Chapter 48
In the tent, Old Li was still unconscious, and his breathing was obviously weaker than before.
Zhou Qi hurriedly fed him the antidote.
After waiting for a while, I finally got a response when I called him again.
"Xiaoqi..." The old man opened his eyes and called out weakly.
"It's okay now, you can take a rest first."
Although the fight just now ended quickly, Old Li is old after all. He had just recovered from a serious injury and now has new injuries. He was also drugged, so he needs to rest well.
Zhou Qi fed him some high-concentration glucose solution to replenish his energy. After Old Li closed his eyes and fell asleep again, he took Tang Yu'an out of the tent.
"An An, please identify this powder." Zhou Qi handed the glass bottle containing the drug to Tang Yu An.
"Oh, okay."
Tang Yu'an poured out a little bit of the powder, and then used a basic identification skill on the powder.
[Do you want to spend 1 point to identify this item? ]
After the points were successfully deducted, the identification information popped up.
【Name：Sleeping Pill Powder】
【……】
[Description: After inhalation, the person will quickly enter a coma. Only by taking the antidote can they wake up. If the antidote is not taken in time, they will die in their sleep after a period of time.]
Zhou Qi took out the identification album and looked at the newly added information. Although he already knew the effect of the medicine powder, his expression was still grim.
"Brother Xiaoqi, is this the poison that Grandpa Li and I were poisoned by?"
Tang Yu'an was also frightened. He had no idea that he had experienced such a dangerous moment in his sleep.
Zhou Qi nodded and told him what had just happened.
"Maybe the parasite helped me absorb the medicinal properties, so I was not affected." Zhou Qi said.
Unfortunately, this sleeping pill has no effect on the parasite, and it still seems quite active.
After hearing this, Tang Yu'an quickly checked Zhou Qi's employee information, and then pulled him aside to observe him, "Brother Xiaoqi, are you okay?"
Zhou Qi shook his head, "Thanks to Black Pearl."
The dagger he threw missed. If it weren't for Black Pearl controlling the dagger to spin and kill the tall and thin man in time, Old Li would have been in danger.
If he were alone, he might be powerless and could only rely on the umbrella to take An An away and wait for another opportunity later.
But in that case, An An would be in danger without the antidote... So it's really fortunate that Black Pearl is here.
Zhou Qi was grateful and decided to go back and get some more delicious food to reward it.
After hearing this, Tang Yu'an quickly picked up Black Pearl and thanked and praised it.
Black Pearl reacted indifferently, as if he had just done something insignificant. Only the little tail standing upright and shaking gently behind him clearly revealed his good mood.
It seems that the drug has no effect on it, and judging from the identification information, this drug seems to only work on "humans".
Then, Zhou Qi walked towards the short man again.
After being knocked unconscious by Zhou Qi, his breath gradually weakened and it looked like he was dying.
Zhou Qi bent down, grabbed the dagger that Old Li had inserted into his chest, and pulled it out with force.
More blood gushed out.
Due to blood loss, the short man finally died in a coma.
Zhou Qi tightly gripped the dagger that was still dripping with blood, kept his mouth tightly shut, and suppressed the discomfort that kept rising in his heart and stomach.
He told himself that this was the end of the world.
The legal system and morality have long since collapsed. If he is soft-hearted, he will not be able to protect himself, let alone An An...
"Brother Xiaoqi, are they... dead?" Tang Yu'an's voice rang out.
Zhou Qi turned his head to look at him. The young man walked towards him and looked at him with a slightly pale face.
In fact, he didn't know that his face was much paler than Tang Yu'an's.
"Yeah." Zhou Qi nodded.
Tang Yu'an looked at him, his eyes slowly turning red. He moved closer to Zhou Qi, put his arms around him, and buried his face in his chest, not daring to look at the corpse on the ground.
"Brother Xiaoqi, they are bad guys."
Tang Yu'an closed his eyes, his voice trembling: "If they don't die, we will be the ones to die, so we are not wrong."
“Ding-dong—”
The dagger in Zhou Qi's hand slipped to the ground, making a crisp sound in the silent night.
“An An…”
"Don't be afraid, I will be with you."
The boy's tender voice was choked with sobs, but it miraculously dispelled the uneasiness and panic in Zhou Qi's heart.
Zhou Qi raised his hands to hug him back, but when he saw the blood on his hands, he dropped his hands again.
After a long while, the young man uttered a low sound.
"Yes, I'm not wrong."
Tang Yu'an closed her arms and hugged him tighter.
The two young men embraced each other again in the night. This night with a strong smell of blood was destined to leave a deep impression in their memories.
-
The night continues.
Next to the fire, Zhou Qi had picked up the dagger he had thrown away. He rinsed it with water and then wiped it clean carefully.
Neither he nor Tang Yu'an returned to the tent, but sat by the fire, consciously taking on the responsibility of keeping watch.
Tang Yu'an felt a little hungry, but when he thought of the two dead people lying next to him, he lost his appetite.
After all, this is at the foot of the mountain, and the market town is on the mountain, so there are still people passing by going up and down the mountain in the second half of the night. However, when they see the two corpses on the ground, these people will stay away from them.
Even though the people sitting by the fire were just two skinny, childish boys, no one dared to look down on them anymore.
"Go back to your tent and sleep. It's cold outside," Zhou Qi said.
Even though he was a person with special abilities, he still felt the chill of the night while sitting by the fire, let alone Tang Yu'an.
Tang Yu'an shook his head and said stubbornly: "I want to accompany you."
Although there are umbrellas to adjust the temperature, they sit outside to keep watch and prevent any criminals or other creatures from approaching, so they naturally cannot hide under the umbrellas.
Zhou Qi sighed, stuffed the cup of hot milk into his hand, then opened his arms to embrace the boy and wrapped them both in a thick blanket.
"Will this be warmer?" he whispered.
The body temperatures of both people intertwined in the blanket, keeping out the cold night.
Tang Yu'an snuggled in his arms, holding the cup. After drinking a sip of hot milk with sugar, she finally felt her cold hands and feet warm up.
"Yeah! It's warm now."
As soon as he felt warm, he began to feel sleepy.
Although he tried hard to stay awake, he finally fell asleep in Zhou Qi's arms as his eyelids drooped.
but……
This kind of companionship is enough for Zhou Qi.
He adjusted his posture so that Tang Yu'an could sleep more comfortably, and then took out a metal spoon from his personal storage.
Black Pearl, who was originally sleeping in Tang Yu'an's pocket, suddenly poked her head out.
Zhou Qi ignored it and continued to recall the fluctuations he felt when Black Pearl controlled the dagger, then focused his attention on the metal spoon in his palm.
Slowly, the spoon began to vibrate, and then slowly floated up.
Although he couldn't be as fast as Black Pearl, at least he succeeded. In addition to changing the shape of metal, he mastered a second metal-related ability.
Black Pearl widened her eyes slightly and looked at him in surprise.
But soon, when Zhou Qi turned his head to look at it, it bared its teeth and its hair stood up, like a fluffy little ball.
In the light of the fire, Zhou Qi's eyes turned red again.
He frowned slightly and then closed his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, his pupil color had returned to normal, and of course the floating spoon fell back into his palm.
The black pearl had already shrunk back into Tang Yu'an's pocket and hid.
Zhou Qi continued to feel his body, and after discovering that he was still able to maintain his sanity in that state just now, he began to practice how to switch freely.
When Black Pearl is in fear, or red-eyed state, his senses and abilities are significantly enhanced.
If he could make good use of this state, it might be of great help to him in future battles.
-
During practice, time passed by unnoticed.
Finally, the first ray of light from the horizon broke through the darkness, and the sky became dimly bright.
"brush--"
Old Li suddenly lifted the curtain at the entrance of the tent and looked outside nervously.
When he saw Zhou Qi and Tang Yu'an sitting by the fire, his nervous expression eased.
Zhou Qi noticed his movement and quickly put away the spoon. He returned to his normal state, looked at him and said, "Grandpa Li, are you okay?"
Tang Yu'an, who had trouble sleeping and had been having bloody nightmares, was awakened by their conversation and looked up at him with a dazed expression.
Old Li looked at them carefully for a few times before saying, "Nothing serious."
Although he could feel a slight fracture in his ribs, it was not a serious problem and would heal after a few days of rest.
He walked over to the two bodies and looked at them.
After most of the night, the bodies of the two men had become cold and stiff, with a thin layer of white frost on the surface. They looked deader than dead.
He looked at the two haggard and pale boys again.
"Thank you for your hard work last night." Old Li said with some relief.
Zhou Qi shook his head, "It's all thanks to you."
Last night's experience taught Zhou Qi a solid lesson. He was still too inexperienced when facing this kind of fight between humans.
If he could enter the slow state he used when facing Granny Guo before throwing the dagger, then his dagger would be absolutely impossible to dodge.
He was reviewing the situation while on guard, and he understood more clearly how quickly Old Li reacted.
That was definitely the result of countless battles and accumulated experience. There was a lot for him to learn.
"Grandpa, if you're okay, let's get out of here."
Tang Yu'an had come to his senses and hurriedly stood up and said to Old Li.
Although he had prepared himself mentally, being next to two dead people really made him feel uncomfortable and he couldn't even eat.
Old Li nodded, and he probably understood the feelings of the two children.
He thought about it, patted Zhou Qi on the shoulder and said, "This kind of thing is very common in the wasteland, don't feel burdened."
Obviously, in Old Li's opinion, after he fell into a coma and lost his ability to move, the only person in the camp who was capable of dealing with those two people was Zhou Qi.
He could never have guessed that the boss behind the scenes who saved them would be a little kitten.
Zhou Qi nodded and pulled Tang Yu'an, who had regained consciousness, to pack up his things. After turning off the engine, they prepared to leave.
As for the two corpses...
Old Li looted their belongings and then left them alone, without wasting any energy digging a hole to bury them.
According to him, it will be dug out anyway if it is buried.
"Eating human flesh is prohibited in the market town, but there is no such restriction outside the market town." Old Li's casual words made Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi feel creepy.
"Eating people" in the physical sense was a situation they had never imagined.
"If we hadn't won last night, we would have ended up being food for these two guys."
Seeing the pale faces of the two teenagers, Old Li did not stop, but told them a more cruel truth.
"So, put away your kindness and compassion. The wasteland is not a fortress. Being too soft-hearted will only push you into the abyss."
Facing Old Li's stern gaze, Tang Yu'an swallowed and subconsciously hid behind Zhou Qi.
"I know..." he said weakly.
Old Li stared at him for a while, probably to make sure that he had heard it, then he looked away.
"Let's go, let's go."
Just as he was about to pick up his bag, Zhou Qi, who had already mastered the art of lightness, took it from him without any explanation.
"Grandpa, can you still walk?" Tang Yu'an asked.
Facing the young man's concerned eyes, Old Li felt as if what he had just said was in vain, but... the soothing warmth that surged in his heart prevented him from saying any words of blame.
"It's okay to walk slowly. The next step is up the mountain, which is less dangerous."
Old Li didn't say anything more. He picked up a branch to use as a crutch, and then started climbing the mountain with the two teenagers.
Jufeng Town is built on a mountain, so the guards will patrol the outskirts of the town during the day.
In addition to hunting activities, the mutated creatures in Jufeng Mountain are either expelled or eaten, so the safety is much higher than other sections of the road.
Here, it is our own kind that we should be careful of.
"It's just that the mountain path is difficult to walk on. You have to be careful not to fall into the ravines."
Unlike the mountain roads that were paved with cement and built with stairs before the disaster, they had to actually climb up to get to Jufeng Town, and there were several steep sections that were quite dangerous.
"The mountain road is so difficult to travel on, why build the town at such a high place?" Tang Yu'an asked.
“Because it’s safe.”
Old Li chatted with the two teenagers in a casual manner, munching on whole-wheat steamed buns while climbing up the mountain along the winding and rugged path.
Tang Yu'an also blessed himself with the light body technique, so he didn't feel so tired when walking, and he was still in the mood to enjoy the scenery.
The trees on Mount Jufeng are not very lush. In an environment with such a large temperature difference between day and night, it is very difficult for plants to survive. If you want them to grow well, you have to be born to like this kind of weather.
For example, some low shrubs and ferns, these smaller plants, grow quite well.
There are many plants in the mountains, so it is cooler than the wilderness. Even as the sun rises, the temperature is not that outrageously high.
The only annoying thing is probably the large number of small insects.
You can often see large areas of Ulala, especially in places with stagnant water or rotting corpses, which makes Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi's scalps tingle.
However, they had Lin Zhen's insect repellent powder. When they applied it on the exposed skin, it felt cool and no insects dared to come near them.
Around eight or nine in the morning, after they climbed over a small hill, they saw a checkpoint guarded by guards.
"Is the market town just ahead?" Tang Yu'an asked curiously.
They planned to arrive at the market town this evening. If they arrived now, it would be much faster than planned!
Old Li shook his head and said, "That's the sentry post."
"It's also a toll booth," he explained. "When we leave Jufeng Mountain, we have to pay a toll."
"Do I need to hand over something when I go in?" Tang Yu'an asked.
"No need," said Old Li. "You only have to pay it when you actually enter the market town, but Tiejin said it's been cancelled now."
Tang Yu'an and Zhou Qi suddenly realized.
Unexpectedly, the entry and exit toll checkpoints were not the same, which was a little different from what they had thought before.
"Follow me, keep your hats on, and don't look around."
Old Li gave some instructions and continued walking towards the sentry post with the two teenagers.
This level has two metal doors, which seem to be made of mutant metal. The top of the door is made into the shape of spikes, and the tip and the blades on both sides flash in the sun, showing their sharpness.
The two doors were one big and one small, and only the smaller one was open, with two guards standing by it.
However, their attention was not on the outside, but on the people who were coming down the mountain and preparing to leave, and they were carefully "inspecting" them.
After all, they can only make money from those who leave - if they attack those who enter the mountain, they will be punished if something happens.
Old Li brought the two teenagers in. The guards just took a look and continued with their own business.
After they walked away, Tang Yu'an asked in a low voice: "Grandpa, how do you pay the toll for leaving? Is there any standard?"
Old Li shook his head. "They'll take less from familiar faces, and more from unfamiliar ones. It depends on the guard's mood, but generally they'll leave something for you."
This is so unfair...
But in this case, even if those incapable people move out of the town, they will probably stay in Jufeng Mountain and dare not leave, right?
Ensuring that most materials only enter and do not leave may be the purpose of managers setting up charging points.
"Is there no other exit?" Zhou Qi asked at this time.
This is a mountain range, after all. Is there really a force that can seal off the entire mountain range? In the world before the catastrophe, this would probably be difficult to achieve, right?
"Yes, there is, but it's very dangerous," said Old Li. "This is the safest way."
Most people know the choice: pay the toll to ensure safe passage, or leave the supplies behind and force their way out at risk.
They walked forward while talking.
The terrain here is relatively flat, with more than a dozen two-story stilt houses rising from the ground and scattered around the outposts. Judging from the green dots marked on the map, quite a few people should be living in these buildings.
They have never seen so many people since they came to this world!
"This is where the Sentinel Guards are stationed."
"Of course, we can also stay here at night, but the fee is very expensive."
Old Li pointed to several stilt houses ahead and said, "But basically no one dares to cause trouble here, so you can sleep peacefully."
If they had stayed here last night, they wouldn't have been attacked at night by those two criminals.
Tang Yu'an nodded, but did not respond.
Next time he and Xiaoqi know the way, they can come to the market town by themselves. With umbrellas to use, they don’t have to worry about night attacks.
In addition to the guards wearing identification badges, there were also quite a few people staying at the sentry post. In addition to the three people at the door who were preparing to leave Jufeng Mountain, there were about ten people scattered around.
They either stand or sit, staying together in groups of two at most, and keeping a proper distance from others.
When Old Li and Tang Yu'an walked in, these people were also observing them with scrutiny in their eyes, as if they were looking at prey.
After experiencing the night attack last night, Tang Yu'an felt that they were all people with bad intentions, and hurriedly followed Old Li's footsteps.
During this time, he also saw one or two women carrying straw baskets and sickles coming out of the stilt house and following them up the mountain road.
"They are the cooks at the sentry post, responsible for cooking. They should be going to the mountains to dig wild vegetables now."
Old Li explained to them in a low voice.
This is a pretty good job in the wasteland.
Tang Yu'an opened the map and took a look. Because everyone was concentrated in a small area, the green dots on the map were close together, making it difficult for him to mark them separately.
However, he still marked these green dots as "sentry posts".
This way, if you meet someone next time, you will know that it is someone you have met at this post.
Soon, they successfully left the sentry area and continued up the steep and narrow mountain road.
As they got closer to the market town, more and more pedestrians could be seen on the mountain road. There were a few who came from outside the mountain like them, carrying some supplies that they were going to trade in the market town, while most of them were walking down the mountain.
In addition to strong men, women and children can gradually be seen - of course, men still outnumber them.
These people basically walked in groups of two or three, carrying tools and baskets, digging wild vegetables, picking fruits, and catching insects near the mountain paths.
Tang Yu'an saw a woman's basket full of wriggling insects.
When he passed by, the woman was particularly vigilant and glared at him fiercely, holding her basket as if she were protecting a treasure to prevent them from snatching it.
Tang Yu'an didn't care about her ferocity. He knew that it was extremely difficult to survive in the wasteland.
These bugs should be her food, right? Bugs are a good source of protein in the apocalypse. Although he didn't dare to eat them, it was an option for him.
If you are really in a desperate situation and are about to starve to death, it is good enough to have something to eat, and of course you can't be picky.
Tang Yu'an lowered his hat and did not actively expose himself for points and experience points.
However, there was no such restriction since the Zhou Dynasty.
His tall stature is an advantage. Those thin and short people will avoid him when they see him, let alone provoke him.
While taking a break on the way, they met a mother and son. The mother's age could not be determined from her disheveled appearance, but her figure suggested she was young. The little boy next to her was about six or seven years old.
They picked a lot of mushrooms and had a good harvest.
The woman looked quite happy at first, but after meeting them on the mountain path, her expression changed and she quickly pulled the little boy and prepared to leave.
"Wait." Zhou Qi called out to them.
Tang Yu'an had already looked at the map and knew that there were only five of them on this section of the mountain road, so the trading environment was safe.
But as soon as Zhou Qi spoke, the young mother not only did not stop, but instead pulled the little boy and ran faster.
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.
Zhou Qi: “…”
He couldn't stop it, so he had to walk back in disappointment. The first serious transaction of his trip to the market town ended in failure.
Old Li looked at him and laughed.
"If you rush over like that, anyone who sees you will run away." He shook his head and said, "Why are you looking for her?"
Zhou Qi pursed his lips slightly and said, "I want to change some mushrooms for lunch."
Hearing this, Old Li thought of yesterday's dinner and couldn't help smacking his lips. He thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry, we'll definitely meet again later."
Jufeng Town is located on the mountain, not only for its safety, but also because there is abundant food in the mountains.
The residents stayed in market towns and various resting places at night. During the day, most ordinary people went out to the mountains to hunt or gather. There were many people like that mother and son.
If you want to trade, pay more attention on the road, there will definitely be some.
However, they did not see any mushroom pickers on their way forward. Instead, they encountered guards and were stopped.
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