Chapter 28: Scorching Heat, White Mist

Song Hui shouted for a long time, but there was no response from inside the house.

If they delayed any longer, they wouldn’t make it back to the shelter, and they’d go hungry for a day too.

A sinister glint flashed in Lin Zu’s eyes. He incited, “Captain Song, there are so many of us—what are we afraid of? Let’s just storm in!”

Qiao Weisong was still bitter about his near-death earlier. “Captain, they’re hiding firearms. That makes them dangerous. We should go in and apprehend them!”

Song Hui’s gaze suddenly turned cold. “Do you have evidence? A search warrant?”

Qiao Weisong was stunned, then said unconvincingly, “Isn’t this a special time?”

“Ordinary people might get special treatment. What kind of privilege do you have? Just because they’re weak doesn’t mean they’re automatically guilty! If you act on one-sided claims, you might be harming an innocent family!”

“Everyone, fall in line. We’re returning to the shelter immediately!”

Qiao Weisong gritted his teeth. “Captain, some of them are going to die if they don’t get water!”

Song Hui stared at him coldly. “Then you conjure up some water! If you don’t have the power of a saint, don’t act like one! Waste more time, and more people will die tomorrow trying to get back!”

Those who had been siding with Qiao Weisong quickly changed their tune.

“I seriously don’t understand how someone without discipline became deputy captain.”

“Right? The captain sees the big picture.”

“Trying to save people who are already doomed, dragging us all down with him—must’ve hit his head.”

Qiao Weisong turned red from the scolding, fists clenched tightly.

Lin Zu tried to cozy up again. “Deputy captain, you’re too kind-hearted. Not like some people who turn a blind eye to armed criminals. Wait until they come and rob us—that’s when you’ll regret it!”

Then a thought flashed in Qiao Weisong’s mind as he looked toward the forest behind Jiang Si’s house.

Could this family be refusing to go to the shelter because they discovered a water source?

…

In the silent forest, dried trees stood eerily under the cover of night, creating a creepy atmosphere.

Jiang Si looked at Qin Shen. “Which way should we go?”

Qin Shen pointed southwest.

It wasn’t the same spot where her dad had discovered an underground spring in her previous life.

Jiang Si followed Qin Shen’s lead, reminding everyone to be cautious. Then she asked, “Roughly how long will it take?”

Qin Shen replied, “Not sure. It changes every day.”

It changes every day?

Has he been here more than once?

Did he enter the forest before the bloodsucking mosquitoes were gone?

And he didn’t even have protective gear—how did he manage?

Thick skin, maybe?

Before she could finish her thoughts, Qin Shen suddenly stopped. Jiang Si almost bumped into his back.

She lifted her gaze. Under the torchlight, thick white mist clung to the forest, visibility dropping to less than a meter.

The fog moved like it was alive, flowing around them, blocking their view.

Though Qin Shen stood right in front of her, and Jiang Si was holding a torch, she could barely make out the silhouette of his face.

The daytime temperatures reached 75°C, and even nighttime hovered around 50°C. The forest was bone dry—yet now it was blanketed in dense fog. It was bizarre.

Jiang Si had never heard her father Jiang Linhai mention this in her past life. She hurriedly asked, “Is the mist toxic?”

Qin Shen replied, “No. Just don’t get lost or step on poisonous insects or snakes.”

No poison—she breathed easier.

Lu Zhifeng tied a rope around Niuniu’s wrist to prevent her from getting lost.

Jiang Si pulled a rope from her backpack—actually from her storage space—and had everyone hold onto it as Qin Shen led the way.

They gripped the rope, held their torches, and walked carefully.

Suddenly, a rustling sound broke the silence. Qin Shen’s ears twitched as he calmly said, “Snakes. Be careful.”

Dense fog and snakes—what kind of extreme survival challenge was this?

Jiang Si had all sorts of antivenoms stored, but in this thick fog, identifying the species was impossible. A wrong injection could be fatal.

Everyone shuddered and became even more cautious.

“Hiss hiss~”

The quieter it was, the louder the snakes’ hissing seemed.

“Crack~”

A dry twig snapped.

Startled, a snake lunged at Jiang Si.

Qin Shen moved like lightning, grabbing and snapping its neck, flinging it several meters away.

Before anyone could recover from the shock, more snakes dropped from the trees.

“Ahhh—!” Niuniu screamed and buried herself in Lu Zhifeng’s arms.

Jiang Si slashed down, slicing a venomous snake in two. Even on the ground, it kept writhing.

As they jumped away, the sound of snakes slithering filled the air.

Jiang Si and Qin Shen moved swiftly, killing snake after snake. Blood splattered everywhere, but the scent only attracted more.

With everyone else needing protection, this couldn’t go on. Sooner or later, something would slip through.

The sulfur spray they used was too weak.

Jiang Si grabbed her backpack, reached into her space, and filled it with powdered realgar (an anti-snake agent).

As soon as she scattered the powder, a red venomous snake near Shen Baoying opened its mouth wide, ready to strike.

“Mom—!” Jiang Si cried out.

Shen Baoying looked down and locked eyes with the snake’s cold gaze. Her mind went blank.

At the last second, Qin Shen grabbed the snake’s tail. It missed the bite, then coiled into an S shape and sank its fangs into his arm.

Qin Shen frowned slightly, tore the snake in half, and flung the pieces away.

Jiang Si sighed in relief and killed two more snakes with a slash.

The realgar powder finally took effect—snakes stopped attacking and slithered away.

Though Qin Shen had killed the most snakes, he was the only one bitten.

Shen Baoying was deeply ashamed. She couldn’t help at all and even got Qin Shen hurt.

Jiang Si rushed to Qin Shen. “Let me treat your wound!”

Qin Shen held out his arm. Two deep fang marks marred his right wrist.

Jiang Si recognized the snake—a red Teng Snake, highly venomous.

She had to expel the venom and tightly bind the area above the wound to slow the spread.

Then, while washing the wound with soapy water, she fished out a vial of Teng Snake antivenom from her space.

“I’ll give you an antibiotic shot to suppress the infection. If you’re lucky, you might not die,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t recognize the serum.

Qin Shen shook his head. “It wasn’t a venomous snake. I’ll be fine.”

Shen Baoying let out a breath of relief. “That’s good. Thank you for saving me!”

Jiang Si froze.

She was sure it was a red Teng Snake.

How could it not be venomous?

And Qin Shen’s wound was already turning black, his face pale.

He stood up as if nothing had happened, rolling down his sleeve. “Let’s move quickly.”

If it really wasn’t venomous, the antivenom wouldn’t hurt.

If it was venomous and he died, well… she’d still owe him a favor in the underworld.

Jiang Si grabbed his sleeve again. “Let’s still do the antibiotic shot—just in case.”

Qin Shen looked at her, then gave in and held out his arm.