Bai Lingyu followed suit, her face wet, though it was unclear whether from rain or tears.
...
Bai Junjun felt very weak, the little Special Ability she had finally mustered within her body had been exhausted, as if her cultivation had dissipated, leaving her body feeling light and fluffy, her head especially heavy and dizzy.
She didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but when she regained consciousness, she felt as though she were lying in a mecha vehicle, jostled so much that her entire body ached.
She suddenly opened her eyes to a clear sky and green trees.
On reflex, Bai Junjun sat up, only to find herself on a hand-pushed flatbed cart, with her little sister, Bai Sasa, pushing from behind.
Just in the time she had been unconscious, Bai Sasa appeared even more disheveled.
The little girl's hair had clumped into a bird's nest; the mud on her face was several degrees thicker. Had her body not been intact, without any rotting flesh, her ragged appearance could almost rival that of Zombies.
When Bai Sasa saw her elder sister awake, a joyous expression spread across her face.
"Elder sister, you've finally woken up."
Walking alongside, Bai Lingyu was also delighted and quickly took out a water bladder from her pocket to offer to her, "Elder sister, are you thirsty? Have some water."
Before Bai Junjun could fully react, other sounds came from around her.
She turned her head to see four or five more people ahead, both old and young, carrying bows and arrows on their backs and knives and axes at their waists.
They too were pushing carts, and although the carts were covered tightly, it was clear that they were loaded with their provisions and belongings.
From this setup, they seemed to be hunters' families.
However, in the original owner's memory, the war had persisted for over three years, and such initial fleeing peasant groups were nearly extinct.
This group, whether in terms of their team or belongings, didn't look like they had been fleeing for three years. So from which corner at the foot of a mountain had they emerged?
Bai Junjun's mind momentarily froze.
Just as Bai Junjun was bewildered, the Old Hunter leading the way suddenly turned back. He was a scarred old man, his face fierce with cuts, but upon seeing Bai Junjun awake, a genial smile softened his intimidating presence.
"Young lady, you've finally woken up?"
As he spoke, the old man slowed down, waiting for Bai Sasa's pushcart to catch up, and then reached out his hand to help Bai Junjun.
Bai Junjun instinctively shook him off, a wary look in her eyes.
"Elder sister, Uncle Qiu knows a bit about medicine; he's been the one treating you these past days." Bai Sasa explained softly.
"Don't be afraid. If we really wanted to harm you, we could have left you to die from the beginning, there would have been no need to let you join us."
The Old Hunter remarked and reached to check her pulse again, carefully examining her condition.
Although Bai Junjun was worried that her Special Ability might be discovered, at that moment, it was as insignificant as a sesame seed, barely perceptible even to her, let alone the Old Hunter.
Sure enough, the Old Hunter didn't notice anything unusual and said with grave sincerity, "There's no serious harm, just too much deficit from these past days. A few days' rest should bring you back."
Guilt flashed through the eyes of Bai Sasa and Bai Lingyu upon hearing this; since splitting from their group, their elder sister hadn't eaten any grain. And it was from that time the deficits started.
They blamed themselves for burdening their elder sister.
While the siblings were consumed with self-blame, Bai Junjun was also struggling to get off the cart.
Putting aside her past glories, even now, as a teenager, how could she let an eight-year-old child push her around?
So, Bai Junjun couldn't sit on the pushcart with an easy conscience.