She couldn't understand those complicated techniques and killing moves; she just felt that his figure was fast and powerful, like the wild beasts she had seen in the mountains.
Sometimes, Shen Li would even treat her as a living obstacle or reference point.
During environmental reconnaissance training, he would suddenly point in a certain direction and say to her in a commanding tone, "Look over there, tell me if there's any movement."
Zi Xi would try her best to widen her eyes and stare intently in that direction.
Although she often couldn't distinguish between the slightest disturbance and signs of real danger, she would carry out his order with utmost seriousness.
Occasionally, if she notices something unusual, she will immediately become nervous and feed the baby in a low voice.
Shen Li would usually glance in the direction she pointed.
Most of the time nothing was discovered, but occasionally a very faint, almost imperceptible hint of satisfaction would flash in his eyes.
He would casually toss her a small piece of compressed biscuit or a few wild fruits as a reward.
Food is the hard currency in the Dark Abyss.
When Zixi receives these rewards, her eyes light up slightly, like a child receiving candy, before she carefully savors them in small bites.
Nighttime is the most dangerous time in the Dark Abyss.
Various shady deals and private brawls frequently occur.
Shenli usually stays in his wooden cabin, which is one of the few places in the camp with a dim light.
Zi Xi didn't dare go in. She would curl up in a relatively dry corner not far from the door, shrinking herself into a ball.
Shen Li never invited her in, but he never drove her away either.
Sometimes he would open the door, lean against the door frame, and look at the dark mountains and forests in the distance with an empty gaze.
Zi Xi would quietly raise her head and look at his profile outlined by the dim light, feeling that he seemed very lonely.
She's even lonelier than that fool.
One day, out of curiosity, Zi Xi approached a minefield warning sign marked as dangerous at the edge of the camp.
A female prisoner who was jealous of the special treatment she received from Shen Li deliberately did not warn her, but instead hid in the shadows and waited for her to step on a landmine and die.
Just as Zi Xi was about to step into the minefield in a daze, a sharp shout rang out: "Stop!"
Zi Xi was so frightened that she froze on the spot.
Shen Li immediately appeared behind her and pulled her back with such force that she stumbled and fell into his arms.
He looked down at the terrified, pale-faced little fool in his arms, then looked up and coldly shot his gaze at the female prisoner hiding in the shadows, whose face was now deathly pale.
He did not react on the spot.
But the next day, the female prisoner accidentally triggered a non-lethal training bomb during training.
Although he didn't die, his legs were blown off, and his miserable screams echoed throughout the training ground.
From then on, the female prisoner could only wait to die in a corner of the camp, like a lump of mud.
Everyone knows this is not an accident.
The days passed by in this oppressive state.
He remained as ruthless and mad as ever, and when he was in a bad mood, his eyes would gleam with bloodlust.
But when facing Zi Xi, his terrifying ferocity would always unconsciously subside a bit.
He still wouldn't speak gently, but he would break apart and soak the hard, dry food she couldn't eat to soften it.
When the wind was strong in the mountains at night, he would tacitly allow her to move closer to his door.
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