Chapter 38: Survival in a Desperate Situation

The sky was gloomy.

Lou Qinghe stood on a large tree, looking down from above.

The shantytown was a complete mess, full of corpses, and occasionally a few alienated loose cultivators were gnashing their teeth and gnawing on flesh.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Lou Qinghe jumped off the tree, "The shantytown ahead doesn't look safe either; let's take a detour later."

"Hmm."

Pei Siyu patted the dust off Lou Qinghe's body, then took out a mat and placed it beside the tree, "Let's rest for a while."

The two sat down slowly, and Lou Qinghe took out a water bag and handed it to Pei Siyu.

Now most of the markets on the outskirts of the city were in chaos, and most of the surviving loose cultivators were running toward the outskirts of the city.

Everyone knew that that was their only way to survive.

"As long as I enter the Outer City, I'll just hide and cultivate."

Lou Qinghe calculated secretly in his heart.

This world was simply too dangerous!

Pei Siyu held the water bag and took a small sip, then gave it back to Lou Qinghe, worriedly, "I wonder how Sister Li and Xiaobao are doing now?"

Lou Qinghe sighed softly, "Life and death are determined by fate, wealth and honor are in the hands of heaven."

He knew that it would be very difficult for that widow with her daughter to survive this disaster.

The two were silent for a moment.

Pei Siyu looked back in the direction of Qingyun Street, seemingly somewhat lost.

Lou Qinghe looked at the slightly fragile woman, and his heart felt somewhat melancholy, then said, "Eat something, then continue on our way; we'll be at the West City Gate soon."

After saying this, he took out some Beast Meat and used the Fire Control Technique to start roasting it.

Pei Siyu squatted on her knees, just watching quietly.

Soon, a fragrant scent wafted out.

"Eat up."

Lou Qinghe sprinkled some salt and gave the roasted Beast Meat to Pei Siyu.

"Thank you."

Pei Siyu took the Beast Meat and ate it slowly.

Lou Qinghe looked at the fragile woman in front of him, as if she were the only drop of water in the desperate, parched lake, moisturizing his heart.

Pei Siyu carefully looked up, saw that burning gaze, and then hurriedly lowered her head, "I, I've eaten enough."

Lou Qinghe looked at the Beast Meat she had only taken two small bites of, "You've eaten enough, eat some more."

"No, no need."

Pei Siyu hurriedly waved her hand, "I really have eaten enough."

Lou Qinghe asked, "What's wrong?"

Pei Siyu's face was somewhat pale, "I, I'm not doing anything now, and I'm still eating so much, I... I'm afraid you won't want me........."

Her voice grew smaller and smaller, almost inaudible.

Lou Qinghe was slightly stunned, then hugged her tightly.

This was warmth she had never felt before.

Pei Siyu was stunned, then gently hugged Lou Qinghe's back.

It was as if everything had quieted down, and only the sound of a violent heartbeat could be heard.

After a long time, Lou Qinghe said, "Let's go, let's go to the Outer City together."

"Hmm."

Pei Siyu nodded heavily.

Under Lou Qinghe's insistence, Pei Siyu ate a few more bites of Beast Meat, and the two continued toward the Outer City.

Along the way, because there was a ghost scouting ahead, they avoided many dangers.

Soon, the two saw the majestic city wall standing ahead, like a giant dragon coiled up.

Huangshi City had finally arrived!

"Hmm!?"

Lou Qinghe discovered that the East City Gate was closed, and there were several corpses floating on the ground, their deaths extremely terrifying.

"What on earth is going on?"

Lou Qinghe had a bad premonition in his heart, his brows twisted into a 'chuan' shape.

"Two fellow daoists!"

Just then, a clear shout came from the distance, and a figure was walking toward the two.

"Who!?"

Lou Qinghe hurriedly took out talisman papers and struck an attacking pose.

"Fellow Daoist, don't panic, I am a cultivator of the Literary Cultivation Sect."

The person coming was a middle-aged loose cultivator with a dark complexion, who bowed to Lou Qinghe, "Are you two also wanting to enter the Outer City?"

Lou Qinghe still didn't relax his vigilance, "Who are you?"

"My name is Bai Song, a Spirit Farmer from the Zilin Market on the outskirts of the West City."

The dark-faced loose cultivator hurriedly explained, "Now that the Strange Object has erupted, the Huangshi Sect has blocked the city gate, and loose cultivators are not allowed to enter......"

"What!?"

Hearing this news, Lou Qinghe felt like a bolt from the blue.

Loose cultivators are not allowed to enter!?

A long time ago, he had thought of various ways to enter the city, but now that he was at the gate of the Outer City, he couldn't enter.

Pei Siyu also bit her lip, finding it hard to accept.

"Sigh."

Bai Song sighed, "This Strange Object released sub-weirds that only top-tier Late Stage Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivators can deal with. If we stay on the outskirts of the city, we will surely die, so many cultivators have gathered under the city, huddling together for warmth."

Lou Qinghe came back to his senses, frowned, and asked, "What about the future? If we can't enter the Outer City, it will be a dead end after all."

Bai Song said helplessly, "The only thing we can do is wait, but at the very least, we must try to survive now."

Lou Qinghe clenched his fists, his face somewhat grim.

This was the bottom-tier cultivator; life and death were completely out of their control, let alone freedom.

Bai Song continued, "Two fellow daoists, we live on the other side of the hill; let's go together, it will be safer if there are more people."

"Alright."

Lou Qinghe pondered for a moment and nodded.

Bai Song was right; in the current situation, if they encountered that 'monster', ordinary cultivators would be no match at all.

With more people, it would be safer overall.

Afterward, Bai Song led the way, walking toward the hill.

And Lou Qinghe silently summoned a ghost to scout ahead; once he discovered anything untoward, he would be the first to kill the Bai Song in front of him.

In this world, people were the most untrustworthy existence.

Soon, the three arrived at the hill.

Besides Bai Song, there were several other cultivators here.

A burly, sturdy man stepped forward and said, "Bai Song, are these new fellow daoists?"

"This is Fellow Daoist Shengkui and Fellow Daoist Pei."

Bai Song hurriedly introduced, "This is Fellow Daoist Chen Ping, originally the leader of the Giant Bear Gang, and now with a cultivation of Qi Refining Level 7, he is also the one with the highest cultivation here."

Lou Qinghe scanned Chen Ping; he was indeed a Late Stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Afterward, the other few cultivators also walked over and introduced themselves.

Besides Chen Ping and Bai Song, there was also a pair of Daoist partners and a pair of sisters.

That pair of Daoist partners was named Cao Yiming and Gong Man.

Both were at Qi Refining Level 6.

The sisters were quite charming, especially since they looked basically the same, with a unique flavor; the older sister was named Zhao Yue, and the younger sister was named Zhao Ling.

The few people present were all from other markets on the outskirts of the West City, having come to the West City Gate after much hardship.

Afterward, they discovered that the city gate was already closed, and they had nowhere else to go, so they could only wander outside this city gate and huddle together for warmth.

Cao Yiming said gloomily, "This Huangshi Sect is completely giving us no way to live......"

Gong Man also sighed, "For bottom-tier loose cultivators like us, who would care if we live or die?"

The rest of them all lowered their heads, also feeling that the hope before them was gray and dim.

"Right now, we must cheer up."

Chen Ping said in a deep voice, "Soon, more and more loose cultivators will gather here, and there will certainly be some people with ulterior motives; we must be cautious and wary."

Bai Song nodded, agreeing, "Fellow Daoist Chen is right. Right now, the Huangshi Sect has blocked the city, but as the number of people grows, the Huangshi Sect might open the city gate, who knows......"

The cultivators present nodded; this was their only hope.

Lou Qinghe said, "Right now, we can only wait."

"Right, if we have some resources, we might as well exchange them."

Chen Ping took out several artifacts from his Storage Bag and said, "I have a few artifacts here; I wonder if any fellow daoists need them?"

Seeing this, the few people present were all quite moved and took out their own resources.

Zhao Yue took out talisman papers, "My sisters and I still have some talisman papers here."

Bai Song, as a Spirit Farmer, took out quite a lot of First-Grade High-Grade Spirit Rice.

Although they were loose cultivators, they all carried Storage Bags, and Gong Man and Cao Yiming also had one.

Only Lou Qinghe and Pei Siyu carried a bundle, looking quite poor.

This showed that those who could survive this great upheaval, even if they were loose cultivators, were not the bottom-tier loose cultivators who couldn't eat or dress warmly.

In the end, Lou Qinghe bought three Second-Grade talisman papers from Zhao Yue for three Middle-grade Spirit Stones.

Bai Song exchanged Spirit Rice and Spirit Stones for a First-Grade High-Grade artifact, a copper ring, and a Corpse Control Plate.

This Corpse Control Plate contained a Green Zombie, which was quite formidable.

Next, organized by Chen Ping, the few people present officially formed a Mutual Aid Alliance.

Lou Qinghe also gradually understood the strength of the few.

In the Mutual Aid Alliance, Chen Ping had the highest strength and was the most decisive person, while Bai Song, although a Spirit Farmer, was extremely generous in his actions, unlike other Spirit Farmers, and should have secrets on him.

As for the Zhao Yue and Zhao Ling sisters, they rarely spoke, but their artifacts and pills were all very complete.

Moreover, the two were refining talismans, so they certainly wouldn't be short of talismans.

Cao Yiming and Gong Man, if taken individually, were no match for Chen Ping, but two Qi Refining Level 6 cultivators together were also quite formidable.

Afterward, they each rested in the corners of the hill, waiting for news from Huangshi City.

Lou Qinghe gently patted Pei Siyu's shoulder, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, it will get better."

At this moment, even he didn't know if it would get better.

Pei Siyu whispered, "I'm not afraid, I just want to be with you."

With a direction in her heart, home was wherever they were.

Lou Qinghe also felt warm in his heart.

Yes, with this woman here, he had a bond, becoming his soft spot, but also a thick suit of iron armor.

Lou Qinghe took out the jade pendant and hung it on Pei Siyu's waist, "I have a jade pendant here; you wear it."

Pei Siyu was somewhat surprised, "This is a Second-Grade artifact?"

She had been in the second-hand clothing shop for so long, so she could naturally recognize the level of an artifact.

The jade pendant in front of her had beautiful patterns and several restrictions on it; it was clearly not an ordinary object.

Lou Qinghe smiled and didn't speak.

The night grew deeper, and the cold wind howled.

Even though the few had formed an alliance, there was still a distance between them.

And Lou Qinghe and Pei Siyu sat back-to-back to cultivate.

The night passed without a word, and in the blink of an eye, it was the next day.

The fighting and wailing sounds continuously coming from the surroundings jolted everyone awake from their meditation.

"The number of loose cultivators gathering around is getting larger and larger."

Bai

Once these words were spoken, the people present immediately became nervous.

Gong Man asked, "Will this affect us?"

Bai Song shook his head, "Not clear."

Lou Qinghe also furrowed his brows; these days were probably not going to be peaceful.

A few more days passed.

The hills on the outskirts of the city were occupied by various rogue cultivators, huddling together for warmth and forming various forces.

Lou Qinghe and the others also rarely left the hill to prevent being alone.

Bai Song walked back with an ugly expression, "Yesterday, the five cultivators on the hill to our right all died."

Gong Man's face turned pale in a 'whoosh', "I remember that among those five people, three were Qi Refining Level 6; they died just like that without a sound?"

Chen Ping analyzed calmly, "Maybe a Qi Refining late-stage expert made a move."

Zhao Yue gave a bitter smile, "Fellow Daoist Chen, you are the only one here with Qi Refining late-stage cultivation; if it were one Qi Refining late-stage, we could still resist, but if two Qi Refining late-stage cultivators charged in, then it would be troublesome."

There was still a big gap between Qi Refining late-stage cultivators and Qi Refining mid-stage.

Lou Qinghe was also full of worries.

"Two late-stage cultivators are very rare."

Chen Ping shook his head and said sadly, "However, this place has indeed become more and more dangerous; entering the outer city is the only way out."

Bai Song looked at the city wall standing in front and sighed, "How can we enter the outer city?"

Everyone was silent, their moods low.

Lou Qinghe took a deep breath, "At night, we have to be a little careful."

Chen Ping thought for a while and said, "We will be in teams of two, starting tonight to patrol."

Several people looked at each other and expressed their agreement.

After all, the outskirts of the city were too dangerous now; a slight carelessness would lead to death.

In the following days, the fighting became more and more intense.

Because they learned that the city gates were sealed, these rogue cultivators also became completely crazy.

The sounds of fighting were endless from morning till night; if it weren't for the fact that Lou Qinghe and the others' hill was relatively remote, cultivators might have already charged in.

And this was not the most worrying thing.

Soon that 'monster' also began to appear.

Under the fangs of this 'monster', even a Qi Refining late-stage cultivator died on the spot, which gave everyone a head-on blow.

Chen Ping, Bai Song, and the others also had no mind to practice, and their spirits were stretched to the limit.

Lou Qinghe's mood became more and more irritable.

Because he knew that the monster was simply not something that the rogue cultivators on the outskirts of the city could deal with.

If this continues, everyone will die!

"Don't worry, there will be a way."

Seeing Lou Qinghe looking worried all day, Pei Siyu said softly.

These were the words Lou Qinghe had used to comfort her at the beginning.

Lou Qinghe forced a smile, "I know, you don't need to worry about me."

It will get better.

This sentence kept ringing in his heart, and it was also the reason for constantly motivating himself.

But when will it get better?

Lou Qinghe looked at the dim, oppressive sky, and it felt as if a huge stone was pressing on his heart.

Pei Siyu didn't speak again, just gently stroked Lou Qinghe's back.

Somehow, his inner heart regained a trace of calm.

A few more days passed, and intense fighting and screaming came from not far from the hill.

It made people shudder and their hearts tremble.

Then he saw two or three panicked rogue cultivators run out, followed by a black shadow.

"It's a Child Ghost, the Child Ghost of the Child-Mother Yin-Yang Weird!"

Zhao Yue saw the monster and shouted in terror.

Not just her, but Pei Siyu, Chen Ping, Zhao Ling, Gong Man, and Cao Yiming all had very ugly expressions.

Because that hill was very close to them.

It might not be long before the monster rushed toward them.

And behind them was Huangshi City with its gates tightly closed; there was nowhere to run even if they wanted to.

They only had one outcome.

That is death.

Zhao Yue looked at Pei Siyu, who was alone, and wondered, "Where is Fellow Daoist Lou?"

Pei Siyu whispered, "He is practicing."

"Still practicing?"

Zhao Ling widened her eyes; now that the Child Ghost was about to kill them, Lou Qinghe could still calm his heart to practice?

Chen Ping gave a bitter smile, "Fellow Daoist Lou is really able to keep his cool."

"Could, could it be that we can only wait for death?"

Cao Yiming's eyes were bloodshot; he hadn't rested well for several days and was as decadent as if he had become a different person.

Gong Man was also slumped on the ground, his eyes somewhat hollow.

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