Danger Encounter (2)

Although the last attack here had happened at night, Mo Li had lived in Motuo for ten years and knew the routes extremely well. Over those ten years, he had no idea how many times he had gone out to search for lost tourists. To Mo Li, this place was like his own backyard.

As the three headed into the Deep Forest, Wei Dengke suddenly cried out in astonishment, "Holy shit! This is Suo Luo!"

Hearing Wei Dengke's shout, Mo Li and Zhong Lichun instinctively looked at him. By then, This Guy had already run up to a plant and was examining it with delight.

Zhong Lichun said irritably, "Isn't it just a plant? Do you have to make such a fuss?"

"You don't know shit! Suo Luo, also known as Snake Wood, is the only species of Ferns that can grow into a tree. It's even called the king of Ferns. It's the only woody fern discovered so far, extremely precious and practically a national treasure. It has been listed as a first-class protected endangered plant by many countries and is known as a 'living fossil.' Its research value is incredibly high!" Wei Dengke spoke excitedly, spraying spit everywhere. While Speaking, he actually reached out to touch the Suo Luo's leaves.

"Careful!" Just as Wei Dengke's hand was about to touch the Suo Luo leaf, Mo Li grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back.

"What Are You Doing? I just wanted to collect some samples." Wei Dengke turned back and asked Mo Li irritably.

Mo Li did not answer Wei Dengke directly. Instead, he Picked Up a small twig from the ground and gently lifted the underside of the Suo Luo leaf with it. When the leaf was Raised Hand and its underside was exposed, both Wei Dengke and Zhong Lichun wore strange expressions. The underside of the leaf was covered in brown Little bugs the size of grains of rice.

"These are... ticks?" Wei Dengke subconsciously swallowed, then asked Mo Li.

Mo Li nodded and explained, "Motuo has a subtropical climate and vast Primeval Forests, so its ecosystem is extremely complex. These ticks are called Blood Slaves locally. They are exceptionally bloodthirsty, and their mouthparts secrete a special toxin. If someone is bitten by several Blood Slaves, the toxin can even cause hallucinations and cardiopulmonary paralysis. They're very dangerous."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier that there were things this dangerous here? We could have sprayed insect repellent or taken some other protective measures." No matter how much Zhong Lichun resembled a man, she was still a woman in the end. Most women had an instinctive fear of bugs. Zhong Lichun actually Retreated several steps unconsciously, then looked at Mo Li with some resentment as she asked.

"It's almost winter now, and insects are much less active. As long as you don't deliberately provoke them, they won't attack you." Mo Li rarely saw Zhong Lichun acting so feminine and could not help laughing before explaining.

"What are you laughing at? I'm not scared. I'm just worried that you two might get hurt. Since these things won't attack people unless provoked, let's hurry up and go." Zhong Lichun could naturally tell what Mo Li's smile meant. Her Pretty Face actually reddened slightly as she Urged them on. After saying that, she ignored Mo Li and Wei Dengke and walked ahead first.

Mo Li and Wei Dengke exchanged smiles and hurried after her. After this little episode, the relationship between the three improved somewhat. At the very least, Mo Li felt that he had become a little more familiar with Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke.

When the three had left the hospital, it had already been past two in the afternoon, so dusk was now approaching. The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through gaps in the treetops, falling in Spots across the ground and lending the forest a mysterious beauty.

However, with winter approaching, the temperature in the air began to drop as the sunlight gradually faded. White mist came out with every breath as the three Move Forward.

Walking at the front, Mo Li turned back to look at Zhong Lichun with some concern and asked, "Sister Zhongli, aren't you cold wearing so little? Why don't you put on my cold-weather jacket?"

"No need. I'm not cold. Wearing too much would affect my mobility, and it would only be troublesome if a fight really broke out." Zhong Lichun's little face had already been frozen slightly pale, and her Lips were turning purple, but the Girl was quite stubborn and refused Mo Li's kindness.

Hearing Zhong Lichun's words, Mo Li frowned. He then stopped, turned, and walked toward her, taking off his outer jacket as he went. "Bullshit. Look how frozen you are. A great man once said that health is the foundation of revolution. Only a strong body can win a battle. If you get sick, what can you do if there really is a fight? Be good and put this on."

After saying that, Mo Li directly tossed the windbreaker in his hand to Zhong Lichun, his tone carrying a hint of command.

Catching the jacket, Zhong Lichun looked at Mo Li with a strange expression. As a tough woman, men had always kept their distance from her in Zhong Lichun's experience, much less dared to speak to her in such a commanding tone. After all these years, Mo Li was the first man to treat her like a woman. For some reason, a trace of fondness for him rose in Zhong Lichun's heart.

Of course, this fondness was not the kind between a man and a woman. Zhong Lichun said nothing more and put on the windbreaker Mo Li had tossed her. Since it was men's clothing, it was very long. On Zhong Lichun, it looked like a robe and even covered her thighs.

"I won't stand on ceremony with you, then. If you get cold later, tell me, and I'll give the jacket back to you." Zhong Lichun Rarely smiled at Mo Li Once Again before speaking.

"Cold? You might not believe it, but my whole body feels hot right now. I'm even sweating." Mo Li gave a bitter smile at Zhong Lichun's words, then Raised Hand and touched his forehead. In the last rays of the setting sun, Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke really saw fine Sweat Beads on Mo Li's forehead. This Guy was not putting on a brave front—he was genuinely hot!

Instinctively, Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke exchanged a glance. Mo Li might not have known why he was feverish despite the cold weather, but Zhong Lichun and Wei Dengke had more or less guessed. It was probably a Side Effect of SY7113. As for whether that Side Effect was good or bad for Mo Li, no one could say. They could only take things one step at a time.

After Zhong Lichun had put on the windbreaker, the three began Move Forward Once Again. None of them noticed that within the dense bushes to their front right, a pair of amber eyes was glaring viciously at them. As they moved on, they drew Getting Closer to those bushes. Nothing happened when Mo Li passed them, and nothing happened when Wei Dengke passed them either. But just as Zhong Lichun passed the bushes, the sudden change finally came. Accompanied by a low growl, a huge figure pounced directly out of the bushes, targeting Zhong Lichun at the rear.