I said, "Come on now. If you turned into that kind of woman my wife would never like you. Girls should be delicate and gentle by nature—why insist on being so fierce?"

Hua Qingqing realized with a start, "You're right. When I'm in danger later I can just borrow your husband from your wife. No need to fight alone. Thanks for the reminder."

Her warm breasts pressed against my back were surprisingly comfortable. I teased, "Hey, you're squishing your cleavage into me now. Don't blame me for taking advantage deliberately!"

Who expected Hua Qingqing would ignore this entirely? She said nonchalantly, "My first kiss went to you and the first time someone saw my breasts was also with you. This little favor is nothing compared to that. I'll just claim it back from your wife later."

I replied, "True enough. You've probably touched her chest countless times while helping my wife get implants. It's only fair for me to return some favors now."

Hua Qingqing suddenly bit out through clenched teeth, "But your wife has also molested me! She made me look really awkward. Can you promise to discipline her for me later?"

It seemed E Xiao Ruo had taken more than her share of liberties with Hua Qingqing—what a great wife I have! I generously said, "Of course. Every night after dinner I'll help you discipline her once. How should I thank you then?"

"What else could there be? Just let me ride on your back occasionally."

"Or maybe become my girlfriend instead. Honestly speaking, I'm easy to get along with since I've already seen everything about you. If you marry someone else wouldn't that be unfair to him?"

Hua Qingqing suddenly lifted her mouth and bit into my earlobe, "No way! You're so flirtatious. I'm a world-famous doctor who always maintains professional seriousness in public. What would people think if they knew this? Besides, you didn't actually see everything—that time when we were together the lower half still had underwear on!"

"But I did see everything!"

"Ha ha, that was just medical examination! By the way, go visit me afterward or else I'll bring a knife to your home and make your wife hold your limbs while cutting off your foreskin. See if they laugh at you then."

I laughed—Hua Qingqing claimed she was a doctor but in truth she acted more like a child. Yet there was something worth noting here: when I first met each of my beloveds, all had been extremely proper, even more so than Hua Qingqing. But as our relationships deepened they gradually became increasingly affectionate, with the older E Xiao Ruo and Cheng Suxu getting particularly clingy in my arms later on. Now Hua Qingqing's behavior was quite abnormal—had she unconsciously fallen for me?

I was probably overthinking this again but at least I didn't voice it out loud. Otherwise she would have scolded me. As we spoke I leapt through several trees back to the native village, yet this time instead of taking the ground path we jumped into the forest from tree canopies directly. Frankly speaking I detested those flying arrows and also found accelerating among dense undergrowth inefficient compared to moving along branches.

Hiding in a leafy banyan tree, Hua Qingqing and I peered downward through layered foliage at villagers gathered around a roaring bonfire performing some kind of ritual ceremony.

Unable to see clearly, she asked me, "What are Mei Xingzi and Mei Lya doing with their bottoms up? Why have they been tied like that? These natives really are perverted."

Looking down I explained to Hua Qingqing, "They're bound like this for obvious reasons. The fact these natives didn't kill them is already generous. What's the big deal about... well you know. Especially since the Japanese woman had ill intentions all along and the American was just suffering from sexual frustration."

Holding my earlobe she scolded gently, "Why must you speak so crudely? It's penetration, not that word!"

"I'll wait here while you go check if they're done yet," I said. "Once the timing is right we'll grab them and leave immediately. Remember not to move at all until I return or they might capture you too."

Hua Qingqing punched me in anger, "I'd never let those beasts touch me! Hurry up already—those women seem really suffering. Rescue them quickly!"

Leaving Peach with Hua Qingqing for safety's sake, I charged into the village. My confidence often made me dismiss strategies as unnecessary, but perhaps today was justified. With a few quick swings my machete severed ropes binding Mei Lya and Mei Xingzi. As I hoisted both onto my shoulders I noticed Xiao Shan Cili unconscious nearby. Thinking it through I decided to save him too. At that moment the natives finally reacted, howling incoherently as they lunged at me.

No time for mercy now—my machete sliced through them like autumn wind scything melons. My speed and strength overwhelmed their resistance entirely. While saving Xiao Shan Cili from another wave of attacks I secured all three using their own ropes to lash them onto my back. Two women were manageable, but three proved too much.

The natives then organized massive forces encircling the central village launching arrows en masse. Though carrying people prevented reaching supersonic speed, ground acceleration made escaping entirely feasible. When we vanished suddenly from the clearing leaving only bewildered native warriors staring at empty space.

Returning with three captives to fetch Hua Qingqing, she gasped in alarm: "You're carrying so many! Maybe you should return later for me?"

Shaking my head I said, "Leaving you here is unsafe. Clasp my neck and we'll go."

Hua Qingqing complied by wrapping her arms around my throat as I leapt with four people through the trees toward open ground where movement was easier. Looking up at me she gazed with indescribable feelings before suddenly leaning forward—her lips brushed against my neck in a secret kiss!

When she saw my eyes drop to meet hers, Hua Qingqing didn't seem afraid but instead kissed my mouth gently: "Zhao Qian... I think I'm falling for you."

I smiled. "Then just become my girlfriend already. That way you and Xiao Ruo can be companions making everyone happy together."

Hua Qingqing pouted with closed eyes, "Never! You're too flirtatious—I won't let you have me so easily."

Of course I never worried about such trivialities—women would always be unreasonable creatures even if they claimed to be rational. With my combination of charm and strength these women would eventually throw themselves at me anyway...

Returning to base camp, Zhu Da and Cai Baoer were roasting something over a fire while Xia Hu Ren patrolled around. He immediately rushed forward to relieve us when he saw our return.

Only now did Hua Qingqing fully grasp the injuries' severity, exclaiming in horror: "What happened? Her chest is pierced!"

Xia Hu Ren tossed me some clothes which I used temporarily to cover their modesty before urging Hua Qingqing, "Hurry up with treatment. If we delay further they'll die and waste all our efforts."

After examining the wounds she shakily said, "Help me please—those natives are too cruel. We just wanted to pass through! Were these really necessary?"

Passing surgical tools I added, "Language barriers prevented communication. They didn't know our intentions at all. Probably thought we were trying to conquer their territory."

As Hua Qingqing bandaged Xiao Shan Cili's injuries I whispered in her ear: "Too bad the Japanese man lost his... you might have seen another patient's private parts had he kept it intact."

She shot me an annoyed glare, "I'll never want to see anything like that again! When we get home tell your wife about being rude to me!"

Sweating, I thought how unreasonable women were even when they claimed to be rational. Even this elegant and erudite Dragon Empire's top doctor was no different in her cruelty.

While retrieving the bamboo sticks embedded in their chests she muttered, "Truly gruesome—this kind of sadistic torture is my first experience."

As Hua Qingqing removed another stick from Mei Lya's second breast, some injected filler material came out together. This at least made both breasts symmetrical—the other one had already been surgically treated during minefield injuries earlier.

I commented as I watched, "No wonder Americans want implants—these real ones are tiny!"

Applying medicine while bandaging she said to me, "They're not that small—they've reached C cup size. Actually this ordinary size is enough without making ourselves suffer just for men's pleasure."

Washing her hands Hua Qingqing took a break as the three patients needed time to wake up. Meanwhile Professor Smidt and others were still asleep—first from lack of sleep last night, second because those arrows with anesthetic darts had taken effect. Probably these were hunting tools rather than killing weapons since they only contained anesthesia not poison.

Noticing Zhu Da and Cai Baoer busy I approached to see what they'd found. Zhu Da held up something and asked me, "Commander Zhao, do you know what this is?"

Carefully examining it I said, "Looks like a grilled crab leg."

Cai Baoer rubbed her hands excitedly: "Exactly right! Earlier today while hunting in the river valley my big potato companion almost got eaten by a one-meter tall giant crab. Heehee—it was definitely us who ended up dining on it this time. Commander Zhao you should've seen how fat that thing was. We only brought back several legs, which will be enough for lunch."

Damn it—why were all creatures here gigantic? I thought only Peach Village had those. Could this have something to do with Blood Flower too? I sent Peach to scan Professor Smidt's brain data—the general coordinates pointed directly toward the river valley's end. It was entirely possible strange plants created these monstrous animals there.

At lunchtime most team members woke up except for three women and Xiao Shan Cili—females were naturally weaker constitutionally while he had lost too much blood.

Everyone gasped at those massive crab legs. If an army of shrimp soldiers attacked next we'd be finished indeed. Jack asked Kisin and Winston, "As valley natives, have you seen more giant creatures recently?"

Kisin and Winston shook their heads: "After getting washed down the valley our route has deviated from original path into this complex waterway region which is forbidden territory. Though some adventurers enter occasionally few return alive."

Professor Smidt reassured everyone, "No need to panic. While we've taken a dangerous shortcut compared to original plans, it will allow us to reach Blood Flower's discovery site earlier. Fortunately with our four Dragon Empire heroes providing protection I believe we'll find the flower soon."

Kurobe insisted anxiously, "Professor, since we're already here please reveal exact coordinates immediately so our group won't get scattered!"

Unaware of Kurobe's ambitions Smidt replied, "According to the explorer's diary I found, they took this same dangerous shortcut—not washed down by water but traversing normally through jungle. After leaving dwarf native territory you follow a-kilometer long river valley upstream into a below-sea-level basin where that videotape was recorded."

Kurobe pressed further, "The diary only mentions the basin? That's still too broad an area! Any more specific coordinates?"

Smidt shook his head: "Diary entries were chaotic since explorers encountered unknown creatures repeatedly during journey with continuous casualties."

I asked curiously, "So previous expedition also encountered giant ants and crabs then?"

Shaking his head again Smidt said, "No mention of that in the diary. They just used 'strange' to describe encounters. We can't be sure what exactly they faced."

Kurobe worried aloud, "Could there be even greater dangers awaiting us?"

Nobody answered as gloomy silence fell over everyone. Besides a few machetes we had no weapons left—our guns were useless without ammunition. Medicines and rations could barely last while injured comrades made movement difficult.

"Long Live the Great Yamato Race! Long Live the Empire of Japan! Long Live East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere!" Abrupt bird-like chatter shattered the oppressive atmosphere, its shrillness cutting through our despair like a jagged knife.