The Primitive Adventures of a Chipmunk 82

Chapter 82

After eating and drinking their fill, they climbed up to a high tree branch to sleep. The first day passed smoothly.

A person’s luck seemed to be affected by their mood. Hua Shi’an had announced the good news, but Hong Yong and Yan Qiuyu were very unhappy and were sullen all night. So the next day, their luck turned bad. Just as they were about to set off with their back baskets, a light rain began to fall.

It was stuffy in the dense forest, so a rain shower could actually cool things down a bit. But this rain just wouldn’t stop, falling from morning to night, making the already difficult-to-walk forest path slippery and treacherous, and drenching the squirrels in the back baskets into drowned rats.

One step forward, two steps back. Their traveling speed was forced to slow down.

Around noon, Yan Qiuyu slipped and fell. He wasn’t injured, but his back basket was overturned, and the sleeping red-bellied squirrel and the bamboo tube with the kudzu powder were thrown out, leaving them dizzy.

The bad luck did not end there. In the evening, as the sun was setting, they saw the tribe’s mark on two adjacent Parashorea chinensis trees at the same time. And the water droplet-shaped marks were pointing in two completely different directions, one to the left and one to the right.

After some discussion, they decided to go to the right to investigate.

The result was predictable. With a fifty-fifty chance, they had chosen wrong. After walking for a short distance, the marks suddenly disappeared, and the beastmen had to drag their tired bodies and turn back.

They continued to walk along the left side. By the time they found a new mark, the sky was already completely dark. Mo Huaishan and Yan Qiuyu found a relatively open space, took off their back baskets to rest, and ended this unlucky day.

“Oh my heavens, we can finally rest. What on earth happened today? We ran into all sorts of trouble. What terrible luck!”

After walking in the rain all day, whether he was happy or not was no longer important. Yan Qiuyu collapsed on the ground, his chest heaving, leaning against a large tree and panting for breath.

After two consecutive days of traveling, Mo Huaishan’s condition actually looked quite good. His face was rosy, and his spirits were high. He sat down at the foot of a tree without a word, not complaining or grumbling, just his breathing was a little rapid.

Hua Shi’an and Hong Yong were more pathetic than the last. The rain had soaked their fur, and when they changed back to their human form, they were soaking wet. Especially Hong Yong, who had also been knocked down by Yan Qiuyu. The muddy water mixed with the rain stuck to his body, and he looked as if he had just been pulled out of a mud pit.

The fine rain was like a hazy mist that enveloped the forest. The rainfall was very light, not enough for a bath. Hong Yong, covered in muddy water, squatted on the ground, the pressure around him a little low, his angry eyes staring at the culprit, Yan Qiuyu.

Yan Qiuyu’s scalp tingled from his stare. The complaint that had just been on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back. He quickly got up from the ground. “I’m hungry. Well, I’ll go and get some firewood to start a fire.”

“What firewood? Did you use your brain to travel today?” Hong Yong glared at the bewildered Yan Qiuyu and let out a laugh of disappointment. “It’s been raining all day. The withered branches and fallen leaves are all wet. Can you light a fire?”

“Oh, right!”

Yan Qiuyu’s steps came to a halt. He finally reacted and scratched his head in frustration. “This rain is so annoying. It’s been raining all day. It’s bad enough that the road is hard to walk on. Now, the fire can’t be lit either. What are we going to eat tonight—”

“Here.”

Something suddenly flew over and interrupted Yan Qiuyu’s words. Yan Qiuyu subconsciously reached out, and a leaf packet, tightly bound with coir rope, fell into his palm, carrying a mouth-watering meaty aroma.

His frustrated mood instantly cleared up. Yan Qiuyu sat back down under the tree, unwrapped the leaf in a few moves, and tore off a wisp of beef with his teeth, a smile spreading across his eyes. “I almost forgot. Hehe, we still have meat!”

“I sometimes really wonder if there’s something wrong with your brain.” Hong Yong rolled his eyes at him.

It was raining, so they couldn’t make a fire. They could only eat something ready-made.

He threw a packet of beef to each of them. Hua Shi’an patted the back basket beside him and unhurriedly unwrapped his own beef. “We don’t have to worry about eating. If we don’t have enough beef, we still have raw sweet potatoes. We can definitely fill our stomachs. I’m just worried about how we’re going to sleep later. It’s been raining all day, and everything is wet. We have to find a dry place.”

“Don’t worry, Shi’an. The branches and leaves of these trees are lush and provide some shelter from the rain. It shouldn’t be hard to find a dry spot. I’ll go and look for one after I finish eating.” Mo Huaishan took a sip of water and a bite of meat, taking the time to comfort Hua Shi’an.

Not to be outdone, Hong Yong quickened his pace of eating. “I’ll go and look for one later.”

The beef and sweet potatoes were very filling. He hadn’t exercised much during the day, so his consumption was not large. Hua Shi’an was full after eating half a piece of beef and two raw sweet potatoes. However, raw and cold food was not good for the stomach. Just as he had wrapped up the remaining beef and put it away, Hua Shi’an’s stomach rumbled, letting out a dissatisfied roar.

It was not a loud or soft sound, just enough for everyone present to hear. Yan Qiuyu, the simpleton, didn’t think and immediately said, “Huh, your stomach is rumbling, Lord Priest. You’re not full yet. Have some more.”

“Thank you. I’m full.”

As long as you’re not embarrassed, the one who’s embarrassed is someone else. Hua Shi’an held his stomach and stood up, looking around.

Yan Qiuyu blinked blankly. “Your stomach is still rumbling even when you’re full—”

“Shut up, you!” Hong Yong threw him a sharp look. “Let’s go. Let’s go and find a place to sleep.”

It was a dark and windy night. The forest was like a bottomless abyss, dark and deep, so dark that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. He really didn’t have the courage to go and relieve himself alone. Hua Shi’an looked around and then waved to Mo Huaishan. “Huaishan, you come with me.”

Mo Huaishan didn’t say much and directly followed Hua Shi’an.

And Hong Yong, who was just about to leave, was slightly taken aback and lowered his eyes in disappointment.

He certainly couldn’t relieve himself in front of others, not even his own beastmen. After walking a short distance, Hua Shi’an had the beastman wait at the foot of a tree and went into a nearby bush in the dark.

The forest was a little too dark, so dark it was eerie. Even with good night vision, he couldn’t see clearly in the inky, dark, and quiet jungle. He didn’t know why, but as soon as he entered the bush, Hua Shi’an felt very uneasy, and the hair on his body stood on end.

Darkness breeds fear. He thought he was overthinking it and continued to walk forward in the dark. But he hadn’t gone far when he passed by a not-so-tall, young Mesua ferrea tree, and a hair-raising “rustling” sound suddenly came from above his head.

“Rustle, rustle—”

It was like a gentle breeze blowing, the branches and leaves swaying, a very normal sound in the jungle. But Hua Shi’an’s heart instantly jumped into his throat, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his smooth and full forehead.

The weeds and bushes at his feet were motionless. Was there wind? The answer was no. At some point, the rain had also stopped, and the surroundings were quiet, with only the occasional rustling sound from above.

The sound was getting closer and closer. Hua Shi’an’s breath hitched, and he stiffly turned his head. There was nothing on the tree. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, his peripheral vision inadvertently swept over the ground. A pair of dark brown eyes, larger than a light bulb, came into view. Hua Shi’an’s heart suddenly stopped, and his legs uncontrollably went weak.

A snake, a snake thicker than his thigh. This was a fucking—anaconda!

With a large head and a thick neck, the greenish-brown giant snake was coiled on the ground. It seemed to have already discovered the intruder and was quite displeased. Its head was slightly raised, curved into an “S” shape, and its black forked tongue was frequently flicking in and out.

A signal of attack! The fear deep in his heart rushed to the top of his head, and his mind was instantly in a mess. Hua Shi’an turned and wanted to run, but the little bit of reason he had left was still reminding him, calm down, calm down!

You can’t just run when you encounter a snake. This will trigger its pursuit desire. You have to stay quiet, and then, and then… Hua Shi’an faced the anaconda and moved slowly sideways, creating distance between them inch by inch.

An anaconda’s eyesight is not very good. As long as you don’t make too much of a—

“Crack!”

A withered branch was crushed under his foot. A crisp sound broke the silence. Hua Shi’an’s eyes widened in horror. He turned and ran, but it was too late. The anaconda heard the sound and moved, shooting out like an arrow from a bow, and in an instant, it was beside him.

“Huaishan! Huaishan—”

It was an extremely terrifying speed. Knowing that he couldn’t escape, Hua Shi’an shouted at the top of his lungs. But as soon as he finished speaking, a slippery, cold skin wrapped around his ankle.

The huge pulling force instantly made him lose his balance, and he fell heavily to the ground. Before he could get up again, sharp fangs pierced his skin, and it bit Hua Shi’an’s upper arm.

A thick, bloody smell filled his nostrils. The sudden, intense pain made Hua Shi’an’s vision go black, and he almost fainted. I can’t faint, I can’t faint yet. The rapidly rising adrenaline saved his life. He endured the intense pain and hugged his chest, trying his best to calm his breathing and buy himself some time.

An anaconda will not directly bite its prey to death. This bite is for fixing it. It will use its body to coil around, and according to the prey’s breathing, it will continuously tighten, suffocating the prey.

As Hua Shi’an had expected, the slippery, cold anaconda was like a flexible coir rope. It slithered from his shoulder to his thigh, firmly binding the prey. The taut muscles tightened bit by bit, leaving no gap.

A several-hundred-pound behemoth, wrapped around his body, made it hard to breathe, not to mention that it was constantly tightening. Hua Shi’an couldn’t move, and his consciousness gradually faded. In a daze, he seemed to hear the sound of bones breaking.

Am I going to die again? But, I’m so reluctant…

“Shi’an, Shi’an!”

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a tall figure came into view. For some reason, Hua Shi’an was not so afraid anymore.

Stone knives and bone knives were used together. Mo Huaishan’s eyes were red with killing intent. He quickly and swiftly raised his knives and stabbed at the anaconda.

Attacking the back was ineffective, so he attacked the belly, the head, and the eyes. Finally, in his chaotic and random stabs, the injured anaconda let go of its prey and slithered into the jungle without looking back.

“Shi’an, Shi’an…”

He had no time to care about the fleeing anaconda. Mo Huaishan avoided the wound and picked up the blood-covered, almost unconscious Hua Shi’an. His hands trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes were so red they were almost bleeding. “Don’t sleep, don’t sleep yet. Hold on, Shi’an.”

“Cough, cough cough!”

Fresh air rushed into his lungs. Hua Shi’an, who had been on the verge of fainting, opened his mouth wide to breathe and managed to hold on. But his body was very uncomfortable. His arm hurt, his stomach hurt, and his legs also hurt. It was as if he had free-fallen from a high altitude and had crashed to the ground. His whole body was about to fall apart.

He couldn’t stay here for too long. Hua Shi’an looked at the worried beastman, gritted his back teeth, and managed to squeeze out a few words, “I, I’m fine. Let’s go. Let’s get out of here first.”

Mo Huaishan nodded vigorously, picked Hua Shi’an up in his arms, and hurried back.

One wave had not yet subsided when another rose. Mo Huaishan was carrying Hua Shi’an back. They were only a few steps away from the large tree where they had left their back baskets when a messy and chaotic sound of footsteps suddenly came from not far away.

The sound came from far to near. Hong Yong and Yan Qiuyu quickly came out of the jungle.

The blood-covered Hua Shi’an was too conspicuous. They saw him at a glance, but before they could say or ask anything, Hong Yong quickly waved to Mo Huaishan, “Run, run quickly! Take the Lord Priest and run first!”

Hua Shi’an’s safety was the most important thing. Although Mo Huaishan didn’t know the situation, he didn’t delay for a second. He turned and ran with Hua Shi’an in his arms.

His almost-broken body swayed. Hua Shi’an’s heart, which had just settled down, was instantly suspended again. He gritted his teeth and gathered his spirits, leaning on the beastman’s shoulder to look back. And with that one look, his soul almost flew away.

A bear, a sturdy and ferocious black bear was running at high speed, chasing after the two beastmen.