Han Yu caught sight of Fatty Kui in the distance, sitting cross-legged near one of the supply crates and happily munching on a packet of dried meat.
"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Han Yu remarked dryly as he approached.
"Of course," Fatty Kui said with a grin, patting his round belly. "This place is terrible for everyone else, but for me? The mosquitoes can't get through, the leeches can't bite me, and the elders aren't making me fight anything right now. I call that a win."
Han Yu shook his head. "You're still sweating like a pig in a steam bath."
"That's just… my body's way of releasing impurities," Fatty Kui declared with mock seriousness. "A natural detox."
Not far from them, Wu Shuan sat on a rock with his hair tied back, a damp cloth pressed to his forehead. Even with qi reinforcement, the humidity was visibly wearing him down. His breathing was steady, but the faint flush on his cheeks told Han Yu he wasn't entirely unaffected.
