Ch 26
Chapter 26: Flood
The “flash flood” caught everyone off guard.
Even someone as experienced as Ye Ze couldn’t help but be stunned when he saw this forest flood, which defied common sense.
The rushing river submerged the area below the mountain completely, but it hadn’t reached the height of the cave yet. At first glance, this small cave and the fields ahead looked like floating islands.
That was quite fortunate.
However, the Black Snake Tribe under the small mountain was clearly not so lucky.
The sudden flood had dealt them a devastating blow.
The tribal chief, relying on the strength of an upper-tier beast warrior, barely managed to rescue his family from the flood, but they were now in a desperate situation of drifting without direction.
Many more people were helpless against the tsunami-like water. Many were drowned or frozen to death in their sleep. Even if they woke up in time, they struggled to escape the rushing waters. Those who survived couldn’t find their companions in the vast flood.
For them, the same helpless fate awaited.
Wei Man sat slumped on a makeshift wooden plank assembled by the tribal chief, floating aimlessly. Drenched to the bone, the biting cold night wind almost numbed him to unconsciousness.
He stared blankly at the water surface, littered with debris of houses.
The ointment applied to his face had long washed away in the swirling water, revealing a wound that, despite careful treatment, would leave a grim scar that would never fully heal.
Wei Man didn’t know why, but overnight, the world had changed completely.
“In any case, let’s find a place to dock first. We’ll figure out the next steps later,” the tribal chief said with a hint of sorrow in his eyes, instructing his wife and children.
With the chief’s arrangements in place, from now on, it seemed he would also become a wandering sub-beast person without support, property, or even the guarantee of life.
Once, it was the identity he looked down upon the most.
Wei Man suddenly felt a kind of indescribable fear from the bottom of his heart.
But at this moment, no one had the energy to comfort or praise him anymore.
“It seems like the weather is doing the work for me.” The Black Snake Tribe was getting its lesson without him having to lift a finger.
Similarly, awakening in the moment of abnormality, the groundhog looked up at Ye Ze, rolling its eyes disdainfully.
Always trying to make himself look good!
Was that making things easier for you? It was the Water Spirit’s short-winged bird that went berserk!
The area near the Black Snake Tribe, which had once bullied the little snake sub-beast, was where the most residual sadness lingered for the little snake sub-beast.
This ground covered with unease might not have had much effect on them on ordinary days. But in the face of the precarious control they had, it was like the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
The Black Snake Tribe was the first to be found, not by the Water Spirit of the little snake sub-beast, and it exploded.
The groundhog scratched its belly with its paws, feeling conflicted about whether to inform its crazed brother.
But thinking about its position as the little snake sub-beast’s family brother, the groundhog decisively kicked away such a compassionate thought.
If you can’t find it even when you’re at the door, then you’re just too stupid!
Not helping, absolutely not helping. Refusing to let any more competitors for favoritism join in!
Ye Ze didn’t mind the groundhog’s disdain for him, nor did he notice the groundhog’s hidden thoughts.
After carefully observing the surging water surface and confirming that it would not rise anymore, let alone flood the cave, he decisively marked a row of huge crosses after the option of “waking up the little snake sub-beast”.
Even if they had to prepare to relocate, they could wait until tomorrow.
There was no need to disturb the little snake sub-beast’s sleep.
Making such a tolerant and considerate decision, Ye Ze, in the next second, mercilessly activated the parasitic vine left in Grandma Kanglan’s body.
Natural disasters and man-made calamities, life, old age, sickness, and death.
Nothing could be more normal than this, right?
With that said, even if the little snake sub-beast was sad, his acceptance of the facts would be much higher.
Quite perfect.
Ye Ze smiled ruthlessly and indifferently.
Grandma Kanglan, because of her early life experiences in the town, managed to escape by the priest’s talisman and found the landing point earlier than the chief’s family.
The old woman, who had floated in the river for most of the day, showed a look of joy. When she approached the riverbank, she used both hands and feet to rush towards the land.
The feeling of being grounded. For someone who had survived against all odds, it was the most reliable feeling.
Grandma Kanglan imagined herself lying on the dry grass and couldn’t help but smile with joy. But at the moment when her arm was about to touch the riverbank, her smile froze on her face.
Grandma Kanglan widened her eyes, looking at the pale vines growing in front of her in disbelief. And as her gaze moved down, the source of the vine’s nourishment was her chest.
“No, no!” Grandma Kanglan opened her mouth, as if desperately trying to say something. But the roots of the plant spread outward, filling her flesh and throat.
Grandma Kanglan’s eyes gradually lost their luster. In the final step towards the escape point, she slowly sank to the bottom of the water, carried away and knocked around by the swift currents.
In the darkness, Grandma Kanglan’s heart was filled with panic.
She could keenly feel the passing of her life, as well as the pain of the collisions and the suffocating gasps.
But she couldn’t do anything.
She could only maintain the posture of reaching out, passively drifting and drifting again.
She regretted it.
She shouldn’t have taken on this seemingly easy task.
If she hadn’t accepted this task, she wouldn’t have met this terrible man, nor would she have experienced the endless fear of life being worse than death!
The threads slowly climbed and grew, blooming into gorgeous and beautiful flowers. The bright red stamen was as beautiful as blood, taking away her entire life in useless regret.
The humanoid white sculpture shattered and disappeared underwater, leaving no trace.
Ye Ze let out a low laugh.
The groundhog beside him was startled, its fur standing on end all over its body. After enduring and enduring, and silently repeating three hundred times the “power” of the little snake sub-beast’s suppression in its heart, it finally didn’t run away like its life depended on it, and moved away from this dangerous man.
However, the groundhog’s gaze towards Ye Ze had completely changed.
This terrible guy was an extreme lunatic whether in front of the little snake sub-beast or not!
The flood came like a ferocious beast. The earth-shattering noise was sealed off at the entrance of the cave by Ye Ze using sound-absorbing vine leaves.
Now, with the gradual calming of the first wave of aggression, the noise of the water washing over the mountains continued unabated.
The sound of the little snake sub-beast getting up came from the cave. The sporadic sounds could tell that it was still a groggy wake-up.
The cold look on Ye Ze’s face quickly disappeared, turning into a wry smile of helplessness. Undoing the vines that sealed the entrance of the cave, as expected, he saw the little snake sub-beast slithering out in an S-shape, lazily.
Behind him were two large white geese escorting him.
The gradually increasing loud noise startled the little snake sub-beast.
The little snake sub-beast stood still, belching with a look of grievance. Their eyes widened, reflecting the scene of the flooding outside, and they were completely awake.
“It’s okay, don’t be afraid. It’s just a sudden flood, and it won’t reach us for the time being,” Ye Ze stepped forward, gently dispelling the full question marks on the little snake sub-beast’s head.
A flood?
More question marks arose.
Could a flood that submerged half of a small hill happen in the forest?
The little snake sub-beast was confused and bewildered. His brain, which had just woken up, malfunctioned for several minutes before he suddenly realized.
“Ah! Grandma Kanglan!” The little snake sub-beast anxiously grabbed Ye Ze’s hand, looking at him with red eyes, “With such a big flood, did it submerge the tribe too? What about Grandma Kanglan? Is she okay?”
“Don’t worry,” Ye Ze patted the little snake sub-beast’s head reassuringly. “None of us expected such a natural disaster to occur, and being anxious won’t help. Nuo Nuo, you need to take care of yourself first before you can help Grandma Kanglan, right?”
The little snake sub-beast blinked their eyes. The golden beans that were almost popping out of the corners of their eyes finally retreated.
Seeing the little snake sub-beast calm down, Ye Ze continued to explain, “I also just woke up not long ago, so I’m not very clear about the situation near the tribe. However, I’ve already reserved a large boat in the market. When it arrives, we’ll go near the tribe to look for her. Okay?”
The groundhog rolled its eyes, feeling speechless about Ye Ze’s ability to tell lies to the little snake sub-beast.
However, since it didn’t feel any goodwill towards the little snake sub-beast from the Black Snake Tribe, it didn’t plan to expose Ye Ze’s lie.
“Squeak!” The groundhog expressed agreement and pledged to help find Grandma Kanglan together.
“Honk!” The big white geese didn’t understand the situation, but since everyone agreed, supporting their little master couldn’t be wrong!
“Okay.” The little snake sub-beast nodded vigorously, feeling grateful yet crestfallen as they gripped Ye Ze’s strong hand. “I’m sorry, Ye Ze.”
If it weren’t for him, Ye Ze wouldn’t have to bother with such troublesome matters and wouldn’t have directly involved himself in danger.
On the contrary, as the one who caused the problem, he couldn’t help at all.
“Sorry for what?” Ye Ze bent down, meeting the little snake sub-beast’s gaze. He reached out and pinched the little snake sub-beast’s cheek, his eyes full of playful affection.
The slightly chubby cheeks he had nurtured felt soft and fluffy, even better to the touch.
“Even if we didn’t go look for Grandma Kanglan, we still need to prepare for relocating since we don’t know when the flood will submerge this area. The boat that can take us out of the flood is essential. Moving on the water is an unavoidable route. Nuo Nuo, where do you feel sorry?”
Furthermore, not only did Ye Ze not feel it was troublesome, he felt very happy about it.
The fact that the little snake sub-beast could subconsciously rely on him and willingly seek his help was a great improvement from when he couldn’t even accept an apple he offered at the beginning.
It showed that the little snake sub-beast was becoming more open-hearted and accepting of his presence.
The little snake sub-beast stared blankly at the warm black gemstone again, once again tangled up by Ye Ze’s logic.
“Alright, Nuo Nuo, don’t think too much,” Ye Ze raised his finger and gently tapped the little snake sub-beast’s forehead. “While waiting for the big boat, let’s pack our luggage first. After the boat arrives, we’ll take the packed supplies with us on the way. That way, even if the water rises again halfway, we won’t be delayed on either side and can leave the danger zone early.”
“All thanks to Nuo Nuo’s suggestion.”
Blushing all over from the praise, the little snake sub-beast said, “I-I will work hard to pack the luggage!”
The little snake sub-beast enthusiastically rushed back into the cave.
Before long, various sounds of items being moved around could be heard from inside.
The groundhog stood aside, covering its face with its paws, unable to bear watching.
It lost.
It truly didn’t expect that even in this situation, Ye Ze could make something positive out of it for the little snake sub-beast!