Clenching his teeth, Shao took another step. He didn't like being held by that teenager; in his mind, he was still a man. Of course, he didn't like it at all, but he knew perfectly well that if he let go right then, he would undoubtedly fall. He didn't want that.
'These legs are too weak… If I let go of this brat, I'll definitely fall and be a burden. They'll leave me behind.'
After half an hour, he was finally able to take decent steps on his own.
Linyuan, seeing the girl's persistence, was astonished. It was obvious she was in excruciating pain, yet she didn't stop. And he didn't want to stop her either, since he knew he couldn't always protect her on this journey. If she could run away in case of danger, it would be a great relief, one less burden to bear. With that in mind, he began to slowly release the girl.
Shao realized this too. He knew she wanted to walk alone, so he let her do as she pleased. Meanwhile, he racked his brains trying to figure out how to get them to take him along. From the robes, he deduced they were from the Iron Sword Sect. If he could get them to accept him and start cultivating, that would be perfect. They were outer disciples, but they could still protect him.
She was completely weak, and besides, she wasn't just an ordinary mortal... now she was a child. It would be much harder to defend herself. She needed help.
Then a plan occurred to him, though it would take some time.
Seeing that the girl was already walking on her own, Linyuan breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you hungry? I'll make some food."
Before Shao could answer, his stomach spoke for him. His cute face turned red.
Linyuan stared at him, eyes wide, then let out a hearty laugh.
"You were buried alive and kidnapped. Of course you must be hungry. I'll tell Feng Wu to go hunt something while I make the fire. Stay close, okay?" she said, her smile beaming.
Shao had her suspicions. That face... it really did seem familiar.
But she stopped thinking about it when she saw Linyuan walking away. She couldn't walk any faster; if she didn't hurry, she'd leave her behind.
He searched his memories for a map of the area. When he buried the Sun and Moon plant, he had studied this forest thousands of times. He didn't want to leave his new body just anywhere. He knew that the Iron Sword disciples often trained nearby, hunting and earning points.
While his mind worked on his plan, they arrived where Feng Wu was.
"You took a while to get back," Feng Wu said without turning to look at him.
"Well, the girl was very weak; it took her a while to stand up, I had to help her. Forget that, can you go hunt something to cook?"
Feng Wu heard the words "hunt" and "cook" and immediately perked up. Then he remembered something and froze.
"Wait... wait? Did you say girl? Which girl?"
Linyuan pointed at Shao's head.
"This girl."
Feng Wu blinked a few times, completely confused. Then, as if struck by lightning, he pointed at him.
"A-a girl? Are you telling me that the child buried alive, kidnapped, and beaten nearly to death wasn't a boy, but a girl?"
Guilt washed over Feng Wu. He'd wanted to get rid of that "brat" ever since they found him, but it turned out to be a girl.
Shao paid no attention to Feng Wu's foolishness. He was too busy analyzing the area. If his memory served him right, they were close to the sect. But… why weren't they heading back? Were they looking for something? He had more questions than answers, but he didn't forget his plan.
He tugged on Linyuan's sleeve, who was scolding Feng Wu.
"Big brother, can I help you make the fire?"
Linyuan found her adorable. He'd always wanted someone to call him that, big brother, so he nodded immediately, though he warned her:
"It's dangerous, don't stray too far from me."
"Don't stray far enough? If I don't, how can I do what I need to without you seeing or suspecting anything? No way..."
Even thinking that, he smiled at her and nodded sweetly. Shao really wanted to throw up, but it wasn't the time to complain: he had work to do.
He knew some medicinal plants grew nearby. This forest was used by sects to send their disciples for training, and he hadn't forgotten the wild beasts that inhabited it.
If he could get some herbs to mask the smell, that would be fantastic. He had to survive, and those brats had to take him to their master. Only then could he be accepted into the sect. But to do that, he first had to keep them alive.
He made a mental note of all the herbs he needed. The odds of finding them all were slim, but it was better than nothing. Even a small chance meant hope.
With that in mind, he set off, pretending to pick some twigs for Linyuan.
Linyuan saw that and his heart warmed. After saving her twice in one day, he felt a genuine affection, like that of an older brother for his younger sister. He gently stroked her head.
"Don't strain yourself so much. A few branches will be enough."
Then he smiled and added curiously,
"By the way, little sister... what's your name?"
Shao, too focused on his own plan, answered without thinking,
"Lin Wuyue."
The moment he uttered the name, he realized his mistake. 'Tsk, now I'll have to keep up this lie...'
The veins were almost standing out on the back of his hand.
"Idiot! If you don't make a quick fire, the beasts will attack us from the darkness. And if I don't prepare a repellent, eating us will be a piece of cake. Why don't you stop talking nonsense and get to work?"
Shao really wanted to say all that, but in the end, he just smiled warmly and nodded.