Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Everyone lay quietly for a few minutes, faintly hearing the rumbling from the sky, which then caused various sounds of alarm.

When Shen Juanjuan lived in Mixin Town, he would hear this sound every morning. He whispered to those around him, "It's the aircraft. The aircraft is nothing to be afraid of. It drops many treasures from its belly—flowered paper, water cups, flowered cloth, bags, glass balls... and lots of food. Have you ever eaten cookies? One bite, and they're both fragrant and sweet. Some have white, soft fillings inside..."

The loud rumbling paused overhead, and even through the fabric and snow, the intense, blinding white light could still be felt. The students lay with rapid breathing, but thinking of Shen Juanjuan’s words helped them remain calm amidst their fear.

Chu Ya lay in the snow pile, his nose and mouth filled with snow, feeling his lungs gradually ache. Knowing he was a B+ Sentinel with physical strength superior to ordinary people, he realized that others buried in the snow must be suffering more.

The beam continued to move forward, and the aircraft finally entered the canyon.

The steep mountains on either side of the canyon made it clear that the pursuers did not think anyone would hide on the mountains. The aircraft gradually sped up, roaring as it flew ahead.

When the last trace of rumbling finally disappeared into the distance, the snow piles began to stir, and people covered in white emerged one by one. They all lay on the snow, coughing loudly and gasping for breath. Rong Chen clutched his chest and fell to the ground, pointing ahead, "Tent, open it, let air in, go."

The Black Wolf darted toward the tent. Chu Ya had just taken a couple of steps when he heard Rong Chen hoarsely ask, "Why is one missing? Who else? Why is one missing?"

Chu Ya stopped, using his mental power to probe the snow piles. He said to Wang Chengcai and Liu Zhen, who were staggering to their feet, "You two, go open the tent." Then he rushed to a snow pile at the back, quickly digging through the snow to drag out a person covered in snow.

"It's Shi Yongzhi." The administrators gradually stood up, but they didn't have time to check on Shi Yongzhi. They coughed and stumbled toward the tent.

Chu Ya placed his fingers under Shi Yongzhi's nose, immediately kneeling beside him to perform CPR. Rong Chen seemed to want to come over, but seeing the tent buried in the snow, he bit his lip and, with red eyes, turned and ran out.

"You have to hold on, do you hear me? You must hold on. So many students need your protection. What will they do without you? Wake up, continue protecting them..."

Chu Ya pressed while speaking urgently, "This is your duty, you can't give up. Wake up quickly, I know you can hold on, wake up quickly..."

Voices grew noisy on the left side of the clearing as students started to emerge from the tents. Most of them weren't wearing down jackets, shivering in the snow. The administrators dragged blankets from the tent to wrap around them.

"Did you hear that? They're all fine, all safe. Now it's just you. You can't be hurt, you absolutely can't be hurt—"

"Cough, cough, cough."

Chu Ya stopped talking and moving, panting heavily as he watched Shi Yongzhi lying on the ground, coughing violently.

After a moment, he wiped his face and slowly sat down.

The coughing gradually subsided, and Shi Yongzhi, supported by Chu Ya, sat up. The administrators had already temporarily arranged the students and rushed toward the canyon.

"Old Shi." An administrator's voice was tinged with tears as he ran to Shi Yongzhi and hugged him tightly.

"Ouch, my chest still hurts, don't squeeze."

Other administrators also rushed over, hugging him and sobbing, calling out to Old Shi.

"Calm down, I won't die, but you're going to strangle me." Shi Yongzhi smiled, though his eyes glistened with moisture.

"You scared us to death, I, I..." An administrator's voice trembled.

"Quick, quick, start the fire, don't let Old Shi freeze, and take care of those students."

...

Chu Ya walked to the edge of the canyon and saw a small figure rushing toward him. He squatted down, opening his arms to embrace Shen Juanjuan, who dove into his chest.

Chu Ya gently rocked Shen Juanjuan. "Were you scared just now?"

"No," Shen Juanjuan shook his head, "I knew you were outside."

"Okay, no matter what happens in the future, remember, I won't be far away, always by your side."

The tents were re-erected, and a roaring bonfire was lit. The students quietly gathered around several bonfires, watching the person standing in the center of the clearing.

"There are some things I didn't want you to know, but now I have to tell you." Rong Chen's gaze swept over the young faces, swallowing hard. "Where should I start? Let's start with Cloud Peak..."

As Rong Chen spoke, the students' expressions shifted from disbelief to suspicion. They observed the administrators, noting their reactions. Once they realized Rong Chen was telling the truth, only fear and panic remained.

The clearing was densely packed with people, yet it was eerily quiet, with only Rong Chen's low, raspy voice and the occasional sob from a student breaking the silence.

Chu Ya sat among the younger students, with Shen Juanjuan lying on his lap, his eyes fixed on the bonfire. Suddenly, Wang Chengcai stood up and walked alone to the edge of the camp. Liu Zhen immediately stood up but saw Lin Duozhi already chasing after him, so she slowly sat back down.

Some older and middle-aged students began to sob, their cries echoing. The younger students, though not fully understanding, were affected by the atmosphere and whispered to each other.

"They're crying, should we cry too?" Chen Hongliang asked.

Wang Xiaoxi huddled his shoulders. "Administrator Chen didn't scold anyone, why are they crying?"

Tang Yuanyuan said, "Didn't you hear? Administrator Chen said Cloud Peak is capturing people, and they're after us."

Chen Hongliang's face brightened. "That's great, no need to choose, they'll just take us to Cloud Peak."

"I don't want to be captured by Cloud Peak; it's not good at all." Shen Juanjuan lifted his head. "Brother said it's very crowded there. If we sit around the fire like this, some people won't have seats and will have to sit on the fire."

"That would hurt the butt..."

After Rong Chen finished recounting everything, the children cried until they were out of breath. Several older students even lay on the snow, rolling and wailing.

Chu Ya understood what Cloud Peak meant to them—it was the light in their difficult lives, their most beautiful aspiration and hope. But now they discovered that Cloud Peak was not just an illusion, but a hell, a beast that devoured people, bringing them catastrophic disasters.

The administrators remained silent, silently bringing more firewood and filling the students' water bottles with hot water.

The collective breakdown lasted for about half an hour before the crying gradually subsided, and the students, comforted by the administrators, sobbed their way back to the tents.

"What about the principal? Will the principal be okay?" A student asked, crying, and others stopped to wait for Rong Chen's answer.

Rong Chen patted the student's shoulder. "Don't worry, the principal is safe. Once we reach Linya City and settle down, we can find a chance to visit him or bring him here."

The student sniffled. "And the babies on the second floor, we should bring them to Linya City too, they shouldn't stay in the orphanage."

"Yes, yes, definitely. We will take it for sure."

The next morning, Rong Chen woke up the students as usual, calling out tent by tent. Normally, it would take the students over half an hour to get out of bed, but today they quickly tidied themselves up. The older students took care of the younger ones without being told, picking them up while they were still sound asleep and dressing them in their coats and shoes.

One of the supervisors looked curiously at the students, scratching his chin. "What's going on? Everyone seems different today?"

"Perhaps they've finally come to their senses and grown up overnight," another supervisor sighed. "Hardship always makes people grow up fast."

Dor Valley stretched for several kilometers, with thick snow reaching the knees of adults. It was already difficult for the middle-grade students to walk, let alone the younger ones. The supervisors emptied the carts as much as possible, distributing blankets to the older students to carry, and had the younger students sit in the carts.

However, the middle-grade students, though older than the younger ones, were only eight or nine years old. They were led by the older students, their short legs sinking deep into the snow with every step, making progress extremely slow. By noon, the group had only advanced less than a kilometer.

They rested in the valley at noon. Without being told, Black Wolf rushed up the steep slope and plunged into the snowy forest to hunt Mutants, while the supervisors started boiling water and making a fire.

Although everyone had put bags over their feet before setting off, it did little good in such deep snow. Their trouser legs were soaked, and they sat around the fire, shivering with cold, their faces pale and lips blue.

Chu Ya felt this wasn't working and looked up at the peaks on either side, moving back and forth through the valley. A group of younger students, including Shen Juanjuan, followed him closely. Seeing this, they also stood up to follow.

"You stay here and don't move," Chu Ya had to stop.

From the snow forest on the hillside came the roars of Mutants, indicating that Black Wolf was hunting. The students were used to such scenes and continued with their tasks without concern.

Chu Ya was observing the left mountain wall when he suddenly sensed something and turned to look behind him. A Mutant, possibly intimidated by the roars, stumbled out of the forest. It had thick fur, a tiger-like body, and two long horns on its head. It was climbing up the steep slope, dragging some dry vines and a long piece of wood.

The students in the valley cried out in alarm. The tiger Mutant turned its head downward, its eyes flashing with ferocity. As it charged down toward the valley bottom, Chu Ya was about to release his mental energy to kill it but then hesitated, instead using it like a rope to tightly bind the creature.

With its limbs bound, the tiger Mutant tumbled down the slope. Chu Ya and the supervisors quickly moved the students out of the way, lifting the slower middle-grade students to safety.

The Mutant crashed into the snow at the bottom of the valley, unable to move but still struggling fiercely, snarling at Chu Ya with bared teeth.

The students scattered in fear, but a group of younger students, including Shen Juanjuan, naturally sought Chu Ya's protection. Standing closest to the Mutant, they hurriedly gathered around him, but Chu Ya quickly called them to stop.

"Don't move, Shen Miaomiao wants us to stay here." Shen Juanjuan blocked the children who wanted to go closer, spreading his legs. "Mental defense, protect Shen Miaomiao."

The younger students, still shaken, followed suit: "Mental defense, protect Brother Chu Ya."

"One layer of defense, two layers of defense."

The Mutant's roars shook the snow from the canyon walls. Chu Ya drew his dagger and approached, but a black shadow swept overhead.

Black Wolf landed steadily in front of the Mutant, lowering its head and opening its mouth to roar even more fiercely: "Roar!!"

This roar carried the authority and pressure of a higher species, and the tiger Mutant immediately cowered, lying obediently on the snow, showing submission.

Black Wolf circled the Mutant slowly, both intimidating and warning it, until it was certain the creature wouldn't move again. Then it leaped onto the nearby snow slope, dragging two dead deer Mutants to the valley bottom.

Rong Chen cautiously approached, pointing at the Mutant still lying motionless in the snow. "Aren't you going to kill it?"

"No."

"Then..."

Chu Ya smiled. "Have you heard of dog sleds?"

Rong Chen paused, then slapped his thigh. "Of course, I know all about them."

The supervisors went to handle the two deer Mutants and began preparing lunch. After giving Black Wolf instructions, it rushed up the slope again. Although it left, its presence still intimidated the tiger Mutant, which glared at everyone but didn't dare move.

"Don't go near it; Shen Miaomiao said not to. That Mutant will bite."

Seeing Shen Juanjuan maintaining order, Chu Ya asked him to lead the younger students to sit by the fire.

"My brother said to go warm ourselves by the fire," Shen Juanjuan relayed.

"Ooh..." The younger students remained standing.

Shen Juanjuan turned and shouted, "Shen Miaomiao, they won't move, they want to watch you here."

Chu Ya said, "You're the squad leader now. Make them follow your orders."

"Squad leader? Am I the squad leader?" Shen Juanjuan's face lit up with surprise.

"Yes, you are."

Shen Juanjuan turned and announced, voice trembling with excitement, "Did you hear that? I'm the squad leader, and you must obey my orders."

Tang Yuanyuan helped persuade them. "Let's go sit by the fire; we can still see Brother Chu Ya there."

Tang Yuanyuan and Chen Hongliang led the way to the fire, and Shen Juanjuan gently coaxed a younger student. "Come on, listen to the squad leader. The squad leader will take you there."

"I don't want to go."

"My brother said I'm the squad leader. Be good, and I won't hit you. If you don't listen..." Shen Juanjuan's face darkened. "No one is so bold as to disobey me."

Shen Juanjuan, using a mix of persuasion and threats, led the younger students to the fire and relayed Chu Ya's instructions to stretch their feet out to warm them.

There was movement on the snow slope, and Black Wolf drove a large group of trembling antelope Mutants down to the valley bottom, joining the tiger Mutant.

There were at least forty antelope Mutants, each as large as a cow, with sharp carnivorous teeth, densely packed on the snow.

Chu Ya instructed Black Wolf to guard the Mutants while he released his mental energy, cutting through the trees on the slope like a sharp blade. The supervisors climbed the slope and pushed the fallen trees into the valley.

After a simple lunch of roasted meat, the older students and supervisors tied the logs together with ropes, bundling seven or eight into a thick bundle. Chu Ya then attached the other end of the ropes to the backs of the Mutants.

Most of the Mutants didn't dare resist, but those that tried to break free or turn to bite were swiftly subdued by Chu Ya's mental energy.

Each pair of Mutants pulled a bundle of logs, creating a makeshift sled. Two supervisors tested it, straddling the log bundle, and the Mutants, urged by Black Wolf's low growl, pulled the logs forward at a run.

"Hahaha, supervisors, riding the log sled."

"Ha ha ha, that's so much fun! I want to ride too."

The students followed behind, watching with excitement and enthusiasm. Shen Juanjuan also jumped up and down, laughing and asking Chu Ya, "What kind of vehicle is this? What kind of vehicle is this?"

Chu Ya tapped his forehead lightly, "This is a wooden sled."

The wooden sled moved so fast that when the two Mutants leaped over a snowbank, the bundle of wood actually flew into the air. The two managers were thrown up and then fell back down, landing headfirst in the snow.

The students all burst out laughing and ran over to help them up.

With snow covering their heads and faces, the two managers laughed as they walked back, "No problem, just go slower. And even if we fall, it’s fine; it’s all soft snow."

Dozens of wooden sleds were parked on the snowy ground, and the Mutants obediently lay down at Black Wolf's command. Each bundle of wood could carry several students. The older and middle groups all climbed aboard, while the younger group, who couldn't sit steadily, remained in the pushcarts. But now, no one wanted to get in the carts; they all scrambled to climb onto the wooden sleds, only to be held back by the managers.

"I want to ride too, I want to ride too." Shen Juanjuan, held by the back of his shirt by Chu Ya, kept jumping: "I don’t want to sit in the cart, I want to ride the wooden sled..."

"You're the squad leader now—"

"I don’t want to be the squad leader anymore, I want to ride the wooden sled!"

A group of younger students said to Chu Ya, "Brother Chu Ya, I want to ride the wooden sled too."

Previously, the older and middle groups had to walk, but now they were all straddling the sleds, patting the wood beneath them proudly, grinning at the younger students.

Some of the younger students started crying after watching for a while.

"You can ride tomorrow, before we leave the canyon, you’ll get a chance." The managers coaxed and cajoled the younger students into the pushcarts, then shouted at the older students, "Whoever shows off again will have to pull the cart."

Some of the younger students could ride with their older siblings, like Liu Sijin and Lin Duozhi, who were held in the arms of Wang Chengcai and Liu Zhen, riding the wooden sleds under the envious gazes of the other younger students. But Shen Juanjuan couldn’t enjoy this privilege because if Chu Ya were to ride the wooden sled, the little chicks would follow.

There were still many Mutants left at the bottom of the valley, so the pushcarts were also hitched to them. The remaining dozen or so Mutants were released by Black Wolf and hurriedly scampered up the hill, disappearing into the snowy forest.

Black Wolf leaped onto a large rock and let out a long howl. All the Mutants then pulled the bundles of wood or the pushcarts, moving forward in a grand procession through the canyon.