Chapter 171: Reunion and Departure
The evacuation of the Sixth Shelter this time would, of course, not exclude the Kou family.
Along with Jiang Nana’s group, who were rushing toward the Fifth Shelter like arrows, they knew the road ahead would surely be full of danger, so they called upon some trusted friends to travel together. Kou Dingshan invited two families with whom they were closely connected—four people in total—hoping they could look out for one another along the way. After all, who knew whether the outside world was still safe anymore?
Jiang Nana had invited Zhang Li and Zhao Fuqing.
Although Kou Dinghe was extremely irritable at the moment, in truth, he was reluctant to leave the comfort of the shelter.
The residential housing in the Sixth Shelter had been obtained by the Kou family by exhausting nearly all of their fortune.
If they moved to the Fifth Shelter, they would lose this comfortable dwelling.
How could Kou Dinghe tolerate such a thing?
Without hesitation, Kou Dingshan smacked Kou Dinghe on the head.
“Ah! Brother, why did you hit me!” Kou Dinghe shouted furiously.
“You need to grow up. Look at yourself—if you don’t pull yourself together, how will you ever stand on your own in the future!” Scolded by his older brother, Kou Dinghe’s resentment surged like a tide. He snorted coldly, “Hmph! I can survive perfectly fine in the survival dungeons on my own. I don’t need you to worry about me!”
Kou Dingshan was about to persuade him again, but their mother stepped in to stop him.
“That’s enough, Dingshan. Don’t blame your little brother anymore! He’s still a child!”
Hearing his mother speak that way, Kou Dingshan looked helpless.
“He’s almost an adult, yet you still call him a child? Zhao Fuqing is more mature than he is. Mom, you can’t keep spoiling him like this. Once we enter the Fifth Shelter, life will be very different from what we have here. Things will only get harder,” said Kou Dingshan earnestly.
Kou’s mother wanted to say more, but Kou’s father interrupted.
“Xiaoshan is right. Dinghe still hasn’t realized that times have changed. His mindset hasn’t adjusted. We’ve been overprotective.”
Hearing even his father speak like that, Kou Dinghe became even more upset.
He grew increasingly irritable and looked off into the distance, fidgeting uneasily.
At that moment, he saw Zhang Li hurrying toward them.
Seeing the unexpected headcount, he asked curiously, “Why is there one more person?”
Jiang Nana, seeing Zhang Li finally arrive, let out a breath of relief.
But when she saw Su Ning following behind Zhang Li and Zhao Fuqing, she immediately lit up with excitement.
“Su Ning!”
The others were also surprised to see Su Ning here.
Kou Dinghe’s eyes widened as he saw Su Ning.
In fact, he had never told anyone, but he really admired Su Ning—especially back when the shelter tried to deal with her and she resisted until the very end. Kou Dinghe practically regarded Su Ning as his idol.
To put it simply, he was a fanboy.
Su Ning greeted everyone.
“Long time no see!”
After chatting for a bit, everyone learned that Su Ning had been invited by Zhang Li to join them on the journey to the Fifth Shelter.
“That’s great! With Su Ning coming along, we’ll be much safer!” Jiang Nana said happily.
Su Ning’s presence brought joy to some, concern to others.
Among Kou Dingshan’s four friends, a few of them hesitated upon seeing Su Ning. They gathered together, whispering among themselves as they glanced at her.
One of them walked over to Kou Dingshan and quietly said, “Dingshan, Su Ning’s identity might be a bit troublesome. She’s still wanted by the Second Shelter. Won’t bringing her along put our whole group at risk?”
Though he whispered, everyone nearby heard him clearly.
Jiang Nana, with her fiery temper, instantly shot back, “Wang Chang, what’s that supposed to mean? Don’t you know why Su Ning was wanted? At a time like this, you’re still worried about some wanted notice? The person in charge of the Second Shelter, Xi Yongfeng, is already dead. That warrant is meaningless.”
Wang Chang looked momentarily embarrassed.
He scratched his head.
“I was just a little concerned… Nana-jie, don’t be mad.”
He then looked toward Su Ning with an apologetic expression.
Su Ning didn’t take it to heart.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Seeing this, Kou Dingshan decisively spoke up.
“Since everyone’s here, let’s set off immediately. The road to the Fifth Shelter is long—we won’t get there quickly.”
The extreme cold disaster still raged outside. The freezing temperatures made vehicles unusable.
Su Ning noticed that all of Kou Dingshan’s friends had loaded their gear onto a flat sled. On the snow, it moved like a docile ox, easy to pull.
In contrast, the Kou family brought very few supplies. Su Ning noticed a yellow leather pouch hanging from Kou Dingshan’s belt.
She didn’t comment. She then saw that everyone was wearing skis, gliding swiftly across the snow.
Just like that, they set off on the long journey to the Fifth Shelter.
At the same time, many others were also on the move like Kou Dingshan’s group.
Even though people knew the extreme cold would soon pass, the current chill still cut through to the bone like blades.
Although the Fifth Shelter was the closest one to the Sixth, it still took time to reach, and there were countless unknown dangers along the way.
These were the things that worried many.
Fortunately, Kou Dingshan and his companions had made preparations, ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead.
They each possessed their own unique skills and were confident in overcoming any adversity.
Traveling long distances in such frigid weather was nothing short of torture.
Though their pace was slow as snails, by nightfall, Kou Dingshan activated his farsight ability and found a suitable place to rest.
This discovery was like a beacon of light, bringing a sliver of hope and warmth to the exhausted group.
“Alright, let’s rest here for the night. Everyone’s tired. Prepare yourselves—we continue tomorrow.”
Zhang Li and Jiang Nana walked over, with Jiang Nana holding her Fire Kitten in her arms. With the creature’s presence, the surrounding temperature no longer felt quite so unbearable.
The Fire Kitten had now grown out of its juvenile phase and could freely control its surrounding temperature. As long as it had enough food and energy, the area within ten meters stayed relatively warm.
“Su Ning, let’s rest together tonight—the three of us!” Jiang Nana suggested. She actually had a lot to talk to Su Ning about.
Su Ning didn’t refuse.
The group began preparing dinner. Even though Su Ning had previously revealed she had spatial storage, no one had asked her for help. For the meal, she only took out a few emergency rations, like handmade biscuits. She was careful not to bring out anything too lavish, fearing it would attract resentment.
Since their departure, Su Ning had sensed something strange in the surroundings.
She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what felt wrong, but the unease lingered, keeping her alert.
By nightfall, the strange sensation peaked.
Su Ning had never truly experienced survival in the wild. If she had, it was always inside a safe space. This was her first time enduring the real wilderness, and naturally, she felt a bit nervous.
