The Trap

[Poison Knowledge Lv. 3 (1049+/5000): Poison Expert. Possesses considerable knowledge of poisonous insects and plants in the jungle. Can extract corresponding toxins from natural materials at will.]

[Description: Poisons are dangerous. Even with the relevant knowledge, extraction is not guaranteed to be absolutely safe. Please be careful.]

After glancing at the corpse, its soul extracted, Liu Zhi keenly noticed that the body seemed to have undergone a subtle change the moment its soul was drawn out.

Though there was no visible difference on the surface, Liu Zhi had a distinct feeling that the corpse had shifted from having just died to having been dead for seven days.

He dismissed such a minor detail with a mere glance.

Searching the corpse of Mr. York, Liu Zhi found a small bag hidden in Mr. York's embrace.

The bag was made of cowhide, appearing no larger than his palm, yet it was divided into four or five compartments. Liu Zhi opened it to find each compartment filled with some powder or liquid.

Despite it being his first time encountering them, Liu Zhi instantly recognized them: poison dart frog venom, net spore puffball spores, black widow venom, ghost face vine roots, and more. He even knew how to use them.

Placing the small bag into his own backpack, Liu Zhi looked back at Mr. York. "It seems you had secrets too, but that has nothing to do with me. You just rest here."

With that, Liu Zhi tidied up the nearby traps, retrieved the fork from the squirrel hole, checked the direction, and climbed down from the tree, heading towards Perkin and the others.

The resting spot chosen by Mr. York was a clearing far from the river. Although surrounded by large trees, at least the sky was visible.

Mr. York had given many reasons for selecting this spot, but the primary one was to prevent surprise attacks from wild beasts in the forest.

Liu Zhi crouched on a nearby tree, curled into a ball, and intently observed the situation over there.

At that moment, Perkin was sitting on a rock, eating some dark, unidentifiable substance. The others were either tending the fire or sleeping, all waiting for Mr. York to return with food.

Only Swordsman seemed somewhat alert, periodically scanning their surroundings as if guarding against something.

Liu Zhi made a quick assessment and concluded that without Mr. York, the jungle expert, this group, despite their combat prowess, was useless.

He chuckled inwardly and slowly retreated, moving away from the area. It wasn't time to attack yet; they were still waiting for Mr. York.

It wouldn't be long before they discovered Mr. York's misfortune, and that would be Liu Zhi's opportune moment to strike. For now, Liu Zhi needed to find a place to eat and recover.

As Liu Zhi withdrew, Swordsman looked up with a hint of confusion, his gaze sweeping over Liu Zhi's previous hiding spot.

He feigned stretching and sat down next to Female Knife Thrower, saying, "Be careful in a bit."

Female Knife Thrower, on the verge of sleep, perked up at Swordsman's words. Although their mercenary group was somewhat impulsive, they had coordinated countless times. Upon hearing Swordsman's warning, Female Knife Thrower immediately understood they were being targeted.

Thus, Female Knife Thrower lost all desire to sleep. She quietly gripped a few throwing knives and, with closed eyes, remained cautiously vigilant.

Just then, the guide Lai suddenly exclaimed, "Mr. York has been gone a long time. Why isn't he back yet?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it woke everyone up. Perkin carefully put the dark food back into his backpack before standing up with his bag.

"He mentioned that finding food takes time. After all, this jungle isn't our territory. Even jungle survival experts rely on luck when foraging, let alone when looking for food for so many of us."

Perkin's words managed to quell the group's growing agitation.

Though they outwardly sat back down, their thoughts were likely elsewhere.

As Perkin sat down again, Lloyd approached him, "Uncle, about this..."

"Don't worry. Mr. York is the best jungle survival expert around. This jungle is like his backyard; he'll be fine."

Lloyd nodded and went back to sleep, saying no more. He didn't notice the flicker of grave concern in Perkin's eyes.

After Lloyd settled down, Perkin took out his pocket watch and examined it carefully.

"It's been almost an hour and a half. He said he'd be back within two hours. Did something happen?"

Perkin muttered to himself, placing his hand over his chest. The hand holding the pocket watch tightened, and the blue veins on his withered arm bulged.

Unlike Perkin and the others, who could rest, Liu Zhi, having finished his meal, was not idle. He was currently searching for something in the woods.

Before long, he caught a bird resembling a grouse. This was the most foolish bird in the jungle, unable to fly high and prone to crashing into trees. If not for their prolific breeding – laying ten to fifteen eggs at a time – and the chicks hatching within half a month and being able to fly independently within a month and a half, these birds might have gone extinct.

Liu Zhi caught one such bird and then found some pungent-smelling items nearby, carefully smearing them on the bird's back and under its wings.

Finding those pungent items was far more challenging than catching the bird. Liu Zhi only had a general understanding of jungle knowledge; his sense of smell hadn't improved. Even a slight miscalculation in the scent could lead to the wrong outcome, so Liu Zhi had tested and retested the ingredients.

Fortunately, Liu Zhi found a nest of small snakes, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to complete everything in such a short time.

He cautiously returned to Perkin's resting spot. Before Liu Zhi could make a move, he heard an argument erupting from their location.

The guide Lai, who was close to Mr. York, was strongly insisting on going to find him, but the others, fearing the dark and their lack of knowledge of the jungle, were unwilling to venture out.

Just as their argument was about to escalate into a fight, the foolish bird Liu Zhi had released flew headfirst into their area.

This startled everyone. Female Knife Thrower, who had been holding her throwing knives, instinctively threw one, shooting the bird down.

They all looked at the bird, bewildered by the situation.

Fortunately, the guide Lai, having survived in this jungle for some time, recognized the bird. He quickly explained to everyone, and the tense atmosphere immediately diffused.