Chapter 54: 54, Escape

Ren Xiaosu was taken aback by the unexpected completion of his mission, for in truth, he had never intended to finish it at all. It seemed as though the palace itself had sought to make him stronger, for otherwise, what the hell—Wang Fugui’s thanks to his ancestors was as sincere as a damn egg!

Ren Xiaosu’s power had now reached 6.5, officially surpassing twice that of a normal adult. Of course, this "normal" range likely referred only to the average, as those who had undergone intense training were not within this standard.

The convoy swiftly traversed the gorge, heading forward. Earlier, someone had fled in panic to the wolves’ side and was devoured by the pack. Those who had chased after them, the human-faced insects, were peculiar too—they refused to step beyond the gorge, retreating slowly once they reached its edge.

The wolves and human-faced insects, two species of the wilderness, coexisted in a manner as distinct as rivers and wells never clashing.

The wolves gazed at their king, who turned and slowly walked into the woods, as though once it confirmed the prey was lost, it would never linger, decisive and ruthless.

Driver Sun Junzheng spoke as he drove: “Who knows how many survived this time?”

“We’re the ones who matter,” Ren Xiaosu replied. Whether others lived or died was beyond his concern.

In such a wilderness, numbers were preferable—strength in numbers, and mutual support in times of need.

Yet what Ren Xiaosu witnessed now, the actions of the private forces and the band’s crew, proved these people were not to be trusted. Not only could they not be relied upon, but they might even kill you if you let your guard down.

“Look, there are so many bones here!” Sun Junzheng suddenly shouted.

As the vehicles passed through the gorge, they spotted dozens of human skeletons along the roadside, twisted and scattered within the canyon.

“This must be the work of those human-faced insects,” Ren Xiaosu said calmly.

Now, recalling the human-faced insects, he had been among the calmest at the time, so while retreating toward the vehicles, he had the presence of mind to observe them closely.

In his memory, not every human-faced insect bore a human face on its carapace—perhaps due to incomplete development? Or maybe the insects only grew human faces after consuming humans?

In such a strange place, Ren Xiaosu unconsciously leaned toward the most terrifying explanation.

Thinking this, a chill ran down his spine. It felt as though the insects had devoured the souls of the dead, their faces twisted in fury upon the carapaces.

The convoy had originally consisted of six vehicles, but now only three remained. They spent over ten minutes fully crossing the gorge. The moment the vehicles emerged, Ren Xiaosu, Yang Xiaojin, and Sun Junzheng all froze.

It was still night, the gorge shrouded in gloom, lit only by the headlights.

Yet the sky beyond the gorge was like a painting suspended overhead, as if within reach, while the vegetation below was unnaturally lush, with fireflies flitting among the trees. The surrounding mountains seemed to encircle a vast garden, like a fairyland.

They slowly descended from the vehicles, taking in the night. Sun Junzheng, unbidden, wandered toward the woods, a look of longing on his face.

Ren Xiaosu slapped him: “Dare you enter such an eerie forest?”

To the high-ranking figures within the barriers, beauty was alluring, but to Ren Xiaosu, beauty in nature was inherently perilous.

Survival in the wilderness demanded understanding that the more beautiful a snake, the more dangerous it might be; the more vibrant a mushroom, the more poisonous; the more resplendent a spider, the deadlier.

Thus, Ren Xiaosu naturally recoiled from beauty, calling the wilderness’s splendor “eerie.”

Everyone had disembarked. Ren Xiaosu scanned the group and noted that Xu Xianchu, the first to react, had indeed survived. To his surprise, Liu Bu had lived as well.

It wasn’t that Ren Xiaosu wished Liu Bu dead, but he was puzzled—how had this coward, who only screamed in terror, survived?

Luo Xinyu had also lived. In Ren Xiaosu’s memory, when the human-faced insects appeared, Luo Xinyu had immediately approached Xu Xianchu, likely escaping under his guidance.

Xu Xianchu’s face was grim as he counted: “Only eleven remain.”

They had started with twenty, and now, before even reaching Jing Shan, only eleven were left. Who could say what lay ahead, or how many would ultimately escape Jing Shan?

“I told you to turn back,” Liu Bu complained. “Why insist on entering the gorge? The transcendents warned that no living should enter, yet you wouldn’t listen.”

“Silence,” Luo Xinyu snapped coldly.

Liu Bu, emboldened, sneered at his boss: “I told you not to risk venturing beyond the barriers. You didn’t listen. Satisfied now?”

Luo Xinyu’s face darkened: “You agreed wholeheartedly at the time!”

“Could I have objected?” Liu Bu retorted.

Xu Xianchu frowned at Liu Bu: “What use is blame now? Go find the wolves if you wish. We entered the gorge out of necessity. We’re lucky to have survived. Don’t argue—we must unite to overcome this.”

Liu Bu and Luo Xinyu fell silent. Ren Xiaosu realized he needed to find another way out; the group’s cohesion was already shattered, and talk of unity was mere empty rhetoric.

The vehicles could no longer move. No one had expected the vegetation here to grow as dense as a subtropical rainforest, rendering passage impossible.

“Let’s rest for a moment,” Xu Xianchu said wearily. They had not slept well all night, danger after danger, and everyone was on the verge of collapse.

Ren Xiaosu sat on the ground, feigning exhaustion, keeping his distance from the woods. At this point, they had no food, not even tents or blankets.

Ren Xiaosu felt a pang of regret—he had forgotten his mouse in the vehicle. He wondered if the human-faced insects, after eating the mouse, would become mouse-faced insects…

Thinking this, it didn’t hurt as much. In fact, he felt a flicker of anticipation.

“Sir,” Luo Xinyu asked Xu Xianchu, “what is the task for entering Jing Shan?”

Ren Xiaosu looked at Xu Xianchu—this was his own confusion!

Xu Xianchu hesitated, still unwilling to reveal all he knew. Yet Ren Xiaosu noticed that Xu Xianchu himself seemed troubled.