When the two neared the cave entrance, Qin Hui finally put Su Shijun down, a faint fragrance from her still lingering on his hands.
Su Shijun shot Qin Hui a glare; he had taken more than his fair share of liberties with her during the journey.
By the time they reached the cave mouth, it had been transformed. Not only was the entrance widened considerably for easier access, but simple traps had also been set up alongside it. If any animals were to intrude late at night, the traps would be triggered, thus providing a basic guarantee for everyone's safety.
Inside the cave, the illumination had significantly improved due to the fires lit. As this had previously been the habitat of a giant python, it was somewhat damp. However, Li Dazhuang had been highly efficient, lighting fires with various leaves to dry out the air.
Aside from these improvements, the cave itself was quite spacious, capable of housing at least seven or eight people.
Furthermore, to enhance comfort, Li Dazhuang had constructed a simple bed from tree trunks, covered with soft leaves, making it much more comfortable to sleep on.
"Dazhuang, you're amazing. Thank you for your hard work."
Su Shijun said gratefully. Without Li Dazhuang's diligent efforts, they likely wouldn't have such a good environment.
"Heh heh, it's what I should do."
Li Dazhuang scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. For him, these were minor tasks.
As dusk gradually deepened, the three, tired from their day's work, began to prepare dinner.
Having already tasted snake meat once, Su Shijun no longer felt as fearful of the deceased giant python.
After dinner, the three gathered around the campfire and chatted. With little else for entertainment on the deserted island, conversation was their only option.
"Brother Hui, what do we do next? I don't think we'll get rescued anytime soon."
Li Dazhuang said with some disappointment. Staying on the deserted island indefinitely would be too boring.
"Don't worry. This yacht incident is so significant, they'll be searching thoroughly. Even if they can't find us here, we can leave on our own, although the process might be a bit long."
Qin Hui offered words of encouragement.
"From what I see now, it's best to gather everyone. Many hands make light work, and there will always be a way. Moreover, it's much safer when we're together, at least we can look out for each other."
"Although there are some people with ill intentions among them, I believe most are decent, at least they don't harbor malicious thoughts."
Su Shijun spoke up. Although the afternoon's experience had been very unpleasant for her, it didn't warrant dismissing everyone.
Qin Hui nodded slightly beside her. One rotten apple shouldn't spoil the whole barrel.
"Alright then, tomorrow I'll be responsible for hunting and finding a water source. Dazhuang, you focus on finding the stragglers, try to gather everyone."
Qin Hui began assigning tomorrow's tasks.
"Okay, Brother Hui, no problem."
Li Dazhuang had already had this idea, but issues with food and water had held him back. Now, he could wholeheartedly pursue what he wanted to do.
"What about me?"
Su Shijun asked curiously. As part of the group, she wanted to contribute.
"You, you can just clean up the cave."
Qin Hui said simply.
"Qin Hui, you're underestimating me too much."
Su Shijun looked speechless. With her intelligence, how could she not have a role to play?
"Alright, Sister Shijun, listen to me. This isn't a city, after all. Safety is the top priority."
Qin Hui didn't want a repeat of today's incident. Qin Hui wasn't a god; he couldn't possibly arrive in time every time Su Shijun was in danger.
Having learned a lesson once, one shouldn't fall into the same trap a second time.
Seeing Qin Hui's firm stance, Su Shijun had no choice but to agree. She knew Qin Hui was looking out for her.
The next day, Qin Hui and Li Dazhuang set out on their tasks, leaving Su Shijun alone in the cave.
For safety reasons, the cave entrance was closed and covered with wild grass on the outside. This way, without a close look, one wouldn't even realize it was a cave.
Inside the entrance, stones were piled up. If any large animals tried to break in, they could block the entrance with these stones, making it much safer. While not guaranteeing 100% safety, it would at least allow them to hold out until Qin Hui and the others arrived.
This tropical jungle was vast, covered everywhere with flowers, grass, and trees. Qin Hui quite enjoyed the feeling of this primeval forest.
Compared to large, obvious prey, the most deadly inhabitants of this jungle were often the tiny creatures, such as mosquitoes and crawling insects. A single bite from them could slowly wear a person down to death.
After setting up a few hunting snares, Qin Hui went to search for a water source. Without water, Su Shijun wouldn't last more than a few days. Furthermore, since the three were now living in the cave, obtaining seawater to evaporate would be too troublesome. Thus, Qin Hui needed to find a suitable water source.
As both Qin Hui and Li Dazhuang were martial artists, their activities lasted the entire day, only returning in the evening.
Perhaps Qin Hui's luck was good today. After walking for almost half a day, he found a clear water source. Although the stream was small, the water flowing from it was exceptionally sweet and naturally pure. Qin Hui could only act as nature's transporter.
Ultimately, it couldn't be said that it was solely due to Qin Hui's good luck, but rather because of his formidable strength.
The senses of a ninth-level martial artist were honed to the extreme; they could hear sounds tens of meters away with great clarity, making Qin Hui's search much easier and allowing him to find what he sought quickly.
If a normal person's search range in a day was fifteen kilometers, then Qin Hui's search range today was two hundred kilometers. Finding a water source within two hundred kilometers was obviously a simple matter.
Returning to the spot where he had placed the snares that morning, Qin Hui had caught two wild rabbits. At least they wouldn't have to eat snake meat tonight; they could enjoy delicious roasted rabbit.
With his bounty, Qin Hui returned to the cave as the sky had already darkened.
"Where's Dazhuang? Hasn't he returned yet?"
Qin Hui tossed the skinned wild rabbits to Su Shijun for processing and asked.
"Not yet. He'll probably be back soon."
Su Shijun replied truthfully.
Qin Hui nodded and began setting up a roasting rack, finally lighting a small fire.
After dealing with these matters, the sky had completely darkened. If the fire were extinguished, it would be pitch black, not to mention the dangers outside the jungle.
Seeing that Li Dazhuang still hadn't returned, Qin Hui knew he couldn't wait any longer; he had to go find Li Dazhuang.
Even Qin Hui feared the jungle at night, let alone Li Dazhuang being alone.
"Sister Shijun, you roast the rabbits here. I'll go find Dazhuang."
Qin Hui, feeling uneasy, finally stood up.