The Black Sand Rift Valley is named so because at night, the sand turns a deep, almost black color under the cover of darkness, and the valley is filled with raging winds, devoid of any life, making it extremely terrifying.
In the pitch black, a few sparks flickered.
Around the campfire, groups of three or five men with sharp features and distinct Western Region characteristics stood speaking in a local dialect that outsiders couldn't understand.
However, their gazes would occasionally drift to the center of the crowd, where three beautiful figures stood around the fire, each with their own unique charm.
The one with the coldest demeanor, in particular, was so beautiful she looked like a celestial being descended to earth. According to their leader, she was a noble young lady from a wealthy family in the capital. They were hired by her to help them find the Three-Life Flower.
The fire crackled and popped, drowning out Leng Ruxue's quiet mutterings.
Dressed in casual clothes, she leaned close to Lin Qingyi's ear and asked doubtfully, "Sister Qingyi, are these people really reliable?"
"They know the way, why don't they go pick those flowers themselves? Wouldn't that make more money?"
Lin Qingyi shook her head slightly and replied in a low voice, "The Three-Life Flower is of immeasurable value and is extremely attractive to both locals and outsiders."
“The crops in this area grow well, and most of the locals make a living by collecting medicinal herbs. Over time, this has led to the formation of some large medicinal herb collecting gangs that monopolize high-end resources.”
“Even if these ordinary medicinal herb farmers know the location, they don’t dare to pick them. They only dare to earn a little money from outsiders to guide them.”
Leng Ruxue said "Oh," then asked in confusion, "Those big gangs just let them lead the way?"
Lin Qingyi's gaze became more serious: "The population here is sparse, and the sense of local identity is very strong. Locals generally won't harm other locals, but they might have some tricks up their sleeves when it comes to outsiders like us."
"So we still need to be vigilant and careful."
Beside them, Chu Liyue sat with an elegant posture. She listened silently to Lin Qingyi and Leng Ruxue's hushed conversation, her gaze slightly unfocused as she stared at the campfire.
Once here, there is no cell phone signal, making it impossible to contact the outside world.
Her fingertips gently caressed the phone screen, and her cold, beautiful face appeared strangely soft in the firelight.
Leng Ruxue glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, her eyes flickered, and she suddenly said:
"Sister Qingyi, I always thought that men from the Western Regions must all be strong-willed, but the one who led the way today seems like a handsome young man with a rugged appearance."
Chu Liyue's gaze flickered slightly upon hearing this. Leng Ruxue smiled slyly, lightly tugged at her sleeve and shook it, grinning mischievously.
"Big brother, it's only been a day, and you're already missing your handsome little brother?"
Chu Liyue coldly withdrew the arm that had been grabbed by her, her eyelashes lowered, and she remained silent.
Every night, he felt heavy in his arms as he fell asleep holding Xiao Wujie. Suddenly, he was alone and had a strange feeling of returning to the two years when he was in a coma. He felt a little empty inside.
Leng Ruxue picked up a dry twig from the ground, gently poked at the burning fire, and suddenly smiled in a somewhat dreamy way:
"It's so nice to be in love. I remember my boss used to not smile even once a year, he just worked every day."
"Now I smile whenever I see a handsome younger brother, and I miss him if I don't see him for a day. It's making me miss Chu Nanfeng too."
Chu Liyue's eyes were tinged with a gentle light, while Lin Qingyi's eyelids were slightly lowered, her face half-hidden in shadow, making it impossible to see her expression.
"Big brother, if we get the herbs, will it cure our handsome little brother's illness and help him recover?" Leng Ruxue asked.
Chu Liyue's deep gaze flickered slightly, and she replied in a low, cold voice, "It will take some more time."
Reagent number two is ready; the bone marrow is ready. Only reagent number three is left, but producing reagent number three does not mean everything is settled.
Clinical trials are required, and even trial patients may need to be found to test the drug, to ensure there are no serious side effects before surgery can be performed.
The trip to Lingnan took a month, and a third of the 100-day countdown Ye Jinyu mentioned had already passed, making the time incredibly tight.
Leng Ruxue raised the burning branch in her hand and blew it out as if making a wish, saying, "I believe that my handsome little brother will be alright and stay with the eldest brother for the rest of his life, never to be separated."
The wisps of smoke rising are like a ladder to send wishes to heaven, hoping to receive divine blessings.
"Huh? Someone's here?"
A surprised exclamation broke the warm atmosphere. Shi Feng looked puzzled and pointed into the distance.
Following the direction Shi Feng pointed, one could vaguely see standing figures walking towards them, waving as they went, as if calling out to someone in the distance.
However, its standing posture was somewhat strange. After taking a few steps, it would lie down on the ground, then get up again, maintain the same posture, and continue walking and waving.
"Is that... someone calling for help?" Leng Ruxue murmured.
From her perspective, those figures resembled hungry and cold figures, unable to support their bodies, collapsing, and then getting up again to call for help.
Attracted by Shi Feng's voice, several locals also turned their gaze to the distance.
The man leading the way frowned, a look of surprise and doubt in his eyes. Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he shouted out:
"alert!"
"That's a demon-faced bear!"
As soon as he finished speaking, fear flashed in the eyes of the locals, and they gathered together.
The man leading the way quickly led his men to Chu Liyue and the others, and said nervously, "Ladies, sir, be careful, that could very well be a Ghost-Faced Bear from our Western Regions."
"They are extremely intelligent, adept at learning how humans walk upright, wave, and lure people closer. They eat human flesh raw and are incredibly ferocious."
Looking at the groups of figures ahead, Shi Feng questioned, "There's no life in this rift valley, no water source. How could these things possibly survive?"
The guide was also astonished: "It's really strange. I've only ever encountered Ghost Bears outside, never in the Rift Valley, let alone seen so many of them appear at once."
Chu Liyue stood slender and still, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, and said in a low, chilling voice: "These things are not necessarily naturally occurring..."
Her words caused the pupils of the others to shrink involuntarily.
A hoarse roar rang out, and in the blink of an eye, those eerie figures had already moved closer.
Just as the guide had said, as they got closer to the group, the eerie figures crawled on the ground and moved slowly forward.
As the first bear stepped into the firelight's glow, a ferocious bear face was suddenly revealed to everyone.
Its dark eyes gleamed with wildness and ferocity, and its sharp teeth bared. Almost without hesitation, it pounced directly at the crowd, its paws gripping the ground.
Behind them, a series of enormous demon-faced bears followed closely.
"Tch." Leng Ruxue snorted disdainfully, raised her sniper rifle, and unleashed a barrage of fire.
Her marksmanship was extremely accurate. The bullets seemed to fly out of nowhere, but in reality, not a single one was wasted, hitting the giant bear that was pouncing on it with precision.
The locals who followed also pulled out their shotguns and pulled the triggers repeatedly.
Gunshots rang out, and crimson blood splattered everywhere. The once ferocious masked bears began to scatter and flee.
Leng Ruxue aimed her gun and shot down several ghost bears that tried to escape, but one or two still managed to run quickly into the darkness amidst the chaos.
Amidst the corpses scattered on the ground, Chu Liyue crouched down, her fingertips probing the bear's neck. Parting the thick fur, she revealed a man-made collar hidden beneath.
"These animals are artificially bred, so be extra careful."
"Our tracks have been exposed."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
