Chapter 382 - 181: Moving Forward

Chapter 382: Chapter 181: Moving Forward

It wasn’t an overt rejection, but a very subtle one. From their conversation, from the speed at which his supplies were prepared, and even from the expression on the other man’s face as he spoke, Xu Mo could sense a faint feeling of detachment.

The feeling was hard to describe. It was like two strangers forced to stay in the same room, both wanting to leave but not wanting to be the first to speak up. When Old Chen spoke, his gaze would occasionally drift elsewhere. When giving instructions, his speech was a bit faster than normal. And when they finally said goodbye, there was no lingering small talk.

All these details added up, piecing together a clear signal—Old Chen wanted him to leave as soon as possible.

So Xu Mo went with the flow and decided to leave immediately. It was an unspoken understanding between adults; there was no need to say it out loud. Everyone understood.

Thinking it over, Xu Mo could understand the other man’s point of view.

He was representing Jiang City, sent to establish contact with Ming Pearl Port, but now Ming Pearl Port had fallen. Nomad’s House was just a camp of four to five hundred vehicles; a force that size couldn’t withstand the slightest disturbance.

Furthermore, his circumstances were unique. He had crossed two thousand kilometers alone, proving he wasn’t weak. A person like that staying in the camp was, in itself, a destabilizing factor. Who knew what kind of trouble he might bring? Who knew what he might attract? In the apocalypse, you could never be too careful.

More importantly, he had already made contact with people in the camp. Bingbing and Zhong both knew he was here. Sooner or later, word would spread. What would the other survivors in the camp think then? Would some feel their leader should keep this capable outsider? Would some think that if Xu Mo could make it here, they could make it to Jiang City?

For any settlement, the greatest fear is a restless populace.

Under these circumstances, the most rational course of action for a mature leader like Old Chen was to have Xu Mo leave as soon as possible. It avoided giving offense while also averting potential risks.

Xu Mo even suspected that after he was gone, Nomad’s House would likely leave this encampment and move somewhere else.

After all, they had escaped the fall of Ming Pearl Port and had seen too much darkness. Back then, survivors killing each other was more terrifying than the zombies. Such an experience made them highly vigilant toward any outsider. No amount of caution was too much.

And in all fairness, Xu Mo felt Old Chen had been more than decent.

After he had shown the documents from Jiang City, the man had immediately offered support—an SUV, fuel, supplies, and even a written explanation and a USB drive. This was all tangible aid, not some perfunctory gesture.

In the rearview mirror, the Nomad’s House camp had completely disappeared below the horizon. Ahead lay an endless wasteland, with the occasional dead tree standing forlornly by the roadside.

Before nightfall, Xu Mo found a place to park and spend the night.

He didn’t get out to pitch a tent; most of his supplies had been left in the car in Pinggu City, and the tent was no exception. Fortunately, the SUV’s backseat had enough space. He could fold the seats down and use it as a bed.

Lying on the folded-down seats, Xu Mo stared blankly at the ceiling of the car, his mind turning over his next steps.

Old Chen had said that when Ming Pearl Port fell, many survivor groups had escaped with supplies and technology. They would probably regroup somewhere and establish new shelters.

’If I just keep moving forward, I should be able to find them.’

In the middle of the night, Xu Mo was suddenly jolted awake by a series of hoarse roars.

The sound was deep and guttural, as if there was something stuck in its throat, making it hoarse and grating.

Xu Mo was instantly wide awake, his hand already reaching for the Triangular Spike he kept beside him.

The roars sounded a few more times, intermittently. Each cry was followed by a brief silence. It sounded like they were calling to each other, or perhaps fighting over something.

In the darkness, Xu Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

In this apocalyptic world, he rarely saw normal animals anymore. They had either been killed by zombies or had become some kind of mutated creature themselves. This roar was probably not from an ordinary beast.

Sitting up slowly, Xu Mo peered out through the car window.

It was dark outside, with only a few stars in the sky. Through the windshield, Xu Mo could see several dark figures moving in the distance.

The figures weren’t very large, about the size of large dogs. They were gathered in a circle, periodically lowering their heads to tear at something.

Xu Mo counted them. There were about five or six.

’What are those things eating?’

He stared at the dark figures for a long while, trying to identify what they were.

Unfortunately, the distance was too great, and he couldn’t make out any details.

’Wolves?’

The guess surfaced in Xu Mo’s mind.

There had always been wolves in the wasteland. After the apocalypse, they either died out or adapted and survived. If it was the latter, they had likely undergone some kind of mutation, growing larger and stronger.

Xu Mo watched the dark figures, his hand resting on the Triangular Spike, and considered whether he should take care of these wolves.

But he quickly abandoned the thought.

The wolves were eating and hadn’t noticed him. They would leave on their own once they were full, so there was no need for him to provoke them.

After ten or fifteen minutes, the wolves finally finished their meal. They lingered in a circle for another moment, as if checking for scraps, then turned and vanished into the darkness.

Once he was sure they were long gone, Xu Mo lay back down.

He woke up early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten.