8: Chapter 8 Night Talks and Heartbeats

Hua Jieyu knelt beside Shi Gen, placing her hands over the most severe wound on his chest, as a warm, green light of life surged from her palms.

The Hundred Herb Medical Immortal's healing technique was precise and gentle; broken ribs slowly reset within the light, and torn flesh healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Shi Gen let out a muffled groan in his semi-conscious state, his breathing gradually stabilizing.

Shen Xun'er stood to the side, her apricot-shaped eyes fixed on the man covered in scars. Her brows were slightly furrowed—not in fear, but as she rapidly organized her thoughts.

When Shi Gen woke up and saw the green light in Hua Jieyu's palms, he first recoiled in terror, then fell to his knees on the stone floor with a thud, his murky eyes filled with awe: "Divine... divine power..."

Wang Sheng helped him up, his voice steady: "We are not deities. Tell me first, who are you?"

Shi Gen recounted his origins in fragmented sentences.

He was a hunter from the Gray Stone Tribe in the Central Wasteland Region; the tribe had been attacked by a pack of Savage Beasts three days ago, and his clansmen were either dead or scattered.

He had fled alone for three days, drawn by the light of Mist Valley. The ancient formation had a natural guiding force for the human race—a legend carved into the bones of the indigenous people of the wilderness.

"Wilderness Era..." Shi Gen shook his head in confusion, "We just call it 'The Land.' But Chieftain, that is correct. Within a thousand miles of the Central Wasteland Region, there are over a dozen tribes, and the strongest chieftain is said to be at the level of a Barbarian General."

His voice dropped, "But recently, Savage Beasts have become more frequent. The elders say... this is an omen of misfortune."

Wang Sheng and Shen Xun'er exchanged a glance. Shi Gen's intelligence highly corroborated with the system prompts; this world was larger, more dangerous, and more orderly than they had imagined.

And the identity of "Chieftain" meant absolute power and inescapable responsibility in the Wilderness Era.

Hua Jieyu stood up, faint green light lingering on her slender white fingertips, and her dimples appeared shallowly: "His injuries have stabilized, but he needs a few days of rest."

Wang Sheng nodded and asked Tang Waner and Wei Lanzhi to settle Shi Gen in the medical area.

After settling Shi Gen, Wang Sheng took out nine Savage Beast cores and walked to the high ground in the center of the valley.

The nine low-tier cores were embedded into the grooves in the ground, and a golden magic formation suddenly lit up. The light condensed and swirled, and a giant golden tent materialized out of thin air amidst the crowd's gasps!

The tent was covered in golden light at the top, its walls were pure white, and a blank flag atop the tent snapped in the wilderness wind.

A system prompt popped up: "Chiefs Tent (Temporary Version) has been activated. Tribe core building completed, Contribution Points +50."

Wang Sheng stood in the center of the tent, looking around the spacious interior—the central fire pit, the compartments on both sides, and the thick animal skins covering the floor. For the first time, he truly felt the weight of the word "Chieftain"; it was not just a title, but a heavy contract.

Night fell, and the bonfires gradually died down. Most of the girls had returned to the spirit vine tents to rest, leaving only Murong Xue and a few members of the combat team on night watch.

By the banks of the Lingxi River, moonlight poured down like liquid silver. The clear radiance of the twin moons spilled onto the shimmering water, plating the entire stream into a flowing silver ribbon.

Wang Sheng sat alone on a rock by the river, watching the twin moons reflected in the Lingxi River. Shi Gen's words kept turning over in his mind: frequent Savage Beasts, numerous tribes, Barbarian General-level powerhouses. The lives of 63 people—the weight on his shoulders was not just an illusion.

Footsteps approached from behind, light and steady, carrying a faint, elusive scent of jasmine.

Shen Xun'er sat down beside him, their shoulders almost touching. She had changed into light, thin clothing, her long, raven-black hair draped loosely. The moonlight plated her profile in silver, and her skin, smooth as congealed fat, looked breathtakingly beautiful amidst the interweaving of water and moonlight.

Her moist, apricot-shaped eyes reflected the fragmented silver of the stream, her eyelashes casting fine, curved shadows. Her nose was elegant and straight, and her lips were slightly pursed, carrying a soft light of contemplation.

The collar of her clothes was slightly open, revealing a neckline from collarbone to shoulder that looked carved from white jade, and her fair, slender neck shimmered with a warm luster.

Her figure was graceful and curvaceous, her waist so slender it could be encircled by one hand. As she sat, the fabric clung to her body, outlining stunning curves, while her long, fair legs were pressed together and tilted to one side, her ankles as delicate as a new moon.

"What do you think... about what Shi Gen said today?" She spoke first, her voice very soft, as if afraid to shatter the tranquility of this wilderness moonlit night.

Wang Sheng was silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on the stream: "This world is much larger than we imagined. Savage Beasts, alien races, tribal wars... we have only just begun."

Shen Xun'er turned her head to look at his profile, the moonlight flowing in her apricot-shaped eyes like shattered stars: "Are you worried?"

"I'm wondering if I'm strong enough." Wang Sheng lowered his head, looking at the golden runes faintly appearing in his palms, "The lives of 63 people are now pressing down on me. The system gave me power, but it also gave me a path of 'Spreading Branches and Leaves.' I don't know where this path leads."

Shen Xun'er did not answer immediately. She watched the golden runes in his palm for a long time, then reached out, her fingers gently covering his palm. The golden runes pulsed slightly beneath her fingertips, and the warm sensation made her heart skip a beat, but she did not pull back.

"Wang Sheng," she turned her head, looking him straight in the eyes. In the moonlight, her apricot-shaped eyes were like two pools of silver water, gentle and firm, reflecting his image, "From freshman year until now, it's been four years. You helped me carry my luggage, and I remember the welts on your hands; on rainy days, you handed me an umbrella, and I remember the warmth on the handle; when I was nervous about my thesis defense, you sent that 'Good luck' text—I remember I read it seven times."

Her voice trembled slightly, but her gaze did not flinch, like the brightest star in the wilderness night sky, "You might not remember, but I remember it all."

Wang Sheng looked at her, his heart beating like a drum. In the moonlight, Shen Xun'er's face was close at hand. She raised her hand to brush away the loose hair blown to her cheek by the night breeze, bringing with it the faint scent of jasmine mixed with the crisp aura of the wilderness spirit water, like an invisible hand gripping his heart.

Her lips parted slightly, and the next sentence used up almost all her courage: "I am not standing by your side because of the system. The system can make me obey you, but it cannot make me," she paused, taking a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly with the movement, "it cannot make me like you."

Wang Sheng's breathing stopped for a moment. Then he reached out and took the hand she had placed on his palm.

Their fingers interlaced; his palm was slightly scorching—the temperature of a Holy Light Warrior—while her fingertips were as cool as moonlight. The cold and the warm merged between their clasped fingers into a strange temperature, like two streams converging and becoming inseparable.

"Xuner," he said, his voice half an octave lower than usual, his throat slightly dry, "I didn't always look at you because you were the class monitor. I've watched you for four years, but I never dared to say it."

Shen Xun'er's eyes reddened, and her lips curved into a bright arc, a smile like a flower suddenly blooming in the wilderness night. She gripped his hand back, their fingers tightly interlaced, and rested her head gently on his shoulder.

Their shadows merged into one under the moonlight, cast upon the fluorescent grass, swaying slightly with the shimmering water of the river.

The wilderness night breeze blew by, brushing a strand of her raven-black hair against his neck, the scent of jasmine and the aura of sunlight intertwining.

After a long while, she said softly: "No matter what happens, I will stand by your side."

Wang Sheng turned his head, his nose almost brushing the top of her hair, and closed his eyes to feel the warmth of her leaning on his shoulder—a solid, irreplaceable sense of peace.

"I know." The three words were as light as moonlight falling on the water, yet heavier than the mountains of the wilderness.

The whispers by the banks of the Lingxi River could not travel far in the silent wilderness night. But some people's ears were destined to be sharper than the wind.

At the entrance of the cave, Frost Mage Lin Shiyun leaned against the cave wall, watching the two figures clinging to each other by the river from afar. Her silvery-white hair shone with a cold light in the moonlight, her ice-blue pupils reflecting the silver radiance of the stream. Her face was calm, but the fingers clutching the corner of her clothes had turned white at the knuckles, slightly blue from the effort.

After a long while, she turned and entered the cave, turning her back to everyone and pulling the blanket over her head.

Murong Xue withdrew her gaze and continued patrolling. Her silver armor reflected a cold light in the moonlight, and her brown ponytail swayed gently in the night breeze. There was an imperceptible arc at the corner of her mouth—a bitter smile that vanished in an instant. "As expected," she whispered to herself, then immediately regained her composure.

Su Mengyao lay on her side in the tent with her eyes closed, hearing the faint whispers from the river. Her emerald-green hair was scattered on the pillow, and her eyelashes trembled slightly. She turned over and buried her face in the spirit vine pillow, but at the corner of her mouth, there was a very, very faint smile.

Just as Wang Sheng and Shen Xun'er were still by the river, the system interface popped up silently: "Ding! Side quest triggered: [Spreading Branches and Leaves · Prologue]. Confirm relationship with the person of destiny to receive the first marriage reward. Hint: The confession under the moonlight has been recorded by the system. Chieftain, do you confirm?"

Wang Sheng looked at the flashing "Confirm" button, his heart pounding like thunder. Beside him, Shen Xun'er's hand was still held in his, the temperature scorching and real. His gaze shifted from the system interface back to her profile as she leaned on his shoulder; under the moonlight, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips were curved as if she were having a wonderful dream. With this press, there would be no turning back. But did he even want to go back?

The sound of the Lingxi River was murmuring, the moonlight was like a wash, and in the distant darkness of the wilderness, something seemed to be watching this small patch of light, silent and patient.