Chapter Ten: Leading the Calamity Eastward

When the three returned to the camp with the remaining sheep, they dashed into the dense forest.

“Young master, we’re here!” Autumn Moon’s voice came from ahead.

Jiang Li and the others immediately ran over. Two little girls were hiding in the grass; seeing Jiang Li approach, they hurriedly stepped forward to take the items off his back.

“There’s no time to talk. We have to run first.”

“Young master, should we run that way?” Autumn Moon asked anxiously.

Chu Chunqiu nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Without a map, we don’t even know where that small town is.”

Without hesitation, Jiang Li pointed toward the sea. “It’s simple. We just follow the coastline.”

“Since that group has already arrived, they must have boats, and the town they built shouldn’t be far from the shore. If we keep walking along the coast, we’ll eventually find it.”

“Besides, we’re not going there now to find the town. We just want to lie low for two or three days before coming back.”

Following Jiang Li’s suggestion, the five packed up and set off on the run.

Carrying dozens of flatbreads and water skins, their pace was slow.

Eventually, Jiang Li dismantled a wooden plank from an old boat cabin and tied a smooth piece of wood to it, fashioning a makeshift handcart that barely improved their speed.

They walked along the coastline for a full hour. Jiang Li estimated that the natives wouldn’t have caught up yet, so they finally stopped.

Along the way, Jiang Li occasionally splashed seawater onto the wood plank. After an afternoon under the scorching sun, some salt crystals formed.

Though this salt wasn’t fit for regular consumption, it could be used sparingly in emergencies.

Autumn Moon and Su Yan gathered some dry wood, struck a firesteel to light a fire, and Jiang Li placed a vase-shaped container, like a basin, over the flames. Without an iron pot, this was the best they could manage.

He added some sea salt, opened two water skins, and cut the prepared mutton into small pieces to cook inside.

“Let’s eat heartily today. If there’s leftover meat, we’ll smoke it to preserve.”

Soon, the aroma of roasting mutton filled the air. Jiang Li picked up two clean small branches to use as chopsticks and eagerly grabbed a piece.

The fat melted in his mouth, prompting him to shout aloud.

“Delicious!”

Though they had eaten wolf and rabbit meat these past days, both were lean with almost no fat.

Modern people might dislike fat, but in ancient times, fat was more valuable than lean meat—it was a precious source of sustenance.

After several bites, Jiang Li filled a teacup to the brim with broth. The mutton was tender, lightly salted with sea salt, and exquisitely flavorful.

This meal was by far the best and most satisfying they had since arriving on the island.

After the feast, Jiang Li grabbed the wooden spear they had found earlier.

This wooden spear was made from an unknown wood—remarkably sturdy yet flexible, almost comparable to iron weapons.

“Autumn Moon, you two find a place to stay. Don’t come out unless you see us.”

After giving instructions, Jiang Li and the other two turned and hurried back along the coastline.

Meanwhile, inside Qin Lang’s camp.

Two dark-skinned natives dressed in animal hides silently sneaked in. Seeing a pool of sheep’s blood at the camp entrance, they exchanged glances and quickly vanished into the darkness.

Inside the wooden hut, there were seven or eight people—Qin Lang’s team was larger than Jiang Li had expected.

“Haha, Brother Qin, that Jiang Li is such a fool! That sheep weighs over a hundred jin and he agreed to trade it for dozens of flatbreads.”

“Right? Those flatbreads aren’t worth much. Not a patch on a whole sheep!”

Amid the flattery, Qin Lang proudly sipped the mutton soup.

“Don’t worry. As long as you follow me honestly, you’ll never go hungry. Even if we’re stranded in this wilderness, we’ll live well together!”

“That’s true. This is much better than following that spoiled rich kid. We don’t have to grovel anymore!” Lu Ren quickly chimed in.

Then, his eyes flickered as he said, “Brothers, everyone knows Qin Lang likes Autumn Moon. But that bastard Jiang Li forced her not to come here. Can we just stand by and accept that?”

“Why don’t we go together and bring Autumn Moon back to Qin Lang?”

The moment Lu Ren proposed this, the room fell silent. After a long pause, someone laughed awkwardly.

“Lu Ren, it’s not worth fighting them now. In a few days, they’ll be starving and come to us themselves.”

“Yeah, Brother Qin, forced fruit never tastes sweet,” two guards added hastily.

Qin Lang forced a smile but his eyes showed displeasure.

He didn’t know if forced fruit was sweet, but damn, it sure quenched thirst!

“You can’t just stop trying because it’s not sweet.”

“No rush. We can wait a few days. Everyone stay calm.”

“Come on, keep eating!”

Just as Qin Lang picked up a piece of meat, his gaze suddenly stiffened, fixating on the door.

“What’s wrong?”

“Brother Qin, what’s going on?”

Lu Ren and the others tensed, instinctively reaching for their weapons.

“You two, go check it out,” Qin Lang ordered, looking at the two who had just spoken.

“Brother Qin, maybe you heard wrong. No need to go out,” the two guards said with forced smiles.

Qin Lang said nothing, only staring at them.

The guards reluctantly nodded. “Alright, we’ll go now.”

They cautiously grabbed their weapons and approached the wooden door. After a deep breath, one kicked it open.

“Who’s outside?”

“Looking for trouble, huh? You dare disturb your grandpa!”

Their voices echoed across the wilderness, but no response came from outside.

“Haha, I told you, you heard wrong. It’s pitch black—how could anyone be out there?”

Just as they finished speaking—whizz! Whizz!

Several wooden spears sliced through the air, piercing the two guards’ bodies.

“Who!”

Qin Lang was furious and shocked. There were only a handful of people on the island: Jiang Li’s side had three or five, his side had seven or eight, and the largest other group was the neutral party, about six.

Could Jiang Li have bribed the neutral ones?

A foreboding thought rose in Qin Lang’s mind. He drew his long knife, grabbed a torch from the wall, and hurled it outside.

The torch’s flame cut through the night, illuminating the area beyond the door.

Over twenty naked, dark-skinned figures clad in animal hides stared intently at the room.

These people, already dark-skinned, were smeared with black mud, making them almost invisible without the torchlight.

Qin Lang’s heart jolted.

More than twenty—this was far beyond the group that had landed on the island.

“Who are you? Are you from that small town?” Qin Lang quickly dodged to the side and asked.

Outside came a chorus of cheers, clearly thrilled by the number of prey inside.

“What’s going on? Where did these guys come from?” Qin Lang frowned, hiding in the corner, utterly baffled.