Chapter 106: Clues

The jungle, next to the ocean, is the most mysterious place on land. Within its depths lie man-eating swamps, ferocious beasts, venomous insects unknown to most, and even a patch of noxious miasma that can poison and kill you without warning. Typically, special forces units train for thirty days in the jungle, while elite squads endure survival training for ninety days. Jungle warfare training is an essential course for all special operations troops.

But with Jared’s presence, everything became considerably simpler.

During their march, Chen Cao conducted basic tactical training for the three companions. Although Jared was experienced in jungle survival, he lacked combat experience. Stanny was a complete novice, and Karissa was even more inexperienced—utterly green. Such a team, at their current level of combat readiness, faced only one possible outcome: almost certain annihilation, save perhaps for themselves.

Bullets could not be wasted. Teaching Karissa to shoot was already a significant achievement, especially since gunfire in the jungle could attract both enemies and wild beasts.

Thus, they moved through the jungle in uneasy peace—no enemy harassment, no wild animal encounters, not even a single poisonous snake.

It was clear that Jared was an exceptional hunter. He often set small traps, providing food for the group. Under Karissa’s careful and professional care, Miranda’s health improved gradually, aided by the many rare herbs found in the jungle that were otherwise difficult to obtain.

At this point, Karissa and Stanny began to harbor a delusion: this wasn’t a perilous jungle but a vacation.

Only Chen Cao knew better. They had already traveled over three hundred kilometers and were about to enter the designated area. What awaited them there? Was it truly related to some precious gem? Everything remained a mystery. If not for this, why had the three strange men and Dr. Ruan’s organization been so intent on their search at the Husum Hotel? It was an unsolved enigma. But one thing Chen Cao was certain of: whatever it was, it was valuable—and dangerous.

Chen Cao stopped beneath a towering tree. Jared and Stanny immediately vanished into the underbrush to stand guard. The two women leaned against the tree to rest. Judging by the map and their current position, they had reached the fringes of the designated jungle region, still about thirty kilometers away from their objective. Here, it seemed, they had no choice but to gamble everything.

Chen Cao whistled sharply. Within seconds, Jared and Stanny regrouped.

“We have reached the designated area,” Chen Cao announced. “The dangers ahead are unknown. We must prepare ourselves.”

Stanny’s face lit with an indescribable excitement, dispelling days of weariness. “Boss, really? What should we do now?”

“I don’t know,” Chen Cao replied. “All we can do is scout. Honestly, I have no idea what lies in this jungle. Once we step inside, any clues we have might vanish. In this vast wilderness, searching for clues isn’t the priority.” He glanced toward Karissa.

Karissa’s eyes flickered, expressing helplessness. In truth, she had scant information and no understanding of what might be hidden within. She was here merely holding onto a faint hope of rescuing her kidnapped mother.

Chen Cao folded the map and scanned the group. His gaze settled on Jared. “Jared, with your experience, haven’t you noticed anything?”

The question instantly drew everyone’s attention to Jared.

The jungle was oppressively hot and humid. Jared wiped the sweat from his brow, aware of Chen Cao’s full trust. Having lived in the Jingji jungle for years, now was a critical moment. One wrong word could doom this already fragile team.

Frowning, Jared stroked his beard and said, “We’ve made too much progress too easily. Honestly, I’ve hunted here and traded with the Anthony family in this jungle many times. Though I’ve never ventured this deep, I know for sure it wouldn’t be this smooth. First, the thorns. The brambles and branches here have been tampered with. Though it looks like a natural path, someone has cleared it. This is something no one can hide.”

Chen Cao raised an eyebrow. Though Jared appeared brawny, he was no dullard. His assessment matched Chen Cao’s own suspicions. Though Chen Cao had considerable jungle experience, the subtropical jungle differed greatly from a tropical rainforest—and Jingji was the world’s largest tropical rainforest.

Jared’s words darkened everyone’s mood, plunging them into silence. According to him, they had walked straight into a massive trap, set by a powerful organization with abundant resources.

Chen Cao pondered further. The enemy’s planning was meticulous—they had cleared every entrance, creating a seemingly obstacle-free pocket to lure intruders in, all while masking their handiwork.

Yet, for now, Chen Cao dared not let doubt sap their morale. He could not afford to lose faith. The jungle’s mystery had become their spiritual anchor.

Pulling himself back to the present, Chen Cao looked around at the silent group, his expression softening. “Let’s each focus on our roles. Since we’re here, we must move forward with resolve. There’s no turning back.”

Stanny seemed to catch Chen Cao’s intentions and clapped his hands with a grin. “That’s right! Fortune favors the bold. God will watch over us!”

Chen Cao and Jared exchanged glances, both silently amused by Stanny’s frequent invocations of God, as if divine intervention were a constant presence.

Jared produced some dried meat from his pack and distributed it among the group before sharing a thoughtful observation. “While on guard duty, I noticed something else.”

“Oh?” Chen Cao asked, chewing his jerky.

“There are no natives here.”

Jared took a sip from his canteen and continued bluntly, “Everyone knows natives have always lived here; it’s a major attraction for tourists. But as guides, we only let visitors observe from afar, never allowing close contact. These natives, though they live primitively, are highly aggressive. What we see are just fringe groups. The truth is, no one really knows how many tribes or people inhabit the Jingji jungle. Honestly, I’ve lived here a long time but never ventured into the deepest parts. Over the years, countless adventurers have tried to explore Jingji; many go, few return. The survival rate is about one percent. It’s an absolute no-go zone.”

Chen Cao stuffed more jerky into his mouth and asked, “A one percent survival rate? Has anyone you know come back with useful information?”

Jared shook his head, his expression grave. “That one percent—they’ve all gone mad.”

“Mad?” Chen Cao felt a glimmer of understanding.

Jared pressed on, “We’ve pushed nearly 300 kilometers into the jungle and haven’t seen a single native. It suggests they face some indescribable threat or are caught in a sinister conspiracy.”

Suddenly, Miranda vomited, interrupting their conversation.

Jared sprang to his feet, rushing to Karissa and Miranda’s side, gently patting Miranda’s back.

Chen Cao also stood. After much discussion and with Jared’s reluctant consent, to ease Miranda’s condition, Karissa had gathered some limited medicinal herbs, and Miranda took a small dose of millet. There was no effective medicine for her tuberculosis here. Chen Cao knew the only chance was to survive the jungle and reach a hospital.

“What happened?” Jared anxiously asked Karissa.

“I don’t know. She was fine just moments ago but suddenly became ill,” Karissa replied, pulling a small fruit from her pocket and feeding it to a gasping Miranda. The opium fruit eased Miranda’s breathing slightly.

Chen Cao crouched beside her, speaking gently. “Miranda, what did you see?”

Having spent days with Chen Cao, Miranda trusted his calm wisdom. She had followed this yellow-skinned man without hesitation, even though she knew nothing of Jared’s fate, believing in Chen Cao’s leadership.

Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, Miranda said, “I... saw a corpse.”

“Just now? Why didn’t you call out?” Chen Cao’s first instinct was suspicion, but he quickly softened his tone. “Don’t be afraid. Tell me slowly.”

“It looked like a native’s body,” Miranda said, trembling with fear and disgust, pointing to where she had been moments before.

Miranda’s chance encounter seemed to offer a vital clue. Chen Cao and Jared turned their gaze to the direction she indicated.

Chapter 106 of Flame King is complete and available for free reading!