The human and the monkey forged a deep "friendship" during this time.
——
Xia Xiang knew that those little devils who got bitten on the butt would definitely go to the hospital, so she went to the hospital and looked up the information of all the people who had been bitten on the butt.
Then they went door-to-door threatening, oh no, investigating.
Finally, the ins and outs of the matter have been clarified.
The little monkey was delivering fruit to Xia Xiang on behalf of Yuan Xiaoxiao when it was spotted by Xiao Luobotou, who was resting. Xiao Luobotou found it amusing and teased it.
While the boy and the monkey were hopping around, the monkey's leg was broken by a piece of wood that the boy accidentally bumped into. Then, the monkey's companion saw this and bit the boy's bottom.
What happened next is clear: everyone gave and received, and hurt each other.
Xia Xiang was helpless; five years had passed, and tracing the root of the problem was definitely not an easy task.
So she discussed it with Elder Chang and used the second request to expand Yuan Xiaoxiao's territory by a circle, so that they would no longer go to that place to cut down trees. They would each take a step back and separate the two sides.
Of course, I also spoke very sternly to Yuan Xiaoxiao, telling her that she couldn't bite other people's butts anymore!
As for those little radishes, they're all grown up now, and they don't want to talk about what happened before at all; after all, it was just one bite...
——
The technical safety exam was over three months later; the final hurdle was next.
Bai Yu: "The final challenge is the Monster Swamp. Collect a red flower in this forest, then cross the dense forest and exit from the other side. The elders are waiting for you on the other side."
Outside the dense forest, Xia Xiang and Ji An looked at each other in bewilderment.
"It looks very cold and desolate."
Xia Xiang was still wearing the same thin, light-colored training clothes as before. The chill gradually seeped into her skin, making her shiver involuntarily.
“That’s right, this is the most dangerous part of the exam.” Bai Yu kindly suggested, “You should go back and change your clothes, and bring some dry food or something.”
Ji'an felt it was a waste of time and refused, saying "No need."
Bai Yu didn't care at all. He made money off several people like Ji An who wouldn't listen to advice every year; he was already quite adept at it.
"I'm just trying to be helpful. Once you're inside, you might not have enough energy to maintain your body temperature and strength. But if you're confident, just go for it."
Xia Xiang, naturally a person who listens to advice, quickly returned home after saying "I want to."
When they returned, only Bai Yu was still waiting in the same spot; Ji An was nowhere to be seen.
"He went in?" Xia Xiang changed into a thick set of clothes, wore knee-high black boots, and carried a small cloth bag on her back. Her original low ponytail was tied into a neat bun.
Bai Yu nodded.
"Going straight in, right?" Xia Xiang pointed to the dark woods not far away.
"Yes," Bai Yu nodded again.
"Well then, bye-bye." Xia Xiang pulled a flashlight out from behind her back and walked inside.
The inside and outside of the forest are like two different worlds.
The black, short trees were strangely shaped, with messy branches. The mud on the ground smelled fishy and had dark red bloodstains on some of it. The dark green grass was tangled and lush, mixed with the mud. All that could be seen was a thick white fog, which made it seem less black than it appeared from the outside.
"It's alright, but these plants don't grow very scientifically." Xia Xiang looked around, then turned off the flashlight and put it in her bag.
"At least it's not as dark as in the Rock Valley, but the air here is really stale. I wonder if Gian has been overwhelmed by the stench."
Xia Xiang covered her mouth and nose with her hands, which were already covered by two masks and a face towel.
She had only taken two steps when a small, sharp black claw emerged from the grass at the base of the tree and wrapped around her ankle.
In a moment of desperation, Xia Xiang grabbed a slightly thicker tree branch, her feet dangling in the air. With a thought, she swung the Demon-Slaying Slash down, swiftly severing the small black claw.
All that could be heard was a dull thud as the remaining half of the slender black arm disappeared into the mud. The cross-section of the severed section, as if it had been roasted over charcoal, still glowed with orange-red sparks.
"How can we get through this?" Xia Xiang looked at the smelly handprints on her ankle boots with disgust, but thought it was good that she listened to advice.
Xia Xiang remembered what Bai Yu had said: "Find the red flower and you'll be able to get through this dense forest." So she immediately began to teleport, cutting off the black claws she encountered along the way.
"Besides trees, grass, mud, fog, and black tentacles, what else is here? Where did these red flowers come from?!"
But she soon found her body becoming unusually heavy, and she felt dizzy. The surrounding white fog was also getting thicker, and she could not even see the grass under the tree roots.
The scenery before her eyes was constantly distorting, and countless hideous faces seemed to appear within the thick white fog. Xia Xiang's head throbbed with pain, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until she could no longer hold on, and everything went black.
After an unknown amount of time, Xia Xiang slowly woke up, feeling as if she were being pulled by two forces.
One was her collar, being pulled by a stubborn force, and the other was her two ankles, feeling cold and sticky, as if they were wrapped in mud, which was still spreading to her calves.
"!" Xia Xiang struggled for a moment.
"Don't...move!" A suppressed voice came from above, and it sounded somewhat familiar.
"Ji'an?" Xia Xiang called out Ji'an's name.
"Now, hurry up!" Ji'an's face turned red, the veins on his arms bulged, and he grabbed her collar tightly.
As soon as the Demon-Slaying Slash was unleashed, the disgusting black arms that were holding Xia Xiang's ankles shrank back into the mud.
"What are you doing here?" Xia Xiang was pulled up onto the thick tree trunk where he was lying. "Ugh, this is disgusting. Where are my shoes?"
Xia Xiang took out a bottle of water and rinsed her ankles. Seeing Ji An's dry, chapped lips, she handed him another bottle.
Ji'an took the water and drank it down in large gulps, saying, "We're even now."
"You haven't answered me yet," Xia Xiang glanced at Ji An, whose clothes were tattered and covered in mud, and then continued to wash her ankles.
She noticed that the areas that had been covered in mud were now red and ulcerated, but she acted as if she didn't feel anything as she cleaned the necrotic parts, and in fact, she really didn't feel anything.
Ji'an frowned as he looked at her injury. He saw her take out a huge bottle of clear alcohol and pour it directly onto the wound. She then took out a milky white ointment, applied it to her ankle, and wrapped it with gauze.
"You're quite well-prepared," Gian whispered to her.
Then Xia Xiang took out a new pair of black boots and put them on. "What did you say?"
Ji'an was genuinely impressed with her now, and repeated, "Your preparations are truly thorough!"
"You flatter me. I have another pair," Xia Xiang said proudly. "It's just my size, so you might not be able to wear them, but if you cut off the toes and heels, they should fit."
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