Shao Xuan returned to help Gongjia Heng. That way, they could leave this place as soon as possible.
The monkeys in this area were not friendly. Although they were not big, they were hard to deal with. According to Gongjia Heng, these monkeys liked to eat human brains. He had found a few human corpses in this forest with their skulls cut open.
Anyone who could find this place was no weakling.
That was why they could not fight these monkeys head-on. They would be at a disadvantage. Leaving as soon as possible was the best option. Since they were traveling together, they had to help each other.
Initially, Gongjia Heng thought that Shao Xuan, a young man who came here for the first time, would encounter many difficulties. He thought that if he helped, he would be able to save some face and teach this kid a lesson. He did not expect the situation to be reversed.
Because of this, when the two of them ran away from the area occupied by the monkeys, Gongjia Heng's expression froze. He did not know what to say. When he thought of his excuse, he blushed and thanked Gongjia Heng dryly.
In the forest behind them, there were still the unreconciled screams of the monkeys and the sound of beating branches. They seemed to be very angry. They actually couldn't stop a single intruder and were left far behind by the two of them. They didn't even touch the human skin.
After leaving the monkeys' territory, the two of them hurried on. Shao Xuan did not need to look for them again. Gongjia Heng led the way. He had been here many times so he was familiar with this place.
There were some small rivers around, similar to the ones in Yanjiao's hunting grounds. During the dry season, they would see the riverbed. They did not know which branch this river came from, but it extended all the way here.
There were some smaller crocodiles and other aquatic animals living here. It was not the dry season yet so they could hear the sounds of animals in and around the river.
An anaconda was leisurely moving in the bushes by the river. It was lazy and did not care about the other animals around it because it was already full. When Shao Xuan passed by it, he saw that there was a bulge on the anaconda's body. Judging from the shape, the anaconda had probably just swallowed a crocodile.
In the beginning, Heng had told Shao Xuan what to watch out for. That was why Shao Xuan didn't need any reminders. He safely avoided the hidden predators.
Shao Xuan was doing too well. He did not look like a first-time visitor at all. Because of this, Heng could not find another chance to teach Shao Xuan. This made Heng realize that his excuse of tagging along was unnecessary. He was frustrated. He could only sigh. The tribesmen who lived in the forest were indeed very suitable for moving around in the forest.
Two days after the departure.
"At this speed, we'll reach the resting place before dark," said Heng.
Because he came here often, there were a few resting places along the way. One time when he was looking for Gongjia Mountain, he found a cave on one of the mountains. It was a suitable resting place. At the time, there were many snakes and insects in the cave. He even used medicinal powder to get rid of them. After that, every time he left, he would smoke the cave with medicinal powder to prevent it from becoming a nest of snakes and insects.
Before the sun set, they reached the mountain Heng mentioned. The mountain was steep and there were all sorts of wet moss on the walls. It was slippery but it was not a problem for Shao Xuan and Heng.
"It's here!" Heng looked at the large rock blocking the entrance. There were traces of green powder next to it. This was the medicine he had applied the last time he went back. It was still there so there should not be any insects or snakes in the cave. There was no need to waste medicine to get rid of them.
"Take this, I'll move the rock." Gongjia Heng passed his bag to Shao Xuan, then moved his shoulders. With both hands on the rock, he pushed hard to the other side. This rock was heavier than the crocodile he hunted. It was difficult to push it.
Suddenly, Heng felt the resistance lighten. The rock moved quickly to the other side.
"Hey, didn't I ask you to hold the things? You push …" Heng wanted to tell Shao Xuan to just hold the things. Why push the rock?
Because of the limited materials, he treasured the weapons in his bag. If he lost them, it would be difficult to find them again. Unfortunately, there were many creatures flying in the sky and jumping in the forest. They loved to steal things so he could not push the rock. However, when Heng turned his head, he realised that Shao Xuan was holding their belongings in one hand. He did not put them down, his other hand was pushing against the rock.
"You … You did a good job." These were the only words Heng managed to squeeze out. He thought to himself, 'So what if you're strong?!'
However, as a fellow traveler, with Shao Xuan's help, Gongjia Heng felt much more relaxed this time.
In the past, it would take at least three days to get here. Now, it only took two days. Heng had to admit that Shao Xuan was quite capable.
They lit a fire and went out to hunt a small fearsome beast before the sky turned dark. They cooked it outside and brought it back to the cave.
"When I first came here, I wanted to build a house. Then I realised that a cave is more convenient," said Heng as he barbecued the meat.
"Our tribe lives in caves when we hunt." Shao Xuan told him about his hunting days.
In the past, Heng did not understand the life of a hunter in the forest but after twenty years, he was no longer curious. He did not ask.
It was cold at night and the wind was strong. The cave was not deep so the fire danced in the wind. Shao Xuan walked to the cave entrance and moved the rock slightly. He left a small gap to prevent the wind from blowing in and affecting the fire.
When he saw Shao Xuan move the rock so easily, Heng felt jealous. "You Yanjiao people are all so strong?"
"Yes, our tribe has a lot of manpower."
"It's suitable for forging. Speaking of which, I think I've heard of your tribe before. It's been too long so I don't remember. " In the past, Heng had focused on forging so he only heard about it from others. He did not know much about it and was not interested in it. Later on, when he was searching for Gongjia Mountain, his information was even more limited.
After a full meal, Gongjia Heng extinguished the fire and was about to rest when he saw Shao Xuan take out a glowing crystal, an animal skin scroll and a weird-looking pen. He used the light to write and draw on the scroll.
"What are you writing?" asked Heng.
"I'm adding a map," said Shao Xuan.
"Why are you drawing a map? How many times do you plan to come here? "
"I don't know."
"We'll be lucky if we can make it back alive. Don't think too much. As a real Xia person, I've been searching for twenty years and you think you can find it in one go? But it's okay if you can't find it. It'll be a learning experience, "said Heng comfortingly. Actually, he was looking forward to finding it on his first try too. However, he had been attacked time and time again. Heng was prepared to fight for a long time. He would not give up. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't trade with other tribes to get materials, he would have stayed in this area.
However, he was still curious about Shao Xuan's map so he leaned over to take a look. He had seen the map Shao Xuan drew after deciphering the cloud patterns. At that time, it was just a few simple strokes. Now, it was a lot more detailed. The places they passed, the monkey forest, the pond, the shrubs and even the high mountains were marked.
"Why is this empty?" Heng pointed at a spot on the scroll.
"I've never been there."
"I've been there! Let me tell you … "Heng pointed at the empty spot on the map and started talking. He had been there when he was searching for Gongjia Mountain. Although it had been a few years, he still had a vague impression of it.
Then, he said, "When we get back, lend me a copy of your map." Heng liked Shao Xuan's simple yet effective markings on the map. He wanted a copy too.
"Sure." Since Heng agreed so readily, Shao Xuan did not feel awkward. "I'll draw a copy for you when the time comes."
Heng was satisfied when he heard Shao Xuan's reply. At this moment, he felt exhausted and sleepy.
"Sleep early. If you don't, you'll suffer!" After two days of rushing, he was exhausted both physically and mentally. It was as if he had been smithing metal for more than ten days. Just one night's rest was already rushed and this kid was still staying up late?
"Mm." Shao Xuan continued writing.
When Heng saw this, he did not say anything else. He would make the kid regret it later.
However, when Heng woke up the next day, he realised that Shao Xuan was even more energetic than he was. He even went hunting early in the morning and brought food back for breakfast.
Heng was about to say something when Shao Xuan asked in surprise, "Master Gongjia, why are there two suns outside?!"
When they arrived yesterday, although it was close to sunset, there was indeed only one sun. Shao Xuan had only seen one before but this morning, when he went hunting, there were two suns in the sky! Where did the other one come from?
After Shao Xuan's question, Heng no longer cared why Shao Xuan was so resilient. He smiled mysteriously. "It's only two suns and you're already scared? What will you do if there are more suns in the sky? "
Shao Xuan was silent for a moment, then probed, "An illusion?"
Heng was even more surprised. If other people heard that there were more suns in the future, they would definitely ask for the reason. He did not expect Shao Xuan to be so direct.
"You can say that." Heng walked out of the cave and looked up at the two suns in the sky. He sighed. "If Gongjia Mountain was so easy to find, there wouldn't be so many people buried here!"
Whether it was the people in the forest or the slave masters in the cities, they all used the sun's movement to determine their location and time. But what if the sun's movement changed? Right now, the two suns in the sky did not affect their journey. However, the further they went, the more illusions they would encounter. It would be harder to determine their location and their decisions would be seriously affected.
Although the two suns were not far away from each other, people who were not familiar with this place would have a hard time determining their location.
"Do you know which sun is the real one?" Gongjia Heng's eyes gleamed with pride when he asked this. However, when he thought about Shao Xuan's divination skills, he was excited. "Why don't you do a divination?"
Heng went to look for a straw rope. Shao Xuan closed his eyes and opened them again. He looked at the sky and pointed at the sun on the left. "That's the real one."
Gongjia Heng was about to hand Shao Xuan a straw rope excitedly. He wanted to observe Shao Xuan's divination skills and test Shao Xuan's proficiency. However, when he heard this, his hand paused and he dropped the straw rope.
"How did you know?" asked Heng.
"I guessed."
"…"
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