182: Into the hinterland

Su Can was not blind; on the contrary, he was observant and had long seen through the covetous desires of several people.

Wei Dandan, with a look of disgust, took a bite of the compressed rations and refused to eat any more, constantly glancing over at them.

He Yuan, seeing the hawk gorging itself, couldn't bring himself to speak the words on the tip of his tongue.

He squeezed the compressed rations in his hand, first swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and then silently put them into his mouth to chew.

Zhu Lei and Su Ran had strange expressions, some of them suppressing laughter.

Su Can didn't care in the slightest, stood up, and looked at Zhao Hao, saying, "You lead the way now, and I'll bring up the rear."

"Alright."

Zhao Hao nodded and looked at everyone, saying, "Are you all full and hydrated?"

"Full, so full!" Yang Fan said with a smirk, picking his teeth.

He Yuan and the other two took a deep breath, only able to nod with a grimace.

Zhao Hao saw this and said, "Good, in that case, let's continue our journey and explore deeper."

"Yang Fan, you follow behind me, the women walk in the middle, and Brother Su brings up the rear."

Seeing Su Can nod, everyone had no objections, and Zhao Hao tidied up before walking to the front.

The path ahead, though still not easy, had very few bushes, much better than before.

Only Wei Dandan and Zhang Chao, the couple, occasionally complained.

It was typical resentment in their hearts.

Unfortunately, He Yuan had previously stood with them on the same front, but now He Yuan was wisely silent, leaving just the two of them to complain, completely ignored.

Gradually, Wei Dandan and the other realized everyone's attitude and finally quieted down.

As they entered the mountain's interior, the surrounding cold grew heavier, and the bushes became scarcer, replaced by thick, twisted hundred-year-old, even thousand-year-old ancient trees everywhere.

Moreover, in some places, there were faint white mists swirling, making people instinctively hesitant to approach.

"Everyone, put on your masks. That white mist is miasma. Although it's not poisonous miasma, inhaling it is not good for the body, so it's better to have an extra layer of protection!"

As soon as Zhao Hao finished speaking, everyone quickly put on their masks.

Only Su Can, following behind the group, didn't care in the slightest.

With his current powerful physique, let alone non-poisonous miasma, even poisonous miasma couldn't harm him.

"Brother Su, aren't you going to wear a mask? Just to be safe."

Zhao Hao, seeing Su Can's indifference, kindly reminded him.

Su Can waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about me. I grew up in the mountains and have a special constitution. I'm immune to common toxins. A mere miasma is no big deal!"

"That's possible?"

Zhao Hao showed an envious expression, naturally attributing what Su Can said to the methods of a hidden family in his heart.

If it weren't for the methods of a hidden family, how could one cultivate a physique unafraid of toxins?

However, envy was one thing; he dared not expose Su Can.

"Su Can, are you sure you're alright?"

Su Ran looked at Su Can with some concern, and he smiled, saying, "Don't worry, I won't risk my own safety."

"Mm."

Su Ran thought of Su Can's abilities and the 'pets' he raised, which was enough to explain what had happened.

Everyone stopped talking, conserving their strength, adjusting their breathing, and continuing to delve deeper.

Gradually, the sunlight could no longer penetrate.

Dense forests were everywhere, with thick layers of fallen leaves and branches underfoot. As far as the eye could see, various trees intertwined, and roots were intertwined.

Some tree roots were even exposed, taller than a person, covered in dense root hairs that hung to the ground like hair.

There were also ubiquitous mosses, wild mushrooms, and even many strange small geckos, small lizards, and other small animals.

Su Can walked at the very back, holding a knife in one hand and a book in the other.

On the book were four ancient characters: Xuan Qing Pill Scripture.

Not a single person in the group recognized these four ancient characters.

This also drew Wei Dandan's sarcasm: "Putting on airs, clearly going into the mountains to find medicine, but acting like he's going to the imperial examination. Truly a spectacle!"

Su Ran frowned upon hearing this, her steps involuntarily pausing, wanting to turn around and say a few words.

However, she thought that it was better to avoid trouble, and seeing that Su Can was lagging behind and hadn't heard, she held back.

But no one noticed a dry branch, only as big as a small finger, suddenly springing up without warning, hitting Wei Dandan's calf with a 'snap'.

"Ouch!"

Wei Dandan felt a sharp pain in her calf, as if she had been struck by a stick, making her cry out in pain and almost fall.

"What's wrong, Dandan?" Zhang Chao asked, approaching anxiously.

"I don't know, it feels like something hit me, it hurts so much!"

Wei Dandan said, pulling up her pant leg. There was indeed a mark on her calf, and when she touched it, it burned with pain.

"What's going on? How did you get hurt for no reason?"

Zhao Hao also walked over, frowning as he looked at Wei Dandan's leg injury.

Strange, why did it look so much like it was caused by some kind of hidden weapon technique?

Could it be...?

Zhao Hao subtly glanced at Su Can, finding him seriously looking at the ancient book in his hand, and couldn't help but wonder, "Am I overthinking it?"

"I've checked, it's just a superficial injury, nothing serious, and no signs of poisoning or inflammation. Just be more careful when walking later and don't get distracted."

Zhao Hao instructed, glanced at the lagging Su Can again, shook his head, and continued to lead the way.

No one noticed the imperceptible cold smile that curved Su Can's lips.

That's right, that wooden stick was deliberately used by Su Can, employing his mental power, to hit Wei Dandan's leg.

This woman had been targeting and ridiculing him all along, using the fact that she was a woman to speak disrespectfully, and he was thoroughly annoyed.

That was just to teach her a lesson.

"If there's a next time, I'll hit your face directly!"

Su Can thought to himself, then refocused his attention on the Xuan Qing Pill Scripture in his hand.

This Dan Jue (Pill Scripture) appeared to be just a book, but in reality, it contained much more. A single page recorded content far exceeding that of a whole book.

"It seems this Dan Jue (Pill Scripture) is also a type of magical artifact, but specifically used for recording and containing knowledge."

Su Can was extremely interested in this Xuan Qing Pill Scripture; the various pill recipes and their effects made him eager to try them out.