Tropical rainforests are the most resilient and stable ecosystems, characterized by high species diversity and rapid turnover in biological communities.

Bai Zhen had grown up in the tropical rainforests of the empire’s southern region. Her familiarity with them made her all the more aware of their dangers. The species on a tropical island, in particular, possessed a high degree of specificity, differing greatly from those she knew, so she maintained the highest level of vigilance.

The two continued northward, finding some basil, rubber trees, and hibiscus along the way. Hua Mu even spotted a plant that resembled sugarcane.

But beyond that, they made no further discoveries, and it was getting late.

The entire northern coast was almost entirely sandy beach. It wasn’t until Bai Zhen rounded the northern shoreline that the path was once again obscured by cliffs.

Topographically, the western side of the island was part of a mountain range. As if severed by some immense force, the entire western coast consisted of sheer cliffs and precipices.

Here, Bai Zhen discovered something good.

Several large, thick trees, over ten meters tall, grew on the mountainside. With Bai Zhen’s sharp eyesight, she could clearly see the fruit growing on them. Many were already ripe, their originally green skins having turned yellow.

Bai Zhen was all too familiar with this plant; for over a decade, it had been her staple food.

Seeing that the path ahead was blocked, yet Bai Zhen was staring up at the mountainside without turning back, Hua Mu asked, “Aren’t we heading back?”

Finding a water source and spices had put her in a good mood, as it at least ensured she wouldn’t look too pathetic on her return.

Bai Zhen seemed to be in a good mood as well, her question lacking any sense of urgency.

“Miss, are you craving bread?”

The breadfruit trees were not far from the coast. If one climbed up the cliff from the side, they wouldn’t even need to go through the rainforest.

Hua Mu had indeed said something like that yesterday, at her most vulnerable moment. She wanted to eat bread.

But thinking about it now, the statement was truly shameful, not fundamentally different from the ancient, out-of-touch emperor who asked, “Why not eat minced meat?”

There wasn’t even any wheat on this island, so where would bread come from?

“Why bring that up all of a sudden? I was just saying.”

“I saw breadfruit trees. Have you ever had it?”

Breadfruit is a staple food crop in the tropics. Its fruit is rich in starch and is named for its soft, bread-like texture when baked.

Upon first hearing the name, Hua Mu thought it was something out of a fairy tale, like candy trees or chocolate syrup lakes. But the Sentinel was clearly not that type of girl, so she quickly realized the tree’s name was simply breadfruit tree.

“I’ve never had it… Is it good?”

Bai Zhen set Hua Mu down, a nostalgic look on her face.

“It’s very high in starch. When baked, it has a texture somewhat like bread, and it’s both sweet and sour. You might like it.”

So that’s why it’s called a breadfruit tree?

Hua Mu’s mouth was watering.

She hadn’t eaten carbohydrates in nearly a month. Right now, she could chew through a dry, hard baguette.

“Where- where did you see it?” Hua Mu looked towards the mountainside, but her limited vision prevented her from seeing anything. “Will it be dangerous?”

Bai Zhen wasn’t worried about herself; she was worried about Hua Mu.

“I won’t be in any danger. I can be back in ten minutes at most. But I’m not comfortable leaving you here alone.”

Hua Mu wanted to eat bread. Even if it only tasted like bread, she desperately wanted it. Protein couldn’t provide a lasting feeling of fullness, and she felt like she hadn’t had a proper meal since arriving on the island.

“What danger could there be on this beach? Coconut crabs? I won’t be scared again,” she said, gesturing with her staff. “If one really comes, it’ll just be another seafood feast for us.”

Just a simple bath had refreshed Hua Mu’s spirits, leaving her looking full of vigor.

“Alright then. Wait for me here. I’ll be right back.”

“Go on, go on.”

Hua Mu couldn’t wait to taste the sweet and sour bread, and Bai Zhen seemed equally eager. Before Hua Mu had even finished speaking, she was already running towards the cliff.

The cliff face was covered in plants, especially large swaths of vines that draped over the mountain like a net.

Bai Zhen leaped up, using both her hands and feet, and climbed five or six meters in just a dozen seconds.

How was Hua Mu to know she planned to scale the cliff directly? The sight was so heart-stopping that she screamed repeatedly.

How is this not dangerous?

“Bai Zhen, I- I don’t want it anymore, come down!”

She shouted at the Sentinel, but Bai Zhen only turned to wave at her, signaling that she was fine.

Seeing her hanging by one hand, Hua Mu’s heart leaped into her throat. She nervously covered her mouth, not daring to even make a sound.

She was afraid of distracting Bai Zhen and causing her to fall.

I’ll deal with you when you get back!

Bai Zhen was agile, taking only a few minutes to climb from the bottom to the mountainside. The two breadfruit trees were over ten meters tall, with thick branches and dense foliage of ovate leaves with pinnately lobed margins. Because breadfruit trees are cauliflorous, with flowers growing directly on the trunk and branches, fruit grew all the way from the base to the top.

Breadfruit trees are highly productive, bearing fruit for more than nine months a year. A single tree could feed a whole family. Although Bai Zhen’s parents had died early, they had left her a dozen breadfruit trees. Coupled with the care of her clansmen, she had never had to worry about food growing up.

She truly missed this food and, without realizing it, picked a great deal. Only when she saw she couldn’t possibly carry it all back did she string the breadfruit together with a vine, sling them over her back, and climb back down the cliff.

At this time, the tide was beginning to rise, and many nocturnal animals seemed to be preparing to emerge from their nests. There were many caves of various sizes on the cliff face, and Bai Zhen suddenly sensed something.

Hua Mu watched nervously as Bai Zhen climbed down the cliff, carrying a string of soccer-ball-sized fruits on her back. Her agility was no less than a monkey’s; she could descend over ten meters in the blink of an eye.

But halfway down, for some unknown reason, Bai Zhen suddenly changed direction. Grabbing a vine, she swung and leaped sideways, moving five or six meters horizontally along the cliff’s outer edge. The sight nearly made Hua Mu faint. Not long after Bai Zhen changed her path, a flock of black, long-winged creatures burst out from somewhere directly below her original route, flying chaotically before disappearing towards the rainforest.

Bai Zhen waited a moment before resuming her descent. Hua Mu’s legs felt weak, but she didn’t dare look away. Only when Bai Zhen was almost at the bottom did she drag her feet and run over.

“Didn’t I say I didn’t want it anymore? Why did you still go pick them!”

As soon as she reached Bai Zhen, she couldn’t help but rain down fists and kicks. Though the blows had little effect on the Sentinel, they effectively conveyed her anger.

While Bai Zhen often struggled to understand the twists and turns of Hua Mu’s girlish heart, she understood certain aspects of her very well.

Changing her mind midway was naturally not because she genuinely didn’t want to eat, but because she was afraid Bai Zhen was in danger. After several years of trying to figure out the Young Lady’s way of showing concern, she could finally see some of the patterns.

Bai Zhen paid no mind to the small fists landing on her. She set down the fruit she was carrying and comforted her, “Miss, I’m fine.”

“You say you’re fine, but you almost scared me to death… ahem, I mean, if you fell, wouldn’t the scene be terrifying? It’s not like I was worried about you.”

Seeing how calm she was, Hua Mu felt her worry had been wasted.

Bai Zhen knew this wasn’t the time to call her out, so she smiled and changed the subject.

“Miss, I picked a lot. You’ll be able to eat bread tonight.”

Only then did Hua Mu look at the seven or eight yellowish-green fruits on the ground, each as large as a soccer ball. “What are these? They’re so ugly. They look a bit like jackfruit.”

“Miss, you’re very knowledgeable. Breadfruit trees are also in the jackfruit genus.”

Like jackfruit, breadfruit is a multiple fruit, which is why its skin has many wart-like bumps and the fruit itself is quite large.

“Hmph, of course.” Flattered by the praise, Hua Mu instantly forgot her dissatisfaction and grew curious about the breadfruit. “How do you eat this? Do you have to cut it open?”

It was getting late, and Bai Zhen worried they wouldn’t make it back if they delayed any longer. She suggested, “Let’s head back to the water source. I’ll tell you on the way.”

On the return trip, Bai Zhen carried Hua Mu again. Because of the supplies they had gathered along the way, Bai Zhen was laden with things.

Hua Mu steadied a few of the breadfruits to ease the burden on Bai Zhen’s shoulders while listening to her explain the facts about breadfruit trees.

“So, does that mean you come from a wealthy family? A dozen breadfruit trees, you’d never starve in your life.”

Bai Zhen didn’t catch Hua Mu’s teasing tone and replied quite seriously, “Our clan chief has over a hundred. My family’s share isn’t considered much.”

“…”

She couldn’t even understand a joke. Who would actually care about a dozen breadfruit trees!

“What did you run into midway?”

Hua Mu decided to change the subject.

“Bats. I didn’t expect there to be bats on the island. There are many caves on the cliff, some of them quite large. I didn’t notice they were bats at first, only when I was coming down.”

“Bats!” Hua Mu’s impression of bats mostly came from vampire novels, and she couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy. “Do they suck blood?”

“They probably don’t. Judging by their size, they’re likely fruit bats, which aren’t a major threat.” Fruit bats are the largest type of bat, with some larger individuals having a wingspan of up to two meters. Although the flock she had just seen wasn’t particularly large, their physical characteristics were closer to fruit bats.

Vampire bats are generally very small, weighing no more than forty or fifty grams at most; they could never grow that large.

Hua Mu relaxed slightly, saying with lingering fear, “I once heard Derek say that a Sentinel’s spirit animal was a vampire bat, and it sucked its own Guide to death.”

Bai Zhen frowned. “That’s impossible. Young Master Derek probably doesn’t understand us.”

Derek’s father was the Queen’s cousin and the fifth in line to the throne. There had been some indications that he might have been involved in the plot to assassinate Hua Mu, but there had never been any proof.

And Derek was neither a Guide nor a Sentinel, which prevented him from becoming the sixth in line to the throne.

Bai Zhen had never liked this young master, both because of his father and his own dissolute lifestyle, but especially because he had loved to frighten Hua Mu since they were children.