Chapter 165: Traces of Humanity

“Is this the Song clan’s map? Why does it seem to cover a much smaller area than yours?” Qian Ye was quite puzzled.

Li Kuanglan rolled her eyes at him, “Have you forgotten my sister’s status? This map includes many regions controlled by the imperial family. Where did you get that Song clan map, anyway?”

“When they pushed me into the vortex, Zi Ning slipped it onto me.”

At the mention of Song Zi Ning, Li Kuanglan gnashed her teeth in hatred, “If not for that bastard, I wouldn’t be in this situation! Birds of a feather flock together, and since you hang out with him all the time, you can’t be any good either.”

Qian Ye was caught off guard, “What did he do to make you hate him so much?”

“Ask him yourself!” Li Kuanglan said irritably. She glanced at Qian Ye, her tone softening, “You fool, you were tricked and didn’t even know it.”

Qian Ye was even more confused, “How did he trick me?”

Li Kuanglan clenched her teeth, looking like she wanted to bite Qian Ye, “Ask him yourself, don’t come to me!”

Seeing her reaction, Qian Ye knew there was more to the story, but he couldn’t push further. If he provoked her, it might trigger her instincts again, which would be problematic. Qian Ye wasn’t lying when he said it was very difficult to resist her, especially during the day. Her fair, yet powerful body, those long legs capable of crushing any male, and the constant threat to his sanity were enough to make him wary.

Li Kuanglan didn’t want to elaborate and focused on comparing the two maps. Fortunately, there were many overlapping areas between the Song clan map and the Li family and imperial maps. After a while, Li Kuanglan combined the two maps, showed them to Qian Ye, and memorized the details herself before destroying the wooden board and scroll. Qian Ye didn’t stop her, as these maps contained too many secrets that could not fall into the wrong hands.

After completing the preparations, Li Kuanglan led the way to the top of a nearby hill and told Qian Ye, “Choose a direction.”

“What direction?”

“Pick one you think will yield something.”

“How am I supposed to know where we’ll find something?” Qian Ye was bewildered.

“Just pretend you’re an expert in divination and sense which direction will be fruitful.”

“But I don’t know divination.”

“I said to pretend. Hurry up and choose!”

With no other choice, Qian Ye looked around, trying to sense something. In his mind, it was like a blind guess, but he had to try. If nothing came to him, he would just pick a random direction, as long as it didn’t lead them closer to the giant lake.

To give it his best shot, Qian Ye activated his True Sight. As he scanned the surroundings, his heart suddenly pounded, and he felt a strong urge to go in a certain direction.

“It’s over there,” Qian Ye pointed forward.

“Really? You have a feeling?” Li Kuanglan was intrigued.

“I can’t explain it, but something seems to be happening there.”

“Alright, let’s check it out.” Li Kuanglan drew her sword and followed Qian Ye, walking behind him.

They traversed several hills and valleys, eventually reaching a winding river. The water flowed calmly, and on the other side, a dense forest lay, lush and full of life. In the distance, a towering mountain range rose, its grayish-green peaks piercing the clouds.

Li Kuanglan had learned to be cautious around water. If a fish in a small lake could injure Qian Ye, who knew what lurked in this wide river. Li Kuanglan was not skilled in water combat, and in her current state, falling in would be perilous.

Looking at the forest, Qian Ye frowned, “I think we should cross over.”

“How do we cross?”

“Build a boat,” Qian Ye replied succinctly.

The boat was little more than a few planks nailed together, forming a box-like structure. Given their martial skills, even two small pieces of wood would suffice to cross, but Qian Ye wanted a stable platform to deal with potential threats in the river.

Qian Ye pushed the makeshift boat into the water, and both climbed aboard. With a burst of primal force, the boat sliced through the waves, heading for the opposite bank.

The crossing was smooth, and they reached the shore without incident. Suddenly, Li Kuanglan pointed to the side, whispering, “Look.”

On the far bank, someone was fishing!

In this world, seeing a person was more alarming than encountering a beast. Qian Ye immediately smashed the boat, letting it drift downstream, while he and Li Kuanglan crouched low to avoid being seen.

Qian Ye’s sharp vision allowed him to see the person’s attire clearly, even from a distance of several thousand meters.

He wore a fur coat, with a headband adorned with bright feathers. His exposed arms and thighs were muscular and covered in black hair, and his skin was a deep brown, indicating strength and power. He held a fishing rod, intently focused on his task.

From his appearance, he was neither from the Empire nor the Evernight faction. There were only two possibilities: either he was a descendant of someone who had entered the vortex long ago, or he was a native.

Qian Ye decided to observe from a distance. His experience with indigenous races in neutral zones had taught him that the stranger the world, the stronger the natives. It was not wise to reveal themselves before understanding the situation.

The man sat motionless, like a statue, and the fishing rod remained still, making Qian Ye wonder if there were any fish in the river. Most creatures in this world had six or more legs, but this man, like humans, had only two arms and two legs, which seemed odd in such a high-gravity environment. In the Evernight world, the most adapted to the vortex were probably the spider demons.

Before long, rustling sounds emerged from the forest, and another figure appeared. This newcomer was taller and more robust, standing over two meters tall, and moved with a formidable presence. He approached the fishing man in quick, powerful strides.

The fishing man turned, revealing a face with a prominent nose and deep-set, dark brown eyes. If not for his large mouth and lack of eyebrows, he might have been considered handsome by human standards. Seeing the approaching figure, he showed obvious fear and tried to run.

The approaching man stomped the ground, causing a wave to surge, instantly reaching the fishing man’s feet. The fishing man screamed, flung into the air by the force. Before he could fall, the new arrival grabbed him.

What followed surprised Qian Ye.

The attacker revealed two additional hands, stripping the fishing man bare and then mounting him. The fishing man struggled desperately, but the four-armed woman suddenly sprayed a white mist into his face. The fishing man stopped struggling, showing a mix of pain and pleasure, clearly under the woman’s control.

The two engaged in a brutal and violent mating.

Qian Ye’s observation and knowledge suggested that the fishing man was male, and the aggressive one was female. Such a strong female was uncommon in higher life forms, more often seen in insects. The strength the four-armed woman displayed in capturing the man made Qian Ye and Li Kuanglan uneasy.

That stomp, though seemingly ordinary, required at least thirteenth or fourteenth level primal force in this high-gravity world. If this woman was just an average member of her tribe, every adult must be a warrior, making the region extremely dangerous.

Qian Ye leaned close to Li Kuanglan, whispering, “In the Li family records, is there any mention of such natives?”

Li Kuanglan shook her head slightly, about to speak, but suddenly pounced on Qian Ye, covering his mouth. Qian Ye was shocked to feel her body heat up, her face flushed, and her eyes filled with desire as she tore at his clothes.

Confused, Qian Ye rolled, pinning her down, and let her mouth do as it pleased to avoid noise.

His keen senses detected a faint, pungent scent, igniting a sudden reaction. His body changed, colliding with Li Kuanglan, causing her to tremble and cling to him like a spider.

Qian Ye identified the source of the scent, noticing fine white threads in the air, realizing it was the mist the four-armed woman had sprayed. The mist had a potent aphrodisiac effect, turning the fishing man from defiant to a rutting beast. Li Kuanglan had also inhaled the mist, explaining her behavior.

Realizing the cause, Qian Ye pressed her down harder, disregarding the compromising position, focusing on the friction and collisions.

Even if Qian Ye was affected by the mist, this place was not suitable for such activities. They were in native territory, and an encounter with a group of natives would be disastrous.

Using his blood energy to suppress the mist’s effects, Qian Ye held Li Kuanglan down, preventing her from making noise. Frustrated, she settled for rubbing against him forcefully.

After a moment, Li Kuanglan’s body shuddered, and she went limp, ceasing her struggles.

Finally, Qian Ye breathed a sigh of relief, looking at her. Li Kuanglan’s face, once flushed, was now drenched in sweat, her breathing rapid but her eyes clear. Meeting his gaze, she turned her head away.

“Get up, we need to find a safer place,” Qian Ye whispered, helping her to her feet.

Li Kuanglan nodded silently but was too weak to stand. Qian Ye, assuming it was a side effect of the mist, carried her, moving downstream. A final glance back showed the natives still engaged, with the fishing man clearly dominated and the four-armed woman still in high spirits.

Qian Ye continued downstream, but a sudden whistling sound interrupted them. An arrow shot from the forest, striking fast and deadly.