N-A-A Chapter 43 First Encounter
Chapter 43 First Encounter
The next morning, as dawn broke.
Xu Mo stood facing east on the rooftop platform right on time, circulating his qi and blood, carefully capturing and guiding the wisps of "morning sun purple qi" that contained boundless vitality.
Unlike usual, Xu Mo's senses were sharper today, and the warm current flowing into his blood and qi seemed clearer and more active than before. After entering the Bullhide Realm, not only his physical body, but also his perception and absorption efficiency of energy seemed to have improved slightly.
After completing the energy gathering, Xu Mo did not immediately proceed with the subsequent strength training as usual. Instead, he did something important—he carefully peeled off the signs that were pasted on several key "doors" nearby, such as "Welcome to Taste," "Pharmacy," and "Emergency Food Warehouse," and put them away properly.
These markings were his greatest secret and reliance, and he absolutely could not let outsiders notice anything unusual. Although these survivors might not understand their significance, any detail that could potentially cause complications had to be nipped in the bud.
After completing all this, Xu Mo returned to the simple yet sturdy training room on the first floor and began his unwavering daily practice. Stance training, striking, strength control, and melee weapon slashing—he performed each exercise meticulously. No matter how the external world changed, improving his own strength was always the first priority for survival in the apocalypse.
Time passed quietly as Xu Mo focused on his cultivation. By three o'clock in the afternoon, the winter afternoon sun had taken on a lazy warmth, casting dappled beams of light through the cracks in the blocked windows onto the dusty floor.
Just then, Xu Mo, who was immersed in the intense training, suddenly stopped.
He heard it!
It wasn't the sound of wind, nor the sound of snow sliding down, but the sound of human voices. There was also the crunching sound of footsteps on the snow, and the slight noise of things being moved around.
The sound came from the other end of the street, about a hundred meters away from the small building he was in. After entering the Bullhide Realm, Xu Mo's five senses, including hearing and sight, were significantly enhanced. Such a sound was as clear as a pebble thrown into a calm lake in the now deathly silent town.
"They're here."
Xu Mo understood; what was coming would eventually come. He slowly stopped his practice, and the surging blood and qi within him gradually calmed down. He didn't rush out immediately, but went up to the second floor, walked to the window, and looked out through a very well-hidden observation hole.
At the end of the street, three figures—two men and a woman—were cautiously searching house by house along the sidewalk. They were all bundled up in thick winter clothes and carrying backpacks, but judging from the empty backpacks, they had clearly found little. One of them held an iron rod, occasionally tapping on the snow or discarded objects by the roadside, seemingly probing or making noise to check for any hidden dangers.
Xu Mo took a deep breath, his eyes sharpening and becoming calm. He knew there was no way to hide now. Rather than waiting for the other party to find his building and passively confronting him at his "home," it was better to take the initiative and make contact on a relatively open street, where he could maneuver more freely.
After removing his sweat-soaked training uniform, Xu Mo quickly wiped himself down and changed into a dark gray combat uniform, topped with a lightweight stab-proof vest. He securely sheathed his sharp machete in its scabbard on his back. Finally, Xu Mo picked up his AK-47 assault rifle, its surface gleaming and exuding a cold, metallic feel, checked the magazine, loaded it, and engaged the safety—his movements practiced and fluid.
After doing all this, Xu Mo took a deep breath, gently moved aside the obstacles used to reinforce the doorway, pushed open the slightly heavy wooden door, and stepped out, quietly waiting for the three survivors to approach.
......
The other end of the street.
"This godforsaken place, there's not a single thing here!" Big Niu, with a scar on his face, impatiently poked a collapsed shelf with an iron rod, kicking up a cloud of snow and dust. "Brother Wang is really something, knowing full well it's a waste of effort."
Wearing glasses, Zhao Ming adjusted his frames, cautiously surveying his surroundings, and whispered, "Brother Wang has his reasons. It's always better to be careful. What if we miss something? Besides, confirming safety is also one of the purposes of the search."
The only woman in the group, Sun Xiaoyun, remained silent, only gripping her machete tightly. Her gaze, sharp as a hawk's, swept across the dark windows and broken doorways. Her intuition told her that the town was eerily quiet; apart from them, there seemed to be no other living beings, which was abnormal in itself.
"I think it's a waste of time," Da Niu complained, walking towards the next relatively intact two-story building facing the street. "If we don't find anything after searching this street, let's go back and meet up, and get out of this godforsaken place as soon as possible."
Zhao Ming nodded, and was about to say something when his gaze inadvertently swept across the street ahead, and his body suddenly froze.
"Wait!" he whispered, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of tension.
Da Niu and Sun Xiaoyun immediately looked in the direction he was pointing.
Just a few dozen meters ahead, in the middle of the street, stood a person who had been standing quietly for some time.
The man was tall and sturdy, about 1.78 meters, which stood out remarkably among the generally emaciated and pale crowd of the post-apocalyptic world. He wore a well-fitting dark gray training uniform with a dark vest of indistinct material over it, giving him a clean and neat appearance. His face wasn't particularly handsome, but his features were harmonious, and his brows carried a calm and composed air.
Most striking were the AK-47 assault rifle in his hand, gleaming with a cold, eerie light, and the machete on his back—clearly not just for decoration. He stood there quietly, without making a move, yet naturally exuded an aura of sharpness and alertness, like a lurking cheetah, its calm surface concealing a powerful burst of energy.
"gun!!!"
The appearance of the AK-47 in Xu Mo's hand shocked Zhao Ming and his two companions.
In today's chaotic and resource-scarce post-apocalyptic world, possessing and maintaining such a well-preserved automatic rifle represents formidable strength and deterrence. The other party not only possesses it, but their handling of the weapon is extremely professional and skilled, clearly indicating they are no novice.
Sunlight shone on Xu Mo, casting a long shadow at his feet. He stood there, creating a strange contrast with the desolate and lifeless surroundings, as if he were the true master of these ruins.
Da Niu instinctively gripped the iron rod in his hand, his muscles tensing. Sun Xiaoyun held her machete horizontally in front of her, her eyes sharp as knives. Zhao Ming quickly scanned behind and to the sides of the enemy to check for any ambushes.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
After a brief silence, Zhao Ming was the first to react, because he saw that the other man's gun was pointed downwards. He took a deep breath, slowly raised his free right hand to indicate that he meant no harm, then took two steps forward, trying to make his voice sound calm:
"Friend, we mean no harm. We're just passing through, stopping here to rest and find something we can use." He carefully organized his words, his eyes fixed on Xu Mo's expression and the hand holding the gun. "We are survivors heading to the Jiangcheng shelter."
Xu Mo's gaze calmly swept over the three men, taking in their reactions. They were tense and wary, but didn't seem to immediately display any strong aggression. He nodded slightly in response, but his rifle grip remained unchanged, and his voice was steady, revealing no emotion:
"I can tell." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange penetrating power, clearly reaching the other person's ears in the quiet street. "This town has been ransacked many times over; there's not much left."
His gaze fell on Zhao Ming, the bespectacled man who seemed approachable: "How many of you are there?"
Zhao Ming hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth: "Thirteen, all in the center of town." By stating the number, he was also sending an invisible threat, implying that the other party should not act rashly.
Xu Mo's face remained expressionless; he wasn't surprised by the number. He continued, "Which direction did you come from? What were the conditions like on the road?"
He needed information—about the outside world, about the road conditions to the Jiangcheng shelter, and about other survivor groups. This encounter, though risky, was also a valuable opportunity to gather intelligence.
Da Niu, unable to contain himself any longer, interjected, "Hey, who are you? What are you doing all alone in this town?" He scrutinized Xu Mo's clean clothes and excellent equipment, his eyes filled with a scrutinizing gaze and a hint of barely perceptible envy.
Xu Mo turned his gaze to Da Niu, remaining calm: "I've been here the whole time." He didn't elaborate, but instead threw the question back at him: "Do you know anyone at the Jiangcheng shelter? Or do you know the specific situation there now?"
Xu Mo neither admitted to being a lone traveler nor revealed any details about himself. Maintaining mystery and a certain informational advantage during this initial contact was an important means of self-protection.
On the street, four people stood facing each other, exchanging questions and answers—a typical, tentative, and wary initial exchange between survivors of the apocalypse. The sun shone brightly, the snow was plentiful, yet an invisible tension hung in the air.
Xu Mo knew that this contact was just the beginning.
He calmly observed the three people, his mind racing as he analyzed the limited information gleaned from their words. Through a few brief exchanges, he gleaned a general understanding that this small team had originally relied on a self-organized small shelter for survival.
But the harsh winter was long, and supplies were gradually running out, forcing them to embark on a migration. Their destination was the "Jiangcheng Shelter" mentioned in Liu Ning's diary.
"Along the way, we also encountered several groups of people like us heading to Jiangcheng," Zhao Ming pushed up his glasses, his tone tinged with helplessness. "However, most of them chose to bypass Qingsongling Town. After all, it's clearly marked on the map that this area was repeatedly cleared in the early stages of the disaster and has long been identified as a 'worthless area'."
A map? The word struck Xu Mo; it was something he desperately needed. All of Xu Mo's previous activities had been confined to this small town; he knew nothing about the outside world's geography, routes, or other possible outposts. A relatively accurate map, marking the town, roads, and potential shelters or dangerous areas, would be extremely valuable to him.
Though his heart was stirred, Xu Mo's face remained impassive, as if the other party were merely stating a fact unrelated to him. He nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three weary and wary faces before him, and said in a calm tone:
"I see. There really isn't much left in this town." He paused, then pointed to the building behind him and several adjacent buildings. "However, this area is my sphere of influence. I don't want to be disturbed."
Xu Mo's words were clear, carrying a sense of drawing a line. It was both a declaration and a test. He was observing the other party's reaction, to see if they would choose conflict or abide by the unwritten "territory" rules of this apocalyptic world.
Sure enough, upon hearing Xu Mo's words, Da Niu frowned, seemingly somewhat unconvinced, but Zhao Ming stopped him with a look. Sun Xiaoyun, who had been silent and sharp-eyed until now, stepped forward and spoke. Her voice wasn't the usual gentle tone of a woman; instead, it carried a crispness and calmness:
"Friend, since this is your territory, we naturally won't offend you. However..." She changed the subject, her gaze falling on Xu Mo's clean and neat equipment and his obviously not hungry complexion, "Meeting in the apocalypse is also fate. I wonder if we can make a deal?" This is something that most apocalyptic survivors would do when they meet, as it would be beneficial to both parties.
Her gaze held scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible expectation. Xu Mo was in such good shape, far beyond what one would expect from someone struggling to survive in a "worthless zone." He must have a stable source of supplies, or possess some survival skill unknown to them. Trading was the most direct and relatively safest way to acquire resources.
Xu Mo thought to himself: The fish has taken the bait, but on his face, he subtly showed a hint of hesitation, his brows furrowing slightly as he scanned the three people, as if weighing the pros and cons and assessing the risks. He deliberately made this hesitation quite obvious, so that the other party could clearly perceive it.
Seeing this, Zhao Ming immediately seized the opportunity, his tone even more sincere: "Brother, we mean no harm, we just want to exchange for something that can help in an emergency. Food or medicine will do. You're in town, so there must be a lot you don't know about the outside world. We came all the way from the north, and we know a bit about the situation along the way, the movements of other survivor groups, and even some recent rumors about the Jiangcheng shelter. This information might be useful to you."
Xu Mo remained silent, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the rifle's handguard, creating an atmosphere of intense thought. A few seconds later, as if having made up his mind, he raised his head, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Zhao Ming, the one who seemed to be in charge:
"Information is fine, but I need to verify its value." His voice remained calm. "I'm very interested in the map you mentioned. Additionally, I need to know the safest, or relatively easier, route to Jiangcheng Shelter, as well as potential dangers and resource points along the way. Also, the current status of Jiangcheng Shelter, its admission requirements, and its internal conditions—the more detailed the better."
He put forward a clear demand, focusing the transaction on "information," which not only met his current needs but also avoided directly revealing the possibility of possessing a large amount of resources.
Zhao Ming and Sun Xiaoyun exchanged a glance, both seeing a glimmer of hope in each other's eyes. Information was the only "commodity" they could currently offer without incurring any substantial cost. Their survivor team was simply too poor; they had nothing else of value to offer.