On the side leading to Wenlu County, the road has developed cracks like a spider web, and there are even signs of partial collapse by the roadside.
"It was maintained many tis before, and once it was almost rebuilt to the old era’s standards."
Jiang Chuan sighed, "Later... you know, in this wasteland, when soone rebuilds, soone else sabotages. The better you build it, the more it’s targeted as a plaything for them. Unless you have people patrolling every day, within half a month, major problems arise. So... just let it rot as it is."
The evil within humanity sotis exceeds imagination.
Cheng Ye thought for a mont, then let a na slip out of his mouth: "Yueye Shelter City?"
"They used to have so influence here, but after being caught twice, they quieted down." Jiang Chuan shook his head, "But more often... it’s the Hundred Ghosts Gang."
"Hundred Ghosts Gang?"
Cheng Ye was taken aback for a mont, then quickly realized.
Take Red-haired Ghost, for instance, relying on Happiness City’s infrastructure repair jobs to make a living.
If all the roads were perfectly repaired, wouldn’t these people be out of work?
"Leave so work for them, as long as the road is passable, it’s not a big problem."
Saying this, Jiang Chuan skillfully turned the steering wheel, weaving around the potholes, managing to avoid stepping into a deep hole.
The occasional bumps and jumps were smoothly filtered by the pickup’s suspension, providing an unexpectedly good riding experience.
Seeing Cheng Ye showing no signs of motion sickness, Jiang Chuan increased the speed to fifty kiloters per hour.
The scene by the roadside sped backward rapidly; this was the first ti Cheng Ye truly saw the ruins of Chuan City.
What a... complete ruin!
Broken walls lood in and out of the mist, the dilapidated skyscrapers like gnawed bones, with steel bars jutting from the concrete, entwined with withered yellow vines.
Abandoned cars lay overturned on the roadside, rusted down to their skeletons, with glass long shattered into shards.
Those buildings once reaching five or six stories high now stood rickety in place, seeming they could collapse any mont.
The dark hollow windows looked out like creatures lurking behind, exuding a chilling desolation.
Perhaps this place was once bustling, neon lights flickering, but now only desolation remained.
A heavy weight suddenly pressed on Cheng Ye’s heart, as he pictured the past glorious era in contrast with the ruins before him, feeling ti to be imnsely cruel, like a dull blade, slowly eroding away all life.
Fortunately, the vehicle only followed the highway around the city and did not enter the ruins of Chuan City.
After another turn, they were fully on the deserted wilderness, steering far from the city ruins.
Endless wild grass stretched before them, fitting Cheng Ye’s imagination of an "untrodden wilderness."
It was midsumr; though affected by the cool down, the weeds appeared sowhat withered, drooped down, yet ford a vast expanse that still presented a magnificent vision as if they were entering boundless grasslands.
At the edge of sight, shadows flitted through the mist, too fast and indistinct to discern.
Mutant Beasts?
Instinctively, Cheng Ye placed a hand on his waist, grasping the Wild Bull Fighting Handgun resting on the seat.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on the distant edge of the provincial road.
Six tall and thin human figures stood gazing their way, each holding rifles, postures filled with vigilance.
"Scavengers?"
Jiang Chuan followed his gaze and shook his head, "No, scavengers wouldn’t gather in such open areas; it’s too easy for them to be targeted as prey by others."
He slowed down the vehicle and moved the pickup closer to the roadside, "They should be hunters, living by hunting mutant beasts. Recently, many special mutant beasts have erged from Fog Cave, and they’re worthy of a lot."
"Hunters..."
Upon closer inspection, Cheng Ye indeed noticed the six of them spreading out in a fan shape, the muzzles vaguely pointing in the sa direction, more like guarding rather than pursuing.
"Want to bypass them?" Cheng Ye asked.
According to Jiang Chuan’s earlier words, avoid attracting people in the wilderness, especially those with unidentified identities.
But Jiang Chuan shook his head, "No, the road ahead is the only way to Wenlu County. Don’t worry, since we’re bearing the inspection station’s mark, even if provoked, they have to make way."
He pressed the accelerator, maintaining a speed of thirty kiloters per hour, steadily approaching while rolling up the window halfway.
As the distance closed, Cheng Ye gradually made out the details of those people.
All wore shabby camouflage uniforms, faces sared with dirt, wielding modified small-caliber hunting rifles, aiming to maximize the preservation of ga, with cloth strips wrapped around the gun barrels, appearing quite ferocious.
When the pickup was still a hundred ters away, one of them first noticed the inspection station emblem on the vehicle’s side, imdiately waving a hand signaling the car to stop.
Jiang Chuan gently applied the brakes, stopping the vehicle ten ters away from them.
This distance maintained safety, yet was not too distant.
He pushed the car door open and stepped down, his entire deanor dramatically changing; gone was the familiar calm aura Cheng Ye knew, replaced by an imposing aura fit for navigating the wilderness, remarkably more intimidating than those hunters!
"Officer from the inspection station?" From among the six, a short, stout man stepped forward, his dark face plastered with a pleasing smile, his tone cautiously respectful.
"What’s going on?" Jiang Chuan furrowed his brows.
"Sir, there’s a special mutant beast up ahead, you need to be extrely careful," the man said, rubbing his calloused hands, his facial folds forming a tangled mass, "It’s white, about twice the size of an Ant Wolf, and moves around in groups of seven or eight. Not only incredibly fast but also sensitive to danger, we brothers have been hunting them for two days and haven’t killed a single one!"
"Reported to the Ghost King yet?"
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