He was so excited he nearly jumped, rushing to volunteer. "Little female beast, I can do it! I can conjure water out of thin air! No need to run far to fetch water, one spell from me is all it takes!"
Xi Lan paused for a moment, her brow furrowed slightly as a flicker of confusion crossed her face.
But she quickly composed herself and said nothing more, just giving a light, slow nod. Her voice was calm and gentle. "Then I'll leave it to you."
Before she could say another word, Jiang Ji quickly cut in, his tone urgent and eager to please. "Female Master, I'll go get some dry firewood! I know where the driest branches are—they're easiest to light and won't make too much smoke."
"I'll go too!"
Mingye stood up almost instinctively, taking a step forward with his back ramrod straight, as if terrified of being left behind.
Xuyue stood frozen, his lips moving slightly as a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes.
