"What thе hеll is this?" Вауunye immediаtеly reаcted, аsking Коng Gаn in hоrrоr.
"Dry land lеeches. They'rе in thе grass аnd on thе trееs." Кong Gаn sighеd аnd nоddеd. This wаs probablу whу he wаs unwilling to comе here in thе middle of thе night. Не likеlу аlrеady knеw аbout thе lееchеs herе, whiсh was why hе dеliberаtely chоse a spоt withоut trеe сover to stаnd еаrlier. Соmраrеd tо him, the оthеrs who hаd beеn walking arоund seаrсhing fоr things werе nоw in fоr а "bloody misfоrtune."
Soon after, аlmost everуone disсovеrеd that lеeches had invaded their feet, legs, and backs. They had stealthily burrowed in at some unknown time, through some unseen crevice, injecting anesthetic fluid while greedily sucking blood. By the time they were noticed, the leeches were already engorged, wriggling away with bodies five or six times larger than when they first arrived. Because they released anticoagulant fluid while feeding, the wounds continued to bleed nonstop.
Bayunye slapped her wrist hard, and a leech that had long been engorged with blood fell to the ground. Furious, she stomped on it, but the soft layer of fallen leaves shielded the vampire's body, and it vanished without a trace in an instant. Before she could react, another chill crept up the back of her neck—countless leeches had dropped onto her from the leaves. She reached to grab them but couldn't brush them off.
Perhaps sensing the warmth of human bodies and the scent of blood, within the next few seconds, hundreds of leeches suddenly rained down from the trees like a downpour, swarming out from the fallen leaves and weeds.
Unlike leeches found in fields, these dry land leeches were a deep black, each only the size of a mung bean. When stretched out, they became thin and elongated, resembling a black matchstick. They squeezed into any available crevice, fiercely latching on. Whether you wore socks or gloves, if they encountered skin, they would clamp down with their suckers, pierce the skin the next second, and begin feeding on blood. They could quickly swell to the size of a thumb before voluntarily making way for new companions to join the bloody feast.
For the leech colony, the strong scent of blood attracted more of their kind and stirred their frenzied predatory instincts. Faced with these pervasive vampires, almost everyone was too preoccupied to help others. You might know not to pick at leech bites with your fingers, and you might know to use fire or salt, but that didn't mean you could stay calm when hundreds of leeches rained down from the sky and quickly attached themselves to your body.
The group swung their torches, scaring off some, but it was far from enough to stop the onslaught.
"Damn it! Are these poisonous?" Bayunye asked, seeing that the torches did little to deter the leeches' advance, while rummaging through her backpack for useful items.
Kong Gan had seen this situation many times before, and some dry land leeches were already attached to his legs. Unhurriedly, he took out a fist-sized block of salt from the bamboo basket on his chest. "They're not poisonous, but who knows how many there are... It's dark, hard to see where they are and where they aren't. At least these only suck blood. If we run into poisonous ones, well..."
He had never met Brother Long before and had no grand sense of patriotism or duty. He was simply being paid to guide them, so he naturally preferred an easier job. His words carried a hint of blame for their insistence on traveling late at night.Bayunye had no time to ponder Kong Gan's words. Looking up, she saw several black dots descending toward her face. She swung her arm to block them when, with a thump, something opened above her head. Focusing her gaze, she saw Diao Zhuo holding an umbrella handle to shield her, while beads of blood seeped from his ear and one side of his neck.
She jumped up, wiping the blood away with a pang of heartache. The smears of blood in her palm were stark and unsettling.
"What are you looking for?" The tough man seemed unfazed by such minor injuries.
"Looking for..." Before Bayunye could finish her sentence, Diao Zhuo felt a thump on the umbrella. The handle shook as if struck by a basketball. Looking up, he was horrified to see the leeches that had surged afterward clumping into a ball, dropping from the trees and exploding upon hitting the umbrella. Scattered by the fabric, they lunged at everyone once again.
"Ah, I told you not to travel at night!" Kong Gan grew frantic, grumbling incessantly. "When we come during the day, there are never this many!"
"This isn't the time for that. Whatever medicine you have, bring it out now!" Bayunye snapped at him through gritted teeth.
Kong Gan clutched a tennis ball-sized salt block, shaking his head. He kept his head down, focused only on the leeches on his own legs, with no intention of helping the others.
At that moment, Bayunye finally managed to pull out a small bottle of essential balm. Without hesitation, she unscrewed the cap and waved it around, sprinkling green droplets onto the branches and ground. The sharp, distinctive scent instantly filled the air.
The dry land leeches attached to their skin, irritated by the salt and essential balm, began to fall off one after another. Others, deterred by the balm's pungent odor, temporarily halted their assault. Everyone opened their umbrellas, temporarily blocking the leeches falling from the leaves, but this was no long-term solution. Kong Gan warned that there would be even more leeches in the river below. If they accidentally drank the water, leeches could burrow into their stomachs, attaching to their throats and windpipes—whether this was alarmist talk or not remained unclear.
"How did Brother Long make it through such a leech-infested place?" Da Qin gasped, wiping the blood from his forehead.
Only then did Bayunye recall, as if struck by lightning, the familiar scent she had noticed earlier.
"Insect repellent powder," she said with relief and delight. "Brother Long usually carries a few essentials when he goes out, and this is one of them. He says it works on most insects. He formulated the repellent himself through trial and error, and it's also sold at the inn. Those hiking through Motuo or the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon buy it. The leeches in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon are no less formidable than here—some don't suck blood but are poisonous."
Kong Gan picked off a few shriveled leeches with his fingernails and asked gloomily, "So, the person you're looking for made it across the river safely..."
Ignoring him, Bayunye rummaged through the bottom of her bag and pulled out a palm-sized packet. "I have good news and bad news. The good news is, I happen to have brought some. The bad news is, this packet has been in here for two or three years. I can't say whether it's expired or not, but I've never had a chance to use it."
Diao Zhuo also found a bottle of pepper spray in her backpack and pulled it out. "You need this?"
"It's for saving lives."
"Your life?"
"The lives of perverts," Bayunye retorted, snatching it back and stuffing it into her bag. "If I take matters into my own hands, they won't survive. A spray of this might just leave them breathing."
Despite their injuries, everyone burst into laughter."Don't you believe me..." Bayunye said discontentedly. "Once when I was driving late at night, I ran into a few thugs who deliberately blocked the road with a tree to rob people. Their leader, seeing I was a woman, was especially shameless and immediately tried to get handsy. If Hippo hadn't held me back, I really would have killed him. If you don't believe me, ask Hi..."
She blurted out habitually, then spat twice. "Damn it, that bastard Hippo! Anyway... after that, I prepared spray. We still have a business to run, so let's avoid taking lives."
It was unclear whether Kong Gan was listening, as he was busy using salt blocks to help rub off the leeches from everyone's bodies. Bayunye scattered medicinal powder around and had everyone apply essential balm on their necks, ankles, and wrists. For a moment, the air was filled with a mildly eye-stinging, pungent scent.
"Hey, you guys, don't wear hats and face masks in the middle of the night. Who knows if leeches have crawled into your masks," she said, pointing at Liu Ming and the others.
"Thank you, we'll check..." Liu Ming replied politely as before, turning to form a small circle to inspect each other.
"Like little wives," Bayunye remarked casually. While scattering the powder, she accidentally touched the wound on her wrist, causing a sharp sting. Gritting her teeth, she warned the others, "Ouch! Don't let the powder get on any wounds, or it'll hurt like hell!"
"I'll take over," Diao Zhuo said, taking the powder and holding it under the light. "There's probably lime in it, so avoid getting it in your eyes too."
Seeing that the leech attack was temporarily under control, Da Qin shone his flashlight around. Everyone's wounds on their heads, faces, and necks were bleeding nonstop, making them look covered in blood. Although the leeches had been driven away by the salt, the wounds were now exposed to it. Due to the anesthetic released by the leeches, the pain was temporarily numbed, but once the effect wore off, it would likely be unbearable, and the wounds might even become infected. He wiped his face again, which now looked as if it had been painted red. "We need to stop the bleeding first, then apply some medicine."
Kong Gan waved his hand dismissively. "It won't stop for at least half a day or a full day."
"Thankfully, they're just small leeches..." Xiang An pressed on a few small holes on the back of his hand. "I just don't know if we brought enough cotton."
"I brought this," Bayunye said, casually patting a brightly colored package in her backpack. "Don't worry about a day or two—this could support you for seven or ten days."
This piqued everyone's curiosity. Except for Liu Ming and his group, they all gathered around to take a look—
Sofy Barely There Daily Pads.
Everyone was embarrassed and pretended to look elsewhere.
Seeing that Diao Zhuo was holding an umbrella and couldn't easily tend to his wounds, Bayunye said thoughtfully, "Do you need me to help you..."
"No need, thank you," Diao Zhuo said quickly, wearing the typical expression of a straight man keeping his distance from feminine hygiene products, especially since she looked like she was about to pull one out and press it against his face. Besides, these weren't suitable for stopping bleeding—they might even have the opposite effect.
"If Master Ba isn't feeling well, you should have said so earlier and not come along," Xiang An said, somewhat sympathetically.
She waved her hand dismissively. "I brought them to use as shoe inserts."
"Huh?" Everyone was stunned once again.Bayunye momentarily forgot that the leech crisis was not yet over, enthusiastically promoting, "When trekking through mountains and rivers, it's inevitable that your shoes will get wet. With this, at least you can keep the soles of your feet dry. Otherwise, after a trip into the mountains, you'd be lucky not to develop athlete's foot. Don’t underestimate its ability to continuously absorb moisture while staying dry—something you’ll probably never get to experience in your lifetime. It’s truly a must-have for home and travel!"
The men exchanged glances, thinking—we’d rather not experience it.
"Considering each of you wears a shoe size over 40..." Bayunye reached into her backpack. "I also brought extra-long overnight ones."
The others declined half-heartedly, turning their backs one after another.
Bayunye had no choice but to turn to Diao Zhuo again, waving a small white packet. "How about... Captain Diao sets an example?"
Unlike the others, he wasn’t as resistant. Instead, he lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "I can make sure you won’t need this for at least ten months."
Bayunye covered her ears, as if she had heard something even more terrifying than a Green-Haired Corpse. Although no one knew what method Diao Zhuo had used to quiet Bayunye down, they silently gave him a thumbs-up.
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