That night, Jiang Xuan didn't sleep well.
Terrifying beastly roars, strange bird calls, and various insect noises from outside instilled fear in people.
Chi Shao feared a beast attack at night, so she stayed on watch for most of the night and only took a nap at dawn.
Early the next morning, when Chi Shao woke up, the fire had gone out. She dug out the still-smoldering embers and rekindled the fire.
As Chi Shao was making the fire, Jiang Xuan also woke up.
Chi Shao stood up and said, "I'm going to look for some food nearby. Wait for me here."
"Be careful."
"Don't worry."
Chi Shao headed out with the Stone Knife and short spear, quickly disappearing into the distance.
Only Jiang Xuan was left in the cave, along with the burning fire.
Jiang Xuan raised his hand and found that he had regained some strength. At least speaking wasn't as difficult as yesterday.
Worried about his wound, he carefully removed the cobwebs and herbal residue covering it.
The situation was much better than he had expected.
The wound had closed, and although it hadn't scabbed over, there was no sign of infection.
This was good news. He hoped the wound would heal soon so he could regain full mobility.
Jiang Xuan re-bandaged the wound and lay down at ease.
However, after a long wait, Chi Shao didn't return.
During the wait, he couldn't help but let his mind wander.
What if something happened in this dangerous jungle? What if Chi Shao couldn't come back?
He was so severely injured and unable to move; without Chi Shao, he could only wait for death.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."
Just as Jiang Xuan grew more anxious, he heard light footsteps outside, and Chi Shao's figure appeared.
Jiang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, you're back."
"I caught a snake and found some herbs, so it took a bit longer."
Chi Shao had a large snake draped over her shoulder, as thick as a bowl.
The snake's head had been cut off, its belly slit open, and its innards cleaned out.
Jiang Xuan marveled once more: the women of the primitive tribe are truly fierce!
"We're having roasted snake meat today."
Chi Shao carved a thick wooden branch, used a Stone Knife to cut the snake into sections, skewered them onto the branch, and placed it into the ground next to the fire, about ten centimeters from the flames.
You can't roast meat directly over the flames, or it will burn.
Tribal people usually skewer the meat on sticks and place them near the fire, not directly in the flames, using the dispersed heat to slowly roast them.
The only downside is that roasting takes a long time.
Once the snake meat was prepared, Chi Shao opened her Beast Hide Bag and took out some freshly gathered herbs.
Chi Shao chewed the fresh herbs in her mouth and changed the old medicine on Jiang Xuan's wound.
Then she handed Jiang Xuan two plant roots and instructed him to chew and swallow some of the juice.
This plant is a commonly used Healing Medicine by the tribes, known as Seven-leaf Clover; its roots have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
Jiang Xuan remembered from his predecessor's memory that he had taken this medicine a few times with no adverse effects.
Jiang Xuan put the Seven-leaf Flower's root in his mouth, chewed a bit, and almost spat it out immediately.
Bitter, extremely bitter, a torment to the tongue.
But this is the primordial era, and with severe injuries, he had no choice but to endure it.
Chi Shao looked at him softly, "It's a bit bitter, but bear with it. Once the wound heals, you won't need to take it anymore."
Jiang Xuan nodded, indicating he would take the medicine properly.
"By the way, sister, how do you know so many herbs?" Jiang Xuan was curious.
"I learned from the people in the Hunting Team."
Chi Shao explained, "During hunts, the Hunting Team often gets injured. Knowing more about herbs can save your life if you're hurt and alone."
"I see."
Jiang Xuan realized this must be what they mean by "experience makes the healer."
After speaking, Chi Shao fell silent, evidently thinking about the tribe and her relatives.
Seeing her discomfort, Jiang Xuan refrained from asking more.
The snake meat roasted for about an hour, until it was golden brown, and Chi Shao took it down, giving half to Jiang Xuan and keeping half for herself.
The roasted snake meat was unseasoned and had no grease, but for two stranded people, having meat was already quite good, with nothing to complain about.
...
In this way, Jiang Xuan lay in the cave for ten days, during which Chi Shao would go out daily to search for food and herbs. Sometimes she was quite successful, and sometimes she would get slightly injured.
The tribe's people in this world were strong and robust, with significant recovery capabilities.
Ten days later, Jiang Xuan could finally walk.
Once he had regained his mobility, Jiang Xuan eagerly began to move around in the small area near the cave entrance.
He wanted to adapt to this wild, primordial world as soon as possible to face future dangers.
Five days more passed, and Jiang Xuan's injuries were no longer a concern; he began setting snare traps near the cave to catch small prey.
He succeeded with his trap, but instead of catching a bird or rabbit, it was a teal bug the size of a teacup.
When he approached, the bug was bound by a thin vine around its waist, and the bent branch had lifted it off the ground, making its plump body wriggle.
"Is this thing edible?"
Some experts have asserted that an insect of equal size has four times the protein content of beef.
But this thing hardly looked appetizing, and its appearance made it difficult to accept.
However, it was food and the first creature Jiang Xuan had caught in this world; he didn't want to let it go.
Jiang Xuan removed the vine from the branch and brought the plump bug back to the cave, intending to ask Chi Shao about it when she returned.
However, while he waited, he suddenly heard a group of crows cawing.
"Caw, caw, caw..."
The harsh crow calls made Jiang Xuan tense up unconsciously.
From his predecessor's memories, he knew that it was the Crow Tribe that annihilated the tribe where Xuan and Chi Shao lived.
The sound of these crows was a nightmare existence for his predecessor.
The Crow Tribe has over three thousand people, raising a large number of crows. These crows can help them scout from the air and assist in hunting and fighting, making them extremely ferocious.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."
Rapid footsteps came from outside the cave, and Jiang Xuan nervously gripped a stick and hid in the shadows.
"Xuan, Xuan..."
At this moment, Chi Shao's voice came from the cave entrance, and Jiang Xuan immediately ran out.
Chi Shao was visibly tense, urging, "Hurry, the Crow Tribe's Hunting Team is coming this way; we can't stay here."
"Wait a moment, I have something inside."
Jiang Xuan quickly dashed into the cave, picked up the bug bound in rope, crushed its head with a stone, and ran outside.
This was his first catch in this world; although it was only a bug and seemed unpalatable, he didn't want to abandon it.
"Your wound hasn't fully healed; I'll carry you."
Chi Shao glanced at the bug, then carried Jiang Xuan on her back without saying much, quickly vanishing into the vast, Primitive Jungle.
Shortly after they left, a group of tribe people arrived at the cave, wearing Beast Hide Clothing, mysterious patterns painted on their faces, with crow feathers in their hair.
Above them, hundreds of crows circled, cawing loudly and harshly.
"Someone's been here," someone found the snare traps and footprints on the ground.
Soon after, they discovered the cave, where the fire wasn't completely out and some leftover bones lay on the ground.
"They just left not long ago."
"This is our Crow Tribe's new Hunting Ground; no outsiders are allowed to enter. Catch up and kill them!"
"Caw, caw, caw..."
The Crow Tribe Hunting Team, accompanied by the crows, immediately began searching the area.
If Chi Shao and Jiang Xuan were caught, with their identities, they would definitely be ruthlessly killed.