Chapter 119: With Jiang Yuxing

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: With Jiang Yuxing

At four in the afternoon, the rain outside the cave finally stopped. A bright sun emerged right after, its rays beating down on the island and quickly evaporating the moisture from the ground.

Shi Zhile stored the stones blocking the entrance and the bonfire in her Breeding Space, then grabbed her axe and headed toward the sea with Jiang Jing.

The grass along the path was crushed to pieces by the giant python, and the faint scent of blood still lingered in the air.

The path was muddy, but the journey downhill was much easier than the climb up.

After the downpour, the tide had receded, leaving many fish washed ashore by the waves.

The weather was scorching. Baked by the high heat, the first fish to die had already begun to rot and stink. Their silvery scales had lost their luster, and their bellies were bloated and white.

The entire beach reeked of rot and fish.

The sky was clear and the sea was calm. If it weren’t so late in the day, it would have been a perfect time to set sail.

Jiang Jing took out the large raft, and he and Shi Zhile boarded it at the same time.

To their surprise, the raft could indeed be taken out to sea.

But at about 100 meters from the shore, no matter how hard they paddled, the raft wouldn’t move a single step forward.

Shi Zhile stood at the front of the raft and stretched her hands forward. Her palms met a surface that felt like transparent glass, though there was nothing visible before her. It was clear the raft couldn’t leave the island.

"The system prompt said that beneath the light lies a deep cliff, and below the cliff are two tribes. Since the raft can’t go too far from the island, let’s follow its maximum range and head west."

’The raft’s maximum range is 100 meters from the island, and you need a tool to travel on the sea. So even if the natives spot us, they won’t be able to immediately set sail and give chase.’

Jiang Jing, paddle in hand, wiped the sweat from his brow. "You want to look for the two tribes? If the Cannibal Clan is what its name implies, they most likely eat people. We should be fully prepared before we go."

’The cave is the best shelter. As long as we block the entrance, other players won’t be able to find us.’

Shi Zhile guessed what he was thinking.

"The cave is nice, but staying there isn’t a long-term solution. A giant python prowls the area. The stones we use to block the entrance wouldn’t withstand a single strike from it."

"If we get trapped by it, we’re dead for sure. Besides, we’re already prepared."

She pulled him into the Planting Space, then brought him back out in the blink of an eye.

"This is our preparation. We’ll scout them out first. We’ll observe them and then decide whether to join. If there’s any danger, we’ll hide in the space immediately."

’She hadn’t made her daily wish yet, which was precisely why she dared to take this risk.’

Jiang Jing turned the raft, heading west toward the setting sun.

The island was larger than either of them had imagined. They paddled for half an hour but still hadn’t found the so-called tribes.

Uncertain when the sun would set in this new instance, they decided to play it safe. They didn’t venture any further, returning to shore and backtracking along the coast.

Before they landed, Shi Zhile took out a fishing net and cast it once.

The ocean was teeming with fish after the downpour. A single cast and haul of the net brought in a full load.

As the two were on the shore cleaning the fish, heavy footsteps sounded from the grass along the coast.

They immediately drew their weapons, their expressions wary as they stared at the woods.

The footsteps drew closer, and soon, five men emerged. They were dressed in animal skins and had long, unbound hair.

The men had bronze-colored skin and carried forks fashioned from sharpened bone.

The moment they saw Shi Zhile, their eyes lit up.

"A woman! It’s a woman!"

"Fish! Clan Leader, they have so many fish!"

Shi Zhile tightened her grip on her axe, and Jiang Jing stepped in front to shield her.

"Which tribe are you from?"

The man in the lead was exceptionally tall. He was bare-chested, wearing only a tiger-skin loincloth. He raised a hand, and the four men behind him instantly fell silent.

"Beast-eating Clan. You must be the Alien Clan from off-island. Can you tell us how you caught so many fish?"

Jiang Jing glanced back at Shi Zhile. After she nodded, he spoke. "With a fishing net. Friend, are you really the Beast-eating Clan?"

The leader nodded. "I am Mo Ze, Clan Leader of the Beast-eating Clan."

Shi Zhile peeked out from behind Jiang Jing. "I’ve heard the Cannibal Clan on this island likes to disguise themselves as the Beast-eating Clan. Cannibals eating people is terrifying."

Mo Ze fell silent.

A man behind him piped up, "Is it possible the Cannibal Clan doesn’t eat people?"

Jiang Jing said, "Impossible. They’re called the Cannibal Clan. If they don’t eat people, what do they eat?"

Mo Ze blurted out, "We eat beasts! Tigers, snakes, fish, rabbits—we eat them all."

Shi Zhile and Jiang Jing both took a large step back at the same time.

The five men surged forward, stumbling over each other as they shouted in unison, "We really don’t eat people!"

"We don’t believe you!"

A soft, familiar-sounding chuckle came from behind the five men.

"They really don’t eat people!"

Shi Zhile looked at the newcomer. "Jiang Yuxing, what are you doing here? Was it your brilliant idea to have the Cannibal Clan pose as the Beast-eating Clan?"

Jiang Yuxing smiled and nodded. "So clever. It was my idea. In this new instance, the Cannibal Clan doesn’t eat people, and the Beast-eating Clan doesn’t eat beasts. If you had followed the clues to find the tribes, you would have discovered this pattern."

Shi Zhile grew warier of him, though she didn’t let it show on her face. "The clue said that beneath the light lies a deep cliff, and below the cliff are two tribes. If everything is reversed, then the tribes aren’t below the cliff, but on top of it."

Jiang Yuxing nodded again, a look of admiration in his eyes. "You’d be active on the island this afternoon. I predicted you would interpret ’light’ as ’sunlight’ and search west, following the setting sun. That’s why I brought them here this morning to wait for you."

"Wait for me for what? To murder me and dump my body? Or to murder me and defile my corpse?"

Jiang Yuxing choked on her words and started coughing, his face turning from pale to red, then to a dark, furious shade.

Jiang Jing gave Jiang Yuxing a baffled look, then leaned close to Shi Zhile and whispered a few words to her.

When Shi Zhile nodded, the look on his face became even more complicated.

Although Jiang Yuxing couldn’t hear them, he could tell from Jiang Jing’s expression that they weren’t saying anything complimentary.

Mo Ze looked at Jiang Yuxing and pointed to Shi Zhile. "Envoy, is she your woman? If not, can you give her to us, the Cannibal Clan? We will protect the woman well and make sure no harm comes to her."

’Since the Cannibal Clan doesn’t eat people, they must want women to carry on their lineage.’

Before Jiang Yuxing could open his mouth, Shi Zhile cut in.

A cold smirk played on her lips. "Clan Leader, has your dear Envoy not told you? We women of the Alien Clan from overseas are small and frail. We’ve completely lost the ability to have children."

Utter confusion flashed in Mo Ze’s dark eyes.

"Naturally. Just look at your Envoy. He’s fairer and more beautiful than any woman. Most of the other men from the Alien Clan are just as slender and fair-skinned. It’s a trait of our people."

Hearing Shi Zhile’s completely straight-faced nonsense, both Jiang Yuxing and Jiang Jing laughed.

The former, however, was laughing in anger, while the latter was laughing in amusement.