The bonfire crackled and burned brightly, delivering a particularly clear evening where, through the dense foliage overhead, one could still catch glimpse of the stars twinkling in the sky. Ye Wudao stretched out in a great yawn, finding comfort in the wilderness after so long in the big city.
However, humans are social animals, especially at his age, in his early twenties, one couldn't simply emulate an old man retiring to live deep within the mountains. His heart wasn't yet steady, requiring the tempering of worldly experience—whether he wanted to leave or not, the old man would have insisted he do so.
Meanwhile, not far from their camp, a native hid behind a tree, camouflaging almost seamlessly with the tree itself. He watched Ye Wudao and Zhao Xiaodie on the distant platform, and Ye Wudao still hadn't detected his presence.
