Xiao Nanhui dug a hole and buried the butterfly, and fed Jixiang some dried mushrooms.
The island in the lake was much larger than she had imagined. Looking around was overwhelming, how could she find him?
But just because she can't find it doesn't mean others can't find it either.
Whether it was Lu Songping's previous silence, the unusual movements in the Black Feather Camp before she left the city, or the official ship mentioned by the fisherman, all hinted that there must be other people on the island now.
Based on past experience, commanders generally avoid choosing low-lying areas for camp, especially when concealment is crucial. The vegetation on this island isn't dense, but rather consists of gravel and rocky beaches. If they stay in low areas, any movement will inevitably lead to loss of concealment and exposure.
After observing the direction for a while, she went up along the stream. At sunset, she finally approached the first high ground on the island.
There was a faint smell of burning wood in the air. She carefully moved forward following the direction of the wind and soon saw a little fire outside the camp.
Jixiang smelled the scent of fresh beans in the trough and took two steps forward spinelessly, but was pulled back by her.
She didn't think Ding Weixiang would want to see her right now. She had gone through so much trouble to find this place. If she was accidentally packed up and sent back, wouldn't that be unfair to Jixiang, who had been sleeping in the open, and the dead moth?
After preparing for a moment, she tied Jixiang in a secluded place and headed for the camp alone. The arrow she had struck at the Black Feather Camp in Bijiang was still fresh in her mind, so she walked very carefully. However, she also thought that the situation today was very different. She wanted to get closer to see the camp more clearly. If there were any trusted acquaintances in the army who could help her, she might be able to help.
But after a while of watching from the shadows, she realized that everyone in this camp was unfamiliar, even their attire looked strange. They weren't Hei Yu, Guang Yao, Yan Chi, or Su Bei. The camp wasn't crowded, but there were dozens of tents, all dark and unlit. She had no idea what was inside.
She thought for a moment, remembering Yue Zejun who surrendered from Bai Heliu during the Yu'an Spring Festival. She seemed to understand something, but she still had doubts in her heart. She found a gap during the shift change and sneaked into the nearest tent. She turned over the edge of the oilcloth and carefully crawled in.
The tent was pitch black, but filled with haystacks. Pulling aside the hay, one could vaguely see wooden barrels underneath, half a man's height and four feet wide, stacked in two layers.
After hesitating for a moment, she drew the dagger from her waist and stabbed the top of the wooden barrel. Then she pulled it out and sniffed the black liquid on the blade.
A pungent smell entered her nose, and her expression froze in shock.
It's kerosene.
She moved to the other side to check, and without exception, the entire tent was filled with kerosene.
This was just one tent, but at a glance, it looked like there were over a hundred barrels. There were dozens more tents like this in the entire camp, and combined with the other camps on the island, that meant tens of thousands of barrels of kerosene.
Perhaps the haystacks were not intended to conceal the barrels, but to aid the fire.
She suddenly understood the real reason why he wanted to enter the enemy camp alone and secretly arranged for Ding Weixiang to come here.
If they wanted to completely annihilate Puhuna, they first needed to locate the so-called "god" mentioned by Shen. After so many previous encounters, "it" would only become more cautious and would not reveal its true form unless absolutely necessary. This crucial moment was undoubtedly related to its final descent ritual, and he was the target of the descent.
She also knew that "It" could take on human form and escape, aided by followers of Puhuna. It had been doing this for over a century, its agility and cunningness making it difficult to track down. Finding it was like finding a louse in a blanket, and even an army of hundreds of thousands would be useless. Therefore, this was their last chance. A single strike would eliminate the dynasty from further trouble, freeing the land from the scourge of demons and gods. Failure would mean a shared destruction. As long as no one escaped this isolated island, neither Puhuna nor "It" would be able to return to the human world. While there were still capable candidates for the throne, the legend of the god would come to an end.
From the moment they set foot on the island, there was no turning back.
And she is the last fellow traveler on this road of no return.
After crawling out of the tent and carefully putting down the tarpaulin, Xiao Nan looked back at the white frost on the grass, sighed first, and then smiled gently.
Even though it was a road of no return, she wasn't the only one on this journey; there were many others along the same path. Thinking about it this way, it all seemed less heavy. It wasn't just her; there were many others who cared deeply about this and made the same choice, willing to sacrifice everything for it.
I looked up at the sky. The moon was almost at its zenith. The dark clouds in the distance were about to swallow up the stars and the moon. The air was filled with the damp and cold smell before the autumn rain.
When would they act? At daybreak?
She didn't want to sit and wait for death, so she decided to get some information first. However, there were so many tents that she wasn't sure which one was the main one. While she was trying to figure out a plan, a figure suddenly appeared by the stream not far away. She finally saw the first person she knew since arriving on the island.
It’s Luo He.
She couldn't see his expression clearly, she could only see him pacing alone on the rocky beach beside the stream, occasionally raising his hands to scratch his ears and cheeks, looking a little anxious.
She was familiar with that action; it was the characteristic reaction of an alcoholic when he couldn't get a drink.
She looked down at her waist.
Perhaps there really is a divine will manipulating everything, pushing fate along its predetermined trajectory.
She didn't know where this path would lead, but as long as she thought he was ahead, she was not afraid at all.
Xiao Nanhui paused for only a moment before taking off the wine jug from his waist.
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