Chapter 1819 - 982: Extreme Temperature Difference (2)

After they came down from Wuyi Mountain, they had been walking continuously for five or six hours to save time.

Chen Delong looked at the three somewhat exhausted figures behind him and lifted his head to spot a small village in the distance.

So he said, "Let’s rest ahead. Our shortcut will be faster."

After speaking, he licked his dry, cracked lips and unscrewed the water bottle in his hand, taking a small sip.

"Let’s go."

Tui Zi held a stick in his hand, using it to support himself as he moved forward.

Quickly.

They arrived at the small village with only a dozen or so dilapidated buildings.

The village had no sign of life, just ruins and debris.

Most of these buildings were made from clay bricks and blue tiles. After three years of wind and rain, many had collapsed.

However, among them were a few houses made of red brick and concrete, showing damage but not reduced to rubble.

They reached the intersection and looked at the surrounding mountains and forests.

Although it was dusk, the brightness was almost indistinguishable from noon.

They didn’t dare look directly at the sun; even if they did, they used a cloth held before their eyes to avoid the harm caused by solar radiation.

Chen Delong surveyed the remaining buildings and pointed to the one on the far right, saying, "Let’s head over there."

After speaking, he carried his backpack and headed in that direction.

This house had no main door, and the courtyard walls had collapsed.

Entering the house, they saw the floor covered in dirt, suggesting it had been flooded, with sediment left behind by the waters.

Despite broken windows, it had four walls at least.

After inspecting the whole house, Tui Zi pulled at the cloth covering his head and loosened his collar.

His face was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.

"This weather is so exhausting. The sunlight during the day is so strong, yet at night there are zombies. Brother Chen, what do we do at night? This place doesn’t feel very safe," Tui Zi spoke.

Chen Delong glanced around and said:

"We’re on a mountain path, not a main road; it’s wasteland here. Even if there are zombies, there shouldn’t be many. We have no better place to go, so we stay here. Let’s get it prepared."

The group begrudgingly accepted this as the best option.

While there was still sunlight, they cooked half of their remaining food, saving the other half for breakfast tomorrow.

If they didn’t reach Big Camphor Tree Base after that, they’d be out of food and likely wouldn’t last long.

The sun tilted to the west and set.

The world returned to darkness.

Chen Delong and the others huddled in a small room on the second floor.

In the afternoon, they had blocked the outer door with chopped trees, placed wood on the stairway on the second floor, and hung a bell on string over the stairway.

If zombies approached, they would be alerted.

They were too exhausted to stand guard in shifts that night.

Night fell.

As time passed, the temperature dropped drastically.

They huddled in a corner of the room, shivering.

"Zhuo Jun, move in a bit; it’s so windy over here. I’m freezing! I need to get closer," An Sheng said, shaking in his clothes.

Zhuo Jun didn’t reply, only shuffled further inside.

Tui Zi, hands trembling from the cold, complained, "Damn it, why is it so hot during the day and so cold at night? The temperature difference must be at least twenty degrees."

"Phew—should we make a fire?" An Sheng suggested.

"Fire, fire, Tui Zi, hang your blanket on the window. Tomorrow, when the sun comes up, we’ll be exposed otherwise," Chen Delong said.

Then he added, "Take mine too. Seal it tightly."

Reluctantly, Tui Zi got up and nailed his only blanket over the drafty window.

He couldn’t help but curse in his mind: the people who came here before cleaned everything out thoroughly!

Every building in the area had been searched; there were hardly any useful items, not even a single sheet.

They lit a fire and gathered around it, finally feeling less cold.

The night passed.

They were lucky there were no zombies in the area, so they weren’t attacked at night.

The next day.

They cooked the last of their food.

The four barely managed to eat until they were three-quarters full.

But it was still the most filling meal they’d had in over a month.

Having fed and rested, their bodies felt invigorated.

They packed up, covering themselves entirely, even wrapping their hands in cloth.

Tui Zi yanked down his and Chen Delong’s blankets, then draped them over his head, looking a bit like an Arab.

"Let’s set off!" Chen Delong said with determination in his eyes, addressing his brothers behind him.

......

Northern Border Alliance.

Sima Xi lay on his bed, examining his face in a mirror.

His entire face looked severely burned, peeling skin, a crumpled face—grotesquely ugly.

Besides his face, large areas of skin on his arms, lower legs, and forearms were peeling too.

It looked disturbingly frightening.

Sima Nan’s body shook as he watched the strange and repulsive reflection in the mirror.

He couldn’t hold it anymore.

He grasped the mirror and smashed it onto the floor.

Bang!

The mirror shattered on the ground.

"Ah!!! My face." Sima Nan screamed furiously.

His eyes were filled with anger and despair.

The butler beside him kept his head down, daring not to look at the second young master.

Originally intending to discuss the expedition, he now refrained from uttering a word.

The Northern Border Alliance was chaotic now, the power system collapsed, and the base’s power experts claimed magnetic storms rendered electronic equipment unusable, with some devices destroyed during the storm.

"Ah... what a mess," the butler thought in his heart.

At that moment, the door opened.

A tall, handsome man walked in, glancing at Sima Xi on the bed and the shattered mirror on the floor.

He roughly understood the situation.

After pondering a few seconds, he spoke:

"Xi, appearance is insignificant for us men. Relax, focus on healing. Here’s a balm I brought for you, it can treat sunburns."

He then signalled to one of his men, who carefully placed the balm on the table beside Sima Xi’s bed.

Sima Xi did not look at his brother but rather coldly asked:

"Why are you here?"

Sima Dong sighed and kindly said:

"Xi, father is not well. If we don’t unite, the Sima Family cannot withstand Yuan Zhi and his forces; their power is strengthening.

You’ve inherited a portion of father’s power. Even together, we can barely defend ourselves.

If you keep being this reckless, we’ll be devoured until nothing remains.

Do you understand?"

Sima Xi sneered at Sima Dong, saying, "You’re probably the one wishing father would die the most."

"How dare you say such blasphemy?! Insolence!" Sima Dong furiously exclaimed, raising his hand as if to slap him.

But he managed to hold back.

With a wave of his sleeve, he turned and left.

Once they were gone, Sima Xi turned to see the balm on the table.

He kicked the table forcefully.

The table and the balm fell to the ground.

"Second young master, you....."

"Get out, all of you get out....." Sima Xi angrily commanded the butler and several men nearby.

His ruined face appeared even more terrifying.

Everyone took a chill, fearing that further words might provoke more discontent from the second young master.

The butler sighed and left.

Once outside, in his own room, sorrow filled the butler’s heart.

The second young master’s condition was deteriorating; if only.....

Alas.

Should he turn to the first young master or Yuan Zhi?

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

A piece of paper was slipped inside.

The butler quickly opened the door, but saw no one.

He picked up the note and saw it read:

Twelve o’clock tonight, the first young master wants to see you.

The butler’s heart clenched as he looked left and right out the door to find no one.

This house belonged to the second young master; could it be that under him were loyalists to the first young master?

The butler stared at the words on the note, feeling tempted.

.....

(Requesting monthly ticket)