Chapter 34: Occupying the Leopard's Den

After ensuring the cave was safe, Lin Feng placed the two bundles deeper inside before heading back the way he came.

He jogged along and soon reached the spot where Cheng Xiangyu was hiding. Seeing him return, she felt a wave of relief. In the past, she would have wanted Lin Feng to be safe simply because she was afraid of being alone, but now, her concern was genuine. Without realizing it, she had grown increasingly fond of Lin Feng, falling in love with him.

"Heh, it turns out my analysis was correct," Lin Feng said with a smile. "There really is a cave ahead, and there are no other leopards inside."

Cheng Xiangyu couldn't help but praise him: "Wow, Lin Feng, you're amazing! You were right about everything." Internally, she marveled at how right she had been to choose to follow him. Only fools like He Tiantian and Qin Meng would think otherwise.

She leaned on him as they walked toward the cave. Upon seeing it, she exclaimed happily, "What a large cave! And it’s so dry inside—no more worries about getting soaked in the rain." She thought to herself that if those two idiots, He Tiantian and Qin Meng, knew Lin Feng had found such a perfect shelter, they would surely regret their choices.

Lin Feng cautioned, "Don't get too excited yet. The light in here is poor, and it’s already hard to see even before dusk. If a leopard returns while we're inside, it’ll be dangerous to fight it. Plus, our clothes are still wet, which makes us prone to colds and fevers, so we need to start a fire immediately."

Cheng Xiangyu frowned. "Right, but how? You shouldn't have given in to Qin Meng earlier; you should have taken the dagger and lighter from her."

"It's fine," Lin Feng replied. "We can start a fire with the dagger and the sanitary pads. As for them, even though they have a lighter, the wood is all soaked, so it won't be easy for them to get a fire going."

Cheng Xiangyu laughed, "Haha, that's true. Besides, they're too lazy to even gather firewood."

Lin Feng chuckled to himself. Without a fire, Wang Xingyu, with his soaked clothes, would be even more likely to fall ill. Coupled with his parasitic infection and the lingering mushroom toxins, he would be lucky to survive at all. And if he did survive, the agony of his illness would be the perfect retribution.

Seeing that dusk was approaching, Lin Feng said, "Enough talk. You gather the dry leaves inside the cave, and I'll find some firewood nearby. Let’s get this fire started."

"Okay, be careful," Cheng Xiangyu replied, not forgetting to express her concern.

Lin Feng felt a warmth in his heart, marveling at how much this spoiled young lady had changed. "Don't worry," he said with a smile, turning to step out of the cave to collect fallen branches and dried grass.

Though the wood had been dampened by the rain, it wasn't soaked through and would catch fire easily with an open flame. With his sharp dagger, he found it much easier to cut and gather the branches. Soon, he had a large bundle, which he tied with a vine and hauled back to the cave.

He found that Cheng Xiangyu, despite the pain in her leg, had done her best to gather the dry leaves and weeds. Lin Feng was pleased. He was even more impressed when she tried to hobble over with her walking stick to help him with the heavy load.

"I've got it, just sit down," he said quickly, kneeling to set the wood down with ease.

Cheng Xiangyu sat back down and asked, "Lin Feng, how exactly are you going to start a fire with a knife and a sanitary pad?"

"Just watch," he said. He tore the cotton from a pad, wrapped it around the blade of his dagger, and used the sharp edge to strike a hard rock repeatedly. Before long, the friction heated the blade, igniting the cotton. He quickly transferred the glowing cotton into the pile of dry weeds and leaves, and soon, a fire was roaring.

Seeing this, Cheng Xiangyu finally understood why Lin Feng had insisted on taking the sanitary pads from the deceased. She marveled once more at his ingenuity. She handed him the firewood, and together, they soon had a steady fire burning. They sat around it, drying their clothes. They didn't take them off, however; although their feelings were deepening, they hadn't yet reached the point where they were comfortable letting go of their respective decorum.

Feeling bored sitting in silence, Cheng Xiangyu opened the conversation: "Lin Feng, how do you think the other three are doing?"

"The shelter I built was flooded, and the herbal mat I wove is soaked through..."

"Right!" Cheng Xiangyu interrupted. "Since there's no mat here, how are we going to sleep tonight?"

Lin Feng smiled. "Take a look back there."

Cheng Xiangyu turned to look and saw a small alcove deep in the cave containing a nest of dried grass the size of a single bed. She hadn't noticed it before because of the dim light.

"Is that a leopard's den?" she asked, clearly excited.

Lin Feng nodded. "Yes. The scent of the leopard usually keeps pests away. My only concern is fleas, which can be quite toxic and cause severe allergic reactions."

"Oh? Then I'll take the night watch and tend the fire," she said. "I'll catch up on sleep tomorrow after you weave a new mat."

Lin Feng took a handful of herbs from his pile of firewood. "Don't worry. I'll burn these herbs; the smoke will kill the fleas and any other insects in the cave." He lit the herbs with a burning branch and carried the smoldering bundle into the alcove.

The cave quickly filled with smoke. As expected, they both held their damp clothes over their noses and eyes. Once the herbs had burned out and the smoke cleared, Lin Feng returned to the fire to continue drying their clothes.

"Lin Feng," Cheng Xiangyu asked again after a while, "are you worried about them?"

"They haven't gathered any firewood, and I’ve already cleared out all the nearby wood. Unlike this cave, they won't find dry leaves or grass easily. Trying to start a fire with just a lighter and a pad won't be simple. It’s safe to say they are in a bad spot."

Lin Feng looked toward the cave entrance. "Those three are ungrateful and refuse to see reason. Why should I worry about them?"

In truth, he wasn't just unconcerned—he was curious. Was Wang Xingyu already shivering with a fever? Was the parasite taking its toll? Had the mushroom poison kicked in again? He wondered if that scoundrel was near death, and if He Tiantian and Qin Meng had already begun to regret their actions.