In the latter half of the night, a rain shower arrived. Though the moonlight still shone brightly on the valley floor, the rain had poured down relentlessly for quite some time.
This was the nature of a subtropical rainforest climate; rain could fall regardless of whether the day was sunny or overcast. As long as there was a patch of cloud the size of a palm, a downpour would ensue.
The moonlight, piercing through the clouds, stubbornly illuminated the ground. I saw the leopards still lying there motionlessly. They were accustomed to the sudden downpour and showed no reaction.
Staring at their prey opposite them was their top priority.
The rain lasted for about ten minutes and then stopped abruptly. The sky was clear, without a cloud in sight, and the moonlight still hung overhead as if nothing had happened.
During the brief, intense rain, I had stuck my head out of the cave and drunk my fill of rainwater. While its taste couldn't compare to spring water, it was enough to moisten my dry throat and refresh my spirit.
Perhaps this was the principle of Heaven never closing off all paths. The ways of Heaven were always fair; if it closed one door, it would surely open a window. It was only when we failed to find it, or lacked the patience to do so, that we fell into despair, blamed Heaven's unfairness, and harbored resentment.
As long as we possessed sufficient patience, any matter, any obstacle, could be resolved and overcome.
Why could some people pass a thousand or ten thousand levels in a game, while others gave up after failing to clear three levels? The reason lay right here.
All games, no matter how difficult the level, had a solution. If you couldn't pass it, it was because your method was incorrect. Life was much the same; one had to navigate many challenges throughout a lifetime. For the same challenge, the outcomes varied. Some people overcame it, while others did not. Those who succeeded weren't necessarily lucky; they simply tried numerous paths and found a way to break through.
Just like during the day, when we were thrown into the valley, faced with pythons and tigers, it seemed like an unsolvable predicament. Once inside, there was no escape.
The pile of white bones at the foot of the mountain explained everything.
In reality, the answer had always been there; people just didn't look for it.
You might say, "You happened to encounter sunshine and a piece of glass, which allowed you to start a fire with the sun's rays. What if it were a rainy day? Or what if you hadn't found that piece of glass?"
My response is twofold: Firstly, there are very few consecutive overcast days here. Even during the downpour just now, it only lasted a short while. Secondly, if you really couldn't find a piece of glass, you could find something else reflective. As long as there was a reflective surface, you could focus the light onto tinder, and it would likely ignite.
If you didn't even consider this method, it wasn't a matter of luck; it was a failure of your thinking, a self-inflicted death.
If, by chance, none of these options were viable, there would certainly be other methods, such as friction fire. With a piece of hard wood, friction could indeed produce fire.
The latter half of the night was a bit chilly and damp. It was comfortable near the fire, but a cool breeze blew from the cave entrance, giving a rather brisk feeling.
This was likely due to the recent rain that had made the ground wet.
I deeply admired the group of leopards opposite us. They were incredibly persistent. After all this time, they remained motionless, staring at us without blinking.
In their eyes, perhaps we were not important as individuals, but the meat on our bodies was paramount.
We were not of the same world, merely connected on the food chain. The only difference was that our connection was not unidirectional; it was bidirectional. We could be prey to each other, depending on who had the upper hand and who defeated whom.
We might become food for them, while if they fell into our hands, every part of them would be utilized. Even their bones would be made into high-grade supplements or aphrodisiacs.
Their leopard skins could be preserved as specimens, becoming treasures for high-end clubs or private collections.
As I indulged in these thoughts, dawn began to break. The leopards yawned, stretched lazily, and with reluctant glances back at the cave entrance, they left, looking back three times.
I went to wake Wen Siqiang. He stirred from his sleep, looking at me with a dazed expression. After a while, he finally understood what was happening. He stood up abruptly and asked if there had been any developments.
I said, "It's dawn. Let's figure out how to get out. We escaped yesterday, but today might be different. This little bit of firewood won't last half the night. Besides, if these leopards figure us out, they probably won't continue to confront us foolishly. If they decide to take other action, we'll be in trouble."
Wen Siqiang replied, "I agree. The fire was just to scare them temporarily. They won't be afraid of it for long."
I said, "Let's use the daylight for safety and quickly find a way out. We must leave today!"
Wen Siqiang nodded. He found two sturdy sticks in the campfire and handed one to me. Both sticks were alight. Although it was already daylight, we couldn't be sure if there were other snake dens nearby. The fire could drive away any snakes that hadn't yet retreated.
We walked out of the cave. It was already bright daylight. Outside, clouds swirled, birds sang, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers.
Perhaps due to the rain last night, I smelled the rich aroma of the earth.
Wen Siqiang asked, "Did it rain after I fell asleep? Why is the ground so wet?"
I replied, "Yes, it rained quite a bit, but it cleared up right after."
Wen Siqiang inquired, "The rain didn't drive the leopards away?"
I answered, "Not at all."
Wen Siqiang remarked, "Truly persistent."
I said, "With us two as such tempting prey, they probably wouldn't leave even if it hailed."
We first went to the stream to wash the dirt and grime from our faces, then drank our fill of water. Hunger struck again; we hadn't eaten anything for a full day and night, and our stomachs rumbled.
I looked around; there was indeed no visible food, not even wild vegetables.
Therefore, we had to get out. If we continued to linger here, the adversaries would not only be leopards and pythons, but also hunger!
Since we couldn't find food, we had to find a way to leave.
After drinking our fill of water and wiping our mouths, we began searching for an exit.
The place we had descended from was out of the question; we could only look elsewhere.
An idea suddenly struck me: where would the stream lead? It must have an outlet somewhere. If we followed it upstream, would we find its source, a hidden paradise?
We had spent a night here yesterday, but Wu Guodong's men hadn't appeared. It seemed my words had no effect. Lan Ya was right; the hearts of those who engage in robbery and murder were made of iron and could not be swayed by my sincerity. He probably assumed I had already been fed to the leopards and no longer considered my existence.
By now, the fire on our sticks had died down, so we held them as walking sticks.
I told Wen Siqiang that we would follow the water and see where it led.
Wen Siqiang nodded. Following the water had one advantage: we wouldn't lack for water.
The stream was very gentle, with no strong current, indicating a minimal drop in elevation. If we followed it, perhaps we would reach an unexpected destination.