After a few days, everyone's relationship became more harmonious, thanks in no small part to Ye Nianzhen's role in mediating. However, spending too much time in the vast, white snowfield gradually increased the mental pressure on everyone.
The group began to consider finding a new tribe, a habitable forest, or some other place as soon as possible, but contrary to their expectations, there was indeed no trace of beastmen living nearby.
A few days later, when Qin Qiu went hunting again, it was mentioned that the order of hunting was determined by Ye Nianzhen. Everyone took turns scouting and decided whether to solve the problem alone or in a group depending on the situation.
That said, when Qin Qiu was hunting that day, he saw a prey flee in a strange direction and then disappear without a trace!
To vanish without a trace right under Qin Qiu's nose? That's simply unbelievable.
So Qin Qiu carefully explored the area for a long time and finally discovered a surprise: there was a naturally formed underground cave.
The cave is filled with air and even has a river. Because it is underground, the temperature is actually higher than on the surface, making it a very habitable place.
The cave has many branching entrances leading in all directions, and there are some plants that can survive in low light, which look like they are edible.
He quickly shared the news with others, especially Ye Nianzhen, who knew she had always longed for a comfortable home.
Human bodies are indeed not as resilient as those of beastmen. After these few days of exploration, Ye Nianzhen felt that all the vital energy in her body had been drained, and her already slender figure had become even thinner.
Upon hearing this news, she felt a long-lost sense of relaxation. She followed Qin Qiu to the underground cave, where the environment was indeed quite nice. Apart from the poor lighting, it was very suitable for temporary residence.
They decided to stay here for a while, but whether it was a few days, half a month, or longer, the decision clearly rested with Ye Nianzhen.
Qin Qiu was always good at these kinds of tasks. He brought some fragrant wood, lit it, and used it to fumigate the inside of the cave, which dissipated the dampness.
Then he cleared a flat area of ground, placed some dry branches at the bottom, soft hay in the middle, and thick, clean animal hides on top.
This is Ye Nianzhen's bed.
The others, of course, did not receive such treatment. They either slept directly on the floor, or, like Mingyuan, who was a little more particular, cleared out a space and laid out a simple bed.
Mu Guang's beast form was very small. He simply found a small pit in the cave wall, cleaned it up, and laid out a piece of animal hide to make a den.
This piece of animal hide was from a rabbit he had hunted when he was forced to go hunting with Mingyuan. Everyone else complained that there was little meat on the rabbit and refused to eat it, but he really liked eating rabbit, and it was originally on his menu.
Then, when he was eating rabbit, because Ye Nianzhen looked like she wanted some, he shared some with her. Well, to use Mu Guang's words, it was charity. Ye Nianzhen really seemed to like it, so he shared some more with her.
Although he still harbors suspicion and disdain towards Ye Nianzhen, he gradually finds it quite comfortable to be around this human woman, at least more so than with those violent beastmen who are always ready to fight.
Everyone was settled in, and Qin Qiu had brought back enough game to eat. It seemed they could have a peaceful night.
After everyone had gone to sleep, a regular, eerie light suddenly flashed from the depths of the cave, attracting Ye Nianzhen's attention.
What kind of light was that?
At first, she was concerned about whether there was any threat, because she was not very familiar with the creatures here. For example, the mutated creatures outside did not like to move around here because the snowfield was so desolate, and the low temperature would also affect the movement of the mutated creatures.
For various reasons, it is very difficult to find traces of mutated creatures here.
However, this light is somewhat like the light emitted from the tail of a firefly, and it is very regular, making one wonder if it is some kind of mutated insect summoning its companions.
“I’ll go check it out.” Mingyuan, who always considered himself the team’s captain, was the first to offer to go and check it out. Ye Nianzhen nodded and said to Qin Qiu, “You should come too. The two of you work together best, and you’re less likely to be ambushed if you’re together.”
But Qin Qiu shook his head: "We need to leave a strong person here to protect you."
Upon hearing this, everyone else couldn't sit still. No one was willing to admit that they were inferior to Qin Qiu, whether in terms of combat strength, appearance, personality, or anything else.
"Ahem, it might sound arrogant to say that, but with me here, Ye Nianzhen will be very safe." Luo Shui cleared her throat and said in a serious tone.
"Ha, you black bear? How can you see anything in the dark?"
Although Mu Guang's beast form wasn't very powerful, he was agile and difficult to detect, making him ideal for reconnaissance. Moreover, he had other strengths, and in this situation, he was the first to speak up and mock.
Seeing that these people were about to start arguing about who was stronger, Ye Nianzhen stopped them before Hong Xiao could say anything: "Alright, alright, Luo Shui, go ahead and stop arguing. Let's finish this quickly and go to sleep!"
Upon hearing this, everyone knew they couldn't continue arguing, since no one wanted to see Ye Nianzhen angry.
Previously, Ye Nianzhen once again demonstrated her ability to draw spirits when she could no longer bear it. She was quite skilled, and most of them didn't want to see Ye Nianzhen angry. They all cared about her feelings.
So the others stayed behind, while Mingyuan and Luoshui went to investigate the source of the fluorescence.
The two of them entered cautiously, only to discover that the glowing object in the corner of the cave was just a plant.
"What is that? A flower?"
Luo Shui couldn't see clearly in the darkness, so she asked Ming Yuan.
Mingyuan observed it carefully for a moment and nodded: "Although it is strange, it is indeed just a flower, a plant I have never seen before."
It was a shrub-sized plant with only one flower in the center. The petals were snow-white, and the stamen in the center of the petals was emitting a regular, luminous green glow.
"What do we do now?"
Luo Shui asked Ming Yuan, who was a little unsure of what to do.
"..." Mingyuan was still thinking. He was about to say let's go back and not worry about the flower when Luoshui reached out and picked it.
"!"
Mingyuan got goosebumps all over his body. He didn't have time to stop Luoshui. What if picking the flower caused some dangerous reaction? Wouldn't that be counterproductive?
Fortunately, the plant didn't show any obvious reaction; it just withered at a visible speed after the flower was picked.
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