The road was covered in snow and full of thorns, not smooth. I had thought that the Northeast would be like the cave we had stayed in, that even if it was not smooth, it would not be difficult to walk on, and that the wind and snow would not hinder us.
I don't have a deep understanding of the island's tribes, relying solely on the hints on the map. It's said that the creatures in the northeast are often massive, capable of holding their own against three. Thoughts on how to quickly bring them under my command flashed through my mind, discarding every unformed strategy. We'll see what happens; adapting to changing circumstances is always the right approach.
After a long day of trekking, aside from me and a few of the more robust men, most of us were exhausted, barely able to drag our bodies forward. Qin Lan and Da Fei were particularly troubled. Qin Lan's situation was self-evident; women are inherently less physically fit than men, given their innate physiological makeup. And this was especially true for a pampered young lady like Qin Lan. As for Da Fei, I think everyone could see the situation. You're fat and weak, how could you not be exhausted? It felt like you were walking two separate paths, each step accompanied by a heavy, pounding sound, a truly dull one.
I followed Qin Lan with a slightly admiring gaze as she walked alone, proudly holding up her chest and head, supporting her pride as a woman without even complaining about being tired. However, I couldn't help but look down on Brother Da Fei, who really made a fool of himself as a man.
Qin Lan pulled a small cushion from her casual backpack, found a spot by a tree, and sat down without pretending to be reserved. It was clear she was exhausted from the day's travels. I wondered if her delicate feet could handle it, or if they'd get blisters. "Tsk, the emperor isn't anxious, the eunuchs are," I thought, and I stopped in front of her. I pulled a bottle of water from my backpack, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her. After she took it, I sat down beside her, leaning against the tree, without saying a word. Their silence was a perfect tacit understanding; some relationships don't need words.
I watched as everyone picked up broken branches from the ground around them and built bonfires in the middle of the open space. At this moment when the cold air was invading everyone's body, they began to show signs of warming up little by little. Even Qin Lan couldn't help but rub her hands unconsciously as the firelight swayed.
It is always good to have a little firelight, which can always serve as a warning to some wild beasts hiding in the dark, so that they dare not attack easily.
I wasn't particularly tired from the day's journey, but I was certainly exhausted. I wasn't in the mood for idle chatter. It wasn't long before my eyelids began to droop, and a wave of dizziness washed over me. With my back against a tree, Qin Lan beside me, I let my guard down a bit and drifted off to sleep. Whatever happened, I'd wake up eventually.
It only took a moment for me to wake up and feel exhausted. I never expected that my bad luck would come true.
The rustling of footsteps reached my eardrums, and I jolted awake, eyes wide open, bracing myself for the worst. I hadn't expected this group of people to sleep like dead pigs in such a harsh environment. Glancing at Qin Lan's sleeping face beside me, I felt something was amiss, though I couldn't quite place what.
"We're already here, why hide and act like a coward?" I waited for a while, but there was still no movement. I couldn't hold back my temper anymore and couldn't help but call the person out.
As if to bear witness to my own ignorance and foolishness, there was a complete silence around me, leaving me completely bewildered. What the hell was going on in the middle of the night? It was inexplicable. The enemy was in the dark, I was in the light, and a strange anxiety welled up in my heart. I'm a mutant, I'm not afraid of attack or harm, but these people here are different. They're mortal, and if someone were to come and attack us, we'd all be doomed. I have a group of people sleeping here, and I can't abandon them all because of my doubts. Even if there's danger right now, I have to protect these people.
Whistles, those whistles, incessant. My body uncontrollably tried to track the sound, but reason abruptly stopped me. I told myself I had to wait for everyone to wake up. I couldn't be so irresponsible, especially with Qin Lan here too. How could I leave peacefully?
Secretly suppressing the curiosity and drive that raged to break free, I harnessed the energy within me to examine them one by one, finding they were no different from normal humans, merely slightly weaker. Alas, it's a shame I could only diagnose their condition, not prescribe the right medicine. If only I had the skills of a doctor right now, I wouldn't be in such a passive position, constantly coerced, feeling as powerless as if someone were holding a knife to my neck, their throats being pinched tightly but not breaking.
I had no choice but to keep my eyes open with a bit of lifelessness, and force myself to be alert and look after this group of people.
I can't rest in the middle of the night and have energy but nowhere to put it. This is the best description of my current state.
Qin Lan was the first to wake up. After waking up, she said to me in a daze, "Why do I feel something is wrong with my whole body? I don't have much strength. I look so tired. I feel like I slept for nothing."
Isn't it, auntie? Even though you were tired, at least you got a night's sleep. And then you look at me, who has been facing the fire like a chicken watching a duck since midnight. I feel extremely unbalanced psychologically.
I rolled my eyes at her and didn't even want to waste the energy to speak. Then, one after another, some people woke up, and their symptoms were similar to Qin Lan's just now. I was too lazy to deal with them one by one. At this moment, I just wanted to close my eyes and have a good rest. Before I could say anything, one of Da Fei's loyal lackeys questioned me, "Chen Fei, what's going on with us? We respect you as the second in command. You can't let the brothers know what's going on. Don't take advantage of us in the middle of the night and do something you shouldn't do to us. Do you want to take this piece of fat meat in the Northeast for yourself?"
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