Chapter 17: CH 17

The light of the setting sun hangs like blood on the shoulders of the mountains, casting long shadows of the trees lining both sides of the road. 

An off-road vehicle was parked on the roadside. After a day’s journey, the people in the car got out to stretch and resolve their personal problems. 

The conditions on the highway were absolutely terrible. From time to time there were abandoned vehicles and human corpses scattered along the road, forcing cars to drive very slowly. Occasionally they even had to stop and push wrecked cars out of the way. A day’s worth of driving didn’t amount to very many kilometers. 

Sadly, most of the wounds on those corpses were not from monsters, but clearly caused by human hands. 

Only a few days after the demon seeds arrived, many people have already begun to abandon their moral baseline in order to compete for survival. 

Monsters are rampant, and the age of the strong has forcibly arrived. 

Chu Qianxun sat on the car roof, looking at the map on her phone as she tried to estimate their current location. 

There is a food processing factory about a dozen kilometers ahead. This is the place she must visit. 

In the last life, about three months after the apocalypse begun– 

Chu Qianxun was staying in a nearby base at the time when a shocking major event occurred. 

A small-scale search team found this food processing factory. Within it, they discovered a warehouse locked from the outside. Allegedly the padlock was covered with dust, probably left like this since the beginning of the end. 

Thinking the inside might contain a wealth of food supplies, the search team members were ecstatic. They broke the lock and opened the warehouse doors. 

Unexpectedly, as soon as the doors opened, two Tier Four monsters rushed out of the darkness. 

At that time, most monsters were still first or second rank monsters. Tier Three monsters were uncommon. Now two Tier Four monsters emerged in one go, almost wiping the entire search team out. Only two heavily injured members remained, fleeing back to the base in panic. 

The monsters followed behind, and the unprepared base narrowly escaped destruction from their powerful attack. 

Fortunately, many masters from the Shen’ai Group were stationed there at the time. Though heavy sacrifices were made, they ultimately worked together as one to defend the base. 

Just as humans depend on consuming demon seeds to accelerate their level promotions, monsters must also devour large quantities of humans or high-level saints in order to quickly evolve their abilities. 

How such a confined space could breed two monsters that surpassed the average level of the time was an enigma. 

After the attack, it is said that the Shen’ai Group organized researchers to explore the warehouse. 

According to the rumors, the Shen’ai Group discovered major scientific leads within. 

Soon after that, Shen’ai Group researched and developed a healing medicine with miraculous efficacy known as “Holy Blood.” Shen’ai Group outwardly publicized that this medicine was God’s compassion for the suffering people of the world; in his pity, God bestowed his flesh and blood to all living creatures. 

Regardless of whether or not that was an overstatement, this medicine was indeed capable of snatching a person from the jaws of death. No matter how serious the injury, a single dose would quickly heal it. 

“Holy Blood” was exorbitantly expensive but was still in high demand and difficult to obtain. On the cruel battlefield, who wouldn’t want medicine that could save their life? 

Thus the Shen’ai Group relied on “Holy Blood” to rapidly ascend, gradually changing from a religious research organization to a formidable and influential powerhouse.

Chu Qianxun inwardly ruminated. If she were to go to that warehouse now, she might not be able to obtain the holy blood formula, but the two high-level monsters were probably still in there. 

Of course they can’t be Tier Four this early on, but they must be at least Tier One, right?

Chu Qianxun laughed. 

She had consumed three crystal seeds and fought monsters throughout her journey. Already she could faintly feel the edge of her limit. If she obtains two more Tier One crystals, she is very likely to reach her “boundary.” Even if it’s impossible to rush to Tier Two in one breath, she will be able to reach the “critical” state of the Tier One peak. 

Right now it’s only a few days into the apocalypse, most people haven’t even manifested their powers. If she can reach the completed Tier One state, her strength and speed will surpass all other saints, even those who have just awoken strength and speed abilities. 

Chu Qianxun memorized the food production factory’s location and put away her phone. 

Feng Qianqian has gotten familiar with Gan Xiaodan and Gao Yan these past few days, and was now playing around with them at the rear of the car. 

Feng Junlei was extremely vigilant in contrast, looking around and observing the surrounding situation at all times. 

Chu Qianxun looked at these people and made plans in her heart. 

Arrive at the factory, kill the two monsters, then take these people to that base. Let them settle there. 

In her memories, that nearby base was the first established and relatively stable shelter in the early days of the apocalypse.

The Shen’ai Group of that time, under the banner of working with one heart for the common good, was still a fairly transparent and positive organization. They didn’t become autocratic and cruel until they expanded later on. 

In those days, if Chu Qianxun hadn’t been wholeheartedly concerned for her aunt’s family, perhaps she might’ve stayed at that base a while longer. 

Bringing Feng Junlei, Gao Yan and the others to this secure base could be considered doing her best to fulfill the duty of a friend. 

As she contemplated, two jeeps passed by, but didn’t drive very far before returning. 

A dozen men got out of the car and walked towards them. 

Feng Junlei grew nervous, quietly raising his self-defense weapon and standing in front of the girls. 

Feng Qianqian hid behind Gan Xiaodan, who gripped the dagger Chu Qianxun gave her. 

Chu Qianxun jumped from the car roof and coldly watched the people approaching them. 

She had an impression of the man leading in front. A few days ago, he had smoked in the corner of the convenience store, and the surrounding men called him Wei ge.

This Wei ge’s whole face was fierce-looking; his expression was cruel and haughty. There were faint bloodstains on his clothes. With a single look, one would realize this was not a good person. 

Although many of the men were smiling presently, Chu Qianxun still pushed the gun safety off. 

They walked against the setting sun, long shadows dragging in front of them. 

The moment that dark shadow was about to touch Chu Qianxun, she suddenly became alert, nimbly leaping back a great distance to evade the shadow. 

The man called Wei ge’s smile left his face. He calmly took two steps forward, and the shadow on the ground stretched towards Gan Xiaodan’s body. 

Gan Xiaodan found that unexpectedly, her hand moved by itself. 

“What’s going on? What’s happening to me?” Gan Xiaodan cried out in alarm. 

Her body completely out of her control, she abruptly restrained Feng Qianqian by the shoulders, the knife she’d prepared against the enemy now ruthlessly pressing against the young girl’s neck. 

“Qianqian!” Feng Junlei, who had been guarding in front of them, became anxious. “Xiaodan meizi, what are you doing!?” 

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“I-I don’t know, I can’t control my body,” Gan Xiaodan wailed anxiously. She involuntarily grabbed Feng Qianqian by the neck, moving backwards until she was next to the group of men. 

“Haha, who would’ve thought?” Wei ge laughed as he looked at Chu Qianxun who had dodged in advance, “So fast, you’ve also awakened your ‘superpower,’ haven’t you?”

“I suspect you have a speed type superpower. Let me introduce you. My name is Chen Wei, and as you can see, I have a shadow superpower.” He pointed at the man next to him. “This is my brother* A Wei, his ability is pyrokinesis.” 

The tall, thin man by his side snapped his fingers and a small ember appeared in his hand. 

These abilities are absolutely incredible in the eyes of an average person. In Chu Qianxun’s eyes, they are nothing more than ridiculous and cheap tricks performed by saints that have just barely awakened their potential. 

She faced Chen Wei coolly, then abruptly began to laugh. 

When Chu Qianxun’s expression was composed, it had a sense of indifference, as if she’d already been through thousands of experiences and withstood the vicissitudes of life. 

But when she laughed like this, she seemed to revert to an innocent young girl in the blink of an eye. Her bright eyes brought smiles to their faces, and they couldn’t help but let down their guard a little. 

“Wei ge,” she said cheerfully, as if the man in front of her wasn’t a ruffian who was holding a child at knifepoint, “this isn’t necessary, we don’t have any enmity between us, why are you being so cautious?”

Chu Qianxun put away her gun, spreading her hands to show she had no other weapons: “If you need anything, just say it. We’ll do everything we can.” 

“Stay back!” Chen Wei subconsciously took two steps backwards, Gan Xiaodan retreating with him. 

He originally considered recruiting this skilled woman to his side, but his seasoned intuition developed through many years in society told him this woman was not as naive and gullible as she appeared. 

In an instant, he decided to give up on the idea.

In order to save face in front of his gang of younger brothers, he changed his request: “Give me your car and everything in it, then we won’t make things difficult for you.” 

Without a word, Chu Qianxun threw the car keys to Chen Wei. She kept the smile on her face, but murderous thoughts arose in her heart. 

For the sake of Feng Qianqian and their safety, she can give up the car and the things within, but if Chen Wei still won’t let go of the matter, then neither will she. 

A few men snatched the keys and got into the car to check it out. Seeing the half box of food left in the trunk, they yelled excitedly.

Chen Wei watched Chu Qianxun vigilantly as he fell back step by step. When the long shadow was about to lose contact with Gan Xiaodan’s body, he turned around and went into the car. 

The cars raised smoke and dust, spraying Chu Qianxun and the others’ faces, and departed arrogantly. 

Gan Xiaodan finally regained her freedom. She hugged Feng Qianqian, looking her up and down to see if she was injured.

Feng Qianqian burst into tears and was hugged by her father. 

Gao Yan stamped her feet in fury, unable to keep her carefully maintained image, and issued a whirlwind of foul language. 

Soon after, she sat on the ground dejectedly: “What should I do? All of the food has been stolen, what should I do now?” 

She helplessly looked at the backpack Chu Qianxun was carrying.

She knew that Chu Qianxun’s bag always contained some food, water, and medicine, but even if they ate sparingly, how long would that little bag last with so many people?

Gan Xiaodan couldn’t help having other thoughts in her mind. Just now, those men seemed to be stronger than Chu Qianxun. They could bring flames to their hands and control people with shadows. Surely they had plenty of food in their cars. 

If I had known beforehand, I would’ve thought of a way to leave with them. 

Gao Yan glanced at Chu Qianxun and quietly hid this idea in the bottom of her heart.

Chu Qianxun didn’t seem to care at all about losing the car and the food. She looked at her surroundings. On both sides of the highway they stood on were extensive carrot fields. Right now, the carrots underground haven’t yet ripened. Aboveground, the fields were lush and green, soft yet strong branches and leaves covering the surface of the earth. 

“Let’s move, I found a place to stay.” Chu Qianxun pointed out a small earthen hut deep in the fields where a farmer had left some items of no value. 

Everybody approached the vicinity of the earthen house, rummaged around, and found to their dismay that there was no food in this shabby old hut. 

“Only this clay jar was found. There was a water reservoir next to it. The faucet there still works. I’ve filled this with some water.” Feng Junlei came over with a large clay jar. 

Chu Qianxun had already skillfully dug a hole in the ground and loosely surrounded it with stones to form a simple fire pit. 

She ignited some kindling with a lighter and stuffed dry branches into the pit one by one. 

When the branches started to burn, she clapped her hands and stood up: “Don’t just stand there, pick up some dry branches, add them to the fire then boil the jar of water.” 

She then pulled something small and balled up from her backpack. It was a net woven with transparent fishing line that was unremarkable while bunched up, but was actually very large when spread out. 

Chu Qianxun spread out the net and tied it between two big trees on the edges of the field. She picked a long tree trunk and walked into the dense carrot field.

She used the tree trunk to hit the ground of the field from end to end. After a while, a gray-brown pheasant flew out of the field. It hastily spread its wings, flying low in the sky until it crashed into the net. The mesh of the large net was quite small, and the bird’s neck pushed through while its body was stuck behind. Unable to advance or retreat, the bird could only flop uselessly in the net. 

In front of everyone’s dumbstruck looks, Chu Qianxun grabbed the struggling pheasant, snapped its neck and tossed it to Gao Yan who was watching from the side. 

“Can you butcher a chicken?” Chu Qianxun asked. 

“No,” Gao Yan stammered, “Yes, I can, I’ll pluck the feathers with the boiling water.”

As a matter of fact, she couldn’t, and had only seen it twice at most, but she didn’t dare to appear so incompetent in front of Chu Qianxun. 

Chu Qianxun nodded, taking the net and concealing it in a different stretch of the carrot field. 

By nightfall, a soup with two pheasants was already stewing in the clay pot in front of the earthen hut. 

A few sweet potatoes gathered by Chu Qianxun were buried by the edges of the firepit. 

Everyone sat in a circle around the fire, smelling the rich fragrance, and admired Chu Qianxun to the point of worship. 

“Make haste– after eating, tonight we’ll catch a few more and make them into chicken floss to eat on the road tomorrow.” 

Chu Qianxun had finished her work and was sitting on the side waiting for the meal while unceremoniously commanding the others. 

None of them had inner complaints, and their hearts were full of enthusiasm. 

It seems that as long as Chu Qianxun is here, who cares if the food is gone?

T/N: When Chen Wei refers to A Wei (and the rest of his gang) as a brother, he means it in a fraternal sense rather than a familial one. Like how an American guy might call his friend his “bro” or “homie”

Additional notes: Probably won’t translate the author’s notes from now on; while they are interesting tidbits, they don’t add much to the story. Also I’m lazy.

While I was translating, I wtf’ed at CQX grabbing a tree trunk before remembering that oh yea, she’s super strong. Still, it’s kind of funny to imagine her casually waving a big tree around lol

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