Li Keyi encountered a group of scientists fleeing when he rushed out of the city. Scientists were even weaker than ordinary people, as they had no resistance to the disaster. Upon meeting Li Keyi, they naturally followed him closely. They all knew Li Keyi's abilities and chose to trust him.
Even after escaping the city surrounded by mutated beasts, they were not safe. Mutated birds could still fly south at any time, and a single mistake could lead to them being surrounded again. Li Keyi and Xu Xing discussed and decided to lead the people to Yuzhou. How many people would die along the way was uncertain.
As the two led the refugees south, He Qiuan had already led tens of thousands of people out of the besieged city. After leaving the city, they dared not stop and headed west, arriving in the mountains. This was the edge of the Taihang Mountains. Winter had arrived, and the trees in the mountains had withered, appearing bare and lifeless.
Perhaps because there were too many remaining people in the city, the mutated beasts were unwilling to spare forces to pursue them, so the group encountered no obstruction after leaving the city.
After leaving the perilous city, everyone collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. Recalling the frenzied scenes just moments ago, they couldn't help but feel a sense of lingering fear. If they hadn't managed to escape, they would have been eaten by beasts by now. However, thinking of their brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends who had been killed before, they couldn't help but weep.
He Qiuan gently placed his great-grandfather on the ground and began to examine the old man's body. Marshal He was already an elderly man on the verge of death, and it was entirely uncertain whether his body could withstand the jolting journey.
"Old ancestor, how are you? Can your body still hold up? If you can still hold on, we will head to Luoyang next," He Qiuan said urgently at this moment.
However, Marshal He shook his head and said, "I might not make it, but you must not go to Luoyang. Listen to my advice and go to the Northeast."
At this moment, He Qiuan thought his great-grandfather's mind was confused, so he quickly said, "Old ancestor, the situation in the Northeast is even worse than here. Many cities in the Northeast have already been destroyed. Moreover, after the beasts in Yanjing finish eating people, they will return to the Northeast. We will be in even greater danger then."
Marshal He was not truly senile, but had his own considerations. "You only see the danger in the Northeast, but you don't see the opportunities. After Yanjing was breached, various factions would inevitably rise across China. In these places, there would be no opportunity for recovery, and you would inevitably become a pawn for others, controlled and utilized. Conversely, in the Northeast, although it is devastated, the industrial base is still there. As long as there is a period of recovery, it can grow stronger."
Only then did He Qiuan understand his great-grandfather's meaning. At this moment, he was only focused on escaping and hadn't considered what the future would look like. The current situation had been meticulously analyzed by his great-grandfather. At this moment, he had awakened. To avoid being controlled by others, one must have one's own foundation. Although the Northeast was devastated, after a period of recovery, it could still unleash powerful potential.
"I understand. I will lead the people to the Northeast immediately later. However, your body may not be able to hold on. I should take you to see a doctor first," He Qiuan said anxiously.
Marshal He shook his head and said, "I personally witnessed this country's poverty and backwardness, then its economic take-off and prosperity, but unfortunately encountered the advent of doomsday and the ensuing chaos. My life's experiences are already enough. Now, I don't want to continue to be on the move and tired. Just give me a time and opportunity to rest."
As he spoke, the old man's body grew weaker and weaker, appearing as if he couldn't hold on any longer. Marshal He had been in poor health for a long time. This time, he had encountered an attack by mutated beasts. Although protected by He Qiuan, the jolting journey had been too much for him. His body was now at its limit, and he was about to pass away.
"It's all my fault. It's because I'm not capable that I can't protect you. It's all my fault, I'm too useless!" He Qiuan blamed himself at this moment. He realized he was truly useless, unable to protect his closest loved one at a critical moment, which was utterly laughable.
"Child, you have already done enough. Don't blame yourself. Everyone has their seasons of birth, old age, sickness, and death. This is the natural order. After I die, cremate me. You can bury me or keep me with you, as you wish. In any case, I can no longer make decisions for you. You must rely on yourself to find solutions! Keep going," Marshal He said weakly, his eyes almost closed.
"But the world is in chaos now, and I don't even know what to do. If you leave me, I will be even more clueless about what direction to strive for," He Qiuan said sadly.
"I heard that in Yuzhou, Shen Feng obtained his teacher's Nine-Character Mantra, which is 'Build high walls, store ample grain, and protect the people.' Today, I will also give you nine characters. As long as you strive according to what I say, you will surely become a remarkable person in the future." Marshal He said. In his dying moments, he could not do much, only to set the right direction for his great-grandson.
"What should I do in the future?" He Qiuan quickly asked at this moment.
Marshal He coughed twice and said with his last strength, "Cultivate crops and weave, repair heavy industry, and return to Yanjing!"
"Alright, I have noted down your words. I will definitely follow them," He Qiuan nodded quickly. These nine characters, though simple, contained profound meaning. He Qiuan couldn't fully grasp them for a moment, but as long as he followed them, it would be correct.
Marshal He nodded with a smile, then closed his eyes, his head leaning back, and he completely lost his vitality. This old man had experienced too much, especially in his later years. Not only did he not have a peaceful retirement, but he also experienced many wars. Now, he could no longer bear the pressure of the world and had gone to another realm.
"Captain, we absolutely cannot stop at this moment. There are still many dangers around us. We should make a decision soon," one of He Qiuan's subordinates said to him earnestly.
He Qiuan cried for a few minutes. The departure of his last living relative in this world was a great blow to him. However, it was indeed not a time to be sad, as they could not linger for long and had to make a decision. Now, he was the leader of this group, and he had to show the way for those below him.
"Gather branches and cremate the old ancestor. After the cremation is finished, we will head to Zhangjiakou and go directly to the Northeast through Zhangjiakou," He Qiuan decided.
...
Many people had predicted that once Yanjing City was breached, the mutated birds there would surely fly south in large numbers and destroy other cities. However, the mutated birds finally stayed in Yanjing for half a month before flying south. Some experts speculated that this was because all the people in the city had died, and the mutated birds, due to continuous combat, had severely depleted their energy, so they ate people within the city to replenish their energy.
According to statistics, only a little over 500,000 people escaped from Yanjing City. The fall of Yanjing also meant that China was leaderless, and various regions would surely be at odds with each other, leading to a period of fighting independently.
Taking advantage of the time the mutated birds were replenishing their energy in Yanjing, Li Keyi and Xu Xing led the group of people who had escaped from Yanjing to Yuzhou. Along the way, the crowd grew larger and larger, eventually reaching over 100,000 people. The reason for this situation was that the Central Plains region had become very dangerous. Under these circumstances, everyone was eager to find a safe place to live, so they chose to go south.
The remaining people, Xiao Sheng led many to Rongcheng. The journey was long, requiring them to first enter Guanzhong, then pass through Hanzhong to reach Rongcheng. Many others went south to Jinling or Pudong. For a time, there were crowds of refugees all over the country.
Various areas within Yuzhou were making intensive plans to deal with the arrival of the mutated birds. Winter arrived late in Yuzhou, and it would take a long time for snow to fall, so they couldn't rely on the snow to make the mutated birds leave. For now, they could only find their own solutions. The best method was to clear the area and prepare for winter. Winter wheat had already been planted and would be harvested next spring. No food could be found in the wild, so everyone would have to live in the city from now on. High places in the city were equipped with anti-aircraft guns and machine guns, so they could counterattack if attacked.
"To deal with the threat posed by the mutated birds, ten brave fighters will be specially selected from the army and rewarded with ability-enhancing potions. They will serve in Yuzhou forever. Please sign up enthusiastically." The City Lord's Mansion issued the following notice.
In the past, Yuzhou rewarded ability-enhancing potions in only two situations: first, when Shen Feng selected the top-scoring boy and girl from the orphanage; second, to reward those who had made outstanding contributions. Now, rewarding so many people at once could only mean a special situation.
People eagerly signed up to become ability users. Even if it meant serving in Yuzhou forever, it didn't matter. As long as they could become ability users, they could become superior beings.
The southern part of Yuzhou had also been fortified with city walls, but they were much lower than those in the north. This was unavoidable, as Yuzhou's focus had always been on the northern regions since ancient times, so the southern city was naturally less prioritized.
As for those who cultivated land in the mountains, they built fortified villages for residence. If possible, everyone would prefer not to live in cramped spaces, but there was no other way. Living in the mountains was like this; who knew if there was danger? Even mercenaries hunting mutated beasts in the mountains had limited success. In critical moments, they still needed to resist themselves. Thus, buildings like fortified villages, which combined residential and defensive functions, had emerged.
Li Keyi finally appeared with his people at the outskirts of Yuzhou. At this time, many people's clothes were ragged, their faces were weathered, and their faces were etched with hardship.
Shen Feng also came with his people to greet them, accompanied by Chang Jianyi. Before arriving here, Chang Jianyi had given Shen Feng an ultimatum: "I hope this is the last time you're acting out. If I find you with other women next time, you'll be in my care. Just watch how I deal with you."
Shen Feng quickly made a promise: "It will definitely be the last time. I know you, senior sister, are the best. I won't let you down for being so good to me in the future."