Wu Youren had wondered before whether he would encounter a similar situation after being assigned to the Martial Academy.
Jin Garden is a large prison, where information is cut off. Even if there are any scattered pieces of outside news, he has no access to them.
But things are different at the Martial Academy. Although there are still regulations, you can at least establish some contact with the outside world.
He did not believe that the Jin had no intelligence agents operating in the Liang; even the weakest state would have similar arrangements.
Even if you're just opening a small shop, you still need to find out the market situation, right?
What he was less certain of was whether these people would proactively contact the hostages who had entered the Martial Academy.
Wu Youren believes that with his status and strength, he may not deserve to be remembered by others.
Whether he had money or not, and what his family situation was, outsiders might not know, but it was absolutely impossible to hide it from the relevant personnel in the Jin.
As for the incident with Instructor Kaili, it was probably an accident—she's the granddaughter of the King of Xi, so her position is different.
But this message told him: Don't take any chances, your every move is being watched!
No wonder Wu Youren was in such a bad mood!
It's not that he doesn't want to connect with his motherland; if you put yourself in his shoes, you'll understand: he truly doesn't deserve it!
The one-way transparency of the information made it impossible for him to determine whether the person secretly contacting him was a human or a ghost!
Even if they were indeed intelligence agents from the Jin, does that mean intelligence agencies cannot be infiltrated?
In short, he simply couldn't trust anyone.
When you're traveling, all the safety and prosperity around you are illusions. A moment of carelessness can lead to utter disaster at any time.
His only thought right now is to survive, and that's not wrong.
Wu Youren silently deleted the message and tried to think of something happy: Fortunately, he had gained quite a bit today.
When he grows strong enough, he won't have to live in such fear anymore.
Then we need to investigate what can be achieved from the harvest at night.
Around noon, Cynthia woke up, yawning, and said, "I'll cook... Oh, you're done?"
She was pleasantly surprised. Few men in Great Liang knew how to cook, but quite a few could eat raw meat.
Seeing the smile on her face, Wu Youren smiled back. "Two more vehicles came out this morning, military vehicles."
In the afternoon, three more cars rushed out, perhaps unaware of the two people on the hill, and sped away without a word.
As evening approached, several motorcycles rushed out one after another.
Before long, surprisingly... a martial artist appeared who could run on two legs!
"What happened?" The two people on the mountain looked at each other in bewilderment.
Cynthia initiated the intercom, "This is the Red Pine Martial Academy patrol. What happened in the mountains?"
" The Weird Race! A large number of Weird Race!" the warrior gasped, "Is there a camp?"
"There's only one observation point," Wu Youren said, activating the intercom. "No unauthorized entry allowed. Is that acceptable?"
Those who know, know. In the battle against the Weird Race, the phrase "No unauthorized entry" was far more bloody than its literal meaning.
The martial artist hesitated for only a moment before taking off again and continuing his frantic run.
Following that, more martial artists appeared sporadically, and their numbers were clearly increasing.
Cynthia and Wu Youren dared not make a sound, because at that moment, they were the only two people on the hilltop.
When Instructor Ke Li left, he even took the longsword with him, but he left a pistol for the Jin boy, though it was out of ammunition.
As more and more warriors rushed towards them, including Knight, the two became increasingly uneasy.
"Should we run too?" Cynthia couldn't hold back any longer. "We can't get in touch with the instructor."
"Eat more first," Wu Youren said, his stomach bulging as he ate. "If you want to leave, then go ahead."
Cynthia couldn't make a decision either, so she imitated him, eating voraciously, and asked indistinctly, "And what about you?"
Wu Youren gave a vague reply, "With so many traps around, it can still be used to some extent."
Evacuation at this point is not a problem, but the question is, is it really safe outside the mountains?
He had encountered the Weird Race more than once or twice, and he knew very well that there was basically no pattern to their appearances.
In Wu Youren's understanding, it's best not to act rashly when the situation is unclear—at the very least, there are some defenses in place.
However, Cynthia's desire to leave might not be a wrong choice, and he wouldn't stop her.
Everyone should be held accountable for their choices.
Cynthia hesitated for a moment, but then made her decision, "Let's wait for the instructor a little longer."
The mission was not completed, the situation was still unclear, and there was no instructor to lead them. Even if they could escape, it would not be easy to explain to the Martial Academy.
The main issue is that the current situation hasn't reached the point where we absolutely must flee. What if things don't turn out so dangerously next?
After a while, more and more martial artists rushed out in twos and threes, along with the vehicles that were leaving.
However, it's quite interesting that none of those who travel on foot are taking a ride...
The two later learned that the person who had this idea had already fought a violent battle before.
Now that we're almost out of the mountain pass, who has the heart to stir up trouble?
This feeling is somewhat mysterious; no one can be sure that the eerie atmosphere will lessen after escaping the mountains.
But everyone harbors this expectation, and it seems to have become a fait accompli without us even realizing it.
In any case, having hope is better than having no hope at all, even if it's a very slim one, as it can effectively reduce internal strife.
Finally, Cynthia called out again using her watch. She saw someone she knew. " Naimuer, what happened to you?"
The other person was a student with his arm in a sling, running for his life.
He was called three times before he noticed his watch vibrating. " Cynthia, you're here too?"
Naimuer is also a member of the Mirage Sea Alliance and has been in Red Pine for two years, making him a senior in terms of experience.
After confirming Cynthia's location, he whispered something to his companion and rushed up the mountain without hesitation.
His companion was not a member of the Mirage Sea Alliance. He hesitated for less than half a second before continuing to rush out of the mountain.
When disaster strikes, everyone makes their own choices, which is perfectly normal.
Naimuer rushed up the mountain, only to find that there were only two students on the other side, both of whom were Knight Apprentice.
Unlike him, these two remained calm and composed, showing no signs of distress or panic.
Cynthia called him up and said bluntly, "It's safe here for now. If you want to leave, take some food and medicine with you."
The Mirage Sea Alliance was formed precisely to band together for mutual support. In times of crisis, we should help each other out.
Naimuer didn't stand on ceremony, "Get something to eat first... Do you have any Weird-Repelling Jue? Or any Weird-Dispelling Powder, lend them to me, I'll repay you handsomely!"
"Only food and medicine!" Cynthia replied readily. "You can take them with you on the road."
In the face of the war against the Weird Race, the value of the Weird-Repelling Jue and Weird-Dispelling Powder will inevitably increase, and more importantly, there will be no market for them!
Even with exorbitant prices, it's difficult to conduct a transaction in person. You're talking to me about lending it?
Cynthia didn't want to say anything hurtful; she just wanted the other person to face reality.
"I fucking can't run anymore!" Naimuer slumped to the ground.
"Come here," Cynthia beckoned to him. The place was full of traps and was not friendly to outsiders.
Following her directions, Naimuer staggered over and sat down leaning against a tree.
He was panting heavily as he took the food handed to him by his fellow villager and ate it in large mouthfuls, as if he hadn't eaten for days and nights.
"Give me a moment's peace. Where are the instructors here?"
"The instructor went ahead to investigate the suspicious situation," Cynthia replied calmly.
Sure enough, she also knew how to use evasive language; it seems... girls are born with this skill?
Naimuer casually asked again, "When are you coming back?"
"I don't know," Cynthia said calmly. "It's a patrol mission for the Martial Academy. We have to wait. You can leave now."
"You two... are you just going to wait like this?" Naimuer asked in surprise. "Many Knight are fleeing!"
"Someone has to do these things," Cynthia replied simply. "We've already received the assignment."
"You guys..." Naimuer for a moment, then continued eating heartily, "I admire you!"
He wolfed down his meal, then looked around. "You have quite a few supplies here?"
"Not much," Cynthia replied calmly. "We're only on patrol for ten days, and our mission is almost over."
Naimuer also knew Instructor Ke Li. Although there were many instructors at the Martial Academy, not many were close to the Mirage Sea Alliance.
He casually asked, "With the instructors here, how's the defense setup?"
"That's not something I can tell you," Cynthia said, straightening her expression. Although they were from the same hometown, it was best not to pry into certain things.
Just then, a cold snort rang out, "Hand over the food and medicine!"
Immediately afterward, a figure flashed, revealing a Knight who charged up the hilltop, covered in blood and with a gloomy expression.
"We are Red Pine Academy students!" Cynthia raised her pistol, pointing it at the other party, and coldly stated, "Carrying out a mission from the Martial Academy!"
Wu Youren was originally standing next to a large rock, slipped behind it, revealing only half of his body and the muzzle of his gun, his expression calm.
Naimuer had just finished eating and still had a broken right arm, hurriedly spoke up upon seeing the situation, "Senior, Red Pine is there to meet us up ahead!"
If you drive, it takes about half an hour to enter the effective jurisdiction of the Martial Academy, where there are regular patrol personnel.
Even if the opponent is weak and powerless, with the Knight's cultivation level, it would be more than enough to get there in an hour.
Not to mention, the other party had a communication wristwatch; they could have tried to ask for help. Why resort to forcibly taking it?
When the Knight saw someone pointing a gun at him, a ruthless glint flashed across his bloodstained face.
He gritted his teeth and said, "I'm saying this one last time, hand over the food and medicine!"
Cynthia's face was ashen as she slowly turned the cylinder of her pistol, switching to regular bullets.
Just when everyone thought she was going to say something more as a final warning, she pulled the trigger expressionlessly.
"Bang, bang, bang!" Three gunshots rang out in succession, echoing through the mountains.