Shanhai did the math: seven people had surrounded them, weapons in hand, ready to attack at any moment.

He just needed to quickly take out the remaining six—it would only take three seconds. During those three seconds, he just had to prevent Canglang from using his ranged weapon to harm Jian Xingyi, and then deal with Canglang last… As long as he protected Jian Xingyi, he stood a chance of winning.

“Understood.” Shanhai stood in front of Jian Xingyi. “So?”

“Brother Canglang…!” Just then, a woman rushed into the standoff and shouted, “Qingqing… she’s… she’s not going to make it! Shouldn’t you go back… to check on her?”

Canglang froze.

Only then did the woman belatedly notice the tense standoff all around her. She looked around in confusion and asked, “What… are you all doing?”

“Shanhai…!” The woman exclaimed in delight upon seeing Shanhai. “Big Brother Shanhai, are you here to save us?”

Canglang said nothing.

The woman paused, then shouted, “Brother Canglang, you guys aren’t going to start fighting again, are you?! Can’t you just talk things out? Do you really have to resort to violence again?”

Perhaps the woman’s words snapped Canglang out of his trance and gave him a way out. He jumped down from the branch and asked tentatively, “Could… could you help us? If you do, I’ll do anything for you!”

Shanhai furrowed his brow slightly.

Canglang’s wariness seemed to stem from a complete loss of trust in everyone around him, which was why he was so skittish—like a bird startled by a bowstring—and even a bit… like a desperate criminal ready to rob him and Jian Xingyi in a last-ditch effort.

Now that he realized he couldn’t win, he was humbly bowing his head, but the other party was a player at full strength…

Shanhai rarely encountered a fully-powered player in such a desperate state.

It seemed… had the players in the Rainforest truly been reduced to such a wretched state because of this strange rain?

Shanhai said, “Two conditions. One, behave yourself. Two, tell me everything about you, Yu Shen, and the 【Rain Never Stops】 guild.”

Canglang’s eyes widened.

“……”

Just then, Jian Xingyi whispered to Shanhai, “Save them first… we’ll talk after that.”

“Alright.” Shanhai would listen to whatever Jian Xingyi said anyway.

Rain in the jungle comes and goes quickly; two minutes later, it had stopped, and only then was Shanhai willing to carry Jian Xingyi out to join Canglang and the others at their “temporary shelter.”

After Canglang and the others left the guild, the zombie tide had just subsided, and the guild’s functions were still frozen, so they had no choice but to find a place to hide from the rain.

They found a cave of moderate size. Upon entering, Jian Xingyi and Shanhai saw five men and women lying inside, too sick to get up. In fact, the seven people who had surrounded them earlier also had red rashes on their bodies.

This was likely similar to Shanhai and Jian Xingyi’s situation: those with weaker constitutions had fallen first, while those in better health could still hold on—the severity of their discomfort and illness varied.

Shanhai gently laid Jian Xingyi down to one side, and everyone looked at him with curiosity.

Who is this sick person? Is he Shanhai’s partner?

Why have we never heard of Shanhai having a partner before? This… this doesn’t fit his persona at all!

Everyone observed him discreetly, utterly stunned.

But seeing how tenderly Shanhai treated Jian Xingyi, everyone—including Canglang—felt a little reassured.

At least he wasn’t the cold-hearted battle maniac of the rumors. He… should be able to understand everyone’s predicament, right?

Canglang said, “This is our current base. Many people have fallen ill, and their conditions are getting worse by the day. We… don’t really have any solutions.”

Shanhai tried to get a grasp of the situation. “So, if someone gets sick, you don’t have any means of treatment?”

“Yeah, we can only stay in a warm, dry place and wait. At most… drink plenty of water and eat well?”

In short, it was a matter of waiting to die and relying on one’s own immune system.

Shanhai turned and gently patted Jian Xingyi. “Xingxing, we’re here. The patients are over there.”

Shanhai pointed to Jian Xingyi.

Everyone was even more stunned.

Could it really be this gentle, somewhat frail-looking teenager who held the final say and the reins of control?

Jian Xingyi was recovering and feeling much better. He helped himself up with Shanhai’s support and handed the girl who had come looking for Canglang a cup of freshly made ginger milk—one for each of them.

They had run out of potions, and buying more would require waiting for the shop to restock. The speed-up potions in the VIP shop were a trump card Jian Xingyi had painstakingly stockpiled at great expense; he wouldn’t use them unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, his ginseng would still take another half-day to grow, but for now, this milk would at least be enough to tide them over.

Jian Xingyi said, “This milk helps delay and alleviate the symptoms of the illness, and the ginger also helps keep your body warm. If you want a true cure, you’ll have to wait until my ginseng is fully grown.”

A big shot who can just pull out these food supplies on a whim…

Canglang’s eyes widened. “You’re… Xinghe?!”

Jian Xingyi nodded. “So you can trust us. Tell us about your situation with Yu Shen. We just spoke with Wan Yu, and he said…”

Before he could finish, Canglang interrupted her urgently, “Don’t believe a single word that beast in human form says! He’s the one who ruined Yu Shen and us!”

Shanhai raised an eyebrow.

Bai Jie was right; the 【Xinghe】 ID was truly convincing. Now, players across the entire server trusted Jian Xingyi deeply, and his influence was remarkably effective even in the Rainforest, where he hadn’t even listed many items for sale yet.

Sure enough, Canglang and the others, who had originally been very wary of him, opened up immediately upon learning it was Jian Xingyi.

Now, everyone in the cave had drunk the ginger milk. The red rashes on the less severely affected players were slowly fading, and the players curled up on the ground had found relief, no longer showing signs of distress; they looked as though they could finally fall into a long-awaited deep sleep.

Canglang was deeply grateful. Sitting face-to-face with Jian Xingyi, he began recounting his ordeal: “It’s true that Yu Shen was injured during the zombie tide, but as a T1 player—and given our guild’s overall strength—he shouldn’t have been hurt that badly! It was Wan Yu, who was fighting back-to-back with him, who failed to provide timely support despite being capable of doing so! Yu Shen told me this in private, but without evidence or witnesses, we didn’t make a fuss about it. We even thought we might be overthinking things—until I went out to farm resources, and when I returned, Yu Shen had vanished… Qingqing and I live right next door to Yu Shen’s place, and she saw that the last person to enter Yu Shen’s home was Wan Yu!”

Canglang pointed to the girl lying nearby. “My sister.”

Jian Xingyi pondered, “But there’s no concrete evidence for any of this, and your sister didn’t actually see Wan Yu harm Yu Shen with her own eyes.”

Canglang suddenly fell silent, staring intently at Jian Xingyi as if hesitating whether to speak.

Jian Xingyi thought it over and decided to come clean: “Shanhai and I came here specifically to find Yu Shen. He’s been in touch with us the whole time.”

If we keep beating around the bush, neither side will make any progress—at best, things will blow up, and Shanhai will have to resort to force.

Canglang said, “Let’s go outside.”

There were too many people inside the cave. Once Canglang and the others were outside, he asked, “You and Yu Shen… are both part of that project on Grapevine Peak, aren’t you? I’ve heard rumors about it, and I was even approached before to see if I’d join.”

“……!”

Jian Xingyi and Shanhai exchanged glances, then Jian Xingyi nodded.

Canglang said, “This is just my speculation. Not long ago, Yu Shen mentioned to me that he was collecting special plants. He showed me some photos and said that once he collected six of them, he could unlock many secrets in the game and possibly gain access to vast resources. But he only told me this; I haven’t told anyone else. I’m wondering if Wan Yu found out something and is targeting him because he wants to keep those resources all to himself?”

“After all, when Qingqing and I went back to Yu Shen’s room to investigate, we found his cabinets had been ransacked, and all his notebooks were gone. His notebooks were all records of flora and fauna.”

Jian Xingyi pondered for a moment.

Six plants…

Jian Xingyi took out the scroll to show Canglang. “Is this what Yu Shen showed you earlier?”

The scroll clearly depicted six oddly shaped plants.

“Yes…!” Canglang was stunned. “Is this a mission for your organization…? Ah, never mind. It’s none of my business; I don’t need to know your secrets, but…”

Canglang lowered his gaze, his tone firm. “He’s not dead yet… The reason we left the Guild this time was to find Yu Shen, but so many people fell ill along the way that we had to stop here temporarily to rest. I will find him, and so will Qingqing and the others. Qingqing was personally saved by Yu Shen in the past, and the others who left with us this time couldn’t stand by and watch either. We won’t just hide away in the Guild for the sake of profit or self-preservation…”

Jian Xingyi nodded. “We’ll help too.”

First, this was a mission Bai Jie had entrusted to them; after all, they and Yu Shen were all part of the plan. Now that Yu Shen had put himself in danger for the Liberation Plan, it was only natural for them to help. Second, he was also curious about the plant depicted on that scroll.

Shanhai asked, “Has Yu Shen not contacted you?”

“No… I don’t know why either.” Canglang said dejectedly, “Maybe he didn’t want us to get involved, or maybe…”

Maybe he’s no longer able to log in, just like when Jian Xingyi was unconscious before.

But his ID is still online.

There’s hope!

Canglang changed the subject and said to Jian Xingyi, “By the way, I remember those food items—including the milk—you always list in the marketplace to make money, right? We shouldn’t take advantage of you. Just tell me the price, and I’ll pay you through the marketplace.”

Jian Xingyi was taken aback; he hadn’t expected Canglang to be so reasonable.

Jian Xingyi honestly charged him the price for 12 cups of ginger milk, which came to 6,000. As for the ginseng, Jian Xingyi thought for a moment. Although it was precious, it was a life-saving item. If he sold it, he’d be saving lives. Setting the price too high would be problematic if patients couldn’t afford it, so he finally settled on a moderately high price of 8,000.

Canglang paused, clearly surprised. “Just… only 8,000?”

Jian Xingyi nodded. His most expensive items were lychee juice at 30,000 and stir-fried pork with sugarcane at 10,000; most of his food items were in the several thousand range. Logically speaking, given that ginseng was a life-saving item in the rainforest, people would pay any price for it. But Jian Xingyi felt… since this was already considered medicine, he didn’t want to be too demanding.

Besides… 8,000 isn’t exactly cheap either!!

“You…” Canglang murmured, “There really are people who can be this selfless…”

No wonder everyone was willing to trust Xinghe.

After Yu Shen had hinted at the Human Liberation Plan to him and Wan Yu earlier, although he hadn’t resisted as strongly as Wan Yu had, he’d still harbored doubts deep down. Now, discussing matters face-to-face with Jian Xingyi and experiencing it firsthand, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of something subtle.

They had been judging a noble person with a petty mind.

Jian Xingyi opened his terminal to add Canglang as a friend and accepted the payment, including the dawn coins for the ginseng, a total of 168,000. It was no small sum. Canglang also sent him quite a few weapon accessories as an apology and a token of gratitude.

Jian Xingyi took the opportunity to upgrade his rifle.

9,500/10,000

Just a little more to go!

Jian Xingyi began to wonder what benefits his rifle would have once it reached S-rank.

After handling all this, the group returned to the cave. Shanhai said, “The ginseng will be ready for use in half a day. We must relocate immediately.”

Canglang paused for a moment, then quickly understood. “Mm.”

Jian Xingyi blinked.

Huh?

That urgent?

Shanhai explained quietly to Jian Xingyi, “For now, we’re temporarily trusting Canglang and have formed an alliance with them. If Canglang is telling the truth, then we—including Yu Shen—are now enemies with Wan Yu. He might very well bring people to surround and wipe us out.”

Jian Xingyi blinked. “They’ll dare to hunt you down?”

This is Shanhai, after all!

Shanhai said, “At the very least, they won’t let us find Yu Shen. Wan Yu’s top priority should be hunting down Yu Shen to silence him, followed by intercepting our operation.”

“Ah…” Jian Xingyi frowned. “Isn’t Yu Shen in grave danger right now?”

“That’s why we need to hurry. But with his knowledge and combat skills, he should be fine hiding in the woods for a while. You’ve been watching for so long, and his ID is still online—that shows he’s a resourceful guy.”

“Oh…”

Half a day later, everyone was ready to set off for the higher-level Python Zone.

Although they weren’t sure exactly where Yu Shen was, Canglang and the others’ guesses were the same—they all believed that in this situation, Yu Shen would likely head to a higher-difficulty zone to save his own life.

Qingqing, who had already regained the strength to stand before they left and was gradually recovering from her illness, asked Jian Xingyi with eyes full of admiration, “I have a friend in another guild who’s sick too…

I was wondering if you could sell ginseng and milk to them, too?”

Jian Xingyi thought for a moment, “Why don’t I just list them for sale?”

It had now been exactly two days.

“Ah…! Great!! Thank you for coming to save us!”

Everyone in the cave now looked at Jian Xingyi with the same adoring gaze as Qingqing.

Moments later, food was listed in all zones—the usual items.

Except for the Rainforest Zone.

The Rainforest Zone had two new items.

—Ginger Milk for 6,000 dawn coins, which can be drunk before heading out; this boosts resistance and raises body temperature, making one less prone to illness.

—Ginseng soup for 8,000 dawn coins—a cure-all if you do happen to fall ill.

【Huh? Wait, does the ginseng soup really work? Huh?? Are we saved? And at this price… Oh my god, Xinghe is like a bodhisattva! So cheap…】

【It’s true!! I was sick just now, but I felt better right after drinking it!】

【Sis, you’re a “Rain Never Stops” member! Aaaah, I’m rushing over!!!】

【Aaaah, now I can finally go explore the wilderness! My health’s been too weak to go out, so I’ve been stuck at home for days. But if this keeps up, I’ll starve to death… Now that I’ve had the milk, I’m back in the game!】

【You won’t starve to death!! Xinghe is here to sell food. He’s finally bestowing us his grace—I’m about to cry!!】

But Jian Xingyi didn’t have much ginseng in stock. He’d only planted three plots as an experiment, so now demand far outstripped supply.

【I’m begging on my knees for Big Shot Xinghe to give us more ginseng qaq. It’s fine if it’s a bit pricier—you can’t skimp on the price of your life… 】

【Please, Big Shot Xinghe… My friend didn’t manage to snag any, but he’s really sick. Could you restock the ginseng…?!】

Jian Xingyi immediately logged in to reassure everyone and promised new stock in two days, while urgently planting ginseng across his A-grade fields.

But rushing wouldn’t help; even if he used up every last catalyst in his backpack, he couldn’t produce much more.

Fortunately, thanks to regular harvests at the dairy farm, his backpack was stocked full of milk. Although ginseng was in short supply, everyone could still use the milk as a temporary stopgap.

Jian Xingyi listed all the milk he had stockpiled in his backpack at once, and everyone snapped it up like they’d found a lifeline. As a result, the 40 million he usually earned per listing jumped to 50 million this time.

The distance to Jian Xingyi’s goal…

395 million out of 500 million

Almost there!

Just as Jian Xingyi was about to log off with a satisfied smile, he noticed a red dot on her Savior System.

Clicking it open, Jian Xingyi was shocked to discover that his reputation points had actually risen significantly.

His reputation, which had been 200, was now 220.

Looking at the details, he saw it was due to gratitude from players.

It seemed to be because of the milk and ginseng.

【200: The Savior can establish a 【Guild】. The guild can conduct cross-region trading with no restrictions on players, amounts, or goods, and can use the 【Recruit】 member function.】

【300: The Savior can establish an 【Alliance】 and use the 【Recruit】 ally function.】

Jian Xingyi thought to himself that once his reputation reached 300, he would be able to unlock the Alliance function.

But for now, he was still working hard just to get the guild up and running, so he’d take it one step at a time.

Once everything was settled, the group set off for the Python Zone.

Although the Python Zone was one of the most dangerous areas in the rainforest—home not only to pythons but also to many poisonous insects and plants—if everyone’s illnesses were cured, their combat strength wouldn’t be low, so it shouldn’t be a major problem.

Sure enough, Jian Xingyi soon received a message from Wan Yu.

Wan Yu: 【Thank you so much for listing the ginseng and milk. I have to say, this is exactly what we needed—it’s a lifesaver for all of us!】

Wan Yu: 【I saw Qingqing and the others’ posts on the channel. You must have run into them? Did you save them? I’m so grateful to you. I was really worried about them, too. Would it be possible for you to join us and work together?】

Jian Xingyi and Shanhai exchanged glances and decided to handle the situation by themselves for now.

They weren’t part of the Rainforest group, and they didn’t want to get too involved in judging who was right or wrong. Their primary mission was simply to ensure Yu Shen’s safety.

Once they entered the python zone, Jian Xingyi could feel the forest growing denser, with branches crisscrossing everywhere, and the surroundings growing even quieter.

“Stay close to me.”

Shanhai held Jian Xingyi’s hand tightly.

Qingqing, clutching Canglang beside her, whispered, “So… are Xinghe and Shanhai a couple?!”

Canglang: “I don’t know.”

He was shocked too.

Qingqing grabbed her best friend again, “Remember what everyone was discussing on the public channel earlier? Could that mysterious man by Big Shot Xinghe’s side actually be Big Shot Shanhai in disguise?!”

“Huh?! That makes sense…! Isn’t that just too amazing?”

Everyone whispered among themselves, watching the two with curiosity.

The Resource Lord and the server’s top fighter are together…!

Just as everyone was chatting and moving forward, they heard faint rustling sounds coming from all around.

No one wanted to pick a fight with a python in the jungle. Everyone stopped in their tracks simultaneously, remaining silent and motionless.

Not far away, a massive python was coiled around a tree, moving slowly.

The golden python’s body was thicker than the tree trunk itself, causing the trunk to tremble under its weight.

Jian Xingyi made a rough estimate: the python’s diameter was larger than two of his own.

They couldn’t see the python’s head or tail; all they could see was its constantly writhing body and the dense, gleaming scales.

Jian Xingyi swallowed hard.

Though terrified, Jian Xingyi, still trembling with fear, cast a skill at the python.

【Harvest Successful, Absorbed 【Essence】 x50】

That’s… that’s quite a lot.

【Harvest Successful, Obtained 【Grade A Baby Snake】 x30】

Ah, that’s actually quite a rare match.

Every time he used a skill on a wild boar, he’d get a lamb; when he used it on a sheep, he’d get a calf—it was completely absurd. But this time, using it on Python actually yielded…

Yielded…

Baby snakes?!?!

Huh????

Jian Xingyi’s eyes widened.

Wait… chickens, sheep, pigs, and fish appearing in the livestock area is normal, but why on earth would he raise snakes?

The system wouldn’t be that twisted, would it? Are we supposed to eat snake meat now?

And…

So far, all the byproducts he’s obtained from the livestock area—even the loaches that live in water—have been basic varieties, similar to the rice in the farming area, so their effects are all the same.

But this little snake wasn’t a basic item—it was Grade A!

It was his first Grade A item!

What could Grade A meat be used for? Would it be something special?

Anyway, since everyone was stuck in place and had to wait for the python to leave, Jian Xingyi decided to open the backend interface.

The snake-rearing area—a small grove enclosed by an iron cage—had already been prepared by the system, saving Jian Xingyi 50,000 credits.

Jian Xingyi decided to try raising them.

He wasn’t sure what use they’d serve… but he now trusted the system implicitly. After all, he’d once thought milk was completely useless, so he was going to raise these little snakes properly.

“Hiss…”

The python was finally leaving; everyone saw its tail swaying. They breathed a sigh of relief and continued on their way.

If they were hiding in the python zone, they would surely come to the stream for water to survive, so everyone headed to the stream first.

“Wait.”

Canglang spotted bloodstains on a rock by the shore.

Qingqing said dejectedly, “But we can’t tell whose blood this is just from the stains… and it looks like it’s been dry for a long time.”

“I have a Rainforest Dungeon identification tool.” Shanhai pulled out a small, circular device.

By pointing the device at bloodstains, bones, flesh, or remains, it could identify whose they belonged to. This tool was originally intended for players to track and detect Rainforest creatures.

Beep—

【Player 【Yu Shen】’s Bloodstain】

“Holy shit…” Canglang’s eyes widened, and he felt his blood run cold in an instant.

Regardless, this was good news—at least they were heading in the right direction!

Hope was reignited!

And…

Canglang scratched his head. “Why didn’t I get this when I cleared the dungeon?! How did you get it?”

Shanhai: “It’s a bonus reward for a 100% clear.”

“Huh?! 100%?! Dude… you got 100% in that dungeon?” Canglang was even more dumbfounded.

Just then, Shanhai’s eyes flashed with determination. He swiftly scooped up Jian Xingyi and sprinted to the side, barking, “Spread out!”

Whoosh—

At the same moment, a massive net suddenly appeared overhead, covering the entire sky.

The net was made of S-grade material; even the Tomb-Guarding Wolf and the Python might not be able to break free for a while. It seemed the enemy had spared no expense.

Not far away, Wan Yu led a group of people to surround them, his gaze icy cold.

Canglang dodged the net, but Qingqing and many others were trapped. Canglang stood panting to the side, glancing at the captured group, then at Wan Yu standing high above. His eyes reddened as he cursed under his breath, “Despicable!”

Wan Yu turned to Shanhai and Jian Xingyi with a smile, “My apologies. Please believe me, I have absolutely no intention of harming you. However, there has been a misunderstanding between the guild members and me, and I need to resolve it.”

Shanhai shielded Jian Xingyi behind him, staring expressionlessly at the approaching group.

Jian Xingyi was dumbfounded.

Well, of course… If they could think of it, Wan Yu and his group surely could too, which is why they’d come here to surround and trap them and Yu Shen.

“Handle?! Hah…” Canglang glanced at the people standing beside Wan Yu. “One, two… nine. You nine traitors—I’ve never asked anyone to step forward and uphold justice, yet you’ve ignored the truth and sided with the murderer, driving Yu Shen and us into a corner… I’ll remember you!”

One of the people beside Wan Yu spoke up: “Canglang, you really think too highly of yourself, don’t you? What gives you the right to claim your version is the truth? Do you have any evidence?”

Wan Yu shook her head. “Canglang, you’re so obsessed with Yu Shen that you’ve lost your mind. Don’t drag my guild members into this. What are you doing, bringing them out here to get soaked in the rain and put themselves in danger? As Guild President, I order you all to go back!”

“Pfft!” Qingqing and the others snapped. “We came out of our own free will! Yu Shen is our partner—what’s it to you if we’re out looking for him?! What business is it of yours?!”

“Exactly! Are you hiding something? Why won’t you let us find Brother Yu Shen?!”

“Then don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Wan Yu pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said coldly, “It’s just one Yu Shen, but he’s torn my guild apart. I simply cannot tolerate this. You can either go back quietly—after all, we’re still partners with shared interests in 【Rain Never Stops】—or I’ll execute you right here and now. Otherwise, if you keep causing trouble and even team up with Yu Shen to spread rumors and stir up trouble, how is our guild supposed to function?”

Wan Yu waved his hand, signaling them to raise their rifles.