The work of picking flowers was not tiring. At noon, the scavengers gathered to rest and eat steamed buns, analyzing the current situation in small groups.
"There does not seem to be anything in the holes. I saw very few traces of anyone ever coming here."
"But the smell is very strong."
"Could it be a bear or a snake? These holes are perfect for hibernation."
"Would animals hibernate in a place like this?"
They looked at each other with a sense of helplessness. Yesterday was fine, but today felt very humid and hot.
"I saw something strange at one of the openings."
The speaker was Zhao Ke'er. She was delicate and spoke in a soft, thin voice.
"It looked like... mucus?"
"Mucus? What kind of animal would leave mucus behind?"
"I do not know. Could it be traces left by an animal giving birth?"
Zhao Ke'er and Song Sisi were partners. Both were cautious by nature and had not acted rashly upon finding the traces.
They knew very well that while points were important, staying alive was more so, so they were willing to share information.
Being all girls, there was less petty maneuvering, and they gathered to brainstorm.
Nan Yue thought for a moment. "We will swap positions in a bit. I will go take a look."
Zhao Ke'er nodded repeatedly. Although Nan Yue looked cold and difficult to get along with, just based on how much she valued her two teammates—her eyes were practically glued to them—she clearly was not a cold-hearted person.
After eating her steamed buns in a few bites, Nan Yue asked Zhu Xi Ning and Wen Xiang Yuan to look after each other while she followed Zhao Ke'er to find that hole.
The traces Zhao Ke'er had seen were somewhat far away, located on the side of the mound. She pointed toward the opening from a distance.
The opening was slightly below the middle of the mound. She had seen it while looking up while picking flowers, and the traces extended all the way to the back mountain.
"That is the one. I was picking flowers nearby earlier, and after seeing the traces, I did not dare go over."
She added after a thought, "The soil over there is even looser..."
Nan Yue nodded. "Okay. You two find another place to pick flowers. Be careful."
Zhao Ke'er and Song Sisi left together. Nan Yue took two steps in that direction before stopping and turning around.
"You want to come along?"
Shang Xi stood quietly behind Nan Yue. "Yes. I will not hold you back."
Nan Yue had a good idea of Shang Xi's skills from the journey so far, so she did not refuse. The two of them climbed the mound from different sides and saw the opening on the slope.
The hole looked no different from the others, except it was more hidden. Overgrown weeds almost completely obscured the entrance.
However, there were no signs of the Ant-red Flower nearby, so it was hard to notice.
If Zhao Ke'er had not happened to look up from her previous position, they probably would not have discovered this hole even if they were at the base of the mound.
Nan Yue pushed aside the weeds, and an incredibly fishy and foul stench hit her right in the face.
Both of them frowned, holding their breath slightly as they strained their ears for any movement inside the cave.
It was very quiet inside. Only the sound of the wind and the distant voices of the scavengers reached their ears.
Rustle.
After listening for an unknown amount of time, Nan Yue heard movement coming from within the cave.
Rustle.
The noise was so faint that she could not even be sure if it was her imagination.
Nan Yue looked up, and Shang Xi's gaze also held a hint of alarm.
Originally, neither was certain, but a single look at each other confirmed it: there was definitely something wrong with this cave.
They could not stay here long. The two of them seized the time to observe.
The so-called mucus extended from the nearby grass and the cave entrance. It was hard to spot on the grass, but it was more obvious inside the cave.
The originally dry soil had become damp—in fact, the entire tunnel was wet.
Whatever this thing was, it was large. Its entire body was covered in mucus, which was why it rubbed against the entire tunnel when it crawled inside.
Nan Yue estimated the size of the hole. The thing was at least as large as a person.
Moreover, Nan Yue smelled that fishy stench in this hole again. It was similar to what emanated from the holes below, but much more concentrated, making it difficult to breathe.
She was certain that the tunnels in this ant nest were interconnected. Although the holes below showed no traces of the thing entering or exiting, because it lived in the ant nest, its scent would be present in every tunnel.
And in this tunnel that it frequently used, the smell was even heavier.
Nan Yue and Shang Xi exchanged a glance and retreated back to the hillside in a silent understanding, making as little noise as possible.
Once they reached the bottom, they had to look up to see the hole, and because of the surrounding weeds, it was almost invisible.
Shang Xi's gaze continued upward. "The Ant-red Flowers all grow at the base of this mound. There are no traces of them further up, so no one should have gone up there for a long time."
Nan Yue understood her implication. They did not know how many holes like this with signs of activity existed.
The reason Luo Liu and the villagers thought the ant nest was safe was that the holes at the bottom had no signs of animals entering or exiting for years.
Yet in the places they would not venture, there were traces of a strange creature moving about.
This thing even possessed intelligence.
Nan Yue did not go back to find the others immediately. "I want to see how many of these openings there are."
Luo Liu had said there would be many other things to do in the following days, so they might not come back here. This was their only chance to find more clues.
Shang Xi did not hesitate much. "I am with you."
Nan Yue looked at her without moving. "Are you being a bit too trusting of me?"
Nan Yue considered her own skills superior to Shang Xi's, and doing something so dangerous with someone she was not familiar with was a very risky move.
But Shang Xi seemed to have had her guard down against her from the start, even requesting to share a room.
One had to remember that the stone house was filled entirely with Nan Yue's people.
While there had been people who inexplicably trusted Nan Yue in previous missions, most were newcomers or those looking to cling to a powerful player.
Wen Xiang Yuan was one, but she was only like a newcomer because of her own ability.
Shang Xi was not like that.
Nan Yue knew that Shang Xi was a very capable veteran scavenger.
Shang Xi smiled. She had a cold personality herself, and her style was somewhat masculine, giving her the refreshing look of a young boy at first glance.
"I am a member of Sharp Blade. I know you."
Nan Yue raised an eyebrow. So that was it.
She had received an invitation card from Sharp Blade after leaving Blooming Media Company, which was enough to show that this organization had eyes and ears everywhere.
"I want to know who exactly noticed me?"
Nan Yue wanted to know which person in that mission was from Sharp Blade.
Although scavengers could disguise themselves, a person's character was easily revealed in life-and-death situations during a mission.
Nan Yue had a good impression of the Sharp Blade members she had encountered so far, but it was only right to remain cautious.
Shang Xi did not mind the question and looked at Nan Yue with a smile.
"You were personally singled out by our vice-captain for special attention. I heard he entered a mission with you."
"Vice-captain?"
Nan Yue remembered that the overall captain of Sharp Blade was Fu Xi Ming, ranked in the top 20. Someone who could hold the position of vice-captain...
"Lan Jing Shui?"
Shang Xi nodded. "That is right."
Nan Yue turned serious. There was no need to mention Lan Jing Shui's abilities; when exchanging clues in the mission, he had been straightforward and upright.
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