Embers Ad Infinitum

After the sky gradually brightened, Han Wanghuo put away the walkie-talkie and looked at Shang Jianyao and others:

"They have indeed retreated. Just leave some people to be responsible for guarding and reconnaissance."

What he meant was that the war was over for now.

Although Jiang Baimian was wearing a mask, he still stretched out his hand to cover his mouth before yawning.

She put down the "Reaper" individual rocket launcher, stood up, and said with a smile:

"Then our employment contract is over?"

"If nothing unexpected happens." Han Wanghuo answered cautiously.

At this time, Shang Jianyao, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen also put away their weapons.

Jiang Baimian smiled and said:

"We will stay in Hongshiji for a few more days. Remember to settle the final payment then."

This includes a military exoskeleton and a week's worth of food for four people.

"No problem." Han Wanghuo answered without hesitation.

In his opinion, if it were not for these four "mercenaries" in this war, Hongshiji would probably have suffered a disaster.

Of course, the premise is that at the most critical moment, the vigilance sect will not be able to come up with a solution.

Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao, who was strangely quiet, then turned back to Han Wanghuo and said:

"Then let's leave first. Um, remember to inform us when those prisoners recover. I want to ask something."

Because a small number of wounded fell within the red stone defense line, the coalition forces could not take them away when they retreated.

"Okay." Han Wanghuo still has this power.

After leaving the defense line and arriving at the parking place, Long Yuehong was a little dumbfounded.

We were not very lucky here. It seemed that the artillery fire had been deflected. The glass of the earth-colored all-terrain vehicle was completely shattered and the tires were flat.

The Jeep of the "Old Tune Team" was strong. Protected by thick armor, bulletproof glass, special tires and the vehicle next door, it only received a few marks.

"This car can't be driven..." Jiang Baimian glanced at it and said thankfully, "Fortunately it's not ours."

As she spoke, she walked to the side of the jeep and opened the driver's door:

"I'll drive it. Xiaobai stayed up all night, so you have to be careful."

"Actually, it's okay." With Jiang Baimian's persistence day after day, Bai Chen has fully accepted his nickname.

Shang Jianyao took the initiative to "explain" to Jiang Baimian:

"She's still a little hyper."

"Hey." Jiang Baimian made a disdainful voice, "Are you alive? Why did you look so lethargic just now? Are you hungry?"

It's time for breakfast.

Shang Jianyao replied seriously:

"I'm thinking about the problem."

"What's the problem?" Jiang Baimian regretted it as soon as he said it.

She quickly sat down and started the car.

This did not stop Shang Jianyao. He said from the back row:

"How to let the people of Hongshiji coexist peacefully with fishmen and mountain monsters."

"...This is difficult." Jiang Baimian was startled for a moment, then exhaled, "Even if you rely on 'reasoning clowns' to make them half-brothers and complete the circular argument, this effect cannot be maintained. For a long time, because you will eventually leave."

And if you don't rely on the ability of the awakened ones, just look at the corpses that were carried down when cleaning the battlefield and the dark blood that dyed the ground red, and think about how many times similar things have happened in the past, you should understand this. The difficulty of the matter is sky-high, and it will take at least several generations of persistent efforts to resolve the hatred between each other.

After listening quietly, Shang Jianyao sighed regretfully:

"It's a pity that I can't separate multiple 'me's and leave one here."

Is your point the same as what I want to say? Jiang Baimian was speechless.

The thinking perspectives of both sides are completely different from the same world.

Watching the Jeep walking through the ruins of the city and listening to the conversation between the team leader and Shang Jianyao, Long Yuehong took off his mask and said with a complicated expression:

"A mountain monster said something to me before he died."

"Huh?" Jiang Baimian made a cooperative voice.

Long Yuehong truthfully told the mountain monster's dying answer and her own feelings.

After Jiang Baimian listened carefully, he half-smiled and half-sighed:

"Have you realized the significance of our work more deeply?

“Only by understanding the cause of the disease can we find more effective ways to cure this fucked up world!”

As she spoke, her mood fluctuated uncontrollably.

Shang Jianyao immediately smiled and said:

"So, will you join me in saving all mankind in the future?"

Jiang Baimian laughed:

"How could you miss such a meaningful thing?

"When we investigate the reasons for the destruction of the old world and find out the pathogenesis and treatment of Wuxin disease, we will save the world!"

Long Yuehong smiled and, like Bai Chen, did not answer.

He felt that he could not afford such a thing.

What he wants to do most now is to take care of his own life.

After ending this topic, Jiang Baimian looked in the rearview mirror:

"Take out all the items on the fish-man awakener. Why did it feel wrong when I looked at it before?"

"Shout 'hello'." Shang Jianyao emphasized.

"Ah?" Jiang Baimian couldn't keep up with his train of thought again.

Shang Jianyao explained seriously:

"Didn't you say that? His nickname inside and outside the group is Xiaohong, hers is Xiaobai, and mine is Hey."

"..." Jiang Baimian's expression under the mask changed continuously, becoming angry and funny.

At this time, from the corner of her eye, she saw Bai Chen's side face muscles rising slightly.

——Their masks are not fully covering, and part of the face can be seen from the side.

"Are you smiling?" Jiang Baimian became angry.

Bai Chen pursed his lips tightly, neither admitting nor denying.

The atmosphere in the jeep became a little more cheerful because of this, and Shang Jianyao immediately took out the dried fruits, roots of certain plants, crudely packaged green sugar, and a few thick and long needles.

"What is all this?" Jiang Baimian looked back.

Is this what a powerful awakened person carries?

Bai Chen turned around, studied for a while and said:

"This should be dried plums."

She pointed to the dark piece of dried fruit.

Of course, she didn't dare to taste unknown things directly with her mouth. She just picked them up and took a slight sniff.

Dried plums? Jiang Baimian suddenly felt an increase in saliva secretion in his mouth.

As for what rhizomes and green candies are, they couldn't figure it out for a while.

In this way, they drove the Jeep to the fortress-like Church of Vigilance.

At this time, the alerter Song He had returned with church weapons.

There were several fewer people in this team than when we set out.

"I heard that you have solved the fish-man awakener?" Song He, who had just finished saluting the "Yougu" symbol, asked when he saw the four familiar masks entering the hall.

Jiang Baimian, who had answered this question for the third time, said "hmm" and nodded.

Song He sighed and said:

"Without you, I would have considered retreating to the church and asking Brand to leave the room."

"I thought you were a hidden strong man." Shang Jianyao expressed regret.

Although I think so too, don't say it out loud... Jiang Baimian wanted to stop it, but it was too late.

Song He was startled for a moment, but he was not angry at all. He smiled bitterly and said:

“I am afraid that the price will increase, so I never dare to continue to improve myself.

"Being able to receive the gift of holding office is already very satisfying for me, and I can't ask for more."

Afraid... He had mentioned before that people become timid as they get older... While Jiang Baimian was thoughtful, Shang Jianyao took out the pile of items on the Awakened Murloc's body and asked for advice sincerely:

"Do you know them?"

"Where did this come from?" Song He took a few steps forward and began to observe carefully.

"The awakened fishman." Shang Jianyao answered truthfully.

Song He became more focused. After a while, he pointed at the green candies with simple packaging and said:

"This is plum candy from United Industries. The children like it very much."

Sugar is also a luxury product in a large number of wilderness settlements.

Plum candy? Jiang Baimian frowned slightly.

Song He continued to identify:

"This one should be dried plums, this one should be needles, there's nothing much to say.

"This, this, this is a kind of rhizome produced in the nearby mountains and forests. We call it 'free food'. It is slightly toxic and can cause diarrhea, but it is very refreshing. When I was young, I followed them to hunt in the wild. If If you need to stay up late and wait, you will chew a piece when you are sleepiest."

"Eating for free" means that eating it means eating it for free, because it will be pulled out soon, and even your inventory will be emptied.

After Jiang Baimian listened, he looked at Shang Jianyao, Long Yuehong and others:

"Plum sugar, prunes, refreshing plant roots, thick and long needles, what can these mean?"

Shang Jianyao immediately answered:

"pregnant!"

"What does acupuncture have to do with pregnancy? Also, which pregnant woman would eat something that can cause diarrhea?" Jiang Baimian could not understand Shang Jianyao's brain circuit.

Shang Jianyao explained seriously:

“Constipation is common during pregnancy.

"Needles are for sewing children's clothes."

Jiang Baimian couldn't find any flaw in Shang Jianyao for a while.

This is a formal member of the "Life Sacrifice" cult.

"These should be used to refresh ourselves." Bai Chen gave his thoughts at the right time. "Dried plums and plum sugar can provide a certain stimulation and keep us awake for a short time. Acupuncture can also be used."

She once slapped herself several times in order to catch a prey, in order to prevent herself from falling asleep.

Jiang Baimian said "hmm", glared at Shang Jianyao and said:

"The awakened fishman carries so many similar things with him, which shows that he often needs to stay awake.

"The price he pays is that he gets sleepy easily? Tired easily?"

"Maybe that's true." Warner Song He agreed.

Taking this opportunity, Jiang Baimian got to the point:

"Warning Song, the fish-man awakener had some strange changes after he passed out..."

She described the strange smell coming out of the body of the awakened fishman after he passed out, and the parasite-like things crawling under the skin. She highlighted that Shang Jianyao's first few shots encountered invisible barriers and failed to shoot. on the target.

Song He listened quietly and thought deeply:

"Do you want to ask what is going on?"

Without waiting for Jiang Baimian to respond, he hesitated and said:

"I heard from the person who led me to Christianity that he is now a member of the Dread Bishops.

"He said that those powerful awakeners who explored the depths of the 'soul corridor' can leave their own breath in the 'soul corridor' or even in the real world. This kind of breath can be combined with objects to produce wonderful and terrifying things. Effect.

"I suspect that the fish-man awakener is combined with this aura. He should not have entered the 'soul corridor' yet."