Fleeing from Life and Death(3)

Xianyue and Lanyixuan followed the two local residents who led them to a thatched cottage. The locals quickly realized that Lanyixuan could not comprehend their words and spoke a few sentences to Xianyue before departing. Turning around, Lanyixuan poured tea and, with a smile, handed it to her. Xianyue accepted it with a grin, and they sat together at the table. "They said they would bring us dinner soon. I asked them to prepare hot water, clean clothes, and some herbs for treating wounds."

Before they could engage in further conversation, without any knock on the door, the locals directly delivered the items, placing them in front of Xianyue with a heavy thud. One might have thought they were competing with someone, given the commotion.

After setting the items down, they exchanged glances with Xianyue, and upon seeing her remain silent, they quietly left. 

Xianyue stepped forward and closed the door after their departure, glancing at the items on the table. Pointing at the water they had just brought in, she said to Lanyixuan, "You should take a bath first." 

Lanyixuan's inner shirt had been torn, especially around the shoulders, exposing visible wounds marked by long, red streaks—numerous but shallow. Although they were not located in critical areas, Xianyue couldn't help but furrow her brow, feeling a pang of sympathy.

Compared to Lanyixuan, Xianyue was not much better off. The journey had been fraught with dense branches and grass taller than a person, some of which were exceedingly sharp. Any garment that got snagged would leave its wearer battered. However, throughout the ordeal, Lanyixuan had tried his best to shield Xianyue, and her outdoor survival experience made her fared better than him. Still, the concern in his eyes was palpable.

"I'm fine. You should wash up first. After that, I'll tend to your wounds." 

Seeing Lanyixuan approach her, she waved him off. After three days of relentless pursuit by the reckless man-eating ants, not only had they missed the chance for a refreshing bath, but they had barely even had a moment to rest. Now, with the sticky discomfort clinging to her skin, she couldn't help but feel for Lanyixuan. Reflecting on their first meeting in the Qihuan Mountains, she recalled her own disheveled state and how the tree behind him was bound with yellow silk. He must have struggled hard to suppress his emotions all this time for her sake.

"Go wash up. Afterward, I'll take care of your wounds, and then we can rest early." 

She had always been prone to drowsiness, needing at least half a day's sleep, but in the past three days, she hadn't had a moment to close her eyes.

"I'm utterly exhausted. I'll sleep first and eat when I wake up." 

As Lanyixuan had guessed, Xianyue was indeed worn out. Growing up in the mountains, she had learned to sleep on the grass whenever she felt tired, as long as it wasn't raining or thundering. Compared to now, her previous exhaustion seemed trivial. While Liu Xinyou had her quirks, she wouldn't deny Xianyue sleep for three consecutive days, nor would she restrict her to only drinking water. However, after three days of hunger, Xianyue seemed to have grown accustomed to it and oddly felt full now.

Ignoring Lanyixuan's expression, Xianyue directly sat on a stool, resting her head on the table. Before long, the dimming room echoed with her steady breathing.

Lanyixuan gently patted Xianyue's shoulder, but she remained steadfastly seated at the table. He chuckled softly and draped a garment over her shoulders before picking up the clean clothes. Although the thatched cottage was spacious, its layout differed from the structures of the Zhou Dynasty. The dining area, sleeping quarters, and bathing space were not separated by any partitions. Gradually, the sound of splashing water filled the room. 

Xianyue, who had fallen asleep with her head on the table, suddenly opened her eyes, withdrawing her hand from her chin. Looking at the food, herbs, and clothes on the table, her tired eyes dimmed, losing the last glimmer of light. Clenching her fists, she resolved within herself.

When Lanyixuan emerged from the bath, he found Xianyue sitting upright at the table, her posture straight, gazing at him. In the dim light, the spark in her eyes twinkled like stars.

"Didn't you just say you were going to sleep?" 

Lanyixuan's hair was damp, droplets still dripping from the ends. Some strands clung to his forehead, and his slightly pale face, tinged with fatigue, was adorned with beads of water. However, he felt invigorated nonetheless.

"With a handsome man bathing nearby and the sound of water, how could I possibly sleep?" 

Lanyixuan chuckled, knowing that even if the sky were to fall, Feng Xianyue could still sleep soundly and wouldn't be disturbed by the gentle sound of water.

Lanyixuan sat beside her, but Xianyue stood up, noticing blood seeping from his back. She gently patted his shoulder. "Take off your shirt. I'll apply the medicine." 

Lanyixuan displayed no hint of embarrassment. After the fall from the cliff, his right hand had been injured, making many tasks inconvenient. The wounds on his back were all treated and bandaged by Xianyue, and he swiftly removed his shirt. The bloodstains were dense and vivid, flowing like a small stream, and were rather alarming.

Though the wounds were not particularly deep, they were fresh and hadn't begun to heal, becoming worse after being thoroughly cleaned by Lanyixuan.

"Lie down on the bed." 

Xianyue helped him to the edge of the bed, where Lanyixuan lay down and closed his eyes. She sat carefully by his side, gently tending to his wounds. For a moment, neither spoke. Xianyue didn't feel awkward; instead, the air around them felt thick and frigid, as if it were about to freeze over.

"Lanyixuan."

She let out a soft gasp, her actions shattering the silence that had cloaked the room in frost. 

"Mm." 

Lanyixuan responded with a low murmur, his eyes still closed, as Xianyue's gentle yet icy hands glided across his back, sending ripples of shivers through him. 

"Do you know why those man-eating ants fear these indigenous people?" 

"Hmm?" 

Lanyixuan raised his voice slightly, a cue for Xianyue to continue. 

"The reason the man-eating ants can dominate this area is their unity. In order to survive in this perilous environment, the locals have formed a vast community akin to the ants themselves, banding together to fend off the attacks of ferocious beasts. If one of their own is harmed, they face the collective wrath of the group. Thus, unless absolutely necessary, they refrain from engaging in conflict. Their level of production is exceedingly primitive; almost everything is crafted from wood, and instances of metal tools are rare. Even if iron exists, it is of inferior quality, nowhere near comparable to that of the Zhou Dynasty. Here, everything is communal, meaning that anything can be shared. Every house is a thatched cottage, and wind chimes hang before each door. That figure we saw wearing a shaman's outfit, adorned with strange totems, is likely their leader, comparable to an emperor in our Zhou Dynasty. And—" 

Xianyue paused, a light chuckle escaping her lips. "Have you noticed that the status of women here surpasses that of men?" 

Lanyixuan opened his eyes and turned to meet her smiling gaze, nodding in agreement. This was indeed the case. Although he could not understand their language, in the Zhou Dynasty, even if he were unaware of the specifics, the locals would have consulted him first. Yet here, they directed all their actions towards Xianyue, and the chores were predominantly carried out by men. At the sacrificial site, most of the participants were women, yet it was the young men who had been consumed by the man-eating trees. 

"This situation likely stems from a matriarchal clan society. Women handle foraging and agriculture, while men hunt outside. It will take them a considerable amount of time to reach the societal level of the Zhou Dynasty. In our time, men had multiple wives, while emperors could have numerous concubines. Here, however, the relationships between men and women are quite chaotic; children take their mother's surname, and often, they do not even know their fathers." 

Xianyue had already applied medicine to Lanyixuan's wounds and rebandaged them. "Don't move around too much, or the wounds will reopen." 

Lanyixuan propped himself up on the bed, gazing intently at Xianyue. "How do you know all this?" 

Even those who lived here might not possess her level of understanding. He wondered how she could foresee that the elevated status of women would eventually be usurped by men. He considered himself well-read, yet since arriving in this place, all his judgments had derived solely from his instinctive reactions to danger. Once he had entered this cursed land, there seemed to be only one path—death. Who had imparted this knowledge to her? 

"Let's just say I know." 

Xianyue crouched down to tidy up, turning back to him. "You rest well; I'll go take a bath and then sleep." 

The following day dawned bright and clear, with a cerulean sky, clean windows, and soft colors reminiscent of fine silk. Just as Xianyue and Lanyixuan awakened, the door swung open. Two men waiting at the entrance approached Xianyue and bowed respectfully before her, their demeanor exceedingly deferential. 

Xianyue maintained a cool demeanor, especially as their eyes shifted to Lanyixuan, whose expression grew tense as he bit his lip, clearly suppressing his anger. The two dark-skinned men stood silently nearby, refraining from speaking, until Xianyue waved them off, prompting their exit from the room. They lingered at the doorway, their gaze fixed intently on her. 

Lanyixuan furrowed his brow, feeling the dismal weight of being an outsider, excluded from their discourse. 

As Xianyue passed by him, she reached out to adjust his already tidy clothing, patting his chest, her smile appearing as though it were painfully drawn from the corners of her mouth. "I'll be back soon." 

Watching her retreating figure, Lanyixuan was once again engulfed by a sense of helplessness, an overwhelming tide of fear, worry, and unease crashing over him like a deluge. Yet, he could do nothing but sit at the table, desperately stifling his emotions. 

When she promised to return, he had faith that she would indeed come back.