Volume One, Chapter 16: Unrelenting Crisis

“Chen Jing, you’re incredible! You actually climbed all the way up there?” Lin Yao exclaimed in shock, her mouth wide open.

Though her posture was somewhat ungraceful, the key point was that she had made it up. If it had been her, she wouldn’t have been able to.

“I can’t compare to you ladies; I grew up in the countryside, so these skills come from childhood practice,” Chen Jing replied modestly.

Before long, she had climbed near the top of the large rock. Using a nearby branch for support, she easily reached the summit.

Without wasting a moment, she tied a rope from her backpack to the tree and lowered it down.

She could climb trees, but Lin Yao and the others could not.

The rock’s surface was rather smooth, so holding onto the rope made climbing much easier.

This time, Ye Feng went up first, followed by Lin Xiaoxiao, then Lin Yao, with Gao Fei’er last.

Just as Lin Yao reached the top, two wild wolves appeared in their line of sight.

Their hearts tightened instantly.

“Fei’er, hurry up and get up here!!!” Lin Xiaoxiao shouted anxiously.

At that moment, the wolves sensed something was wrong and lunged at Gao Fei’er with all their speed.

But those long legs gave her an advantage; grabbing the rope and tapping into her potential, she rose over two meters in just a few steps.

However, the wolves were not so easy to shake off. One wolf leaped, its height matching Gao Fei’er’s current position.

Everyone held their breath, tension at its peak.

They knew that if the wolves managed to bite her, it would be over.

The image of Gao Fei’er being infected was still fresh in their minds.

Although they didn’t particularly like Gao Fei’er’s ways, seeing that scene stirred their compassion.

“Ah!” Gao Fei’er seemed to realize the gravity of the situation, and with a pale face, she cried out.

She pushed with her arms and swiftly rose higher, barely brushing past the lunging wolf.

But the wolf’s claw swiped across her thigh, tearing her pants.

A ripping sound echoed, turning her long trousers into shorts.

The exposed skin was excessive—the entire left thigh was revealed, pale and flawless.

Any higher, and it would have been disastrous.

Yet, in the end, she escaped the danger.

“Phew—what a close call! Fei’er, are you okay?” Lin Xiaoxiao grabbed the climbing Gao Fei’er, her face full of worry.

That moment had been truly perilous.

Life and death hung in a mere instant.

“I’m fine, just scratched on the leg. Luckily, the skin isn’t broken!” Gao Fei’er exhaled deeply, relieved to see only a red mark on her leg.

As long as the skin wasn’t broken, it was manageable.

“It’s still bleeding. If we don’t stop it quickly, Ye Feng will be in life-threatening danger,” Chen Jing said gravely.

“Ah, what do we do? Chen Jing, do you have any ideas?” Lin Yao’s anxiety grew.

Especially seeing Ye Feng’s face pale as death, her heart was in knots.

No matter what, her and Lin Feng’s experiences had left the deepest impressions.

From the cruise ship to now, they had faced countless ordeals.

Though only two or three days had passed, the memories would last a lifetime.

“We need to stop Ye Feng’s bleeding first. I saw a kind of herb below with hemostatic properties, but I don’t know when the wolves will leave,” Chen Jing said helplessly.

“You actually know about herbs? Ye Feng said you’re a top student, but this is impressive—you even understand herbs?” Lin Yao was amazed.

“My family has a tradition of Chinese medicine; I grew up immersed in it, so I know some basics,” Chen Jing smiled humbly.

“They’re busy devouring that man. It probably won’t be soon. Maybe it’s an opportunity, but it’s too risky. I wonder how long Ye Feng can hold on?” Chen Jing peered through the rock crevices to see the two wolves feeding on the burly man Zhang Xiaoman had killed, then sighed.

Her words fell heavy, and everyone fell silent.

They knew going down now would likely be a one-way trip.

Wolves have keen hearing; any slight noise would alert them, leaving no chance to escape.

The outcome would be certain death.

The gruesome sight of the dismembered body made them nauseous.

“Ye Feng, don’t sleep; please stay awake—hang in there!” At that moment, Ye Feng lost consciousness, causing Chen Jing, who was holding him, to panic.

Blood was still flowing from the side of Ye Feng’s waist, soaking a large part of Chen Jing’s clothing.

“What kind of herb is it? I’ll go get it!” Suddenly, the usually silent Gao Fei’er spoke up.

“You? You really want to go down? The two wolves are right below. No one’s forcing you—think carefully,” Lin Yao asked.

Chen Jing hesitated, then said, “Stop wasting time—tell me which one it is.”

Gao Fei’er cast a glance at the two wolves happily devouring their prey below and urged anxiously, “Hurry up and tell me.”

Chen Jing gave Gao Fei’er a deep look, then without further words, pointed.

She then instructed Lin Yao and Lin Xiaoxiao to hold the rope tightly.

Without hesitation, Gao Fei’er slid down.

No one dared speak; Gao Fei’er was already on the ground.

In that instant, their hearts pounded with extreme tension.

At this moment, the loudest sound they heard was their own heartbeat.

They knew that even the slightest noise could make the wolves charge out.

At the wolves’ speed, Gao Fei’er would have no chance to escape.

So, everything depended on whether Gao Fei’er could move quietly enough.

The herbs were a fair distance away, making this stretch the most dangerous.

If the wolves charged midway, Gao Fei’er’s life would be at risk.

Fortunately, the path was mostly smooth rocks with little underbrush.

As long as she stepped lightly, she wouldn’t make much noise.

Gao Fei’er wore flat shoes, not heels, so walking was easier.

She paced carefully and soon reached the herbs.

Then came the crucial moment.

Walking quietly was one thing, but pulling up the herbs was difficult.

Gao Fei’er tried several times, but the slight force wasn’t enough to uproot them.

To pull them out, she needed to exert force.

But once she did, it was easy to make noise.

Her gray shirt was already soaked through on the back.

The heavy downpour earlier hadn’t completely soaked them thanks to their backpacks, but Gao Fei’er’s back was now drenched.

This showed just how tense she was at that moment.

As Gao Fei’er prepared to exert full strength to pull the herbs, a figure slowly appeared before her.

That wide mouth filled with sharp fangs and dripping saliva froze her in place.

Lin Yao and the others held their breath...