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Chapter39
Zhou You's mouth tasted bitter and foul. Even after gulping down water, it persisted. He ran into the woods and returned shortly with a bag of fruits. Why weren't nutritional fluids popular? Obviously, because abundant natural food was way more appetizing.
Zhou You shared half with Shao Qi, saying, "Consider this a token of my gratitude for saving my life."
"Is this all? Is my life's worth so trivial?" Shao Qi remarked, wiping a fruit on his clothes before taking a juicy bite, somewhat compensating for the perceived imbalance.
Li Yan and the others watched with sidelong glances. Seeing Shao Qi not only eating the fruit but also making a retort left them stunned. To outsiders, these soldiers seemed incredibly disciplined and maintained impressive postures.
"Who is this young man?" They silently pondered.
"Want some?" Shao Qi offered the fruits to the soldiers. After they finished, he headed into the woods. Zhou You shouted, "Mr. Shao, where are you going?"
Shao Qi raised an eyebrow, replying, "Nature calls. Also, I thought I might pick some more fruits. Care to join?"
Zhou You shook his head, "Just be careful and don't wander too far. The fruit tree is about ten meters to your right."
Venturing a few dozen meters into the forest, Shao Qi found Yao Chen leaning against a tree, smoking, with the faint sounds of wildlife around.
Hearing footsteps, Yao Chen turned, saluted, and reported, "We've scoured ten kilometers around. No trace of Master Wei or any human settlements. Unless he's been roughing it, he isn't nearby."
Yao Chen, leader of the First Squad, was the trusted aide of Marshal Shao. Known for their fierce loyalty, the squad was regarded as the Marshal's personal troops.
"That old man has been here for sure. Those patterns inside the cave? His handiwork. And Zhou You says he can see inside the cave. Current tech can't spy from such distances. Have the guards said anything useful?"
Yao Chen smirked, "Those wimps know nothing. But they're believers of the Tian Shen cult. This experience probably shattered their faith. Doubt they'll believe in gods anymore."
"Where are they now?"
Yao Chen shrugged, "Gave them a task and set them free. With their skills, they should get out alive. The Tian Shen cult has a strong presence in Central China. The more followers, the more problems. It's baffling how people can believe in gods."
"When people accept that martial arts can lead to divinity, what's left to doubt? Haven't we seen all sorts of absurdities in recent years?"
"We've been fighting to maintain stability everywhere. A mere cult can't create much of a wave."
Shao Qi disagreed, "Master Wei can harness human life to generate spiritual energy for his cultivation. He must progress swiftly with such dark arts, or he wouldn’t go to such lengths."
In the post-apocalyptic world, the strong are revered. Many warriors know there's a shortcut to enhance their skills. How many, do you think, can resist such a temptation?
If a warrior were to use innocent lives for cultivation, the already fragile relationship will only deteriorate. Either the warriors will suppress the common folk, or the common people will overthrow this polarized regime. Thus, this cult must be eradicated.
"Understood!"
"Go back. You can probe the one with me named Zhou You; he seems to be more than meets the eye."
Author's Note: Zhou You: "I'd bet that the man with the surname Shao is Marshal Shao. Sadly, I have no evidence."
Shao Qi: "Zhou You must be a master. It's just that I lack evidence."
Chapter 030: Returning to the Team
Yao Chen watched as Shao Qi casually walked back, catching up to ask: "Marshal, how are your injuries? How did you get hurt so badly?"
Shao Qi waved it off, "It's nothing severe. Just had a bout with a dozen or so advanced mutated beasts. Relay to Dr. Jiang that his speculation was right—the intelligence of these advanced mutated beasts is indeed increasing. As they evolve, their intelligence will continue to grow. We need to find a solution soon."
"Is it really possible that someday a mutant beast could dominate all other factions, leading an animal attack on human bases?" Yao Chen mused. But hasn't that already happened, with them thinking it was just a disorganized beast rampage?
"Don't worry too much. As long as humanity evolves faster than these mutated beasts, we'll have ways to handle them." This world is fair. While it granted accelerated growth and mutation to beasts and plants, it also endowed humans with the ability to continually evolve. While humans may no longer dominate as they did before, they are not easily defeated.
"Are you returning with us this time? Everyone is worried about you. Rumors are spreading that you died in the Yunlan Mountain Range."
Shao Qi paused, "Oh? Who spread such rumors? Once we're back, make sure to break their teeth for me! ... Ah, such power-hungry folks. I won't be returning for now. I've lost my strength and need to recover. I've been at a plateau for a while, so it's a good opportunity to break through."
Knowing his decisive nature, Yao Chen tactfully advised, "It's dangerous out here alone without any protection."
"Who said I'm without?" Shao Qi stretched lazily. Amid the crowd illuminated by firelight, Zhou You's slim figure wasn't prominent. But Shao Qi spotted him instantly and smirked, "Don't worry; I have a good bodyguard in mind."
The two walked back together, with other special forces soldiers converging from all directions. A young soldier handed Shao Qi a bag of fruits, "Boss, have a peach."
Shao Qi, seeing the fuzz on the peach, frowned, "Don't we have any other fruits?"