In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

Instead of wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly, he carefully observed the distribution of plants on the rock face.

In special forces, wilderness survival is a mandatory course. And finding water is of paramount importance.

Experienced soldiers can determine the general direction of underground water veins by observing the type and growth of vegetation.

Soon, he found several clumps of ferns growing in the crevices of a rock wall in the shade.

These plants prefer shade and moisture, and their presence suggests that there is a high probability of a stable water source behind this rock wall, even if it is just water vapor seeping out.

Qin Shao-Lang reached out and touched the cold rock.

It felt slightly damp to the touch.

It is here.

He held the angular stone he had picked up in his hand, and with his other hand he took out the sharp peeling knife.

He did not choose to throw stones.

That would be too much of a commotion and might attract unnecessary trouble.

He chose the most time-consuming, but also the quietest, method.

He aimed the tip of his knife at a natural crevice in the rock, then held the stone with his other hand and began to rhythmically tap the end of the knife handle gently, again and again.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

A dull, faint sound rose in the silent night, only to be quickly dispersed by the wind.

This is a task that requires immense patience and physical strength.

He needs to precisely control the force of each strike, ensuring the blade tip penetrates deep into the rock without applying too much force and breaking the blade.

Time passed by, second by second.

Qin Shaolang's forehead was covered in sweat, but his tapping rhythm remained perfectly steady.

His arms were sore and numb, and the space between his thumb and forefinger was already numb from the shock, but his movements remained as steady as a precise machine.

Finally, after countless taps...

"Click".

With a soft sound, the tip of the knife seemed to break through something.

Qin Shaolang stopped what he was doing and slowly pulled out the knife.

A scent, more moist and earthy than the surrounding air, seeped out from the small hole he had drilled.

There's water!

Qin Shao-Lang was invigorated.

He put the knife away, then bent down and put his mouth to the small hole.

Immediately, a cool, sweet liquid flowed slowly into his mouth through the stone hole.

It wasn't a gushing spring, but rather a mountain spring that slowly seeped out drop by drop from deep within the rocks.

Although the flow rate is slow, it is continuous.

That's enough!

For nearly a hundred people, this flow rate might not be enough to drink freely, but it is sufficient as life-saving water to sustain life.

Qin Shaolang did not drink immediately, but simply moistened his chapped lips.

He untied the water pouch from his waist, aligned the opening with the small hole, and patiently waited for the water to fill it drop by drop.

This is a long process.

When he returned to the campsite carrying his now heavy water bag, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

The people in the valley had endured a whole night of fear and thirst, and their faces were ashen.

Su Jin also didn't sleep all night. Her lips were chapped and her face was pale, but she still stood there straight, like a statue waiting for her husband.

When Qin Shaolang's familiar figure emerged from the dim light of dawn, Su Jin felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body.

He is back.

He really came back.

Everyone saw him.

And the bulging water bag in his hand.

"water……"

Someone shouted in a hoarse voice.

The entire valley fell into a deathly silence.

The next second, everyone's eyes were fixed on the water pouch in Qin Shaolang's hand, their gazes more greedy than a hungry wolf seeing flesh and blood.

Qin Shaolang ignored everyone.

He walked through the crowd and went straight to Su Jin.

He didn't say anything, but simply handed the heavy water bag to her.

Su Jin subconsciously took it, but the weight of the water bag and its icy touch brought her back to her senses.

She looked up at the man in front of her.

He looked exhausted, his clothes covered in mud and dew, and he appeared somewhat disheveled.

But in Su Jin's eyes, he had never seemed so tall and imposing.

"Give it to Su Tang first." Qin Shaolang's voice was a little hoarse, but exceptionally clear.

Su Jin took the water pouch; its cool touch and heavy weight steadied her trembling hands.

She looked up at Qin Shaolang.

The man's face was somewhat blurred in the morning light, but his eyes, even though they were bloodshot, were still surprisingly bright.

"Give it to Su Tang first."

Qin Shaolang's voice was hoarse, yet it was like a command, clearly reaching Su Jin's ears.

Without hesitation, Su Jin nodded and turned to walk quickly toward the corner where they were temporarily staying.

Su Tang was already awake, or rather, she hadn't been asleep at all. The little girl was curled up on the dry straw her sister had laid out, her face sallow and her lips cracked and peeling. When she saw her sister return, she blinked weakly.

"sister……"

A single word, spoken as softly as a mosquito's buzz.

"Don't speak." Su Jin knelt down beside her and carefully unscrewed the stopper of the water bag.

A refreshing mist wafted towards me.

Su Tang's eyes lit up instantly.

Su Jin brought the water pouch to her younger sister's lips and whispered, "Drink slowly."

The sweet spring water flowed into her parched throat. Su Tang felt like a seedling that had been drought-stricken and had finally met with sweet rain. She instinctively wanted to gulp it down, but Su Jin controlled her and she could only sip it little by little.

In that instant, the desires that had been suppressed all night in the camp erupted completely.

"Water! He really found water!"

"Give me a sip! Please, just one sip!"

"My child is dying!"

The crowd stirred instantly, like dry tinder being ignited. Dozens of people, parched to the extreme, with a crazed glint in their eyes, unanimously surrounded Qin Shaolang. Their reason had been completely overwhelmed by the instinct for survival.

Wang Tiezhu's expression changed drastically. He immediately led several relatively calm men to block Qin Shaolang's path, shouting fiercely, "What are you doing! Do you all want to rebel? Get back!"

However, his rebukes seemed pale and powerless in the face of the threat of death.

The man closest to him, his eyes bloodshot, suddenly reached out to snatch Qin Shaolang. He didn't care about anything else; all he wanted was water.

Qin Shaolang stood still.

Just as that filthy hand was about to touch the hem of his clothes.

"Whoosh!"

A cold light flashed.

Qin Shaolang had somehow reappeared the skinning knife in his hand, and the tip of the knife stopped precisely an inch in front of the man's Adam's apple.

A chilling killing intent, like a tangible cold current, instantly enveloped the entire area.

The man's hair stood on end, and his body stiffened like a stone. He could clearly feel that if he moved forward even a little further, the sharp tip of the knife would pierce his throat without hesitation.

The entire commotion seemed to be paused, instantly falling silent.

Everyone was stunned by Qin Shaolang's move.

That was not a threat, not intimidation.

It was pure, emotionless killing intent. They had no doubt that this man would actually kill, just as swiftly and decisively as he had killed Zhao the Crippled Dog and his gang.