Salt-and-pepper roasted bamboo shoots have become an unforgettable delicacy for all ants, but Xiao Ran is worried, although there is a sentry arranged by Jiulixiang in the anti-sperm cave, but the Shangxuan Empire sent spies, but the worker ants in the anti-sperm cave did not notice it at all.

What kind of ant country is the Shangxuan Empire? Xiao Ran wondered in his heart, he only took the Artemisia Empire as the target of defense, but he didn't want to have other empires 20,000 centimeters away, and this empire might know everything about the situation of the anti-sperm cave.

If there is such an ant country as the Shangxuan Empire, then 20,000 centimeters away, I don't know how many such ant kingdoms exist......

Thinking of this, Xiao Ran only felt that the previous defense plan was too far ahead, and he had to formulate a more comprehensive plan.

If there are many such threats, then intelligence is very important. Xiao Ran decided to go to the Shangxuan Empire to investigate in person, first, to see how Jiulixiang's intelligence work was doing, and second, to find out whether the Shangxuan Empire had really rebelled as the wizard ant said.

Xiao Ran took rattan pepper, Jiulixiang, and Komori and set off in the early morning to explore the Shangxuan Empire.

According to the wizard ant, the Shangxuan Empire is 10,000 centimeters east of the persimmon tree, and Xiao Ran originally wanted the wizard ants to go to the Shangxuan Empire to see what was going on, but the wizard ants refused Xiao Ran on the grounds of his old age.

The four ants walked for about an hour and finally came to the persimmon tree. Xiao Ran looked up at the persimmon tree, and the originally red persimmons on the tree had long since disappeared.

This should be the third grandfather harvesting all the persimmons, Xiao Ran thought to himself.

Xiao Ran continued to move forward with the three ants, about 5,000 centimeters or so, and a thorny plant in the distance attracted Xiao Ran's attention.

Xiao Ran ran forward, isn't this a thorn?

He didn't know what the scientific name of the wild fruit was, some said it was raspberry, some said raspberry, and some said it was thatchberry.

The name of the thorn is more in line with the wild fruit in front of you. The red wild fruits are delicate, and each wild fruit is composed of several small particles, which is really like a peach stacked together.

However, he had the impression that the thorny shrub in front of him would bloom a pink or red flower, and the flowers in it were very beautiful.

It's just that......

This wild fruit obviously bears fruit in summer, but why is it that in autumn, there is still a fruit thorn here?

Xiao Ran climbed onto the thorny stem. He remembered that when he used to live in this village, he was very careful when picking this wild fruit, for fear of being pricked in the hand.

But now that he has become a worker ant, it is much smoother, and these thorns as long as his legs can't help him at all.

Xiao Ran climbed on top of a thorn pan, it turned out that there was a small grass on every small particle, why didn't he find it when he was a child! He smelled the breath of this wild fruit, and the natural fragrance made him feel energetic immediately.

Eat!

Xiao Ran took a big bite at the thorn.

It's so sweet!

This very ripe thorn seems to have saved up enough sugar, just waiting for Xiao Ran to come and take a bite.

"You guys should try it too!" Xiao Ran said to the three ants.

Rattan pepper, Jiulixiang, and Komori all climbed up, and each found a thorn and ate it in a big gulp. They had just eaten the bamboo shoots with salt and pepper, and they were very satisfied with this dessert after the meal.

After the four ants ate, they continued to march towards the Shangxuan Empire that the wizard ants said.

After walking for a long time, I didn't see a single ant on the road. Xiao Ran wondered in his heart, could it be that there is no Shangxuan Empire mentioned by the old wizard ant here?

"Jiulixiang, you've been doing the sentry intelligence work for so long, tell me, where is the Shangxuan Empire that the old wizard said? Why haven't you seen another ant here?" Xiao Ran said to Jiulixiang.

Jiulixiang scratched her head and said, "From the surrounding environment, it can be concluded that there are traces of worker ant activity in this vicinity. The old wizard ant said that the Shangxuan Empire is 20,000 centimeters away from the sea buckthorn wasteland, and we have only walked about 15,000 centimeters now. Jiuli Xiang said.

The four ants continued to move forward, and soon came to the place that the old wizard ant had said.

This is a cultivated land, and there are some sweet potato vines piled up in the field, it seems that the sweet potatoes in the field have been harvested, Xiao Ran thought to himself.

But where is the Shangxuan Empire that the old wizard ant said?

Xiao Ran walked along the ridge of the ground, about 200 centimeters, and found that there was a worker ant doing something in front of him. The four ants slowed down, crawled, and hid, only looking at the worker ant from a distance.

The worker ant's body was a little yellow, which seemed to be a symptom of malnutrition, and he explored one place after another, but after a long time he found nothing.

"Tengjiao, you go and get him, let's ask for clarification. Xiao Ran said.

"Why are you arresting him, just go up and ask if you can't!"

"In case the soldiers of the Shangxuan Empire are nearby, if we come forward and ask, we will have no place to escape if we are besieged. Xiao Ran said again.

Jiuli Xiang also interjected: "You just go quickly, we are here to collect intelligence, how can we ask the ants directly!"

Tengjiao reluctantly got up, he swaggered up to the side of the Shangxuangong ant, his eyes picked up, the two tentacles turned around, and said in a whisker language: "Hey, fellow!"

Shangxuangong Ant was stunned, looked at the burly rattan pepper, and took three steps back.

"Fellow, don't go, don't go!" rattan pepper shouted again in whisker.

The Shangxuan worker ant did not say anything, but turned around and ran backwards.

But the worker ant was obviously malnourished, and after not running a few steps, he was driven away by the rattan pepper. As soon as the rattan pepper grabbed its front paws, it easily stopped the pace of the Shangxuangong ants.

The Shangxuan worker ant struggled desperately, but he couldn't get out. So, the Shangxuan worker ant was obediently taken back to the place where the four ants were hiding.

Tengjiao threw the Shangxuangong ant among the four ants, and said, "I talked to him, but he didn't say a word." ”

Xiao Ran stepped forward, pressed his tentacles against the tentacles of the Shangxuan Gong Ant, and asked, "Who are you?"

"I ...... I...... Don't kill me, don't kill me!"

Xiao Ran turned to Tengjiao and said, "It's not that he doesn't talk to you, it's that he doesn't understand our language." ”

"This ......" Tengjiao was a little surprised, he couldn't believe that there were still ants who couldn't speak in this era.

Xiao Ran continued to follow the Xuangong Ant and said, "Don't panic, we just want to ask you some questions, and you can answer whatever we ask." ”

"Yes...... It's ......" The upper Xuangong ant was obviously frightened by the four ants in front of him.

"I ask you," Xiao Ran asked, "are you a worker ant of the Shangxuan Empire?"

"Yes. The Shang Xuan Gong ant nodded.

"Is there a wizard in the Shangxuan Empire?" Xiao Ran asked again.

"Wizard ?......" Shang Xuangong Ant was silent for a while, and said, "There used to be, but now there is none." ”

"Why?" asked Xiao Ran.

"The wizard has lived in the Shangxuan Empire for more than ten years, and everyone has always respected him. But for some reason, just yesterday, the wizard suddenly disappeared. "Shang Xuangong ant said.

"Disappear?" Xiao Ran was a little strange, "Is there a rebellion in the Shangxuan Empire?"

"Rebellion? It's just that the reputation of the wizard in the Shangxuan Empire is very high, and after he disappeared, the Shangxuan Empire immediately held an emergency meeting to discuss the whereabouts of the wizard. "Shang Xuangong ant said.

"Oh......" Xiao Ran let out a long sigh.

"By the way, the wizard seems to have said this before he disappeared. Shang Xuan Gong ant added.

"What?"

"There's a delicious dish that calls me from afar!"