Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 216 - 158: Specially Saved and the Swampland
"You haven’t eaten all day either. Hurry and eat something. We still have a two-day journey ahead of us."
’She had managed to sneak a piece of roasted meat away from the ravenous pack of Beastmen.’
Chi Li’s long, crimson eyelashes fluttered. He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. "Did you save this just for me?"
His gaze fell languidly on the piece of roasted meat resting on a green leaf in her hand.
"Of course."
An Jin nodded and said without a second thought, "If I hadn’t saved it for you, you wouldn’t even see a scrap of meat right now. You’d have to travel on an empty stomach!"
"Tch." He chuckled softly, taking the roasted meat from her. His long eyelashes cast a semicircular shadow beneath his eyes. "Well then, thank you for your kindness."
He took an elegant, small bite and gave his assessment, "The flavor is quite good."
Chi Li didn’t show the overly surprised and amazed expression of the other tribe’s Beastmen. He simply chewed a few times, as if it were a daily meal. His elegant and noble temperament seemed completely out of place in this savage and untamed Beast World.
’It made An Jin even more curious. What kind of prosperous city did this fox used to live in?’
’It wasn’t that An Jin was bragging, but only a Beastman who had eaten all sorts of delicacies—to the point of being tired of them—could react so calmly to her roasted meat.’
As the nighttime humidity rose, the jungle filled with giant mosquitos half the size of a palm. Many of them were venomous, and a single bite could nearly kill you.
Even the thick-skinned Beastmen couldn’t withstand the mosquitos’ assault. They howled in pain as they were bitten, and one welt after another quickly swelled up on their bodies.
Many Beastmen transformed into their beast forms and began chasing and snapping at the insects inside the crowded cave. For a moment, they were leaping up and down, bumping left and right, creating a rather comical scene.
"Rub this ointment on your bodies. It can repel the mosquitos for a whole night." Chi Li was already prepared. From an inconspicuous Beast Skin Bag on the cart parked outside the cave, he precisely retrieved several small bottles and tossed them over from a distance.
"AWOO!"
A Tiger Beast quickly leaped up and caught one in its mouth.
He shifted into his human form and opened it. Inside the small ceramic bottle was a clear, light-colored liquid that gave off a pleasant, herbal scent.
The Beastmen were overjoyed and quickly applied the liquid to their bodies.
The red, swollen welts from the mosquito bites immediately felt cool and comfortable, and the itching stopped.
The buzzing cloud of mosquitos surrounding them also dispersed quickly. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
...
This time, the tribe had sent out nearly 200 Beastman Warriors.
During their night’s rest, they had marked the area around the cave with scents to warn off any nearby wild beasts or other Beastmen.
The Beastman Warriors took turns on watch, transforming into their beast forms and lying lazily outside the cave entrance, watching the stars and moon while protecting the carts filled with supplies.
The temperature differences in the Beast World were absurdly large. Especially during the dark and damp major rainy season, the cave they used for shelter was so humid and cold it made one shiver.
The bonfire inside the cave had already burned out, and they had to conserve the little firewood they had left.
"Hiss... It’s so cold..." An Jin rubbed her goosebump-covered arms, then quickly burrowed under the Silver Wolf’s belly, squinting her eyes in comfort.
’It was so warm she didn’t even want to move.’
"..." Ling Hong lifted his gaze, then gently pressed her into his embrace with a paw, wrapping her tightly with his own body.
Folding his forepaws toward her, the Silver Wolf shielded the young woman from the severe cold and chilly air from the cave entrance. From a distance, all that could be seen was a fluffy, silver-white ball of fur, with a pair of delicate calves peeking out.
The little Red Fox curled up in the corner lifted his eyes and glanced lazily in their direction.
His gaze landed on the Silver Wolf’s massive body, which could easily envelop her, then he looked down at himself with a hint of gloom. A trace of envy showed in his eyes.
He then tightened his paws, silently curled himself into a ball, and rested his tilted head on his tucked-in forepaws. Nestled on the soft beast skin, he quickly fell asleep.
「Two days later」, they had walked out of the forest. After a rugged and dangerous mountain path, they finally arrived at what Ling Hong called the "Death Swamp."
The Death Swamp.
’Just from the name, one could feel the palpable danger.’
Sure enough, when An Jin scanned the area with her spiritual power, she discovered vast numbers of giant, rock-like crocodile heads lurking in the swamp, their mouths wide open, waiting for them to walk right into their trap.
In swamps or wastelands, there are damp, soft, muddy areas known as mire. You have to be careful when you see flat, black ground where not even a blade of grass grows.
At the same time, one should also watch out for bluish peat moss bogs. Sometimes, the moss covers the mire’s surface like a thick carpet, which is a sign of a dangerous trap.
"Everyone, be careful! Stay on high alert! We’ll cross the same way we did before!" Ling Hong shouted to the Beastmen behind him.
But perhaps because it had rained recently, the swamp was now even more treacherous and soft. Even though the Beastmen advanced cautiously as if walking on thin ice, they were still caught off guard and stepped into the mire.
"AH—!"
Someone had fallen for the trap.
The Beastman trapped in the swamp shouted as he tried to pull his leg out, but the soft mud seemed to have an invisible suction force that pulled him in tighter the more he struggled.
At the same time, several hungry, red-eyed crocodiles swam over menacingly, churning up the thick mud.
"Get lost!" Ling Hong’s expression was icy. With his arm muscles tensed, he killed a crocodile with a single, thunderous punch.
This act intimidated the other crocodiles. They stared at them covetously, their red eyes glowing with greed.
The terrified Beastman’s body trembled. With a miserable, tearful face, he cried, "What do I do? It’s like a bottomless pit in here! Once I stepped in, I can’t move or pull my leg out. Half of my leg is already sucked in."
An Jin looked around, trying to find some wood or rocks. She comforted him, saying, "Don’t panic. Stop struggling for now. Try to lean your body back and gently fall onto the ground. Spread your arms out as wide as you can when you fall."
’Increase the surface area to distribute your weight. That should allow your body to float on the surface.’
Although he didn’t understand the complex principles coming from the Clan Leader’s mouth, the Beastman could only follow An Jin’s instructions, cautiously and slowly adjusting his posture.
Once his leg had slowly floated mostly out of the mire, Ling Hong and a few nearby Beastmen yanked him out, pulling out a few bones and stones along with him.
Seeing the bones, particularly one that resembled a Beastman’s skull.
Everyone’s faces grew even paler. They were terrified to their core; this vast swamp, riddled with hidden dangers, was far more dangerous than a horde of Giant Beasts.
The Death Swamp, covered in moss and withered grass, stretched as far as the eye could see.
Beneath the swamp’s calm surface, danger lurked everywhere. For a race of Beastmen like the Gu Yin, it was like walking on solid ground, but for ordinary land-dwelling Beastmen, it was as terrifying as an abyss.
"What should we do now?"
The Beastmen fretted.
An Jin surveyed the surrounding terrain, thought for a moment, then turned and said to them, "We should follow the high ground where trees are growing, or step on the large rocks, because trees and rocks are on solid ground."
There happened to be many large rocks just ahead.
After a while, the rocks disappeared, leaving only the swampy wetland covered in weeds and moss.
"Everyone, pick up some large rocks from around here. You can toss them into the swamp ahead to test if the ground is firm. Or, stomp your feet hard. If the ground trembles, it’s likely mire, and we should go around."
