Chapter 193: 193, Farewell

"I have a question," Ren Xiaosu suddenly asked, "Have you really discovered Qing Zhen's nuclear test base?"

Yang Xiaojin looked at him. "No, I was just deceiving Qing Zhen. Before that, his men had contacted a few high-energy physics researchers, and those experts soon disappeared—along with their families. However, the Qing family has never conducted research in that direction, so we suspect this is Qing Zhen's private behavior. He must have his own secret base."

"Isn't he part of the Qing family? Why would he guard his own home and establish an independent base?" Ren Xiaosu was puzzled.

"Because he understands," Yang Xiaojin explained, "Over the past century, more than ten of the Qing family's shadows have rarely ended well. Shadows... are ultimately just shadows."

"Oh," Ren Xiaosu nodded. So Qing Zhen is also protecting himself.

Yang Xiaojin said, "We should tell others that Xu Xianchu saved us both; otherwise, your abilities would be easily exposed. This time, I'm earnestly advising you—never let anyone know you can replicate others' abilities. That thing is too dangerous if others find out."

Ren Xiaosu froze. "Wait, your people all know that Xu Xianchu isn't at the 109th Barrier. How do we explain that?"

Yang Xiaojin paused and said, "That was also my deception."

"Heh..." Actually, Ren Xiaosu had many unsolved questions in his heart, and he was seeking confirmation from Yang Xiaojin one by one. "Is Lu Zhen also one of your people? I saw you covering for him before."

"He isn't one of your people," Yang Xiaojin said. "He is Yang's people. The Yang family, like the Li family, has been developing nanotechnology. They believe nanotechnology will be the breakthrough for solo combat. Actually, Qing Zhen is right—the Yang family wants nanotechnology for war preparations."

"What is the relationship between your faction and the Yang family?" Ren Xiaosu asked in confusion.

"Barbarians were created by the Yang family's first transcendent," Yang Xiaojin said. "The relationship between Barbarians and the Yang family is complicated. Now, Barbarians and the Yang family have ideological differences and are gradually parting ways, but their ties aren't so easily severed. Actually, Barbarians weren't originally called Barbarians—everyone just called us that, so we might as well be the true Barbarians in this chaotic world."

As for the current relationship between Barbarians and the Yang family, Ren Xiaosu didn't ask further, as it seemed to be Yang Xiaojin's family business.

However, Ren Xiaosu suddenly felt out of place—he was just a wanderer.

Yang Xiaojin stopped in front of a stone. There was a strange mark carved into it with a knife. She took out a metal rod the length of a finger from her pocket. When Yang Xiaojin pried open the end of the rod, a signal flare shot into the sky.

Ren Xiaosu watched quietly, probably Yang Xiaojin had found the signal left by Barbarians. It seemed she was summoning companions.

Suddenly, a car burst out from a small path in the thicket. Luo Xinyu leaned out of the back seat of the SUV, waving frantically. "Xiaojin, you're safe!"

The SUV stopped in front of Ren Xiaosu and Yang Xiaojin. The driver was Lu Zhen, who got out and said to Yang Xiaojin, "Let's go home. This mission failed. Xinyu had the hard drive, but it was taken by Luopangzi."

Yang Xiaojin took out the hard drive from her pocket. "A gift from Qing Zhen to the Yang family. It seems he intended to deepen the conflict between the Yang and Li families. But it doesn't matter—their relationship wasn't great to begin with."

Luo Xinyu cheered, but they were more concerned about how Yang Xiaojin had escaped. Yang Xiaojin explained, "Xu Xianchu and Ren Xiaosu worked together to save me. Xu Xianchu's strength is formidable now; we should keep an eye on him."

Luo Xinyu froze. "I saw the battlefield back then. Could those two have such strong combat power?"

"Mostly Xu Xianchu's credit. But now he's heading to the 178th Barrier," Yang Xiaojin said calmly.

"Oh, then we can go home," Luo Xinyu teased Ren Xiaosu. "Hey, Ren Xiaosu, are you coming back to the 88th Barrier with us?"

Ren Xiaosu was stunned. He shook his head. "No, I need to find my brother."

Yang Xiaojin looked at him. "I have to leave."

"Mmm," Ren Xiaosu replied.

"I'll wait for you at the 88th Barrier," Yang Xiaojin said. "Once you find Yan Liuyuan, come there."

"Okay."

With that, Yang Xiaojin climbed into the SUV. Lu Zhen stepped on the gas, and the vehicle roared toward the distance.

Actually, Ren Xiaosu knew they would part ways someday, but adult farewells were always casual. Sadness was a poet's concern.

Those who wished to meet would always reunite.

Ren Xiaosu watched the car fade into the distance, suddenly shouting, "Give me a ride north!"

But the SUV had already gone far.

Snowflakes suddenly began to fall from the sky—this was the first snow of winter, and it seemed heavier than usual. The fluttering snow looked as if it were washing away the bloodstains on the wasteland.

...

A camp in the north had already lit many bonfires. Tens of thousands of people shivered in the cold wilderness, their only warmth coming from the flames before them.

When the experimental subjects breached the city, they had pursued the Barrier residents relentlessly, but there were only about a thousand of them, while the Barrier population numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Eventually, some people broke through their encirclement.

Moreover, the little girl by Li Shen Ta's side had intervened, opening a path for the refugees.

Now, Li Shen Ta and the girl, whose name was Si Li, had vanished. The refugees had begged them to take them along before they left, but Li Shen Ta had told them to head north, saying that if they found a group of cyclists, they would have a way out...

It sounded more like a small joke between Li Shen Ta and Ren Xiaosu.

The refugees revered Li Shen Ta, their savior, but they didn't know he was one of the culprits behind this disaster. After seeking revenge against the Li family's 109th Barrier, he had not acted again but instead moved toward other Li family strongholds.

He seemed to be trying to overthrow the entire Li family by himself.

Then, the refugees encountered a bicycle team resting in the north. Compared to Yan Liuyuan and the others riding bicycles with double-shoulder packs, the refugees looked much worse off.

At that moment, Wang Fugui suddenly said mysteriously, "Liu Yuan, I found something useful."

Yan Liuyuan looked at Wang Fugui. "What did you find, Uncle Fugui?"

Wang Fugui carefully took out a deck of cards. "Look, a box of bombs!"