In the following two days, Ji Xinghuo and his three companions encountered several groups of Stone Scythe Demons, with the largest group numbering over a hundred, but there were no Stone Scythe Giant Demons.
By now, they had ventured over a hundred kilometers deep into Peak Valley.
They faced increasingly frequent attacks, both from monsters and, even more so, from various poisonous snakes and insects that were a constant nuisance.
Chi Zhonglin slapped his own neck and opened his palm to reveal a vivid red stain with the corpse of a mosquito the size of a thumb.
If he had been half a second slower, his neck would have already swollen up with a big lump.
"Such poisonous mosquitoes..."
Chi Zhonglin grimaced and turned to look at his teammates.
Ren Mian and Jiangnan Caiyi had torn up a set of spare clothes to use the strips of fabric to wrap their faces and necks tightly, and they had also sprayed themselves with insect repellent.
Ji Xinghuo was dressed similarly, with only his eyes visible on his face.
However, their efforts were of limited effect. Most of the mosquitoes in Peak Valley weren’t deterred by the repellent, and their thirst for blood allowed them to bite through normal fabrics undeterred.
Peak Valley was humid and stifling, like a giant steamer, and the tighter one was wrapped, the hotter it became.
The three of them were sticky all over, which was extremely uncomfortable.
Chi Zhonglin, relying on his thick skin and robust physique, wanted to stay cool and so hadn’t wrapped himself in fabric. After two days, he had been bitten hundreds of times. His Fungal Giant constitution allowed for a quick recovery, yet it was psychologically taxing to be left with mark after mark.
But he was too proud to complain.
It wasn’t until now, when he could barely endure it any longer and was just about to speak up, that he saw Ji Xinghuo give a hand signal.
Ji Xinghuo pointed in one direction.
The teammates all looked but found their view obstructed by the forest. Ji Xinghuo continued, "Six people, about three hundred meters from us, likely another Hunting Team.
Yeah, they’ve spotted us too."
"They’re moving closer."
As Ji Xinghuo spoke, the four of them spread out slightly while still maintaining a close distance, with Chi Zhonglin in front, Ren Mian with her hand on her waist, and Jiangnan Caiyi drawing her samurai sword.
None of their faces showed particular tension.
They had already encountered another Hunting Team the day before, and had merely exchanged glances from a distance before passing each other by.
Since both parties had noticed each other and surprise attacks weren’t an option, and there were no conflicting interests, clashes were generally avoided.
"They don’t appear hostile—just coming to check."
Soon, six figures came through the forest and stopped a hundred meters away.
Both parties assessed each other.
This Hunting Team, like theirs, had everyone wrapped up tightly, leaving only their eyes visible. Judging from their builds, there were five men and one woman, and each had black pupils—a very likely sign they were Mutants from the Asia-Pacific Community.
In the midst of the standoff, Chi Zhonglin, the only one with his face uncovered, became the focal point.
Suddenly, a man from the other side called out the name.
Ji Xinghuo had already noticed this man, who held a traditional Hunting Bow and was accompanied by a sleek and imposing black panther, clearly a Hunter with keen vision, hearing, and smell. It was he who had discovered Ji Xinghuo’s team and was evidently the leader of his own Hunting Team.
"Who are you?" Chi Zhonglin was somewhat puzzled, not recognizing the voice immediately.
"Damn it, you’ve forgotten me so quickly?"
The Hunter pulled down the cloth from his face to reveal a middle-aged man’s visage, cursing, "Just last month, you were competing with me for a woman in the club. I thought well of you and didn’t pursue the matter, even calling each other brothers. I should have given you a beating if I’d known!"
"Ahahaha..." Chi Zhonglin laughed awkwardly, "Brother Xue, you were masked and standing so far I didn’t recognize you right away, my eyesight isn’t great, my mistake."
Seeing that Xue Yi still seemed somewhat unhappy, Chi Zhonglin quickly offered, "Next time we’re back, I’ll buy Brother Xue a drink, number nine in the secret chamber. I’ll cover the whole bill."
"That’s more like it."
Xue Yi’s expression softened, and then he turned to Ji Xinghuo and the others, "Are these your teammates?"
"Yes," Chi Zhonglin nodded, but showed no intention of making introductions.
Both sides, faces covered, not revealing their true identities.
Xue Yi didn’t seem inclined to introduce his own team either, but suddenly asked, "Chi Zhonglin, you didn’t come to Peak Valley to hunt the Stone Scythe Giant Demon, did you?"
"Also?" Chi Zhonglin caught the key word.
Both of them changed expressions, their faces clouding over as they fell silent.
Ji Xinghuo glanced at Ren Mian, whose neural necklace had been activated, and thought, "Sister Ren, your information channels don’t seem very secure, do they?"
"Hmm," Ren Mian gave a light hum, "Little Chi, ask them where they got their information from."
"Brother Xue, how did you know about the Stone Scythe Giant Demon in Peak Valley?" Chi Zhonglin asked immediately.
"By the time I set off, half the Hunting Teams from East Xia District knew about it," Xue Yi didn’t hide anything, "I don’t know where the news started, but on the way here, we’ve already encountered three or four teams, all headed for the Stone Scythe Giant Demon."
He spat out in frustration, "So many teams aren’t easy to mess with; it’ll probably be a wasted trip, but all we can do is try our luck."
"I see," Chi Zhonglin pretended to be just as uninformed, "We haven’t made any catches either."
Xue Yi was not suspicious.
The two parties, neither wanting conflict but still competitors, exchanged a few words before preparing to go their separate ways, "Well, may the best team win."
"Good luck to you, Brother Xue."
Chi Zhonglin waved goodbye, watching as Xue Yi and his team disappeared into the distance.
Ji Xinghuo’s team headed in another direction until they were sure the other team was beyond the range of their magnetic fields, then he signaled that it was safe to proceed.