Yan Ge had already guessed that they wouldn’t believe him and didn’t care. He was fine with these people not trusting him; it was even better. He exchanged a glance with Huangfu Yuchen.
Huangfu Yuchen had the remaining water from the water bottle transferred into the special forces’ canteens. It wasn’t much, just enough to fill a dozen or so canteens. He then directed the special forces to carefully fill the empty water tanks with river water, making sure not to get their hands wet.
Yan Ge secretly used a confusing spiritual technique, creating illusions in the minds of the people present. He took advantage of the situation to retrieve the water tank filled with water that he had previously placed in the system backpack before entering the Mai Kingdom. He replaced the empty water tank with the full one.
Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and a few other team leaders observed his actions carefully while having their soldiers count the number of people and remaining supplies. Due to the previous rush, they hadn’t been able to remove the supplies from some of the horses. Two kingdoms’ soldiers happened to have lost their water tanks, and they kept their eyes fixed on the people from Great Han, wanting to see if Yan Ge would indeed use the method of poisoning and detoxification to ensure the reliability of the river water.
After Yan Ge surreptitiously switched the water, he pretended to put poison and an antidote into the water tank and then had the water boiled. To ensure the durability of the water tank, they were made of iron and could be placed directly on the fire.
After handling these tasks, Yan Ge deliberately went to Yilihan and the others with enthusiasm, “Generals, do you need any help? Since we’ve already worked together once, this time it’s free. You see, this is how we handled our water. I wouldn’t harm my own people. Right?” He knew that Yilihan and Bai Shaobai would never seek his help, so he deliberately tried to persuade them.
Yilihan, Wen Han, and the others had long noticed that Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen had special status within the team. They had even seen Huangfu Yuchen give orders to Yang Zhuo several times. From this, they deduced that Huangfu Yuchen must hold a high position in Great Han, but they couldn’t figure out why he was hiding his identity. Setting aside other kingdoms like the Liao Kingdom, Wei Kingdom, etc, the Mai Kingdom had repeatedly provoked the Great Han Kingdom before. Yilihan didn’t believe that people from Great Han had no grudges against them, so he was very cautious and politely declined Yan Ge’s proposal.
“Thank you, Physician Qin, but you’ve also been tired on this journey. You don’t need to trouble yourself further. This general will have his men boil the water at high temperature,” Yilihan said.
People who frequently traveled outside understood that sometimes the water in the wild was not clean, and drinking it might cause stomach pain. After boiling it, there would generally be no problems.
Bai Shaobai, Wen Han, and the others were also vigilant and politely rejected Yan Ge’s goodwill.
They ordered their soldiers to empty the water tanks and fill them with river water. They used leaves to collect water, quickly building a fire to boil it.
Once the water boiled, Yilihan filled a water bag and, after the water cooled down, fed it to one of the horses.
Yan Ge sat on a piece of wood, leaning against Huangfu Yuchen with a faint smile on his lips, watching him leisurely.
After traveling such a long distance, the horses were thirsty and began to drink the water slowly. Everyone watched closely.
After drinking water, the horse bent down and nibbled at the grass on the ground.
Yilihan sighed with relief, and a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth. However, as soon as he turned around, he heard a muffled sound and several exclamations behind him. He quickly turned back, only to see the horse foaming at the mouth and convulsing uncontrollably. Its robust body withered rapidly, and soon, it was nothing but skin and bones, lying motionless on the ground.
Almost everyone’s face turned pale at the sight.
Yan Ge was also stunned. He had only deduced that the water in this jungle might be problematic, but he didn’t expect it to be true. He secretly thanked Huangfu Yuchen for being so considerate and bringing along several spare water tanks.
Seeing Yilihan and Bai Shaobai’s gloomy expressions, his mood improved. “It’s good that General Yilihan is cautious, it’s just a pity about the horse. Generals, shall I help you purify the river water? I assure you that, as a physician, I won’t involve myself in any political matters. Really!” He was about to say, “Look into my sincere eyes.”
Huangfu Yuchen’s dark eyes had an indulgent smile.
Yang Zhuo and the others chuckled. Although they couldn’t harm these Mai Kingdom people, they found satisfaction in irritating them.
Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and others looked at him with expressionless faces. ‘If you weren’t so close to that cold-faced special forces soldier who was likely a high-ranking member of Great Han, maybe we could believe you.’
But if they don’t let Yan Ge help purify the drinking water, where were they supposed to get water? They couldn’t let their soldiers die of thirst before reaching the Demon Fortress, right?
Yan Ge couldn’t openly confront them yet. He was sure that if he pushed them too hard, they would retaliate. For now, he decided to amuse himself.
Just then, everyone noticed that the sky was getting darker, and looking up, they saw that it was covered in dark clouds.
Since the area had sparse trees, they were able to see the sky, and they were overjoyed. They glanced at Yan Ge with a hint of a smile.
They didn’t necessarily need Yan Ge’s help. Rainwater was the cleanest, and it was readily available for use.
“Collect water using oilcloths!” Yilihan gave the order.
Bai Shaobai and the others followed his lead.
Yan Ge pretended to spread his hands in disappointment.
Huangfu Yuchen pinched his shoulder and went to fetch the waterproof cloak from his equipment bag.
The special forces soldiers quickly took out their waterproof cloaks and used them to collect rainwater under the water tanks, working quickly to build a fire.
“Boom!” A thunderous sound came from the sky, and the dark clouds thickened.
The water he kept in the system didn’t need to be boiled; it could be drunk directly. Yan Ge pretended to walk over to the fire and looked into the water tank, “It’s ready. Hurry and fill the water bottles.”
The special forces soldiers, whose water bottles were almost empty, quickly lined up in front of several water tanks and filled their bottles just before the rain started falling. They even managed to leave enough water in two water tanks for later use.
Yang Zhuo ordered the water tanks to be sealed shut, and the rainwater quickly cooled them down. Several soldiers promptly placed the water tanks on their horses, ready to depart at any moment.
The soldiers from the Mai, Liao, Wei, and other kingdoms were still desperately collecting rainwater. Four soldiers held the corners of an oilcloth, forming a makeshift container. Once it was filled with rain water, they’d pour the water into the water tanks.
The people from Great Han leisurely watched from the side.
Ordinary oilcloths were not durable enough to withstand heavy rain. It didn’t take long for some soldiers’ cloths to lose their waterproofing, leaving them drenched. They couldn’t help but cast envious glances at the soldiers from Great Han. Their waterproof cloaks not only had hoods to shield them from rain but also reached down to their ankles, protecting their entire bodies. It was clear that this must be an invention by their esteemed Yan Guiqing. Alas, why didn’t their kingdom’s emperor have the luck to marry such a talented consort?
Yilihan accidentally caught sight of the envious looks his soldiers were casting and almost slipped in the muddy water.
Being a black bellied person, Huangfu Yuchen looked around and put on a serious expression, saying: “Generals, there may be some other creatures in this jungle. We’ve stayed here for too long. If we are discovered by some carnivorous animals, it won’t be good. I hope you all can be quick.”
*A black bellied person is someone who is crafty and sly.
Yan Ge turned his head and smirked.
Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and the others all maintained a serious expression, acting as if they hadn’t heard him, and continued to have their soldiers collect rainwater.
There is strength in numbers and soon, their water tanks were filled, and the soldiers’ water bottles were also filled with water.
“We can set off now,” Yilihan said with a proud look, trying hard to maintain his arrogance.
Yang Zhuo commanded the guide to continue.
“Yes, please follow me,” the guide also wore the waterproof clothing prepared by the people of Great Han and witnessed another skill of theirs. He felt somewhat excited, thinking that with Great Han’s people around, he might have a chance to survive and return!
The rain poured down, and the ground quickly became covered in water. The horses’ hooves splashed water high into the air.
“Huier—” Suddenly, Yan Ge’s horse went mad. It raises its front half violently, almost standing upright. Yan Ge was caught off guard and was thrown off the horse.
Huangfu Yuchen acted quickly, reaching out and scooping him up into his arms before placing him at the front.
Yan Ge’s horse let out a painful cry, its limbs went limp, and it collapsed on the ground, dead.
“What’s going on?” Yan Ge was surprised.
He scanned the horse’s body and it was only then that he noticed several worm-like creatures emerging from the soil, greedily drinking the rainwater. Their bodies quickly grew, ultimately turning into black round balls larger than fists, crawling leisurely on the ground. Near his horse’s hooves, there was a black, tattered cloth-like thing, smeared with nauseating slime. Yan Ge immediately understood that these creatures were poisonous. His horse accidentally stepped on one of the “black balls,” got contaminated by the venom, and thus lost its life.
Huangfu Yuchen watched the wriggling black balls on the ground, his brows tightly furrowed. “General Yang, spread the order, we must not step on these black balls.”
Before the words even landed, cries of alarm came from behind, mixed with cries of “Help!”
Yang Zhuo quickly gave the command and their team became cautious.
However, horses and humans couldn’t communicate. Even if people intended to guide the horses to avoid the black balls, the horses would still not predict where the balls were. Yan Ge listened to the commotion behind him, and within less than a moment, more than ten horses had been poisoned to death. Several soldiers were probably also poisoned when they came into contact with the venom.
“Boss, it won’t work if it continues like this,” Yang Zhuo rode his horse to Huangfu Yuchen’s side. There were too many black balls on the ground, and even people walking on the ground would find it challenging not to step on them, let alone horses. Their team had already lost five horses.
Huangfu Yuchen extended his hand toward Yang Zhuo’s long spear.
Yang Zhuo understood and handed the long spear to him.
Huangfu Yuchen grasped the long spear and reached under one of the black balls and flicked it upward. The black ball immediately flew far away, disappearing into the grass. He was very cautious, not piercing the skin of the black ball and using a clever force to send it flying away.
Yang Zhuo was delighted. “Boss, this is a good idea!”
“Haha!” Yan Ge couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Huangfu Yuchen raised the corner of his mouth, looking at him with indulgence and asking softly.
Yang Zhuo instructed the special forces to pick up sturdy tree branches and do the same.
Yan Ge chuckled. “Haven’t you realized that you’ve created a new sport?”
Huangfu Yuchen understood and reached up to adjust his slightly askew hat, then used his hand to wipe off the water on Yan Ge’s forehead.
The team continued to move forward. Picking away the black balls blocking their path was also a troublesome task. However, there was no other way at the moment, so the progress was very slow.
Luckily, after about three-quarters of an hour, the rain stopped. Although the sky was still overcast, the water on the ground seeped into the soil and flowed to lower areas. The black balls gradually shrank, eventually returning to the size of earthworms and silently burrowed back into the ground.
It was around the hour of shen when the sky finally cleared up.
The jungle looked almost the same everywhere, so everyone decided to set up camp where they were.
Having just experienced the rain, the humidity in the forest was particularly high, making it easy to get sick. Yan Ge took out a few pills and had someone cook a pot of hot soup for the soldiers with some seasoning mixed in.
Because he was bored, he accompanied a few special forces soldiers to gather some of the wild vegetables he recognized nearby. After washing them, they put them in the soup to cook, resulting in a delightful aroma.
After the soldiers drank the hot soup, their whole bodies felt warm, and their spirits improved significantly.
The contrasting experiences along this journey were enough to make people feel depressed. Moreover, the other kingdoms had also lost quite a number of men. Several team leaders didn’t want to mistreat their soldiers, so they followed Yan Ge’s example and added some dried meat and wild herbs to the soup. The soldiers felt equally invigorated.
As for the animals in the jungle, they didn’t dare to touch them.
“I hope we can get through tonight smoothly,” the guide sighed, “as long as we survive this difficult night, the rest of the journey will be a bit smoother.”
Yan Ge had already guessed that they wouldn’t believe him and didn’t care. He was fine with these people not trusting him; it was even better. He exchanged a glance with Huangfu Yuchen.
Huangfu Yuchen had the remaining water from the water bottle transferred into the special forces’ canteens. It wasn’t much, just enough to fill a dozen or so canteens. He then directed the special forces to carefully fill the empty water tanks with river water, making sure not to get their hands wet.
Yan Ge secretly used a confusing spiritual technique, creating illusions in the minds of the people present. He took advantage of the situation to retrieve the water tank filled with water that he had previously placed in the system backpack before entering the Mai Kingdom. He replaced the empty water tank with the full one.
Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and a few other team leaders observed his actions carefully while having their soldiers count the number of people and remaining supplies. Due to the previous rush, they hadn’t been able to remove the supplies from some of the horses. Two kingdoms’ soldiers happened to have lost their water tanks, and they kept their eyes fixed on the people from Great Han, wanting to see if Yan Ge would indeed use the method of poisoning and detoxification to ensure the reliability of the river water.
After Yan Ge surreptitiously switched the water, he pretended to put poison and an antidote into the water tank and then had the water boiled. To ensure the durability of the water tank, they were made of iron and could be placed directly on the fire.
After handling these tasks, Yan Ge deliberately went to Yilihan and the others with enthusiasm, “Generals, do you need any help? Since we’ve already worked together once, this time it’s free. You see, this is how we handled our water. I wouldn’t harm my own people. Right?” He knew that Yilihan and Bai Shaobai would never seek his help, so he deliberately tried to persuade them.
Yilihan, Wen Han, and the others had long noticed that Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen had special status within the team. They had even seen Huangfu Yuchen give orders to Yang Zhuo several times. From this, they deduced that Huangfu Yuchen must hold a high position in Great Han, but they couldn’t figure out why he was hiding his identity. Setting aside other kingdoms like the Liao Kingdom, Wei Kingdom, etc, the Mai Kingdom had repeatedly provoked the Great Han Kingdom before. Yilihan didn’t believe that people from Great Han had no grudges against them, so he was very cautious and politely declined Yan Ge’s proposal.
“Thank you, Physician Qin, but you’ve also been tired on this journey. You don’t need to trouble yourself further. This general will have his men boil the water at high temperature,” Yilihan said.
People who frequently traveled outside understood that sometimes the water in the wild was not clean, and drinking it might cause stomach pain. After boiling it, there would generally be no problems.
Bai Shaobai, Wen Han, and the others were also vigilant and politely rejected Yan Ge’s goodwill.
They ordered their soldiers to empty the water tanks and fill them with river water. They used leaves to collect water, quickly building a fire to boil it.
Once the water boiled, Yilihan filled a water bag and, after the water cooled down, fed it to one of the horses.
Yan Ge sat on a piece of wood, leaning against Huangfu Yuchen with a faint smile on his lips, watching him leisurely.
After traveling such a long distance, the horses were thirsty and began to drink the water slowly. Everyone watched closely.
After drinking water, the horse bent down and nibbled at the grass on the ground.
Yilihan sighed with relief, and a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth. However, as soon as he turned around, he heard a muffled sound and several exclamations behind him. He quickly turned back, only to see the horse foaming at the mouth and convulsing uncontrollably. Its robust body withered rapidly, and soon, it was nothing but skin and bones, lying motionless on the ground.
Almost everyone’s face turned pale at the sight.
Yan Ge was also stunned. He had only deduced that the water in this jungle might be problematic, but he didn’t expect it to be true. He secretly thanked Huangfu Yuchen for being so considerate and bringing along several spare water tanks.
Seeing Yilihan and Bai Shaobai’s gloomy expressions, his mood improved. “It’s good that General Yilihan is cautious, it’s just a pity about the horse. Generals, shall I help you purify the river water? I assure you that, as a physician, I won’t involve myself in any political matters. Really!” He was about to say, “Look into my sincere eyes.”
Huangfu Yuchen’s dark eyes had an indulgent smile.
Yang Zhuo and the others chuckled. Although they couldn’t harm these Mai Kingdom people, they found satisfaction in irritating them.
Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and others looked at him with expressionless faces. ‘If you weren’t so close to that cold-faced special forces soldier who was likely a high-ranking member of Great Han, maybe we could believe you.’
But if they don’t let Yan Ge help purify the drinking water, where were they supposed to get water? They couldn’t let their soldiers die of thirst before reaching the Demon Fortress, right?
Yan Ge couldn’t openly confront them yet. He was sure that if he pushed them too hard, they would retaliate. For now, he decided to amuse himself.
Just then, everyone noticed that the sky was getting darker, and looking up, they saw that it was covered in dark clouds.
Since the area had sparse trees, they were able to see the sky, and they were overjoyed. They glanced at Yan Ge with a hint of a smile.
They didn’t necessarily need Yan Ge’s help. Rainwater was the cleanest, and it was readily available for use.
“Collect water using oilcloths!” Yilihan gave the order.
Bai Shaobai and the others followed his lead.
Yan Ge pretended to spread his hands in disappointment.
Huangfu Yuchen pinched his shoulder and went to fetch the waterproof cloak from his equipment bag.
The special forces soldiers quickly took out their waterproof cloaks and used them to collect rainwater under the water tanks, working quickly to build a fire.
“Boom!” A thunderous sound came from the sky, and the dark clouds thickened.
The water he kept in the system didn’t need to be boiled; it could be drunk directly. Yan Ge pretended to walk over to the fire and looked into the water tank, “It’s ready. Hurry and fill the water bottles.”
The special forces soldiers, whose water bottles were almost empty, quickly lined up in front of several water tanks and filled their bottles just before the rain started falling. They even managed to leave enough water in two water tanks for later use.
Yang Zhuo ordered the water tanks to be sealed shut, and the rainwater quickly cooled them down. Several soldiers promptly placed the water tanks on their horses, ready to depart at any moment.
The soldiers from the Mai, Liao, Wei, and other kingdoms were still desperately collecting rainwater. Four soldiers held the corners of an oilcloth, forming a makeshift container. Once it was filled with rain water, they’d pour the water into the water tanks.
The people from Great Han leisurely watched from the side.
Ordinary oilcloths were not durable enough to withstand heavy rain. It didn’t take long for some soldiers’ cloths to lose their waterproofing, leaving them drenched. They couldn’t help but cast envious glances at the soldiers from Great Han. Their waterproof cloaks not only had hoods to shield them from rain but also reached down to their ankles, protecting their entire bodies. It was clear that this must be an invention by their esteemed Yan Guiqing. Alas, why didn’t their kingdom’s emperor have the luck to marry such a talented consort?
Yilihan accidentally caught sight of the envious looks his soldiers were casting and almost slipped in the muddy water.
Being a black bellied person, Huangfu Yuchen looked around and put on a serious expression, saying: “Generals, there may be some other creatures in this jungle. We’ve stayed here for too long. If we are discovered by some carnivorous animals, it won’t be good. I hope you all can be quick.”
*A black bellied person is someone who is crafty and sly.
Yan Ge turned his head and smirked.
Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and the others all maintained a serious expression, acting as if they hadn’t heard him, and continued to have their soldiers collect rainwater.
There is strength in numbers and soon, their water tanks were filled, and the soldiers’ water bottles were also filled with water.
“We can set off now,” Yilihan said with a proud look, trying hard to maintain his arrogance.
Yang Zhuo commanded the guide to continue.
“Yes, please follow me,” the guide also wore the waterproof clothing prepared by the people of Great Han and witnessed another skill of theirs. He felt somewhat excited, thinking that with Great Han’s people around, he might have a chance to survive and return!
The rain poured down, and the ground quickly became covered in water. The horses’ hooves splashed water high into the air.
“Huier—” Suddenly, Yan Ge’s horse went mad. It raises its front half violently, almost standing upright. Yan Ge was caught off guard and was thrown off the horse.
Huangfu Yuchen acted quickly, reaching out and scooping him up into his arms before placing him at the front.
Yan Ge’s horse let out a painful cry, its limbs went limp, and it collapsed on the ground, dead.
“What’s going on?” Yan Ge was surprised.
He scanned the horse’s body and it was only then that he noticed several worm-like creatures emerging from the soil, greedily drinking the rainwater. Their bodies quickly grew, ultimately turning into black round balls larger than fists, crawling leisurely on the ground. Near his horse’s hooves, there was a black, tattered cloth-like thing, smeared with nauseating slime. Yan Ge immediately understood that these creatures were poisonous. His horse accidentally stepped on one of the “black balls,” got contaminated by the venom, and thus lost its life.
Huangfu Yuchen watched the wriggling black balls on the ground, his brows tightly furrowed. “General Yang, spread the order, we must not step on these black balls.”
Before the words even landed, cries of alarm came from behind, mixed with cries of “Help!”
Yang Zhuo quickly gave the command and their team became cautious.
However, horses and humans couldn’t communicate. Even if people intended to guide the horses to avoid the black balls, the horses would still not predict where the balls were. Yan Ge listened to the commotion behind him, and within less than a moment, more than ten horses had been poisoned to death. Several soldiers were probably also poisoned when they came into contact with the venom.
“Boss, it won’t work if it continues like this,” Yang Zhuo rode his horse to Huangfu Yuchen’s side. There were too many black balls on the ground, and even people walking on the ground would find it challenging not to step on them, let alone horses. Their team had already lost five horses.
Huangfu Yuchen extended his hand toward Yang Zhuo’s long spear.
Yang Zhuo understood and handed the long spear to him.
Huangfu Yuchen grasped the long spear and reached under one of the black balls and flicked it upward. The black ball immediately flew far away, disappearing into the grass. He was very cautious, not piercing the skin of the black ball and using a clever force to send it flying away.
Yang Zhuo was delighted. “Boss, this is a good idea!”
“Haha!” Yan Ge couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Huangfu Yuchen raised the corner of his mouth, looking at him with indulgence and asking softly.
Yang Zhuo instructed the special forces to pick up sturdy tree branches and do the same.
Yan Ge chuckled. “Haven’t you realized that you’ve created a new sport?”
Huangfu Yuchen understood and reached up to adjust his slightly askew hat, then used his hand to wipe off the water on Yan Ge’s forehead.
The team continued to move forward. Picking away the black balls blocking their path was also a troublesome task. However, there was no other way at the moment, so the progress was very slow.
Luckily, after about three-quarters of an hour, the rain stopped. Although the sky was still overcast, the water on the ground seeped into the soil and flowed to lower areas. The black balls gradually shrank, eventually returning to the size of earthworms and silently burrowed back into the ground.
It was around the hour of shen when the sky finally cleared up.
The jungle looked almost the same everywhere, so everyone decided to set up camp where they were.
Having just experienced the rain, the humidity in the forest was particularly high, making it easy to get sick. Yan Ge took out a few pills and had someone cook a pot of hot soup for the soldiers with some seasoning mixed in.
Because he was bored, he accompanied a few special forces soldiers to gather some of the wild vegetables he recognized nearby. After washing them, they put them in the soup to cook, resulting in a delightful aroma.
After the soldiers drank the hot soup, their whole bodies felt warm, and their spirits improved significantly.
The contrasting experiences along this journey were enough to make people feel depressed. Moreover, the other kingdoms had also lost quite a number of men. Several team leaders didn’t want to mistreat their soldiers, so they followed Yan Ge’s example and added some dried meat and wild herbs to the soup. The soldiers felt equally invigorated.
As for the animals in the jungle, they didn’t dare to touch them.
“I hope we can get through tonight smoothly,” the guide sighed, “as long as we survive this difficult night, the rest of the journey will be a bit smoother.”
