When Lu Xinyi woke up, Li Yuren was sitting close beside her while Jiao Jiao kept watch and Fu Rui was nowhere to be found. She sat up and lifted a hand to her face when her dizziness struck her again. She then remembered her husband. Shen Yi must be really worried by now.
“What time is it?” she asked. She remained seated while Li Yuren continued to add more dry branches and twigs to the fire.
Li Yuren froze and stared blankly on her face. Relief sneaked into his face when he saw she looked better than before.
“An hour before midnight,” he answered.
“Oh.” Lu Xinyi had thought that she’d been sleeping from noon to midnight. “Are you still sick?” She extended an arm to feel his forehead. Li Yuren felt awkward from the sudden intrusion of his private space.
“I’m fine…” he muttered.
Lu Xinyi took back her hand and returned to her previous position. Checking the other side, she saw the man and the woman finally woke up with the boy left on the straw mat, sleeping with shallow breath.
“What’s wrong with him?” She couldn’t stop herself but ask Jiao Jiao.
“He’s been down with the flu for two days. He hasn’t improved at all,” Jiao Jiao replied worriedly.
“If only we can sneak inside Jiang City, we could take a physician there to look after him.” The other woman, who was sitting beside the sick child, wiped away the sweat on the child’s face.
At that moment, Fu Rui came back with five dead pigeons on his right hand. He held them by their feet, making their heads dangle mid-air. His form was dripping wet. It seemed that the weather wasn’t favorable outside. He glared at Li Yuren’s direction before throwing the pigeons on Jiao Jiao’s way.
“Roast it. I can’t find anything else outside. I saw old utensils there.” He pointed at the other opening at one of the three tunnels inside the cave. “Someone was brave enough to camp inside this cave but left in a hurry, leaving their mess.”
Thinking that she might have a chance to somehow help the sick child, Lu Xinyi leaned forward and knelt on the group.
“Please let me do the cooking. Let me help,” Lu Xinyi interjected. Her stomach chose to grumble, making her face flushed from embarrassment.
“You know how to cook?” Fu Rui raised a brow on her.
“I’m a student at a culinary school. Of course, I know how to cook. If you’re afraid I’ll poison you, then let Miss Jiao Jiao oversee the way I cook and let me eat first,” she suggested.
Fu Rui squinted his eyes on her in disbelief. He didn’t believe Li Yuren’s story, but this woman didn’t seem aware of the danger she was in.
“Here’s my storage bag. I only got two water bottles here and some herbs and spices here. Aside from a dagger, I always keep them. I have nothing else.”
Jiao Jiao took Lu Xinyi’s bag, gave it a shake, and let the contents fall on the ground. Just like what Lu Xinyi claimed, there was nothing suspicious inside her bag. Some mushrooms, wild fruits, and aromatics fell on the floor. Checking the side pockets of the bag, Jiao Jiao found three small bottles containing cooking oil, ground pepper, and salt.
What kind of hiker would bring such things? Was she really a student of that academy? Fu Rui and Jiao Jiao knew who owned the campsite on the other side of the mountain. Who knew that today they’d met someone from that prestigious academy?
“Rui, just let her be…” Fu Rui was eyed by his older brother. Without any choice to refuse, he snorted and sat in his previous place.
“Do as you wish.”
Lu Xinyi’s eyes lit up and swiftly help Jiao Jiao placed back her things in her bag. After that, Jiao Jiao lead the way to one of the tunnels of the cave. Taking a torch, the two silently walked with only dripping sounds of water echoing inside.
They continued to walk for ten minutes until they noticed the mess on the ground. Just like what Fu Rui said some campers tried to survey the cave. Bags, clothes, and food wrappers were scattered around. On one side there was a pile of small pots and cooking utensils left.
By the look of it, Lu Xinyi didn’t believe that the campers left in a hurry. It was as if they were attacked while having a meal, but she kept her opinion to herself. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“They left in a hurry? It’s more like they were eaten by something…” Jiao Jiao scoffed before starting picking up the things they could use.
“What do you mean? Is there something residing in this cave?” Lu Xinyi asked. She wasn’t afraid, but she was curious. The cave didn’t give off a dangerous impression on her.
“Huh? You don’t know what cave this is?” Jiao Jiao stopped to glance at Lu Xinyi.
Lu Xinyi shrugged her shoulders. How come she would know where she was if she hadn’t been in this place before?
“I have no idea.” She admitted.
“This cave is known to the locals as Fox’s Den. I bet these campers were treasure hunters who tried to get in. No one has managed to get anything from this cave. People said this cave is enchanted. It knows your deepest desire and will use it against you. The treasure hunters who dared to enter—no one got out alive.” Jiao Jiao explained, her arms full of things that she picked from the campers’ leftovers.
“What about the locals?” Lu Xinyi inquired, “They know what’s inside the cave. They didn’t try to get the treasures?”
She followed Jiao Jiao back to their campsite. With Jiao Jiao bringing the things they need, Lu Xinyi took over and held the torch to light up their way.
“Have you heard of the legend of the nine-tailed fox?” Jiao Jiao asked.
Lu Xinyi shook her head. She had no idea which legend Jiao Jiao was referring to. There were many versions of this legend. How was she supposed to know which one she was talking about?
“Legend says there used to be a nine-tailed fox residing on this cave hundred of years ago. Jiang City and the nearby villages protect this cave. For the longest time, the people living near this cave revere the nine-tailed fox as some kind of a deity. Once a year, they dedicated a day just for the fox.”
“Wow.” Lu Xinyi was surprised to hear that. She’d never thought that there was a kind of festival like that.
The two arrived at their campsite. At once, Lu Xinyi and Jiao Jiao started to move. Jiao Jiao cleaned the pigeons while Lu Xinyi prepared and cut the aromatics she had on her bag. Her eyes couldn’t help but check the sick child.
A decision came into her. If they couldn’t find a medicine as soon as possible, then the meal they should cook must somehow help with the child’s condition. She wanted to make the classic chicken soup, but since they only had pigeons, then she had no choice but to use it as a substitute.
From her bag, she took the herbs she needed. Taking some fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano, she was glad that it wasn’t ruined from the rigorous traveling she did for the past day. She then looked around, trying to find a cloth that she could use as a spice bag.
“Do you need something?” Li Yuren asked when he noticed the deep frown on her face.
“I’m hoping to find a cloth to use as a spice bag,” she replied.
“Didn’t you still have spare clean gauze on your kit? Can’t you use it?”
“Oh, right… you are definitely right.”
Why hadn’t she thought of it? Lu Xinyi scolded herself. At a time like this, only improvising available things could help her.
Once Jiao Jiao was done, she noticed the herbs that Lu Xinyi prepared for their meal. Aside from the oregano, she didn’t know what the other two were.
“What are these?” She picked up a stem of rosemary and smelled it.
Lu Xinyi lifted her head and saw Jiao Jiao hovering near her.
“Oh, that’s rosemary.” She said, “Rosemary is an oral disinfectant. It’s beneficial because your mouth is all grimy and germy when you’re sick. Disinfecting one’s mouth with rosemary tastes better than that gross medicinal mouthwash available at the market. It also helps alleviate headaches and relieves fevers.” She further explained.
Lu Xinyi then picked up the thyme and showed it to Jiao Jiao.
“Thyme has been commonly used as a treatment for coughs. It’s also a great source of vitamin C which, as we all know, helps boost one’s immunity.” She then pointed at the oregano with her eyes. “Oregano is also great for reducing coughs and bronchitis. The oils found in oregano have medicinal qualities that help ease sinus pain, as well as cold and flu symptoms. All of us here aren’t in the best condition so I thought a healthy meal will be beneficial to us.”
