Chapter 946: Chapter 946

The group carefully distanced themselves from the beautiful flower, though Lan Xingyue appeared somewhat curious.

"How strange. The Devil's Flower is indeed known as a man-eating plant, but I've never heard of it appearing alongside man-eating spiders!"

An Xiaodi laughed from the side and said, "What's so strange about that? These spiders must have figured it's easier to hunt when they team up."

Lan Xingyue turned to Lin Chen and asked, "How did you know there were poisonous spiders behind the man-eating flower?"

Lin Chen gave a proud smirk and said, "Sometimes, the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it becomes—especially in this jungle. Haven't you noticed how unnaturally quiet it is here? That silence can only mean that even the animals of the rainforest fear whatever is lurking. And if this flower appears right amidst it all, there's only one possibility: its alluring scent and mesmerizing appearance are nothing but a deadly trap."

In truth, Lin Chen was just showing off in front of the group. While his analysis wasn't wrong, the real reason he was certain about the flower's danger was his unique ability to see through things.

Using his penetrating vision, he had already spotted the densely packed spiders clinging to the underside of the flower's leaves.

After resting for a moment, Lan Xingyue stood up and said, "Alright, let's keep moving!"

Lin Chen picked up his backpack and followed the group for a few more steps when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked back.

For some reason, Lin Chen couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them.

He scanned his surroundings. The jungle was eerily still—save for the towering trees and the lush greenery of the shrubs—there was no sign of anyone.

Lin Chen trusted that if someone were hiding nearby, his keen perception would have detected them.

But why did this uneasy sensation remain?

"Lin Chen, what are you doing? Hurry up and catch up with the team," Lan Xingyue's voice called out from ahead.

Lin Chen shook his head reluctantly and quickly caught up with the group.

Shortly after they left, a figure emerged from the ground.

Dusting himself off, the figure approached the Devil's Flower.

A dry, gnarled hand reached out and plucked the Devil's Flower straight off its stem.

The Devil's Flower reacted immediately, its vines snapping violently toward the figure.

But the elderly man sneered coldly, raising a blade and swiftly severing the vines.

Almost simultaneously, dozens of black, venomous spiders crawled out from underneath the flower's purple leaves.

Yet, the elder showed no fear, instead extending his hand to let the spiders scuttle into the wide sleeves of his robe.

"Little ones, mission failed. These folks are surprisingly vigilant."

At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from behind. The elder frowned briefly before vanishing into the earth once more.

Ge Lei arrived with twenty Red Turban Army soldiers in tow.

Ge Lei spotted the severed vines and broke into a sinister smile.

"Looks like someone tampered with the man-eating flower. Its vines are venomous—someone's definitely been poisoned. Let's move!"

Lin Chen's group was pressing forward when a flock of birds suddenly took flight behind them.

"Something's up!" Lin Chen and Zhao Xiaohua exclaimed almost simultaneously.

"Damn it. Must be the Red Turban Army catching up again," Lan Xingyue said with a scowl.

Because Lin Chen's group had to carve their path forward using machetes, they naturally moved slower compared to Ge Lei's team, who simply followed the cleared trail. It wasn't surprising they were caught up.

Just then, a small bird landed on An Xiaodi's shoulder, chirping incessantly. An Xiaodi instantly furrowed his brow.

Releasing the bird, An Xiaodi said, "The bird just told me there are people scattered all over the jungle—and there's a team pursuing us just 400 meters behind."

"I didn't expect their movements to be this quick." Lan Xingyue's brows knitted tighter.

"What do we do now? Should we take them out?" Wang Zixuan asked anxiously.

Zhao Xiaohua frowned, "They've definitely split into multiple squads to surround us. If we engage them now, the gunfire will certainly draw the other squads here."

"In that case, let's use this," Lin Chen said, pulling out a crossbow from his pouch.

"But a crossbow isn't exactly lethal with one hit!" An Xiaodi said, feeling frustrated.

Lin Chen smiled faintly, producing a vial of liquid. He carefully dripped some of its contents into a small container and applied it to the bolts on his crossbow. "Now, the moment these bolts touch blood, the target will die instantaneously."

"Wow, that's intense!" An Xiaodi said, gazing at the crossbow in astonishment.

"But… killing so many people—are we really doing the right thing?" Wang Zixuan hesitated, struggling against her conscience.

After all, she was just a college student, unaccustomed to killing even a rabbit. As the Saintess of Jade Peak, her first venture into the jungle had exposed her to the harsh realities of war and the sight of death, something she found hard to process.

Lan Xingyue turned to her and said firmly, "Wang Zixuan, let me make this clear—these people have come to kill us. Hesitation and mercy will put all of us at risk. Do you even know who they are? They're a gang of outlaws, murderers of countless innocent civilians. Every one of them is drenched in blood; none of them deserve to live."

As she spoke, Lan Xingyue dipped her crossbow bolts into the bottle. "Since you chose to join this squad, you must understand your responsibilities. If you face these killers with misplaced compassion, not only will you die, but you'll drag the whole group down with you."

Lin Chen patted Wang Zixuan's shoulder and handed her the poison-tipped crossbow. "Zixuan, Xingyue's right. This is war—death is inevitable. What we can ensure is to only kill those who force our hand. But when they come to murder us, we must fight back. It's cruel, but it's the only way to survive."

With that said, everyone selected sniping positions and concealed themselves.

Lin Chen, Zhao Xiaohua, and Yue'er climbed into the trees on either side, while the others pressed into the shrubs and hid behind tree trunks.

Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps grew louder as nine armed soldiers burst into view.

As they arrived at the spot where Lin Chen's group had paused earlier, Lan Xingyue discreetly waved her hand.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Poisoned bolts shot out in rapid succession.

The venom-tipped projectiles struck six of the Red Turban Army soldiers in an instant.

The soldiers thrashed briefly before succumbing to paralysis, their bodies convulsing and collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

The remaining three soldiers reacted quickly, diving into the nearby shrubs for cover.

One of the soldiers reached for his gun, only to find a petite figure suddenly drop from the canopy above. Yue'er hung upside down from a branch, her legs hooked securely. Leaning forward, she slashed at his neck with a swift motion. Blood spurted forth, and the soldier fell, his neck artery severed.

Another soldier reached for his radio to call for reinforcements, but Zhao Xiaohua materialized like a phantom behind him, gripping his head and snapping his neck with a sharp twist.

Snap! The soldier collapsed, lifeless on the spot.

The final soldier hid behind a tree, raising his rifle and taking aim at Zhao Xiaohua, who had momentarily exposed herself. Finger tightening on the trigger...