Mark stood at the entrance of the cave, feeling the damp and cold wind blowing out of the cave. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and silently chanted the ancient formula. His hands drew complex trajectories in the air, as if weaving an invisible net. As he moved, a weak energy began to flow in his body and slowly gathered in his palm.
He opened his eyes and stared firmly at the rune array carved on the ground. The runes on the array began to emit a faint light, like an awakened ancient soul. "Om...", a strange energy fluctuation emanated from the array, spreading like ripples, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly.
Mark felt a warm current pouring into his body from the ground, nourishing the dry meridians and repairing the damaged body. The light gradually intensified, and finally formed a light shield that enveloped Mark. The energy in the light shield surged, and Mark felt a powerful force being injected into his body, and the originally exhausted energy was recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye. His breathing gradually became steady and powerful, and his face gradually regained its rosy color.
Mark opened his eyes, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He could feel that the energy in his body was recovering rapidly, as if a dead tree was reborn and full of new vitality. He took a deep breath, felt the power filling his body, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He knew that he had made the right bet.
He stood up and patted the dust on his sleeves, his movements light and agile. Mark mounted his horse and continued along the valley, looking for a place where he could practice and restore energy safely. On both sides of the valley were towering peaks, with snow-capped peaks, glittering in the sun. At the bottom of the valley, a clear stream meandered, the stream was clear to the bottom, and the pebbles at the bottom of the stream could be clearly seen. The breeze blew, bringing bursts of floral fragrance, which made people feel relaxed and happy.
On the way, he found an abandoned wooden house deep in the valley, hidden in the dense woods, looming. The roof of the wooden house had collapsed in part, and the walls were covered with moss, and it looked like it had been abandoned for a long time.
"Maybe we can stay there temporarily." Mark thought to himself.
He decided to explore the cabin first. Mark dismounted and walked cautiously to the cabin. The cabin was surrounded by weeds, and some unknown wild flowers swayed gently in the breeze. The air was filled with the smell of rotten wood, mixed with the fragrance of some wild flowers.
Mark gently pushed open the door of the cabin. "Squeak..." A harsh sound broke the tranquility of the valley. The door hinges of the cabin were rusted, making a tooth-grinding friction sound.
Dust flew, and several frightened birds flapped their wings from the hole in the cabin and disappeared into the blue sky. Mark squinted his eyes and blocked the falling dust with his hands. The interior of the cabin was dark and damp, and the air was filled with the smell of mold and dust. The sun shone through the hole in the roof, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground.
He looked around cautiously. The cabin was empty, with only a worn-out wooden table and a few crooked wooden chairs covered with a thick layer of dust. A tattered animal skin hung on the wall, with a vaguely recognizable deer pattern. In the corner were some dry firewood, covered with spider webs.
"It seems that no one has been here for a long time." Mark whispered to himself, reaching out to brush off the dust on the wooden table, revealing the rough wood texture underneath. He bent down to check the firewood and confirmed that they were completely dry and could be used to make a fire. Mark fired a small fireball to ignite the firewood, and the wood made a crackling sound. The warm firelight dispelled the darkness and dampness in the cabin.
The flames danced, reflecting on Mark's face, flickering. He took out a water bag from his bag, drank a few sips of water, and then poured the remaining water into a small iron pot and heated it on the fire.
"I hope it's safe enough here." Mark whispered as he looked at the dancing flames. He took out some dried meat from his bag and roasted it on the fire. The aroma of meat gradually spread.
At this time, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the door. "Who?" Mark stood up alertly, condensed an energy ball in his right hand, and looked at the door with sharp eyes.
A thin figure appeared at the door. It was a ragged little girl, about seven or eight years old. The girl's hair was messy, her face was covered with mud, and her big eyes looked at Mark timidly.
"Aba Aba." The girl whispered, her voice trembling a little. She clenched the corners of her clothes tightly with both hands, her body trembling slightly, and she seemed very scared.
Mark looked at the girl carefully, confirmed that she was not carrying a weapon, and then dispersed the energy in his hand.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked to Mark, pointed at the dried meat, then pointed at herself, and looked at Mark with a pleading look.
Because of the language barrier, Mark could only roughly guess that the girl should be hungry.
Mark tore off a piece of the roasted dried meat and handed it to the little girl standing in front of him. The little girl grabbed the dried meat and ate it ravenously, as if she had been hungry for a long time. Her little hands were black, and the gaps between her nails were full of dirt, which formed a sharp contrast with the dried meat. Mark watched her eat so sweetly, and a trace of pity surged in his heart. The wind was howling outside the cave, and the wooden house was crumbling, but this thin little girl was alone in this wilderness, and she didn't know how much suffering she had experienced.
The fire in the cave jumped, casting the shadows of Mark and the little girl on the rough wall. Mark tore off another piece of dried meat and handed it over. The little girl ate it quickly again and looked up at Mark timidly. Her eyes were big and bright, but her eyes were full of vigilance and uneasiness, like a frightened deer.
Mark took out some clean bandages from his bag and prepared to treat the wound on the little girl's face. When the little girl saw the bandages, she subconsciously stepped back, her eyes full of fear. She held the dried meat tightly in her hand, as if it was her last resort.
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." Mark tried to slow down his movements and said softly, while showing the bandage in his hand to the little girl, hoping that she could understand his intentions. Unfortunately, the language barrier still exists.
Mark sighed helplessly, and he decided to prove his kindness with his actions. He gently wiped the stains on the little girl's face, as if he was treating a fragile treasure. The little girl's skin was very rough, covered with tiny wounds and scars, like traces of weathering.
The little girl's breathing gradually stabilized, and she seemed to feel Mark's kindness and was no longer as scared as before. Mark bandaged the wound on her forehead with a bandage. The wound had begun to scab, but the surrounding skin was still red and swollen.
After treating the wound, Mark took out the water bag again, poured the water into a small bowl and handed it to the little girl. The little girl took the bowl carefully and drank it in small sips. The water was very cold, but for the thirsty little girl, it was undoubtedly a timely help. She drank slowly and cherished it, as if every drop of water was a precious treasure.
After putting down the bowl, the girl pointed outside the house, then pointed at herself, and then made a sleeping gesture. Mark guessed that she might want to express that she lived outside. The cold wind was howling outside the house, and the shadows of the trees were swaying. How could such a little girl survive in such a harsh environment? Mark was full of questions and worries.
"It's too cold outside. You can stay here tonight." Mark pointed to the ground of the wooden house, then pointed to the little girl, and then made a sleeping gesture, trying to express his meaning with body language.
The little girl seemed to understand what Mark meant. She nodded, pointed to her tattered clothes, and pointed to Mark, making a sound of "Ah...Ah...", as if asking something.
Mark found a clean piece of clothing from his bag again and handed it to the girl, motioning her to change into it. "Although it's a little big, it's better than your current clothes." Mark thought that although this dress was a little small for him, it should be loose enough for the little girl.
The little girl took the clothes, carefully held them in her arms, and then looked up at Mark, her eyes full of gratitude. She bowed deeply to Mark, then turned and walked to the corner of the wooden house to change clothes.
Mark turned around, walked to the fire, and added a few firewood. The flames jumped and crackled, and the warm firelight illuminated the entire wooden house and Mark's face. He looked at the little girl's back, his heart full of emotion.