Chapter 137: Section 138: Because, I Follow Lord Zhenjin


    In contrast to forest terrain, the rainforest terrain is flat with few mountains.


    This valley was not large, cramped with over two hundred people and a lot of supplies.


    In the little valley, large trees provided shade with dense vegetation, bushes, and vines stacked layer upon layer.


    Aside from a small clearing at the center, the rest of the area was almost completely covered by lush branches and leaves.


    Inside the valley’s mountains, there were natural rock caves of various sizes, both deep and shallow, a gift from nature.


    Additionally, there was a spring in the valley, this stable freshwater source was extremely valuable. It was the main reason everyone at the first campsite decided to relocate here.


    ...


    Unfortunately, the mysterious killer had followed them.


    Since relocating there, over a dozen people had mysteriously disappeared in the valley; their chances did not look good.


    After a night of rest, having relieved most of their fatigue, Zhenjin, Cang Xu, and others arrived at one of the caves.


    This cave was not deep and was one of the crime scenes.


    The individual who had once lived here had mysteriously disappeared.


    The cave was self-evident; after someone disappeared here, no one dared to live here anymore.


    Inside the cave, there were some simple household items exuding a faint moldy odor, along with an almost imperceptible smell of blood.


    The most captivating feature was a huge rock in the middle.


    Beneath the huge rock was an opening.


    With one look from Zhenjin, Lan Zao understood and volunteered to move the huge rock.


    The master and servant had met in the forest, and after experiencing sandstorms, deserts, volcanoes, and oases together, their numerous adventures had developed a deep understanding between them.


    Upon moving the huge rock, the opening underneath was immediately revealed.


    The diameter of the hole was about one meter seventy, its depths dark and impenetrable; even dropping a stone or a torch wouldn’t reach the bottom—someone would have to crawl in.


    But this was extremely dangerous.


    According to Queshan’s estimation, the mysterious, continuous murderer utilized this underground hole to come and go.


    Indeed, this idea seemed natural since the suddenly appearing hole was too conspicuous.


    However, none of them were able to address the problem, as no one wanted to risk crawling in. The hole was too narrow, encountering the mysterious real culprit in these underground depths was tantamount to seeking death.


    Zhenjin and others carefully examined the hole’s entrance.


    Cang Xu stretched out his gaunt old hand and touched the edge of the hole. On the wall of the hole, he felt a slick greasiness.


    Zi Di then took out a bottle of potions and sprinkled it around the hole.


    Soon, the colorless liquid reacted, emitting a pungent, strange odor.


    “The evidence is conclusive, it must be the ‘Underground Giant Worm,''” Zi Di confidently stated.


    Zhenjin nodded, and the others wore expressions that seemed to say, “That figures.”


    During the defense battle at the camp, this Silver Level Magic Beast was discovered for the first time—it could burrow through the ground, was huge in size, and very vital. It fought Zong Ge several times, at one point posing a significant threat to the camp.


    While Zhenjin was pursuing the Blue Dog Fox Wolf, Zong Ge managed to crush it to death.


    Naturally, its body wouldn’t go to waste. After others dragged it back, Cang Xu immediately presided over its dissection.


    Cang Xu deduced that this Underground Giant Worm was composed of at least three different creatures, with the sandworm as its main body.


    Sandworms, also known as sea earthworms, are usually about the size of earthworms under normal circumstances and are primarily found on sandy beaches.


    The group’s understanding of the Underground Giant Worm deepened immediately. Upon learning this, Zong Ge and Sanda speculated: could it be that this Magic Beast had attacked the survivors at the first camp?


    The terrain of the beach differs from other terrains; the tunneling in and out by the Underground Giant Worm causes the holes to collapse. Additionally, the continuous rainfall at the time of the attack kept the sand moist, obscuring any tracks even further.


    If the Magic Beast had launched its attack from underground and escaped the same way, then everything made sense.


    Cang Xu further analyzed: the Underground Giant Worm secretes a greasy fluid on its body, facilitating swift movement in and out of the tunnels it digs underground.


    It was Zi Di who had collected this fluid to specifically concoct potions. Once the potions came into contact with the fluid again, a reaction occurred, producing a strange odor.


    Now, the speculations of Zong Ge and others were confirmed. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Later, the group continued to explore several other burrow entrances, Cang Xu spoke with gravity, “The Underground Giant Worm grows rapidly, as can be seen from the diameters of these burrow openings.”


    “It is very likely the case. The juveniles of the Underground Sand Worm are attracted by human activity beneath the sands of the beach and begin their hunting.”


    “At that time, it was relatively young, so it could only hunt, unable to drag a person into a burrow or swallow them whole.”


    “Later, as people began to migrate and abandoned the first camp, the Underground Giant Worm caught onto this and followed them underground, turning this small valley into its new hunting ground.”


    “Due to the continuous supply of food, it grew rapidly underground. Its size and strength increased significantly, enabling the now-mature Underground Giant Worm to drag people into its burrows or even consume them whole!”


    “That’s why, on the beach, people were killed, but in the small valley, they mysteriously disappeared.”


    Everyone present agreed with Cang Xu’s analysis.


    Zi Di added, “We examined several burrows and found no traces of blood or the like near the entrances. If people were dragged into the burrows, there would certainly be various signs. Thus, I lean more towards thinking that the Underground Giant Worm simply swallowed people whole.”


    “It attacks during the night, seemingly taking advantage of people’s sleep to make its move. With such tactics, swallowing a person whole is becoming an easier task.”


    “What should we do to counter it?” Zong Ge expressed his concerns.


    The Giant Worm was active underground, and its numbers were unknown.


    It only emerged during its hunting.


    However, the problem was that it could precisely sense life activities on the surface through touch.


    Therefore, it had always been able to avoid direct confrontations and target isolated individuals. Back on the beach, despite Zong Ge and others keeping watch overnight, they hadn’t even caught a glimpse of it, and this was why.


    Simply hiding and setting traps, then surrounding it for a group hunt seemed ineffective against the Underground Giant Worm.


    “Don’t worry, I have a plan,” thought Zhenjin.


    He had ultrasonic detection to easily monitor the Underground Giant Worm’s movements underground.


    He also had exotic fragrances, controlling the Giant Worm was not a problem.


    He could even mutate into forms like the Gun Scorpion and directly burrow into the tunnels.


    However, on the surface, Zhenjin also showed a troubled expression.


    “Zi Di, I hope you can devise a potion that can produce a scent the Underground Giant Worm likes, to lure it out.”


    “Since the Underground Giant Worm prefers to hunt isolated targets, I suggest, Zong Ge and the others, that you keep everyone together as much as possible while resting.”


    “As for me…”


    “Do not disturb me; I will need some time alone.”


    “I will pray to my lord!”


    Hearing Lord Zhenjin’s last words, everyone’s eyes shone brightly.


    Dark clouds hung over the beach, with no sign of tomorrow. Tiny raindrops sprinkled from the sky, and gusts of sea wind caused Mu Ban to shiver uncontrollably.


    “Pig Kiss…” Bai Ya gazed at the half of the ship’s hull lying on the beach, his expression complex.


    He had dreamt of becoming a Knight and making something of himself, a dream which met with criticism and opposition from his Hunter father. But that only fueled Bai Ya’s rebellion, and the young man had stolen money from his family, barely scraping together enough for the lowest class ticket aboard the Pig Kiss.


    He never expected that the Pig Kiss, which he had carefully chosen, would suffer a shipwreck.


    “I’ll go in first to explore and ensure it’s safe. After that, you can proceed to dismantle the ship,” Sanda said. “If I don’t come out, don’t come in after me. The best course of action would be to go back and find Lord Zhenjin or Lord Zong Ge.”


    Mu Ban and Bai Ya nodded simultaneously. They both knew they were not strong fighters; if Sanda fell, charging in to save him would be suicidal.


    Mu Ban, Bai Ya, Sanda, and others were dispatched by Lord Zhenjin to dismantle the Pig Kiss.


    The materials inside the Pig Kiss had already been scavenged, but the wreckage itself still held great value.


    Many wooden planks could still be used, as could the masts, especially the nails, which were currently very scarce commodities for Lord Zhenjin and his group.


    Sanda soon appeared on the tilting forward deck.


    He waved to everyone on the beach below and shouted, “Come on up, everything here is secure.”


    Mu Ban, Bai Ya, and about twenty others, armed with hammers, saws, and other tools, entered one by one.


    The Pig Kiss had two decks, a forward superstructure and a ship’s stern. Now only half of the ship’s hull remained, naturally devoid of any stern.


    The forward superstructure included the Captain’s quarters. The front portion also had the crew’s quarters, and the cargo was usually stored on the lowest level.


    Following the shipwright’s instructions, they first dismantled the masts.


    The forward mast was rarely well preserved; the middle mast had broken into two, but the remaining half still held value.


    Then they dismantled from top to bottom, from outside inward.


    For a time, the wreckage of the Pig Kiss was filled with shouts, the sound of sawing wood, and the banging of hammers.


    They had arrived in the morning, taken a break at noon to eat the dry food and water they’d brought, and then continued working in the afternoon.


    No wild animals attacked, nor were there any unexpected finds.


    The survivors had already scoured this derelict ship several times before, taking anything useful or edible, neatly cleaning everything out.


    It wasn’t until evening, when Bai Ya and his group dismantled their way to the Captain’s quarters in the forward superstructure, that they found something small.


    In a corner, Bai Ya found a small bottle of ink, a nearly destroyed feather pen, and a stack of papers in a drawer.


    Bai Ya just showed his delight when suddenly—


    Whoosh!


    A strong gust of wind blew and the entire ship’s body violently shook.


    “Get out quickly, the Pig Kiss is collapsing!” Bai Ya heard Mu Ban’s roar.


    The wreckage was already unstable, and after a full day of dismantling, only the skeleton remained, making collapse a natural outcome.


    Bai Ya and the others immediately turned and ran.


    But just as they reached the door of the Captain’s quarters, gritting his teeth, Bai Ya suddenly turned back and ran inside!


    The people beside him failed to grab him; they hesitated for a moment and then ran for their lives.


    A dozen breaths later, the ship thunderously collapsed, raising a cloud of dust into the air.


    “Where’s Bai Ya?”


    “He suddenly turned around and ran back inside!”


    “He’s still in there!”


    Realizing this, the group hurriedly rushed back into the cloud of dust.


    Soon, they saw Bai Ya.


    Bai Ya lay on the beach, covered in dirt and sand. Behind him, and merely half a meter away, a large pile of broken ship parts towered like a mountain.


    Seeing this, Sanda and Mu Ban, among others, couldn’t help but feel fearful for Bai Ya.


    But the unharmed young man stood up on his own, wearing a fearless, unknowing smile.


    As the night deepened, they carried torches, dragging a huge pile of dismantled materials, and returned to the small valley.


    The atmosphere in the small valley was spirited; after inquiring, Sanda and Mu Ban learned that Lord Zhenjin and the others had found and killed the mysterious culprit—a huge, ferocious worm!


    Everyone was overjoyed; the fatigue from a day’s work seemed to vanish with this news.


    That night, Lord Zhenjin and the others held a celebratory feast.


    At the edge of the cavern, Bai Ya leaned against the cave wall, sitting on the damp ground.


    He carefully spread the paper on his thigh and, using the feather pen, dipped a bit of ink and began writing by the light of the bonfire outside.


    My dear Miss Xi Qiu:


    It’s been a long time since I’ve written to you, please forgive me.


    The shipwreck happened so suddenly and the subsequent experiences were tough, dangerous, and fascinating, far exceeding anything I’ve encountered in my life.


    …


    Bai Ya wrote a lot, leaving spaces where he didn’t know the words.


    At the end of the letter, he wrote—


    When we returned, we saw in the open space in the valley, on a high platform, the body of the Underground Giant Worm was displayed.


    This Underground Sand Worm was still young, not as large as the one that previously attacked our camp.


    People cheered around the body of the Underground Giant Worm, cursing and frolicking, venting their emotions.


    I can imagine their shock, their joy, and their admiration for Lord Zhenjin!


    Lord Zhenjin did it.


    This was no surprise to me.


    For him, it was a minor thing. What do they say in Eastern Empire? A piece of cake, is that the phrase?


    My life was saved by Lord Zhenjin, a true Knight. It seems only right that the gods favor him—who else would be worthy of such favor?


    I believe everything will get better.


    Once we build a new ship, we can leave this island.


    I can go to the Wilderness Continent to fight and earn glory.


    Because I follow Lord Zhenjin!