143: Chapter 143 The Road Home! Destination: Death Swamp

After the storm, the truck was half-buried.

Next came the manual labor.

Like a wild bull, Qin Feng used his bare hands to forcefully shovel the sand out of the driver's cabin.

The moment he stepped out of the truck, he felt as if the entire world had changed.

The originally rugged canyon was now covered by a thick layer of yellow sand, transforming into a flat, sandy expanse; the landscape had been completely reshaped.

It took him nearly an hour to dig the truck's wheels out of the sand.

Afterward, he checked their supplies, and the situation was worrying.

Under the ravages of the storm, only ten or twenty percent of their items remained.

The rest were either destroyed or blown away by the storm.

Heartbreaking!

Qin Feng let out a sigh of lament, sat back in the driver's seat, took a deep breath, and turned the ignition key.

"Vroom... vroom... click-clack..."

The engine emitted a weak groan but refused to start.

Qin Feng's heart skipped a beat.

"Give me some power, big brother!"

He muttered to himself while trying again.

"Vroom... boom!"

Finally, after a violent shudder, the engine roared to life.

Qin Feng let out a long breath, but when he saw the fuel gauge needle, his heart sank again.

The fuel in the tank was already at the bottom.

At most, they could drive another few dozen kilometers.

He opened the system's red treasure book; their location was clearly marked on the map.

They had successfully crossed the Red Rock Canyon region.

Ahead lay a sparse, uninhabited jungle.

And at the end of the jungle was an area marked in deep red on the map: the Death Swamp.

A place that made one's scalp tingle just by hearing the name.

But once they crossed this swamp, there would be an endless vast grassland, and on the edge of the grassland was a frontier town of Yang Country.

After passing the town and crossing a few mountains, they would reach the border line of Dragon Country.

Going home was within reach, yet felt worlds away.

A flash of madness crossed Qin Feng's eyes.

Death Swamp...

The Yang Country army would never expect them to choose this path.

The most dangerous place is the safest place!

He made a decision in an instant.

He started the truck and drove slowly across the flat sandy ground toward the jungle.

He wanted to squeeze every last drop of fuel out of this truck before then.

"Cough, cough..."

Amidst the bumps, Lanna slowly regained consciousness.

"I... am I not dead?"

She was covered in dust and dirt.

"Not yet." Qin Feng said, keeping his eyes straight ahead, his tone flat. "But it won't be long."

Lanna subconsciously touched her shoulder; the wound didn't hurt as much anymore.

She looked at her leg, and it was the same.

"You..." She looked at Qin Feng, her eyes complex. "You saved me again."

"I am not Lei Feng, and I don't want to be Lei Feng." Qin Feng corrected. "Remember, you are nothing more than my private property."

"..."

Lanna's expression darkened, and she rolled her eyes.

This bastard, he's always like this; his mouth is as poisonous as if it were dipped in venom.

Just then, the truck gave a violent jolt and then slowly came to a stop.

The engine had completely died.

"We've arrived, my female captive."

Qin Feng pulled out the key and jumped out of the car.

"Where is this?"

Lanna followed him off the truck and looked at the jungle at the end of the canyon; a sense of foreboding welled up in her heart.

"The new starting point of our journey." Qin Feng pointed toward the depths of the jungle. "Once we pass through there, we will be safe."

"Where... is that place?"

"After passing through, we will be in the Yang Country's Death Swamp."

Qin Feng said nonchalantly.

Lanna's face turned pale in an instant.

"Are you crazy?! Death Swamp! I've heard of it; few who enter it ever come out alive!"

"And it's full of poisonous insects, marsh gas, and man-eating mud pits!"

"I know." Qin Feng said while unloading items from the truck,

"That's why those idiots from Yang Country would never expect us to go through here. Don't you think?"

He grinned at Lanna, revealing a set of white teeth.

Lanna looked at his matter-of-fact expression, unable to say a word.

She felt that compared to this man, the Death Swamp might even seem amiable.

Qin Feng quickly packed a backpack.

Food and water for two, medicine, all the ammunition, a pistol, a military dagger, and the sniper rifle.

There wasn't much, but everything was key to survival.

He slung the backpack onto his back and took one last look at the truck that had accompanied them through life and death.

"Buddy, thanks."

He patted the hood and then said to Lanna, "Come over here and give me a hand."

"What for?"

"To give it a grand funeral."

Qin Feng led Lanna to a cliff not far away.

Below was a bottomless cliff, shrouded in clouds and mist.

He returned to the truck, tied the steering wheel in place with a rope, and then used a rock to jam the accelerator pedal firmly.

After finishing all this, he jumped out of the truck, walked to the rear, took a deep breath, and with all his might, gave it a fierce push.

The truck didn't budge.

"..."

The situation was quite awkward for a moment.

Qin Feng glanced at Lanna, who was watching the show from the side.

Lanna immediately turned her head, started whistling, and pretended to look at the scenery.

"Come over and push the truck!" Qin Feng roared with annoyance.

"I'm a wounded patient!" Lanna argued.

"If you talk back again, I'll push you down with the truck."

Lanna pouted, walked over reluctantly, and placed her hands on the rear of the truck.

"One, two, three!"

With their combined effort, the truck finally began to slide forward slowly.

Crossing the tipping point, the wheels began to accelerate.

Qin Feng grabbed Lanna and quickly dashed to the side.

The supply truck, like a bull charging toward the finish line, plunged off the cliff without hesitation.

A few seconds later.

"Boom—!"

A dull explosion came from the bottom of the valley, startling a flock of birds.

Smoke and dust completely covered the last traces of its existence.

From now on, the Yang Country military would completely lose their trail.

This was also a sign.

There would be no more vehicles, no mobile phones, no radio, no reinforcements, and certainly no way back.

The remaining path would have to be walked one step at a time on their own two legs.

Qin Feng turned around and glanced at Lanna, who had a complex expression on her face.

"Alright, my private property, stop looking."

He reached out, not to help her, but to grab her tactical vest from behind like he was carrying cargo.

"The hiking trip starts now."

Having said that, he dragged Lanna toward the depths of the jungle.

"Chef, I feel a bit dizzy."

"Stop faking it!"

"No, Chef! My leg hurts."

"Should I help you chop it off then?"

"Chef, can't you be a bit more chivalrous?"

"Yo, for a Russian Girl, you actually know what chivalry means."

"Chef, I can't walk anymore. Carry me on your back."

"Sigh! Women are such trouble; get on."

"Chef..."

"Shut up!"

"Hmph!"

"Why did you have to grow so big? You're poking into me."

"What?" Lanna hadn't reacted yet.

The next second, she realized what he meant, causing her to let out a scream.

"Ah~~ Pervert!"