Li Gui knew Shen Feng's prowess. Hearing that Shen Feng was heading towards a gang's territory, he immediately felt a sense of schadenfreude. "I wonder which gang it is. They're truly unlucky. This will be a good show!"
Li Gui felt fortunate to have met an esper. Not only did he no longer worry about his safety daily, but he also had enough to eat. His only task was translation.
Yue Hengyi had placed a lot of dry grass on the flat carriage, making it softer to sit on. All the other necessities, like pots and pans, were also loaded onto the carriage. The horse walked slowly along the road.
When night fell, the horse couldn't see the path clearly and had to stop. Yue Hengyi then fed the horse grass and water, Shen Feng cooked, and Li Gui scouted the surroundings.
After eating and drinking their fill, it was time to sleep. In the wilderness, there were no means of entertainment. Besides sleeping, there was nothing else to do.
However, just as the three were about to sleep, the horse suddenly became restless, neighing and pawing the ground, clearly uneasy.
Shen Feng became alert. Animals like horses often had keen senses. Could the horse have detected a danger that humans hadn't?
With this thought, Shen Feng immediately called out to Yue Hengyi, "Xiao Yue, let's you and I scout the surroundings. Li Gui, stay by the carriage and don't wander off!"
Yue Hengyi, not understanding the reason, patrolled the area, holding a torch and shining it around. He found nothing. Shen Feng also found no danger. The surroundings were quiet, as usual, with only the occasional chirp of crickets and no other significant sounds.
Li Gui cautiously observed the surroundings and suddenly spotted several green points of light in the distance. He was startled. There was something in the darkness!
"Mr. Shen, Mr. Yue! There are wolves in the woods, be careful, be very careful!" Li Gui shouted, warning Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi. However, this warning was more for himself, as Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi's strength didn't require Li Gui's concern.
"Wolves? Are there wolves in Australia?" Yue Hengyi had never heard of wolves in Australia.
Shen Feng pondered for a moment and explained, "Australia once had a species called the thylacine, which is now extinct. However, Australia has no wild wolves, but it does have wild dogs. I suspect the creatures in the woods might be wild dogs."
Australia was a peculiar place. Whatever species was introduced there tended to proliferate, such as rabbits, wild dogs, and even wild cats. If lions from Africa or tigers from Asia had been introduced, they too would have become rampant.
Shen Feng's guess was correct. As these green-eyed creatures slowly approached, their true forms were revealed. They were indeed wild dogs, and they quickly surrounded the campfire and the three men. The horse's neighing grew more frantic, seemingly terrified of the approaching pack of wild dogs.
"Brother Feng, what's the difference between wild wolves and wild dogs?" Yue Hengyi asked casually. He estimated the number of wild dogs around them to be over a hundred, a manageable number.
Shen Feng thought for a moment and replied, "I don't think there's much difference. After all, dogs were originally domesticated from wolves. Now that dogs have reverted to their wild nature, they're not much different from wolves. However, wild dogs seem to cooperate and move in packs, rarely acting alone."
"No wonder we encounter wild dogs in groups of hundreds. How many people have these wild dogs eaten!" Yue Hengyi understood the difference but still didn't take the pack of wild dogs seriously, even though they had mutated.
The mutated wild dogs were very robust, with some being as large as buffaloes. If someone were to encounter so many wild dogs in the wilderness, they would surely perish.
"Awooo..." Suddenly, the largest individual among the wild dogs let out a long, mournful howl.
The other wild dogs also let out calls, as if responding to each other. Immediately after, the wild dogs launched their attack on the three men.
Just as Yue Hengyi was about to act, Shen Feng placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't, I'll handle it!"
With that, hundreds of invisible wind blades shot out from Shen Feng's body. In the darkness, there were sounds of "puchi" and "puchi," the sounds of wind blades cutting through flesh. Without strong defenses, flesh would be easily pierced by the wind blades.
"Awooo!" The wild dogs didn't know what was happening, only seeing their companions falling one by one, as if a devil was harvesting them from the shadows. The wild dogs had never witnessed such a scene and scattered in fear.
The alpha dog had clearly realized the problem. These were not opponents that could be easily dealt with. It then gathered the remaining mobile wild dogs and fled.
The intelligence of wild dogs was slightly higher than that of wild wolves. After all, during thousands of years of domestication, wild dogs had also had the opportunity to evolve alongside humans, so their intelligence had improved slightly. When they realized the danger, they immediately chose to retreat.
"Xiao Yue, finish off any wild dogs that didn't escape. We'll have a feast tonight, dog meat!" Shen Feng said with a smile.
Yue Hengyi muttered softly, "If I had made a move, not a single one of these wild dogs would have escaped. You let at least half of them get away!"
"You're still talking! If you used your esper abilities, I could withstand five times the gravity. Can Li Gui withstand it? Can the horse withstand it?" Shen Feng retorted. "If the horse collapses, who will pull the carriage?"
Yue Hengyi fell silent. He had indeed forgotten about the carriage nearby. If the horse collapsed, they would have no means of transport for the rest of the journey.
Next, Yue Hengyi killed the surviving wild dogs one by one, brought their carcasses back to the campfire, skinned them, and prepared to roast them.
Li Gui relaxed. When he was surrounded by the wild dogs, he had worried about becoming their target. Fortunately, the wild dogs were scared away immediately, and they could have an extra barbecue tonight. What luck!
After Yue Hengyi skinned the dogs, he was about to discard the hides. He had no use for them. However, Li Gui quickly stopped him, "Mr. Yue, many survivor bases collect furs. They can be exchanged for food. Please don't throw them away."
Yue Hengyi shrugged and threw the dog hides onto the carriage.
Looking at the dog hides, Shen Feng thought of his office and said, "In my office, there's a dog hide carpet. I made it from a husky I killed. The fur is very soft, and you won't feel any prickles even when you step on it barefoot."
"Mr. Shen is truly wealthy. To make such fine fur into a carpet! We ordinary people use furs to make clothes to wear for warmth," Li Gui said.
"Isn't most of Australia in the tropics? You still need to keep warm?" Shen Feng felt he had heard something extraordinary.
Li Gui quickly explained, "Most of Australia is indeed in the tropical region, with summer temperatures reaching over forty degrees Celsius. But not all places are tropical, especially Tasmania. In winter, it can even be deadly cold."
Shen Feng took out a map and examined the geographical locations by the firelight. He realized that in the Southern Hemisphere, Tasmania's latitude was relatively high. Corresponding to regions in China, it was similar to the northeastern areas, where it could even snow in winter.
Shen Feng had killed over forty wild dogs with his wind blades. These were all carnivorous. Now they didn't have to worry about food and drink. Over forty wild dogs, most of them mutated, each weighing several hundred pounds. This amount of food was enough to sustain them on their journey.
Yue Hengyi looked at the mountain of wild dogs beside him and couldn't help but say, "We can't possibly carry all this meat. The horse can't pull it. What a shame."
"That's why I told you to have a hearty meal. Big biscuits probably didn't fill you up. Now, eat roasted meat. Eat as much as you can, and throw away whatever you can't finish!" Shen Feng said casually.
Li Gui felt it was a pity. "Whether it's dog meat or hides, they can be exchanged for a lot of supplies. It's too wasteful to just throw them away like this."
"If you want them, you can skin them yourself. I'll only take five wild dogs. I don't care how much you can carry," Shen Feng said indifferently.
With Shen Feng's approval, Li Gui immediately got to work, taking out his small knife to start skinning. He knew that anything he could carry would be his property. Once he found a survivor base, he could directly trade the furs for a lot of food.
The three of them had another late-night meal before falling asleep.
The next day, the three continued their journey. After only two hours, Shen Feng, sitting on the carriage, spotted a watchtower in the distance. There seemed to be figures moving on the tower.
"There's a watchtower, so there must be a base," Shen Feng said, looking at the distant watchtower.
"Didn't the tribal chief say there were vicious gangs around here? Should we just go over like this?" Yue Hengyi retorted.
Shen Feng thought for a moment and then said, "Li Gui, you go ahead in the carriage alone, and the two of us will follow behind. You go and lure them out. If they're good people, we'll follow you to the base. If they're from a gang, it'll be a perfect sting operation!"
Yue Hengyi nodded in agreement, seriously saying, "That's right. We're idle anyway. If we were recognized, they definitely wouldn't dare to make a move. But now, as long as we follow Li Gui, we can set a trap!"
Hearing their cunning plan, Li Gui immediately protested, "These gangs probably have guns. If they rob or kidnap me, I'll surely be killed. You two heroes, you can't do this!"
"Don't worry, we'll protect you from the shadows. If they dare to rob you, they're dead!" Shen Feng patted Li Gui's shoulder.
In any case, the journey was boring, and Shen Feng wanted some relaxation. If they didn't encounter any gangs, then so be it. But if a gang dared to rob him, he could play the role of the mantis stalking the cicada, with the oriole behind.
Li Gui couldn't resist Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi's decision and reluctantly agreed.
If he stayed by the side of the two espers, even if they went to a gang's territory, Li Gui wouldn't be particularly afraid because he had witnessed the espers' powerful abilities. But now, he had to approach an unknown base alone, which was something he absolutely could not accept. Bullets had no eyes, and if he were shot, he would surely die.
"Mr. Shen, Mr. Yue, you must come and save me in time! Are there any bases around here that don't rob people?" Li Gui said nervously.
Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi nodded, then hid in the roadside woods. It was summer, so the vegetation on both sides of the road was lush. If it were winter, the bare trees would offer no cover.
Li Gui's meaning was simple. The Chinese have an old saying that one lives off the mountains and the water, which includes mountain bandits and river pirates. Normally, they would farm and eat. But if they encountered wealthy merchants passing by the mountains and waters, they would put down their hoes, pick up their swords and guns, cover their faces, and rob them. China had such people, and foreigners were certainly no better. Li Gui, driving the carriage alone with food and mutated beast meat, was a fat sheep in the eyes of others!
Therefore, Li Gui knew that he was bound to encounter danger.
"Really, if they want to beat someone up, they should just do it. Who can stop these two monsters? They have to be so indirect. It's not straightforward at all!" Li Gui muttered to himself while driving the carriage, completely unable to understand Shen Feng's actions.
Li Gui didn't understand. China emphasized having a righteous cause before taking action. One shouldn't resort to violence without reason. As the ancient saying goes, "To punish without instruction is cruelty."
Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi were both well-educated and would not easily kill people. A gentleman values peace above all else! However, by letting Li Gui act as bait, as long as he was robbed, they would have a legitimate reason to retaliate. From a moral standpoint, this was called striking after the enemy has made their move, allowing them to occupy the moral high ground.