Chapter 63

The sound of rain hitting the roof was chaotic.

Chen Yuezhen turned on the camping lamp she had found in the house. The dim yellow light spilled out, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

Shu Fu, who had collapsed on the floor, pulled off her mask, breathing heavily, but still made sure to observe the room she was in. The two rectangular rooms were connected in an L-shape. Apart from the door they had entered, the only other window in the room was a small one with an iron grate on the right side of the main door.

The walls of the room were dark and cold, seemingly made of stainless steel, resembling a container that had been converted and reinforced. Although it looked cold, being inside gave a strong sense of security.

In this room, along the walls, there were many shelves. A few of them held old-looking boxes, and the camping lamp in Chen Yuezhen’s hand had been taken from one of them.

Chen Yuezhen switched on the lamp and took an unopened bottle of coconut milk from her travel bag, placing it next to the still-breathing Shu Fu. She then removed the backpack Shu Fu hadn’t had a chance to set down and reached up to pat her head, seemingly silently praising her: Good job.

In this resource-deprived small town, a bottle of original, unexpired coconut milk was quite a rare item. She knew how valuable such supplies were to Chen Fa and the others. Though Shu Fu herself wasn’t lacking, this was Chen Yuezhen’s kindness, and she didn’t want to refuse it.

So, half leaning against a nearby shelf, Shu Fu sat up and quickly drank the coconut milk in one go, all while thinking that once Chen Fa was alright and the rain eased a little in the morning, she’d go down the mountain to retrieve the “hidden” supply package.

After finishing the coconut milk, Shu Fu felt a bit of strength return and quickly went over to help Chen Fa.

Chen Fa was still lying motionless on the ground. Chen Yuezhen had already helped her remove her mask, raincoat, and rain pants. From her own travel bag, she took out an insulated camping blanket and laid it nearby, then moved Chen Fa onto it.

Chen Yuezhen patted Chen Fa’s wet cheek, trying to wake her up, but she seemed to be unconscious, with no reaction at all.

Chen Yuezhen checked her pulse and heartbeat and found nothing unusual.

Shu Fu also took a bottle of wind oil from her waist bag, applying it to Chen Fa’s philtrum and temples, hoping to stimulate her into waking up, but it was all in vain.

“Has Fa Fa ever said what exactly happened?” Chen Yuezhen, being older and knowing her hearing wasn’t as sharp as the younger ones’, hadn’t heard what Chen Fa might have said when she was carrying her quickly up the mountain. All the noise from the rain had drowned out any words.

Shu Fu thought for a moment and seemed to remember that while she was carrying Chen Fa up the mountain, Chen Fa had faintly warned her: “Be careful… feet…”

“Feet!” Shu Fu immediately sprang into action, turning to remove Chen Fa’s rain boots.

Chen Yuezhen also grabbed the camping lamp and moved closer to Shu Fu to help illuminate the area. Chen Fa’s rain boots were different from the ones Shu Fu and Chen Yuezhen were wearing. Shu Fu usually wore waterproof boots that reached mid-calf, while Chen Yuezhen’s rain boots were even taller, almost up to the knees.

Of the three, only Chen Fa wore shoes. Though they were sturdy waterproof rubber shoes, their height only reached the ankles.

She wasn’t wearing socks, and her rain pants had already been removed by Chen Yuezhen. Underneath, she wore moisture-wicking yoga pants. Once Shu Fu took off her rain boots, her feet and ankles were clearly visible.

The two of them carefully examined her and quickly found a small bloodstain between Chen Fa’s left ankle and calf. The wound was not large, but deep.

It looked like it had been bitten or, more accurately, pierced by something.

“It shouldn’t be a snake,” Chen Yuezhen immediately ruled out the possibility of snake venom.

Shu Fu looked at the wound, feeling a little puzzled. The wound was deep, yet there wasn’t much blood.

She quickly took a thin rubber glove from her waist bag, reaching out to touch the wound. She found that there was a slippery, transparent mucus at the site of the injury. It seemed that this mucus was the reason the blood hadn’t flowed much.

“What is this? Is it poisonous?” Shu Fu held her finger up to the light to examine it.

“It shouldn’t be. Her face and lips look normal,” Chen Yuezhen said, then gestured for Shu Fu to squeeze the wound a bit.

Shu Fu carefully pressed her fingers around Chen Fa’s ankle, squeezing out some of the transparent mucus. It seemed to have a coagulating effect, and after a moment, when the mucus was squeezed out, blood began to slowly seep from the wound.

The blood was bright red and hadn’t turned dark, indicating that the wound wasn’t poisoned.

Chen Yuezhen speculated that the mucus might have some anesthetic properties, which could explain why Chen Fa was unconscious. She even connected this to the strange occurrences in the town, where people had been vanishing without a trace at night. It was very likely that this substance was the cause.

The two of them then separately checked their own rain boots and waterproof boots. Sure enough, they found the same slippery mucus around the same area on the outside of their boots. However, both the rain boots and waterproof boots were sturdy and thick, so the substance had evidently attacked them as well but failed.

But up until now, everything was just speculation. They still didn’t know what had bitten or pierced Chen Fa, or what potential dangers it might pose.

“Could this… be related to the infected?” Shu Fu was actually more concerned that Chen Fa might develop a strange illness from this.

“Probably not,” Chen Yuezhen shook her head. “The infected situation started two months ago in Lucheng. People went missing at night after coming to the town, and that happened after they had been in Hexi Town for a while. This seems more like two separate incidents…”

Of course, they would have to closely monitor Chen Fa’s health in the future. If symptoms like a cold or fever appear, it would complicate the situation.

On the other hand, if her condition remains good and no similar symptoms emerge, then it would confirm that these are indeed two separate matters.

Shu Fu nodded and continued to apply pressure to the wound until all the mucus had drained out, then removed the gloves, took a small first aid kit from her large waterproof backpack, and prepared to disinfect and bandage Chen Fa’s injury.

Meanwhile, Chen Yuezhen took the gloves that Shu Fu had discarded, carefully bringing them to her nose to smell.

Shu Fu noticed the change in her expression. “What’s wrong, Grandma?”

“There’s… a bit of a fishy smell,” she said, furrowing her brow. “It doesn’t seem to be from a plant, it’s…” She paused, choosing the most appropriate words. “It’s like something living.”

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Chen Fa remained unconscious all night, only waking up slowly the next morning.

Inside the container warehouse, there was a simple bed, along with a few basic tables and chairs, and a cabinet filled with supplies, clearly stored later on: canned meat, canned fruit, long shelf-life biscuits and bread, a small amount of bottled water, a portable stove with an extra gas canister, camping lights and cookware, a few clothes…

There weren’t many items, mostly emergency supplies. There was little food and a lot of camping gear, indicating that Chen Fa had prepared these things in advance.

It was unclear how she had found this place or when she had decided to turn it into a backup shelter, but it might be related to her previous time spent in the town. Regardless, in the current situation, it was a good place to shelter and recover.

The previous night, Shu Fu and Chen Yuezhen used the camping mats and thermal blankets to make two sleeping areas. Since there were no other people nearby, and the container was well-sealed with reinforced doors and windows, they didn’t worry about anything breaking in at night.

So, both of them had a good rest.

Chen Yuezhen gave Chen Fa some water, explained the assumptions about her injury, and asked her how she was feeling. If anything felt uncomfortable, she should speak up immediately since she had been stung by an unknown creature.

“It really feels like some sort of anesthetic, and its effects are long-lasting. This side of my body is still numb and immobile,” Chen Fa said, though her face appeared fine. When she said she didn’t have any symptoms like headaches, fever, or cold, and didn’t feel anything else wrong, both Chen Yuezhen and Shu Fu breathed a sigh of relief.

“Did you see what it was?” Shu Fu’s biggest confusion was this. The narrow street was walled on both sides. They had three people at the time, but after Chen Fa was attacked, neither of them saw anything strange leaving.

And what about that “click—click—click” sound? What could it have been?

“Could it have been an insect?” Shu Fu guessed, as she had seen various kinds of insects at the cave restaurant. It was spring now, and insects were beginning to spread. It was possible that some unfamiliar insects had appeared due to the frequent disasters.

It didn’t have to be mutated insects, maybe just ones that hadn’t appeared in the city before.

But the blood wound on Chen Fa’s foot was about the size of a pinky. If it weren’t for the sticky, anesthetic-like substance left by whatever stung her, she might have screamed in pain immediately.

What kind of insect could cause such a deep wound?

“Leech?” Shu Fu speculated, absentmindedly rubbing her arm as she felt goosebumps.

Chen Fa: …

She wasn’t afraid of rats, snakes, or other flying insects, but she especially feared those that could silently latch onto the body.

“It’s not a leech,” Chen Yuezhen clarified. “Leech bites typically create triangular wounds, and if not interfered with, they won’t fall off. They also release venom, causing swelling, itching, and pain, which doesn’t match her wound.”

Chen Yuezhen’s analysis was so detailed that, even though she had denied it, Chen Fa’s face turned pale.

“Actually, to figure this out, the best thing to do would be to go back to that street,” Shu Fu said as she walked toward the outer room of the container, peeking through a small window by the door to check the weather outside.

The rain wasn’t too heavy, so she could make a trip down the mountain.

Naturally, neither Chen Fa nor Chen Yuezhen agreed with this. First, they were worried she might be attacked by an unknown creature. Second, they weren’t sure if Zhou Feng had noticed Tang Ping’s disappearance or if anyone was searching the town.

“It’s fine. I won’t go to the center of the town, just to the northern part where no one is. I’ll quickly check the small street from yesterday. Don’t worry, the disappearances always happened at night, which means whatever it was won’t appear in the daytime. Daytime is relatively safe.

Also, the place where I hid the supplies is quite close. I want to retrieve the supply package. We’ll have to stay here for a few days, at least until Chen Fa recovers and your health improves. We can rest together. During this time, we can plan where to go next.”

Of course, there was something she didn’t say.

The most important thing was, she couldn’t leave the town’s water area right now…

Chen Fa wanted her to take Tang Ping’s stun gun, but Shu Fu declined.

“I have this,” Shu Fu said, then took out a nail gun from her backpack and skillfully checked and loaded it, showing them that she was capable of self-defense. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to come to Hexi Town alone.

The food Shu Fu had kept in her waterproof backpack had been used up over the past few days. Now, there were only simple clothes, medical supplies, and a toolkit inside, which wasn’t heavy, so she carried it with her. After placing the nail gun back into the backpack, she put on her raincoat and rain pants before carrying the backpack in front of her.

Before leaving, Chen Fa once again reminded her, “Do you still remember the way? Be careful, if anything happens, run. If you can’t, take your inflatable boat and leave. Only the large horse team has boats in the town, but they won’t care about Zhou Feng’s team. Once you’re on the boat, they won’t be able to catch up with you.”

Shu Fu nodded, finished all preparations, pulled up her rain hood, put on her mask, and quickly left the container house.

When she looked back at the container house in the daylight, she realized it was indeed a good place to take refuge. The color of the container’s outer wall was similar to the color of the mountain wall behind it, both a dull gray. The mountain ravine blocked most of the strong winds, and the location was about 70-80 meters from the water surface, making it an ideal shelter for this purpose.

The ravine was oriented northwest, and standing at the top, one could see the town in the distance.

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Shu Fu first returned to the northern part of the town, which was under the jurisdiction of the Yang Can team. Since there were no residents nearby, and several houses in the area had already been searched for supplies, Chen Fa had told her that this area wasn’t under patrol during the day.

The number of sick people in the team was increasing, so fewer people were available, and the manpower was being used in the most critical places.

After a night of running, her raincoat wasn’t very useful, and her waterproof sportswear underneath had dried and wet again. As she descended the mountain, rainwater seeped through the button seams and collar, soaking her inside.

Her waterproof boots were of excellent quality, and with the rain pants protecting them, no water got inside, but the entire bottom of the boots was caked with mud. Walking felt like carrying an extra two pounds on each foot, and every step felt like walking with a heavy load.

Aside from that, everything went smoothly on the descent. When she got close to the small street from last night, she briefly activated her personal shield.

During the day, this area looked completely different. Gone was the eerie, dim atmosphere, and it was just an old town street with worn-down walls on both sides, the ground paved with bluestone bricks. There was a drainage ditch along the wall, which was now full of water due to the rain. The water didn’t overflow, as it drained into nearby ponds lower in elevation.

The ditch was filthy, the water appeared gray and black, and when she shone her flashlight on it, she didn’t notice anything unusual.

Probably because it was daytime, the creature had hidden again. After circling the area a few times without finding anything, she turned back and started walking toward the town’s outskirts. She planned to find a spot with trees and rocks on the way up the mountain to take out the “hidden” waterproof travel bag.

In fact, because the three of them were now sheltering in the ravine, her needs had changed. She not only had to retrieve the travel bag but also needed to redistribute the supplies inside.

Such a task wasn’t suitable to do in public. Even without cameras, she didn’t feel safe. Luckily, she had spotted a small forest near the water earlier when she descended the mountain.

The wind and rain weren’t too strong today, and Shu Fu walked briskly after leaving the town. She quickly reached the small forest at the foot of the mountain. This area was closer to the water, making it a good place to hide supplies after coming ashore. Even though Chen Fa was nearby, it wouldn’t seem odd for her to go out with the travel bag and boat pack.

She quickly redistributed the supplies, and just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard a commotion from the side of the forest near the water.

She immediately became alert and turned around. The forest wasn’t large, but she could vaguely see someone running from the water side of the forest toward the shore, screaming in panic as though something was chasing them.

The noise soon intensified, and it wasn’t just one person shouting. Shu Fu quickly climbed up a rock, took out her binoculars, and looked toward the direction of the forest. She saw a boat approaching the shore, which looked like the fishing boat she had seen on her first day at Hexi Town.

But the boat was wobbling strangely as if someone was fighting on it. It seemed like it was about to dock, but instead, it kept spinning in place, nearly capsizing.

No, that wasn’t it!

It wasn’t a fight!

Someone on the boat was wildly swinging tools at something—something gray and jumpy—that would latch onto a person and bite down without letting go, causing instant bleeding.

A few people jumped into the water and swam away from the boat. The water here was shallow, and this wasn’t where fishing boats usually docked. The people were screaming in the water, as though they had been bitten by something, and they scrambled toward the shore.

Behind them, a dozen or so gray, jumping creatures were chasing after them.

These creatures were slippery, covered in scales, with sharp fins on their backs, legs that could move like springs on their bellies, and long, thin tails with even longer sharp stingers at the end. Their heads were large with bulging eyes and wide mouths, continuously snapping open and closed as they chased the people, showing off their sharp, fine teeth.

Shu Fu instinctively muttered “What the hell?” and quickly packed up her binoculars, jumped down from the rock, grabbed the travel bag and boat pack, and ran toward the edge of the forest.

She finally understood what had attacked Chen Fa last night!

It was a fish!

A monstrous fish with legs that could jump on land!