Chapter 101: 101, Leaving Barrier 113

As Wang Fugui and the others spoke, a sudden clamor erupted in the settlement.

Wang Fugui, curious, stepped out of the academy: "What's the commotion this time?"

In an instant, he too felt something amiss, for the sky grew increasingly overcast.

The haze above was not shifting from white to black, but gradually morphing into an eerie, dark yellow hue, while the wind intensified.

The refugees in the settlement emerged onto the streets, clutching their precious belongings, some carefully propping up their tent frames to prevent the wind from toppling them.

At that moment, a voice shouted from outside: "The volcano in Jing Shan seems to have erupted—the entire sky over Jing Shan is shrouded in smoke!"

The settlement's administrator glared at him: "Why panic? What does a volcano in Jing Shan have to do with us? We're still far from Jing Shan! Where did you come from?"

"I'm from the mine," the man replied, "The foreman told us to report back about the situation on Jing Shan's side. I'm the mine's safety officer."

"Enough, do what you must," the administrator snapped. "Everyone else, stay alert. Wait until the earthquake passes before returning to your tents."

Yet Yan Liuyuan, upon hearing this, sensed something wrong—the birds in the sky were all flying southward, and the insects in the soil had emerged. Could a volcano so far away wield such power? He felt something far more terrifying loomed ahead.

A river ran through the middle of Barrier 113, but no one had ever questioned its source or where it ultimately flowed.

The influential figures within the barrier had laid several iron nets in the river to prevent refugees from secretly entering, as some had done before.

Yet now, as the people within the barrier panicked over the earthquake, no one noticed that the river's barrier had been shattered underwater by some unknown force, which then slithered toward the city. The fish in the river scattered in terror, as if driven by primal fear.

At that moment, many people rushed into the settlement from outside, leaving everyone puzzled: "Aren't you from the mine? Why have you all returned?"

The returning men shouted: "The mine has collapsed, and countless strange insects have poured out from Jing Shan. These insects have human faces on their carapaces—they devour people!"

All fell silent. The world had once suffered a plague of insects, but it was swiftly eradicated by humanity. Yet this generation knew only tales of the insect scourge, never having witnessed it firsthand.

Was history about to repeat itself?

Suddenly, Yan Liuyuan heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he was delighted to see Ren Xiaosu signal for silence. Ren Xiaosu lowered his voice: "Gather your things! Quickly!"

Though Yan Liuyuan and Li Xiaoyu had no idea what was happening, they obeyed Ren Xiaosu without question.

Yan Liuyuan deduced that something grave had occurred, necessitating their departure from Barrier 113.

This place they had called home for years—was it truly time to leave? Yet Yan Liuyuan cared little. Wherever Ren Xiaosu went, that was home.

Still, Ren Xiaosu's return was too abrupt; joy and urgency warred within him.

When Wang Fugui returned to the academy, he found Ren Xiaosu gripping a gun, pointing it at him. "Old Wang, stay here until we leave. Sorry."

Wang Fugui forced a bitter smile: "You're leaving? Many eyes are fixed on this courtyard. Perhaps you can slip away easily, but what of Yan Liuyuan and Li Xiaoyu?"

"They can't stop me," Ren Xiaosu replied.

Upon his return, he had not hurried to the academy but first checked the buried gun—only to find it gone. He then went to the cave he had prepared, but Yan Liuyuan had never been there. Finally, he came to the settlement.

Before reaching the academy, he spotted figures lurking outside, among them several who stirred a sense of familiarity—operatives of the Qing Clan Consortium!

Private forces and consortium troops were easily distinguished; the former looked like thugs, standing or sitting without decorum.

Yet the Qing Clan's soldiers stood upright, clearly trained.

It was these lurkers that compelled Ren Xiaosu to sneak into the academy. Now that the settlement was in chaos, it was the perfect chance to take Yan Liuyuan and Li Xiaoyu away.

Wang Fugui asked, "With Zhang as your backer, the Qing Clan won't harm you, will they?"

Ren Xiaosu paused: "Zhang?"

Only then did he realize Zhang Jinglin was absent from the academy—he had no idea what had transpired there!

But there was no time for explanations. "I'm not leaving because of the Qing Clan," Ren Xiaosu said. "The demons and monsters of Jing Shan are emerging!"

As he traversed the gorge, he had already heard the thunder of beasts behind him. Perhaps all the beasts, experiments, and human-faced insects of Jing Shan would be driven southward by the inferno.

Then it wouldn't be just him in peril—it would be the entire settlement.

But Ren Xiaosu had no time to elaborate. To Wang Fugui, he said, "You heard them mention the insects. Their numbers are vast and fearsome, but they're only a fraction of the danger."

Wang Fugui stared in shock: "What did you encounter in Jing Shan... No, Ren Xiaosu, let me go! I must return to fetch my son and join you!"

"Join us?" Ren Xiaosu frowned. "Your livelihood is here. You'd leave with me?"

He had never considered Wang Fugui's willingness to follow. Normally, even if Ren Xiaosu urged him to leave, Wang Fugui would not have believed his words.

Yet now, the opposite was true—Ren Xiaosu had not even tried to persuade him, and Wang Fugui had made his decision in an instant.

After a moment's thought, Wang Fugui said, "I don't know the details, but I know following you means survival!"

When Luo Xinyu and Yang Xiaomu first left the barrier, Wang Fugui had declared that no guide could navigate Jing Shan's dangers—only Ren Xiaosu could lead them.

Of course, this was not to say Wang Fugui deemed Ren Xiaosu extraordinary, but rather that he believed Ren Xiaosu's luck was unmatched.

A child who survived a wolf pack's maw and raised another—such a feat was beyond ordinary men.

Now, Wang Fugui had a clear realization: Ren Xiaosu alone understood the truth of Jing Shan's transformation. This was a man who had lived through its upheaval. If he could not trust him, who else could he trust?