“System, can I go back early? Look, both the Sightseeing Mission and the hunting mission are already completed.”
【The time limit is a one-day tour, so you must stay the full twenty-four hours. Returning early counts as a failure—no mission rewards and no Ginseng Fruit.】
“Uh, I can wait a bit longer.”
The closer it got to the return deadline, the more He Mu felt time dragging on, each second feeling like a year. She had no idea what was happening at the hospital.
He Mu let out a bitter laugh. She could imagine her grandmother lying alone on a cold hospital bed, her parents and second uncle arguing over Grandma’s meager inheritance, then unanimously cursing her, the “ungrateful wretch” who had “angered Grandma to death.”
“Mumu, you’re up so early.”
Su Miaomiao crawled up beside He Mu, rubbing her bleary eyes.
They had only brought two simple tents. Last night, He Mu and Su Miaomiao shared one, while Lu Shiyan and Su Mu shared the other.
The Yuanmou Man had invited them to stay in the cave, but it was too damp and poorly ventilated inside, so they’d rather set up tents at the cave entrance and make do for the night.
Su Miaomiao failed to fully wake up and lay back down. “No way, I’m still so sleepy. I’m going back to sleep. Wake me when it’s time to go back, okay?”
“Okay.”
He Mu couldn’t sleep anymore, so she simply crawled out of the tent. Just then, she saw the clan chief and several other Yuanmou Man still gathered outside, curiously observing the tents.
They had been watching with keen interest ever since the tents were set up last night.
He Mu glanced at the other tent. The zipper was half-open, and it was quiet inside.
Remembering Lu Shiyan’s injured calf, He Mu walked over and peeked inside, immediately freezing in surprise.
Lu Shiyan lay inside, eyes tightly shut, clearly still asleep and not yet awake. Beside Lu Shiyan, there was no sign of Su Mu, but surprisingly, a Five-Colored Spotted Deer was standing there.
It turned its head to glance at He Mu, then instantly transformed into a beam of light and shot into the center of Lu Shiyan’s forehead.
It vanished.
He Mu rubbed her eyes, puzzled. “Am I seeing things?”
She looked inside again. There was no Five-Colored Spotted Deer, and Lu Shiyan’s forehead showed no unusual signs.
“Lu Shiyan?”
He Mu called out tentatively. “Lu Shiyan, are you awake?”
Lu Shiyan’s brow twitched. He slowly opened his eyes, propped himself up on his side, and looked at He Mu. “I wasn’t, but now I am.”
Oh, she had woken him up.
He Mu stared at the center of his forehead. “Do you feel any discomfort?”
Lu Shiyan’s gaze also shifted downward to his leg. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he sprang up. “Holy crap!”
He Mu was startled. “What’s wrong?”
Lu Shiyan laughed heartily. “I’m healed!”
As he spoke, he pulled up his pant leg. There was no trace of bruising left on his calf.
He even jumped up and down vigorously several times, nearly crashing into the top of the tent.
“It doesn’t hurt at all anymore. In fact, I feel even more agile and nimble. He Mu, where did you buy that Yunnan Baiyao? The effect is incredible.”
He Mu’s mouth twitched. What she had sprayed was Yunnan Baiyao, not Immortal nectar from Guanyin’s jade vase. How could it work that fast?
He Mu coughed twice. “Don’t be scared when I tell you this, but I saw a Five-Colored Spotted Deer vanish into your forehead.”
Lu Shiyan touched the center of his own forehead. “You weren’t seeing things?”
He Mu wasn’t entirely sure either. “Probably. Hard to say.”
He Mu then asked the Yuanmou Man who had been guarding outside the tent, but none of them had seen any Five-Colored Spotted Deer.
It might have really been a trick of the eyes.
As time passed, it was almost time to return, and they had to bid farewell to the Yuanmou Man.
He Mu did not dismantle the tent, leaving it there for the Yuanmou Man. Perhaps it could inspire them to build houses to live in and move out of the caves.
He Mu also left her backpack for the clan leader, which contained some medicine and tools, and she taught the clan leader how to use them.
Su Miaomiao and the others also gave away their backpacks. These items could be easily bought anywhere in modern times, but the Yuanmou Man had no way of obtaining them.
The Yuanmou Man, overwhelmed with emotion, were about to kneel and bow again, and they also offered their heartfelt gifts.
They were wolf teeth.
They believed wolf teeth symbolized strength and courage, so they had the custom of wearing them.
A flash of white light appeared, and the travel agency’s minibus materialized outside the cave. The Yuanmou Man, who had never seen such a thing before, were frightened and stepped back.
“Three passengers, it’s time. Let’s go back.”
He Mu, eager to return, immediately boarded the vehicle, and Lu Shiyan and the other two followed suit.
Lu Shiyan stretched and chose a window seat, saying, “Guide He, let’s go to the Qin Dynasty next time to meet that fascinating ancestor.”
Su Miaomiao sat beside He Mu and laughed, “Then I want to go too. That’s Brother Zheng, the dream lover of millions of girls!”
Su Mu also chimed in immediately, “Take me along too.”
He Mu nodded, “Sure, if there’s a chance, I’ll definitely call you.”
The system wouldn’t have just one travel task, and He Mu wasn’t satisfied with just one task either.
A reward of one month of lifespan was still too little.
Moreover, with the three of them around, at least the issue of three passenger slots was resolved, reducing the chances of running into obstacles.
The vehicle started with a roar, frightening the Yuanmou Man even more. But seeing He Mu and the others enter this giant contraption and about to leave, they couldn’t help but wave and shout.
He Mu opened the window, clutching the white, jade-like wolf tooth in her hand, and shouted, “Goodbye! Don’t eat raw meat anymore, be careful when hunting, and live well!”
Lu Shiyan also leaned out of the window and shouted, “Goodbye! It was truly a joy to meet you!”
Su Miaomiao and Su Mu were more reserved, not shouting excitedly, but they both waved at the Yuanmou Man.
And because of He Mu and her companions’ arrival, this branch of the Yuanmou Man embarked on a completely new path.
The vehicle drove into the white light, and He Mu and the others experienced temporary blindness. When the light before their eyes completely faded and they could see clearly again, they were surprised to find themselves still in the tunnel.
“10:42, damn, only one minute has passed!”
Lu Shiyan shouted excitedly.
He Mu quickly took out her phone, and the time on it indeed showed only one minute had passed since their departure.
However, the battery had dropped by two-thirds, having been consumed in primitive society.
In that short minute, they had spent a whole day in primitive society.
Without overthinking it, He Mu’s phone rang.
It was a call from He Xiaosa. The previous two calls had been from her parents.
He Mu didn’t answer; aside from scolding her, there wouldn’t be any kind words.
The vehicle exited the highway at the nearest interchange and then got back on the highway for the return journey.
During this time, Su Miaomiao opened the class group chat and saw that people were still discussing He Mu’s lies about scamming money.
Jiang Xue: It really is a big world full of wonders. What kind of Time-Space Travel nonsense is this? Either he’s gone crazy from the pressure of the college entrance exams, or he’s lost his mind because he can’t afford the high medical bills. He’s spouting all sorts of ridiculous things.
Jiang Xue: He Mu, if you’re really short on money, just say so properly. Don’t treat everyone in our class like fools.
Jiang Xue: Don’t say I look down on you—if you actually have that kind of ability, I’ll run naked on the sports field!