There was a man in the cave!
Su Qing couldn't tell the man's age because of his full beard. His clothes were tattered but looked clean. He was limping, steadying himself against the cave wall and fumbling for something with a wooden cup in his hand.
The cave had clearly been arranged. There was a bed, a large flat stone flanked by two stone stools, and a makeshift stone stove in one corner, topped with a small iron pot.
The man wasn't just injured—he was also blind!
"Heizi, are you back?"
Hearing the noise at the entrance, the man turned his head. His eyes faced the opening, but they were utterly lifeless.
GRR! The Black Tiger heard the man and let out a soft growl. It hurried forward, took the cup from the man's hand, scooped some water from a nearby wooden bucket, and placed the cup back in his hand.
The man smiled and patted the Black Tiger's head. "Thank you, Heizi."
The Black Tiger gave another soft growl in Su Qing's direction, seemingly urging her to come closer.
