55 A temporary alliance (1/2)

Right from the beginning, Xu Xianchu had not told them what their mission was. Meanwhile, the band members, such as Liu Bu and Luo Xinyu, obviously did not know. Otherwise, they would not have asked Xu Xianchu in such a manner.

Ren Xiaosu had some doubts about this. Was there any relationship between their mission objective and the changes that had been happening in the Jing Mountains?

Xu Xianchu suddenly said, ”Actually, we didn't expect there to be such great changes out here. Otherwise, it wouldn't have only been the 12 of us coming on this mission. What I can tell you is that we do not know what is going on around here at all.”

”It's still uncertain if all of us can get out of here alive, so why can't you share your secret with us?” Liu Bu was on the verge of a breakdown. He just wanted to know what kind of situation he was in, so he was unwilling to give up on any possible leads. He clenched his teeth and said to Xu Xianchu, ”We're all in the same boat. If you don't tell us, the secret could end up getting buried with us!”

Liu Bu's face was almost touching Xu Xianchu's face and his spittle was flying around.

Xu Xianchu pushed Liu Bu aside and said, ”You still dare to blame us when you were the ones who approached us in the first place? I heard that you've always wanted to go to the other strongholds, so it's not like you won't be heading there even without this mission. To be denying everything at this time, you're putting it like we're sending you to your deaths!”

Ren Xiaosu was watching the argument. All he lacked were some peanuts to munch on. All of a sudden, Yang Xiaojin said from beside him, ”I'm hungry.”

Ren Xiaosu was taken aback and thought, 'Why are you telling me that you are hungry for?'

Yang Xiaojin said, ”The dagger.”

”Oh, oh, oh!” Ren Xiaosu nodded immediately. ”Sit still, I'll get you something to eat right away! Is there anything that you don't eat?”

”No,” Yang Xiaojin said while sitting on the ground. Luo Xinyu had laid a piece of clothing on the ground before sitting down, but Yang Xiaojin was not particular about it.

However, Ren Xiaosu was a little despondent because he had lost the rat he had been holding onto. He had to drag the driver around with one hand and hold his dagger in the other at the time, so he couldn't carry the rat around any longer. As such, it became a little difficult for him to find food now.

Besides, the dense forest up ahead was way too strange. It was impossible to see what was happening inside during the night. He would have to wait until the daytime to examine the forest before he would dare to go in and find food.

As a result, when Yang Xiaojin saw him looking somewhat stumped, she said, ”I threw the rat into the trunk earlier.”

Ren Xiaosu was stunned. He vaguely recalled that Yang Xiaojin was holding something in her hands amid the recent chaos. But he was in such a hurry that he didn't get a careful look at it. So the thing she was carrying turned out to be the large rat.

It had to be said that Yang Xiaojin's proactiveness had saved Ren Xiaosu a lot of trouble. In the past, he was always alone in the wilderness with no one to help him. Hence, he needed to face the dangers and difficulties all by himself.

Actually, some people in town had approached Ren Xiaosu to go hunting together, but he rejected them all.

It was not that they were not competent enough, rather he could not trust them. As it was very easy to get exhausted in the wilderness, he found it was better to be in the company of wild animals rather than humans.

Ren Xiaosu had previously thought about training Yan Liuyuan so that a huge burden could be lifted off his shoulders. But after some thought, he dismissed the idea entirely. He did not want to place Yan Liuyuan in any danger.

Right now, Ren Xiaosu was feeling for the first time what it meant to have his own ”helper.”

However, Ren Xiaosu immediately banished the idea. This was purely a relationship for mutual benefit. They had formed a temporary alliance in the wilderness because they trusted each other's skills and resources. The alliance was a silent agreement, but they did not actually trust each other and just took what they needed from the partnership.