Chapter 73

After resting for a day, the unfortunate Doug was able to move around by the evening of the second day. However, the moment anyone saw his face, twisted with a mix of sorrow and anger, everyone in the Airplane Brotherhood couldn't help but burst into laughter. On the first day of the trial, while squatting in the grass to defecate, Doug was stung by a scorpion on his white, exposed buttocks. Fortunately, the scorpion's venom wasn't very potent, especially after the "slapping therapy" administered by the members of the brotherhood, which "cured" Doug. He was in pain for a day but was able to move around freely afterward. However, that sting also woke everyone up to the reality of the situation. They finally understood what it meant to "not expose your buttocks to the air." Fortunately, the scorpion's venom was mild; if it had been a highly toxic mutant scorpion or a venomous snake, Doug would likely have been a corpse by now.

No one wanted to be caught off guard while squatting, defenseless, and be attacked by something from the ground or the grass. After Doug's incident, everyone was fully awake by the evening of the first day. They all worked together to build a toilet near the treehouse base, using the entire night. Barry even sprinkled a circle of insect-repelling powder around the toilet and the dragon-claw tree, ensuring everyone was free from worry.

The second day of the survival trial passed without much incident. Apart from Doug, who was still recovering, everyone in the Airplane Brotherhood worked tirelessly, taking turns to dig holes in the trees. They used axes, entrenching tools, daggers, and long knives, sweating profusely throughout the day. By the end of the day, they had completed the second phase of the treehouse base's renovation. In the hollowed-out dragon-claw tree, they created three spacious levels that could comfortably accommodate seven people.

After completing the basic renovation of the treehouse base, the food supply, which had been depleted over two days, was down to less than 30 kilograms, enough to last for only four more days. The pressure of survival loomed large, so on the third day, everyone decided they needed to find food.

Zhang Tie was the first to wake up on the morning of the third day. As his blood and qi recovered, his internal biological clock finally woke him up at around six. Upon waking, Zhang Tie opened his eyes and saw the marks of axes and chisels on the treehouse roof. After waking up, the crystal-clear feeling in his mind returned. Looking at those marks, for some reason, Zhang Tie felt he could distinguish which tool or weapon had made each mark. He didn't think he had this ability before, but could this be the result of increased mental power, making him smarter and more perceptive? Zhang Tie didn't know, but after a moment of contemplation, he got up, feeling good. He knew that from today, the No-Leak Fruit would start growing again, giving him hope for the future.

Zhang Tie shared the top level of the treehouse with Xista, who was still sound asleep when Zhang Tie woke up. The others below seemed to still be in bed. Zhang Tie quietly got dressed, put on his shoes, and donned his soft armor, fastening his belt and checking his equipment. He then carefully climbed down the treehouse. The tall, twisted dragon-claw tree, with its protruding knots, made it easy for someone his age to climb up and down.

Last night, it was Light's turn to guard the second half of the night. He was sitting in a tree hollow about a meter below the lowest treehouse level, holding the "Iron Gate T21," eyes wide open. Seeing Zhang Tie climb down, he was quite surprised. "So early?"

"Ha, the early bird catches the worm!"

"Then the early worm gets eaten by the bird. Are you really going to try it?"

Zhang Tie nodded. "Yes!"

"Then good luck!" Light gave up trying to persuade him. In Light's view, even if Zhang Tie hit a wall twice, he would still come back. Being a miner in the survival trial wasn't an easy job.

Zhang Tie waved to him, climbed down the tree, and quickly disappeared near the treehouse base...

The morning in the valley was different from the city. The air was fresher, and Zhang Tie greedily breathed in the fresh air, rich with the essence of the wild plants. He ran to a nearby stream, washed his face, broke off a branch of water willow to clean his mouth, drank some mountain spring water, and ate a small piece of dry food before setting out.

Before enlisting as a miner, Zhang Tie wanted to do one more thing. He had an idea that he hadn't yet put into practice. If it succeeded, he wouldn't have to worry about food for the rest of the trial. He would have plenty of time to do what he wanted, as being a miner was just a cover; he didn't plan to rely on mining for a living.

While working at the general store, Zhang Tie learned some survival skills and knowledge from Tang De and other pioneers. These skills, which he couldn't learn in school, included setting traps and snares to catch prey. After observing the environment of the Wild Wolf Valley for two days, Zhang Tie thought some of these skills might work.

First, Zhang Tie cut a bamboo pole from a nearby bamboo grove, taking two one-meter-long sections and tying them together. As he passed a chestnut forest, he found a three-meter-long, duck-egg-thick chestnut sapling, cut it down with a multi-functional entrenching tool, and trimmed the excess branches. He then attached a steel spearhead to the sapling, creating a two-meter-long spear. With the spear in hand, Zhang Tie felt much bolder. He followed his memory, carrying the two bamboo sections and the spear, heading to a place less than 500 meters from the treehouse base.

Since most of the trial participants chose to stay within five kilometers of the castle, the wildlife in this area had been hunted extensively. The animals were either driven away or killed. This area was relatively safe, with few dangerous animals left, so Zhang Tie didn't have much to worry about.

Before reaching his destination, Zhang Tie heard the sound of flowing water from behind a hill. Turning the corner, he saw a seven-to-eight-meter-wide river, lined with tall grass, reeds, and aquatic plants. His arrival startled a few water birds, which flew away. The river wasn't crystal clear, but it was clean. Zhang Tie squatted by the river and observed for about five to six minutes. He noticed fish about the length of chopsticks jumping out of the water. There were no crocodiles or other dangerous aquatic animals. After a while, Zhang Tie had a plan. He used the spear to clear a path and walked upstream, stopping at each tributary to examine it. After walking about 700 meters, he had seen five tributaries, none of which satisfied him. The river ended at a ravine and a cliff, forcing him to either swim or detour. As he was about to detour, he heard the sound of a stream.

"Huh!" Zhang Tie stopped. If not for his recently increased mental power, which made his senses more acute, he might not have heard the sound. The faint sound of flowing water came from a very hidden spot. Zhang Tie used the spear to clear the path and followed the sound, passing through a tangle of grass and thorns. The sound became clearer, and he found a one-meter-wide stream, just deep enough to cover his feet, flowing over pebbles from the mountain and joining the river.

Seeing the stream, Zhang Tie's eyes lit up. He examined the stream's position, the slope where it joined the river, and the water depth and quality. He used his hands to measure and finally felt confident. After all, hard work pays off, and this was the place...

Zhang Tie stuck the spear in the ground, took out the entrenching tool, and took off his shoes. He started digging near the stream's mouth, shoveling mud and pebbles to the side. After about an hour, he had dug a small pond about 50 centimeters deep and the size of a water jar, about two meters upstream from the river's mouth.

After digging the pond, Zhang Tie collected pebbles from the stream and built a small dam above it. He then smoothed out the two-meter stretch of the stream between the pond and the river's mouth, removing all stones larger than an egg and filling the gaps with fine sand and pebbles no larger than a thumb. He used the entrenching tool to level the stream's slope, narrowing its width and increasing its depth.

Zhang Tie worked back and forth, and finally, he split the two bamboo sections into thin strips, using them and nearby willow branches to weave a cone-shaped trap, about the size of a bowl, and placed it at the pond's outlet. This took him almost the entire morning.

By noon, Zhang Tie was sitting under a tree by the stream, wiping the sweat from his forehead, satisfied with his work. The stream, from the river's mouth to 20 meters upstream, had been completely transformed. In the two-meter stretch near the river's mouth, Zhang Tie had slightly altered the stream's speed and slope, making the water flow more slowly and increasing its depth. The original depth of the stream in this section was between 5 and 10 centimeters, with some areas exposing pebbles and a depth of less than 3 centimeters. After removing the large, obstructive stones and some of the sand, the water depth in this section was now over 20 centimeters. Above this section was the deeper pond Zhang Tie had dug, with its only outlet leading to the cone-shaped trap. The trap, though crude, served as the pond's "gate," with the cone's opening facing the river and its tail inside the pond. The simple cone design made it easy for things to enter but difficult to exit, as the internal structure was loose while the external structure, especially the tail, was tight.

This cone-shaped trap was the key to the trap's effectiveness. Twenty meters upstream, Zhang Tie had built eight small dams using large pebbles, spaced about two to three meters apart. These dams weren't meant to block the water but to create natural waterfalls, increasing the oxygen content of the water. After the stream passed through these eight dams, the oxygen content of the water entering the river would be significantly higher. Oxygen-loving fish in the river would sense this and swim upstream, a natural instinct. These fish would eventually end up in the pond, which, along with the cone-shaped trap, would act as a natural fish trap. Once inside, the fish couldn't escape and would wait for Zhang Tie to collect them.

This was a hunting technique taught by Tang De, using the natural instincts of fish. Without a net or a spear, by making minor modifications to the terrain and creating a simple tool, fish could be lured into the trap. Tang De once remarked that humans and fish were similar; fish liked oxygen in the water, while humans liked alcohol, beauty, wealth, and power. The best traps targeted the prey's natural instincts and preferences.

The stream water was still a bit murky after Zhang Tie's work, but after resting under a tree and having some dry food for lunch, the water began to clear. The clear, bubbling stream flowed into the river, quickly washing away the dirt at the river's mouth. Before leaving, Zhang Tie cut a branch with leaves and placed it over the pond to cover it. He then headed back to the Wild Wolf Castle, setting two more traps for small animals and beasts along the way using the elasticity of branches and the principle of gravity.

When Zhang Tie returned to the castle, the bustling square left him speechless...