Chapter 523: Chapter 518: Memories of the Past (Part 2)
The old professor hurriedly ran back.
The children immediately began packing, well-trained.
This was the experience honed from their repeated escapes.
Without needing the old professor to say much, they packed food, water, and some light necessities, then hid deep in the forest.
This was the escape route they had practiced many times, just to guard against the arrival of this day.
Ji Ning saw that the old professor didn’t forget to pack his treasured books even while escaping, and immediately went up to help.
The old professor was anxious inside and urged Ji Ning to run quickly.
"You go first, I’ll catch up with you all in a moment."
But Ji Ning was stubborn and refused to leave early, insisting on leaving with him.
The old professor treasured these books too much, and she feared he might do something foolish for them.
Moreover, she noticed something strange happening to her brain, as if she could perceive disturbances far away.
The group mentioned by the old professor was already very close to them.
Ji Ning quickened her actions, packed the books she had collected into her bag, slung it over her back, and urged the old professor to hurry and leave.
The two barely managed to pack the books and ran deep into the forest, as the old professor couldn’t bear leaving the food that Ji Ning had discarded and insisted on packing it all.
Still, it was Ji Ning who forcefully pulled him away so they could leave the temporary residence before that group arrived.
Both knew that with their pace, the group would eventually catch up.
During the escape, the old professor suddenly stopped and looked at Ji Ning: "Let’s split up. You go lead them away, I’ll go in the other direction."
"No way, we go together." Ji Ning didn’t want to separate; there had to be a way. Her mind sensed a place that might save them.
That place seemed different from others, with a discomforting aura, perhaps a pollution source. If they lead those people there, they’d be saved.
Ji Ning shared this idea with the old professor, but he resolutely refused to let her take risks, insisting she run quickly.
He prepared to stay behind and set traps to stop them from tracking further.
"They’re superpower users; your traps can’t stop them."
The old professor knew full well that he couldn’t stop people who seemed to wield mana, but if he could delay them even briefly, the children would be one bit safer.
"Anning, you’re smart, you can definitely escape on your own. We’ve always been dragging you down. Maybe this is the time for us to split..."
"No way, we go together, or die together."
Ji Ning’s eyes were bloodshot, firmly pulling the old professor’s arm, wanting to take him along.
But she was too weak, and the old professor had resolved to face death.
Amidst their struggle, that team of superpower users arrived.
The old professor shielded Ji Ning behind him, clutching a food pack, "We only have this food. Take it if you want, but don’t harm us."
The leading superpower user eyed them darkly, glanced at the food pack, and coldly asked, "Where are the others?"
"It’s just the two of us, grandfather and granddaughter."
"Two people? Need four campfires, generate trash for ten-plus people? Old man, are you taking us for fools?"
The leading superpower user gestured behind him, and immediately two people came forward to seize the old professor and Ji Ning.
The old professor quickly dropped the food bag, turned around, and tightly hugged Ji Ning, pleading, "Everyone else left; it’s just us two left here because we couldn’t move anymore. Have mercy, please spare us. We’ll give you all the food."
"Ha... This little stuff isn’t enough for ransom. But that little girl could fetch some money, just sell her for supplies." The leading superpower user casually glanced at the food, laughed heartily, their words causing both their faces to change.
The old professor held tighter, "No, please, don’t sell my granddaughter. I’m a doctor; I can treat your illnesses..."
"Oh, a doctor, indeed useful, so you won’t be sold."
The leading superpower user signaled again to his brothers, and they immediately advanced, forcefully separating the two, breaking two of the old professor’s fingers in the process.
The crisp bone-cracking sound jolted Ji Ning’s nerves. She tightly gripped the dagger in her hand and suddenly struck, fiercely stabbing the man who grabbed her.
This group wasn’t all superpower users; those seizing Ji Ning and the old professor were not.
The old professor saw Ji Ning’s dagger pierce the man’s heart and, enduring pain, sent the man next to him to his end too.
The sudden situation caught the others off guard.
The leading superpower user seemed surprised that the lambs to be slaughtered suddenly rebelled, even killing two of his men.
Furious, the dagger in his hand swiftly flew toward the old professor.
Despite being an ordinary person, the old professor was a veteran with considerable skills, dodging the lethal strike, using all his strength to push Ji Ning out, shouting, "Run! Don’t mind me—"
He pulled the dagger from his shoulder and yelled to Ji Ning, "Anning, listen to me, escape with all your might, get revenge for me later!"
Quickly turning, he charged at the people coming after him.
"Ah—I’ll fight you all—"
With the old professor’s adept moves, another person fell dead by his hand.
But with too many enemies, he was quickly surrounded.
In front of Ji Ning, he was knocked to the ground. She understood the old professor’s silent lip movements, wiped away tears, and turned to run.
She vowed this would be the last time she fled in her life!
In the overwhelming forest, Ji Ning was like an agile rabbit, weaving through the woods, running circles around those pursuing her.
She swore to avenge the old professor, and make all those people perish!
But the closer she got to that place, the more intense her headache became, as though an energy was hindering her approach.
To keep herself going, Ji Ning took out the earring given to her by the old professor, tightly clutching it in her hand.
This was the sole item related to the old professor she carried, as though it granted her infinite strength and courage.
The sharp spike piercing her palm was infinitely less painful than the headache.
She couldn’t sense any external commotion, driven by instinct to continue walking forward arduous.
Her legs felt as if filled with lead, unbearably heavy.
The pursuers behind her saw her suddenly stop running, even getting slower, assuming she finally couldn’t run anymore.
Just as they were about to capture her, they found her body temperature was scorching, like a red-hot iron, completely untouchable.
Several exchanged glances, and hurled ropes with iron hooks at her.
Sharp hooks pierced her clothes and deeply embedded into her shoulder, blood flowed instantly.
But she seemed oblivious to the pain, continually moving forward, as if something ahead was attracting her.
At this moment, her strength was astonishing, an adult couldn’t even hold her back.
One pursuer rushed ahead, blocked Ji Ning, only to see her face covered in tear streaks, bearing a death-defying expression, her pupils eerily unfocused, as if possessed.
Such bizarre behavior elicited fear from the pursuer blocking her, tremblingly calling out, "Brother, does it look like she’s run into a ghost?"
