"Are you there?" A soft voice called from outside.
"They've arrived," the old man said, promptly getting up.
Jin Lao and Xiao Guang also realized what was happening. The Sharpblade Squad had arrived.
The group inside the stone cave filed out, coincidentally encountering a group of people approaching.
At the forefront was a middle-aged officer, his face resolute. There were about a dozen individuals in total, each holding small crossbows with sharp, venomous-looking arrowheads that glowed with a faint blue light, clearly coated with a deadly poison.
Upon seeing each other, the middle-aged officer visibly hesitated for a moment before becoming excited. He snapped to attention with a crisp salute to Jin Lao, "Commander!"
The soldiers behind him promptly saluted as well.
Jin Lao nodded, getting straight to the point. "We've returned alive, so I firmly believe that the missing young ones are still alive and will definitely return to us."
"Yes, they will return for sure!" The officer replied. He had been suppressing his emotions for a long time, but today, witnessing a miracle, he was finally convinced that more miracles were possible.
Jin Lao nodded in approval. "What's the current situation?"
"Reporting, Commander, we have relocated as a whole to the northwest. The environment there is the most suitable for survival, and we're setting up a base as our gathering point."
"Good." Jin Lao nodded. "Who is leading at the gathering point?"
"Wait a moment." The officer bustled around for a while, then handed a few sheets of paper that looked like linen, densely filled with writing in some plant-based pigment, to Jin Lao. Jin Lao quickly skimmed through it, and Jun Ya leaned in to take a look too. "Liu Xing, he's at the main base in the northwest." Jun Ya burst into tears of joy.
"Yes, Director Liu is still alive. He's currently overseeing logistics at the northwest base. It's wonderful to see you all. Director Liu has been worried about you since the day you went missing, he has been talking about finding you every single day," the officer glanced at Jun Ya. Liu Xing had mentioned this woman more than once.
"That's fantastic! Dad, Liu Xing is alive and well!" Jun Ya cried tears of happiness. "I can finally see him."
"Oh, that's good then." Jin Lao nodded, though not as excited as his daughter. He turned to the people around him, "This time, let's go together again, rebuild our home together, alright?"
The old man and the others looked at Jin Lao. The old man smiled, "No need to convince us. I'll stay here. I want to wait for my son. I hope he can see our home when he returns." He gestured toward a well-arranged cave.
Every day, the old man diligently collected supplies, tirelessly improving the place. He firmly believed his son was alive and would come back. His son was his only hope.
"And what about you? Bring your children with us this time," Jun Ya almost pleaded with a few young women and girls.
One of the young women touched her child's head. "No, we won't go. As a family, wherever we part is where we'll reunite. He will come back for sure."
The two young girls looked at Jun Ya. "Thank you, but I'll wait for my father. She'll wait for her brother," one of them said, their determination evident.
Jin Lao sighed, putting himself in their shoes. If it were Jun Ya who had gone missing, he would have stayed in the same spot without leaving, even if he lacked the ability to search.
Jun Ya looked at her father, realizing her thoughts aligned with those of the two girls. If my father went missing, I wouldn't leave either. I wouldn't give up. So, Jun Ya looked at them understandingly, "Well then, I wish you all the best."
"These supplies are for you," the officer said, as a soldier handed them a bag full of provisions.
"No, you are facing difficulties yourselves." The old man declined.
"Keep these!" Old Jin's voice grew solemn. "You all are the first stop to welcome them."
"Stay behind," the officer said. "On our way back, we have enough food, and there's no danger on the road." He paused and continued, "What's important is that we won't be able to come back in the short term. We're extremely short on manpower, so..."
"Comrade," the old man interrupted, "don't sacrifice yourselves for us anymore. It's too exhausting for you to travel back and forth. Take care!"
The officer, cut off, had moist eyes as he thought about the young soldiers. If there was a possibility for the missing who were swept away to return, what about those who fell on the spot...
He stepped back and saluted the old man.
On Jun Ya's side, almost all the food was left behind. As for clothes, seeing that the figures of the two girls were similar to hers, she left the clothes that hadn't been worn. The base already had clothes made from coarse linen, so she wasn't worried about it.
The group was getting ready to leave, and the officer was briefing Old Jin on the situation.
"We're heading northwest. It'll take about three to four days to reach there. Along the way, there are rest stations at intervals with supplies of food and drinking water. Though the stations might be simple, they're safe, cleared of any threats. Our experts have prepared various insect repellents that have been scattered along the route. The effectiveness of these repellents lasts a long time. The base already has some basic workshops set up, allowing us to utilize local resources to make simple clothing. I believe we can hold out for a while until assistance arrives from our world." The officer exuded confidence in overcoming challenges and returning to their original world.
"Did the previous heavy rain have any impact here?"
"Heavy rain? There wasn't heavy rain here, just some scattered drops in the past few days."
"Oh?" Old Jin was a bit surprised. Heavy rain only in the forest?
At this moment, Jun Ya remembered Xiao Guang. He seemed to have been silent all this while. Where was he?
Looking around, she spotted Xiao Guang sitting on a nearby rock, engaged in conversation with the old man.
"Xiao Guang, come help!" Jun Ya struggled to pack her bag. "We have rest stations along the way, so we don't need to carry too much food. It'll affect our stamina. Take everything out here."
"Coming," Xiao Guang replied to Jun Ya, giving an apologetic glance at the old man.
"Go ahead, we can chat again when there's a chance," the old man smiled.
"Help me pack this up, and these things too. Don't mess them up. The folded clothes over there, don't touch them at all costs. I spent a lot of time getting them organized. I planned to give them to Liu Xing when we get there. I won't have time to sort them out before giving them to him."
"Oh."
"Come here, closer." Jun Ya pulled Xiao Guang closer, speaking nervously and urgently, "If you see Liu Xing, don't tell him I tore the clothes for markers, no, don't say it from now on. When we reach the supply station at night, we'll change into the clothes there. Say that our original clothes got dirty and were thrown away."
"Hmm? Why?"
"He's sensitive about these things. If he knows you and I are together and there's only a jacket left, he might come up with various ideas in his head. I don't want him to speculate."
"But, isn't it just being with a teacher? What could happen?"
"What do you know! Anyway, I don't want him to know, I hope he doesn't know, it's best if everyone forgets. I don't want any bad memories left behind!"
"Yeah!" Xiao Guang nodded and continued packing. Jun Ya didn't notice his melancholy.
With not much to pack and not having been opened much, it didn't take long to organize everything that didn't need to be taken along. Holding the bag, Xiao Guang handed it to a soldier. The soldier nodded and immediately took it.
"Xiao Guang," Jun Ya questioned his demeanor, "what are you doing? It's just a bag, why are you letting someone else carry it?"
"Oh, it's not that, I..."
"What's with your 'I'? Don't waste time. Just carry it for me. Don't trouble this young soldier. Hurry up, we need to hit the road as soon as possible."
"No, I'm not going to the base."
"What?" Jun Ya was somewhat surprised. "You, are you waiting for someone?" In Jun Ya's impression, Xiao Guang was a loner.
The old man looked at him curiously, wondering if he was waiting for someone too.
Avoiding Jun Ya's gaze, Xiao Guang mumbled, "No, I want to stay behind and be with them." He pointed at a few kids. "I can control insects. Maybe I can help them."
"You, want to stay behind?" Jun Ya was somewhat surprised. "Come to the base with me. Participate in things within your capacity. Once we return to our world, you won't need my dad to arrange things for you. I'll talk to Liu Xing, and he can help you find a good job."
"Sure, thank you! When we're back in our world, I'll treat you to a meal. Right now, I want to stay here for a while. Maybe I can help them, at least I can run errands and keep watch."
"You, you're not coming with me?" Jun Ya suddenly felt a bit disheartened. Over the past month, she had gotten used to Xiao Guang's presence. He was always bustling around, running here and there as her assistant.
"This is the first stop, and someone needs to stay behind to receive them. You know, I'm quick on my feet, can't do much else. Let me stay behind. They need a sentinel." Xiao Guang seemed resolute.
"What about me?" It didn't feel like a big deal when they were together, but once the prospect of separation arose, an uncontrollable phrase slipped out of Jun Ya's mouth.
As the words left her lips, Xiao Guang looked up at her, his gaze infinitely complex. It held a sense of loss, a helplessness in departing, and a reluctance.
The old man looked over, the nearby young soldier had listened from beginning to end, though not fully understanding, they grasped the situation. Jin Lao, not far away, also looked over.
Human hearts, when vulnerable, were like leaves in late autumn. Even a gentle breeze could bring about a desolate withering.
After days of sharing hardships, humans, unlike plants, couldn't be devoid of feelings.
"You..." Jun Ya was momentarily tongue-tied. "Take care of yourself."
"Yeah!" Xiao Guang nodded again.
Jin Lao gazed at these elders, women, and children. Suddenly, he felt a tinge of sadness. Their hope in the face of adversity was so faint, the last hint of stubbornness in despair.
"Let's go. They'll be waiting on the hillside every day," the leading officer said. "Your return has strengthened their belief. They have hope for survivors, hope for their loved ones. They're worth waiting for."
The crowd had already moved far away, and Xiao Guang's group on the hillside could no longer see their figures.
"Shall I show you around the surroundings, or the room where you'll be staying tonight?" The old man looked toward Xiao Guang.
"No, Uncle Wei." Xiao Guang had just learned that the old man's last name was Wei.
Two girls walked over.
"If you like her, hurry up and chase her," a melodious voice came from behind.
Xiao Guang turned around and looked at this girl—worn out yet beautiful.
"My brother calls me Zhenzi," the girl gazed at Xiao Guang without a response, and said softly, "Thank you for staying behind to take care of us. When my brother returns, he'll definitely thank you too."
"Zhenzi," Xiao Guang smiled, changing the topic, and lightening the atmosphere, "Isn't your brother afraid of you? Miss Midnight Zhenzi."
"Not afraid. When he returns, I'll make sure he's afraid. Daring to leave me for so long."
Xiao Guang picked up a leaf and examined the girl. "What's your brother's name?"
The girl seemed surprised, but still answered, "Xu Dekai!"
"What about you?" Xiao Guang looked at the other girl. "I remember you're waiting for your dad."
"Liu Moran." The girl replied.
Xiao Guang stood up and walked toward the old man standing on the side. "What's your son's name?"
"What's your husband's name?"
"Kid, who are you waiting for?"
"Auntie, who are you waiting for?"
...
"Uncle Wei, I'm not going to the base, nor will I stay here. I'm going to the distant forest to take a look."
"Your separated loved ones, they're all heroes, and I'm not. But I'm willing to do something that seems impossible for the sake of heroes' families."
"Now we're short on manpower, and survival is our top priority."
"Human legs have limitations, but I'm different. I can control some insects now. I'm the most suitable to search for them."
"I believe your loved ones are all alive. Perhaps they got lost due to special circumstances. I'm setting out to find them. I don't know how long it will take or if I can find them. But I promise, I will do my best to find them and bring them back."
"It's very dangerous, don't go." Old Wei approached, patting his shoulder.
"Let me do something, maybe someone is waiting for help. Uncle Wei, it's just me. If anything happens, the loss won't be significant. Maybe I can do it!"
"Are you crazy? How long do you plan to be gone?" Old Wei watched the young man run down the hill and into the forest.
"I'll be back as soon as possible! Wait for good news from me!" Xiao Guang shouted without looking back, like a determined fighter who had finally found his goal.