Living together in this wooden cabin, the two of them felt a bit cramped...

Hearing this, Lu Xiao nodded in agreement.

Those fierce beasts were profoundly abnormal, seeming entirely devoid of fear.

They could die, but they would attack you right up until their dying breath.

Even with practically zero chance of winning, they still refused to flee.

The mountain forests operated on the law of the jungle—the survival of the fittest.

Creatures living under this system should naturally be adept at escaping.

What possible benefit could there be in fighting to the death like this, dragging their opponent down with them?

Wasn't that simply doing the work for others and reaping no rewards?

Everything An Yunzhi mentioned aligned with what he had observed himself.

Her Senior Sister Ruan was indeed much more formidable than she was.

After about a couple of hours, the two finally reached the cliff on the western side.

The precipice was roughly twenty zhang high and extremely steep.

By setting up their dwelling in this location, they could completely disregard safety concerns from one direction.

Those fierce beasts lacked the capability to scale the cliff for a sneak attack.

Leaving An Yunzhi to rest off to the side, Lu Xiao set about constructing a shelter.

Concealment remained the primary objective.

Noticing a few trees growing closely together, Lu Xiao decided to build the hut right there.

Since the wooden boards were somewhat insufficient, he went out to chop some more.

He also brought back a pile of brushwood, withered branches, and fallen leaves.

These materials were meant for camouflage and concealment.

Having done countless chores at the Marquis of Lu's estate, Lu Xiao was thoroughly practiced in such tasks.

Watching this unfold, An Yunzhi wore a look of bewilderment.

"Did Senior Brother Lu's sect specifically instruct you on how to build wooden huts before you came here?"

An Yunzhi asked this without the slightest hint of sarcasm; she genuinely believed it to be the case.

Otherwise, how could Lu Xiao perform these tasks with such practiced ease?

Hearing this, Lu Xiao smiled and nodded.

"When you've done this kind of menial labor enough, you master it without needing to be taught. Practice brings skill, and the more you do it, the faster you get."

"But wouldn't doing these things waste time and energy that should be spent on cultivation?"

Confusion lingered on An Yunzhi's face; she found it difficult to understand.

To this question, Lu Xiao offered no further explanation.

As far as Old Madam Lu and the others were concerned, they hoped precisely that his time and energy would be delayed.

It was deliberate—designed and arranged specifically that way.

In half an hour, the wooden hut was completed, and various vines and bushes were properly arranged.

Modeled after the surrounding environment, it blended in quite seamlessly.

An Yunzhi propped herself up and stepped inside to test whether it was comfortable.

At that moment, Lu Xiao took out a dry flatbread, splitting it in half for the two of them.

Taking the opportunity, he showed An Yunzhi his remaining supplies.

There were still twenty flatbreads left in the bag. Even if they rationed themselves to save a bit—one per meal—it wouldn't last even seven days.

Aside from the flatbreads, there were also some cassava and green vegetables.

Yet, this food was still far from enough.

Therefore, they still had to figure out a way to secure sustenance.

Seeing these flatbreads, a cascade of questions arose in An Yunzhi's mind.

Coming here to search for a supreme treasure, why would anyone bring so much dried cake and raw food ingredients?

When she and Ruan Xian came, they carried direct stamina-recovery pills and various meat rations.

Such items were convenient to carry and exceptionally effective at staving off hunger.

These dried cakes were barely any better than medicinal pills, and she couldn't comprehend why he hadn't brought meat...

However, this time An Yunzhi held back her questions, feeling that asking such things was somewhat inappropriate.

After restoring a bit of his physical strength, Lu Xiao prepared to scout the surrounding area.

Before doing so, he walked a fair distance away.

Once again, he employed the Dragon Blood Body-Washing Art to lure the scent of blood elsewhere.

With this task completed, Lu Xiao began retracing his steps.

He headed back toward the entrance where he had first entered the mountain forest.

As he drew closer, Lu Xiao felt the pressure upon him grow increasingly heavy.

It felt like a warning—a warning that he could not leave.

If he were to forcefully break through, his current Stone-Moving realm physique would likely be crushed to dust.

Having verified this, Lu Xiao turned back and began surveying the surrounding environment.

It appeared that he would truly have to wait until the restriction here was lifted before he had any hope of leaving.

Trapped here for twenty days, the very first problem to resolve was the water supply.

Water sources were not difficult to find within the mountain forests.

Numerous hollows and depressions held accumulated rainwater.

After circling the vicinity, Lu Xiao discovered several such spots.

Moreover, the water gathered in these hollows was remarkably clear.

When he returned, it was just reaching the hour of You.

Night had not yet fallen, but it was close.

A drizzle began to fall within the forest.

Winter rains were generally not heavy, but once they started, they tended to last quite a long time and were bitterly cold.

An ordinary person caught out in a winter rain would almost certainly contract a cold.

With his strength and cultivation realm currently suppressed, Lu Xiao was merely in the Stone-Moving realm.

Enduring a night of winter rain would undoubtedly take a toll on him.

By the time Lu Xiao returned, An Yunzhi had likely just woken up from a nap.

During the recovery period from her injuries, she was naturally much more prone to sleep.

Yet, sleepy as she was, she couldn't sleep indefinitely, and at that moment, An Yunzhi wasn't particularly tired.

Sensing Lu Xiao's return, she opened the narrow door of the wooden hut.

"Isn't the bag with the flatbreads right inside the hut?"

Seeing An Yunzhi's gaze fall upon him, Lu Xiao assumed she was hungry.

"I'm not hungry. I was just tired of sleeping and wanted to sit up for a bit..."

This was not a lie; An Yunzhi was genuinely tired of sleeping and felt her entire body growing restless.

"It's raining outside."

"Yeah."

Lu Xiao wiped the rainwater from his head. Clad in his garment made of tree bark, he surprisingly hadn't gotten soaked through.

It seemed he ought to make himself a bark hat as well.

Seeing that Lu Xiao merely responded with a single "Yeah," An Yunzhi felt she needed to speak more directly.

"It's raining outside, Senior Brother Lu... would you like to come inside the hut to escape the rain..."

"It's fine, this little bit of rain is nothing. I'll rig up a simple canopy, and I should be fine holding out for the night."

"What if this rain is still falling tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow during the day, I'll reinforce the canopy; it won't matter if it keeps raining."

Lu Xiao explained quite earnestly.

He failed to notice the tightly furrowed brow and pouting lips on An Yunzhi's face.

Maintaining the demeanor of a gentleman was certainly commendable.

However, the impression Lu Xiao was giving her no longer felt like gentlemanly conduct; it felt more like he was avoiding her and wanted nothing to do with her...

"It's cold and gloomy outside, Senior Brother Lu surely isn't trying to shun me..."

An Yunzhi's blunt questioning left Lu Xiao momentarily startled.

A moment later, Lu Xiao comprehended the implication behind her words.

He quickly opened his mouth to explain, "I was simply thinking that the wooden hut is narrow and Senior Sister An needs spacious quarters to rest her injuries, not because..."

"In that case, I don't mind. Please, Senior Brother Lu, come inside the hut to rest. The winter cold is harsh, and our cultivation realms are suppressed. Senior Brother Lu already saved my life; having you suffer through this bitter cold on my account would only make me feel even more guilty."

An Yunzhi looked directly at Lu Xiao, her gaze locked onto him as she awaited his reply.

An Yunzhi meant well.

Lu Xiao could be considered her savior.

Now that freezing rain was pouring down, she was warm inside the cabin while Lu Xiao suffered in the cold outside, a sight that weighed heavily on her conscience.

Hesitating for a moment, Lu Xiao stopped struggling and squeezed into the wooden hut as well.

The materials used for the cabin were carefully refined wooden boards, providing both warmth and waterproofing.

Once inside the shelter, he was immediately enveloped in warmth.

It was undeniably far more comfortable than enduring the cold outside.

However, An Yunzhi had severely overestimated the size of this wooden hut...