In the mountainous region during the rainy autumn season, natural disasters like flash floods and mudslides are common. If this were a test question, Jiang Huai would instinctively write down “flash floods” and “mudslides” without a second thought.

But now, being in the mountains and having experienced several days of rain, Jiang Huai never seriously considered the possibility of a mudslide. However, at this very moment, hearing the deep, rumbling sounds from afar, his hair stood on end.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Jingzhao noticed something off about Jiang Huai.

“M-mudslide! It’s a mudslide! We have to run!” Jiang Huai stammered, his rain-soaked body trembling as he shouted. He grabbed Xiao Jingzhao’s arm in panic. Yet, the night was pitch black; even if he suspected a mudslide was coming, he couldn’t tell from which direction, let alone decide where to run.

The surroundings felt like enormous, gaping mouths ready to devour them. Jiang Huai stood paralyzed, unsure of what to do. Staying put seemed like tempting fate, but running blindly was no safer.

“Mudslide?” Xiao Jingzhao asked, confused.

“It’s like a dragon escaping its cage,” Jiang Huai explained, his face pale.

Xiao Jingzhao understood this phrase. His expression immediately turned serious. The ominous sounds had caught his attention earlier, but he hadn’t thought much of them. Now, with Jiang Huai’s warning, he realized the looming danger, especially as the noise grew closer and louder. Without further hesitation, Xiao Jingzhao gripped Jiang Huai’s hand and pulled him to run.

The approaching rumble was deafening. Jiang Huai could hear it clearly now, his face white as a sheet. Moments ago, he thought the mudslide might be far enough away to pose no threat. But the increasing volume shattered his illusions entirely.

“Head to higher ground! Mudslides flow through valleys; higher ground is safer!” Jiang Huai shouted, his voice barely cutting through the noise.

Unfamiliar with the terrain, Jiang Huai didn’t know where “higher ground” was. He could only hope that Xiao Jingzhao, who had navigated the area earlier, had a better sense of direction.

Jiang Huai’s assumption was correct. Xiao Jingzhao did remember the layout of the nearby hills. Hearing Jiang Huai’s advice, he dragged him in the direction of higher ground.

The roar behind them grew louder and closer. Jiang Huai, pulled along by Xiao Jingzhao, stumbled forward, nearly crawling at times. Faintly, Jiang Huai thought he could hear cries of despair in the distance, but the overwhelming noise of the mudslide quickly drowned them out.

They had discovered the danger early and ran fast, but the mudslide was faster. Jiang Huai could feel the ground shaking beneath him. He dared not look back, gritting his teeth and focusing only on running forward.

After a full day of hiking, Jiang Huai’s body was already exhausted. Add to that his earlier fight with Sun Yong and the strangling that had drained his remaining energy—this frantic escape had pushed him beyond his limits. He felt dizzy, his vision darkening, and his breath coming in short gasps.

The forest path was treacherous even in daylight. At night, it was nearly impossible not to trip. Jiang Huai didn’t see the tree root underfoot and fell hard to the ground. This time, he was completely out of strength.

Xiao Jingzhao turned back. Without waiting for Jiang Huai to get up, he grabbed him and practically dragged him forward. Most of Jiang Huai’s weight now rested on Xiao Jingzhao, whose heavy breathing revealed his own growing fatigue. Dragging someone along these mountain trails was no easy feat.

“You…” Jiang Huai gasped, trying to speak.

“Shut up,” Xiao Jingzhao ordered curtly, then fell silent.

Jiang Huai had no idea how long Xiao Jingzhao dragged him along. He only realized the terrifying roar of the mudslide had finally faded into the distance when Xiao Jingzhao stopped.

“Did we… did we escape?” Jiang Huai panted, his voice weak.

“Not sure,” Xiao Jingzhao replied, shaking his head.

“But didn’t we already avoid it?” Jiang Huai turned to look back. The night was thick with darkness, obscuring everything behind them. The sound was gone, so they must be safe now, right?

“If it’s just that one area, then we’re safe. But if there are more…” Xiao Jingzhao trailed off.

Jiang Huai fell silent. In other words, this place wasn’t truly safe—just temporarily out of danger. If nothing happened, they’d be fine. But if another mudslide occurred…

Before Jiang Huai could dwell further on the possibilities, the biting autumn wind pierced through his soaked prison uniform, making him shiver. He realized that beyond the threat of the mudslide, he was also at risk of hypothermia.

Jiang Huai didn’t know the exact temperature in the forest, but he knew his wet clothes were steadily draining his body heat. If he didn’t find a solution, he might not survive the night—even without the mudslide.

“If I’m not mistaken, there’s a cave nearby. It could be a temporary shelter,” Jiang Huai suggested.

Xiao Jingzhao nodded silently and followed him toward the cave.

“Brother Wei, did you bring a fire starter?” Jiang Huai asked.

Xiao Jingzhao nodded again.

Hearing this, Jiang Huai felt a surge of hope. With fire, they could warm themselves and avoid freezing to death. Without it, starting a fire in this damp environment would be nearly impossible.

On the way to the cave, Jiang Huai quickly gathered some firewood. In the past, he wouldn’t have known which branches burned well or how to find dry wood in such wet conditions. But his recent experiences had taught him well. He even collected some lighter, easier-to-ignite kindling.

Xiao Jingzhao silently helped gather firewood without being asked.

By the time they reached the cave, both had decent piles of wood. Jiang Huai lit the fire starter and carefully ignited the kindling. After some effort, a small flame flickered to life, gradually growing into a steady fire.

Jiang Huai placed damp branches near the flames to dry them out, ensuring the smoke wouldn’t choke them later. He also used some branches as makeshift racks to hang his clothes, knowing that wet clothes would continue to sap his body heat.

Even though the cave shielded them from the wind, the damp clothes still left Jiang Huai shivering uncontrollably.

Xiao Jingzhao, after ensuring the cave was safe, turned to see Jiang Huai stripping off his wet clothes. Hanging them on the branches, Jiang Huai huddled by the fire, curling up for warmth.

“Brother Wei, you should take off your clothes too. They’re soaked—you need to dry them to stay warm,” Jiang Huai called out.

Xiao Jingzhao hesitated briefly, then shook his head. He sat by the fire, still fully dressed, and began warming himself.

Jiang Huai thought about persuading him but decided against it after seeing Xiao Jingzhao’s stoic expression.

The warmth of the fire soon spread through Jiang Huai’s body. If there were enough firewood, he would’ve loved to light another fire to warm both his front and back—it was just too comfortable.

With the immediate dangers of the mudslide and hypothermia temporarily behind them, Jiang Huai’s thoughts turned to earlier events, and his heart sank once more.

Sun Yong’s death wasn’t a small matter. Once the truth came out, Jiang Huai would undoubtedly face execution. If it had been before the mudslide, he might not have cared. But now…

The chaos caused by the mudslide would surely disrupt the exile group. If Jiang Huai took this chance to escape, wouldn’t people just assume he had died in the disaster? Without a body, it was entirely plausible.

The thought of escape burned brighter in his mind. Even knowing the dangers that might follow, Jiang Huai preferred the slim chance of survival over waiting for certain death. Moreover, this time, even if his escape were discovered, the mudslide’s chaos would shield Xiao Jingzhao from being implicated.

The only issue was whether Xiao Jingzhao would try to stop him. Jiang Huai knew that if Xiao Jingzhao decided to intervene, his chances of escaping would be zero.

By the firelight, Jiang Huai glanced cautiously at Xiao Jingzhao. He seemed half-asleep, his eyes barely open.

Jiang Huai’s heart raced as he quietly warmed himself, clenching his fists tightly against his chest.