Cold

He crept over quietly, drew the bow, took aim, and fired!

Whoosh!

The bowstring trembled, and the arrow tore through the air. Its instantaneous acceleration created a lightning-fast effect over such a short distance.

"Croak-ah~~"

A bullfrog's cry abruptly changed, becoming incomparably shrill and heartrending.

The other frogs were startled and leaped away in all directions, scattering like a flock.

The corner of Fang Zhixing's mouth lifted slightly. For some reason, this group of bullfrogs seemed far less alert after the rain, allowing him to pick up an easy bargain.

"Hit it!"

Skinny Dog had been poised to spring and shot forward.

But Fang Zhixing's expression changed drastically as he transmitted, "Danger! Don't go!"

"Huh?!"

Skinny Dog jumped in fright and slammed on the brakes. His mouth struck the ground, and he rolled over, landing face-first in the dirt.

Fang Zhixing's pupils contracted sharply.

He saw a black shadow suddenly shoot down from the large tree beside the shallows. It opened its blood-filled maw and bit down on a bullfrog that had leaped into the air.

The black shadow was over three meters long and as thick as a water barrel. Its body was covered in dense black-and-white scales, while its enormous jaws and horrifying fangs inspired terror.

What a terrifying python!

That midair pounce and bite had been truly ferocious!

The python swallowed the bullfrog in one gulp, then whipped its tail through the air, knocking down two more leaping bullfrogs and stunning them on the ground before easily devouring them.

Then, the python noticed the bullfrog pinned to the ground by an arrow, its belly pierced and blood pouring out.

It paused slightly before opening its jaws, biting the frog's head, and pulling backward.

Rip!

The bullfrog's belly slid over the arrow and was torn in half, its body entering the python's stomach.

Too brutal!

Fang Zhixing and Skinny Dog watched with their hearts pounding. Man and dog immediately curled up, hid, and backed away.

But in the blink of an eye, all the nearby bullfrogs had fled. The python turned its head and suddenly fixed its gaze on Skinny Dog, who was creeping along on tiptoe.

"Fuck!"

Skinny Dog's fur stood on end, and he took off running for his life.

The python lowered its head and slithered close to the ground, like a sprinting cheetah, fast as hell.

"Shoot it!"

Skinny Dog screamed in terror.

He did not need to shout. Fang Zhixing had already turned around and loosed an arrow with a whoosh.

The arrow sliced through the air toward the python and struck its back, only to bounce away with a clang.

It was as though he had shot a metal shield.

"Can't pierce it?!"

Fang Zhixing's heart went cold. Yet that arrow caused the python to abruptly change direction and pounce after the arrow that had ricocheted away.

Fang Zhixing and Skinny Dog scrambled away on hands and feet, fleeing for their lives.

"Whew, whew-whew~~"

At the edge of the forest, man and dog lay in the mud, panting like oxen. They were so exhausted that even moving a finger took effort.

Before long, it began to rain again.

Night fell, and the rain poured down in torrents.

Amid rumbling thunder, Fang Zhixing and Skinny Dog struggled through the mud and returned to Crouching Ox Village through the rain.

Their steps were heavy, their legs feeling as if they had been filled with lead.

When they reached the village entrance and looked up—

The exhausted man and dog suddenly changed expression.

An old woman hung from a large tree at the head of the village. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes had been stripped away, and her body was covered in wounds. She had died a miserable death.

"That's Auntie Song!"

Fang Zhixing narrowed his eyes slightly. One look was enough for him to know that this was the old village chief's handiwork.

Devouring an entire household!

Eating people without even spitting out the bones!

All the Song family's money and grain had probably fallen into the old village chief's hands.

Seeing this, Skinny Dog said grimly, "In times like these, good people never live long!"

Fang Zhixing said nothing. After returning home, he immediately lit a fire and dried his drenched clothes, trying to warm himself up.

"Achoo!"

Skinny Dog suddenly sneezed.

Fang Zhixing had just been about to say something when he sneezed as well, snot streaming from his nose.

"Gurgle, gurgle~"

The stomachs of man and dog began growling too. They were starving badly.

Fang Zhixing had no time to think further. He took out the bullfrog from the broken bamboo basket and sighed speechlessly. "After struggling all day, this is all we got to eat."

He put it over the fire and roasted it.

Skinny Dog received one frog leg, while the remaining large portion naturally went to Fang Zhixing.

"Too little. It's nowhere near enough."

Still wanting more, Skinny Dog complained.

Fang Zhixing was exhausted to death and too lazy to speak. He lay down on the bed and fell asleep the instant his head hit the pillow.

When he woke up—

As Fang Zhixing opened his eyes, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his throat, as if someone were pricking his windpipe with needles.

He wanted to sit up, but his head spun and his entire body ached. When he touched his forehead, it was burning hot.

"Damn it, I've caught a cold and got a fever!"

Fang Zhixing inwardly cried out in alarm. He got out of bed, walked to the water jar, scooped up a bowl of cold water, and drank it to ease his sore throat.

"Fang Zhixing, I feel awful."

Suddenly, Skinny Dog's groan came from nearby.

Fang Zhixing looked down and found Skinny Dog lying on his side, listless, with a puddle of vomit beside him.

"You're sick too?"

Fang Zhixing's expression darkened further. He said speechlessly, "You caught a cold and passed it on to me."

Skinny Dog protested, "Nonsense! You were the one who caught a cold and infected me!"

Fang Zhixing cursed gloomily, "Dog flu!"

Skinny Dog barked, "Human flu, human flu!"

"Enough, you talk too much!" Fang Zhixing was irritated. He unhappily pushed open the door. A light rain was still falling outside, and the courtyard was full of water.

The village was very quiet. Even the birds had stopped chirping.

After thinking for a moment, Fang Zhixing suddenly asked Skinny Dog, "I heard that when dogs get sick, they find medicinal herbs to eat themselves. Can you do that?"

Hearing this, Skinny Dog climbed to his feet and tilted his head in surprise. "Really? I have that skill?"

Fang Zhixing quickly said, "Hurry up and try."

Skinny Dog immediately headed outside, with Fang Zhixing following behind. Man and dog entered the woods and searched everywhere for herbs.

Whenever they came across wild grass, Skinny Dog would run over and sniff it.

Fang Zhixing also picked some wild vegetables along the way.

"Fang Zhixing, this grass!" Skinny Dog suddenly called out.

Fang Zhixing went over and saw a bright green wild plant. Its leaves were heart-shaped, rough on the upper surface with sparse coarse hairs, while the undersides were densely covered in interwoven white fuzz.

"What kind of grass is this?"

Skinny Dog did not recognize the plant, but he felt that eating it would benefit him.

Fang Zhixing did recognize it. "It should be ramie. It's an herbaceous plant that clears heat, promotes urination, calms the fetus, stops bleeding, and detoxifies."

Skinny Dog suddenly understood. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I almost forgot. Your mother used to have a serious illness and drank a lot of traditional medicine. You were the one who brewed it all for her."

Fang Zhixing did not want to discuss that subject. He picked more than ten leaves, returned home, boiled them in water to drink, and ate some wild vegetables to stave off his hunger.

Afterward, once the rain had eased, they brought their hunting tools and went out hunting despite their illness.

There was no other way!

If they did not want to starve to death or die of illness, they had to fight with everything they had.

Man and dog stepped out of the house and were just about to leave the village when they suddenly saw a chicken walk past them.