Back to the Apocalypse Chapter 85

translator: xiin
editor: Juurensha
Bai Jing didn't care one way or another. Xiao Sa casually seated himself and said, "We'll do as you suggest."
Ever since they spent these days and nights on the road, almost everything had been done according to Zhang Qiucheng's arrangements. Xiao Sa could clearly tell that this man was like a demon. Unfortunately, his personality was too extreme, and he was very happy that Bai Jing had sent this disaster far away. He could only secretly agree that Bai Jing had made a wise move – Zhang Qiucheng was big trouble.
Zhang Qiucheng nodded indifferently, as though he had expected Xiao Sa’s answer, and went on to say, “There is only one road that leads from Phoenix Mountain to City B, and it is in the valley between two big canyons. We can set up an ambush there and divide our men into two groups. One will be in the light while the other moves in the dark. The first group will intercept them on the road, installing bombs in advance, while the second group will hide and wait to ambush and kill if the need arises. But regarding assassinations, General Xiao should also know that I only have a mob under my command…"
Zhang Qiucheng’s words paused there. Xiao Sa thought for a bit, and understood the meaning behind his words. He knew that Zhang Qiucheng wanted to test out their strength, so he casually said, "Little Jing and I can handle it."
Zhang Qiucheng had always been scum, and he was good at forbearance. He had tried every possible means to test them recently, but he was probably almost at his limit. It was a good idea to let him see a bit of their strength; when dealing with people like this, other than having similar interests, the only other way was to suppress them was with strength. Rather than cooperating, he might as well instil some fear in his heart.
“I can rest assured now that General Xiao has spoken such words." Zhang Qiucheng smiled, and then began discussing the details with his subordinates regarding whether they should ambush, how to go about setting up an ambush, how to install bombs so as not to attract attention, and how to avoid detection by the psychic ability users.
Despite Xiao Sa’s apparent carelessness, in fact, his ears were perked up as he listened intently. He was indeed a bit ashamed of how big the gap between himself and Zhang Qiucheng was. The final results of their discussion was that Xiao Sa and Bai Jing would be on standby for the assassination, and a group of over 300 people would intercept from the front. They were split into three groups; one would provide protection and install bombs, while another would purposely create confusion. Zhang Qiucheng would lead a group that would hide and wait for opportunities. To be honest, those who were charging up from the front were nothing but cannon fodder. This kind of plan was sure to succeed, but it required sacrifices. Xiao Sa knew that he was not a good man, but his heart still shuddered when he was faced with such a callous decision.
“I have no objections.” Xiao Sa spoke nonchalantly, despite the heavy topic. Zhang Qiucheng’s intentions were obvious. With preparations like these, he believed that this person would unhesitatingly betray them if he and Bai Jing were unable to stay alive.
That night was a sleepless one. The next day, the group made their way along the mountain road. The mountains were filled with lush trees, and many mutant animals, snakes, insects, rats, and ants unceasingly raided them from time to time. They arrived at the entrance to the tunnel in the afternoon, but because of an earthquake, the rocks inside had collapsed, and the passage was no longer viable. It was pitch dark inside at first glance, empty, quiet, and suffocating. Standing at the entrance of the tunnel, they could hear the whining echoes of the wind in their ears.
Bai Jing frowned and felt a little uneasy. To tell the truth, he preferred to take the road rather than travel through a dark place like the tunnel. If they went around the mountains, the attack against Yan Gang would be more difficult and the casualties more severe. In his opinion, Zhang Qiucheng’s heart, liver, and lungs were all black; other than his one hundred or so close subordinates, everyone else was considered irrelevant cannon fodder.
After setting up the camp, Zhang Qiucheng ordered a group of newcomers to lead the way into the tunnel.
None of them were fools; nobody was willing to go forth, but when faced with a bigger fist, they could only compromise despite their discontent.
Bai Jing looked on coldly and watched as the figures disappeared into the tunnel. He and Xiao Sa were simply acting as onlookers, but it was no wonder Zhang Qiucheng recruited his subordinates without any requirements. They really came in handy when it came to leading the way, charging ahead, and doing hard manual work.
“What’s wrong?” Xiao Sa asked softly, his cold eyes showing a light trace of concern as he reached out to tug on Bai Jing's clothing. The weather was now gradually warming up, and the cold that came from the melting ice felt quite refreshing.
Bai Jing shook his head, his eyes met Xiao Sa's and turned gentle. He was not a good man, nor did he need to act hypocritical about it. No matter what Zhang Qiucheng was like, the lives of those people had nothing to do with him. Who didn't have a few lives on their conscience after having survived up till now? This was the law of the jungle, and other than those in Jing Sa City, everyone else was outside of his scope of protection. He glanced around and then curved his lips as he spoke blandly, "It's nothing. There's something wrong in this area. Watch out later."
Xiao Sa’s heart clenched. In fact, he had also noticed that the trees in the mountains were too luxuriant and had thrived too well. Trees should not have grown so quickly after the ice and snow. At first glance, this place now looked like an old forest in the deep mountains. The trees had thick branches and lush leaves, showing no trace of having ever been covered by heavy snow. Faced with such an unreasonable appearance, he had to be careful. Moreover, if he hadn't guessed incorrectly, the trees here had gone through a growth spurt over the last month. Even the poplar trees planted by the roadside looked like they were thirty to fifty years old, but the road had only been open for ten years. How could have they have grown so thick?
"Got it. You as well.” Xiao Sa secretly positioned Bai Jing in a protective position beside him and pursed his lips tightly as he vigilantly shifted his gaze around. Perhaps he should be glad that there were many snakes, insects, mice, and ants nearby. Although danger was about to hit, they also represented vitality. The most fearful thing was dead silence.
Bai Jing chuckled and snapped, setting up a sound barrier as he whispered quietly into Xiao Sa's ear. Xiao Sa's eyebrows raised when he heard what he said, and then the two of them began a heated discussion that caused Zhang Qiucheng to toss them frequent sideways glances. After the two of them locked eyes and laughed, the originally tense atmosphere instantly became relaxed. When they looked at the surrounding trees, they no longer seemed so dangerous and terrible.
To Bai Jing, Zhang Qiucheng might have plans, but they also had their own plan. Bai Jing wanted to grab the military's supplies. After they came out from the tunnel, when the troops were divided into three groups according to plan, they would first go after Yan Gang. Although he had many high level masters around him, Bai Jing and Xiao Sa were both pioneers and it would be a waste if they didn't take full advantage when they could. They would make use of the chaos to first snatch up all the supplies. It was likely that whatever Zhang Qiucheng was concealing from them was also related to this - dream on!
Bai Jing decided to tell Xiao Sa about the secrets in his space after this event was over; he would only really feel at ease that way. No matter what danger he encountered, as long as the two of them were together and could make use of the space to protect themselves, there would be no more worries in the future. Xiao Sa wouldn't lose his life no matter what, and he also wouldn't need to worry about him. Bai Jing wasn't worried that anything would happen to himself, but he was afraid of Xiao Sa encountering danger and even more afraid that Xiao Sa would end up in dangerous situations because of him.
Time flew by quickly, and the sky was beginning to darken. After eating a bit, they returned to their tents to rest and recover their energy. Although the tunnels had been excavated smoothly, and there was no danger at present, they always needed to be cautious. There were no truly safe places after the apocalypse, let alone in the mountains.
The night deepened. It was a dark night, with no light in the sky. They didn't know when it started, but they could no longer see the stars and moon in the sky. Everything in the sky seemed sparse and distant, as though separated by a huge distance, like things from a previous life.
The tunnel diggers were still busy. Everyone was now full of energy because they had not encountered any danger; they just wanted to finish quickly. It was not as though there were no complaints or discontent, but if these people did not work, they would have no usefulness, and they were hesitant about parting from such a large group of people. They did not know if they would die in this chaotic life after the apocalypse, and they also didn't know if they would live to see tomorrow's sun.
“Ah—” A sad scream pierced through the night!
Bai Jing's eyes opened violently. Xiao Sa was already quickly pulling on his clothes.
A huge noise sounded out. Bai Jing packed up their things in an orderly manner, and in the blink of an eye, the originally comfortable big tent was cleared out with no trace left behind that anyone had ever lived there. Not only beds and bedding; even the blankets, drinking cups, and miscellaneous things were picked up with nothing left behind. Nothing was wasted, as they made full use of their limited resources.
Outside the tent, Zhang Qiucheng and the others had also finished tidying up. There were many crises during the end of the world, and everyone had already developed excellent tacit understanding when it came to fleeing, packing, fighting, and exploring. It had already become a conditioned reflex to make various defensive measures whenever the wind blew or grass moved.
Cold wind blew out of the tunnel, carrying with it a strong smell of blood, and the sad screams caused fear to well up in people’s hearts. The temporary group members had already fallen into turmoil. Some of them wanted to run away, while others wanted to rush into the tunnel to save people. Others suddenly caused trouble, raising their spears up against Zhang Qiucheng, their hearts filled with dissatisfaction and resentment. It seemed that all these emotions burst out and pushed them into action along with the growing fear in their hearts.