Attacked Again

York didn't explain what was going on, but his noticeably quicker pace still made everyone tense.

Liu Zhi was one of only two people who had seen the snake path. After discovering it, he had quietly moved ahead of the mercenary leader.

The mercenary leader didn't know what was going on, but his instincts told him something was wrong. Several times, he tried to move ahead of Liu Zhi, only for Liu Zhi to block him, intentionally or otherwise. At last, he said with some irritation, "Kid, what's the meaning of this?"

"It's about our roles in the group. You're a mercenary, so you're responsible for leading the way and guarding the rear, right? As for me, I'm just here to make maps. I may be able to fight a little, but I'm not a combatant."

Though it sounded like an excuse, what Liu Zhi said was true. In fact, once mercenaries accepted a job, they promised their employer that they would keep them safe until every mercenary was dead.

No matter how unhappy the mercenary leader was, he had no reason to force Liu Zhi to guard the rear for them.

The mercenary leader glared at Liu Zhi, but still stayed at the back of the group with the swordsman. They moved according to the standards mercenaries used when traveling through the most dangerous areas. Even as they ran forward without stopping, they kept an eye on what was behind them.

After they had run for a while, York finally raised his hand to signal everyone to stop.

"We should be safe for now. Let's rest and have something to eat. Then we'll set off again. We have to find somewhere relatively safe before dark."

Hearing York say they were temporarily safe, everyone relaxed.

But Liu Zhi felt a chill run through him. After thinking it over, he edged a little closer to Perkin.

When York saw Liu Zhi coming over, his expression remained just as grim. But he couldn't think of anything to provoke him with, so he just shot him a disdainful look.

Lloyd, on the other hand, came over to Liu Zhi. "Take out your map. Let me see where we are."

"Look around you. It's all trees. Do you really think my map can show every detail of the forest?" Liu Zhi shot Lloyd a look.

"Maybe it can," Lloyd said awkwardly.

"Even if it can, that's just a maybe. According to the records, there's an indigenous tribe around here. Does this look like a place where anyone lives?"

"What did you say?" Perkin and York both looked at Liu Zhi.

Liu Zhi's heart tightened. He silently set down his backpack and took out the records he had copied.

"This is the only line. I came across it by accident. There's just this one brief mention in all the records at the Governor's Mansion."

Perkin took the records and looked them over, then handed them to York.

The entry was brief. It stated which record the line came from and gave the original text.

"Encountered indigenous hunters in the jungle. Came under attack, but the attackers' tribe was not identified."

"Forget about it. Even if there really is a tribe in this jungle, we don't have time to deal with it. We have to get through this jungle tonight," York said, quickly making his decision.

"Fine. You're the expert. We'll do as you say." Perkin nodded in agreement, then returned the records to Liu Zhi.

But Liu Zhi could clearly sense that Perkin's attitude toward him had changed.

And Perkin's attitude represented the attitude of the entire group. Before long, Liu Zhi began to feel them excluding him, both openly and covertly.

Sitting beneath a tree, Liu Zhi ran his fingers over the Fine-Thorn Sword in his hand. He wondered if he should leave early. Traveling with these people might lead him into all kinds of danger.

Just as he was lost in thought, that same ominous feeling came over him again.

Without a second thought, Liu Zhi threw himself forward, then scrambled ahead on all fours.

Liu Zhi's sudden movement caught everyone's attention. York was just about to scold him when he saw a huge snake's head snap at the spot where Liu Zhi had been sitting.

The snake's head was about as large as the last one, but its coloring was clearly different. The previous snake had been brownish yellow, making it harder to spot in the water. This one had blue-green markings and was clearly a type of anaconda.

Having failed to bite anyone, the giant snake quickly pulled back and vanished into the jungle.

Neither Liu Zhi, who had scrambled away, nor the stunned group could spot where the snake had gone.

After escaping in the other direction, Liu Zhi pressed a hand to his chest. That had nearly cost him his life. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he might have already been swallowed by the giant snake.

Once he had steadied his breathing, Liu Zhi turned to York. "What do we do now?"

York was tense now, too. Everyone looked to him, hoping he could come up with a plan.

But he was only an expert in jungle survival, not some wilderness professional like a ranger or druid. What could he do? He was afraid of a snake that huge, too.

Just then, Perkin stepped forward. "York, if we can make it to the landing point we originally planned for, can we lose the snake?"

York hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth. "Yes. Every snake has its own territory. As long as we reach the landing point, we can lose it."

"Good. I have something that can help us move faster." As he spoke, Perkin set down his backpack.

As the investor in this expedition, Perkin had the smallest backpack, but everything inside was good quality.

Liu Zhi watched Perkin pull out a rope about three meters long. It gave off a faint white glow, a little like something Liu Zhi had found when he first killed a pirate and looted the body.

"The Traveler's Rope. It can be activated three times to make six people sprint all the way to a designated location. I'd planned to save it for when we were pressed for time at the end, but there's no other choice now. We have to hurry, so we'll have to use it."

But instead of looking hopeful, everyone seemed uneasy. Perkin had made it quite clear: the Traveler's Rope could only carry six people, and there were eight of them here, including Liu Zhi.

Everyone except Lloyd, who moved closer to Perkin, took a step back, wary of the others around them.

But their attention soon turned to Liu Zhi.

York spoke up bluntly. "Hand over the map. If you give it to us, you might still get to keep your life..."

As he spoke, York walked toward Liu Zhi, while the mercenary leader and the two mercenaries closed in from other directions. It was clear they had already made their choice.