Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After a round of drinking, everyone realized that this young man was not as easy to bully as they had thought. Lu Shu was not drunk at all. On the other hand, Zhang Yanfeng and the rest were about to vomit…
A few well-known backpackers, including Zhang Yanfeng, pasted a few brochures regarding the Death Valley route on the board outside the inn. They explicitly stated that they had a Class D secret practitioner in the lead. In just two days, they had gathered 12 people.
Out of the five new members, there were four men and one woman. There was a couple among the new members.
Everyone seemed to be very well-prepared. Even the lady seemed to be very experienced, as if she was a seasoned backpacker.
In this day and age, not only could men seek excitement in their ordinary lives. Women could as well. But the new members were not very young. The youngest member was about 25 years old. From the way they dressed, they seemed to come from wealthy families who were probably much richer than Lu Shu.
Lu Shu wore a jacket that cost over 300 dollars. Everyone used climbing boots, while Lu Shu wore sneakers… he did not want to spend too much money here. He would be able to survive even if he only wore a T-shirt in the cold, let alone wearing shoes here. Every time he exerted some strength, he would spoil a pair of shoes. Every fight made Lu Shu distressed.
Zhang Yanfeng looked at Lu Shu’s attire and said, “Brother, you will have a hard time in the mountains if you dress like that. You must have a jacket, climbing boots, snowshoes and other apparel to keep you warm. Even during this time of the year, it might still snow at the Kunlun Mountains.”
Lu Shu thought about it. He could not make himself stand out so much either. He bought the cheapest set of clothes and came back.
The other members of the team did not further comment on Lu Shu’s attire. Everyone was responsible for their own actions. Do not say that we did not remind you if you freeze in the mountains.
The five new members had no intentions to talk to Lu Shu. They were of a different class. The world that they lived in was also different.
They had gone hiking with some backpackers before. After these backpackers knew their family background and their financial status, they begged for financial help daily. The friendships that they had made at the mountains were gone in less than half an hour.
The lady looked at Wang Zhe and said, “We have paid money for this, but you get what you pay for. Prove to us that you are truly a Class D secret practitioner. The ground at the Kunlun Mountains is uneven. If you lie to us, we could be sent to our deaths.”
Wang Zhe conceitedly raised boulder that was used for decoration in the inn. “Is this enough proof?”
The lady did not speaker further. She had acknowledged his strength.
Now, the backpackers also knew that the Kunlun Mountains were not safe, thus the wealthy were only willing to hike if they joined a group with a secret practitioner in the lead. Zhang Yanfeng laughed. “Everyone, there is no need to worry. Yesterday, a team came out from Keriya Pass. They did not encounter any dangers along the way. There are many teams entering and exiting the Kunlun Mountains. Nothing has happened so far.”
Lu Shu understood. No wonder they were so brave. Everyone had returned safely.
But he had some doubts. Were the changes in the Kunlun Mountains not as big as he had expected?
They would set off for the Kunlun Mountains the next day. Zhang Yanfeng, Wang Zhe and the rest arranged the equipment and made detailed markings on their map to confirm the route that they would take. Some had even gone ahead to orientate their GPS at the Kendrick Mine, where they would exit from. Once they strayed away from this direction, they would likely be trapped in the dangerous Kunlun Mountains.
Five days after Lu Shu had arrived in Sacheng, they took a flight towards Qingzhou. They would then hike through the Qimantag Mountains and walk along the border of the Kumukili Desert before reaching the Kunlun Mountains.
Lu Shu saw the Kunlun Mountains below them as they flew by. The mountain was black, like ashes after a fire.
He sensed that there was something within the mountains that was looking up at them. This made him feel very uncertain.
Zhang Yanfeng had bought naan bread at Qingzhou. Naan were better than other foods in the mountains. It was easy to store and could curb hunger.
Lu Shu had stored plenty of fresh water and food in the Seal of Lands. He would not die here because of dehydration or starvation.
As they climbed the Qimantag Mountains, Lu Shu was always last. He seemed as if he was about to give up any minute, but always managed to catch up. No one knew how strong he was, but they felt like he would reach his limit soon.
Zhang Yanfeng and the rest treated the wealthy well, but no one was willing to help Lu Shu, unless he paid up.
Zhang Yanfeng and the rest were waiting for Lu Shu to give up to help him. Afterwards, they would take the rest of his money. But Lu Shu did not complain the entire trip.
Are you playing around with me… he was Lu Shu, an outstanding figure among Class B’s. These people were no match for him, even if they took a car.
“From Zhang Yanfeng’s distress, +10, +10, +19…”
They passed by a river. There was a pumping station by the river. The staff in the station insisted on giving Lu Shu and the rest a good meal. Lu Shu took out two apples from his bag and passed it to the staff member. There was a lack of fruits and vegetables here.
People often grew closer in sparsely populated places. But when the rest of the team saw that Lu Shu still had the strength to bring superficial fruits like apples, they were filled with disdain.
Lu Shu did not speak with the rest of the members. Occasionally, when they passed by antelopes, he would observe whether they had mutated. But there were no signs of mutation.
He had also seen an antelope on the ridge of the mountain that was unusually muscular. Its antlers were also as sharp as knives. It observed the group of humans from far away. Lu Shu knew that they had not entered the heart of this region.
Before they left the pumping station, Lu Shu took the chance while there was still a signal to send a message to Lu Xiaoyu. “Everything is safe here. I am about to enter the Kunlun Mountains and will come out after 12 days. Gather in Qingzhou.”
At night, Zhang Yanfeng brought the team to a place where there was no wind to set up their tents for the night. Everyone sat around and popped the blisters on their feet. Lu Shu sat at the entrance of his tent and looked up at the stars. It was as if the stars were breathing along with him.
The world truly was vast.
In Qingzhou, Lu Xiaoyu showed the message from Lu Shu to everyone. Luo Nan said, “Then let’s wait for Lu Shu here.”
Chen Zuan looked impatient. “Teacher, is it really okay for you to come with us? This is not considered truancy, right?”
“No, no.” Luo Nan smiled. “We are here to catch specimens.”
Cheng Qiuqiao was suddenly curious. “Brother Zuan, are you still scared of skipping class? You don’t quite look like a model student.”
Chen Zuan grew melancholic. “I have never skipped class in my entire life. I was traumatized when I was young. In primary school, I lied that my stomach hurt and wanted to go home. The class monitor called my father. My father insisted on bringing me to the hospital, but I couldn’t tell him that I was fine. If I did, I would be beaten. When we reached the hospital, the doctor said that I had appendicitis, and I had to remove my appendix…”
