Chapter 2287 - 71: One-Night Stand Shen

Ye Bai said, "Let me carry it, you’re already heavy."

Shen You glanced at Ye Bai. This place was dangerous; no matter how strong she was, she was still a girl. He didn’t say anything, just slung the pack onto his own back.

Ye Bai, "..."

She looked at Shen You several times.

Shen You also glanced at Ye Bai. If only one of the two of them could walk out of this swamp, then it could only be Ye Bai.

Ye Bai felt the intensity of Shen You’s gaze; an indescribable feeling suddenly rose in her heart.

Shen You walked up front, thrust his probe staff into the swamp ahead, found a shallower spot to step into, and reminded Ye Bai behind him, "There are often ponds in swamps formed by jungle plants, like that patch up ahead. These suspended mats made of sedge, wild rice grass, and soil all differ in strength, thickness, and bearing capacity. Walking on them, it’s very easy for accidents to happen."

Ye Bai said, "Mm."

Honestly, she had never crossed a swamp before; she really didn’t know anything about this.

Shen You took a slow step forward. "When crossing a swamp, everyone should probe their own route. Don’t reuse other people’s footprints. If you keep stepping in the same spot, the weight all falls on a single line and it’s easy for danger to occur."

Ye Bai watched Shen You’s back. If she didn’t know he bore no hostility toward her, if it were someone else saying this, she would’ve thought he was trying to harm her or shake her off.

There was no particular reason; she just felt he wouldn’t.

Ye Bai gripped the probe staff in her hand and imitated Shen You, searching for solid ground or shallower mud and water. She quickly found a firm patch that Shen You hadn’t stepped on and that wasn’t in the same line, then stepped in. Her foot and half her calf sank into the muck almost at once, as if a hand had grabbed hold and was dragging her down, heavy and weighty.

She took a few seconds to adjust, then probed another step and slowly shifted her second step forward.

Looking at Shen You not far ahead, he was much more proficient than she was.

In this regard, Shen You indeed knew far more than just a little.

Honestly, this was her first time walking into a swamp.

Shen You said, "When you have to walk in single file, you should keep some distance to prevent the weight from concentrating too much. Also, try to make use of raised hummocks. If you come across places with bright green plants, go around them, because they’re either in a high-humidity zone or on a thin floating layer, and there’s likely a mud pit underneath. You should avoid walking there to keep from causing too much vibration."

Ye Bai listened carefully. She knew there was danger here, that at any moment one of them might not make it out.

He’s teaching her, isn’t he?

She looked over at Shen You.

Shen You also looked at her.

Their gazes met. In such an environment, they gave each other a warm look.

Shen You went on, "Remember how to identify dangerous quagmires."

Ye Bai nodded, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Shen You said, "When you see a stretch of black, bare ground with not a blade of grass, you have to be extra careful. At the same time, pay close attention to young peat-moss bogs. Sometimes, water moss completely covers the swamp surface like a carpet. Those places are the most dangerous traps."

...

Shen You kept talking, walking as he spoke, doing his best to pass on all the knowledge he knew to Ye Bai.

Ye Bai had a good memory; she remembered everything. Following behind Shen You, they made it all the way through with thrills but no real danger.

As they walked, Shen You suddenly stopped.

Ye Bai looked at him. "What is it?"

Shen You’s voice grew solemn. "There’s a dangerous stretch up ahead. Be careful. It’s a single-line path. Follow me, keep a one-meter distance—don’t be too far, and don’t be too close."

Ye Bai also stopped, looking at Shen You, a sudden, inexplicable tension rising in her.

The section they had just crossed—even if it hadn’t been deadly, the swamp had still dragged on both legs. By now, her calves were sore and tired!