New Return of the Pearl: The Group's Pet Swallow Flies

Outside the desolate woods, a group of people set up camp in an open space. They were busy setting up tents, making fire and cooking, creating a lively scene.

In the woods, two girls were walking carefully with tinder in their hands. They were whispering to each other, carefully avoiding the weeds and picking up branches on the ground.

The two did not dare to go far for fear of problems, so they just found a place that was a little far away from the camp, where they could not hear their conversation but still could see each other.

The moon was bright in the sky, with clear moonlight pouring down. When walking through the woods, the mottled shadows of the trees made people feel a little uneasy, as if several people could emerge from them at any time.

But at this moment, Ziwei was embarrassed by Xiaoyanzi's words.

"What nonsense are you talking about? When did I flirt with Erkang?" Ziwei lowered her head and fiddled with the fire stick in her hand shyly. "You just know how to tease me." Seeing this, Xiaoyanzi laughed triumphantly: "Haha, you still don't admit it, I saw it clearly!"

"Xiaoyanzi, you..."

Ziwei glared at the people around her, but her eyes fell on the remote woods without moonlight and candlelight. She always felt eerie, as if countless pairs of eyes were secretly watching her, which made her hair stand on end. She couldn't help but think of the scenes in those horror stories. Her heartbeat became faster and faster, her cheeks gradually turned pale, and she couldn't help but hold Xiaoyanzi's arm tightly, and said in a trembling voice: "Let's go back. It feels so eerie here."

The wind blew gently through the woods, and the leaves rustled, as if something was approaching quietly. The two of them felt uneasy, and after a few words, they shuddered inexplicably and dared not go forward anymore. Instead, they hurriedly picked up some branches from the ground and walked back, supporting each other.

"Okay, okay, the woods are really a bit eerie at night, let's go quickly." Little Swallow said as she quickened her pace, hoping to leave this scary place as soon as possible. The two walked in a hurry, their hearts filled with fear and anxiety.

Although Xiaoyanzi is good at martial arts, she is full of fear of unknown things. She always feels that there are countless dangers and secrets hidden in the dark woods, which makes people shudder. Every time she thinks of this, she can't help but feel a chill rising from her spine, and the hair on her body stands up.

Ziwei was also a little scared, and the two of them hugged the branches in their hands tightly, supporting each other and walking into the camp. Their steps seemed a little flustered, and their hearts seemed a little uneasy, but despite this, they still mustered up the courage to move forward, silently praying in their hearts that they would be safe.

Fortunately, after walking a few steps, they saw Qianyue and others coming towards them. They looked very nervous and seemed to be worried about their safety. When they saw Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei, they showed a look of relief on their faces. This made Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei feel a little warm and also added some sense of security.

An Yaxin and the others saw that Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei's faces turned pale, and couldn't help but ask curiously: "What happened just now? Why do you look so ugly?"

Little Swallow waved her hands guiltily, pretending to be indifferent, but in fact she was still very scared. She pretended to be casual and replied: "No, it's okay, we were just blown by the wind and it's a bit cold." She would never say that she was just scared by the shadows in the woods.

In the hot summer, there is indeed a little cool breeze at night, but Xiaoyanzi's explanation is obviously unconvincing, because the expression on her face must be frightened. In order to avoid embarrassment to others, An Yaxin did not continue to ask.

Ziwei gave her a reassuring smile, saying that she was fine and asked Anyaxin to rest assured.

After returning to the camp, they sat on a few stable and clean stones found by Erkang, Benjamin and Luo Junchen. These stones could be used as temporary seats so that everyone could take a short rest.

Erkang, Benjamin and Luo Junchen started to get busy preparing food. The car was filled with dry food they had bought before departure, as well as some simple cakes. Although the cakes in the town didn't taste very good, they were enough to fill their stomachs during the journey.

In this remote place, we are very lucky to have something to eat.

Benjamin and Luo Junchen just went deep into the woods and hunted two pheasants. Don't ask why there were pheasants so late. Maybe the pheasants couldn't sleep and came out for a walk in the middle of the night.

Just strolling like this cost him his life.

"Yongqi and Ertai haven't come back yet?" Xiaoyanzi asked puzzledly.

She sat quietly on the stone, staring at the fire on the ground. The branches were crackling in the fire, and the orange flames danced in her eyes, emitting a warm light. She couldn't help but fall into deep thought, and after a while, she suddenly realized that there seemed to be two people missing.

Before it was completely dark, Yongqi could not wait to pull Ertai to the grove. They seemed to be preparing to have a fight there to "punish" Ertai for his quick words. However, so much time had passed, and they still hadn't returned.

Xiaoyanzi began to feel a little worried. She frowned, wondering what the hell were these two guys doing? Did they forget that everyone was waiting for them? Or did they run into some trouble?

Xiaoyanzi decided to get up and look for them. After all, the incident was caused by her, so after saying something to the others, she carefully avoided the fire and walked towards the grove.

As a good friend, Benjamin naturally chose to follow Xiaoyanzi. The two of them talked as they walked, which dispelled a lot of the terrifying atmosphere.

Xiaoyanzi thought to herself, for some reason, she felt much more at ease having a man by her side.

Along the way, Benjamin remained vigilant, paying attention to the movements around him, and protected Little Swallow as they walked inside. When they were almost at the edge of the woods, they heard a sound of fighting.

The two quickened their pace, passed through the dense trees, and finally saw Yongqi and Ertai. They were fighting fiercely, punching and kicking each other, their movements were agile and powerful. Both of them were concentrating, their faces were filled with excitement.

Xiaoyanzi breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time she felt a little helpless. She walked forward and shouted, "You two, have you had enough fighting?"

Yongqi and Ertai heard Xiaoyanzi's voice and immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. They came over with a smile, and Yongqi said, "We are just sparring, don't worry."

Xiaoyanzi glared at them and complained, "Don't you see what time it is? Why don't you go back quickly?"

Benjamin couldn't help but said, "It's so late, let's go back quickly, we have to travel tomorrow."

Yongqi and Ertai touched their noses awkwardly and quickly said a few embarrassing words to them.

Benjamin glanced at the two of them, and it seemed that their relationship had improved after the fight. He wondered what they talked about and whether they had any agreement.

However, seeing that the two did not speak actively, he did not ask any more questions.

Xiaoyanzi looked at Yongqi on her left, then at Ertai on her right, and then at Benjamin who was following behind. The three of them were talking and laughing. The atmosphere was very peaceful. She felt relieved, as long as everything was fine.

"Are you back? Come and sit down. The roast chicken is almost ready." Ziwei and Anyaxin were sitting together by the fire, watching Qianyue roasting chicken. When they saw Xiaoyanzi and the others coming back, they quickly called them to come and sit down. They stared at Qianyue with burning eyes. The aroma of roast chicken filled their nostrils, which was quite tempting.

Qianyue asked Master Erkang to keep an eye on the roast chicken that was almost done, and asked him to turn it from time to time to avoid it from being burnt.

She very skillfully placed another gutted pheasant on a wooden stick, then used a dagger to cut the chicken several times so that it could absorb the flavor of the seasoning, and finally stuffed some of the spices she brought specially into the chicken's stomach. After everything was ready, Qianyue put the pheasant on the fire and slowly roasted it.

As time goes by, the roasted chicken begins to emit an attractive aroma, making people salivate. When it is almost done, Qianyue will sprinkle some seasoning on it, so that the chicken can be better flavored.

Erkang looked at the chicken, which was already cooked, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. He carefully took the chicken off the fire, and then tore off two fragrant chicken legs with his hands and handed them to Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei. He said gently: "You two little guys, eat some chicken legs to fill your stomach first!"

Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei took the chicken drumsticks and subconsciously wanted to pass them to Anya Xin beside them, but she refused, "I'm not hungry yet, you guys eat first."

Seeing that they couldn't refuse, Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei had to take a bite of the chicken legs in their hands. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and it was indeed delicious.

Erkang turned to look at An Yaxin, smiled and said to her: "Fortunately there is still one chicken, otherwise there would not be enough chicken legs to share! Miss An, please wait a moment, the chicken will be ready soon, you and Qianyue will each get a chicken leg. Now you can only eat a chicken wing to fill your stomach!" After saying that, he handed a chicken wing to An Yaxin.

After Anyaxin took the chicken wings, she said nonchalantly, "It's okay, you guys divide the chicken legs later, I'll just eat the chicken wings. The chicken wings are also very fragrant."

Although she didn't get to eat the chicken drumstick, she didn't feel the slightest bit dissatisfied. She understood Erkang's good intentions and felt the warmth and harmony among everyone. She wasn't a child anymore, so how could she get mad just because she couldn't eat the chicken drumstick?

Erkang smiled lightly, then divided the chicken in his hand into several pieces and handed them to others one by one. After thinking for a while, he decided to leave the other chicken wing to Yongqi. After all, Yongqi had the highest status among them.

Once everyone had received a portion of the roast chicken, they began to devour it, eating some first to fill their stomachs and finally taking their turn to enjoy the food.

However, Qianyue was still concentrating on roasting the other chicken. She did not complain at all that she did not taste a single bite. Seeing everyone praising her cooking skills, she could not help but reveal a satisfied smile.

Everyone was eating and chatting at the same time. When they finished the ones in their hands and the other one Qianyue had roasted was ready, Xiaoyanzi took the lead in distributing the chicken to everyone. She gave Qianyue a big chicken drumstick first: "It's great that our Qianyue roasted such a delicious chicken drumstick. She will be rewarded with a big chicken drumstick!" Then she handed the other chicken drumstick to Lin Xin: "Then, give our Xinxin a chicken drumstick. Welcome to join our small group."

An Yaxin looked at the chicken drumstick in her hand and was deeply moved. This was not just a chicken drumstick, but also a symbol of acceptance and recognition. She smiled and thanked Xiaoyanzi, and said that she would try her best to integrate into this small group.

Afterwards, Xiaoyanzi handed another chicken wing to Luo Junchen. After all, he was also a new friend and she couldn’t favor one over the other.

After that, they distributed the food to everyone, making sure everyone could enjoy the delicious food. Erkang and the others didn't care about the chicken wings and legs. Everyone sat together, laughing and talking, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. They ate and talked, sharing each other's stories and dreams, and had a great time.

The night gradually deepened, and darkness enveloped the whole world. After enjoying a sumptuous dinner, everyone prepared to rest.

Before the meal, they set up three tents for different people to live in. Yongqi and Ertai lived in one tent, Benjamin, Luo Junchen and Erkang lived in another tent, and the third tent was reserved for Qianyue and Anyaxin.

In addition, Xiaoyanzi and Ziwei chose to spend the night in a carriage. Fortunately, the carriage was spacious enough to accommodate two people. They used the carriage as a temporary bed and lay on it. Although the wooden board was a bit hard, it was still okay for one night.

Although the conditions are limited, this is the best arrangement for now. As night falls, there is silence all around, with only the sound of the breeze blowing gently through the grass. The stars twinkle in the sky, like bright gems embellishing the night sky.

As time went by, everyone started to feel tired and sleepy. Someone suggested taking a break, so everyone went back to their own little spaces. Some people chose to chat and relax, while others thought about their own things silently. Gradually, sleepiness came over them, and some people began to yawn, their eyelids became heavier, and finally they could not resist the invasion of sleepiness and fell asleep.

However, not everyone can sleep peacefully. They know that the wild environment is full of dangers and cannot be taken lightly. Therefore, before going to bed, they specially asked someone to be responsible for night watch.

Yongqi, Erkang, Ertai, Benjamin, and Luo Junchen took turns to keep watch, always staying alert and paying attention to the movements around them to ensure everyone's safety. They never thought of letting women keep watch. After all, with several men like them around, how embarrassing it would be to expect women to keep watch.

Nothing happened that night, and everyone had a good sleep except for the night watchman.

The next morning, everyone packed their bags and continued their journey.