Lotus Lake, Pier Boat

In Longchan Temple, the black mist had dispersed considerably, making it easy to tell directions.

The surviving tourists were all fleeing eastward, wanting to reach Lotus Lake as quickly as possible to pick wildflowers for the Dark Great Buddha.

"Can you guys hurry up?"

Sima Mu complained to Zhang Ju.

She was carrying a child and was too slow. The Old Aunt wasn't doing well either, and after running for a while, she was already panting.

"So... sorry!"

Zhang Ju apologized.

"What good is an apology?"

Sima Mu was impatient. He had originally intended to curse, but upon seeing Lin Baici's grim expression, he swallowed his words.

Zhang Ju, being clever, saw that Lin Baici was kind-hearted and brought her daughter over.

She had become a burden.

"Sigh, Xiao Linzi is still a student and hasn't experienced the darkness of society. Protecting this kindness will cost him dearly!"

Sima Mu sighed.

He didn't dare to advise Lin Baici to abandon Zhang Ju, as that would make him seem inhuman.

"Let me carry her!"

Lin Baici reached out. If it were just Zhang Ju alone, he wouldn't have cared. He would have helped if he had the capacity, but he wouldn't have given up. However, facing a pure, innocent three-year-old girl...

He couldn't bring himself to do it!

Besides, the little girl had reminded them at Xiangji Kitchen not to listen to that sinister old man, and that the monstrous cook would kill anyone who left their seats.

She was a kind little girl.

"No! No need!"

Zhang Ju refused. She knew her place and understood that following Lin Baici had already caused him trouble. Having him carry a woman would be too much.

"Give her to me!"

Lin Baici insisted on taking the little girl and putting her on his back.

She wasn't heavy, only about twenty catties. With Lin Baici's stamina, it had no effect, and he could still run faster than the Old Aunt and Jin Yingzhen.

"I knew we shouldn't have helped those people. It would have been better if they all died!"

Sister Xiao Li regretted.

"Are there still over 200 people left?"

Sima Mu hadn't counted precisely.

"271. If only 30 people can survive, that's about one out of every nine people!"

Jin Yingzhen calculated quickly.

Hiss!

Hua Yueyu gasped, her scalp tingling.

The calculation isn't that simple. No one knows what accidents will occur during the flower-picking process. More people means more cannon fodder!

This thought surfaced in Lin Baici's mind.

He saved people not only because of years of education and morality but also for this reason.

More people meant more chances to experiment.

Lin Baici and the other seven passed through an archway and entered a large garden, sprinting across the tender green grass.

To the east, there was a large lake.

The lush green lotus leaves formed a continuous expanse, swaying with the gentle breeze like a cradle in a mother's hand, filled with a child's dreams.

Several dragonflies rested on the pink lotus flowers, resembling a still ink painting.

"There are no wildflowers here either?"

The Old Aunt panted, her face sweaty, looking around. But apart from the green grass, there were no wildflowers.

"On the island in the lake!"

Jin Yingzhen's eyes were sharp. She spotted a small island in the middle of the lotus lake, about fifty meters from the shore. On it was a field of golden chrysanthemums.

Faint sunlight pierced through the mist, casting a glow upon it, exuding the scent of summer.

"How do we get there? We can't swim, can we?"

Sister Xiao Li was flustered and anxious because she couldn't swim.

"Over there!"

Jin Yingzhen pointed: "There's a pier!"

There were three boats at the dock, two small and one large.

The small ones were sampans that could hold a maximum of four people. The large one was a covered boat that could accommodate about ten people.

Tourists were rushing towards the dock. Those who arrived first had already started fighting over the three boats, as whoever got on first would live.

"Let's hurry!"

Sima Mu sprinted forward. Despite having one hand bandaged and slung across his chest, he ran very fast.

Only thirty people could survive, so no one needed to be urged on. The tourists were fighting for their lives.

Gurgle!

Lin Baici's stomach growled again.

A sense of hunger arose.

"I knew it wouldn't be that simple!"

Lin Baici wasn't in a hurry anymore.

The appearance of hunger indicated that there was a God's Taboo Object near this pond. With such an item around, it wouldn't just be about who ran the fastest or who picked the wildflowers.

Lin Baici and his group arrived at the dock.

Except for about twenty elderly people, all the tourists had arrived.

The ownership of the two sampans and the covered boat had already been decided. Jiang Hong and the Hook-nosed Man had secured them.

These people numbered fifteen in total, all strong young men who looked capable of fighting.

About twenty injured unlucky souls lay on the ground, several of them covered in blood and lifeless, showing how ruthless the fight had been.

"Little brother, let's go together!"

Jiang Hong called out to Lin Baici. He hadn't left after getting a boat; he was waiting for Lin Baici.

"Buddy, let's go!"

The Hook-nosed Man disliked Lin Baici, but this student in a Manchester United jersey was formidable. With him, everyone's chances of survival would be much higher.

Swish!

The gazes of everyone on the shore focused on Lin Baici.

There was envy, jealousy, and anger.

However, they admitted that Lin Baici deserved it. If they had a boat, they would have invited this tall young man along too.

"Baici!"

Old Aunt's voice trembled. She was truly afraid Lin Baici would leave.

Although Hua Yueyu hadn't spent much time with Lin Baici and didn't know his character, her intuition told her that Lin Baici wouldn't leave.

"Aishiba!"

Jin Yingzhen was annoyed. He's the man I fancied first! Get lost, all of you.

"Can I bring a few people?"

Lin Baici asked casually, still using the hunger sensation to locate the God's Taboo Object.

"Brother, as you can see, there aren't enough seats even for us. Some people are waiting for the second wave just so we can make space for you!"

Jiang Hong explained.

"Buddy, be content with what you have!"

The Hook-nosed Man glanced at Jin Yingzhen and Hua Yueyu, suddenly understanding Lin Baici.

Beautiful girls like these, who are like getting nine out of ten and only missing one point because they aren't my girlfriend, of course I want to save them!

As for Sister Xiao Li?

She was decent-looking, and Old Aunt still had a certain charm, but standing next to Hua Yueyu and Jin Yingzhen, they were completely ignored subconsciously.

"You guys go ahead, I'm not coming!"

Lin Baici refused.

Whoosh!

Lin Baici's decision surprised everyone.

What does this mean?

The Hook-nosed Man's expression darkened. "Are you looking down on us?"

Lin Baici wasn't looking down on them. He simply disliked their methods and didn't want to be with them. More importantly, the God's Taboo Object hadn't been found yet. Who knew if there would be danger after getting on the boat?

These people rushing to get on the boat and head to the island would serve as perfect bait to test the waters.

Of course, Lin Baici wouldn't reveal this thought, or Jiang Hong and the others would become suspicious. So, he curled his lips.

"Heh heh!"

The mockery in his tone was self-evident.

"You..."

The Hook-nosed Man was furious, but thinking of Lin Baici's previous performance and his physique, he wisely chose not to cause trouble.

"Paddle, let's go!"

The Hook-nosed Man commanded.

"Wait!"

Jiang Hong stopped him.

"What's wrong? President Jiang?"

The Hook-nosed Man was annoyed. If it weren't for this guy promising him ten million after they got out, he wouldn't have brought this burden along.

"Something's not right. Based on this student's usual behavior, he doesn't seem like someone who would openly show his likes and dislikes. So why would he mock you?"

Jiang Hong's thick eyebrows furrowed.

Could it be that this guy thought there was danger on the island and was just using it as an excuse not to get on the boat?

"Brother Zhou, let's wait for the second group to go to the island!"

Jiang Hong persuaded.

"Wait for what? Let's just grab the wild flowers and get out of this hellhole!"

The Hook-nosed Man had a good physique, but even he was feeling dizzy and nauseous, his muscles starting to ache and go numb with fatigue.

He had heard some rumors that people in the God's Ruins could be contaminated by God Bone Radiation, eventually turning into a pool of mindless rotten flesh.

"What if there's danger on the island?"

Jiang Hong worried.

"The biggest danger is that only thirty people can survive!"

The Hook-nosed Man was arrogant. "Besides, picking the flowers and running back will only take a few minutes!"

The distance from here to the island in the center of the lake was less than fifty meters; one could even swim it. The island wasn't large either, and it was in clear view.

Other than a field of golden wild chrysanthemums, there was nothing else.

"Haha, you're right!"

Jiang Hong patted the Hook-nosed Man on the shoulder. "Then let's set sail!"

Everyone immediately started paddling.

Jiang Hong was still uneasy. He looked back and saw Lin Baici's calm eyes fixed on the island in the center of the lake. His heart skipped a beat.

This posture...

He was a calculating dog!

He was waiting for people to scout ahead!

Jiang Hong suddenly rushed forward and jumped onto the shore with force.

"President Jiang, what are you doing?"

The Hook-nosed Man was stunned.

"I'll wait for the next trip!"

Jiang Hong said with a fawning smile, quickly reassuring him, "Don't worry, the money I promised you won't be a penny less!"

"Damn it!"

The Hook-nosed Man knew that Jiang Hong clearly felt safer with that student.

I'm impressed!

Are all of us big, strong men really no match for him alone?

In Jiang Hong's mind, while the Hook-nosed Man and the others could definitely beat Lin Baici in a fight, when it came to brains, it was another story.

"President Jiang, you're quite clever. Do you think waiting for the second wave to go to the island will not only avoid risk but also secure you a spot in the top thirty?"

Sima Mu mocked. "But have you considered what if someone decides to swim over?"

Jiang Hong suddenly shivered. "Swim over?"

Oh no!

He forgot about that possibility!

In fact, some people had already started taking off their clothes. The impatient ones, confident in their swimming skills, jumped into the water without even undressing.

Splash! Splash!

About thirty people entered Lotus Lake.

Some tourists, who had been hesitating, now saw that the number of people exceeded thirty and immediately became anxious, also starting to enter the water.

"What's the panic? After they pick the flowers and swim back, their stamina will be almost depleted. We can just snatch their flowers then!"

A man in his thirties, with a ferocious expression, was prepared to kill to survive.

"Are you stupid? That great Buddha said only wild flowers picked by hand would do!"

Hua Yueyu was speechless. If Jiang Hong and the others hadn't figured this out, would they have rushed to land?

Wouldn't it be better to stay on shore and rob others?

Many survivors on shore had this dark thought. Now that Hua Yueyu had exposed it and they realized it was impossible, they were all stunned.

Some people quickly entered the water, while many others looked at Lin Baici together.

"Handsome, hurry and think of a way!"