They walked along, still hearing the sounds of the parade ground's horns in the distance.
Manopas and Izast were two mountains, and atop Izast was a vast natural lake.
The target of this hunt often frequented the vicinity of the Izast natural lake.
This meant they first had to traverse Mount Manopas, and then ascend to the peak of Mount Izast.
Meng Jingwei glanced down at her watch; it was already half-past three.
Walking side by side with four men, Meng Jingwei's only source of trust was Xiao Cheng.
To say she wasn't afraid would be a lie.
Four hours later, night fell. Thunder rumbled ominously in the sky, lightning split the heavens, and a torrential rain followed.
"It seems we can't proceed further today. Let's set up camp here."
He Kalin Chuan beckoned to Xiao Cheng and the limping man. "You two come help. Anthony is injured and can't do it."
"Okay," Xiao Cheng replied.
The limping man nodded. "Certainly, Prince."
Meng Jingwei stood aside, squatting to rummage through her waterproof backpack. Suddenly, she heard the limping man's voice and couldn't help but startle.
This was the first time the limping man had spoken since they left the parade ground that afternoon.
But his voice was so familiar!
Meng Jingwei frowned and thought for a moment. A crack of thunder overhead disturbed her thoughts, and she continued searching her backpack for a single tent.
After setting up the single tent, Meng Jingwei placed her backpack inside and joined them to help.
"Meng Jingwei, go with Kang Zi to gather some firewood to start a fire."
He Kalin Chuan instructed Meng Jingwei, pointing at the limping man.
So, his name was Kang Zi.
"Alright."
Without thinking much, she said to Kang Zi, "Let's go."
Although in the deep mountains, pine needles covered the ground, there were no dry branches suitable for fire.
The Hidden Tribe's climate was spring-like year-round, and the mountains were filled with living plants, making them difficult to ignite. Thus, they had to search for firewood.
The mountain paths were muddy and slippery after the downpour. Seeing Kang Zi’s difficulty in walking, Meng Jingwei subconsciously said, "It's a bit slippery, be careful."
"Mm."
Kang Zi nodded in agreement.
Meng Jingwei, holding her flashlight, walked ahead when her steps faltered and her brows furrowed.
"You can understand Mandarin?" she asked, looking back at him.
The flashlight beam illuminated the surroundings, as well as Kang Zi's unremarkable face.
Meng Jingwei clearly detected a flicker of something unusual in his eyes. She then heard him say, "I can."
"Phew... that's good. I thought you couldn't understand Mandarin and was worried about communicating with you."
"I understand everything,"
Kang Zi replied, then added, "Let's go."
While many members of the Hidden Tribe's royal family could speak Mandarin, their speech always carried a local inflection, and their Mandarin wasn't always perfectly standard.
Kang Zi not only pronounced words correctly but his accent was even similar to the accent of Lancheng.
He...
Meng Jingwei smiled faintly. "You walk ahead, I'll use the flashlight to light your way."
Kang Zi appeared calm and composed on the surface, but the subtle ripple in his eyes the moment he looked at Meng Jingwei did not escape her notice.
"Okay."
He walked in front.
The two exchanged no more words. They found some firewood together and returned the way they came, carrying the wood.
Meng Jingwei, all the while, walked behind Kang Zi!
Upon returning to the campsite, they placed the firewood on the ground. Xiao Cheng grabbed some nearby pine needles, ignited them, and began to start the fire.