As footsteps echoed into the cave entrance, the moment a furry head appeared, Qin Lang’s saber swept down.
The round head rolled to the ground, its severed wound stained with dust, but both men breathed a sigh of relief when they finally saw what it was.
It was merely a tiger out foraging.
This tiger was young, not appearing to be an adult, and somewhat thin. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so easily killed by Qin Lang.
The tiger’s appearance was a godsend for them. Qin Lang went out and gathered some dry wood, lit it with a fire starter, and then carved off pieces of tiger meat to roast.
He also thoughtfully cut the meat intended for Shen Jianxi into small pieces for her convenience.
After eating the meat, Shen Jianxi finally felt a bit of strength return to her body. When she arrived in this world, she had been intending to eat, but instead, she was sent over on an empty stomach, forced to block an arrow, and having been unconscious for who knew how many days, her stomach had long been protesting fiercely.
Wait… unconscious for days?!
Upon realizing this, Shen Jianxi’s face changed drastically, and with a sliver of hope, she turned to ask Qin Lang, "How... how long was I unconscious?"
Qin Lang's attitude was still suspicious, but at least he wasn't planning to kill her for the moment. Coupled with the good mood from a full stomach, he was willing to answer her question.
"Not long, just five or six days."
"Five or six days?!"
Shen Jianxi let out a cry of despair, startling Qin Lang beside her. Thinking something was wrong with her wound, he quickly moved to examine it.
"What are you doing!" She clutched the clothes on her shoulder, looking at the man's actions in alarm.
Qin Lang's chest heaved with annoyance at her defensive gaze, and he gave her an exasperated look.
"Checking your wound! Otherwise, what thoughts could I have about you looking like a beggar right now?"
"Heh heh... my wound is fine." Knowing she had misunderstood, she smiled awkwardly and let go, "I'm just a bit heartbroken."
Heartbroken over her salary.
Clearly, Qin Lang had no idea what she was talking about. He merely glanced at her when he heard her say her wound was fine and said ruthlessly, "Since it's fine, then tidy up and prepare to leave."
"Tidy up" essentially meant just getting up and leaving, but the problem now was that the wound on Shen Jianxi’s shoulder pained her with every movement, rendering her unable to exert any strength. Qin Lang, however, had no intention of helping, standing by and watching her like he was enjoying a show.
Shen Jianxi gritted her teeth secretly, then put on a smiling face when she looked up, "I know my current condition isn't good, and I don't want to be a burden to the general. The general can leave by himself." She even dabbed at nonexistent tears at the corners of her eyes as she spoke.
She presented a picture of genuine emotion and earnest persuasion.
But Qin Lang wasn’t buying it at all. He strode forward, grabbed her uninjured arm, and hoisted her up.
"Ah! Gently, gently, are you trying to kill me! Hiss!" The man paid no heed to her cries of pain, only releasing her after she stood up. Sudan Novels.
"Go!" an unrefusable command filled with authority.
Damn man! Shen Jianxi couldn't help but curse him in her heart.
The next second, she leaned weakly against the stone wall.
"I'm injured, I can't walk."
"You injured your arm, not your leg."
"Fingers are connected to the heart, and arms are connected to the brain."
"..." Never having heard such an argument, Qin Lang was momentarily speechless. "Don't even think about it. I won't let you go until I've completely figured out your identity."
Hearing his words, Shen Jianxi instantly lost her expression and straightened up, walking towards the cave entrance by herself, swinging her arm defiantly.
Watching her huffing retreat, Qin Lang couldn't help but curve his lips upwards. He didn't rush to follow but silently counted in his mind.
One, two, three...
"Ah!"
A scream of pain shattered the sky. Shen Jianxi's face instantly turned pale from the agony, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead uncontrollably.
Only then did Qin Lang saunter forward, his saber slung at his waist, hands behind his back, looking utterly at ease.
As he passed Shen Jianxi, he feigned surprise and looked at her, asking with a smile, "Why has Your Majesty stopped walking? Are you out of strength?"
Eat shit! Go die!
The man made no attempt to hide his smirk. Shen Jianxi heard it clearly. She looked up and glared at him resentfully, enduring the pain in her shoulder and striding purposefully in one direction.
However, no matter how fast she moved, her arms hung limply at her sides, unmoving.
"Your Majesty."
"Shut up!" Shen Jianxi turned back fiercely, looking at the man still standing in place and launching a merciless taunt, "Why has General Qin stopped walking? Is he out of strength?"
She threw his own words back at him, and still feeling unsatisfied, she spoke again, "No way, no way! Can a general really have such poor stamina?"
Hearing the woman's sarcastic tone, Qin Lang rubbed his nose and then pointed in another direction, his expression innocent.
"I just wanted to remind Your Majesty that you're going the wrong way." He then mimicked her tone and retorted, "No way, no way, Your Majesty can't find the way, can you?"
"Shut up!"
...
The two walked along the cliff and through the forest, one after the other, for an unknown amount of time.
Perhaps due to her lingering anger, Shen Jianxi remained silent the entire time.
Although Qin Lang didn't care about her emotions, he found their earlier bickering more engaging and couldn't help but provoke her. However, with her complete silence, after a few attempts, he himself grew bored and stopped speaking.
As dusk began to fall, he spoke again, "Let's find a place to spend the night. It's unsafe in the forest at night."
On matters concerning their lives, Shen Jianxi did not act childishly. She nodded, "Yes, let's see if there's any high ground nearby."
The two quickly found a high vantage point. They reasonably constructed a temporary shelter and ate some more tiger meat.
Before leaving the cave, Qin Lang had specifically butchered and cooked the remaining meat and carried it on his back, thus avoiding going hungry again.
After eating their fill, they leaned against tree roots and closed their eyes to rest. It wasn't until the latter half of the night, when the man's breathing became even, that Shen Jianxi opened her eyes and quietly got up to leave the place.
The moment she left, the man who had been sleeping soundly also opened his eyes.
Shen Jianxi didn't go far, just far enough to ensure she was out of Qin Lang's line of sight.
Using a tree to conceal herself, she took a deep breath and, clutching the pendant, silently recited in her heart.
Return!
After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, only to find herself still in the forest.
Go home! She tried several more times, but this time, no matter what she said, she couldn't leave this world.
Can't go back? This thought made Shen Jianxi's face turn exceptionally grim.