Chapter 1636: Chapter 1636

After advancing for about ten more miles, Li Yifei and Xu Shanshan finally stopped. They had ventured deeper into the jungle, and along the way, Li Yifei disarmed six land mines. Some of these mines had corroded substantially yet remained explosive. One of them nearly detonated when Li Yifei was dismantling it, as it was highly unstable inside.

This area belonged to the border region, with no one passing through except for smugglers and drug traffickers. It was more nerve-wracking than drinking poison to commit suicide. Just stepping on one of these mines could peel skin, if not kill you outright. Moreover, during this time, Li Yifei had also killed an adult cobra, which was over three meters long and as thick as a human’s arm.

The cobra was about to become dinner for the two of them. This time, Li Yifei had intentionally brought some spices to solve the problem of monotony in jungle food.

Fortunately, both of them were Innate Experts, carrying the aura of the strong. This aura was particularly sensitive to creatures like snakes and insects, effectively making those creatures avoid them or not dare attack, thus saving them a lot of trouble. Otherwise, just the leeches and mosquitos in the jungle could give them quite a tough time.

The two had just found a spot under a cliff, where there was a small depression just big enough for them to sit in, providing a simple windbreak.

They had just put down their backpacks when a bang echoed from afar. Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei stood up simultaneously to look in the direction of the sound.

"Stay here and don’t move. I’ll go check it out," Li Yifei said.

Xu Shanshan really wanted to follow, as she had been learning how to detect and disarm land mines along the way, but Li Yifei still wouldn’t allow her to handle it personally, so she had to stay and wait.

It was getting dark, and visibility was low. Li Yifei moved cautiously. Judging by the sound, it seemed to have come from a place about a hundred meters away. Li Yifei walked carefully over there. Over the years, some mines had been buried under corroded leaves and other debris, occasionally lying dozens of centimeters beneath the surface. Hence, relying solely on experience might not be enough. Li Yifei paid attention to every step he took.

Five minutes later, Li Yifei arrived at the area a hundred meters out. The air still had a whiff of gunpowder. Li Yifei sniffed, noting a heavy scent of blood too. A trail led into the distance, and Li Yifei followed it. He moved quicker this time because something had already crossed that trail, meaning it was safe. After walking for several dozen meters, Li Yifei spotted the unfortunate creature — a half-grown wild boar.

Turns out, it had triggered a land mine, blowing off half its mouth, which was why it didn’t make any noise. Like a headless fly, it had dashed around for dozens of meters before finally collapsing dead on the ground.

Li Yifei walked over, shaking his head silently. Just now, Xu Shanshan had mentioned that it would be nice to roast some wild game by the campfire tonight. As luck would have it, this unfortunate wild boar had stepped on a mine and delivered dinner to them.

Li Yifei hoisted the wild boar and walked to a nearby stream. He used a knife to chop off its four legs and carved a few pieces of quality meat from its body before carrying the ’spoils’ back.

Seeing Li Yifei return with pig legs, Xu Shanshan hurried over to greet him. But as she stepped out a few meters, she heard a click beneath her foot. Xu Shanshan immediately froze with fear, cold sweat trickling down her face.

That sound... Watching Li Yifei getting closer, Xu Shanshan shouted, "I think... I think I stepped on a land mine."

Li Yifei was puzzled about why Xu Shanshan had suddenly stopped, but upon hearing her words, he quickly dropped the food in his hands and ran over, shouting as he went, "Don’t move, I’ll handle it."

Arriving at the spot, Li Yifei carefully lay on the ground, instructing Xu Shanshan not to move. He gently brushed the rotting leaves aside from under her foot. After a brief inspection, he saw she had indeed stepped on a triggered land mine. A few seconds later, Li Yifei breathed a sigh of relief. The detonating mechanism on this triggered land mine had failed; otherwise, it would have already exploded.

Li Yifei lightly patted Xu Shanshan’s leg and said, "Alright, no worries. This mine is inactive." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NovelHub(.)net

Even with her Innate Vital Energy, Xu Shanshan was scared stiff at the prospect of stepping on a mine. If it had exploded, she could have ended up maimed for life. Hearing Li Yifei’s reassurance, Xu Shanshan exhaled a long breath, quickly lifting her foot and leaping backward to distance herself from the mine.

Li Yifei calmly dug the mine out, thoroughly disabled the fuse, and removed the explosive inside. He too had broken into a cold sweat, knowing it was a fortunate encounter with a defunct mine. Otherwise, Xu Shanshan might not be standing in one piece right now.

Still shaken, Xu Shanshan’s face was covered with a pitiful expression, her lips pouting. As Li Yifei approached, she wrapped her arms around his neck, nestled into his chest without speaking, her cheek rubbing against him. Li Yifei gently patted her back, offered a few comforting words, before changing the topic, recounting the situation he had just investigated, and then led Xu Shanshan to retrieve the wild boar meat.

With roasted pork for dinner, Xu Shanshan’s mood lifted slightly. She had witnessed life and death and had gone through some dangers, so she didn’t take what happened too seriously. After a while, her spirits were up as she squatted nearby, watching Li Yifei handle the pork and prepare it for roasting.

The aroma of the meat wafted through the air, and Xu Shanshan secretly swallowed a few times. As soon as Li Yifei finished grilling the first pork leg, she couldn’t wait to draw out her small pocket knife, slice off a piece, chase it for a while, and, once it cooled down, take a small bite, praising repeatedly. She fed the remaining meat to Li Yifei.

Li Yifei chewed a few times and praised, "Not bad. You eat first. I’ll finish grilling these two, and the rest we’ll season with salt so we can eat them tomorrow!"

Xu Shanshan grinned, leaning against Li Yifei.

The two enjoyed a wild meal, moved the fire near a rock wall, and added some firewood. Li Yifei stood up to open a sleeping bag, and the two sat on it.

In the forest at night, the humidity was very high, and it was already foggy. At times , walking in the forest is absolutely forbidden. The ground hides deadly things; if one values their life, they should stop and rest, wait till dawn to explore further. Otherwise, even with Li Yifei’s experience and judgment, he couldn’t guarantee their safety.

The sleeping bag was large, a double sleeping bag, accommodating two people. They got in one after another, hugging each other. Xu Shanshan pecked a kiss on Li Yifei’s cheek and said, "Sleep now, good night."

Li Yifei returned the kiss and also said good night. After saying that, he closed his eyes. Since Li Yifei couldn’t do those things, Xu Shanshan refrained from any excessive actions, afraid of stimulating Li Yifei and herself. Once those thoughts emerged, they were hard to dispel, and on such a night, it would be hard to endure.

Li Yifei was also very well-behaved, merely resting his hand on Xu Shanshan’s waist without moving around.

The place where they slept was a recess under the rock wall, sheltered from the wind, and they weren’t worried about snake or insect attacks. The aura around them was enough to scare away sensitive creatures, and even mosquitoes wouldn’t come near within a few meters. If it were ordinary people in their place, without any landmines, just a bite from the leeches, ants, centipedes, or other poisonous insects encountered on this journey could easily be life-threatening.

In the middle of the night, rain started to fall, getting heavier and heavier. Thunder rumbled in the sky, and blinding lightning slashed across, followed by the crackling sounds. Xu Shanshan was startled awake by the thunder. Lying inside, she could just see the thunderstorm and felt like it was directly overhead, feeling a bit scared.

Li Yifei also woke up, glanced back, and reached out to press Xu Shanshan’s head, pulling her into his arms, saying, "Don’t be afraid, I’m here."

"Mm." Xu Shanshan held onto Li Yifei. If Li Yifei weren’t by her side, in such weather and environment, Xu Shanshan would definitely be scared. Joining Li Yifei on this trip, Xu Shanshan had expected challenges, but with him around, she felt fearless.

At the moment she stepped on the landmine, she was terrified of dying and never being able to accompany Li Yifei again.

Fortunately, nothing happened, but Xu Shanshan felt she should be even more cautious on the journey ahead, trying not to trouble Li Yifei. Especially after waking up to see the worried frown on Li Yifei’s sleeping face.

It rained for half the night, stopping only in the morning. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, shining on the plants and the ground, and the forest became vibrant again. Birds, insects, and various small animals began bustling about. Li Yifei got up to prepare breakfast, and they finished everything in the pot, packed their bags, and prepared to continue their journey.

The forest was peaceful, but dangers filled the path underfoot—unpredictable dangers. After what happened last night, Li Yifei became more cautious, knowing that good luck wouldn’t last forever.

The two traveled over twenty miles the next day, crossing five mountains, venturing deeper and deeper. According to the map, they were nearing their destination.

When camping that night, they slept in the trees. Along the way, they encountered not only landmines but other hazards as well. With Li Yifei there, Xu Shanshan didn’t have to worry too much. She followed behind, occasionally singing, acting cute, or stealing kisses, keeping Li Yifei entertained.

It rained again at night, but fortunately, Li Yifei had tied a rain tarp over their heads in advance, just covering them to avoid getting drenched.

Four to five meters above the ground, ensuring safe and trouble-free sleep.

As usual, before sleeping, Xu Shanshan kissed Li Yifei. He returned the gesture, and they didn’t cross any boundaries, simply holding each other as they drifted off to sleep.