As soon as they stepped off the transport ship, the villagers began to scream. The sound was sharp and ragged, tearing through the thin morning air.
"Monster! Kill it!"
"Help! There's a monster!"
"It's eating people! It's eating people!"
Wang Dan rushed forward, his boots thudding against the damp ground. He shouted for everyone to back off, his voice straining over the cacophony. "Where is the monster?" he yelled, gripping his weapon tightly.
From a distance, Jing Shu could already see the source of the terror. A massive shadow hunched over the uneven earth, its dark exoskeleton gleaming faintly in the pale light. The creature's heavy body rustled as it shifted, the sound of chitin scraping against dirt as it tore apart the corpses lying there.
Those corpses were the five people who had died yesterday. Now they were being devoured piece by piece. The giant insect munched loudly, its mandibles clicking and grinding as if the bodies were nothing more than a particularly delicious meal. The metallic scent of blood and the heavy odor of decay hung thick in the air. By the time only two corpses remained, a fresh wave of panic swept through the crowd. Everyone knew what would come next once the creature finished its grisly feast.
"Poor Village Chief," one man muttered, his voice trembling. "First his head got cracked open by that chicken, and now he is being eaten by this thing."
"And someone said they were jealous of Er Gazi yesterday for snagging a few compressed biscuits," another added, shivering. "Are you still jealous now? Look at him; he got eaten alive. What a way to go."
Fear and anxiety twisted every villager's face in the dim, grey light. Someone hurled a torch through the air. It landed with a soft thud, close enough for the flickering orange flames to illuminate the creature completely.
The sight froze the blood in their veins.
They had grown up in these mountains, familiar with all manner of wildlife, but they had never seen an insect so huge or so terrifying.
The creature didn't even flinch from the rocks or the heat of the torches. When Liu Dali lunged forward and smashed it with his shovel, the insect's massive pincers casually swatted him aside. If it hadn't been occupied with its meal, Liu Dali wouldn't have escaped with just a few bruises and a limp.
"Where did this monster come from? We are trapped in this small area. If we don't kill it, we are screwed!"
"Even hiding indoors won't help! Once it's done eating those corpses, it'll come for us!" -> "Even hiding indoors won't help! Once it's done eating those corpses, it will come for us!"
"Maybe we should hide on the ship? It's tall. The monster might not reach it."
"Are you stupid?" someone snapped back. "It came all the way here from beyond the barrier and didn't die from being squeezed. You think it can't climb a ship? Just pray it's full after eating those bodies."
"You are the stupid one! Have you ever seen a tiger stop eating meat just because it had a snack? And our doors were burned for fuel. Where the hell do you plan to hide?"
"We can only count on the officials. They have guns."
"Tiny handguns? What good will those do if it doesn't die after being shot?"
"Look, Wang Dan is here!"
The crowd parted instinctively to clear a path, their bodies trembling as they looked toward Wang Dan. In moments of such extreme crisis, people turned toward the government and the police by habit.
Wang Dan frowned at the monstrous insect, raised his gun, and aimed carefully at the creature's head.
"Wait!" Jing Shu reached out and grabbed his arm, her grip firm. "What are you doing?"
Wang Dan blinked in confusion, his finger hovering near the trigger. "That bug is eating corpses! It might come for us next. It's better to kill it now before it causes real trouble. What if it decides to eat us later?"
Jing Shu let out a long sigh. How could she even begin to explain this? That "monster" wasn't some random, bloodthirsty bug. It was Xiao Wei's subordinate, Xiao Hong, the battle commander she had summoned herself.
She still didn't know how Xiao Hong had fallen from such a height, but she thanked the heavens that it was fine. Since the creature was safe, there's no way she would let anyone hurt it.
These adorable insects were her future source of resources. They were her precious little money-makers! And besides, it was just eating corpses. To an insect of its nature, that was totally normal. Though, she admitted to herself that if she hadn't known the truth, she probably would have been the first to kill it and turn it into livestock feed.
Still, she couldn't just tell everyone not to shoot or to "trust the monster." She would sound insane. Explaining too much would also risk exposing her secrets.
She sighed again. Ordinary people were difficult to reason with when they were this terrified. Instead, she waved her hand dismissively. "Forget it. Come with me. I need help moving something. You two, come as well."
She would show these villagers through action. This creature was their future food source, and they should treat it with care rather than fear.
The man she pointed toward began to shake. "M-move what? The… the bodies?"
Everyone in Gashan Valley knew Jing Shu's name by now. The five corpses lying in the dirt were proof enough of her power. To them, she wasn't someone to be argued with; she was a demon woman who could kill without blinking an eye.
"What are you so scared of?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "Didn't you all complain about eating dirt patties? I'm bringing you some meat."
The man she had called on nearly burst into tears. "I don't want meat anymore! I will eat dirt, I swear! Please, just spare me. I don't want to eat human meat!"
Jing Shu's frown deepened. Human meat? What kind of messed-up rumor had started circulating now?
Before she could ask more, Liu Dali limped forward, his shovel still gripped in his hand. "What are we carrying? I will help."
"Let's go."
She led Liu Dali toward the hulking form of Xiao Hong. Talking was pointless at this stage.
Wang Dan ran after her, his gun still held ready. "Jing Shu, what are you doing? That bug eats people! It's too dangerous. Don't go over there!"
"Just follow me. Don't talk, and don't shoot. If you fire that gun, there's no lunch for you."
That threat shut Wang Dan up immediately. He jogged alongside Jing Shu, holding his gun close to his chest, ready to shield her if the creature turned aggressive. The gesture made Jing Shu feel both amused and somewhat helpless.
Behind them, the villagers murmured anxiously, their eyes fixed on the scene as they wondered what Jing Shu planned to do.
Xiao Hong stopped moving. Its thirty-six massive, hairy legs hovered midair, and its head lifted slowly to look at Jing Shu. Its multifaceted eyes shimmered. A single bristle from Xiao Wei's body was still stuck in her hair, fluttering faintly in the cold breeze.
Wang Dan and the villagers held their collective breath, terrified the creature might lash out at any second. None of them cared particularly if Jing Shu died, but they certainly cared about staying alive themselves.
Jing Shu halted about five meters away, her mind racing. The link between Xiao Hong and Xiao Wei should still exist. Perhaps the creature could understand her through that connection.
She decided to test it. "Hey, tear off a few of your legs for me."
"???"
Wang Dan stared at her as if she had grown a second head.
"..."
The villagers collectively froze. Had she lost her mind? Was she actually talking to a giant bug like that?
Xiao Hong tilted its massive head, silently watching her. Its antennae flickered, catching the scent of the air.
Jing Shu scratched her head, feeling a bit foolish. "I guess that didn't work. Well, I will just take them myself then."
She walked closer, her boots crunching on the gravel. The creature's huge abdomen pressed against the mud, rising nearly two meters tall. Its bristles trembled slightly as it tried to figure out what she was doing.