Yi Wansan shuddered. He looked outside. This mountain hollow was small, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with dense forest. The wind was strong, making trees sway in all directions. It was hard to tell if it was the wind causing the movement or if wild men were leaping and tumbling among them.

Cao Yanhua timidly asked: “Brother Luo, do you think… the third one is with the wild man?”

In front of Old Man Yan, he still tried to avoid mentioning the evil scroll.

Luo Ren nodded: “Very likely.”

A truly wild creature, even when fighting for food or avoiding danger, would still act from animal instinct. But if all these strange occurrences originated from the wild man, then clearly, this wild man was very different.

He had carved misleading sequence numbers on trees to lead Luo Ren’s group and Mu Dai’s group in the wrong direction, preventing them from joining forces, thus dispersing their strength to ambush Old Man Yan.

He had thrown the Sweeping Fine Weather Lady into the water, then hung it from the eaves, deliberately hanging the vermilion amber within Mu Dai’s line of sight, then quickly removing it—seemingly setting psychological traps to make them panic and lose their composure.

Like a cat playing with mice, toying with them before finally striking fiercely.

An ordinary wild man shouldn’t be capable of this, but if possessed by the evil scroll, everything would be explainable.

Moreover, the information from the Phoenix Luan Buckle indicated that the evil scroll should indeed be in this Four Villages area.

Dusk fell as heavy rain poured down.

So heavy that each raindrop continuously created small depressions in the muddy ground.

Cao Yanhua took buckets and basins from the kitchen to collect rainwater. He preferred to use boiled rainwater rather than water from the well where the Sweeping Fine Weather Lady had been submerged.

Yi Wansan sat beside the stove, with several long wooden sticks collected from the forest before the rain. He was using the saber to sharpen them, and as he whittled, melancholy overcame him: “Last time when we dealt with the old clam, at least we had a boat, water holes, and hinges. This time, we’ve regressed straight back to the primitive age.”

Cao Yanhua came over to steady the pole: “Didn’t you hear what my Brother Luo said? That borrowed hunting rifle is for wild pheasants; it can only fire a few shots. Two shots have already been used to save the sister and the Little Master, and those steel pellets can’t hurt the wild man. When the time comes, these spears will be our main weapons.”

The spear tips were sharpened to points that made one’s scalp tingle just looking at them.

Yi Wansan said, “Are we going to use these against the wild man? What if we kill it…”

Such a large living creature—hurting or killing it made him feel uneasy. More importantly: “What if we can’t kill it? That would create a blood feud. These beasts are ruthless in their revenge. In my opinion…”

He leaned close to Cao Yanhua, lowering his voice: “Every grievance has its source, every debt has its debtor. When the time comes, we should just grab Old Man Yan and hand him over to the wild man…”

Cao Yanhua said: “How could we do that? Have you no conscience? That’s still Hongsha’s grandfather, how could we do such a thing?”

He suggested: “At most, we can pretend to walk faster, leaving Old Man Yan behind to be caught by the wild man.”

Yi Wansan thought this plan was excellent. The two exchanged knowing smiles, feeling they were truly kindred spirits—the kind of friends impossible to find even with a lantern.

Night soon fell.

With so many people, one room wasn’t enough. Half would need to sleep in the kitchen. Luo Ren said, “Mu Dai will sleep in the kitchen. Who else?”

Yan Hongsha said, “My grandfather and I will stay in one room. It’s easier for me to take care of him.”

Although Old Man Yan had done such despicable things, he was still her grandfather. She thought that if something happened during the night, others might not protect him as wholeheartedly as she would, so it was better to stay with him.

Since Mu Dai was sleeping in the kitchen, it would be best if Luo Ren joined her. Cao Yanhua decided not to be a third wheel and said, “I’ll sleep with Brother San. The kitchen is small, and four people in the main room is fine.”

The main room had three bed boards in total. Cao Yanhua and Yi Wansan helped carry one to the kitchen, mischievously rubbing their hands as they told Mu Dai: “Little Master, we can only give you one…”

Dumping the problem on her: Cao Yanhua and Yi Wansan could share a board without issue, and Hongsha and Old Man Yan were grandfather and granddaughter, so they could sleep at opposite ends of their boards…

Mu Dai blushed: “Well, I could sleep with Hongsha…”

Luo Ren said, “It’s fine. I might not sleep much anyway. I need to keep watch. You’ll be more comfortable sleeping alone.”

Cao Yanhua’s anticipation for entertainment was thus extinguished.

Mu Dai lay down first. Luo Ren didn’t come in right away; he stood at the main room’s door, seemingly testing whether it was secure with Cao Yanhua and the others, instructing them to brace it with wood from behind.

Actually, the main room’s door was sturdier than the kitchen’s. Mu Dai couldn’t understand why Luo Ren had immediately said “Mu Dai will sleep in the kitchen” without giving her any choice.

After Luo Ren came in, she was still puzzled: “Why did you make me sleep in the kitchen?”

She used the word “make,” and Luo Ren looked at her: “You think that room is better?”

Mu Dai said, “The main room.”

Luo Ren came over smiling and flicked her nose: “Is bigger necessarily better?”

Mu Dai rubbed her nose, tilting her head to look at him.

Luo Ren pointed to the stove: “Fire has been burning here, so it’s warmer at night. The mountains are too damp and cold. I was afraid you’d be cold.”

So that was it. Mu Dai felt warm inside. She lay down happily, accidentally bumping her head, and let out a yelp.

Luo Ren said, “Let me see.”

That morning, the wild man had pulled her hair violently. Although her hair hadn’t been pulled out by the roots, her scalp was slightly injured. Parting her hair revealed small spots of blood.

Luo Ren frowned: “This is a bit bad.”

Mu Dai asked curiously: “Why?”

Luo Ren wanted to laugh but held back, saying: “This patch of scalp is injured. Probably no hair will grow here in the future. Mu Dai, you’ll have a bald spot this big…”

He gestured to show her: “About the size of a teacup.”

Mu Dai was shocked cold to the heart: “Bald?”

Luo Ren said, “It’s okay. Smart heads don’t grow hair—this proves you’re intelligent. Or you could change your hairstyle, part it differently, and use the surrounding hair to cover it… Or wear a hat. Hats look very nice nowadays…”

Mu Dai almost cried.

Luo Ren finally couldn’t hold back his laughter. When he laughed, Mu Dai realized she’d been teased and angrily got up to pinch him: “How dare you tease me!”

Luo Ren reached out and caught her in his arms, then grabbed an animal hide and covered the iron torch slot on the wall. His technique was skillful, cutting off the air, and the flame went out with a hiss.

However, there was still a smell of singed animal fur spreading through the room.

Mu Dai huddled in Luo Ren’s arms, head lowered, completely still.

Luo Ren bent down, bringing his mouth to her ear and asking: “Girlfriend, have you missed me these past two days?”

Mu Dai nodded and said, “I’ve missed you so much…”

Suddenly feeling sad, she couldn’t continue and just held Luo Ren tightly.

Luo Ren sensed this, lowered his head to nuzzle her forehead, and said: “Come, lie down comfortably and we’ll talk.”

He sat down against the wall, letting Mu Dai lie in his arms, and covered her with a thin outdoor silk blanket.

Mu Dai asked him: “Are you not going to sleep?”

Luo Ren said, “I can sleep sitting up. I don’t need to lie down.”

Mu Dai suddenly remembered something and burst into laughter: “I dreamed about you.”

She told Luo Ren about her dreams—the recent one about weaving cloth with a leaky roof, and the one from long ago where she dreamed of Luo Ren playing mahjong.

Luo Ren didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. After a while, he said: “But they were all good dreams.”

“Why?”

“You married me and had my child.”

Mu Dai paused, suddenly feeling melancholy. After a moment, she said, “Luo Ren, people say dreams are the opposite of reality.”

Luo Ren didn’t speak. He reached out to caress her cheek. Mu Dai took his hand and held it.

“Luo Ren, if I die, will you have other girlfriends in the future? Will you be as good to them as you are to me?”

Luo Ren smiled: “You’re so young. Why talk about death?”

Mu Dai said, “You don’t know. Death can be very close.”

Just like this morning, if Luo Ren had arrived a few seconds later, she would have died. Just like eight years ago, when she was thrown from a building and hit the ground hard, she thought she would never wake up again…

Luo Ren bent down, his forehead against hers, looking very closely into her eyes, black and bright with moisture.

Luo Ren said, “Did you hear some nonsense from Mother Zha Ma and overthink?”

So he knew all along. Mu Dai’s eyes immediately became wet.

“Mother Zha Ma said that the one who stays by your side in the end is someone else.”

Luo Ren kissed her lips: “I asked Mother Zha Ma, and everything was just her feeling. She didn’t see it. Feelings can be deceptive.”

Mu Dai remained silent.

Luo Ren continued: “Perhaps you’ve changed too much. I was in the Philippines for four years. When I returned and saw Pin Ting, she also said, ‘Brother Knife, you seem like a different person.'”

Mu Dai said, “Is that so?”

She felt conflicted, wanting to believe this explanation but feeling it was just a forced consolation.

She said, “What if I die?”

Luo Ren said, “If you die, then while you’re still here, spend the time loving me with all your might. Engrave yourself into my bones. That way, whether you’re dead or alive, I’ll have given my life to you. That’s better than spending time feeling sad and sighing.”

This was the first time Mu Dai had heard such reasoning. She found it novel yet somehow reasonable. After thinking, she asked: “What about you? If you were going to die, what would you do?”

Luo Ren thought for a long time before saying, “A man’s approach is probably different from a woman’s. If it were me, knowing I was going to die, I would find a way to break up with you, or tell you I didn’t love you anymore, to make you give up.”

Mu Dai asked: “Why? You could also love me with all your might, making me give my life to you.”

“Because I would want someone to take care of you. I wouldn’t want a girl to waste her life on me. But I’m a man, and if I waste my life on you, I don’t mind.”

Mu Dai felt she couldn’t hold back her tears. She sniffled, knelt up on the bed board, embraced Luo Ren, and whispered in his ear: “I also want someone to take care of you. In the future, if I die, you should find another girlfriend. I won’t be jealous.”

Luo Ren held her tight as her tears slid down his neck.

Luo Ren said: “You say you won’t be jealous, but you actually would be, right?”

“Mmm, a little bit.”

“Just a little bit?”

“Mmm, maybe a bit more.”

Luo Ren laughed heartily. He released her, helped wipe away her tears, and said: “Get some sleep. You haven’t slept well for days, have you?”

Mu Dai made a sound of agreement and obediently lay down again. As Luo Ren covered her with the silk blanket, she asked curiously, “Luo Ren, why do you like me?”

Luo Ren said, “Because you’re wonderful.”

Mu Dai sighed. As she closed her eyes, she said softly: “I don’t think I am.”

She had a dream.

She dreamed she was dizzy, being dragged along the ground. When she opened her eyes, she couldn’t see anything except a large piece of vermilion amber.

Then she was thrown somewhere.

The ground beneath her was cold, like coarse sand. The ground began to tremble gradually, the sensation becoming increasingly clear, like a vehicle approaching.

A low voice called to her: “Mu Dai, Mu Dai, get up quickly, you’ll die.”

She struggled to move but couldn’t. She said, “I can’t get up.”

Another harsh voice shouted: “Get up! If you don’t get up, everything is over!”

The vehicle approached with a muffled sound. The headlights shone brightly, rolling straight toward her.