"The best way to keep a secret is to forget it."

　　Gong Kong found himself blindfolded, his mouth muffled with cloth, securely bound to the back of a camel-horse. Straining to hear his surroundings, he initially caught the soothing murmur of a nearby stream, only for the sound to gradually fade into the distance.

　　As the camel-horse turned at a junction, Gong Kong's body shifted backward, signaling their ascent up a mountain. Memories flooded his mind, transporting him back to a crisp morning when he led a scouting mission. Alongside him were Yao Gang, commanding the city's defenders, and Gong Jie, in charge of a unit of female guards. Together, they escorted hundreds of women from the tribe's harvesting team as they set off from Windwood Citadel to forage for wild fruits in the forest.

　　The female harvesting team, coordinated by Gong Min and Gong Jie, comprised mostly of inner city servants. These groups, typically numbering around a hundred, were a common sight in Windwood Citadel, venturing regularly into the forest to gather fruits and grains from designated areas.

　　Today marked the planned excursion for this particular female team from the inner city. The previous day, Gong Kong approached Gong Min to discuss the idea of including three female members from the human tribe, proposed by Su Ziqi, in the harvesting expedition.

　　Initially hesitant about Su Ziqi's suggestion, Gong Min eventually relented under Gong Kong's persuasion. However, she couldn't shake off the weight of responsibility, especially considering Gong Jie's female guard team lacked adequate strength. She proposed that Gong Kong dispatch the scouting party to ensure the safety of the harvesting team.Leading the scout team under Gong Kong's command, they are tasked with scouting enemy movements and relaying messages during wartime marches. In times of peace, most scouts are sent out to gather intelligence in the Nanyu Forest. Consequently, only a few scouts, approximately a hundred, remain within the city each day. This time, Gong Kong has dispatched all city-bound scouts to safeguard the women's harvesting team.

　　As the harvesting team passed by the outer gate of Windwood Citadel, they encountered Yao Gang, the captain on duty, descending from the city tower with a group of soldiers.

　　Approaching Yao Gang, Gong Kong embraced him warmly, exclaiming, "Hey there,Pops! It's been days since we last met, and I've been missing you. Just finished your shift?"

　　Yao Gang chuckled at Gong Kong's familiar address, replying, "Third Young Master, why do you persist with that nickname? I'm not your father. Last night, my comrades and I stood guard at the city gate all night. I've just changed shifts and bumped into you as I descended the tower. So, where are you off to, Third Young Master?""We're here to watch over the ladies as they gather fruits in the woods," Gong Kong explained.

　　Yao Gang raised an eyebrow, teasingly, "Did the sun rise in the west today? Why's it up to you scouts to protect the harvesters?"

　　Gong Kong, affectionately calling Yao Gang "Pops," shared, "Well, you see, every time we return, the harvesters gift us fruits for free. It just didn't sit right with us, so we wanted to lend a hand."

　　Not wanting to dampen the mood, Yao Gang let Gong Kong's nickname slide. "Ah, I get it. Our gatekeepers are in the same boat, always taking but never giving back."

　　Turning to his comrades, Yao Gang proposed, "Since we're off duty and have some time to spare, how about we pitch in today and escort the ladies' harvesting team out of the city? What do you say, brothers?"

　　His soldiers eagerly agreed.

　　"Fantastic! With Pops and our brothers watching over us, this harvest is bound to be a success," Gong Kong remarked with gratitude and excitement.Within the forest, the GongYou Clan's human inhabitants rely on three key sources for sustenance: hunting for meat, foraging wild fruits, and tending crops for grains.

　　The Dragon Tribe maintains specialized farms, clearing patches of sparse woodland within the forest to create arable land. As the season progresses, corn has been planted, with the harvest still a distance away in the coming autumn. The fruit-bearing trees within Windwood Citadel are nearly depleted, and while the inner city's food reserves remain ample, the outer city's residents are nearing the bottom of their stores.

　　In a gesture of compassion, Gong Min personally leads this harvesting team to distribute the forest fruits gathered freely to the outer city's inhabitants. Prior to their departure, Gong Kong took the time to instruct Su Ziqi and her two companions on the art of camel-horse riding. The trio of young women, sharp-witted and quick learners, swiftly grasped the techniques of camel-horse handling. Accompanied by Gong Kong, Su Ziqi, and her companions, they set out from Windwood Citadel.Ever since seeking shelter in the tree hollow on the pyramid platform, it marked the first time the three young women ventured beyond Windwood Citadel, mounted on camel-horses, exchanging lively banter as they trailed along with the main group.

　　Curious about the forest's harvest, Su Ziqi asked, "Gong Kong, where are we off to? What fruits are we after?"

　　"Ziqi Jiejie , we're bound for a parched, rain-deprived region to the southwest of our domain, where the monkey bread tree forests thrive. Our mission is to gather some breadfruit," Gong Kong elaborated."Breadfruit? We have that on Earth too."

　　"Earth? I remember when we first met, you mentioned your homeland was on Earth."

　　"Yes, we suspect Earth is what you refer to as 'Ice Star.'"

　　"So, the homelands of you celestial sisters are truly on Ice Star? But our celestial gods have told us that the entire planet is covered in ice and snow, with extremely harsh conditions. How could you live there? Although the Yellow Clan celestial gods have mentioned that a long time ago, Ice Star was lush and suitable for habitation."

　　"Is that so? Does Ice Star truly have no human inhabitants now?""After the whole God-forsaken battle, word has it that the Brown Tribe celestials and the Grey Tribe celestials hightailed it to Ice Star with their folks. Now, it's just a ragtag bunch of Dwarves and Centaurs barely scraping by in Ice Star's frigid caves to dodge the biting cold.

　　"Dwarves? Centaurs?" Anthropologist Zheng Ya mumbled, "This world's gone plumb crazy. Just a few moons back, I was kicking it on Earth, and now I'm hearing Earth's a frozen hellhole where no humans ever set foot, only these Three-Eyed Giants playing house with Dwarves and Centaurs."

　　Zheng Ya's vibes rubbed off on the other gals, making them feel like they've stumbled into a Grimm fairy tale, where everything's a mirage, and their past feels like it's been wiped clean. It's as if they never even existed in this world.

　　"This is one helluva nightmare, a nightmare you can't shake off," the usually polished Wang Yue let out a string of curses.

　　Noticing the shift in their mood, Gong Kong felt she might've stepped on a landmine, trying to steer the convo elsewhere to perk things up, but Su Ziqi and crew kept responding in bits and pieces. The crew lost their earlier buzz, and even their camel-horses seemed to plod ahead with a lackluster gait."After a couple of hours, they finally arrived at the grove filled with breadfruit trees, a lifeline for the forest-dwelling folks during lean times. The women wasted no time and paired up—one wielding tools to pluck the fruits while the other busied herself collecting the bounty.

　　In that moment, scout leader Xiao Cheng approached Gong Kong with a report, "Pardon me, Third Young Master, but the scouts who scoped out this place earlier mentioned a peculiar sighting. Before our main force's arrival, a handful of mysterious humans were spotted here, gathering fruits."

　　"Humans? How in tarnation? Could that lad have been seeing things?"

　　"Third Young Master, that scout's a seasoned hand; his word's as good as gold."

　　"Is that right? How many of 'em were there?"

　　"About three or four souls.""Could it be our neighbors from the tribe sneaking in for some breadfruit picking?" Gong Kong pondered aloud, his brow furrowed in confusion.

　　Yet, deep down, he understood the situation well: despite the proximity to the Tiger Tribe, they wouldn't dare encroach here for fruit. The boundaries for each tribe's harvest were sacrosanct, and their teams were never this small.

　　"Third Young Master, their attire doesn't match ours," the observation made Gong Kong more wary. He swiftly ordered heightened alertness and instructed his men to inform Captain Gong Jie that he, along with Yao Gang and Xiao Cheng, would scout the area.

　　As they ventured into a cluster of short trees, Xiao Cheng gestured towards the heart of the forest, "Sir, my scouts mentioned those folks vanished right over there."

　　"Pops, Xiao Cheng, let's investigate."

　　"Should we bring more men, Third Young Master?"

　　"No need, just a few wanderers; the three of us can handle it." Disembarking from their camel-horses, they unsheathed their swords and stealthily entered the woods. Discovering fresh footprints on the ground, they silently followed the trail, their curiosity piqued by the mysterious disappearances.The forest hushed into an uncanny stillness, devoid of bird songs, so quiet that one could almost sense the pulse of the Land. As they trailed along, the footprints on the ground mysteriously vanished, leaving them bewildered about the whereabouts of those they pursued. Suddenly, a flock of birds swooped overhead.

　　Uh-oh, retreat!" Gong Kong's warning was cut short as a large net dropped from the trees above them. Trapped within the net, they attempted to tear it apart to escape, but before they could, a yellow smoke filled the air.

　　"The smoke is poisonous!" They attempted to hold their breath, but it was too late. In the blink of an eye, consciousness slipped away, and they crumpled to the forest floor.

　　Gong Kong's thoughts snapped back to the present, filled with concern, "I hope Pops and Xiao Cheng are safe. I hear the presence of four camel-horses nearby; could they be tethered to two of them? What time is it now? Where are we? Who are the perpetrators behind our abduction?"Gong Kong made a conscious effort to steady his emotions. At that moment, the distant call of an eagle echoed in his ears, prompting him to concentrate and visualize himself embodying the majestic bird.

　　In a sudden twist, the cloth over his eyes disappeared, revealing a vast, cloudless sky. Peering down, he observed a winding mountain trail veiled in dense mist, where five camel-horses laboriously ascended.

　　Four tribesmen rode atop four camel-horse， while the central one carried a bound individual with a gagged mouth and covered eyes, a figure that struck a chord of familiarity within him.

　　Upon closer scrutiny, Gong Kong was jolted by the revelation that the captive was none other than himself! "Then who am I?" he questioned, his mind reeling.

　　Turning his gaze, he beheld his own outstretched wings, leaving him bewildered, "Who am I? How do I possess wings?" Without hesitation, he instinctively retracted his wings, hurtling swiftly towards the earth from the heavens above.

　　As the cliff's edge loomed closer, he frantically adjusted his stance, spreading his wings wide, eventually regaining a stable flight, narrowly averting disaster."How on earth did I end up as a bird? What's going on here?" Gong Kong questioned, turning his head to gaze northward, where the Southern Gorge Forest stood clearly visible, its trees bathed in the morning sunlight.

　　"Hmm, that's the very southern edge of the Southern Gorge Forest," he thought to himself, "Is this the second morning after the attack? Or perhaps the third morning?"

　　At that moment, the cry of another eagle passing overhead caught his attention. Gathering his thoughts, he decided to descend to get a closer look at the mysterious figures who had abducted him. Peering down with intent, he observed the four individuals clad in brown cloaks, their faces hidden beneath the hoods, their identities shrouded in mystery.In that instant, the cloaked figure on the trailing camel-horse appeared captivated by the eagle's cry above, tilting their head to peer at the sky. It was then that Gong Kong finally made out the individual gazing skyward—it was Yao Gang.

　　"Damn it, why him! Why Yao Gang?" Gong Kong burst out in utter disbelief. The revelation that Yao Gang, the one who had nurtured and safeguarded him since childhood, was the mastermind behind his abduction left Gong Kong reeling with a mix of anger and frustration. Unable to contain his emotions, he unleashed a series of piercing screeches into the vast expanse above.