Tian Tian noticed their little exchange. She sniffed the air, frowned, and whispered to Bai Xi, "Sister Bai, I smell blood."
"Are you sure?" Bai Xi's brow furrowed. This was no small matter. If there really were mutated creatures in the village, they would be in serious trouble.
Tian Tian gave a firm nod.
Bai Xi stepped forward and suggested, "Uncle Tan, we should get out of here right now! This place isn't safe. Something could easily go wrong."
Mutated creatures were highly sensitive to blood. A single whiff could trigger a rampage. If they delayed any longer, they wouldn't be able to leave at all.
Hearing that they had to leave immediately, the rest of the group grew displeased. They had only just sat down to rest, and the sun was still glaring outside.
"Miss, we're just on the outskirts of the village. Isn't that an overreaction?" Chen Feifei said gently, though her words carried undisguised reproach.
"We've been here for a while and nothing has happened. You're being paranoid," added He Mei, who rarely spoke. She didn't want to leave either; it was simply too hot.
Tan Mingshan hesitated. He was worried whether Professor Chen's body could handle moving out again so soon.
"Which is more important, suffering a little discomfort or losing your life?" Bai Xi rolled her eyes overtly. She wondered if these people were blind to the reality of their situation. This was the apocalypse; danger and accidents could strike at any moment.
"Since we can't reach an agreement, let's part ways here!" Bai Xi didn't plan on lingering, fearing something might happen. She had no intention of wasting her breath trying to persuade them. Giving them advance warning was already doing more than enough.
With that, Bai Xi walked out without looking back. Tian Tian grabbed Tian Mo and quickly followed suit.
The people left in the house were dumbfounded.
"She just left like that?" He Mei hadn't expected Bai Xi to be so decisive.
"We're supposed to be a team! How could she just leave on her own?" Chen Feifei was also taken aback. Although she disliked Bai Xi, she knew that anyone who could survive in this environment while dragging along an older and a younger child definitely had some real skills.
Tan Mingshan and Han Dong were equally surprised by the girl's abrupt departure.
"Uncle Tan, should we follow them?" Han Dong actually agreed with Bai Xi. This village was far too eerie; it was better to leave sooner rather than later.
Tan Mingshan was also inclined to leave early. He looked at the only elderly person in the group and asked, "Professor Chen, can you hold up?"
"No problem. These old bones of mine can still manage a few steps," Professor Chen replied. He knew he was a burden to the team, but he couldn't leave Chen Feifei unsupervised. As long as he was alive, he still had some value and could protect her.
Tan Mingshan looked around. "Where are Li Meng and Fang Xiang?"
Everyone exchanged blank glances; no one had noticed where the couple had gone.
"They probably went to the bathroom," He Mei said, recalling that she had seen them slip away earlier.
A few minutes later, Li Meng and Fang Xiang hurried back from behind the house.
"Captain Tan, let's go, quickly!" Fang Xiang urged as soon as he returned.
"Since we've decided to leave, it's better to head out early," Li Meng chimed in.
Seeing their sudden change in attitude, He Mei retorted bluntly, "Weren't you two the most opposed to leaving? Why are you suddenly so eager?" She knew Li Meng was always guarding against her, terrified she might steal her boyfriend. As if anyone would ever be interested in a guy like Fang Xiang!
"Li Meng, did you guys run into something?" Chen Feifei asked, catching the urgency in Li Meng's voice.
"What could we possibly run into? We're just worried that if it gets dark, we won't be able to find a place to rest!" Li Meng brushed her off. She grabbed her and Fang Xiang's backpacks, pulling him toward the door.
"Since everyone is here, let's move out!" Tan Mingshan slightly furrowed his brow. As a seasoned veteran police officer, he naturally sensed that there was something wrong with Fang Xiang and Li Meng, but right now, team unity was the top priority.
After some brief shuffling, the rest of the group also departed. He Mei and Qian Qishan took the lead. Tan Mingshan and Chen Feifei walked in the middle, each supporting one of Professor Chen's arms, while Han Dong brought up the rear.
By the time the six of them stepped out of the house, Li Meng and Fang Xiang were nowhere to be seen.
"Did someone light a fire under those two? Why are they running so fast?" He Mei cursed loudly.
The couple's abnormal behavior made everyone instinctively feel that something was off. They quickened their pace, though they hadn't yet realized the true nature of the problem.
Before they could take more than a few steps, a dense, scuttling sound echoed from behind them. Turning around, they saw a massive swarm of black spiders crawling toward them. Every single one was the size of a groundhog.
"Oh no." Tan Mingshan's face darkened. He felt a pang of regret for not listening to Bai Xi and leaving immediately.
"My God! How can there be spiders this big?" Qian Qishan was paralyzed with fear.
"Run! Don't hesitate!" Tan Mingshan shouted.
He hoisted Professor Chen onto his back and sprinted toward the outskirts of the village, with Han Dong covering their retreat. Chen Feifei yelled, "Hurry up, Grandpa!" even though she had already sprinted far ahead.
Watching his granddaughter abandon him to flee for her own life, Professor Chen sighed silently. "Officer Tan, if it comes down to it, just put me down. There's no need to throw away your lives for an old man like me."
"Professor Chen, it's fine," Tan Mingshan said, his expression resolute. Professor Chen Kunshan was a top national scientist holding crucial research data. Tan Mingshan couldn't give up on him; he had to complete his mission.
After fleeing, Li Meng felt a wave of guilt. "Fang Xiang, why don't we go back and check on them? Isn't it a bit wrong to just leave like this?"
"With that many spiders, are you going to fight them off?" It was too dangerous, and Fang Xiang refused to turn back, though he knew Li Meng had a point. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind. "I've got it! Let's go find Bai Xi. Isn't she supposed to be really tough? We'll have her go rescue them."
"Okay." Li Meng fully agreed. That way, the others would be saved, and she wouldn't feel so guilty.
The two of them quickly sprinted ahead.
Meanwhile, after leaving the village, Bai Xi and her two companions were in no rush. Since they were already out, they took their time.
"Tian Tian, where are you guys from?" Bai Xi asked casually, feeling a bit bored on the road.
"We're from Anqing Prefecture, East Union State," Tian Tian replied. Because of Tian Mo's telepathy, she didn't harbor much wariness toward Bai Xi.
"Anqing Prefecture, East Union State?" Bai Xi looked bewildered. Since when did administrative divisions use states and prefectures? Wasn't it provinces and cities?
"Uh-huh. Sister Bai, where are you from?" Tian Tian was very curious. After this round of the game ended, she could find Sister Bai to hang out and build their relationship.
"Tianfu City, Nan'an Province." Bai Xi made up a random address, keeping the modern administrative divisions just to test Tian Tian.
Bai Xi's words surprised Tian Tian as well. "Are provinces and cities administrative divisions? Why have I never heard of them?"
Bai Xi clicked her tongue. "Maybe we're not from the same world."
"Not from the same world?" Tian Tian's jaw dropped, and it took her a long while to close her mouth. She had never considered such a possibility, always subconsciously assuming they were all from the exact same world.
Bai Xi shrugged, feeling a bit surprised herself. If what Tian Tian said was true, then this was blockbuster news.