Don't mess with that Miao boy, he's sickly and perverted.

That night, Chai Xiaomi had no idea how Xiao Wuli got through it.

The scene suddenly shifts, like smoke being blown away by the wind.

When she came to her senses, the figure in front of her had grown much taller and was quite a big guy, looking like a little adult.

He was about eight or nine years old.

The ashes of the haystack under the tree have long since disappeared, replaced by several planks propped up on the tree trunk.

The boy's thin figure was busy at work, and a treehouse was beginning to take shape.

Chai Xiaomi stood under the tree, looking up at him.

He stepped onto the rope ladder hanging from the tree trunk, with a plank tucked under his arm, and nimbly climbed up. Then he bent down and used hemp rope and nails to firmly fix the plank between the branches.

Even though she knew he couldn't hear her, she couldn't help but whisper, "Slow down, be careful not to fall."

The voice just fell.

Wu Li's foot suddenly slipped, and he tumbled down, landing squarely in the haystack at Chai Xiaomi's feet.

Chai Xiaomi: "..."

Wu Li climbed out of the straw, brushed the straw off his body, and a look of confusion appeared in his eyes.

He had climbed trees so many times without ever losing his grip, but just now, it was as if he was being pulled by some invisible force, and he fell in this direction without any warning.

Chai Xiaomi didn't dare to say another word.

She watched with admiration as the treehouse gradually took shape, planks were pieced together, the roof was covered with thick hay, and finally a small door woven from rattan was hung on it.

Wu Li's practical skills are incredibly strong.

It's easy to forget that he's just a child.

Later, Wu Li made himself a bow and went into the mountains to hunt during the day. He would exchange the game he hunted for money in other villages, buy some simple household items, and occasionally exchange them for books to study on his own.

The treehouse may be small, but it has all the essentials.

Chai Xiaomi suddenly remembered the night she had spent inside.

At the time, I only thought the furnishings inside the house were simple, but now I know that this is a home that he built by hand, bit by bit, over countless days and nights.

When he is alone, he often reveals his mischievous boyish nature.

Sometimes he would squat under a tree and build a small mountain with stones, then knock it down, rebuild it, knock it down again, and rebuild it again... He never tired of it.

They would even specially saw a round wooden plaque about half the size of a palm and use a sharpened ochre stone to paint on it.

Chai Xiaomi had a vague recollection of the wooden sign; she had glimpsed it when she left the treehouse, where it hung on the rattan door, and at the time she thought it was a monkey.

Upon closer examination, it was discovered that Wu Li had painted himself.

I thought he was good at everything, and he could even imitate Chinese characters beautifully, but I didn't expect his drawing skills to be so bad that they were unbearable to look at.

As the sun set, the two sat together on a tree branch.

Only a thin shadow was cast on the ground.

Chai Xiaomi leaned closer, squinted at the painting, and burst out laughing:

"What are these two holes? Your big eyes?"

"Wait, wait, wait, the position of the ears is wrong, and why is the nose so low?"

"Such beautiful, thin lips, and you've managed to make them look like sausage lips... You've really gone too far."

Wu Li, oblivious to Chai Xiaomi's guidance, was engrossed in his painting.

He seemed extremely satisfied with his work, and solemnly hung it on the door.

The light of dusk, soft and orange-yellow, was like a veil covering the boy's angular profile.

A slight smile played on his lips, a smile that was both hazy and gentle.

Chai Xiaomi was used to his usual playful and mischievous smile; those fake expressions always remained on the surface and never reached his eyes.

It was the first time I had ever seen him smile so purely and innocently; it was even more moving than the sunset on the horizon.

She found herself staring blankly into space.

After a while, she suddenly came to her senses, raised her hand and gently patted her cheek. Honestly, she was actually swooning over a boy!

Decorating his treehouse was probably the only joy in Wu Li's bleak childhood.

He even dug up a few wild daisies and carefully planted them in the groove by the wooden window.

They also used the water that they had painstakingly collected little by little from the lotus leaves to water the daisies.

Chai Xiaomi shook her head, turning into a sour lemon, and said enviously, "Save some water! That's so extravagant. Are daisies that precious? Why don't you just water them with stinky water?"

When she was thirsty, he encouraged her to drink foul water, but he ended up watering the daisies with the clean water he had painstakingly saved up.

In short, she's not even as good as those few wildflowers.

However, on the other hand, he didn't neglect her food and drink that night when she stayed in his treehouse. Although he just quietly placed them on the table, she guessed they were meant for her.

These mundane and peaceful moments are incredibly fleeting.

The scene before my eyes changed once again.

Chai Xiaomi was suddenly plunged into darkness. As her eyes gradually adjusted, she realized that she was standing in a cave.

Suddenly, a flock of bats swept overhead, as if startled, and scrambled to escape from the depths of the cave.

Chai Xiaomi subconsciously raised her hand to protect her head, a shiver running down her spine. She suddenly remembered that this was the very Gu cave where she first met Wu Li.

Something must have happened inside the cave, for even these creatures that crave darkness fled in panic.

She walked in step by step, her heart pounding. A sense of unease was pressing in, gradually expanding, and her heart felt like it was about to burst.

"Poor child, the sins your mother committed can only be repaid by you, and I do not wish for it to be so. But the witchcraft clan has lost its holy maiden, so we have no choice but to use your body to raise more poisonous gu, which can be considered making the best use of you."

A voice came from deep within the cave, which at first sounded like pity, but in this secluded darkness, it only added to the eeriness of the place.

The voice was muffled and deep, as if it were trapped inside a jar; it belonged to the high priest.

Just as she recognized who was speaking, Chai Xiaomi had already reached the end of the cave.

It was still that pool with a faint blue glow, but Wu Li was not immersed in the pool; instead, he was nailed to the rock wall by three thick iron nails.

One on each shoulder blade, and one three inches above the navel in the center.

His body was crawling with venomous creatures, which were greedily sucking his flesh and blood. Because they were eating so fast, they tore off pieces of flesh and blood together.

His right arm was already showing bones, and the Crimson Blood Silkworm hidden inside his body emerged again, gnawing away the rotten flesh and blood, helping his muscles and bones to regenerate.

Once the flesh and blood have healed, they will be eaten again.

Repeatedly.

Even the cruelest tortures are no more than this.

Chai Xiaomi stared at the scene before her, her pupils trembling, her feet seemingly nailed to the spot, unable to move forward another step.

At this time, Wu Li looked to be twelve or thirteen years old.

His hair was no longer messy; his long braids were neatly combed, his silver ornaments were spotless, and there was not a trace of dirt on his face.

The little boy has grown up without anyone noticing, and he's been working hard to take good care of himself.

But his once clean appearance was now being soaked through with blood, his indigo Miao clothes completely stained deep red, making him look like a demon crawling out of hell against his excessively pale skin.