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Everyone fell silent for a moment, and Zhang Xiao raised an eyebrow, lightly sharing some knowledge with the group.
"This is an Armadillo, slightly larger than those found outside. It won't attack humans unless provoked."
After the previous lesson, Xu Nuan's trust in Zhang Xiao plummeted to zero. She waited for the System's prompt, feeling that would be safer.
Strangely, this time, the System did not provide any prompts.
Stealing a glance at Zhang Xiao, she noticed he showed no signs of concern. Xu Nuan lowered her gaze in thought. Was it that the System deemed this animal unnecessary to introduce, or was it because Zhang Xiao was present?
However, usually when the Third Batch of Players gathered, the System would issue a prompt. Even when she joined, the System had responded.
No, Xu Nuan suddenly raised her head and casually looked for a place with a loudspeaker. She squinted and pondered carefully.
Unlike before, this time Tang Jingshu was absent.
Could it be that triggering the System's prompts required all members of the Third Batch of Players to be present?
Xu Nuan vaguely sensed something but wasn't sure.
The uniqueness of the Third Batch of Players definitely went beyond this aspect.
While Xu Nuan was deep in thought, she heard Deng Yinyin's indifferent voice.
"If it doesn't attack us, then we can just walk past it. There's no need to be nervous."
Xu Nuan opened her eyes wide and took a closer look at the rather unappealing creature ahead.
Zhang Xiao's voice rang out again.
"Although it won't attack humans indiscriminately, it carries leprosy bacilli. I've researched this; if infected with these bacteria, the Antidote won't work."
"Ah? Why not?"
Xie Huai immediately tightened his clothes and took a few steps back. Deng Yinyin shot him an annoyed glare before turning to Zhang Xiao, waiting for his explanation, though her expression revealed her distrust.
Zhang Xiao had been staring straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to the movements of others, and suddenly fell silent.
Deng Yinyin wrinkled her nose, about to speak, when Xu Hang pulled her back and shot her a warning glance.
"Since that's the case, let's avoid it and take a detour. We haven't found the Special Tree anyway."
With that, Xu Hang turned around, choosing another direction. Xu Nuan and the others followed suit, preparing to leave when Zhang Xiao suddenly chuckled lightly.
Whether it was Xu Nuan's imagination or not, she sensed a hint of mockery in his laughter.
"I suggest we go this way; it will lead us to the Special Tree faster."
Zhang Xiao raised his long hand, pointing in the opposite direction. Remembering what that hand had done to her, Xu Nuan instinctively stepped aside, forgetting that Gu Ze was standing next to her and accidentally stepped on his foot.
"Ah, sorry."
Xu Nuan took a few more steps away, not daring to look up at Gu Ze's scrutinizing gaze.
"It's nothing. There's no need to rush if you want to hear his explanation."
That sounded strange to Xu Nuan. She looked up at Gu Ze and found him staring at the stern-faced Xu Hang.
Xu Nuan knew well that Xu Hang disliked having his decisions challenged; they had argued about it several times in the past. Of course, Xu Hang could accept others' opinions, but only within certain limits.
"Reason."
Xu Hang's voice was calm, devoid of anger, making it impossible to joke around with him.
Zhang Xiao seemed bored as he yawned slightly and lifted his head with an air of arrogance.
"Don't you realize? The structure of this grassland is the same as that jungle we encountered last time. If we follow my chosen path, we can find the Special Tree in less than three days. The direction you chose essentially takes us on a roundabout route; it will take at least seven days to reach the Special Tree."
Zhang Xiao rubbed her eyes out of boredom and continued.
"As the captain, you should at least have some judgment. Leading your team down the wrong path is not what a captain should do. Or have you all become so numb after being here for so long that you just charge ahead without thinking? How long will it take for you to find the First Batch of Players, or to clear the level?"
Contempt, arrogance, and a sense of superiority filled the air.
Xu Nuan remembered how Zhang Xiao had negotiated with her in that very tone, leaving her utterly defenseless.
Xu Hang wore a serious expression, remaining silent for a long moment. Gu Ze squinted his eyes, taking two steps forward. He pulled his hands out of his pockets, revealing the prominent veins on the back of his hands.
Realizing his intentions, Xu Nuan immediately blocked Gu Ze's path, looking up at him and shaking her head.
Xu Nuan always remembered the highly lethal weapon hidden in Zhang Xiao's clothing. She couldn't let anyone provoke Zhang Xiao; it was a responsibility she had to bear after learning the truth.
"Are you protecting him?"
Gu Ze's voice was low, so low that it made Xu Nuan anxious. The pressure conveyed in those simple words made her shiver, a lingering effect from her confrontation with Zhang Xiao.
Biting her lip, Xu Nuan fell silent. To Gu Ze, her silence was an acknowledgment, and the pressure intensified even more.
Deng Yinyin quickly found her voice, looking at Xu Nuan with a hint of schadenfreude before turning to Zhang Xiao.
"Xu Hang is our chosen captain. We trust him. Even if it takes us until the seventh day to find the Special Tree, we are willing to wait. That's our style of tackling challenges; we believe in enjoying the adventure. If you're not happy with that and want to rush to find the First Batch of Players, feel free to take someone who also wants to find them and leave."
Xu Nuan noticed Xu Hang remained silent, seemingly acquiescing to Deng Yinyin's words.
She knew that Xu Hang was someone who could take advice but needed careful wording. Zhang Xiao's remarks were clearly provoking Xu Hang's bottom line.
Zhang Xiao was doing this on purpose; Xu Nuan suddenly realized this.
He was threatening her with his immense power and formidable weaponry.
Grinding her teeth, Xu Nuan turned to Deng Yinyin and spoke as softly as she could.
"No, you misunderstand. Zhang Xiao just thinks that it would be better to clear the levels quickly. We weren't very familiar with Angry Jungle before, so we didn't notice these similarities right away and missed important information. His intention is also for us to clear the levels better and safer, nothing more."
As soon as Xu Nuan finished speaking, Zhang Xiao snorted coldly, saying nothing more.
Deng Yinyin looked skeptical. "Of course, you would defend him. Aren't you just dying to meet that Qin Yaojie? If you don't want to stay with our team, you can leave anytime."
Xu Nuan was taken aback, her eyes widening slightly in disbelief.
She considered them her companions.
How could such words be so easily spoken?
"Shut up!" Xu Hang finally broke his silence, stepping forward to grip Deng Yinyin's shoulder. "The choice of which path to take and whether Xu Nuan stays with us has nothing to do with each other. Don't take your anger out on her; how many times do I need to warn you?"
Unlike before, Deng Yinyin did not fall silent under Xu Hang's authority. Instead, she slapped his hand away with a sharp sound and faced him with a cold smile.
"You and Gu Ze are both protecting her, but has she ever done anything beneficial for us? She always stands alone in the corner, lost in thought. Who knows if she's plotting against us? How can you trust her so easily?"
Deng Yinyin seemed to have a lot of grievances, rambling on without pause.
"Tang Jing Shu admired her, but now that Tang Jing Shu is dead, what has she shown? She didn't cry or make a fuss; it's as if she has no feelings at all. All she wants is to clear the levels and find someone. We Third Batch of Players have been different from the start. Our goals and attitudes are different; isn't that a clash of ideals?"
Xu Hang's lips twitched, clearly furious.
Deng Yinyin had no intention of stopping, sneering at him.
"What? Do you want to hit me again? Too bad you're not my brother-in-law yet; even if you were, you wouldn't have the right to control me."
Throughout this exchange, Xie Huai had been standing quietly to the side, too afraid to join in.
With each word from Deng Yinyin, Xu Nuan's heart grew colder. So this was how Deng Yinyin viewed her; what about the others?
Things seemed to be heading in a bad direction. Xu Nuan rubbed her forehead and glanced at Zhang Xiao, only to meet eyes that mirrored those from the lounge.
Xu Nuan finally understood; this was Zhang Xiao's intention. Being alone made it easier for him to act.
She truly wasn't accustomed to being led around by the nose.
Just as Xu Nuan was about to give in to Zhang Xiao's wishes, Gu Ze, who had been silently fuming, suddenly took a few steps forward, standing in front of Deng Yinyin and placing a hand on Xu Hang's shoulder.
Xu Hang sighed.
Xie Huai watched Gu Ze nervously.
Xu Nuan was taken aback.
"Deng Yinyin, it seems you've forgotten some things."
Gu Ze spoke, his voice colder than ever.
Deng Yinyin scoffed, crossing her arms and completely disregarding her image in front of Gu Ze.
Gu Ze enunciated each word clearly.
"When you fell from the tree at Lonely Gorge, who saved you? Did you even say thank you?"
"When you were short on food, medicine, and clothing, who quietly provided for you?"
"At Tranquil Deep Sea, when you were asleep, who was rowing the boat? Who jumped into the sea to save someone?"
"You and Tang Jing Shu are close, but when she kept mumbling and needed her bandages changed repeatedly, you grew impatient. Who quietly took care of all that?"
Finally, Gu Ze coldly added, "The term 'heartless' should describe you. Crying and throwing tantrums often don't solve problems."
Throughout this exchange, Xu Nuan looked at Gu Ze with disbelief.
Were those harsh words really coming from him?
It was him, the one who protected her, always Gu Ze.
Xu Nuan recalled Zhang Xiao's words once again.
No, it couldn't be.
Listening to Gu Ze's words, Deng Yinyin's face turned from red to pale, and finally, she cried out with a "wow," pushing Gu Ze away and running off in the direction that Zhang Xiao had indicated.
"Ze, that's a bit too much," Xu Hang sighed softly, glancing at Xu Nuan without drawing attention, then continued.
"Isn't this just choosing a direction? Everyone, let's hurry up."
Xie Huai was the first to grab his backpack and run after Deng Yinyin, while Zhang Xiao and Xu Nuan prepared to follow suit.
"You all go ahead. In twenty minutes, I will go find you with Nuan."
Gu Ze suddenly said this, and Xu Nuan, with her back to him, froze.
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