A similar conversation took place between Chu Tian and Xiao Ziran as well.
Of course, there was none of the tender affection involved, and the part concerning Chu Tian’s family background was omitted. Their discussion focused mainly on development and exploration, weighing the pros and cons while examining Chu Tian’s firm determination to return to the capital this time.
Someone like Xiao Ziran naturally understood very quickly that Chu Tian’s concerns were justified. If they wanted to achieve long-term development, remaining isolated in one corner of the world would certainly not be enough.
Therefore, he had no major objections to Chu Tian’s departure. Instead, they eventually began discussing how they would maintain contact after parting ways.
Only at the very end did Xiao Ziran hesitantly ask whether Bai Mingxi would be staying or leaving.
Chu Tian thought for a moment before sighing. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on between you two, but Xiao Bai is the only son in his family. Although I haven’t asked him yet, he’s definitely going back to the capital with me.”
He paused, then continued, “His family situation isn’t quite the same as mine. You could say it’s simple, but you could also say it’s complicated. Whatever is going on between you two right now probably hasn’t reached the level of involving your families yet. It might be a good thing for him to return with me. You two can take some time to figure things out for yourselves.”
“We keep talking about development every day, but in this world, no one can guarantee they’ll open their eyes and see the sun rise the next morning. Take things as they come, and cherish what you have while you can. That’s all I have to say, brother.”
Although Chu Tian’s sympathies lay with Bai Mingxi, his words were fair enough.
Xiao Ziran fell silent after hearing them.
Their conversation didn’t continue. Now that they had decided to leave, there were various matters that needed to be prepared.
For example, they needed to produce a larger supply of the monthly “concentrated solution.” They had no idea when they would return next time.
The concentrated solution had always been stored in Bai Mingxi’s spatial storage ability. If Bai Mingxi left, they would urgently need to find another way to store it.
There were also various matters that Chu Tian had previously discussed with Xiao Ziran. They would need to find suitable people to handle those responsibilities in their absence.
Chu Tian had already drawn up a training plan for the children as well. He had originally intended to teach them personally, but now he would have to find someone else suitable for the job.
All these matters needed to be settled within a short period so that they could leave without further delay.
Of course, the first thing Chu Tian needed to do was talk to Bai Mingxi. Although he was almost certain that Bai Mingxi would accompany him back to the capital, there were still things that needed to be said and questions that needed to be asked.
At the same time, Quan Xiaoyu was discussing matters with Li Nan. After explaining that he intended to accompany Chu Tian to the capital, he asked Li Nan what he thought about it.
Quan Xiaoyu knew that Li Nan had developed deep bonds with the base and the friends he had made there. He didn’t know whether the boy would be able to bear leaving everything behind.
At that moment, Quan Xiaoyu didn’t treat him like a child. Instead, he asked for his opinion seriously.
Li Nan remained silent for a while before firmly declaring that he wanted to go with Quan Xiaoyu. Wherever Quan Xiaoyu went, he wanted to be there too.
Although he would deeply miss this place and all his little friends, he would miss Quan Xiaoyu even more.
And so, the group that would embark on this long journey was finally decided.
There was no need to ask Xie Mingxuan. He would unquestionably follow Quan Xiaoyu. Xiao Yu and Xiao Ning were Li Nan’s bonded battle pets, so naturally, they would accompany the group as well.
Five days later, all the preparations were complete. One vehicle, five people, and two pets once again set out on their journey.
When they departed, all the senior members of Dawn Base came to see them off. Now that the group was leaving, no one knew when they would see one another again.
Although everyone promised that they would return, who could guarantee what fate awaited each person in the apocalypse?
The children came to see them off that day, too. Like the others, Li Nan had cried until his eyes were swollen. Children were children, after all, and partings were especially difficult for them to bear.
Even Lian Bingbing, who was usually clever and aloof, couldn’t hold back her tears. She repeatedly reminded Li Nan that he absolutely had to remember to come back.
It was the first time anyone had ever seen Lian Bingbing act so much like an ordinary child.
At last, the grand and tearful farewell came to an end. The group climbed into the vehicle and drove toward the outskirts of the city.
The atmosphere inside the vehicle was unusually quiet that day. Everyone was still struggling to recover from the sadness of parting.
Even Xie Mingxuan was exceptionally subdued. Ever since Nizi’s death, he had been listless and had stopped going out to hunt. For the past few days, Quan Xiaoyu had been forcing him to eat the fresh meat and beast cores stored in his spatial space.
The level-five zombie crystal core taken from Nizi’s head had remained with Chu Tian all this time. He had not yet given it to Xie Mingxuan.
The journey north was neither particularly short nor particularly long. If they encountered no obstacles along the way, they should be able to reach their destination in about a month at their current speed.
However, if the roads were in poor condition or something unexpected happened, there was no telling how long it might take.
Traveling from Dawn to the capital required crossing two provinces: T Province and A Province. The capital bordered A Province, so they would reach their destination after crossing it.
Previously, Chu Tian and Quan Xiaoyu had crossed T Province on their way back to Dawn Base, so they were fairly familiar with the roads in this area.
Ten days later.
One vehicle, five people, and two pets had already traveled deep into T Province.
Just as Quan Xiaoyu remembered from his previous visit, the entire region was blanketed in thick green vegetation.
After they had been traveling for several days, the abundance of prey hidden beneath the dense foliage finally caught Xie Mingxuan’s interest. He gradually regained some of his energy and began spending his days roaming through the forests, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Meanwhile, the two little ones, who had grown up interacting with humans and had never visited a primeval forest, became increasingly wild after discovering the pleasures of life outdoors.
At first, they still knew to follow Xie Mingxuan around as he explored. Now, however, they had already gone completely feral. Whenever they ventured out, they disappeared without a trace.
Fortunately, they still knew to return.
Gradually, the two little cat-tiger hybrids began to display the imposing presence of the kings of the forest.
Meanwhile, the unpredictable weather took another turn. One moment everything seemed normal, and the next, winter had arrived.
The dense vegetation and goose-feather-sized snowflakes completely buried the roads, making it impossible for their vehicle to proceed.
With no other choice, Chu Tian and the others got out and stored the vehicle in Quan Xiaoyu’s spatial space before continuing on foot.
Apart from Xie Mingxuan and the two little ones, who weren’t afraid of the cold, the other four people had all put on thick down jackets. They trudged through the snow, sinking deeply with every step.
Xie Mingxuan, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Ning, on the other hand, seemed completely in their element. They darted through the white-covered woods, rolling and running wildly through the snow, having the time of their lives.
“They’re completely heartless, aren’t they? They sure know how to enjoy themselves.” Bai Mingxi watched the three creatures with a mixture of envy and resentment.
“Hang in there a little longer. I estimate we’ll leave T Province in another two or three days. Once we get out of T Province, the roads should be much better.”
Chu Tian paused to catch his breath.
He wasn’t sure whether it was because of the beast-related mutation in his body, but he had become more sensitive to the cold. He suspected that the monster that had bitten him belonged to some kind of cold-blooded species that hibernated during winter.
Whatever the reason, he was having a particularly hard time adjusting to this year’s winter.
Quan Xiaoyu was carrying Li Nan on his back, yet he was striding forward briskly without showing the slightest sign of fatigue. Chu Tian couldn’t help feeling a little envious.
“We’ve barely seen any human settlements along the way. Have all the people in T Province died?” Bai Mingxi remarked with a sigh.
“Those who survived probably fled to A Province or J Province.”
Chu Tian gasped for breath as he forcefully pulled his right leg out of the snow. He couldn’t help cursing the wretched weather in his mind.
“This place has already become the domain of mutated animals and plants. I suspect T Province will become the dividing line between the north and south in the apocalypse. Humanity may end up split in two. Perhaps the situation in the north will be different from that in the south.”
“Would that be better or worse? Back then, everyone in the south was fleeing north,” Bai Mingxi said.
He wasn’t making much better progress himself. He had one hand resting on Chu Tian’s shoulder, the two of them trudging along like a pair of brothers sharing the same misfortune.
“Who knows? That’s why we have to go and find out.”
“True enough.”
Quan Xiaoyu glanced back. The two men had already fallen quite far behind.
He had noticed that Chu Tian had been uncomfortable ever since the weather turned cold. Otherwise, given Chu Tian’s physical condition, he shouldn’t have been struggling this badly.
Quan Xiaoyu gently lowered Li Nan from his back and told him to wait there. Then he turned around to help the two brothers.
As Chu Tian struggled to increase his speed with Quan Xiaoyu supporting him, he felt that the whole situation was utterly humiliating.
Ugh! My authority as a husband has suddenly collapsed. How am I supposed to hold my head up in front of my wife from now on?
Quan Xiaoyu didn’t notice Chu Tian’s little thoughts, but Bai Mingxi understood perfectly well.
He proceeded to chuckle to himself all the way, making Quan Xiaoyu look at him strangely several times.
Chu Tian wanted nothing more than to find a hole in the ground and bury Bai Mingxi alive so that he could continue chuckling to himself underground.
“Why don’t we go into the spatial space and rest for a while?” Quan Xiaoyu suggested after looking around.
The surroundings were quiet and deserted. It was still a long way from nightfall, but seeing how badly Chu Tian and Bai Mingxi were freezing, there was no need for them to stubbornly force themselves to keep going.
Li Nan, who had been carried by Quan Xiaoyu the entire way, was doing perfectly fine.
“Fine. Let’s rest.”
Chu Tian was genuinely exhausted, so he didn’t insist on pushing himself any further. He nodded in agreement.
Only after entering Quan Xiaoyu’s spatial space did he begin to feel more comfortable.
“Actually, you could all stay inside the spatial space while I travel on my own,” Quan Xiaoyu suggested.
He had proposed this long ago, but everyone had unanimously rejected the idea.
Their purpose in traveling north wasn’t merely to contact their families and obtain more information. The journey itself was also a form of training and experience. There was no reason to make Quan Xiaoyu struggle onward alone while the rest of them sat back and enjoyed the benefits.
It would make them far too dependent on Quan Xiaoyu’s spatial ability, which wasn’t a good thing.
“We’ve already told you. We’re not in a hurry, and we can’t become too dependent on your spatial space.”
Now that they had stopped, Chu Tian looked rather languid. He answered in a seemingly absent-minded tone.
“Hey, Xiao Tian, why are you acting as though you’re pregnant or something? You’re so lazy and listless. Hahahaha…”
As Bai Mingxi spoke, he seemed to have imagined something particularly amusing and burst into laughter all by himself.
Chu Tian had tolerated him for long enough. This time, he didn’t bother holding back. He lunged at Bai Mingxi and immediately shoved his face into the snow.
“Damn it! You can hit me anywhere but the face, Chu Xiaotian! I’m going to fight you!”
Bai Mingxi fought back with all his might.
Meanwhile, Quan Xiaoyu’s suggestion had been rejected, so he quietly went to retrieve the three troublemakers who had already run far ahead.
When he turned back, he found the two childish men wrestling in the snow.
Neither of them used any actual combat techniques. They were simply determined to get at each other’s faces, seizing every opportunity to shove the other one’s head into the snow.
Quan Xiaoyu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the sight.
When the three summoned troublemakers returned and saw how lively things were, they immediately joined in the fun.
In the end, Chu Tian began directing Xie Mingxuan, while Bai Mingxi recruited the two little ones. The group split into two opposing teams and began battling it out.
Quan Xiaoyu and Li Nan sat side by side, staring at each other in bewilderment.
Finally, after thinking for a moment, Quan Xiaoyu took some drinks and beef jerky out of his spatial space. He settled down beside Li Nan, shared the snacks with him, and simply enjoyed watching the spectacle.