Bai Ye nodded. "You're right. Black Mountain not only has Mutated Beasts, but even more dangerous mutated plants. Guns and cannons are highly effective against Mutated Beasts, but their effectiveness will be greatly reduced against mutated plants covering the mountains. 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 sequence of events. This hundred-man squad was likely headed for Black Mountain on a mission. On the way, they encountered the fleeing residents of Gray Soil Town, captured them, and made them serve as cannon fodder.
Seeing that it was getting late, they had come to the nearest Gray Soil Town to spend the night.
"These damned city people don't treat us Wastelanders' lives as lives at all!" Li You cursed under his breath. As he cursed, his expression turned mournful again.
"This shitty world is just like that. Those high and mighty big shots hide in their castles and start wars, then all the common people suffer along with them."
Bai Ye's gaze flickered. Li You's words made him think of many things.
The previous Mutated Beast disaster and the current military operation were, in the end, both caused by a single order from the powerful figures in Dawn City. The residents of Gray Soil Town lived difficult lives, but at least they could still live peacefully. They had stayed home and minded their own business, only for Mutated Beasts to be driven to their doorstep first, and now soldiers were driving them to their deaths.
They had offended no one and provoked no one, yet disaster after disaster kept coming for them.
"Born in an era like this, most people have no control over their own fate. Every speck of dust from the times becomes a mountain when it falls upon an ordinary person's shoulders," Bai Ye said in a low voice.
Li You's eyes lit up. He savored those words several times and decided to memorize them so he could brag about them to others later.
"I didn't expect you to be this cultured. Unlike me, I can only say I'm unlucky."
"Shh, be quiet!" Bai Ye's expression shifted as he listened closely to the army's movements.
"First and Second Squads, bring thermal imagers and inspect every house. See if there are any living people left in town." The officer inside the troop carrier began issuing orders again.
The officer's words made Li You's face change drastically. He said anxiously, "Damn it, they're going to search the place. Hide, quickly."
"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 do that.
"What's a thermal imager?" Li You, the illiterate, looked utterly confused.
"A thermal imager can see the heat emitted by human bodies in the dark, so hiding is useless."
"What!?" Li You sprang to his feet, shocked and furious. "At this point, we can only fight them! Brother Ye, with your strength, taking a vehicle shouldn't be a problem, right? Then we can drive away!"
Bai Ye's almost miraculous strength from earlier had given him plenty of confidence.
Bai Ye rolled his eyes at him. "Now you know to call me Brother?"
"Hehe... Brother Ye, what are you saying? 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, a pained look flashing through his eyes. Damn it, ever since becoming a Transcendent, this arm had never gotten a proper rest.
"Make a move? What move?" Bai Ye looked baffled. Fighting was impossible. There was only one minute left, nowhere near enough time to kill over a hundred people. Even if they really had to fight, it would be safer to wait until after midnight.
Yet Li You was even more baffled. He said anxiously, "Brother Ye, this isn't the time for jokes. If we don't fight, are we supposed to sit here and wait to die? I don't want them to capture me and use me as cannon fodder."
"Ah." Bai Ye patted Li You's shoulder with disappointment written all over his face. "Young people always want to fight and show off their bravery. How can you live long that way? Do you know the Wasteland Survival Path?"
Li You froze. "What is the Wasteland Survival Path?"
"The Wasteland Survival Path is a discipline that lets you live a long life in the wasteland. The principle is simple: there are sixteen words in total. If the enemy is weak, I humiliate them. If the enemy is small, I bully them. If the enemy is fierce, I surrender. If the enemy is strong, I obey."
The sixteen-word mantra 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. It would still take several days to reach Black Mountain, and once he had enough time, what couldn't he do?
"But, Brother Ye, what if the enemy doesn't intend to let us live?"
"Then it's even simpler. If the enemy is strong, I die." Bai Ye looked completely 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.
Just then, wary shouts from soldiers sounded outside the house.
"There are two people in here!"
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 visibly flustered.
Bai Ye, however, was not panicked in the slightest. He patted Li You's shoulder reassuringly. "If you want to survive in the wasteland, you must hold reverence and humility in your heart. Reflect on 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, "Officer, don't shoot! We're on your side!"
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 asked.
"Officer, we're both good citizens of Gray Soil Town. When the Gray Sparrows attacked earlier, my younger brother and I hid in this 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 began making things up on the spot.
The soldiers did not lower their guns and continued questioning them. "The residents of Gray Soil Town all fled. Why didn't you run?"
"My younger brother was injured. I was worried that traveling would worsen his injury, so we wanted to wait before leaving."
As Bai Ye spoke, he pulled Li You over and casually pinched Li You's right hand. The pain made Li You's face turn deathly pale, cold sweat streaming down his face.
Seeing that Li You's condition did not seem faked, the soldiers finally lowered their guard slightly.
He took out a radio and began reporting. "Reporting, Officer. Two Wastelanders found. Requesting instructions."
"Check whether they are carrying weapons. If there are no problems, have them join the group." A cold, commanding voice came from the radio.
"Yes, Officer!"
Two soldiers stepped forward and began searching them.
Li You kept signaling wildly to Bai Ye. He knew Bai Ye had a Taboo Object on him!
However, Bai Ye acted as though he had not seen anything 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 toward the gathering place for the residents of Gray Soil Town.
Before you continue