"Wilderness Survival"

"Jing Heng, are we sure it's okay for us to hide here?"

Ye Xinglan stood at the cave entrance, looking at the small river flowing down from the mountain stream in front of her.

The water was so clear that you could see the round stones at the bottom of the river.

The banks were covered with waist-high wild grass, and beyond that were layers upon layers of mountains.

The forest was so dense that the sky was completely obscured, and apart from the sound of water and the occasional bird call, no human voices could be heard.

I don't think so.

Yun Jingheng poked his head out of the cave, a few strands of dry grass still clinging to his hair. "Who would be so bored as to wander into this deep mountain forest? Even the most dedicated Federation patrols wouldn't bring their dogs into the mountains."

"I agree with Master's suggestion."

The voice of "Half-Sweet Coffee" rang in both their ears simultaneously, "This area is far from the main road, with no human settlements within twenty kilometers. The river can provide drinking water, and the cave entrance faces south, receiving ample sunlight. As a temporary hiding place, it offers relatively high security."

Ye Xinglan glanced back at him, then looked into the cave.

The cave wasn't deep, about two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), and it was a bit damp inside, but the ground was fairly flat.

In the corner lay a few stones, rounded by the river, just the right place to sit.

She didn't say anything more, went out and picked up a few bundles of dry grass, brought them back and spread them on the ground.

Yun Jingheng wasn't idle either. He used a few pieces of hardwood and vines to build a very simple windbreak at the entrance of the cave, and then hung the old cloth he had brought on it to cover most of the entrance.

The two of them worked back and forth for more than an hour, and the cave, which didn't even have a name, actually started to look like a place to stay.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" Ye Xinglan asked.

"Able."

Yun Jingheng said that once he sat down on the laid-out hay, "At least there was no draft."

"Alright, alright, let's go to sleep. Tomorrow morning I'll cut down some trees and build a house."

"Good."

The next day, Yun Jingheng was awakened by a warm touch on his arm.

He opened his eyes; it was just dawn.

Light streamed in through the seams of the windproof cloth at the entrance of the cave, falling on him and Ye Xinglan.

Ye Xinglan had leaned closer to him at some point, resting her head on his chest and one hand on his waist.

Half of his body was numb, especially his right arm, which was almost numb from being pressed down by her.

He tried to pull it out, but couldn't.

Ye Xinglan snuggled closer to him, her breathing even, her brow relaxed, sleeping soundly, a rare sight.

Yun Jingheng didn't dare to move again, only turning his head to look at the top of her head for a while.

Then he very gently moved her hand away and placed his own coat under her head.

When he finally pulled his arm out from under her, his entire right arm felt like it was being pricked by countless tiny needles.

He shook himself twice without making a sound. Just as he sat up, Ye Xinglan woke up.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes open, her voice still nasal.

"Let's go take a look at the trees," Yun Jingheng said.

Ye Xinglan propped herself up, her hair loose over her shoulders, her eyes still veiled with sleepiness. "What are you looking at?"

"Cut down a few trees and build a hut outside the cave."

Yun Jingheng sat up straight, rubbing his right arm as he walked towards the cave entrance. "The ground was too hard last night; you were even frowning in your sleep. Building a wooden hut will at least allow for a flat floor."

Ye Xinglan was stunned for a moment, not expecting that this was the first thing he thought of after waking up.

She watched him walk to the cave entrance, where the morning light streamed in, illuminating the entire cave.

A thin mist floated on the river, and the air was cold and fresh.

She slowly sat up; her back was indeed sore, the hay she had slept on all night was very uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you want to take this ride?" she asked.

"It's easy to build. There's plenty of wood in these forests. Just find a few straight logs, build a triangular roof, and cover it with tarpaulin, and you'll have a place to live."

Yun Jingheng was already squatting by the river washing his face. His voice, mixed with the sound of water, came from there, "Heat up the leftover pancakes from last night. I'll come back and eat them in a bit."

Ye Xinglan watched his retreating figure without saying a word.

She slowly got up, tied her hair back up, and walked to the river to wash her face.

The cold water jolted her awake, making her more alert.

By the time she returned to the cave and heated up the cakes, Yun Jingheng was already dragging a three-zhang-long cedar log back.

The wood wasn't thick, but it wasn't light either.

He carried it on his shoulder, his footsteps causing the pebbles on the riverbank to sink in.

Ye Xinglan frowned and was about to go over to help when she heard Yun Jingheng call out, "Don't come over, I just washed up, don't get all muddy."

Ye Xinglan ignored him and went over to help him lift one end of the log.

The two of them worked together to place the cedar log at the entrance of the cave.

Yun Jingheng pointed to another crooked tree not far away. "That one's good, perfect for a crossbeam. Bring it back later. This afternoon I'll go to the back of the mountain to find some thinner branches to make a support."

"Let's go after we finish eating," Ye Xinglan said.

The pancakes are heated up. Although they were leftovers from yesterday, the edges are crispy and they smell delicious after being baked over the fire.

The two sat at the cave entrance and ate with river water.

Half-Sweet Coffee whispered in the earpiece, "Nothing unusual today. No search teams within a 30-mile radius."

"Okay, I'll go out and get some more. Why don't you take a look around?"

"Okay, I'll also check if there are any wild fruits or vegetables."

The two split up.

Yun Jingheng continued picking trees along the riverbank.

Instead of cutting down trees indiscriminately, he first circled around several old fir trees to observe their growth, thickness, and which one would be easiest to drag down after being felled.

He worked very efficiently, controlling his strength as he slashed with the Moonlight Sword.

The sword was so fast that each time it would slash diagonally along the tree roots, and then push with a hand, causing the entire tree to slowly fall in the intended direction.

In one morning, he felled four fir trees and dragged back several thick pieces of hardwood from the back of the mountain, piling them all on the flat ground not far from the cave entrance.

When Ye Xinglan returned, he had already begun peeling the bark from the tree.

Ye Xinglan now had a small bundle of wild vegetables and a few hard, green wild fruits in her hand.

She put the things down at the cave entrance and was about to go over to help when she suddenly noticed a particularly straight tree in the woods not far across the river.

The bark was a deep, dark purple, glossy and shiny, as if it had been coated with a layer of varnish.

Sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, casting a faint purple glow over the tree, making it appear to be no ordinary wood.

She took a few steps closer, and the tree looked increasingly familiar. Finally, she stopped in front of it, turned around, and called out to Yun Jingheng, "Jing Heng."

"Hmm?" Yun Jingheng was washing his hands by the river. Hearing this, he looked up, his face still covered in wood chips.

That one.

Ye Xinglan pointed over and asked, "Are you eyeing it too?"

Yun Jingheng looked in the direction she was pointing and his eyes lit up. "Hey? There's Fragrant-Leaf Rosewood here? Good stuff! If this material were sold in Heaven Dou City, tsk tsk tsk, it would be ripped off."

Ye Xinglan looked at him and suddenly said, "Do you know that it's illegal to cut down Fragrant-Leaf Rosewood without permission?"

Yun Jingheng rolled his eyes at her, bent down, scooped up a handful of pebbles from the water, and casually tossed them into the river. "Breaking the law? I've already wrecked the entire Heaven Dou City, what's one more tree? I'm not used to my name not being on the Federation Wanted List anymore."

Ye Xinglan was speechless for a moment after hearing what he said.

She didn't actually mean to stop her; she just said it offhand.

Seeing that Yun Jingheng had already walked excitedly towards the Fragrant-Leaf Rosewood, she had no choice but to follow, clearing away the weeds on the ground and helping him to pinpoint the direction of the fallen tree.

"Cut this one down to the very bottom," Ye Xinglan said.

"Know."

Yun Jingheng squatted down beside the tree, touched the cut surface, and clicked his tongue twice. "So beautiful. The heartwood is purplish-black, without a single crack. I'll make you a chair later."

Ye Xinglan sat on a rock to the side, catching her breath. She glanced at him upon hearing this and said, "Build the house first."

"I want the house too. I want the chair too."

Yun Jingheng smiled, revealing a few white teeth. "We can't sleep on the floor every day. Once the house is built, we'll put this chair by the door. You can sit on it and look at the stars, and I'll draw next to you."

Ye Xinglan didn't speak, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly upwards.

She looked at the fallen rosewood tree by the river, then at the cedar wood and sawdust scattered on the ground.

A mountain breeze blew by, dispersing the mist over the river.

This little haven hidden deep in the mountains is being built up little by little.