Outside the cave, the area was engulfed in towering trees that covered the sky, blocking out the sunlight. The forest was unusually quiet, with only occasional rustling sounds breaking the silence.
Near one of the trees, Ye Jingyi stood with a medicine container in his hand. "Hmm, preparation is done now; it's time to give you medicine." In front of him, Hui Ying leaned against the tree, her neck straightened with a tube in her mouth. This tube, made from nanoparticles, connected her mouth to her stomach. As she was unconscious, Ye Jingyi had to resort to this method to administer the medicine. Directly feeding her could lead to choking or inhalation, given her unconscious state.
Ye Jingyi carefully poured the medicine into the opening at the top of the tube. It slid down the tube, entering her throat and reaching her stomach. Once all the medicine had been administered, he stopped. "Done! The effect of the medicine should be obvious in a few hours." Ye Jingyi removed the tube from her mouth, and the tube disintegrated, forming a thin layer of black, scale-like armor on his right hand.
"We can't stay in this place for too long. Your enemies could find this location sooner or later, and we need water and food. Changing our location is the best option," Ye Jingyi mumbled, preparing to leave the place with her.
Hui Ying observed and processed every action and word from Ye Jingyi and felt a mix of speechlessness and relief. Initially fearing she would lose her first kiss, it turned out that he, despite his shameless talk, refrained from taking advantage of her in such a vulnerable state. In an instant, Ye Jingyi's image in her heart improved.
Unaware of her thoughts, Ye Jingyi picked her up and carried her on his back. While doing so, he frowned and commented, "Tsk, so heavy." With that, he moved forward, disappearing into the dense forest.
Thirty minutes after he left, shadows began to glide through the forest, landing near the cave. All of these individuals were dressed in black clothes and wore masks adorned with carved skeletons. A powerful aura radiated from each of them, with the leader exuding energy that caused the air around him to distort.
"Search!" the hoarse-voiced leader commanded, and his companions entered the cave. After a minute, they reappeared outside, with one of them reporting, "Not here, but there are a lot of bloodstains inside."
The leader remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again, "We cannot let her live. She should be seriously injured. You guys go and search for her; she should be in the vicinity. After finding her, kill her directly."
"Yes!" All of the individuals in black nodded, transforming into shadows as they dispersed in different directions. Only the leader remained in the same place for a few minutes before disappearing like smoke.
…..
Ye Jingyi stood panting near a meandering stream, carefully placing Hui Ying on the ground. After more than an hour of walking, he finally discovered the river. Seated on the ground, he gasped for breath, eyeing the stream where small fish darted through the water.
"Hu! Finally found a river. God Dammit! She is so heavy! Exhausted me to death," he mumbled in annoyance, unknowingly provoking Hui Ying. Despite her desire to retaliate, she couldn't control her body to do so, leaving her frustrated at his insolence.
Gulu, the sound of Ye Jingyi's stomach interrupted his complaints. "Let's fill up the stomach first, as I have not eaten anything for some time," he muttered. Standing up, he decided to catch and cook some fish. Approaching the stream, he observed the crystal-clear water, only three meters wide.
On the opposite side, thick vegetation covered the area with trees and bushes. Ye Jingyi surveyed the surroundings before moving closer to the stream to catch fish.
Rustle! A rustling sound emerged from the bushes on the opposite side, instantly putting Ye Jingyi on alert. His eyes focused on the moving foliage, cautious of any potential threat.
From the bush emerged the silhouette of a massive creature, prompting a friendly smile from Ye Jingyi. "Brother baldie! Looks like we are connected by fate." The creature before him was none other than the bear he encountered upon first arriving in this world.
Ye Jingyi easily recognized the other party due to its symbolic bald head—the Bald bear. As the bear heard a sound and looked up, its body stiffened upon seeing the face it wished to forget, prompting it to curse inwardly.
"Fate my ass! It's the bad luck of nine lifetimes that I met you again," the bear grumbled upon hearing Ye Jingyi's words. Seeing that familiar, seemingly friendly smile, the bear immediately turned around, prepared to escape. However, it underestimated Ye Jingyi. The moment it turned around, a black tentacle emerged, wrapping around its legs and dragging it to the other side of the stream.
"Noooo!" A roar filled with unwillingness, grievance, and bitterness echoed through the surroundings.