Chapter Seventy-Six: Survival in the Wilderness

The storm at sea was much like a young lady's temper—it rose abruptly and vanished without warning. Now the sky was cloudless, vast and high, the world stretched open, and seagulls flapped their wings, dipping and rising above the water, a plump, oblivious fish suddenly caught in their beaks.

It was as if that tremendous underwater tempest had been nothing but an illusion, and only the occasional plank tossed among the waves testified to its reality.

One such plank drifted here and there, finally carried by the white-crested surf until it crashed against a jagged reef. Beyond the reef lay a wild, dense forest and an uninhabited, desolate island.

Young Lady Huang awoke from her stupor. In the heart of that storm, all had been chaos and confusion—no one could look after another. She remembered only clutching a wooden oar as she was dragged into the maelstrom, fighting for who knew how long before losing consciousness.

She opened her eyes, dazed. Water dripped steadily from the cave’s ceiling, echoing in the silence. A chill ran across her skin—her undergarments, both the chest and hip wrappings, had vanished without a trace. The shock snapped her fully awake.

Her shapely figure pressed against the pile of cloth, forming the outlines of two small hills.

Who had done something to her while she was unconscious?

In that instant, she recalled a certain legend: if pirates captured a woman, they'd first wash her and offer her to the Sea God. This ritual often involved boiling, cutting, and feasting upon the sacrifice; if the woman was comely, the pirates would ravage her before the end.

Such a fate was utterly unacceptable!

Even if it meant revealing her identity, she would make these pirates understand she was not someone for their kind to provoke!

"You’re awake," a delighted voice sounded. Lin Su'e, sleeves rolled up, entered the cave with an armful of firewood.

"It’s you," Young Lady Huang exhaled in relief. "Where are we? How did we end up here?"

"This is a deserted island. We were swept here by that great storm. You’ve slept a day and a night—thank goodness you didn’t fall ill. Medicine is scarce on this island..."

Lin Su'e was as cheerful as a magpie, easing Young Lady Huang’s anxiety.

"So you’re saying the shore is scattered with corpses, and only the two of us survived?"

"Not just us—my cousin is also here. He went out to scout the island. He said there’s something strange about this place—hardly any birds or insects."

Lin Su'e’s eyes darkened as if recalling something unsettling.

…

Through the swaying canopy, in a land without even a wild path, a trail had been forced open. Kou Li returned, carrying two one-horned rabbits.

The island’s beasts were difficult adversaries. Even these "rabbits" could run as swiftly as leopards, their mouths armed with four or five curved fangs stained with blood—these were carnivorous rabbits.

There was no grass on the island, and even the leaves of the wild trees were bitter and nearly inedible. According to Lin Su'e, some had a certain toxicity. If there were no edible plants, all the island’s creatures would have to be carnivores—mutated ones at that.

The forest was dim, the immense canopy casting the woods into near darkness. The leaves were sharp and tough; when the wind stirred them, they produced an unpleasant creaking, like teeth grinding.

At first, Kou Li paid it no mind, but after a while, he realized with a jolt that the leaves, as they split and rejoined, seemed to form a gaping mouth.

It was indeed a mouth: twisted branches and vines became the muscles of the oral cavity, writhing ceaselessly, tree sap resembling saliva. The wind whistled inside, making sounds of drooling and swallowing; the flicking vines became tongues—three of them—sliding sinuously within.

Kou Li’s eyelids twitched. He glanced around and saw the surrounding forest as if it bristled with fangs and claws, the entire wild wood transformed into a monstrous maw.

This gaping mouth, with its incessant sounds, seemed ready at any moment to bite his head off.

Yet he made no move, did not flee or tense in defense. He trusted his body’s instincts, especially after mastering his martial arts—his sense for danger was keen. But this hallucination inspired no such primal warning.

The wind blew; the trees remained trees, the leaves, leaves, the vines, vines.

After waiting a while longer and confirming that nothing untoward would occur, Kou Li departed.

"You’re back," Lin Su'e said with a gentle smile.

Kou Li nodded, meeting Young Lady Huang’s watchful gaze. His eyes flickered, but he said nothing.

Night fell. The campfire crackled among the logs, occasionally spitting sparks. From the distant darkness came the eerie howls of unseen beasts.

"I only explored a ten-mile radius. The island is strange—its creatures and environment both. Even the smallest animals have fangs and vicious jaws. So unless I’m with you, don’t wander off."

"Mmm," Lin Su'e mumbled, already half-asleep after eating roasted rabbit. She murmured a reply, then sank into slumber.

After swallowing the final bite of rabbit, Kou Li looked up. "Favor for favor, enmity for enmity. You once sent that old eunuch to kill me. Now the tables have turned. You’re alone, stranded here—how do you plan to save yourself?"

Young Lady Huang’s face turned cold. "Don’t forget—only thanks to my status will anyone come searching for us."

"Which is why you’re still alive, and why I’m willing to make a deal," Kou Li replied calmly. "Anyone who threatens my life ends up dead or sunk in the river, no exceptions—no matter who they are."

Young Lady Huang was on her guard; she saw true killing intent in his eyes—he was not jesting.

"Our past grudges—let’s call them settled!"

"Not enough."

"Are you threatening to kill me?" she demanded, furious.

"There are ways to torment someone other than murder—especially a man tormenting a woman," Kou Li said, his gaze lingering meaningfully on her voluptuous form, the occasional glimpse of bare skin.

Alone together on a deserted island, anything could happen.

"What do you want?" Young Lady Huang asked, a trace of unease in her voice. She was confident in her beauty—her curves behind the collarbone captivated even herself—but that was precisely the source of her unease.

She could not believe this man would be uninterested, especially here, where power and status meant nothing.

"How about a set of ancient boxing techniques?" Kou Li asked seriously. "With your status, that should be easy enough."

"What?" Young Lady Huang could hardly believe her ears. He didn’t want money or her person—just a set of martial arts?

"What, is that too much?" Kou Li began to doubt himself. Was his price too high? Was she not some princess, but a maid disguised as a man?

"I’ll beat you to death with a boxing manual when we return!" Young Lady Huang snapped. He was so unappreciative! Though she seemed to be safe, she could not shake her annoyance.

"Very well. Tonight you take first watch; I’m going to sleep."

"You dare? I’ll have you executed for this!"

…

In the end, Young Lady Huang kept watch for the first half of the night, Kou Li for the second. But thanks to his martial artist’s constitution, Kou Li was energetic at dawn, while Young Lady Huang had dark circles, bleary from lack of sleep.

"Even if the authorities send ships to search, it will be a month at best before they find us. Since we’ll be here a month, two problems: water and food. I can handle food, but we’ll have to find water together. There must be a stream somewhere in this vast forest," Kou Li said, looking at Young Lady Huang.

"Why must I go too?" she grumbled.

"Do you plan to freeload for a whole month?"

Those words stung. Young Lady Huang, pampered all her life, had never suffered such humiliation. She shot to her feet, revealing two pale, slender legs. "Fine, I’ll go!"

"Bring back firewood and sharp stones, too. This cave is our den now—we’ll need straw for bedding, some wild greens. We can’t eat meat every day, and game isn’t always easy to catch. Chopping wood, making fires, washing clothes, cooking, fishing, hunting—which of these can you do?"

Seeing her speechless expression, Kou Li shook his head. "As expected—a burden."