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Liu Qi and the others were cautious, using their wristbands to inspect the Mengji’s bodies and discovering poison present.
The poison that didn’t kill the Mengji was extremely dangerous for humans.
They had to abandon the Rank 1 Exotic Beast Spirit Flesh and leave with Yang Fan.
Yang Fan didn’t resist. Liu Qi’s worries were unnecessary; he wouldn’t try to attract exotic beasts and then turn against Liu Qi and Zhang Jie.
Because… he wasn’t ready to die!
He hadn’t yet avenged his mother; how could he die now!
Yang Fan never imagined that he might not die at the hands of exotic beasts but could very well perish at the hands of his own kind.
Unfortunately, his physical condition was too poor. Once noticed by Liu Qi and Zhang Jie, he had little chance of escape.
If he had even a somewhat average physique, coupled with his vigilance, he wouldn’t have been captured so easily by these two.
Animals fight for food, humans for their interests, using any means necessary.
He had only heard his mother preach these lessons before, and although Yang Fan had memorized them, he hadn’t truly understood.
Now, reality was imparting the most genuine lesson to him.
However, there were two pieces of good news now.
These two individuals are also heading to the Qilin Lair, at least their destination aligns with his own.
Furthermore, he still had value to them; they wouldn’t simply kill him outright.
At this point, Yang Fan had no choice but to travel with these two.
Yang Fan’s Grey Pine Spear had been confiscated by Zhang Jie. With his hands bound behind his back and his mouth gagged with cloth scraps, Liu Qi and Zhang Jie flanked him, taking extreme precautions.
The fact that Liu Qi and Zhang Jie had survived until now indicated their extreme caution. They navigated the jungle carefully, observing their surroundings closely after each segment of their journey.
Their approach differed from Yang Fan’s, as they assessed the safety of their surroundings based on bark traces, soil conditions, and debris shapes.
Yang Fan even managed to pick up some skills from observing the two.
After walking for a while, the trio had not encountered any wild animals, but the sky was gradually darkening.
Passing by a fallen giant tree, Liu Qi noticed that the trunk and the uneven ground created a space that could be used for resting.
They gathered plenty of twigs and fallen leaves to block the opening, placed some rotten fruits around the entrance to mask their scent, ensuring everything was secure before retreating into the cave to rest.
After a day of navigating on the edge of life and death, even individuals with strong physical constitutions like Liu Qi and Zhang Jie were exhausted and hungry.
They split two Mountain Peach Fruits and ate them in front of Yang Fan, leaving nothing behind.
“I’ll sleep first half of the night, you take the second half,” Liu Qi said to Zhang Jie. “Keep an eye on this kid. Don’t let him escape; he is crucial for us to complete the second objective!”
Zhang Jie nodded in agreement.
Night fell over the vast expanse of the jungle.
Outside, the sounds of insects could be heard, although they were likely not the chirping of crickets or grasshoppers.
In the world of Shan Hai Jing, one could encounter unknown creatures.
But they couldn’t go out to investigate.
Because if they did run into something, they might soon become part of the unknown themselves.
The cave was relatively spacious, accommodating three people without feeling too cramped. However, once Liu Qi lay down, Zhang Jie and Yang Fan could only sit squeezed to the side.
Liu Qi quickly drifted off to sleep, even starting to snore.
Zhang Jie nudged him, prompting Liu Qi to stop snoring.
“Sleeping so soundly and snoring?” Zhang Jie chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.
As he shook his head, he happened to catch sight of Yang Fan seated in front of him.
At that moment, Yang Fan’s eyes were fixed on Zhang Jie.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Zhang Jie turned away, sighing. “In the world of Shan Hai Jing, survival often means doing things that may seem harsh, but it’s just the way it is.”
In the quiet of the night, the steady breathing of Liu Qi could be heard nearby.
Liu Qi hadn’t specified the exact timing for the second half of the night, leaving Zhang Jie shaking his head. He was exhausted too and unsure when he would finally get some rest.
However, seeing Liu Qi sleeping so peacefully and considering they were in the world of Shan Hai Jing, Zhang Jie couldn’t help but smile with a hint of relief.
Despite Liu Qi’s deviousness, he did trust and respect Zhang Jie.
He could sleep soundly by his side, and when faced with crucial decisions, Liu Qi would communicate thoroughly with him. These aspects indicated a strong bond between them.
At that moment, Zhang Jie suddenly noticed Yang Fan looking at him, shaking his head and smiling non-stop.
Frowning, Zhang Jie turned to Yang Fan. “What are you laughing at?”
“Wuwu…” Yang Fan made two sounds before shrugging, indicating helplessness.
With his mouth gagged, Yang Fan couldn’t respond to questions.
However, he still maintained that irritating smile on his face.
“Are you mocking me?”
Surprisingly, Yang Fan nodded directly, his gaze resembling someone witnessing a joke.
“Do you think I’ll fall for you wanting me to loosen your mouth?”
Yang Fan appeared composed, shaking his head.
“What on earth are you laughing at?”
It seemed like thousands of ants were crawling around in Zhang Jie’s mind, making him extremely uncomfortable.
Finally, unable to bear Yang Fan’s intense gaze any longer, Zhang Jie said, “I’m going to remove the cloth from your mouth now, but you must promise not to scream! If you dare to scream, I will kill you immediately.”
As he spoke, Zhang Jie pressed the tip of Yang Fan’s Grey Pine Spear against his neck.
Yang Fan was terrified now, especially since the spear tip was coated with hallucinogenic poison. A slight scratch could prove fatal!
Thankfully, the spear tip wasn’t sharp enough to cause harm, and Zhang Jie had enough control not to break Yang Fan’s skin.
He removed the cloth from Yang Fan’s mouth.
Yang Fan immediately moved his jaw around; being gagged for so long had almost dislocated it.
Seeing that Yang Fan truly didn’t make a sound, Zhang Jie relaxed slightly. He moved the Grey Pine Spear away a bit and promptly asked, “What were you laughing at earlier?”
Yang Fan chuckled softly and said, “Do you think Liu Qi really considers you a close friend he confides in?”
“He’s just using you.”
“What do you know!” Zhang Jie retorted angrily. “Do you think we haven’t faced danger before? Before encountering you, we encountered a fully grown Yellow Crag!”
“A Rank 3 exotic beast!”
“At that time, it was he who led me to jump into the river, which was why we survived.”
“He trusts me and respects me!”
Listening to Zhang Jie recount their experiences, Yang Fan simply smiled faintly. “I really don’t want to discourage you. Do you want to hear the truth?”
“The truth? Go ahead, tell me.”
Yang Fan spoke seriously, “Your experiences don’t prove anything. The only thing they demonstrate is that you are still useful to him!”
“For someone with considerable strength who trusts you so much, if it were me, I wouldn’t abandon him unless absolutely necessary.”
Zhang Jie immediately countered, “You’ve got it all wrong. It’s him who trusts me!”
“Hmph, Zhang Jie, my mother once told me that the most important thing in dealing with people is to consider their ‘limits’!”
“What he’s capable of doing to others, he’ll do to you when necessary.”
“Of course, by ‘limits,’ I’m not referring to how he treats his enemies but how he treats someone like me. What he can do to me, he can do to you too!”
Zhang Jie was momentarily stunned, looking at Yang Fan as if contemplating his words. However, he quickly regained his composure, confidently stating, “You’re trying to sow discord!”
“Yes, because that’s the only way I have a chance to survive. But what I said is still the truth,” Yang Fan stated unabashedly.
Shaking his head, Zhang Jie replied, “You’ve admitted it yourself, so do you really think I’ll fall for your tricks?”
Yang Fan shrugged and sighed, “Seems like you are deeply devoted to this person you’ve only known for a day. I won’t be able to persuade you to let me go.”
“But Zhang Jie, could you at least give me some food to eat? Getting fed before becoming your scapegoat shouldn’t be a problem.”
After a moment of consideration, Zhang Jie found nothing wrong with this request.
Besides, he felt a twinge of guilt towards Yang Fan. He took out a Mountain Peach Fruit, peeled it, and offered it to Yang Fan.
“In truth, you still have a conscience… Zhang Jie, wake up. Following Liu Qi, you won’t have a good outcome!” Yang Fan’s expression turned serious as he looked at Zhang Jie.
There’s a saying from Liu Qi that actually reveals his true opinion of Zhang Jie.
He called Zhang Jie “adorable.”
Translated, it means naive and innocent.
But at the same time, it indicates that Zhang Jie is different from Liu Qi; he still has a conscience!
“Stop talking!” Zhang Jie hissed under his breath.
Seeing Zhang Jie’s stubbornness, Yang Fan sighed and shook his head.
Some people simply cannot be awakened.
“Hey, Zhang Jie, if we make it to the Qilin Cave, can I have the Grey Pine Spear back?”
“Even if I give it to you, with that thing, you won’t survive… Besides, we… we don’t want you to leave alive either.” Zhang Jie hesitated to meet Yang Fan’s gaze.
Yang Fan wasn’t surprised at all and chuckled, “I know I won’t make it out alive, but at least I want my fate to be in my own hands. As for your concerns about me potentially exposing you if I survive…”
“You can rest assured on that. If, by some chance – and I mean a slim chance – I do make it out alive, as long as you all stick to your story with no evidence, no one will believe what I say.”
Upon hearing Yang Fan’s words, Zhang Jie hesitated.
Staring into Yang Fan’s eyes, Zhang Jie suddenly asked, “What’s your name? If… by any chance, after your passing, I will try to find your family, consider it a form of reparation.”
Family? Yang Fan didn’t elaborate much.
“Yang Fan,” he said softly.
“Yang Fan… alright, I’ll remember that. I can give you the Grey Pine Spear, but only before you enter the Qilin Cave,” Zhang Jie stated.
Yang Fan nodded appreciatively.
After eating, Zhang Jie gagged Yang Fan’s mouth again, and the two remained peaceful until the second half of the night.
When Liu Qi woke up, he took over the watch from Zhang Jie.
Zhang Jie almost fell asleep immediately.
After a nap, Liu Qi felt more refreshed.
Turning to glance at Yang Fan, he noticed Yang Fan looking back at him. Liu Qi smirked, “Feeling resentful? Heh, kid, you should know deep down that someone like you – trash – coming to participate in this assessment is basically a death sentence.”
“Actually, you should be thanking us.”
“Think about it, if you were to die in the jaws of a beast, it would be meaningless. But now, it’s different. If you can help us achieve our secondary goal, your death will hold more value.”
“Both Zhang Jie and I will remember you.”
Yang Fan’s mouth was gagged, leaving him to only listen to Liu Qi’s words.
However, the more he listened, the more nauseated he felt.
Before long, Yang Fan couldn’t hold on any longer and drifted off into a drowsy sleep.
【Author’s Side Note】: **** updates in, the word count is decent, so who says brevity can’t be impactful!
The pacing may not be rapid in the early stages, but it allows for a more detailed unfolding of the story and this new world.