Chapter 299: Why Do You Call It the Goddess Bi Hu Suo?

Ye Heng heard Li Hu's words, and his heart sank.

In this era, the law of the jungle had long been commonplace; those refuges only wanted useful people, not burdens—this was simply human nature, a rule born of the times.

But here, such inhuman acts would naturally not happen.

Yet Ye Heng also had to be responsible for the refuge's original inhabitants and for those who trusted him; excessive sympathy was not a good thing.

So Ye Heng thought for a moment and said:

"Brother Li Hu, I know your situation, but in our Goddess Bi Hu Suo, we likewise dislike idle freeloaders who contribute nothing."

"Here, children need daily study and physical training; women need to shoulder household chores, though if a woman is bold and skilled in martial arts, she can also go out on missions."

"Moreover, our elders are not here to reap rewards without effort; they pass on experience and help with light tasks, and everyone must contribute labor to the refuge's operation."

As Ye Heng finished speaking, Li Hu's expression shifted repeatedly, his heart stirred.

It wasn't disappointment at hearing Ye Heng say they likewise wouldn't support idlers; rather, he felt that those who could live in Goddess Bi Hu Suo were truly blessed.

He had never realized that doing housework counted as contribution, and even just chatting to pass on experience could be considered a contribution.

What surprised him even more was that here children could study, unlike the refuges they'd stayed in before, where once a child could walk they'd be put to work in the base—either running errands or helping cook.

At this moment, Li Hu even felt that Goddess Bi Hu Suo was practically paradise.

Seeing Li Hu silent, Ye Heng thought his earlier words had discouraged him.

Who would have thought the next second, Li Hu would drop to his knees before Ye Heng.

"Team Captain Ye, we will certainly not be a burden; please take us in—our elders and children are not lazy freeloaders, especially the elders, who will help the team as much as they can."

Ye Heng hadn't expected that Li Hu, such a tall big guy, could actually say he'd kneel and then do it.

Although he didn't like being kowtowed to—it gave him a feeling of being put on a pedestal—he could see Li Hu was genuinely seeking a future for his whole team, willing to kneel for it, showing flexibility and strength, which was admirable.

After thinking, Ye Heng bent down, pulled Li Hu up, and said:

"Brother Li Hu, there's no need for this; since you're so sincere, I will surely give you a chance—once my people finish their checks, I'll bring you in."

Li Hu, upon hearing this, hurriedly thanked profusely, his heart somewhat eased, and he said:

"We have indeed encountered zombie attacks along the way, though we didn't run into mutant beasts; rest assured, most of our injuries came from bumping into others while they fought over supplies, not from any infection."

Not long after Li Hu finished speaking, Zhang Chaoran's side also had a result.

"Team Captain, everyone's been tested—no one is infected."

Ye Heng nodded, then paced over to face the crowd of refugees.

His gaze swept over the crowd before him; though each looked weathered, none were spiritless, and each pair of eyes still glimmered with faint starlight.

"Our refuge has decided to take you all in; you should have heard my talk with Li Hu just now—after joining our Bi Hu Suo, everyone must follow these rules, and if we find anyone breaking them, we will expel them just the same."

The people looked at one another, no one speaking rashly; orderly and disciplined, they all turned toward the elders in the group.

Seeing the elders nod, the crowd then responded in turn to Ye Heng's words.

"We will surely follow the rules."

"Li Hu's attitude is ours; we are willing to accept all the refuge's stipulations, but we also hope you won't discriminate against elders and children as other refuges do."

"If you also break this agreement, we won't need you to expel us—we'll leave on our own."

Ye Heng watched them united in purpose, and felt a surge of emotion.

With such a kind-hearted nature, these people surely wouldn't turn his refuge into a foul mess.

Brother Qin Yao was still reliable; the people he introduced were of good character.

Soon, Ye Heng led the group toward the refuge's interior.

Li Hu led his own troupe close behind, his heart still a little uneasy.

They walked and looked about, curiously surveying everything, occasionally whispering to express anticipation or worry.

"Their location here is actually not bad—easy to defend, hard to attack, with sparse population, making it hard to discover, and zombies are surely few, so it's relatively safe."

"But the place is too remote, supplies are scarce too—getting to the exchange on the outskirts of the special zone to trade for supplies would likely take several days on foot."

As they walked, they whispered among themselves, their unease growing.

At that moment, a child in the troop suddenly broke free of an adult's hand and ran to Ye Heng's side.

"Uncle uncle, you just said your refuge is called Goddess Bi Hu Suo—why is that?"

Li Hu and the others saw it and wanted to stop, but it was too late—the child had already grabbed Ye Heng's hem and asked.

Hearing his question, everyone looked curiously at Ye Heng, wanting to know as well.

Ye Heng thought, then rubbed the child's head and said:

"Because our refuge is protected by the goddess."

The child tilted his head innocently, full of curiosity.

"Goddess? Is that a deity? Do deities really exist?"

Ye Heng chuckled, "Of course; our goddess has vast divine powers—she can conjure food for us to eat."

Upon hearing that, the child was overjoyed.

"Really? That's wonderful! We'll never have to go hungry again!"

The children all cheered along, not caring what the goddess actually looked like; as long as they heard she could produce food, they believed it wholeheartedly.

But the adults knew this was just a joke—how could there really be a goddess in this world?

Even if one existed, a deity might not necessarily protect people like them.

Still, the fact that this refuge could be called Goddess Bi Hu Suo gave it a touch of human warmth.

The leader here didn't seem overly strict, able to joke and chat with the children; surely it wouldn't be worse than the refuges they'd stayed in before.

The group finally passed through the lengthy canyon and entered the refuge's range; at a glance they saw the high walls rising, with many people constructing facilities on them.

Although the refuge still appeared under construction, it bore a vibrant, thriving look.

At that moment, some refuge natives with nothing to do stood outside the walls; seeing Ye Heng bring people, they all came forward to greet them.

"Team Captain Ye, are these the newly joined companions?"

Ye Heng nodded, thinking about how to arrange things, when he heard the two elderly men and women at the front say:

"Team Captain Ye, you take the brothers to get busy with your work; leave them to us to settle."

"Exactly, exactly, just leave these trifles to us; besides, there's plenty of space inside. I'll first take them to set up tents, and once the houses are built we'll assign them together."