Su Xiaoning walked quickly and soon disappeared from the old man's sight. Pearl stared curiously at the vast expanse of white mist, whimpered a few times, and then followed closely behind. The old man did not stop her and continued smoking as if nothing had happened.
Upon arriving at the location, they found a lush bamboo forest nestled in a mountain valley. Su Xiaoning, carrying a basket, wandered through the bamboo forest but couldn't find any mushrooms at all.
What's going on? Is the old man lying to her? But if she really needs him to save her life, she has no choice but to do as he says.
Su Xiaoning gritted her teeth and, unwilling to give up, walked deeper into the bamboo forest.
The mushrooms that Pearl loved to eat were still nowhere to be found, but a lake was discovered deep in the bamboo forest. Su Xiaoning approached and saw that the lake water was clear and bright, with several fish swimming in it.
"Gurgle—"
Su Xiaoning's stomach growled at an inopportune moment. She touched her flat stomach and turned her gaze to the fish in the lake, as if she were plotting something.
Since nobody knows anyway, there's no harm in catching a few to eat, right?
Su Xiaoning swallowed hard, then decisively used the basket in her hand as a makeshift fishing net to scoop up a few fish from the shallow water. She gathered some firewood, took out the tinderbox she always carried, and started a fire to roast the fish by the lake.
The aroma of the grilled fish was irresistible, carrying far and wide. A few barks could be heard from afar, and then Pearl appeared in front of Su Xiaoning.
It circled the grill several times, then wagged its tail at Su Xiaoning, its wet eyes full of longing, its thoughts easily seen through.
"Why are you here?" Su Xiaoning smiled and reached out to pat Pearl's fluffy head. "I'll share some of this grilled fish with you. How about you beg your master to grant my request?"
As Su Xiaoning spoke, she took a piece of the already grilled fish from the rack and carefully tore off a piece, tossing it to Pearl.
Pearl barked excitedly a few times, seemingly agreeing to what Su Xiaoning had just said. It swallowed the fish meat, but still wasn't satisfied, rubbing against Su Xiaoning's legs to beg for more.
Seeing Pearl's adorable appearance, Su Xiaoning, who had been feeling down, finally cheered up a bit. She shared half of her grilled fish with Pearl, while she happily devoured the remaining half.
The man and his dog were enjoying their meal when Su Qingcai and Bai Hua were still circling in the fog.
Su Qingcai was extremely anxious, his face constantly grim. He and Bai Hua had been walking in the fog for a long time, but they couldn't figure out which way to go and kept ending up back where they started. If it weren't for the thought that Su Xiaoning could calm him down, he might have lost all hope by now.
"Wandering around like this isn't a solution; we'd better think of something quickly!"
Bai Hua was so tired of walking that he plopped down on the ground, looking extremely dejected and as if he couldn't go on any longer.
Su Qingcai remained silent, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, hoping to find any clues that could help them escape their predicament.
The valley was shrouded in white mist, and everything looked the same from all directions. Time seemed to stand still here, and only the occasional bird calls made people realize that this was not a static space.
Su Qingcai couldn't see anything unusual and was immediately disheartened. Just as he was about to give up, a gentle breeze brushed past his ear.
The breeze briefly parted a small patch of mist before finally drifting off in a certain direction.
Su Qingcai's eyes lit up, and she quickly pulled Bai Hua up.
"The wind is picking up! As long as we follow the wind, we'll definitely make it out!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Hua quickly got up and followed behind Su Qingcai. The two walked in the same direction, following the wind.
It seemed as if some unseen force was protecting them, and in less than a quarter of an hour, Su Qingcai and Bai Hua emerged from the thickest fog.
The fog lingered, but now it was only a thin layer, not obstructing visibility at all. Su Qingcai and Bai Hua breathed a sigh of relief. They had intended to head straight for Su Xiaoning, but two large mountains appeared in the distance.
The towering mountains completely blocked our way forward. Judging by their steepness, climbing them would probably take a lot of effort.
Bai Hua was a little dumbfounded. He looked up at the sky and hesitated, "It's getting late. Why don't we rest for the night before we leave?"
They had been wandering in the fog for a long time and were already exhausted. If they were to climb the mountain now, they probably wouldn't be able to make it.
Although Bai Hua's suggestion was correct, in Su Qingcai's heart, the urgency to find Su Xiaoning had overwhelmed all his fatigue. He walked up the mountain without hesitation, without even turning his head back, saying, "If you want to rest, then rest. If you waste another night, it'll be too late."
"How could you just leave like that? Do you expect me to risk my life to accompany you?" Bai Hua was so angry he almost jumped up, but Su Qingcai ignored him completely and went up the mountain on his own.
Bai Hua stared at Su Qingcai's back for a long time, gritting her teeth. Seeing that he really had no intention of turning back, she could only follow him dejectedly.
...
After eating several fragrant grilled fish, Su Xiaoning felt much better. She wiped her lips contentedly and prepared to continue searching for mushrooms in the bamboo forest, with Pearl following behind her, her round little belly protruding.
I had only taken a few steps when I suddenly heard a strange "gurgling" sound, which sounded like it was coming from the inner lake behind me.
Su Xiaoning immediately became alert and turned to look at the inner lake, where she witnessed a horrifying scene.
Suddenly, the lake water surged, creating towering waves that crashed directly towards her!
Su Xiaoning's heart tightened, and she turned and ran, not forgetting to pick up Pearl. However, because she had eaten too much and ran too fast, her stomach started to feel uncomfortable and she began to feel dizzy. She accidentally twisted her ankle, and the giant wave behind her rushed straight towards her!
As if possessed by a spirit, the waves swept up Su Xiaoning and dragged her into the lake. Pearl barked frantically and bit Su Xiaoning's collar, struggling to pull her out. However, after dragging her a short distance, it was no match for the immense force of the waves, broke a tooth, and could no longer hold Su Xiaoning back.
"Little Pearl!"
Blood-stained teeth flowed past her, causing Su Xiaoning to tremble violently. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she grabbed a boulder by the inner lake and hugged Pearl tightly to her chest.
She gritted her teeth, preparing to tough it out, but wave after wave of attacks came, and Su Xiaoning, still ill, was powerless to fight them.
Just as she was about to let go, exhausted, a rope was suddenly thrown over, accompanied by a familiar shout: "Hold on tight!"
Su Xiaoning's head was spinning, but she still managed to grab the rope and wrap it around her waist. She opened her eyes groggily, only to see the old man's blurry figure before losing consciousness.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
