Chapter 1096: Chapter 1039: Campfire in the Forest (Part 2)

He wiped the corner of his mouth and smiled contentedly: "Thanks for the drink, brother! I really enjoy drinking, though I can’t often indulge."

"That’s not difficult. If you want a drink, just go to the town and buy some. It’s not too expensive," Huang Yi said, taking a big gulp himself.

"The town!" Heavenly Demon Little Dragon seemed a bit dazed, the flickering campfire casting deep shadows on his face, "I’ve been busy lately, can’t go back to town. Maybe once this is over, I’ll be able to go."

Huang Yi’s heart skipped a beat. Heavenly Demon Little Dragon had sworn not to return to town until he earned his respect. Now, saying he might return, indicative of substantial gains in the wilderness, perhaps a remarkable encounter, he is close to fulfilling his oath.

"Brother, the roast chicken is ready, have a taste!" At this moment, Heavenly Demon Little Dragon tore off a golden-brown roasted leg from the wild chicken and handed it to Huang Yi.

Huang Yi smelled the enticing aroma from the chicken leg and nodded, taking the leg and biting into it heartily.

The leg was roasted to perfection, crispy outside and tender inside, with rich meaty flavor—only a skilled roaster could achieve such deliciousness.

"Life is lonely; it’s rare to meet a traveler in such desolate wilds, drink and eat meat together. Come, brother, a toast!" Heavenly Demon Little Dragon laughed heartily, raising his bottle toward Huang Yi.

Huang Yi raised his bottle, clinking it with Heavenly Demon Little Dragon’s, took a sip, and continued to eat the roast meat.

Thus, they stayed in the treacherous Blood-colored Plains, beside a campfire, having a simple dinner, occasionally chatting.

A gust of night wind came, rustling the leaves above, with beams from the blood moon softly filtering through the gaps between leaves to fall dimly in the forest.

"Isn’t it desolate here!" Huang Yi turned, looking at the surrounding forest, sighed softly.

Heavenly Demon Little Dragon raised his head, gazing through leaf gaps at the brilliant starry sky, his eyes weary: "This isn’t too bad! As long as the weather is clear, solitude doesn’t matter. The worst is the rain; sometimes, stormy nights find one walking in the wild, soaked in mud, with no shelter, drenched, sticky. In those times, I imagine visiting an inn, sitting by a warm fireplace with a few friends, warming by the fire, drinking and talking about old stories."

At this moment, a spark crackled in the fire, causing the flames to flicker, rendering Heavenly Demon Little Dragon’s figure uncertain.

He slouched back slightly, half-leaning against the trunk, squinting as if imagining that inn scene.

"Actually, if you want, you can live that life anytime; it’s just your choice not to," Huang Yi tossed the finished chicken bone on the ground, wiping his palms.

"Yeah! The most important in life is choice; different choices decide different lives. If I chose that easy life, I’d remain an unnoticed member of the masses. So, on stormy nights, I still trudged in the wilderness, passing towns without entering, only distant gazing at the inn’s warm glow, hearing laughter inside, then continuing through the rain. I don’t regret my choice; destiny hasn’t wronged me, I’ve experienced more meaningful things and obtained what I desired." Heavenly Demon Little Dragon seemed to be talking to himself, with a satisfied smile on his time-worn face, like an oil painting in the flickering fire.

At that moment, Huang Yi felt clearly an aura of determination radiating from Heavenly Demon Little Dragon, like someone who endured countless hardships, even death, yet still pressed forward.

Such people possess iron will, never yielding; any hardship or setback cannot defeat them!

"I believe you’ll achieve your ideals!" Huang Yi swallowed the last of his drink, stood up, clasped his hands, "Brother, thanks for tonight’s hospitality, I must be on my way. In this vast world, meeting is a great fate. I have a feeling we will meet again!"

"Hope your gut feeling is right! I don’t know why; you feel like an old friend I haven’t seen in years; maybe that’s fate!" Heavenly Demon Little Dragon chuckled.

Then, Huang Yi turned around, continued toward the center of the Blood-colored Plains, quickly disappearing into the forest depths.

Heavenly Demon Little Dragon watched Huang Yi fade from sight, withdrew his gaze, leaning back against the trunk, staring up at the starry sky.

Shortly after Huang Yi departed, heavy footsteps suddenly sounded from the same direction, approaching from the center of the Blood-colored Plains.

A burly figure emerged, skin shimmering like gold under the firelight—a Half-Beastman.

The Half-Beastman’s face was youthful, likely just came of age, with eyes full of vitality.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com