Chapter 132: The Elusive Peace

After packing the food, water, and weapons in the inner room, Liu Chang divided the supplies into several large packs. He shouldered the largest one himself and gave the others to He Zhizhi and Mo Sanpang. He then walked over to the three children and said, "Come, get into my arms; I'll carry you."

"We can walk ourselves," one of the children replied. "Our stamina is no worse than an adult's. Even if we aren't as strong as you, we won't fall behind the group."

"That's not—" Liu Chang began to stoop, intending to argue, but he suddenly remembered that these three children were, in essence, three versions of Li Qingshui. He relaxed and said, "Alright then."

Liu Chang nodded and walked over to Xiao Jing, patting her on the shoulder. "You don't need to carry any supplies; just keep an eye on the three children. They are very well-behaved and easy to manage. Take them with you."

"Got it." Xiao Jing nodded, turned to the children, and asked in a questioning tone, "Shall we go with big sister?"

"Sure," the three replied in unison, then fell silent.

After Liu Chang, He Zhizhi, and Mo Sanpang thoroughly checked the room one last time to ensure nothing was left behind, they shouldered their packs and began to discuss their future destination.

"Where are we going?" Xiao Jing asked, holding one of the children's hands.

"I don't know," Liu Chang replied, shaking his head. "I had intended to leave with Li Qingshui today, but since he isn't going..."

Thinking of the Li Qingshui he had left behind and the words spoken at their parting, a wave of sorrow washed over Liu Chang. Over these past years, he had subconsciously grown more distant from Li Qingshui. As Li Qingshui had said, he had never done anything to wrong him; in fact, he had always helped him unconditionally, treating him like family, yet Liu Chang had found himself speaking less and less to him.

Now that they were leaving, Li Qingshui remained behind, and it was possible they would never see each other again—because Liu Chang knew exactly what he was facing.

That giant willow tree was not something Li Qingshui could handle. Whether in terms of intelligence or raw physical power, the two were on entirely different levels. Even if Li Qingshui could somehow stem the willow tree's advance, Liu Chang did not believe the tree would pass up the chance to consume such a highly evolved brain.

He might become one of those millions of brains, or perhaps the one the giant willow favored most.

Although he knew Li Qingshui was formidable—having undergone a secondary brain mutation four years ago, allowing him to kill Zhao Zhuo with ease—it was impossible to know what he had become four years later. Yet, based on his years of contact with him, Liu Chang could faintly sense that the confidence he had displayed moments ago was a facade.

In the past, no matter what Li Qingshui did—even when facing Zhao Zhuo—he had always been calm and collected, with everything under his control.

But now, he had spoken words of farewell, and his claims were too "full." It was the first time he had used such definitive, absolute language to tell Liu Chang that he could hold back the giant willow for three years.

To those who knew him, these words sounded more like a slogan than a promise. The old Li Qingshui would never have shouted such slogans. The fact that the current Li Qingshui had done so only meant that he had no certainty whatsoever about the situation.

His death was all but a foregone conclusion.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, a lump formed in Liu Chang's throat, leaving him unable to speak.

To He Zhizhi and the others, Liu Chang's silence looked like indecision. Having lost their pillar of support, they began to grow anxious.

"Say something," He Zhizhi urged, shaking Liu Chang’s arm.

"Right." Taking a deep breath to steady his emotions, Liu Chang knew that the apocalypse never allowed time for sorrow. "Why don't we head north? To the Northeast, or even Russia. The giant willow is in the south, so we can't go there. To the east is the ocean, which is too dangerous, and to the west, the terrain is too complex. We should just keep heading north. The weather is cold in the north; doesn't it say in books that the colder the climate, the more singular the species become? A lack of biodiversity is a good thing for us—simplicity means safety. Let's go north. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me. I heard my grandfather say my ancestral home is in the Northeast, and I've always wanted to see it, though I never got the chance," Mo Sanpang said, being the first to raise his hand in agreement. "That should be fine, as long as we stay away from the coastal regions of the Northeast, we should be safe."

"But it seems a bit too far, doesn't it?" He Zhizhi considered things more thoroughly. "From Henan to the Northeast is over a thousand kilometers. The whole way is covered in dense jungle; how are we supposed to get there?"

"Yeah, four years ago, when we went from Kaifeng to Zhengzhou—only eighty kilometers—almost everyone died. We won't be able to make it to the Northeast, will we?" Xiao Jing added, her expression filled with worry. "With such a long distance and no way to use transport, how can we make it?"

"We'll take it one step at a time. Aren't there many large cities on the way north? Tianjin, Beijing, Shijiazhuang—these cities should still have plenty of people. We can choose the nearest one as a destination, walk there, and stay for a while to see if there are any more biological tides. If there are, we continue north until we reach the Northeast," Liu Chang said. "The Northeast or Russia is the ultimate goal. For now, we just head north. We'll bring extra compasses and take it one step at a time."

"That's all we can do," He Zhizhi nodded. "We have plenty of compasses, as well as fog-piercing lights and some specialized goggles. We have those things."

"Alright, then let's pick a spot and get going. Most of the city's residents haven't evacuated yet. Once the main body of people leaves, things will get chaotic," Liu Chang sighed. "A large crowd is good for safety, but too many people lead to disorder. Right now, people are still in a 'wait-and-see' phase. Some are migrating with the bird flocks, but not many. This is the perfect time to escape, and the bird flocks outside have thinned out a little. When they die down further, we'll leave."

"Right, there's no time to lose," He Zhizhi said, sniffing the air. "The number of avian species in the sky is decreasing. We can set off before long."

"Good. Take this time to check your gear again. Small items like compasses need extra attention. Check them carefully; once we leave, it will be hard to find replacements," Liu Chang instructed.

"Understood." The others responded and began searching the room once more.

Liu Chang checked his own pack several times to ensure nothing had been forgotten, then sat on the edge of the bar, looking out at the quiet world within the room.

Tables, chairs, the bar, the ceiling, the liquor, the candles... he looked at everything one by one.

This place held the remnants of his four years of peaceful life and many memories. Xiao Jing’s first tantrum, the cigarettes Li Qingshui had given him, the wild laughter of He Zhizhi as she swung her prosthetic iron hook... (To be continued)