Yaji strained to raise his upper body, watching Jiao Bai rapidly pull back the bowstring, his eyes fixed on the tip of the wooden drill.
Whether or not he could start a fire was a matter of life and death. If Jiao Bai failed to start a fire before the wolves arrived, he would be the first to suffer.
Jiao Bai might be able to escape death thanks to his agility, but with his hands and feet bound, he is certain to die.
To expect Jiao Bai to kindly untie him was nothing but wishful thinking. Jiao Bai would rather let him perish in the wolf's belly than let him escape.
Therefore, at this moment, he was a hundred times more nervous than Jiao Bai, who was working.
Finally, to the delight of the two, wisps of smoke rose from the wooden drill bit. The smell of burning grew stronger and stronger.
In the darkness, tiny sparks could already be seen rising from where the wood touched.
Jiao Bai quickly put down the rope bow, picked up the dagger, and casually swung it.
With a ripping sound, a tear appeared in Ya's cotton coat. He reached in and pulled out a wad of cotton. He held it to the firelight and gently licked the small, flickering piece of charred wood.
Damn, why don't you tear your own clothes?
Yaji muttered a complaint to himself, then fixed his eyes on the wad of cotton wool again.
Thanks to Jiao Bai's efforts, the flames finally ignited on the cotton, illuminating his stern face.
They quickly placed the fire under the dry grass that had been prepared beforehand, and then weighed it down with a few pieces of dry firewood.
After a winter of drying, the withered grass has long lost all its moisture and can be ignited quickly by the slightest spark.
"Add firewood, add firewood."
Yaji saw that the wolf pack had gathered in the distance, and several large male wolves were already tentatively approaching.
If we don't react soon, the wolves will probably pounce on us.
"Coward."
Jiao Bai gave him a disdainful look. But he wasn't afraid at all, and quickly added dry wood to the fire.
Fortunately, the dead tree above them was big enough, and the branches they broke off were enough to support them for a long time.
The raging flames shot into the sky, illuminating a large open space nearby.
The rolling heatwave swept in all directions, and Jiao Bai and Ya Ji felt comfortable all over by the fire.
They had been hungry for a day and a night, and were already cold and starving.
The campfire made them feel much more comfortable.
Upon sensing the heat of the flames, the wolves immediately stopped and stood at attention.
Wolves are naturally afraid of fire, and it's hard to explain why; perhaps it's ingrained in their genes.
Fire can easily destroy their habitats, eliminate their food sources, and trap them.
As the fire grew larger, the wolves began to retreat.
Pairs of eyes, glowing green, stared unwillingly at the two people by the fire, pacing back and forth, but no longer daring to take a step closer.
Seeing this, Yaji finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.
In just a short while, he broke out in a cold sweat. It was terrifying.
He wasn't afraid of dying, he was afraid of this way of dying.
Tearing them to pieces by a pack of wolves, having their internal organs removed, and then eating them piece by piece—the bloody scene is chilling to even think about.
Seeing that Jiao Bai was still adding firewood to the fire, he called out again.
"Hey, take it easy. Don't burn all the firewood. We'll be doomed before dawn."
The flames had already shot into the sky, enough to intimidate the wolves. Jiao Bai was still adding firewood, and Yaji couldn't help but remind him.
The only thing nearby that could be burned was the dead tree overhead. Once the branches on it were charred and broken off, there would be nothing left to continue the fire.
Once the fire stops, they'll both be finished, at least Yaji will definitely be finished.
Jiao Bai listened to his words, looked back and saw that the wolf pack had already gone far away, so he stopped adding firewood.
He found a rock, threw it by the fire, and plopped down on it.
Holding a tree branch, he tended the fire while keeping an eye on the wolves.
With the danger temporarily averted and the two calming down, a new problem arose.
"Coo coo~~"
First, Yaji's stomach made a rumbling sound, and then, the pale, sallow stomach also rumbled in the same way.
The two had engaged in a fierce chase and battle in the dense forest. Almost a whole day had passed. They hadn't found even water nearby, let alone food.
By now, their physical strength has almost reached its limit. Without replenishing their energy, their bodies will become increasingly weak.
"Hey, do you have anything to eat?"
Yaji stared blankly at the night sky and asked a question casually. It was just something he was making conversation about.
As expected, Jiao Bai glared at him irritably and didn't even bother to answer.
If there's food, who the hell would be starving by now?
Yaji knew he wouldn't get a reply, so he continued talking to himself, trying to distract himself from the hunger in his stomach.
"I'm really unlucky. I've struggled to survive until now, only to be defeated by a brat like you."
Yaji was already over thirty, while Jiao Bai was only twenty; calling him a young upstart was perfectly acceptable.
Jiao Bai remained silent, focusing only on poking at the fire.
Yaji ignored him and continued talking to himself.
"By the way, who did you learn your kung fu from? I've met quite a few traditional Chinese martial artists before, and I didn't find them particularly impressive. How come I was defeated by you so quickly?"
Even now, Yaji still can't understand how Jiao Bai, at such a young age, learned so many skills. He has to admit that he is no match for him at all.
At this point, Jiao Bai turned around and glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, and snorted.
"Your kung fu is only good for killing enemies, but it deviates from the true path of martial arts. At best, it's a killing technique, and it's not even on the same level as martial arts. You just haven't met a real master of traditional martial arts before. Once you do, you'll understand what kung fu is."
Yaji seemed to suddenly remember something. He turned over and sat up.
"Hey, how about you let me go? I'll take you back to see Mr. Jiang."
"Mr. Jiang, do you know him? He's the head of the Red Star Society, the largest triad in Southeast Asia. He has tens of thousands of men under his command, spread across several countries, and he's got plenty of money. If you come back with me, I guarantee I'll recommend you to become one of Mr. Jiang's favorites. With your skills, it's only a matter of time before you surpass my position."
"Your status?"
Jiao Bai seemed to suddenly become interested and asked a question casually.
What is your status?
Yaji sat up straight, a hint of smugness in his expression.
"To tell you the truth, although I don't hold any official position, I am a member of the Elders' Hall and am only under Mr. Jiang's command. Unless it's something extremely important, I won't be called upon. If Mr. Jiang hadn't owed the Bai family a huge favor, I wouldn't have been assigned to handle this matter at all."
"If you come back with me this time, I can guarantee you luxury cars, beautiful women, mansions—you can have whatever you want. Isn't that better than following that guy surnamed Xiao?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
