Chapter 248 - 141: An Old Acquaintance

Chapter 248: Chapter 141: An Old Acquaintance

Though it was just a fleeting glimpse, Xu Mo had an excellent memory, especially for first impressions.

The figure’s silhouette and the way he walked perfectly matched his memory of Wang Meng—the leader of the survivor squad he had first encountered and traded with in the ruins of Cyan Pine Ridge Town.

Cyan Pine Ridge Town was the place where Xu Mo first made real contact with the society of the post-apocalyptic world. The squad led by Wang Meng had been cautious but principled. After their trade was complete, they had said they were going to Jiang City and even invited him, but he had refused at the time.

Not long after, the weather had turned foul, and Xu Mo had worried whether Wang Meng and his people would make it to Jiang City safely. It looked like they had.

The appearance of an acquaintance from his "starting point" temporarily dispelled the gloom and sense of alienation in Xu Mo’s heart. A wave of nostalgia and curiosity washed over him; he wanted to know what Wang Meng and his people had experienced, if the rest of the squad was alright, and how they were faring in Jiang City now.

With barely a moment’s hesitation, Xu Mo quickened his pace, deftly weaving through the crowd. In just a few steps, he reached the mouth of the alley and darted inside.

The alley wasn’t deep, a typical L-shaped dead end. Its sides were mottled old walls with no storefronts, and only the faint smell of must and old garbage hung in the air.

Xu Mo scanned his surroundings but saw no sign of Wang Meng. He walked to the corner of the ’L’, and what he saw made him freeze for a second.

Around the bend, at the very end of the alley, was just a row of green plastic trash cans, about waist-high, lined up tightly against the wall. Flies buzzed over them, emitting an even more potent stench. Besides that, there was nothing.

That’s right—no doors, no windows, no piles of junk to hide behind. ’A man as big as Wang Meng... just vanished into thin air?’

’An Invisibility Superpower?’ The absurd thought flashed through Xu Mo’s mind, but he immediately dismissed it. If Wang Meng had possessed that kind of supernatural ability, he wouldn’t have been in such a sorry state back at Cyan Pine Ridge.

Xu Mo’s gaze drifted downward, settling on the ground.

On the damp, filthy ground, amidst the stains and scattered trash, were several round, heavy, cast-iron manhole covers. From the cracks around their edges, one could glimpse a bottomless darkness and catch a faint, complex, and even more unpleasant smell from the sewers.

The answer was obvious. Wang Meng hadn’t sprouted wings or burrowed into the earth; he had, in all likelihood, lifted one of the manhole covers and descended into Jiang City’s vast and complex network of underground tunnels.

Xu Mo crouched down to examine the manhole covers. The grime on the edge of one had been freshly scraped, and a few crumbs of dry mud, likely knocked loose from the sole of a shoe, were scattered around it.

Xu Mo’s curiosity was piqued. ’What’s in the sewers? What’s Wang Meng doing down there? Smuggling? A secret transaction? Or some kind of clandestine business or meeting?’

Xu Mo’s fingers nearly touched the edge of the marked manhole cover. For a moment, he even considered following him inside to satisfy his curiosity—perhaps he could even have an "underground reunion" with Wang Meng.

But ultimately, Xu Mo’s fingers stopped a few centimeters from the cover. In that instant, he had a moment of clarity.

’Everyone has their own path to walk, their own secrets to keep,’ Xu Mo told himself. Wang Meng was clearly acting this way because he didn’t want to be seen, much less disturbed.

’Following him impulsively would not only be intrusive, it could provoke unnecessary misunderstandings or even conflict. In a world like this, prying into other people’s secrets is often how disasters begin.’

’Wang Meng and his people made it all the way from Cyan Pine Ridge to Jiang City; they must have their own survival skills and principles. As long as they aren’t hurting anyone or crossing my boundaries, how they choose to survive is their freedom.’

At this thought, Xu Mo felt a sense of relief wash over him. The heavy pressure and alienation born from his anxieties about the future disappeared. He felt grounded again, no longer a pessimistic observer floating high above it all, but a survivor with his feet planted firmly on the earth, focused on the here and now.

With a final glance at the manhole cover and the foul-smelling sewer entrance, Xu Mo turned and walked out of the filthy alley without a second thought, merging back into the stream of people on the Inner City street as the sun set.

This time, the surrounding clamor no longer felt so distant. Xu Mo could hear the hawking of vendors, a mother calling her child home, and workers teasing each other about the day’s hardships. The sounds were still chaotic, but they were filled with life. He no longer felt like an outsider. Instead, a sense of grounding settled over him. ’I’m one of them, too. We’re all just trying to live, each in our own way.’

Back in his small courtyard, the sky had already darkened. Xu Mo didn’t turn on a light, instead assuming a stance directly in the yard. His training session this time was different. He no longer deliberately chased a violent surge of vitality or the brute-force tempering of his strength. Instead, he submerged his consciousness into a longer, more stable rhythm.

Wang Meng’s unexpected appearance hadn’t just illuminated the path of an old acquaintance; it had also, unintentionally, parted the clouds of gloom that had gathered in his heart from excessive worry.

The apocalypse would be long, and the future was impossible to predict. All he could do was respect the choices of others and stay true to himself. As for whether the great flood would come, when it would come, or what he’d do if it did... he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

At least for tonight, Xu Mo felt he could sleep in peace.

The next morning, the square at the assembly point was as bustling as ever. Xu Mo arrived on time, his eyes habitually scanning the crowd for any sign of Zhang Yun.