Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 783 Not Too Stupid!

In such jungles, where the environment is pristine, leeches are bound to be present in pools, mud pits, and swamps.

However, being mercenaries active in this land, they were naturally very familiar with dealing with these things.

"Bad news, this swamp is quite large. Obviously, our path forward is blocked. It seems we'll have to change our route."

Hu Ming looked around and came to Okitajima, who was at the front of the group.

"This is the road that Gu Huaisheng has traveled. It is probably the only safe road we can find now. It's just a little bit of leeches, but we can't change it."

Okitajima's eyes were filled with anxiety. After pondering for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice.

"I agree with Brother Hu Ming's assessment. The continuous torrential rains these past few days have turned the road ahead into a swamp..."

"It's not just leeches; in this kind of environment, there might be other dangerous creatures in the swamp. Besides, just wading through the swamp is dangerous enough."

"If we're not careful, we could all be swallowed up by this swamp."

After confirming his companion's safety, Song ran over, nodded gratefully to Hu Ming, and then spoke up in support.

It wasn't just because Hu Ming helped rescue his companion, but also because venturing into an unknown swamp was indeed extremely dangerous.

"Given the current situation, we'll probably have to take a long detour. Of course, my suggestion is that we retreat to camp and wait for the rainy season to pass and the weather to clear up before setting off again."

Song fulfilled his duty and tried to suggest a safer route.

"That won't do. My dad's life is still hanging in the balance. It's been over a month already. If we wait any longer, even if he survives, he'll be worn down and die!"

Supported by the blind man, Gu Ziqing gritted her teeth and shouted loudly in resentment.

"...I don't have that much time to waste. Mr. Consultant, what will happen if we continue forward?"

Even if he was about to die, it wasn't like he would die in the next moment. Okitajima didn't want to lose his life in this desolate place before achieving his goal, so he looked at the blind man with slight hesitation.

After all, compared to Hu Ming, who had joined the fray halfway through, the blind man was the expert he had his eye on.

“There is a local legend that when the rainy season comes, the demon sleeping deep in the jungle will be awakened. It will kill and devour all living things around it, leaving only plague.”

The blind man smiled and spoke in a sinister tone about the local legend he had learned from Hu Ming.

"What you're saying is all superstition, you Chinese people, not materialism. Are you saying that spirits aren't allowed after the founding of the People's Republic?"

Okitajima sneered.

Even the island nation, which claims to have eight million gods, doesn't believe in these supernatural things.

Even pagodas are only made of special materials!

"Although superstitions are just street gossip, there is no smoke without fire. For thousands of years, all kinds of strange and bizarre stories have been spread around the world, so there must be some basis for them."

"While the legends here may be exaggerated, there is no doubt that there must be immense dangers deep in the jungle—dangers that are absolutely impossible for human beings to overcome."

Hu Ming laughed. Superstition?
Sorry, he's encountered far too many ghosts, zombies, and eerie places—things that are hard for ordinary people to even imagine.

"I believe that you two, Mr. Consultant and Mr. Hu, can handle this, right?"

Okitajima didn't believe in any of this.

"Unity is strength!"

Hu Ming and the blind man saw the change in Okitajima's expression and sneered without any attempt to hide it, saying in a strange voice.

If you don't believe, why be afraid?
"...We certainly can't waste time going back. Bypass this swamp, cross this jungle, and there's a village where we can rest for the night."

Okitajima finally compromised, pointing to a point marked on the electronic map.

"A village? I've been in Jianpuzhai for so many years, this is a no-man's land, there's no village here at all!"

Song frowned deeply, sensing something amiss, and retorted. Clearly, this Japanese boss was likely hiding some crucial information.

Okitajima firmly stated, "My information cannot be wrong."

"You're the boss, you're the one paying, you're the one who calls the shots."

Hu Ming and the blind man replied nonchalantly.

It is now afternoon, and we are still nearly 20 kilometers away from the village marked on Okita Island.

This distance wouldn't take much time at all in a flat area.

However, this is a roadless primeval jungle, and the torrential rain has made the journey even more difficult. It is estimated that we will not reach the village until late at night.

The team moved on.

It's worth mentioning that, for some reason, Gu Ziqing suddenly became unusually timid, shrinking to the blind man's side the whole time, constantly looking around warily, and easily startled.

As the moon rose high in the sky, the torrential rain briefly subsided.

The jungle became hot and humid again.

After a day's trek, the group finally arrived at the village that Okitajima had mentioned, guided by him.

Strictly speaking, this is not a village at all. Everything is desolate, with reinforced concrete everywhere and vines climbing all over the ruins.

Fortunately, this "village" is quite large, and there are some empty rooms in the center that can provide rest.

"A village... in this primeval jungle, is there really a village built of reinforced concrete? How did the people who used to live here manage to transport all these materials in?"

"Furthermore, judging from the traces, this place has been abandoned for at least half a century. What happened to the villagers? Were they eaten by demons in the jungle?"

Gu Ziqing was not a mere pretty face after all, and she had already sensed that something was amiss.

"The village? Congratulations, blind student, you've discovered the key point!"

"Simply put, looking at these concrete structures, the style is extremely rigorous. Although they are mostly covered by vines, you can still vaguely tell that this place... is definitely not built for civilian use."

"Also, this cement was produced by the Japanese military industry in the last century. Here's a final hint: in the 1940s, the Japanese army withdrew from Jianpu Village."

Hu Ming looked at Gu Ziqing with a pretentious expression of surprise, as if to say, "You're not just a pretty face, you're not an idiot."

"...You mean, this used to be a military base for Japanese soldiers in this no-man's-land?"

Gu Ziqing was itching to see this, but he suppressed his displeasure and asked in a moment of realization.

"What else?" The blind man shrugged, sighing at the girl's thick skin.

"But how did Boss Huang know about this secret military base? Even though he's Japanese, it seems a bit too far-fetched that he knew about its existence."

Gu Ziqing frowned and continued to ask.

Not too stupid, but not smart either.

Hu Ming grinned.

"It's obvious to anyone with a brain that Okitajima could be connected to the ruins here and know about the military base in this no-man's-land in the last century... Perhaps, his father was the leader of that expeditionary force back then."

The blind man explained helplessly.

"Most of those mercenaries have also realized this, but their loyalty is to money, and the war half a century ago has no effect on them."

"I suppose they'll wisely ignore this; after all, until they receive the hefty final payment, Okitajima is their god."

Hu Ming added.