The sky had completely darkened, and before long, it was so pitch-black in the woods that one couldn't see their own hand in front of them.
No one lit a fire, and everywhere was shrouded in darkness. The whole family huddled together to sleep. Perhaps because they had been too tense and excited last night, and had spent the entire day traveling, thunderous snoring soon echoed through the camp.
Qin Sang quietly gave Big Yellow and the mule extra food in the dark. During the day, everyone was sparing with their water, so she couldn't be too blatant about feeding the animals too well.
Now that it was dark, she let them replenish their water and food so they could travel better tomorrow. After all, the family's main belongings were carried by these two large animals.
She also fed the rabbits two carrots and scattered a handful of corn kernels for the chickens in their coop. Only after finishing all this did Qin Sang go to rest.
Qin Sang was actually quite at ease regarding the camp's safety. After all, animals weren't stupid; seeing so many people, even a tiger would have to weigh whether it was coming for a meal or to its death.
The most dangerous job actually belonged to the Patrol Team. Fortunately, the weapons in their hands had all been replaced with long sabers and axes. Additionally, Hunter Xu and his son, as well as the eldest and third sons, could all shoot arrows. As long as they didn't end up alone, they had the strength to put up a fight.
However, she wasn't sure if the Locust Plague had scared a bunch away when it arrived, or if the large group moving into the mountains was making too much noise, but no one had seen so much as a bird over the last two days, let alone highly alert animals like rabbits or wild deer.
The night passed peacefully. When dawn began to break, the camp became busy once more.
Compared to the chaos of the first day, everyone acted with much more order today.
They set off quickly. Hunter Xu led the way at the front. Fortunately, there were red string markers left behind previously, so they didn't take any wrong turns. Otherwise, in such deep mountain forests without any landmarks, it would be very easy to get lost.
After advancing for about three hours, the group stopped. The Village Chief's House's grandson, Tian Xiaolin, ran up to Qin Sang:
"Aunt, Hunter Xu asks you to come to the front to take a look."
Doubts rose in Qin Sang's heart as she walked toward the front of the line:
"Did he say what it was about?"
Tian Xiaolin shook his head. Qin Sang quickened her pace and arrived in a short while.
Hunter Xu was waiting for her at the very front of the line, his face full of gravity. Tian Yougen was also there.
Once Qin Sang approached, Hunter Xu lowered his voice and said:
"Follow me."
The two followed Hunter Xu forward. Seeing the surroundings, Qin Sang remembered that this was the forest where they had dug up the Golden Thread Lotus, and also where Zhou Lin had almost been killed by the giant snake.
Before they had gone far, Qin Sang saw the carcass of the giant snake they had hung on a tree before leaving last time. What was different this time was a snake slough of the same size, coiled around that large tree.
"There's another giant snake in these woods."
Hunter Xu said in a low voice.
Tian Yougen's face turned slightly pale. Although he hadn't seen the dangerous moment Zhou Lin faced that day, the thought of a snake this large was enough to make one's skin crawl.
Especially since these two snakes were clearly a pair; they had killed one, so the other would surely come for revenge.
"Judging by this slough, this snake is at least as big as the previous one, if not bigger."
Qin Sang gave an 'mm' of acknowledgement:
"You called me over privately—do you want to take a detour or...?"
Hunter Xu looked at her:
"If everyone knows there's still a giant snake watching us from the shadows in this area, I'm afraid the people's morale will falter."
Tian Yougen nodded:
"Yes, it's better not to let everyone know. We'll just take a bit of a detour. As long as the direction is right, we'll get there eventually."
Both of them wanted to avoid this place, but Qin Sang disagreed:
"It's inevitable that people will be afraid, but we came into the mountains to seek refuge. Instead of letting everyone think the mountains are safe, it's better to let them know that wild beasts are right beside them so they have some sense of crisis."
Both of them looked at her with some surprise. But on second thought, Qin Sang was the one who had dealt with the previous giant snake, so it seemed to make sense that she wasn't afraid.
Thinking this way, these two grown men actually felt a bit ashamed of themselves:
"True, the mountain forests are inherently dangerous. It's not a bad thing to have everyone stay alert and cautious."
"Maybe this giant snake was scared witless and moved far away from this area long ago."
Qin Sang shook her head:
"Paternal Uncle, that kind of wishful thinking is very dangerous. I think it's better to assume it's there than to assume it's not. Even if it has already left, we must treat it as if it's still in this forest and not let our guard down.
Once we relax our vigilance, lives will be at stake."
Tian Yougen also realized the gravity of the situation and nodded seriously:
"You're right. It's just that this snake is nocturnal, which is a huge hidden danger. The Patrol Team is in the most peril."
Qin Sang's expression became solemn. A giant snake was different from other fierce beasts. Other large wild animals would inevitably make noise when they appeared, but a giant snake was different—just like how Zhou Lin was targeted last time, the snake had been hanging down from a tree.
Furthermore, from the python disaster movies Qin Sang had seen in her previous life, a giant snake could silently snatch a person away. Now that the third and eldest sons were both in the Patrol Team, and there were also members of the Hunting Party going out to hunt, they would all face immense danger:
"We must find a way to deal with it."
Hunter Xu and Tian Yougen both stared at her with wide eyes. They truly didn't know how she could be so bold—instead of thinking about avoiding it, she was thinking about taking the initiative to resolve the threat.
"What plan do you have?"
Although Hunter Xu was a mountain Hunter, his primary targets were usually animals with low danger levels like Wild Rabbits, pheasants, and wild deer. They would identify whether there were large fierce beasts in an area through footprints and droppings, and if they found any, they would certainly try their best to avoid them.
Therefore, Hunter Xu had no solution when facing a giant snake like this.
Qin Sang shook her head:
"I haven't thought of one yet. Ordinary traps won't work on it. For now, all we can do is give it no opportunity."
Qin Sang wasn't boasting. The reason the Stun Gun hit last time was that the giant snake was already attacking Zhou Lin, and Big Yellow had distracted it.
If Qin Sang were to face the giant snake alone, she would need to get close to use the Stun Gun, and once she got close, she would likely die.
Both of them looked at her with some confusion:
"Then what should be done?"
Qin Sang looked at Hunter Xu:
"Can we reach the Settling Spot today?"
Hunter Xu thought for a moment:
"If we travel at full speed, we might arrive by midnight."
"Then inform the Patrol Team to travel at full speed. Once we reach the Settling Spot, we'll figure something out."
Tian Yougen had no objections. Firstly, it was out of his trust in Qin Sang, and secondly, he also wanted to lead everyone away from this part of the forest as quickly as possible.
The group soon resumed its advance. Before long, everyone saw the giant snake hanging in the forest and the coiled slough.
Those who saw it instinctively wanted to back away and avoid it.
"There's another giant snake in these woods. My god, this snake is thicker than my thigh."
"How long must it be? If we encounter it, can we even survive?"
"If I'm to end up in a snake's belly, I'd rather be cut down by a rebel soldier's blade."
Many children were scared to tears upon seeing the sight. Eldest Girl also hid beside Mother in fear, while Si Jin, Wen Mo, and the others all turned deathly pale.
Qin Sang pulled the two children into her arms:
"Don't be afraid. No matter how big it is, it's just a snake. Since we could kill the first one, we can kill the second one. Don't you agree?"
With Qin Sang's comfort, the children's expressions finally improved.
However, the other villagers were still somewhat panicked, and voices even began to rise within the group suggesting they return to the village.