Wu Yong fired a rocket at the rock hill. With a loud explosion, debris flew, and the scorpions scattered in panic. The intense heat forced them to disperse further, attacking humans more fiercely. Stunned, Wu Yong couldn't help but curse: "Damn it!"

"Zhou You! Watch your back!" Li Yunxi, wielding a massive hammer, leapt and smashed down on a scorpion. With a clang, the creature was buried in the mud, but it emerged, still snapping its claws and fangs.

Zhou You jumped up, a scorpion darting beneath him. To his surprise, the creature suddenly flipped over and died. Turning around, he saw Shao Qi retracting his hand, then clutching his chest and coughing violently.

Shao Qi's muscles were tensed tightly. He had used his inner energy for that strike, depleting the vitality he'd painstakingly restored. He'd be incapacitated for some time now.

"Damn, why are these things so tough?" Li Yunxi swung her hammer as if playing whack-a-mole. The scorpions proved difficult foes, and she began to tire as more of them swarmed her.

"It's the end for me!" Li Yunxi always believed that her mid-level warrior skills would be enough against these mutant beasts. She hadn't expected to be overwhelmed so quickly; it was embarrassing.

Someone threw a lit matchstick their way. The flame scared off many scorpions, but many still surrounded Li Yunxi. If Shao Qi were there, he'd tell her these creatures held grudges.

"Yunxi!" A grenade exploded near Li Yunxi's feet. Flames spread rapidly, and scorpions unable to flee in time were incinerated within seconds.

Seeing this, everyone realized that the creatures feared fire. Unfortunately, they had only a few grenades left and had to save them for rescuing people.

Sitting atop a vehicle, Shao Qi directed where to launch the grenades, trying to save as many people as possible, before ordering the convoy to evacuate.

"Drive! Drive fast! Get us out of here!" Li Hongxi yelled as he ran. Vehicles, overloaded with people — some even clinging to roofs — began moving. Some were thrown off, immediately set upon by scorpions.

Li Hongxi ran forward, wielding a tree branch, sweeping the scorpions into the flames, clearing a path for his sister, Li Yunxi. The siblings dashed towards the convoy.

"Brother, Zhou You's still back there!" Li Yunxi saw Zhou You running in the opposite direction and tried to pull Li Hongxi back to rescue him.

"We can't help him now, Yunxi! Going there is a sure death!" Although Li Hongxi wanted to help, he knew his priority was the safety of the group. They couldn't risk everything for one person.

Zhou You saw someone hanging from a tree branch nearby. Running over, he recognized Old Qiao. Evading the ground's scorpions with agile steps, he shouted, "Uncle Qiao, jump down!"

Old Qiao, seeing his rescuer, shook his head and said, "Zhou, save yourself. Don't worry about me." In his panic, he had climbed the tree to escape a pursuing scorpion.

"No time for talk! Jump!" Zhou You picked up a stone, threw it at Old Qiao's hand, causing him to lose his grip. Catching the old man as he fell, Zhou You quickly carried him on his shoulder and ran into the forest.

"Zhou, this isn't the way to the convoy," Old Qiao observed as they disappeared into the darkness. He thought to himself, "From the frying pan into the fire."

"It doesn't matter. The path to the convoy is covered in scorpions; we can't go that way. Let's distance ourselves from those creatures first, and come morning, we'll find a shortcut to catch up."

From the bend in the road, Shao Qi's last glimpse was of Zhou You carrying someone into the forest. He thought, "The forest's dampness deters those scorpions, and Zhou You might just surprise us with his skills."

Still, whether they could make it out alive remained to be seen.

Chapter 021: The Little White Tiger.

Upon entering the vehicle, Li Yunxi burst into tears — mourning the disaster, the lost comrades, and Zhou You, whom they couldn't save in time.

The battle had lasted less than ten minutes, but it had been a matter of life and death. Many vehicles now had several empty seats, and everyone inside remained silent.

Over the intercom, Li Hongxi said, "I'm sorry. I made a wrong judgment choosing this site for our camp. I'll be more cautious in the future."

Everyone understood; in this unpredictable world, nobody was infallible.

"Captain... we've lost over a dozen brothers," Wu Yong remarked somberly.

The dead bodies were evident for all to see. The exploration team had lost more than a dozen members, and many more civilians had perished. Just moments before, everyone had been laughing and talking.

Shao Qi was ushered back into the medical vehicle, where Dr. Zhao had remained. Upon seeing them, he inquired, "Where's Zhou? Is he on another vehicle?"

Li Hongxi replied with discomfort, "Zhouyou... well... he didn't board."

Dr. Zhao paused for a moment, then softly said, "Oh, I see... Such a good lad." He turned away, wiping his eyes, and then calmly asked, "Any injuries?"

Li Hongxi shook his head, "None."

With the atmosphere growing heavy, Li Hongxi thanked Shao Qi, "We owe a lot to Mr. Shao this time. Our team would have suffered even more losses. This was our first encounter with such venomous scorpions."

Shao Qi remained silent. Li Hongxi, realizing his severe condition, didn’t want to disturb his rest and bid farewell. After he left, Shao Qi whispered from his bed, "Zhouyou isn't dead. He just can't return for now. With some luck, he might catch up with the convoy."

Dr. Zhao assumed Shao Qi was consoling himself and shook his head, "I've seen too many partings between life and death. We all have to adjust to this damned world."