youths fell silent, lost in thought.
Siblings, friends, classmates, master and disciple, lovers.
These were the most common connections between people. What else was there?
"You can each give me something, while I give you nothing. That'll make you my creditors," Gu Qingshan said.
"That's a good idea."
Mu praised him, then drew a candle from the Book of Fate and handed