Chapter 373: Investigating Xu Family Town

The students vented their frustrations about Liang Yue through their words, complaining without restraint.

But soon, they all fell silent, almost in unison.

Based on the usual schedule, it was about time for Liang Yue to deliver their food.

Sure enough, not long after, Liang Yue arrived at their snow house, carrying provisions.

“Teacher Liang!”

“Teacher Liang, you’re here!”

“We missed you so much!”

The students put on pitiful faces, tears welling up in their eyes.

Liang Yue, however, simply placed the food on the ground and said, “Be careful these days. The area hasn’t been peaceful. Unless you’re out searching for food, stay inside the snow house as much as possible.”

“Oh, and there are plenty of underground cellars in Xu Family Town where food is stored. You should hide in the cellars whenever possible. Got it?”

Hearing this, the students grew uneasy.

Wu Chengyu quickly stood up, his face full of fear. “Teacher Liang, if it’s so dangerous, why not take us back with you?”

“Isn’t the Shelter the safest place?”

The other students, realizing the opportunity, rushed to join in, pleading with Liang Yue to bring them back.

As Liang Yue looked at their pale faces, her thoughts turned to Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran.

Most of these students had once subjected those two to cold, silent ostracism.

Over time, Liang Yue’s bond with Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran had grown significantly stronger.

This was partly due to the environment of the apocalypse, which drove people to seek warmth and solidarity, and partly because Liang Yue had found in them what she had lost in students like Wu Chengyu.

Without comparison, there would be no disappointment.

As a teacher, she naturally gravitated toward the more obedient and sensible students.

She couldn’t bear the thought of upsetting Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran by suggesting these students be brought into the Shelter.

And she wasn’t naïve.

While Zhang Yi was kind and supportive of her, the others in the Shelter had no obligation to these students.

Bringing back such a burden would surely displease people like Zhou Ke’er.

Given that there hadn’t been any signs of external threats recently, Liang Yue was unwilling to stir up trouble.

“You can’t rely on your teacher for everything. You’re all grown up now and need to learn how to solve problems on your own.”

“Hide in the cellars. Even if danger comes, you won’t be the primary targets. As long as you stay hidden, you’ll be safe.”

Liang Yue’s plan seemed sound.

After Zhang Yi’s intense battle with the West Hill Base, any smaller factions in the area wouldn’t dare to cause trouble.

And if a major force from beyond Xichuan or Lu River District did show up, their target would be Zhang Yi’s Shelter, not a group of resource-poor students. 𝔯�

But Wu Chengyu and the others were unwilling to give up.

“Teacher, if danger really strikes, it’ll be too late to do anything!”

“It’s safer if you take us to the Shelter. Zhang Yi and the others are so strong, and you’re a great fighter too. Protecting us would be easy, wouldn’t it?”

Liang Yue’s eyes filled with even more disappointment.

She no longer offered any explanations, only letting out a soft sigh. “Take care of yourselves. Just listen to me and hide well.”

With that, she turned and left the snow house, ignoring the students’ cries behind her.

“Teacher Liang! Teacher Liang! Teacher—Dmn it! That heartless woman!”

Wu Chengyu punched the wall in frustration, his eyes burning with hatred.

“Why give us hope only to shove us into despair?”

Ye Xiaotian walked over and casually grabbed a portion of the food.

Wu Chengyu noticed and quickly pretended to distribute the rest to everyone.

The food from Zhang Yi’s Shelter was undeniably superior, carefully preserved and full of flavor.

They devoured it ravenously, leaving not a single grain behind.

---

Meanwhile, in the Yangsheng and Chaoyu Bases, the two factions had begun operations against the so-called mysterious force ever since their return from the Followers of the Snow God.

After extensive investigation, they had narrowed down the enemy’s location to somewhere near Cloud Manor and Xu Family Town.

Yangsheng Base acted faster, thanks to Zhang Yi’s deliberate placement of Gao Yuan’s satellite phone among Liang Yue’s students, allowing them to track the signal using radar.

The Yangsheng Base dispatched Dong Hu, nicknamed “Blazing Fist,” for the mission.

In his early forties, Dong Hu had been a professional bodyguard before the apocalypse, skilled in martial arts and marksmanship. After awakening his superhuman abilities, he became one of Xiao Honglian’s trusted generals.

This mission was a reconnaissance operation, not an assault. Xiao Honglian was unsure of Zhang Yi’s strength and chose Dong Hu for his level-headed approach.

Dong Hu led his team to the outskirts of Lu River District, where he ordered their snow vehicles hidden before proceeding on foot.

Their modified snow vehicles were loud and fuel-intensive, unsuitable for stealth operations.

Well-equipped and well-provisioned, the group cautiously trekked through the snow, guided by their instruments toward Xu Family Town.

From a distance, they spotted the cluster of snow houses and, across the river, the imposing ice fortress.

Dong Hu exhaled in amazement. “Did they really build this by hand?”

The thick ice wall resembled a miniature snow fortress, towering 20 meters high and 10 meters thick.

Though made primarily of ice, its steel-reinforced core gave it remarkable durability.

“Unless you hit this thing with heavy artillery, standard infantry weapons won’t even scratch it.”

“No wonder they held off West Hill Base for so long.”

Dong Hu’s expression grew serious as he issued orders. “Stay sharp! This isn’t an opponent to take lightly. One misstep, and we’re dead.”

His men, seasoned and cautious, nodded solemnly.

Dong Hu used his equipment to confirm that Gao Yuan’s satellite phone signal was coming from one of the snow houses.

He called over a sharp-eyed subordinate.

“Scout the area and report back.”

The scout, cloaked in white, moved stealthily toward Xu Family Town, blending into the snowy landscape.

As night fell, he reached the village outskirts, finding no signs of guards.

Relaxing slightly, he continued, using the snow houses as cover.

But the village was eerily lifeless.

The dome-shaped snow houses stood like tombs, silent and foreboding.

Most were empty, with only a few sealed by curtains or wooden boards.

The cold left the streets deserted, as if the residents had all perished.

No guards, no signs of life. This can’t be a functioning faction, the scout concluded.

A proper force would maintain vigilance, posting guards to ward off intruders. Their absence suggested a lack of resources and strength.

Relieved, the scout carefully approached the snow house marked as the signal’s source but chose not to enter, instead retreating to avoid unnecessary risks.

After all, this could be the lair of the individuals who had wiped out both Gao Yuan and Wang Ruixuan’s teams.

Returning to Dong Hu, the scout reported, “It’s an abandoned village. No guards, no activity. I located the signal source without alerting anyone.”

Dong Hu was puzzled. “What? That doesn’t add up.”

Even the most formidable foe wouldn’t leave their defenses so lax.

Glancing at the ice fortress across the river, Dong Hu’s eyes narrowed.

“Could it be that their true power lies beyond that stronghold?”

“But why would the signal source be here? Is it a trap?”

Conflicted but determined, Dong Hu resolved to gather more intel before leaving.

Leading his team cautiously into Xu Family Town, he soon stumbled upon a group of young people sleeping soundly in one of the snow houses.

Their defenseless state was almost laughable.

Confirming the signal source was in this very house, Dong Hu stood in silent confusion, unsure of what to make of the scene.

Author's Note