In the darkness, Li Xuan hurried through the alley with a little girl on his back. Every few steps, he would stop to listen to the nearby shouts of battle, the sound of hooves, silently discerning the safest direction.
He stood in the dim alleyway, breathing heavily, while scanning the rooftops, trying to spot traces of Chen Ji.
After three days of siege, Li Xuan had only been able to drink thin, watery porridge. Today, he'd fought from noon until 7 p.m., and even an iron-willed person was starting to reach their limit.
When starvation sets in, the body first consumes the glycogen reserves in the liver and muscles. Three days is just enough time for these reserves to be completely depleted.
Weakness, dizziness, and lethargy—these were the most immediate sensations.
Li Xuan glanced at the elm tree beside him and couldn't resist peeling off a piece of its dry bark, imagining it was beef jerky as he stuffed it in his mouth and chewed.
