199 Chapter 199 Looking for Crystal Stones
"Really?" Professor Zhao's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope.
Wang Dong nodded but couldn't help adding, "However, they might not be willing to give you access. That's uncertain..."
Professor Feng patted his old friend's shoulder and said, "We've arrived at Sui City. We'll know what it's like once we get inside."
Professor Zhao sighed again and fell silent.
When the sun was setting in the west, they finally reached Sui City.
Regardless of anything else, when they saw this city again, everyone knew that it was indeed a safe haven. The city was surrounded by a solid wall over five meters high, with thick electric wires on top. There was a single city gate in the middle, with guards checking people at the entrance. Outside the walls, emaciated figures roamed, clearly suffering from malnutrition. They were a stark contrast to the well-fed and spirited individuals at the city gate.
"You wait here; I'll go and ask," Ji Zan said and went straight to the gate.
Fu Shinan and the others watched him from a distance.
"I want to enter the city," Ji Zan stated directly.
The city guard replied impatiently, "Food, women, crystals. One of those, or else scram!"
Ji Zan inquired further, "How much food does one person need?"
The city guard's patience wore thin, "Fifty kilograms."
Ji Zan continued, "And what about crystals? How much do you need?"
The city guard was thoroughly annoyed, "Why do you have so many questions? Crystals, at least a hundred grams. If you don't have any, get lost!"
Ji Zan clenched his fists, turned, and walked away.
Fu Shinan immediately asked, "How did it go?"
"One person needs fifty kilograms of food or a hundred grams of crystals," Ji Zan replied. He didn't mention the need for women; they would have to rely on crystals now. He looked at Wang Dong and said, "Where is Mount Shennong? Take me there."
"You want to go to Mount Shennong? That place is really mysterious..." Wang Dong was shocked.
Ji Zan remained calm and said, "Yes."
Wang Dong reevaluated Ji Zan, possibly impressed by his aura. He thought that by following Ji Zan, he might be able to gain a few crystals. Even the lower-quality ones would do. With this in mind, he gritted his teeth and said, "I'll take you."
Li Hu, quick-witted, knew that his brother wouldn't make a bad deal. He must have had some idea, and there might be something to gain from this trip. So he chimed in, "I'll go too."
The others saw that the two brothers had agreed, and they also wanted to try their luck. After all, they couldn't get into the city, and they didn't know how to spend the night. It was better to follow along.
Ji Zan didn't mind, but he realized that it wasn't suitable for the elderly and children to come along or stay behind. He turned to Wang Dong and asked, "Are there any other hiding places nearby, apart from Sui City? Somewhere we can take cover for a while."
Wang Dong pondered for a moment, uncertain, and replied, "There's a cave at the foot of Mount Shennong that's quite secluded. It should provide temporary shelter." He couldn't be sure because Mount Shennong had its share of dangerous creatures, and he wasn't sure what they might encounter.
Fu Shinan remembered something and asked, "How far is Mount Shennong from here?" She was worried that it might be the same mountain they had passed by earlier, and if that were the case, she would be utterly frustrated.
"It's a little over two miles from here, not too far," Wang Dong replied.
Hearing this, Fu Shinan breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, Professor Zhao, Professor Feng, please hold on a little longer. We'll rest in the cave, and if there's a zombie attack on the city tonight, we won't stand a chance in the open field!" She thought that strengthening themselves a bit in the cave might help.
The two professors had no objections and nodded.
Ji Zan took the opportunity to grasp Professor Zhao's trembling wrist, supporting him and checking his condition. As soon as he made contact, he tried to use his healing ability and found that there was a dark energy in Professor Zhao's body that his healing ability couldn't remove. It seemed his healing power could only treat external injuries.
Liang Xuanzhe looked at Ji Zan with hope in his eyes, but Ji Zan shook his head ever so slightly, indicating that there was no hope.
Professor Zhao, unaware of what had happened, smiled and said, "I'm fine, I can still hold on!"
Liang Xuanzhe forced a smile and said, "Yes, you must hold on. We're about to see hope!"
Xiao Chang'an and Nana also chimed in, raising their little faces, "Uncle, don't worry, we can still walk! We won't fall behind!"
As the day was turning into night, everyone picked up the pace and followed Wang Dong and the others to reach Mount Shennong. Mount Shennong was vast, with
rolling hills and occasional chirping of insects and birds, making it quite eerie.
Wang Dong shivered involuntarily and instinctively moved backward, but he was pulled back by Sun Han. "Take us to the cave first!"
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