Chapter 83: Moving Forward
At 5:30 in the morning, Fang Xiaocao and her group put out the campfire, packed up their tents, shouldered their backpacks, and set off once again.
This time, Fang Xiaocao took charge of the team. Zhi Qi did not object; instead, she cooperated fully.
“Xiaozhou, Qianxia, you two take the lead. Be careful. Capricorn could appear at any moment. Do not fall into their trap,” Fang Xiaocao instructed Wan Xiaozhou and Qianxia.
“Got it, leave it to me,” Wan Xiaozhou replied with a smile.
Qianxia glanced at Ye Lingchen. Fearing a beating, Ye Lingchen quickly nodded and said in a serious tone, “Understood.”
“Lin Meng, Aquarius, you two take the rear. Be careful not to let anyone follow us,” Fang Xiaocao continued.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Aquarius responded respectfully.
“No problem,” Lin Meng nodded and said.
“Everyone else, stay alert and help each other. Let’s move out!”
Fang Xiaocao efficiently assigned roles, displaying a strong leadership presence. Her arrangements were well thought out. She deliberately placed Lin Meng and Qianxia in separate teams, pairing them with Wan Xiaozhou and Aquarius.
This setup ensured that Wan Xiaozhou and Aquarius could keep an eye on Lin Meng and Qianxia, preventing them from causing trouble. At the same time, Fang Xiaocao kept Ye Lingchen close to her, making it difficult for Lin Meng and Qianxia to act out. This arrangement also maintained the overall efficiency of the team.
After walking about three kilometers, Qianxia, who had been scouting ahead with Wan Xiaozhou, returned.
“What happened?” Fang Xiaocao asked.
“We found signs of activity ahead,” Qianxia reported in a serious tone. “We cannot determine whether they are friend or foe. Miss Wan sent me back to report.”
Hearing this, Fang Xiaocao frowned.
“Go to the back and bring Aquarius here,” she instructed Qianxia.
“Alright,” Qianxia nodded and left.
Three Minutes Later
Qianxia returned with Aquarius.
“Your Highness, what do you need?” Aquarius asked quietly.
“Xiaozhou and Qianxia found traces of activity ahead. Do you think it could be Capricorn’s group?” Fang Xiaocao asked in a serious tone.
Aquarius scanned the surroundings before answering, “I do not see any Blacklist symbols. Based on the location, Capricorn’s group should still be at least three kilometers away.”
After listening to Aquarius’s analysis, Fang Xiaocao blinked and murmured, “So it is not Capricorn’s group?”
“Then… could it be another group of invited participants?”
After thinking for a moment, she said, “Aquarius, switch places with Wan Xiaozhou. You are familiar with the Blacklist symbols and Capricorn’s group. You and Qianxia will handle the scouting.”
“Understood, Your Highness,” Aquarius replied respectfully.
“Go, and be careful,” Fang Xiaocao instructed.
“If you find anything, report back immediately. Try to identify who left those tracks.”
“Yes!” Aquarius acknowledged before running ahead with Qianxia.
“We will rest here for ten minutes,” Fang Xiaocao told the group.
“Yes!” Su Wanqing cheered, dropping her backpack and sitting down on the ground.
Wen Shi, Yun Luoshu, and Zhi Qi also took the opportunity to rest, hydrate, and eat.
Fang Xiaocao leaned against a tree and took out her phone. She had not received any messages from Hot Noodles for several hours.
She was unsure whether the lack of signal would prevent messages from coming through. Right now, she desperately needed her future self’s intelligence. One wrong move could result in casualties.
The constant pressure of making life-or-death decisions was driving her crazy.
She tried sending a message.
[Contact does not exist!]
“Sigh…”
Seeing the notification, Fang Xiaocao let out a helpless sigh. “Looks like I cannot rely on Hot Noodles for now.”
She muttered to herself and checked the time—ten minutes had already passed.
“Strange? Why is Xiaozhou not back yet?” she murmured in confusion.
With Wan Xiaozhou’s speed, ten minutes should have been enough.
“Could something have happened?” Fang Xiaocao whispered.
A sense of unease crept in. She immediately stood up and shouted, “Everyone, get ready!”
“Xiaozhou has not returned. Something might have gone wrong!”
The others were startled but quickly gathered their gear.
Ye Lingchen and Zhi Qi even drew their weapons.
Fang Xiaocao pulled out her silver pistol, chambered a round, and said, “If anything happens, do not panic! Retrace our path and regroup at our last campsite if we get separated.”
Everyone nodded in understanding.
She handed a dagger to Yun Luoshu. “Luoshu, take this and protect Wanqing and Wen Shi.”
“Understood!” Yun Luoshu accepted the dagger with a serious expression.
After being kidnapped by Gemini, Yun Luoshu had become much more mature. Knowing that she was protecting Su Wanqing and Wen Shi gave Fang Xiaocao some peace of mind.
Rustle… Rustle…
Footsteps echoed from the forest ahead.
Fang Xiaocao’s heart pounded as she raised her gun and disengaged the safety.
“Everyone, hide! If they outnumber us, split up and run!” she whispered.
Zhi Qi and the others immediately followed her orders, diving into the undergrowth.
However, Ye Lingchen stepped forward with a spring-loaded knife. “I know martial arts. I can help,” he said.
Fang Xiaocao glanced at him, then tossed him a dagger. “Use this. Keep your spring knife as a backup.”
Ye Lingchen’s eyes lit up. He stowed his spring knife and grinned. “I am really strong, you know!”
“You better not be bragging,” Fang Xiaocao replied, rolling her eyes.
Ye Lingchen shrank slightly but quickly crawled ahead, concealing himself in the grass. His positioning was strategic—perfect for an ambush.
If Fang Xiaocao missed a shot, any enemy trying to seize her gun would have to pass by Ye Lingchen first.
Seeing this, Fang Xiaocao nodded in approval.
“Maybe I underestimated him.”
“He is not as foolish as I thought.”
Ye Lingchen’s face darkened when he heard this.
“You are the foolish one! Your whole family is foolish! I am a genius!” he thought to himself.
Rustle… Rustle…
The footsteps grew closer.
Fang Xiaocao tightened her grip on the trigger.
The erratic pacing suggested multiple people.
And from the heaviness of their steps, they were clearly untrained.
This was not just one person.
And it definitely was not Aquarius, Wan Xiaozhou, or Qianxia.
All three had undergone training. Their steps would never be this clumsy.
(End of Chapter 83)
