Ning Shu Challenges Devil Pepper

The Malay bear's head was buzzing, but it relied on its thick skin and strong flesh, so it didn't suffer any fatal injuries.

However, getting hit on the head was still annoying. It yelled loudly at Ning Shu, as if complaining, while protecting the piece of honey it didn't want to give up, fearing that Ning Shu would snatch it away.

Ning Shu was afraid of its counterattack, so she gave it a few more blows.

The bear ran around in chaos, being beaten.

Finally, the Malay bear couldn't take it anymore. It let out a loud "roar" and forcefully knocked away Ning Shu's stick.

Lu Zhe hurriedly rushed over to protect Ning Shu, fearing that the Malay bear would attack again.

But it didn't!

The Malay bear let out a few painful howls towards the two of them, then sat on the ground in despair, with its bear paws forming a pitifully inward-facing position.

Then, with one paw protecting its head, it extended the other paw and handed over the piece of honey.

It was a gesture of submission, despair, and a hint of defiance.

It made people feel both heartbroken and amused.

In an instant, Lu Zhe understood, "Could it be that it thought we were trying to take its honey? It wanted to exchange the honey to prevent us from beating it."

Ning Shu tilted her head and pondered, "It's just like a first-grade child, helpless when forced by an older brother to give up their beloved candy!"

Lu Zhe nodded, "Yes, it does look like that!"

"Do you think... I hit it too hard earlier?"

"It's fine, it has thick skin!"

"I kind of regret hitting it, even though it was a stress reliever."

"To be honest, I do too!"

The two of them whispered, both feeling that they had been a bit too harsh on the bear.

Perhaps not all Malay bears are so violent.

Just like pandas, you could say they are violent, as they can tear apart antelopes and beat up wild boars without hesitation, without backing down even when facing a leopard.

You could also say they are gentle. Most of the time, they are quite gentle. As long as you don't try to snatch bamboo shoots from their mouths or kick them, they won't bother with you.

Maybe, it really was a misunderstanding!

"Actually, I just wanted to see how you would react when faced with a crab-eating macaque. I didn't expect this outcome. I really didn't want to hurt you!"

Seeing that the Malay bear didn't react, Lu Zhe continued, "Everything that happened before was a misunderstanding. You can keep the honey for yourself, I promise I won't bully you again in the future."

The Malay bear didn't understand, still sitting there meekly, offering the honey.

Lu Zhe turned to Ning Shu and said:

"It seems like using bears to defend against monkeys isn't a feasible plan. Yesterday, both Yao Yao and I were paying attention to the direction of the stream. Let's explore some more today, see if we can find other species or food."

"What about this monkey?"

"Let's bury it somewhere!"

After saying that, the two of them turned and left, leaving the Malay bear holding the honey.

It nervously glanced at Lu Zhe and Ning Shu from under its palm, but seeing them walk away, it felt a bit confused.

After a while, it let out a sigh of relief and sat down, as if it had survived a disaster.

Lu Zhe found a hollow in the mountain and buried the monkey, placing a tree branch on top as a makeshift tombstone.

Then, they continued searching into the mountains. Soon, they discovered a new plant, and their potential points increased by one.

Red chili pepper!

Unlike the sharp-pointed chili peppers, this one is spiral-shaped like a thumb, resembling a smaller version of a red screw pepper.

Lu Zhe gently touched it with his hand, and his fingertips keenly sensed a fiery sensation.

He shook his hand, and the information about the chili pepper came to his mind: "Infernal Devil Pepper subspecies, edible! Heat rating of 1 million SHU!

Can be used to make chili sauce, seasoning, and even tear gas!"

Although 1 million SHU is not as high as the Dragon's Breath chili pepper with 2.48 million SHU, its spiciness is still beyond the tolerance of an average person.

Because he had Thai chili peppers, Lu Zhe didn't intend to use this thing as a seasoning.

Suddenly, Lu Zhe thought of a use for it: Maybe it could be used to drive away monkeys effectively!

Ning Shu glanced at it and asked, "Can this chili be eaten?"

"It can be eaten, but it's extremely spicy, not something an ordinary person can handle."

"Is that so?" Ning Shu swallowed saliva. "Lu Zhe, I want to give it a try!"

"I advise you not to try it. This thing is very dangerous and can make even elephants cry."

"I can handle spice very well. I'll just try a tiny bit, alright?"

"Absolutely not. After you try it, I'll be the one taking care of you in the end!"

"What would happen to you..."

Before Ning Shu finished her sentence, she suddenly realized something, blushing with embarrassment. She glared at Lu Zhe and said, "You're driving at a time like this!"

"I'm not driving. I meant that if you cry from the spiciness, I'll have to take care of you. So, it's me who will suffer, right?"

Ning Shu nodded angrily.

"Fine, Lu Zhe, go ahead and frame me! You'll be thrilled when everyone thinks I'm a dirty woman!"

"Hey, don't twist my words!"

"I'll just try a tiny bit. If it's unbearable, I'll drink some water. Many people have tried it, right?"

"This is not something to be taken lightly by non-professional spice eaters."

"Let me tell you, those who can handle spice in Jiangxi, Hunan, and Sichuan are professionals. You outsiders have no idea how devoted we are to spicy food!"

Saying that, she brought the chili pepper to her mouth but hesitated when it was time to bite it. Instead, she chose to nibble a small amount with her teeth.

"I don't feel anything!" She chewed on it and was about to take a second bite when the fiery sensation suddenly surged up, and her face instantly turned red to the base of her neck. "Oh, wow, it's really intense!"

"I told you so!"

Lu Zhe quickly took out a water bottle. "Rinse your mouth quickly!"

Ning Shu originally wanted to endure it, but three seconds later, she couldn't bear it anymore. "Wow, it's really spicy!"

And then she started rinsing her mouth.

Lu Zhe nodded. "You can still speak, which proves that you're pretty badass!"

"Of course!"

This chili pepper had a strong aftertaste, and the overwhelming spiciness made Ning Shu unable to withstand it. She started fanning her tongue and using water to rinse!

But there was still a growing sense of spiciness!

Finally, she surrendered. "Lu Zhe, is there anything that can relieve the spiciness?"

"Yogurt, ice cream, ice cubes...we don't have any of those!"

"Then what do we have?"

"Saltwater!"

"Do we have that?!"

"Yes."

"Quick, get some!"

Lu Zhe stood up and started unbuckling his belt.

Ning Shu widened her eyes and quickly tried to stop him, "Hey, hey, hey, what are you joking about, bro?"

"The current situation is such that this is our only source of saline solution. If we can't hold on, we'll have to use it! Of course, if you mind, you can use your own." He handed the bottle to Ning Shu.

"I... I can manage!" Thirty seconds later, Ning Shu couldn't hold on any longer and said, "Go away, turn around!"

"We've been an old married couple, what is there to be afraid of!" Lu Zhe shook his head and politely turned away.

After a while, Ning Shu gurgled and spat out a mouthful of weak saline solution.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel a bit better, but the smell is a bit hard to describe..."

"You're even complaining about yourself!"

"Nonsense!"

"You brought it upon yourself. Let's see if you'll dare to eat random things in the future!"

"Alright!" Ning Shu suddenly smirked, turned around, and leaned in, kissing the corner of Lu Zhe's mouth, leaving a watery lip print.

Lu Zhe was shocked and hurriedly wiped it off with his hand, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Hehe, just sharing. You wouldn't despise your Ning Consort, would you?"

"Squad leader, you... you're truly a devil!" Lu Zhe took off his shirt and wiped his mouth.

"Haha!"

After fooling around for a while, Lu Zhe became serious, "Seriously, how are you feeling now?"

"Much better, but I still feel the spiciness lingering in my mouth. It's within bearable limits."

"Well, luckily we didn't eat much!" Lu Zhe nodded, somewhat regretfully saying, "It would have been better if we had kept that honey from the sun bear. Honey is excellent for relieving spiciness!"

"That's a shame."

Coincidentally, while they were talking, the sun bear appeared again. It seemed to be in a very good mood, walking with a much lighter step.

It held the piece of honey as if it were holding a rare treasure.

It looked like it wanted to find a quiet place to savor this exquisite delicacy.