Chapter 56 Miscarriage of Intentions

"To stay alive, they definitely need to find food. As soon as Ah-Fen started to wake up, she rambled on about a few things!" Because of this topic, Qu Xiang smoothly brought up what I had been wanting to ask.

I had not been around when Huang Jianfen was conscious, so naturally I had no idea what she had been through. However, thinking of that man's viciousness last night, along with the mocking pursuit, it was enough to show that those people did not take these individuals seriously at all.

Therefore, I did not interrupt, but watched her thoughtfully. Brother Wen had said that they were not the only faction here, yet he also claimed this was their territory. It seemed not only were there many other groups, but the territory held by each group was far from impregnable.

Qu Xiang seemed to understand the worry in my heart, though of course she hadn't figured out the whole situation here. She then explained, "She might have been delirious at the time, babbling anxiously that they were gathered at their shelter when a gang suddenly attacked. Because everyone was in a different situation, they actually got separated!"

"Perhaps because things were too chaotic then, she was almost killed directly by that man. Driven by fear and the primal urge to survive, she somehow managed to break away with a fierce determination to live. She said the only thing on her mind at that moment was to run along the riverbank!"

Qu Xiang seemed to feel the terrifying scenes Huang Jianfen had experienced, her words lingering with residual fear. No doubt Huang Jianfen had revealed some of those terrifying details to her upon waking. Of course, from my perspective, even without Huang Jianfen's description, the mere sight of her condition when we found her was enough to scare the wits out of Qu Xiang.

"That's why we need to be even more careful, because we still have no idea who is out there right now! But what Sister Lan just said is right; no matter what happens, we must first get our mindset right!" Seeing the worry in Qu Xiang's eyes, I knew deeply that this was a deeply ingrained fear. Once it takes root, it dictates a person's actions.

"What's more, it's not just Peng Qian and his people looking for food now. Brother Wen's group will turn on anyone when they get desperate enough. If that fellow last night hadn't been alone, the others would surely be the same—we've all witnessed his cruelty with our own eyes!"

I was genuinely worried that if we encountered any of these groups, we wouldn't be able to outrun them, let alone fight them. Our previous meeting with Brother Wen's faction felt like a miracle to me. Back then, given Luo Wei's death, anyone even slightly ruthless would have definitely come looking for trouble with us.

Although I admired Brother Wen's grit, I also firmly believed he was not alone. If his group faced a threat, I had no doubt these people would turn on us without a second thought.

In truth, there was something I hadn't said to Qu Xiang and Lan Fang. Because in the eyes of others, although we were also victims of an accident and stranded here helplessly, in our current state, we were no different from the wild beasts in this rainforest—ready to become someone else's meal at any moment!

If we were captured by them, heaven only knows what kind of torture we would endure!

When Peng Qian's group was attacked last night, if anyone managed to escape by luck, no matter how many were left, turning on each other for survival was guaranteed. Because in such a desperate plight, I figured once I faced a crisis, I would make whatever choice necessary in the end, let alone selfish people like Peng Qian.

At this moment, I felt somewhat lost about the future!

"We still don't know what happened to those people last night, nor how many of their kind are hidden in this rainforest. So for us right now, the danger is very real!" Surprisingly, even Lan Fang's face had darkened, but what she said next was astonishing.

She kept her eyes fixed on me, perhaps noticing my calm expression and realizing something, which made her tone resolute.

Accustomed to managing dozens of people usually, she possessed a certain degree of backbone: "Ah-Jing, I feel like I can still hold on. So if we need to keep watch tonight, I'll take the latter half of the night for you both, so you can get some proper rest. Because if we want everyone to survive safely, we truly need you here!"

Hearing Lan Fang say this, Qu Xiang was clearly taken aback.

After all, she understood these things very well in her heart. Yet perhaps because of Lan Fang's status as her boss, she couldn't speak her mind clearly. In her view, Lan Fang was the boss, and they might see things differently. Hearing Lan Fang speak like this now, her thoughts seemed to click into place instantly.

The fact that Lan Fang could speak so frankly clearly showed she trusted Huang Jing, bringing a measure of relief to Qu Xiang's heart: "Peng Qian's group had some trouble and hasn't shown up all day. If they've truly fallen, the attackers must be quite numerous. Ah-Jing, do you have any defensive plans?"

"For now, we can only take things as they come, because without securing food, we'll undoubtedly remain at a disadvantage!" Much like Brother Wen, I suspected his move against me would come in a day or two.

People lacking food, after two or three days of torment, generally lose all combat capability. We had been here for more than three days, and we were still encamped with a sick person. Under such circumstances, they could be lurking nearby at any moment, waiting for us to collapse.

Besides, I still had Lan Fang and Huang Jianfen weighing me down. If they were used as hostages, Qu Xiang and I would be completely powerless! Of course, even if we didn't care about being taken hostage, I feared that without food, we wouldn't last much longer ourselves.

"Hey! That smells wonderful!"

Because we had a fire burning, our field of vision was limited, and we had been keeping our voices low. Just as we were chatting away, a sarcastic voice suddenly rang out not far from us.

"I really wouldn't have thought it. Not only did you manage to get a fire going, but you're actually cooking food as well—I certainly underestimated you!" As we were jolted awake by the sudden presence, a somewhat unexpected voice rang out. Perhaps it was too abrupt, making our hair stand on end.

I sprang up like a spring, instantly scanning the direction of the voice. I saw a figure standing not far away, illuminated by the firelight, looking remarkably like a black bear.

He was brandishing something in his hand, standing there facing us while swaying unsteadily. Qu Xiang and Lan Fang almost instinctively pressed against each other. Qu Xiang even fumbled around frantically, grabbing a sharp wooden spike beside her.

"You bastard! I've tolerated you over and over again—do you really have to pick a fight with me?" Hearing that voice, though I couldn't clearly see the fellow, I didn't hesitate for a second. I instantly stepped in front of Qu Xiang and Lan Fang, gripping the wooden spike nearby and staring intently into the gloom.

It was actually Peng Qian! He was still alive!