Sixteen Words for Survival in the Wasteland

Bai Ye nodded. "You're right. Black Mountain doesn't just have mutated beasts; it also has even more dangerous mutated plants. Guns are very effective against mutated beasts, but against mutated plants covering the mountains, their effectiveness would be greatly reduced. That's why they want to use human lives to scout the way and find the safest route."

Having analyzed it this far, he had more or less sorted out the whole story. This hundred-man squad was probably headed to Black Mountain on a mission when they encountered the fleeing residents of Gray Soil Town. They then took control of them and made them serve as vanguards.

Seeing that it was already late, they had come to the nearest Gray Soil Town to spend the night.

"Those damned city folk don't treat us wastelanders' lives as lives at all!" Li You cursed under his breath. As he cursed, his expression turned sorrowful again.

"This shitty world has always been like this. Those high-and-mighty big shots hide in their castles and start wars, then all the common people end up suffering along with them."

Bai Ye's eyes flickered. Li You's words made him think of many things.

The previous mutated beast disaster and the current army—when all was said and done, both had been caused by an order from the powerful figures in Dawn City. The residents of Gray Soil Town lived difficult lives, but at least they had been able to live in peace. They had stayed honestly at home, only for mutated beasts to be driven to their doorstep first, and now soldiers were herding them off to die.

They had offended no one, yet disaster kept coming for them one after another.

"Born into an era like this, most people can't control their own fate. Every speck of dust of the times that falls upon an ordinary person's shoulders becomes a mountain," Bai Ye said in a low voice.

Li You's eyes lit up. He savored those words several times, deciding to remember them so he could show off to others later.

"Didn't expect you to be so cultured. Unlike me, all I know how to say is that I'm unlucky."

"Shh, quiet!" Bai Ye's expression shifted as he leaned close and listened for movement from the army.

"Squads One and Two, bring the thermal imagers and inspect every house. See whether there are still any living people in the town." The officer in the troop carrier began issuing orders again.

The officer's words made Li You's face change drastically. "Damn it, they're going to search the place. Hurry and hide."

"It's useless. They have thermal imagers." Bai Ye's eyes flickered. He had originally planned to lie low until the army left, but now he could no longer stay hidden.

"What's a thermal imager?" Li You, an illiterate, looked completely confused.

"A thermal imager can see the heat given off by human bodies in the dark, so hiding is useless."

"What!?" Li You shot to his feet, alarmed and enraged. "At this point, we can only fight them! Brother Ye, with your strength, taking a vehicle shouldn't be too hard, right? Then we can drive away!"

Bai Ye's near-miraculous strength earlier had given him plenty of confidence.

Bai Ye rolled his eyes at him. "Now you know to call me brother when there's danger?"

"Hehe... Brother Ye, listen to yourself. Am I, Li Zuo, the kind of person who changes with the wind?"

Bai Ye: "..."

Outside, the soldiers' footsteps were drawing closer.

"Brother Ye, when do we make our move?" Li You asked seriously. He glanced at his bandage-wrapped right hand, pain flashing through his eyes. Damn it, ever since becoming a Transcendent, this arm had never gotten a proper rest.

"Make a move? Make what move?" Bai Ye looked astonished. Fighting was impossible. There was only one minute left, nowhere near enough time to kill over a hundred people. Even if he really had to fight, it would be safer to wait until after midnight tonight.

Yet Li You looked even more astonished than he did. "Brother Ye, this isn't the time for jokes. If we don't fight, are we supposed to just wait to die? I don't want them to capture me and use me as cannon fodder."

"Sigh." Bai Ye patted Li You's shoulder with a disappointed look. "Young people are always thinking about being brave and fighting fiercely. How are you supposed to live long that way?

"Do you know the way of survival in the wasteland?"

Li You froze. "What's the way of survival in the wasteland?"

"The so-called way of survival in the wasteland is a discipline that lets you live a long life out here. The principle is simple—just sixteen words: if the enemy is weak, I humiliate them; if the enemy is small, I bully them; if the enemy is fierce, I submit; if the enemy is strong, I obey."

The sixteen words left Li You dazed. "If the enemy is strong... I obey?"

"You can be taught." Bai Ye looked pleased. He had already made up his mind. Didn't this squad need cannon fodder? Then they could be cannon fodder for a while. Black Mountain was still days away, and once he had enough time, what couldn't he do?

"But, Brother Ye, what if the enemy doesn't intend to leave us alive?"

"Then it's even simpler. If the enemy is strong, I die." Bai Ye looked utterly unconcerned.

Li You: "..."

Bai Ye bent down and began smearing dust from the ground across his face.

Seeing this, Li You hurriedly did the same.

At that moment, alert shouts from soldiers sounded outside the house.

"There are two people inside!"

Chaotic footsteps rang out as a large number of soldiers began converging on the house where Bai Ye was hiding.

Hearing the commotion, Li You was clearly beginning to panic.

Bai Ye, however, remained completely calm. He patted Li You's shoulder reassuringly. "If you want to survive in the wasteland, you must always carry reverence and humility in your heart. Ponder it carefully. I believe my words have already touched your soul."

Then, under Li You's dumbfounded gaze, he strode toward the door while shouting, "Don't shoot, sir! We're friendlies!"

Bang!

The door was violently kicked open, and more than a dozen guns were aimed at Bai Ye and Li You.

"Who are you two? Why are you hiding here?" a soldier demanded.

"Sir, we're both honest citizens of Gray Soil Town. When the gray sparrows attacked earlier, my younger brother and I hid in the room and didn't dare come out. Now that we've seen the officers from Dawn City, we've finally found our saviors." Bai Ye launched into a string of improvised nonsense.

The soldiers did not lower their guns and continued questioning them. "The residents of Gray Soil Town have all fled. Why didn't you run?"

"My younger brother was injured. I was worried that traveling such a long distance would worsen his injury, so I wanted to wait before leaving."

As Bai Ye spoke, he pulled Li You over and casually pinched his right hand. The pain turned Li You's face deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his face.

Seeing that Li You's condition did not seem faked, the soldiers finally lowered their guard somewhat.

He took out a radio and reported, "Reporting, sir. Two wastelanders found. Requesting instructions."

"Check whether they are carrying weapons. If there are no problems, have them join the group." A cold, authoritative voice sounded from the other end of the radio.

"Yes, sir!"

Two soldiers stepped forward and began searching them.

Li You kept signaling frantically to Bai Ye. He knew Bai Ye had a forbidden object on him!

However, Bai Ye acted as though he saw nothing and allowed them to search him.

A moment later, the soldiers found nothing and completely relaxed their guard.

"You two, come with me."

The two followed behind the soldiers, heading toward the gathering place of Gray Soil Town's residents.