Night of Despair

Chapter 142: 140 Development
 

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“….” Yu Hong fell silent for a moment, then began asking some detailed questions about the Evil Shadow.

After conversing for about fifteen minutes, he completely confirmed that the intelligence given by Zhang Kaijun was indeed entirely accurate.

“Rest well,” he said before turning and heading back to the camp.

Saving Doctor Xu was just an unexpected episode.

The appearance of two strangers near the campsite aroused the curiosity of Zhou Xueguang and Aisena.

After all, in such a despair-inducing environment, the sudden addition of two people indeed had a novelty factor.

Ding Shao and her companion also arrived at the outskirts of the camp before nightfall to check out the situation.

They did not dare to get too close, merely observing through the fog the sight of three small wooden huts in the camp, with lights surprisingly burning all day long.

Shocked, they returned to their hammocks and sat in silence.

“They… they have electricity!? In this wilderness, where did they get electricity from? Especially when sunlight is becoming scarcer…” Yao Feiling couldn’t help but question.

So far, she was still wearing an expression of doubt, even half an hour after discovering the lights.

“There must be a nuclear generator… I didn’t hear the sound of high-power gasoline generators, nor did I see any water flow nearby,” Ding Shao muttered, equally stunned.

“Water, food, and even electricity… No wonder this camp… can hold out for so long out here,” Yao Feiling whispered.

“Let’s just observe for a bit longer,” Ding Shao understood that she was tempted; joining this camp would definitely skyrocket their quality of life, at least they could instantly escape the awkward situation of constantly searching for water.

“Yeah, let’s see what kind of person that man is. If there’s no problem, joining his camp wouldn’t be an issue,” Yao Feiling stated confidently.

They had the confidence to make such statements.

Aside from their good looks, the two were among the few who were enhanced by Large Pyroxene Stone among the survivors in the vehicle.

Furthermore, having undergone covert military training by the Sisterhood, they would be absolutely welcome in any camp in such harsh conditions.

“Alas…” Ding Shao sighed, saying nothing more. This future without hope… She often even considered the thought of just dying in the Black Disaster.

After all, survival was but a torment.

*

*

*

The arrival of Xu Ruoying hadn’t brought any changes to Yu Hong’s Black Wind Camp.

He continued his daily routine of leg technique training, cultivation, waiting for the strengthening process of his Internal Cultivation Methods to finish, and also awaited Old Li’s return with new runes.

Days went by, and those two women outside accepted supplies for two days without further disturbing Yu Hong.

They actually settled down in the hammocks suspended mid-air.

They even kept reinforcing their hammocks by finding many long branches to add a base, instead of just relying on ropes for support.

Occasionally, when Yu Hong patrolled the area with his Black Lizards, he noticed them hanging various daily necessities from the trees, managing a basic rhythm of life despite difficulties.

Therefore, he no longer concerned himself with them.

Four weeks passed, and he had to enhance his Inner Qi cultivation as much as possible to cope with potential high-risk Black Disasters.

Speed Man, tick orbs, Insect Man—each kind of high-risk Black Disaster was extremely challenging to deal with.

Before he knew it, another five days had passed.

Xu Ruoying’s injuries improved substantially with adequate nutrition, healing was not possible, but the pain and inflammation decreased.

She began pacing around the camp, murmuring to herself, not knowing what she was saying.

On the sixth day.

Yu Hong changed into a cleaned set of reinforced gray lizard armor and equipped himself with weapons, guns, and Rune Plate Detector Hand Grenades.

He lowered his goggles and pulled up his face mask, completely covering his face.

Click.

He opened the wooden door and stepped out of the cave.

These days, he wasn’t just sitting around cultivating.

Within six days’ time, all his Black Lizards had hatched, and three had grown to adult size, about the size of a cat or dog.

With nine Black Lizards in total, he had reached the limit and it was time to start what he had planned.

Heading into the yard, he greeted Old Zhou who was chatting with Doctor Xu and handed a nutrition paste to Aisena, who was struggling with her writing.

He then left the compound, stepping out of the safe zone.

He had been going out almost every day, to which Old Zhou and Nana had grown accustomed. They didn’t ask questions.

But today was different.

Yu Hong felt the two powerful streams of Thunderbolt Inner Qi fill his body, with a third slowly taking shape.

‘This time, I’ll thoroughly clear the vicinity within a two-hundred-meter radius. Turn it all into a safe zone.’

Even though the arrival of high-risk Evil Shadows would temporarily drive away lower-level Black Disasters, once the high-risk Black Disasters left, the surroundings would revert to their former state.

So this time, he aimed to polish his own strength while thoroughly clearing nearby threats. Not the shadowy kind, but more troublesome things that the Black Lizards couldn’t handle.

As for his strength and skills, especially his leg techniques, he had already begun rigorous practice and mastered all the new moves. It was an ideal time to test them out.

After all, the newly optimized Inner Qi could directly attack the enhanced qi of the Evil Shadows.

Having been strengthened by the Black Mark several times, his Inner Qi now fully met Yu Hong’s needs.

Sigh…

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Yu Hong exhaled a long breath, his white breath spraying out from both sides of his respirator valve.

The weather was getting colder and colder, so he picked up the detector, turned it on, and the temperature check displayed on it.

Temperature: 6 degrees Celsius.

Red Value: 42.531.

He put away the detector and slid it back into his lower back, taking a step forward, ready to start today’s task.

Suddenly, a faint rustling noise came from the forest in front to the right.

“Come out,” Yu Hong stopped in his tracks, gently resting his hand on the high-powered enhanced pistol at his waist.

Out of the fog, a slim figure in a gray and white women’s suit slowly emerged.

The figure didn’t have her face mask and goggles on, revealing a pale, serious, and delicate face.

“It’s me, Ding Shao,” the woman said. She pursed her lips, her expression very earnest. Unlike Yao Feiling, she was equally delicate in features and well-kept, but exuded an aura of constant seriousness.

“What is it?” Yu Hong asked calmly.

He hadn’t yet developed enough trust in these two people, and the two days of supplies he had given them previously was already an act of kindness.

“It’s just… we’ve searched all around but haven’t found any water sources… now… the camp’s water supply is almost gone. Could you please tell us where to find some water…?” Ding Shao pleaded softly, with her hands pressed together.

“I can do that. But it won’t be for free. What do you have to offer in exchange?” Yu Hong nodded, knowing that the tap water in the camp was always on, readily available from the faucet, but had to be boiled before drinking.

“We can help keep watch around the camp,” Yao Feiling’s voice came from a little behind, approaching through the fog, speaking loudly.

“Both of us are enhanced, trained militarily, and will be a great asset to your side when it matters most.”

Actually, she and Ding Shao had been stealthily patrolling the vicinity for the past few days. At first, very anxious, carrying the talisman array luminous stones, they were expecting to encounter Evil Shadows. Surprisingly, after several rounds, not a single ghostly shadow was to be seen.

Hearing now that they needed to exchange something for water, the idea instantly sparked her interest, prompting her to take the initiative to speak up.

“In fact, we’ve been patrolling around these past few days, haven’t you noticed it’s gotten a lot quieter and safer around here? If we hadn’t been constantly on watch, do you think you could have slept so soundly?” Yao Feiling spoke up loud and clear.

Yu Hong glanced at her, pausing briefly on her substantially prominent upper curves.

These past few days, he had commanded the black lizards to patrol the area constantly, taking care of Evil Shadows, and had seen these two occasionally.

What he hadn’t expected was that all the black lizards’ efforts seemed to have been credited to her all of a sudden…

“Alright, Lingling,” Ding Shao patted her friend, smiling awkwardly at Yu Hong in embarrassment. “Sorry, we really have been patrolling, but haven’t encountered any trouble. She exaggerated a bit.”

This one seemed pretty sincere.

Yu Hong’s evaluation of her went up a notch in his mind.

As for the other one… her intelligence might be concentrated in her chest.

‘Observe them a bit longer.’

He wasn’t interested in bringing Yao Feiling into the fold, but he appreciated Ding Shao’s stable character. If he could choose only one of them, that would be best, but it seemed unlikely the two would separate.

“Old Zhou.” He turned and walked back to the courtyard wall, whispering a few words to Old Zhou, who had been watching the commotion.

Old Zhou curiously glanced at the two women and nodded before turning to open the water faucet near the cave.

Whoosh.

Clear tap water rapidly flowed into the wooden barrel, creating a gentle splash.

Ding Shao and Yao Feiling heard this sound.

Both of their eyes widened. Before Ding Shao could say anything, Yao Feiling swiftly turned and climbed up a tree trunk beside her like a monkey.

She was very good at climbing, reaching a height of three meters in the blink of an eye, standing on a branch and peering into the courtyard.

“Fuck! Tap water! There’s actually tap water in there!!!” The moment she saw the scene within, she couldn’t help but blurt out in astonishment.

Tap water!?

Ding Shao was taken aback, quickly turning her head to look at Yu Hong, but noticed he was indifferent, standing still without any reaction or objection.

For a moment, she doubted whether Lingling had seen incorrectly, but after a few seconds, realizing Lingling still hadn’t corrected herself and was just staring into the courtyard, her heart suddenly leapt.

“Mr. Yu…is it really…tap water??” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

She was a very detail-oriented person. Through previous conversations with Doctor Xu and Yu Hong, she had learned his name. Now she asked directly.

“I installed the water supply system myself, so it kind of counts as tap water. But it lacks the city’s disinfection and multiple filtration, and can’t be drunk directly,” Yu Hong replied calmly.

“…!!!” Installed by himself!!?

Ding Shao and Yao Feiling’s view of him changed instantly.

Tap water! That was something only supplied in the city! And he managed to install it himself!?

A sudden feeling swelled within them as though they were inflating rapidly, a surge of excitement they couldn’t immediately vent.

Tap water! Plus, the electric lights they had seen at the beginning…

With water and electricity!

This camp…this camp was simply…!

In that instant, a myriad of thoughts raced through Ding Shao’s mind.

She knew that in this desperate environment, many people didn’t actually die at the hands of Evil Shadows, as their numbers weren’t that high. Instead, more people actually died from lack of food and water.

A camp with both water and electricity like Yu Hong’s, if only a bit more safety could be ensured…would absolutely be the haven that any survivor longed to join.

At many previous outdoor strongholds, it was the presence of water and electricity that had led to repeated battles between various powers. Even if just one of the two was available with a stable source, it would cause immense contention.

Watching the running tap water at that moment, they both had one overwhelmingly strong thought emerging—join him!

Join this camp!

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