Chapter 619: Evacuation (Part 2)

Sun Que didn't respond, but waved to the group: "Enter the village, maintain discipline, don't frighten anyone."

One large truck after another drove into the village gate.

Ashi was also in the crowd, carrying a bundle of rope on his shoulder, but his eyes were fixed on the large carts loaded with grain and medicine.

Xiao He was supporting her father, who was so thin he was just skin and bones, and his legs were shaking as he walked.

Ashi glanced at her and said in a low voice, "Don't rush, after the medicine is dispensed, I'll take your father to see a doctor first."

Xiao He nodded, her eyes slightly red.

At the entrance, those once high and mighty disciples of the Demonic Sect now hung their heads, helping the villagers carry water and medicine.

Someone was still shouting, "Line up! Everyone gets some medicine!"

Xiaohe's father leaned against a large truck, took a pill, and swallowed it with water.

The medicine worked quickly, and his perpetually ashen face regained a noticeable amount of color.

Xiao He's tears fell with a "plop," and she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve.

Ashi stood aside, looking at the busy outer disciples, and felt a little empty inside.

He had expected a group of ruthless killers to arrive, but instead, they were handing medicine to the elderly and distributing food to the children.

It felt like a dream.

"We won't be leaving tonight," Sun Que said, standing at the front of the group. He glanced at the sky. "Let the villagers rest for the night, and we'll set off tomorrow morning."

"Leave tomorrow morning! Don't rush! Those who have picked up their medicine, go back and rest!"

A centurion shouted orders, and then sent the outer disciples to check house to house to see if anyone was unable to walk.

The villagers seemed to wake up from a dream; some were still standing at the door in a daze, while others had already run home to pack up their meager belongings.

Ashi helped Xiaohe's father up and followed behind Xiaohe, slowly walking towards their mud-brick house.

"Brother Stone..." Xiao He said softly, clutching a small bundle, "Are we really leaving?"

"Let's go," Ah Shi said in a low voice. "Staying here means certain death."

That night, for the first time, the lights in Blood Nest No. 73 did not go out on time.

People were moving around everywhere. Some children were crying, some adults were whispering, and some outer disciples were sitting by the wall, talking quietly with a few bold young people about the Nightmare Plane.

Ashi didn't sleep much. He sat at his doorstep, staring at the wooden stick he had practiced until it shone brightly, until the sky turned gray.

The next morning, the carts were harnessed again, and the convoy slowly began to move.

Someone was still shouting, "Line up! Keep up! Don't fall behind!"

Ashi turned around and held out his hand to Xiaohe: "I'll carry your dad for a while."

Xiao He looked up at him, her eyes reddening again, but she nodded emphatically.

One by one, the members of Blood Nest No. 73 followed the group heading towards the teleportation portal.

...

The further west the group went, the more people there were.

From the initial four hundred-plus people, it grew into a massive force within half a month.

A long line of large trucks stretched out, crammed with elderly people who couldn't walk and young children.

Both sides were filled with villagers with their families, some carrying bedding, some holding chicks, and others carrying several things whose purpose they couldn't even explain.

At the very front of the procession, Sun Que led the way on foot, with several centurions positioned on either side. The surrendered outer disciples were scattered on both sides of the procession, herding the long line forward like sheep herders.

Sun Que walked slowly, but kept observing.

This was a task assigned to these escort generals by the lord: to take note of some good-natured young men along the way.

After returning to Hangu Pass, he handed over the list. As for its purpose, the order was not specified, but since it was a personal order from the lord, Sun Que carried it out very carefully.

In the past two weeks, he has already added more than thirty people to his list.

Most of them were honest, hardworking young people who did not bully their neighbors, but the one Sun Que cared about the most was the boy named Shi Tou.

He often carried someone on his back; at first, Sun Que thought it was his father.

A boy under the age of nineteen carried his disabled father on his back the whole time during the escape, never complaining and never letting go.

This filial piety alone is enough to qualify him for the list.

Later, he asked Chen San and found out that Chen San was just the boy's neighbor.

After listening, Sun Que remained silent for a few seconds, then emphasized the word "stone" on the list.

As evening approached, Sun Que glanced at the sky, turned around and instructed Chen San, who was standing beside him, "That's enough for today. Pass down the order to rest on the spot and start a fire to cook."

"Okay!" Chen San responded quickly, turned around and ran to the back of the group, shouting as he ran.

"Stop! Stop! General Sun has ordered us to rest here! Each household should find a place to rest, but don't stray too far from the carts! Watch out for the fire!"

The orders were passed down layer by layer, and the entire team, like a weary, long snake, slowly coiled up.

A man plopped down on the ground, a woman carried her child to fetch water, and outer disciples busied themselves circling the cart.

Sun Que didn't sit idle; he found a small hillside to sit on and continued watching people.

But after a short while, his gaze was drawn back to the boy named Stone.

At the outermost edge of the group, three outer disciples huddled together, squatting beside an iron pot, adding firewood to the stove while chatting and joking.

"Let me tell you, that woman from the Blood Nest yesterday was really beautiful..."

"Can't you be a little more dignified? What kind of time is this to be thinking about women?"

"You don't know anything! This is called finding joy in hardship! We're following General Sun now, at least we have food to eat. What's the point of living if we don't think about the good things?"

"Give me a break. With your meager abilities, you couldn't even afford to support a woman."

"Bullshit! Back in the Demonic Sect, I was..."

"Alright, alright, hurry up and cook! You'll starve to death, you good-for-nothing!"

The three of them laughed and joked, while the porridge in the iron pot bubbled and gurgled.

Not far away, several villagers were carefully dividing up their dry rations.

An old woman held her grandson and fed him porridge in small sips.

Several young and strong men squatted together, discussing in hushed tones how to settle down after arriving in the Nightmare Plane.

The children chased and played among the crowd. At the end of the line, Shi Tou put down the old man on his back and carefully let him lean against a dead tree.

"Uncle Liu, please take a rest."

The old man nodded weakly, his lips were chapped, but his eyes were gentle.

Xiao He brought over a bundle of dry branches and skillfully started a fire.

The firelight reflected on her face, making the girl's features soft and serene.

"Brother Stone, are you practicing stick techniques again today?"

Stone picked up the polished wooden stick from the side and nodded.

"Um."

"Okay, Stone, you go ahead and get busy." Xiao He smiled, took two roasted sweet potatoes out of her pocket and handed them to him. "I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Shi Tou took the sweet potato, stuffed it into his pocket, nodded, and walked to an open space a little further away from the crowd.

He stood still, took a deep breath, gripped the stick with both hands, and assumed the starting stance.