Chapter 52: 52, Human-faced insect

For Liu Bu, Luo Xinyu, and the others within the barriers, rats are synonymous with filth, creatures of the sewers in traditional belief, emblems of plague, disease, and putrid stench.

Though Ren Xiaosu does not consume rats, it is merely because he once witnessed them feasting on corpses, leaving him with a most unsavory impression. Yet for the other refugees of the settlement, their innate conviction holds that wild rats are sustenance—beasts that pilfer human grain and prey upon other creatures, no different from any other wild animal.

With supplies scarce in the settlement, even termites are devoured; how much more so rats? To them, these rodents are but walking slabs of meat.

Compared to the great men within the barriers, the refugees possess a fundamentally different understanding of food. They reason: anything that does not kill a man is fit to eat.

Now that the pickup truck has been destroyed, its provisions scattered by the soldiers of the private army, even if sustenance remains, none dare brave the wolf packs to retrieve it. Thus, in the days to come, hunger and starvation shall become the norm.

Ren Xiaosu, however, is unafraid—on this wasteland, none may starve him.

At this moment, Ren Xiaosu turns to Yang Xiaomu. Earlier, he had believed the girl aimed her rifle at the driver to save him, only realizing when she pointed it at him as well that her intent was merely to secure a guide familiar with the wilderness.

Or perhaps Yang Xiaomu grasped at once that food would grow scarce, and Ren Xiaosu, having already demonstrated such talents, was the one to accompany her...

As the saying goes, expertise lies in specialization; mastery of firearms does not guarantee mastery of wilderness survival, and Ren Xiaosu’s true mastery lies in the latter.

Ren Xiaosu muses, uncertain of how his survival skills might be quantified—if rendered into levels, what would they be?

He poses the question inwardly: “What level is my wilderness survival skill?”

“It may be assessed,” the Palace replies with crisp efficiency. “Master rank.”

Ren Xiaosu blinks, surprised. Truly, it can be assessed? He had not imagined his survival prowess to be master-class—how formidable it seems...

For reasons unknown, Ren Xiaosu grows ever more perplexed by Yang Xiaomu’s identity. A woman of the barriers, yet her actions are ruthless and decisive, never dallying in indecision.

It is still night, and all are exhausted. The wolves dare not enter the gorge, so they press onward for several kilometers before halting to rest.

They stop not only to deliberate their next course but also because they harbor fear toward what lies beyond the gorge. If they may delay passage through it, they shall delay all the more...

“We can only move forward now,” Xu Xiance says, standing within the gorge. “This place is called Old Wind Mouth. Though calm now, you have seen the fury of its winds—some have been blown clean out of the gorge. I would not be surprised.”

“But there seems little wind at night,” Liu Bu objects. “It has been still since evening. And parking the vehicles side by side to block the wind should suffice.”

“That will not do. We must leave before dawn. We may rest briefly, but we have no food. Our priority is escaping the gorge to find sustenance—it looks barren enough here.”

“Now that you mention it, I feel hungry,” Liu Bu mutters under his breath.

Around the campfire that night, fear leaves them with little appetite, yet five or six hours have passed since supper. The exertion of fleeing has drained both strength and spirit, leaving them all with a gnawing hunger.

“Had we known, we should have fetched food first,” someone gripes. “Though the pickup is in ruins, surely something remains edible.”

“What now? We still have nearly half a month’s journey ahead. What shall we eat? Drink?” Liu Bu asks.

At this, all eyes turn to Ren Xiaosu, for in their minds, he is the one most adept at wilderness survival—was it not he who caught that great fish before?

Yet Ren Xiaosu gestures to the rat at his feet: “Will you eat this?”

The others remain silent. When it comes to the bitter end, even rats must be consumed—it is reality.

In truth, all in the convoy know Ren Xiaosu has no desire to aid them in finding food. After all, they denied him sustenance, isolating and humiliating him. Now to ask his help?

Some begin to resent Liu Bu inwardly—why not share some of the food aboard the vehicle? Now look where it has led.

They had not considered that, though they said nothing at the time, they had all laughed when Liu Bu refused Ren Xiaosu food.

Ren Xiaosu sneers inwardly—let them rely on their own wits.

“Rest for now. At first light, we shall cross the gorge,” Xu Xiance decides. “Once beyond, we proceed with caution, ensuring safety before addressing food. A day or two without sustenance will not kill us.”

When famine strikes the settlement, Ren Xiaosu has seen people eat bark and roots, then soil itself, until death claims them.

He understands well what hunger reduces men to. Now they refuse rats, but in days hence, they shall crave even dirt.

At this moment, Yang Xiaomu approaches Ren Xiaosu, offering him a dagger. He startles: “For me?”

“Borrowed,” she says.

“Conditions?” Ren Xiaosu asks. Both are direct—neither love nor hatred exists without cause. Yang Xiaomu lending her personal blade must have purpose.

“Food,” she replies.

“That alone won’t suffice,” Ren Xiaosu shakes his head. “It must be gifted.”

“Agreed,” Yang Xiaomu says, turning away.

This leaves Ren Xiaosu taken aback—she had intended to trade the dagger all along, merely mentioning “borrowing” to leave room for negotiation...

He finds himself half-amused, half-exasperated. In dealing with this Yang Xiaomu, he must think thrice.

He inspects the blade—need not be a connoisseur to see it surpasses any ironwork he’s seen at Old Wang’s general store.

Ren Xiaosu sheathes the dagger, concealing it within his sleeve, when suddenly his face pales. He lifts his gaze to the cliff face above; others follow suit: “What is that?”

No sooner spoken than a rustling of innumerable shells echoes through the gorge. Xu Xiance shines his flashlight overhead, revealing an uncountable swarm of black creatures crawling down the cliffside.

None have seen their like—their carapaces etched with patterns resembling human faces. Their maws snap open and shut as if receiving commands, surging toward the people below with feral abandon, some leaping directly from above onto Ren Xiaosu and the others.

Ren Xiaosu draws his dagger, cleaving one of the monstrous insects, then bellows: “Run!”

“What in the world are they?!” Liu Bu’s courage nearly shatters!

...

Thanks to Yu Ke for becoming the book’s new ally. I don’t know why the acknowledgments to the alliance leader vanished in earlier chapters—nor do I know which great power forbids even thanking readers...