But there's also a sense of relief; thankfully, Carlos is there to protect her, ensuring Guo Xiaoxiao's safety.

He passed the message on to Mickson and others.

Cang Jue was thinking that Carlos had Guo Xiaoxiao all to himself, and he was having a blast every day, damn it…

…

Guo Xiaoxiao went to a puddle to wash up, and then, followed by a group of courting beastmen, ran back to her tent to sleep.

As night fell and the noise outside subsided, she quietly prepared to take action.

They wouldn't let me see Carlos, so I sneaked off. It didn't matter that I didn't know his exact location; I just searched everywhere and, by sheer luck, found him!

Hard work pays off. Guo Xiaoxiao lowered her head and glanced around furtively.

How big could a tribe be? She'd figured out all the intricacies of the Yushan tribe; what was the Baishi tribe compared to that? She refused to believe she couldn't find it.

Guo Xiaoxiao picked out a small piece of animal skin from the gifts the male had given her and covered her face, leaving only her eyes exposed.

Tents of all sizes, and embers still flickering in the fire.

"Um…"

A soft moan came from a tent on the left. Although the sound was faint, Guo Xiaoxiao heard it clearly.

The sounds came intermittently, very ambiguous and passionate, including male voices. Guo Xiaoxiao imagined it and her face immediately turned red.

"Could they be having sex over there?" Guo Xiaoxiao wondered, somewhat surprised. Without disturbing them, she quickly left.

After leaving the tent area and coming to a road, the system beeped.

[System: Host, keep going forward to find Carlos]

Wow, the system is really proactive! It came out even without me asking, and even gave her directions. That's rare!

"It's so dark, why are they locking people up here?"

[System: Lock him up? How nice do you want him? You knocked him out and knew it was you, so you didn't kill him. You're already being kind-hearted.]

Guo Xiaoxiao: "How far is it?"

[System: Please walk quietly. I've masked your scent. Don't make too much noise.]

Guo Xiaoxiao: "I understand."

She slowed her pace, following the direction indicated by the system, walking further and further into the remote and darkest areas.

There seemed to be a small grove of trees here. Guo Xiaoxiao stopped and shrank back.

"System, why is it getting colder and colder as we walk?"

[System: "Host, you are now on the outskirts of the White Stone Tribe. You see a grove of trees on your left. Walk into the grove, and you'll find a small field. Carlos is being held captive in the dug hole."]

"Okay, I'll go take a look."

After passing through a grove of trees, we arrived at the facility the system had mentioned. It was a relatively small area, perhaps specifically created to imprison people.

Guo Xiaoxiao called out, "Carlos!" but fearing she might disturb others, she could only walk quietly, step by step.

…

Carlos was resting with his eyes closed. There were no orcs guarding him; he was bound by vines, so they felt at ease.

The orcs only provided him with a little food at fixed times, but he could hear even the slightest noises.

Footsteps approached him. Were there orcs patrolling at night?

Carlos opened his eyes and looked up. He could hear the sounds but couldn't smell anything.

Guo Xiaoxiao discovered that there were many deep holes in the ground, none of which were covered; if she fell in, she would definitely not be able to climb out.

One of them was covered up, and it had thorny, unknown plants on it. It looked suspicious. Guo Xiaoxiao leaned closer and peeked inside.

Meeting a pair of dark eyes, Guo Xiaoxiao was startled and quickly took a few steps back. The night was dark, and by the moonlight, she couldn't make out that it was Carlos; she could only be certain that someone was imprisoned below.

Carlos recognized her at a glance, slightly surprised that Guo Xiaoxiao would be here. He called out softly.

Xiaoxiao, what brings you here?

Carlos stood up and reached upwards, the vines sensing his tense body began to wrap around him again.

Being bound and unable to move frustrated Carlos; the tight bindings prevented him from breaking free, and any attempt to move caused his muscles to ache.

Hearing Carlos's voice, Guo Xiaoxiao hurried over, crouching down to peer inside, but not too close, lest she get pricked by something thorny.

Seeing Carlos trapped inside by the vines, Guo Xiaoxiao said, "I recognize these vines; I'm also entangled by them."

"Carlos, don't struggle, just relax and it will loosen."

"I know, I just hate that they keep bothering me."

Carlos complained in a low voice

"But you'll get hurt if you do that."

The sight of him entangled on it made Guo Xiaoxiao feel distressed.

"It's okay, wait for me. I'll come up and take you away after I break free."

Carlos continued to struggle against the vines, determined to get rid of these damned tendrils.

Guo Xiaoxiao stood up anxiously. She had to think of a way. She decided to simply remove the thorny plants and pull Carlos up.

Guo Xiaoxiao gestured with her hand, but it was covered in thorns. Where was she supposed to grab?

Seeing that Guo Xiaoxiao was about to put herself in danger, Carlos quickly advised her against it.

"Xiaoxiao, don't do anything reckless, wait for me obediently."

His blood and energy were circulating too quickly, and the vines wrapped around him more and more, soon enveloping him like a dumpling, making him unable to move.

Guo Xiaoxiao: "Please stop using force, let me think of something."

Burn him? No way, Carlos's down there, a spark could fall and set him on fire, and there'd be nowhere to get water to put out the fire.

This thing has so many thorns, how did they even manage to cover it up? There's nowhere to even begin.

She didn't believe there weren't other tools, so Guo Xiaoxiao looked around and sure enough, she found a very long stick leaning against a tree.

She said she definitely used this stick to put the thorny plant up there.

"Carlos, wait for me a moment, I know how to get you out."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!