Perhaps she will fall into an even deeper hallucination and never wake up again.
Thinking of this, she looked down at the little bear beside her and gently stroked its head.
When no one was looking, she quietly took out the large cabbage that had been soaking in the spiritual spring water all night.
After all, this cabbage was one of their few remaining precious foods.
After being nourished by the spring water overnight, the cabbage leaves were lush and green, with a faint glow.
She bent down, tossed the cabbage gently, and it landed steadily on the ground in front of the bear.
The little bear first lowered its head and sniffed, then its eyes lit up and it made a low purring sound.
It pressed the cabbage down with its front paws, opened its mouth impatiently, and devoured the whole cabbage in a few bites.
After finishing its meal, it licked its lips with a lingering sense of satisfaction.
Then he slowly moved his body, snuggled up to Su Qingzhi, and affectionately leaned his head on her arm.
Its fur was slightly damp, carrying the unique scent of mountain forest vegetation, yet it was surprisingly docile.
The further into the mountains you go, the more gloomy and oppressive the surrounding environment becomes.
Towering ancient trees stand densely packed, their branches twisted and gnarled.
The dense foliage layered upon layer, almost completely obscuring the sky.
There was a thick layer of decaying leaves underfoot, which felt soft and spongy when you stepped on them.
Various insects rustled and crawled among the withered branches and fallen leaves.
Occasionally, you can see a few slender snakes darting swiftly through the crevices in the rocks.
Rats were also a common sight, their grayish-brown forms darting out of the bushes and disappearing again.
These scenes are enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Fortunately, they made ample preparations before setting off.
In addition to dry food and first aid kits, they also brought homemade insect and snake repellent.
The medicine had a pungent smell, was pale green in color, and could form a protective film when applied to exposed skin.
If I hadn't sprayed it beforehand, my legs would probably be covered in red, swollen welts from insect bites by now.
The sky gradually darkened.
The last rays of the setting sun were swallowed up by the thick canopy of trees.
The forest was bathed in a light that was a mixture of dim yellow and gloomy.
Their shadows were stretched long, twisting and deforming among the withered branches and moss.
They trekked through the wild hillsides for eight hours straight without stopping for a moment.
My feet were already blistered, and every step I took was excruciatingly painful.
Old Li's trouser leg was torn open by thorny vines, and three bloody scratches appeared on his calf.
Xiao Zhao's hand was cut by a strange type of grass.
The edges of the grass were as sharp as serrations, and the skin would break if touched.
Even Shen Zhiyu, who is usually the most robust, had his clothes torn by protruding tree branches on his shoulder.
The distance I walked today was less than half of what I covered in the previous two days combined.
I originally expected to walk 30 li a day, but now I've barely managed to walk less than 10 li.
This place is really too difficult to walk through.
The terrain is rugged and crisscrossed with ravines, and with the rampant vegetation, there are no proper roads at all.
They could only cut down the vines blocking their way and make their way forward with the help of a compass and a topographical map.
Xiao Heizi walked at the front of the group, chewing on a hard, compressed biscuit that was almost enough to break his teeth.
The biscuits were dry and astringent; swallowing them felt like swallowing sand.
But he still frowned and nibbled at it one small bite at a time.
Suddenly, he stopped abruptly and raised one hand.
Then, he raised his other hand and pointed towards the depths of the dense forest ahead, his voice tinged with excitement.
"Look! There's a light up ahead!"
Upon hearing this, the others immediately became alert and looked in the direction he was pointing.
Sure enough, in the nearby mountain hollow, several orange-red lights flickered intermittently.
Looking closer, you can see several thatched huts standing there, crooked and askew.
The roof was thatched, and the walls were made of mud and wooden stakes.
Apart from that, the surroundings were completely silent; no human voices could be heard, and no activity could be seen.
Su Qingzhi and Shen Zhiyu exchanged a glance.
They ventured deep into the mountains, only to find desolate lands, sparsely populated by humans and teeming with wild beasts.
How could a few inhabited huts suddenly appear in such a remote and dangerous place?
This is very abnormal.
It's either a trap, or there's something else going on.
But right now, this is the only clue they have found about the Japanese secret room.
The map marks this area, and radio signals were briefly heard here as well.
Even if it's a den of dragons and tigers ahead, they still have to go and find out what's going on.
"Go and take a look at that room."
Shen Zhiyu turned around and said in a low voice.
After he finished speaking, no one in the group raised any objections.
Although they were nervous, they didn't hesitate and packed their gear before heading towards the few thatched huts.
As they drew closer, they saw a wisp of smoke slowly rising from the chimney of one of the thatched huts.
The plume of smoke rose straight into the sky, indicating that someone inside was indeed cooking.
This scene, however, made them even more nervous.
Living people are more unsettling than ruins.
As for the bear cub, Su Qingzhi had already secretly signaled it to hide in the nearby dense forest before entering the mountain valley.
She gently patted the bear's head and whispered something.
"Don't make a sound, wait for me to come back."
The little bear blinked and growled.
He then turned and disappeared into the bushes, his figure quickly vanishing from sight.
Over the past few days, everyone in the team has noticed that this bear is unusually intelligent.
It will not attack people unless it does so, and it will also give warnings in times of crisis.
As I approached the door of the thatched hut, the gravel under my feet made a soft sound.
They hadn't even had time to call for help or knock on the door.
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