Chapter 9: Relax, I’m Not Dead

“Hey!”

Lu Cheng wanted to say more, but Qiao Yitong had already vanished from sight.

He had been with her constantly over the past two days, and her sudden disappearance left him feeling a wave of panic deep down.

It was the natural result of becoming accustomed to relying on someone, only to have them suddenly gone.

However, he managed to restrain himself from chasing after her immediately. After all, Sister Tong had assigned him the task of starting the fire.

He couldn’t let himself be a useless little waste who couldn’t even finish a simple task for her.

It was just a pity…

Sister Tong had left in such a hurry that he hadn’t had the chance to give her the machete for self-defense. Would a girl like her be in danger?

-I can’t watch this anymore. Lu Cheng has completely become Qiao Yitong’s little tail. She just went to find some food and water nearby, is it really worth looking back every three steps?-

-Based on my analysis of micro-expressions, it’s clear that Lu Cheng has started to rely on Qiao Yitong from the bottom of his heart. That’s why he’s so uneasy right now.-

-I don’t think you should put it that way. In this environment, there are only two of them. They were supposed to look out for each other, so it’s normal to feel unadjusted when they suddenly split up.-

-I think Qiao Yitong is adjusting just fine. Without having to look after Lu Cheng, she actually seems to move more easily. She’s walking much faster now.-

-Good grief, it’s only been a few days and even someone like Qiao Yitong has fans speaking up for her?-

-First of all, I’m not anyone’s fan. I’m just here for the entertainment. Secondly, I’m just being objective. At least based on current performance, Qiao Yitong is indeed the best performer among everyone.-

…

After Qiao Yitong led Lu Cheng to this beach and showed off her skills by picking two coconuts, the bullet comments, which had previously been a wall of insults, finally saw a few scattered voices speaking in her favor.

One comment in the stream was actually quite accurate.

Once she no longer had to worry about Lu Cheng, her movement speed through the Deserted Island’s jungle had indeed increased significantly.

The jungle was filled with the breath of vegetation and life.

These things were the very source of Spiritual Qi.

For Qiao Yitong, walking within this lush range of Spiritual Qi didn’t actually consume much physical strength.

In fact, as she walked, the droplet of Spiritual Power in the center of her Sea of Consciousness was continuously absorbing external energy, gathering it around her mind.

Refining, purifying, condensing.

After an afternoon of exploration, that single drop of Spiritual Power in her Sea of Consciousness had nearly doubled in size. It then began to split automatically, turning into two drops that settled within her mind.

In just two days, she already possessed two drops of Spiritual Power.

This was more than ten times faster than in that previous life’s Wasteland.

At this rate, even though her Spiritual Power had been reset to zero upon arriving in this world, she could likely reach her past peak in just a few years if she put her mind to it.

Ascending again would likely be no problem at all.

Perhaps she wouldn’t even have to wait too long before she could see her Master again.

Qiao Yitong’s heart, which had remained steady throughout, couldn’t help but quicken its pace.

In that ruined world of debris, the law of the jungle was the only rule.

She hadn’t known who her parents were since birth. For as long as she could remember, only her Master had been by her side.

Her Master had looked after her every need, raising her with his own hands, teaching her the Dao through culinary cultivation, protecting her daily, and accompanying her until her ascension.

In her previous life, the two of them had depended on each other.

It wasn’t until she finally reached the opportunity for ascension that they attempted to ascend together.

She had yearned to go to a brand new world with her Master, a place full of life, vitality, and love.

She never expected to encounter such an accident during the process.

She had been caught in a spatial turbulence and brought to this world, but… what about Master?

Perhaps Master had already reached the Immortal Realm they both longed for and was waiting there for her arrival.

Therefore, she was grateful for the abundance of life in this world. At the very least, reaching the level required to ascend again wouldn’t take too long.

Qiao Yitong lowered her eyes slightly, pursed her lips, and stepped deeper into the jungle.

…

Time passes particularly slowly when one is alone.

Back at the camp, Lu Cheng had already built the fire. His gaze drifted toward the direction Qiao Yitong had left more times than he could count.

Without a watch, he had no real concept of time.

He only knew that in his mind, he had been waiting for a very long time.

The sun was gradually moving westward, and it wouldn’t be long before it sank below the horizon.

Yet, Qiao Yitong still hadn’t returned.

He wanted to go look for her, but he had no idea which direction to take in this vast jungle.

Setting out blindly would only endanger them both.

The worry in Lu Cheng’s heart persisted.

“If she’s not back by sunset, I’ll go look for her in the direction she left.”

Just as the thought arose, that familiar figure appeared in the distance.

“Sister Yitong!” Lu Cheng rushed to meet her immediately.

Qiao Yitong looked up at him. Seeing his anxious expression, she assumed he was hungry.

She took a fruit out of her backpack and handed it to him.

“Huh?” Lu Cheng looked at the fruit and hesitated, not taking it.

Before they were sent to the island, professionals had given them a brief training session.

One rule was etched into everyone’s mind.

“If you encounter a fruit you don’t recognize on the island, absolutely do not eat it. There are at least dozens of plant species on this island whose fruit can kill you with a single bite.”

The fruit in Qiao Yitong’s hand was exactly the kind he didn’t recognize.

It was emerald green, looking much like a green apple.

Upon closer inspection, the bottom was covered in spotted patterns.

In Lu Cheng’s eyes, this was exactly the kind of “unknown fruit” the training instructor had warned them about.

“Sister Yitong, we don’t know what this fruit is. Is it safe to eat?” Lu Cheng asked cautiously.

Qiao Yitong: “…”

To a Culinary Cultivator, questioning the safety of the food she provided was practically a supreme insult.

She gave the fruit a simple wipe and popped it into her mouth, eating it directly.

Lu Cheng didn’t even have time to stop her. He watched her anxiously, at a complete loss for what to do.

Qiao Yitong remained perfectly calm. “Relax, I’m not dead.”

Lu Cheng: “…”

When Qiao Yitong handed him another fruit, he felt a lingering sense of trepidation. However, following her lead, he gave the fruit a simple wipe and popped it into his mouth.

After three fruits, he finally felt a sense of fullness.

His previously empty stomach was satisfied, and his sense of well-being skyrocketed.

More importantly.

A significant amount of time passed after eating, and everything remained normal.

No stiffening into a corpse, no meeting his ancestors¹, and no discomfort in his gut.

It was confirmed: they really weren’t poisonous.

Lu Cheng grew curious. “Sister Tong, how did you know these weren’t poisonous? Do you recognize them?”

“I don’t,” Qiao Yitong replied.

But they were edible.

Lu Cheng: “…”

That “I don’t” sent a chill down Lu Cheng’s spine.

Wait, sister, can we not be so nonchalant about this? If we’d actually run into something toxic, we’d be dead.

Still, at least this fruit had been tested now.

“Sister Tong, when you found these, were there many of them?” Lu Cheng asked, scooting a bit closer to her.

His eyes were full of anticipation.

In a place like this, every new source of food meant a better chance of survival.

“Plenty,” Qiao Yitong said.

Lu Cheng’s eyes lit up. “Enough to last ten days?”

Qiao Yitong: “…Enough.”

But she didn’t want to spend ten days eating nothing but this; that would be too miserable.

“Nice!” Lu Cheng was visibly delighted.

With their hunger and thirst sated, both their bodies and minds began to relax.

Lu Cheng and Qiao Yitong sat on the beach, watching the horizon reflect the orange-red glow of the setting sun.

With the sea breeze blowing and the crackle of the campfire in their ears, it was incredibly pleasant.

After just two days together, he was completely won over by Qiao Yitong.

He felt deeply now that his snap decision to leave the main group and follow her had been a brilliant move.

Even if his original motive for following her had been a series of misunderstandings.

The end result was a level of comfort he had never imagined.

Lu Cheng turned his head slightly to look at Qiao Yitong sitting quietly beside him, a deep smile touching his lips.

If he hadn’t followed her and had stayed with Shisan’s group instead, he probably wouldn’t be having such an easy time.

Or so Lu Cheng thought.

He had no idea that if he hadn’t left, “not having an easy time” would have been an understatement. It would have been an absolute nightmare!

Over at Shisan’s side.

After the canned food fiasco that morning, the fragile trust within the already fractured team was on the verge of collapse.

Since arriving on the island, resources had been scarce.

Everything had to be rationed.

The dwindling dry rations and the nearly exhausted water supply were fraying everyone’s nerves.

If they didn’t solve the water and food problem soon, some of them would starve to death before the week was out.

“Listen up, everyone. Our primary task today is still to find drinkable water. However, I suggest we divide the labor to avoid wasting manpower and energy.”

The decision was met with unanimous approval.

Walking through the hot, humid, and complex jungle where danger could lurk at any moment was something none of them wanted to face.

With Shisan’s suggestion, they now had a legitimate excuse to avoid the work and rest instead.

“So, who wants to come with me to find water today?” Shisan asked.

“I’ll go,” Xiao Yang volunteered as usual.

On the internet, “contrast²” personas were popular. It wasn’t hard for him to imagine how many fans he would gain once netizens realized that the man who used to be so sharp-tongued online actually had such a self-sacrificing personality.

“Alright, I need one more,” Shisan said.

“I’ll do it,” Jing Xueqin said.

Clearly, a grueling task like searching for water was the perfect way to demonstrate leadership and responsibility.

He didn’t really need the ten million yuan prize for completing the survival challenge, but he did need the goodwill of the fans during the show.

“Fine, then it’s the three of us,” Shisan decided.

The others had no objections. Seeing that it wasn’t their turn, they let out sighs of relief.

But those sighs were cut short by Shisan’s next words.

“We only have eight bottles of water left. The three of us will take four, and the remaining four will stay with you. If anyone really can’t hold out, drink some to stay hydrated.” As Shisan spoke, he began packing the water into his bag.

The group fell silent, everyone looking like they wanted to speak up but hesitating.

As Shisan finished packing and stood up to leave, someone finally couldn’t hold back. “Brother Shisan, this doesn’t seem right. There are only eight bottles in total, and the three of you are taking four? That leaves only four bottles for the nine of us?”

Translator’s Notes