Fleeing Famine

In the fifth year of Great Qian's Anle era, Qing Province suffered a severe drought. Famine struck, and people resorted to cannibalism.

White bones lay exposed in the fields, and not a single rooster crowed for a thousand miles.

Between the vast heavens and earth, only withered yellow remained. All life had long since fallen silent.

Let alone birds and beasts, not even a single snake, insect, mouse, or ant could be found.

Yet, amidst this desolate scene, gaunt figures, their expressions numb, stumbled onward.

They were people, refugees fleeing famine.

From time to time, someone would collapse, never to rise again.

Chen Mo's expression was vacant and numb, his body emaciated, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

To ward off the cold, he wore layer upon layer of clothing, stripped from who knew whom.

He could no longer recall how many days he had been in this world. Only one thought remained in his mind: hunger, the need to eat.

As far as his eyes could see, there was nothing edible in the world. Even the bark on the dead trees had been stripped clean.

He lacked the strength to think further, merely shuffling forward numbly.

He didn't know if moving forward offered any hope of survival, but stopping would mean certain death.

After walking for an unknown duration, a low, thatched hut appeared before him.

Chen Mo halted, glancing back over his shoulder.

Behind him was a gaunt figure, not much different from himself, equally covered in mud and layers of tattered clothing.

However, compared to him, the other was shorter and thinner.

Chen Mo didn't know his companion's name, age, or gender. In fact, they had exchanged very few words.

But during these days of fleeing, they had formed a de facto alliance.

Fleeing alone was too dangerous; one could be captured and eaten.

The two of them watched out for each other, making it somewhat safer.

There were plenty of lone refugees; why would anyone risk attacking two people?

Not to mention, if one stumbled, having someone to help might offer a chance to get back up, whereas relying on oneself meant waiting for death.

Or if one slept in the morning and never woke up, having someone to call out might offer a chance to stir, but without anyone calling, they would simply pass away peacefully in their sleep.

His companion was not his first. Chen Mo had had many companions before. Some had attacked him over a scrap of food, and he had killed them.

More had simply fallen asleep and never woken up again, no matter how much they were called.

His companion behind him showed no change in his numb expression. They were too hungry to spare the energy for any extra thought or emotion.

Seeing that his companion was still following, Chen Mo felt relieved and continued towards the hut.

His steps were slow, more like inching forward than walking.

As he drew closer to the hut, Chen Mo spotted a figure, noticeably stronger and darker than himself. The person didn't avoid him; instead, they walked towards him.

Chen Mo immediately became wary. After so long fleeing, in most encounters with other refugees, both parties would instinctively keep their distance.

This was because no one could be sure if the other person would see them as food.

But this time, there were two of them, and the other person dared to approach first!

"What do you want?" As the figure drew nearer, Chen Mo gathered his strength and asked in a low voice.

The person stopped, scrutinizing Chen Mo from head to toe, then glancing at his companion behind him.

It was as if they were comparing their heights, weights, and strengths.

However, as they looked at the two of them, an undeniable hunger for food flickered in their eyes.

"Brother, you've been hungry for so long. I see you have some food behind you. Why don't we share it together?"

A smile spread across the person's face, and they unconsciously swallowed, their gaze fixed on the shorter companion behind Chen Mo.

The implication was clear: they saw him as food.

"Okay!" Chen Mo smiled, not rushing to refuse.

"Alright, you come with me." Hearing Chen Mo agree, a flicker of joy appeared in the person's eyes.

The person quickly turned to leave. Chen Mo gritted his teeth, gathered his strength, took two large strides, and grabbed the person's neck, holding on tightly.

He did have a dagger, but the person, like himself, was wrapped in layers of clothing, making it impossible to use.

The person whose neck he was choking struggled with all their might. Chen Mo lost his footing and fell heavily to the ground.

He still held on tightly, refusing to let go.

In this world, people feared others snatching their food; no one would willingly share it.

The other person clearly had ill intentions, likely seeing him and his companion as provisions!

Though his companion didn't know what was happening, they still stumbled forward, pulled out a piece of iron they carried, and thrust it fiercely into the other person's eyes.

"Ah!" The person cried out in pain but lacked the strength to shout, only managing a low whimper.

The companion wanted to stab deeper, but he had no strength left. Helplessly, he could only put all his weight onto the iron piece and slowly stab it in, bit by bit.

Seeing his companion arrive, Chen Mo felt a wave of relief.

Fortunately, he had help. Otherwise, with his current strength, he really wouldn't have been able to strangle the other person.

As the dagger fully entered the skull, the man stopped struggling.

The companion used his crutch to get up with difficulty, then slowly moved the corpse away and helped Chen Mo to his feet.

Things that were usually incredibly simple felt like losing half their lives for the two of them, who were completely exhausted.

Stepping over the corpses on the ground, the two supported each other as they moved forward.

They were hungry, but they hadn't yet crossed the line of being human.

It was precisely because of this similarity that the two were able to form an alliance.

Arriving at the thatched shed, Chen Mo's eyes immediately went wide as he saw a pot of dark, murky porridge.

He hurried forward and stirred the ladle in the pot.

The soup contained all sorts of things: some unknown roots, a bit of wheat and wild vegetables, and even two rat heads and some rat meat.

Seeing the rat heads, Chen Mo felt reassured. This meant the meat in the pot was definitely rat meat. As for whether there was meat from other things, he didn't want to think about it.

Without any further hesitation, Chen Mo scooped up a ladleful and brought it to his mouth.

Sweet, a soul-refreshing sweetness!

He couldn't describe the taste. This porridge was more delicious than any delicacy he had ever eaten!

Picking up a broken porcelain bowl from beside the pot, Chen Mo quickly filled a bowl and handed it to his companion.

The porridge was important, but he didn't want to conflict with his companion. They still had a long way to go, and they needed to travel together.

The pot of cooked meat and wheat porridge was devoured by the two of them in a flash, leaving the pot and bowl licked clean until they gleamed.

After eating some food, Chen Mo finally had the strength to think.

Should they leave now or stay in the shed for the night?

The shed was simple, but it had plenty of thatch for warmth.

If they walked forward, they might not find another shelter before dark.

And if they spent the night outside, it was uncertain whether they would wake up the next day.

But if they stayed, it was also uncertain whether they would have the strength to continue walking the next day.

Chen Mo didn't want to think for too long. He made a decisive choice, using a found stick to support himself as he walked outside.

His companion remained silent, simply following along.

When they traveled together, Chen Mo always made the decisions, and he had long been accustomed to obeying the other.

At a slightly faster pace than before, Chen Mo kept moving towards the distance.

As the two gradually moved away, the figure outside the shed suddenly sat up. The dagger in his eyes had vanished, and there wasn't the slightest trace of injury left.

He stood up and walked into the shed. Seeing the gleaming bottom of the pot, his eyes revealed an infinite longing for food.

He searched everything in front of him, wanting to find even a scrap of edible food.

Finally, his gaze fell upon his own fingers. Wasn't this a piece of meat!