At this time, the sky was completely dark. Lao Cai led the group to an open space to set up camp. They were used to spending the night in the forest, so they brought tents with them. They made a fire and lit the mugwort that was used to drive away mosquitoes.
They didn't look too good. Today, they suddenly encountered a large number of rats. It was almost impossible to kill them all. Once they left the vine area, they would definitely destroy the balance of the forest.
Lao Cai said worriedly, "No, we have to go back and tell the garrison. We have to figure out where these rats came from."
"Okay, I'll ask Ah Wei to go back with you tomorrow." Yao Guangfa nodded.
After eating some food and assigning the night duty, Luo Kai walked around the area. He didn't feel any danger, so he went back into the tent. Lu Qing was already sleeping soundly. She was really tired today.
Luo Kai sat cross-legged in the tent, thinking that it was time to go back. In this vast forest, all the information that humans could generate would be covered up. It was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack, unless thousands of people were mobilized to search the mountain. Su Wenlin had the ability, but he didn't. This was the difference between an individual and a whole group.
The next day, Lao Cai and Yao Guangfa's cousin, Zhang Wei, went back first. The other four people were still wandering in the forest. Luo Kai tried to stimulate his sense of smell, but the smell of flowers and plants on Lady Hua's body was very easy to mix with the smell of all kinds of plants in the forest. After another day of searching, they found nothing.
On the third day, they almost ran out of food and water. Yao Guangfa suggested, "Brother Luo, there's a Long Snake Valley not far from here. It's rich in precious herbs. The old woman you're looking for must have come to the Misty Mountain to look for herbs. Why don't we go and have a look?"
Luo Kai nodded in agreement, "Okay, thank you for your hard work these two days."
Yao Guangfa hurriedly said, "It's not hard at all. It's a blessing to have a friend like you, Brother Luo."
After passing through a swamp, Yao Guangfa led them to a long and narrow valley. The valley was shrouded in clouds and fog. They could only see four or five meters around them.
"This is the Long Snake Valley. Legend has it that it is the place where an incomparably huge strange snake died. There are many poisonous snakes inside, so be careful when you enter."
Yao Guangfa picked up two wooden sticks from the ground and knocked them on the ground as they entered the valley. This was to drive away any poisonous insects that might be in front of them.
Luo Kai didn't know why, but from the moment he entered the valley, a layer of goosebumps rose on his skin. This valley seemed to have a unique magnetic field frequency that stimulated his body.
After walking for a while, Yao Guangfa stopped and turned around. "Brother Luo, the visibility here is too low. Why don't we split up?"
"Alright, then you guys be careful. If you encounter any danger and shout for help, I will come and find you."
For some reason, Yao Guangfa's expression suddenly changed. He forced a smile and said, "It's fine. There are many poisonous snakes here. Under normal circumstances, poisonous snakes won't attack humans."
Seeing Yao Guangfa and Luo Kai disappear into the fog, Luo Kai had some doubts in his heart, but he didn't think too much about it. These past few days, Yao Guangfa and the others had done their best, so his bad impression of Su Wenlin had lessened a lot.
The valley was very quiet. There wasn't even the slightest sound of wind. There was only the rustling sound of reptiles moving through the vegetation.
Women were more afraid of snakes and rats. Lu Qing tugged on Luo Kai's sleeve and whispered, "There are snakes."
Luo Kai whispered, "It's fine. Generally speaking, snakes won't attack large animals unless they provoke them. Plus, they are running away."
In fact, the reason why they hadn't encountered many animals these past two days was because of Luo Kai. Animals were far more sensitive than humans. Some could even feel the magnetic field emitted by living creatures. The stronger the creature, the more powerful the magnetic field. Now, Luo Kai was walking in the forest like a fierce beast in human form. All the animals avoided him. Of course, if they broke into the nest of some animals, they would fight with all their might. For example, the strange rats they encountered two days ago.
As they walked, Luo Kai suddenly felt that something wasn't right. This was because he actually felt sleepy. And as soon as this thought arose, his whole head was filled with intense sleepiness. A chill rose from the bottom of his heart. He hurriedly bit the tip of his tongue and forced his heartbeat to drive away the sleepiness. Beside him, Lu Qing had already fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder.
"Lu Qing, wake up."
Luo Kai gloomily checked her breathing. Everything was normal. She had just fallen into a deep sleep.
The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet. Even the sound of the air flowing had disappeared.
Luo Kai carried Lu Qing on his shoulder and retreated back the way he came. He had just taken two steps when he staggered and almost fell. The drowsiness that was getting heavier and heavier kept attacking him. He had no choice but to urge his heartbeat crazily and run toward the entrance with big strides.
…
At the edge of the valley, Yao Guangfa and the middle-aged man called Li Shuncai stared deeply at the valley. After a long time, Yao Guangfa sighed. "He probably won't be able to come out."
"Hmph, you're too soft-hearted." Li Shuncai coldly snorted. His voice was hoarse, and his expression was cold.
"Ai, after all, he did save our lives. Moreover, the young master instructed us to do our best to keep that girl alive."
"You saw it yourself. The two of them never separate. There's no chance to spare that girl's life. Don't worry, the young master won't treat you unfairly."
Yao Guangfa hesitated. "Do you really think the Valley of Eternal Slumber can kill that young man?"
Li Shuncai paused. He thought back to Luo Kai's sharp blade light and divine skills. Could such a person really die so easily? He was not confident. "Didn't you say that no one has ever come out of the Valley of Eternal Slumber?"
"I don't know. But what if he doesn't die? You and I won't have a good time. Even the young master of the Three-Eyed Race will be in trouble."
Li Shuncai thought for a moment and gritted his teeth. "Then we'll wait here. I'll have someone bring explosives and bury them at the entrance. If he really does come out alive, we'll use the explosives to kill him."
"No, if that's the case, we won't have any excuses. Moreover, I doubt that the explosives will be able to kill him.
…
Luo Kai had no energy left to run. He thought that he could run out of the valley in an instant, but the road in front of him seemed endless. He had been running for more than an hour, but it felt like he was pacing back and forth in the same place.
Holding Lu Qing in his arms, he sat on the ground and tried his best to stir up his spiritual will to fight against the strong sleepiness. The omnipresent fog not only affected his senses, but also his memory. Scenes flashed through his mind like a slide show, some of them were his, and some of them did not seem to belong to him. If this continued, he would definitely suffer from schizophrenia.
He clenched his teeth and withdrew his consciousness into his own little universe. He shielded his breathing, and even his pores contracted and sealed. His mental strength formed an invisible barrier around his body, almost cutting off all contact with the outside world. Only then did his sleepiness lessen slightly.
His hazy mind gradually cleared up. He opened his eyes and saw Lu Qing's eyelids twitching. Her snow-white forehead was covered with large beads of sweat. She looked like she was in pain, as if she was having a nightmare.