Chapter Twenty-Two: White Blossoms Once More

“Shen, where are we going?”
Although Zhang Jing was several years older than Shen Lie, it didn’t stop her from addressing him so respectfully. She now felt incredibly fortunate for her wise decision earlier; Shen Lie’s current attitude suggested he had temporarily accepted her. With an Awakened as her protector, her chances of surviving long might not have increased dramatically, but at least life would be more bearable than before.

“We’re going to pick something up. By the way, do you know where we might find a functioning car?” Shen Lie did indeed have a slightly better impression of Zhang Jing after her recent actions—regardless of whether she was being opportunistic, she had at least stood by him. He didn’t mind giving her a hand within his means.

“Cars are everywhere, but almost all of them have had their fuel drained—none can be started. The gas station is under King Xiao’s control, and to get fuel you have to trade supplies. But I still have a gas cylinder hidden at home. If we can find a car that runs on gas, it should still work.”

“A gas cylinder? You’re quite resourceful.” Shen Lie couldn’t help but view her with greater respect. To have thought of stashing supplies at the onset of the apocalypse spoke of both intelligence and courage.

Zhang Jing had hidden the cylinder behind her hair salon. Storefronts were high-risk areas now; no one lived there anymore, as they were the first to be affected in case of a fight.

Once retrieved, Shen Lie strapped the cylinder to the back of a random bicycle. He had hoped for an electric scooter, but every one he found was out of power and unusable. According to Zhang Jing, the major overlords all had generators, but used them sparingly—fuel was scarce, and they mainly used it to charge electronic devices, probably hoping someday to contact the outside world.

Shen Lie wasn’t concerned about that. Reaching the outside seemed nearly impossible; the signals were heavily disrupted, and people beyond were likely struggling for their own survival, with no energy to spare for this side.

Luck was on Shen Lie’s side. After checking only a few cars parked by the street, he found one that ran on gas. It was in terrible shape, but at least it could move—and, as if the owner had been forced to flee in a hurry, the key was still in the ignition.

The original cylinder in the trunk was gone, so Shen Lie installed the new one. After a few tries, the engine coughed to life. He called Tao Tao and Zhang Jing to get in.

“Damn, I don’t know how to drive!” Shen Lie realized only after sitting in the driver’s seat. He slapped the steering wheel in frustration and glanced at Zhang Jing in the back seat.

“I can drive a bit, but I’m not very skilled,” Zhang Jing admitted hesitantly, lacking confidence.

“It’s fine. The streets are empty now. Even if you crash, there are no police around. It’s the perfect time for you to teach me.” Shen Lie got out and switched seats with her. Under Zhang Jing’s tentative handling, the car finally began to move forward.

“Does your arm still hurt?” Shen Lie sat beside Tao Tao, gently lifting the child’s broken arm to examine it with concern.

Tao Tao shook her head, saying nothing as usual. Shen Lie didn’t press further—this wasn’t the time. They could talk more once they returned.

They encountered hardly anyone on the way. Shen Lie directed Zhang Jing to a riverbank where he had hidden supplies. When the car stopped, he slipped into the woods and, to Zhang Jing and Tao Tao’s astonishment, began hauling out bag after bag.

“Shen, what are these?” Zhang Jing asked, her eyes bright with hope.

“Living supplies. I threw them over from the other side,” Shen Lie replied casually, loading the bags into the trunk, and then onto the back seat when the trunk was full, until the car was packed to bursting.

“Here, have some chocolate for energy. You both look so thin.” Shen Lie handed them some snacks from one of the bags, then walked toward the river.

Zhang Jing and Tao Tao’s eyes sparkled as they received the chocolate. In the past, they could eat as much of it as they liked, but after three months of disaster, chocolate had all but vanished. It wasn’t just rare to eat—it was rare even to see.

Shen Lie ignored their excitement, moving cautiously toward the riverbank and taking out his binoculars to survey the opposite shore. Whether to survive here or to collect more Phantom Mushrooms, he needed a large amount of supplies. But all supplies on this side had long since been divided up; to get more would inevitably mean a fierce struggle. Not wanting to resort to force, he set his sights on the far bank.

He’d come from the other side and knew that, while much had been taken, plenty of supplies remained. If he could find a way to cross the Red River, his problems would be solved. The main reason he dared target what others wouldn’t was because of his Black Spear.

That morning, Shen Lie had discovered that his Black Spear seemed able to restrain the river’s water, though he wasn’t certain. Now, he wanted to test his theory.

The spider monsters on the far bank had long since disappeared. Shen Lie put away the binoculars and approached the river, stopping about five meters from the water’s edge—close enough to stay safe, since any closer would provoke an attack from the river. He gripped the Black Spear and stared intently at the water, hesitating before finally stepping forward.

With a bang, the river lashed out as if its territory had been violated, shooting a jet of water straight at Shen Lie’s face. The jet was lightning-fast; if not for Shen Lie’s enhanced constitution, he’d have been doomed. This time, though, there was no accompanying mist—only the water jet, giving him a chance to respond.

He swung the Black Spear horizontally, intercepting the jet. The water let out a plaintive, almost human whimper, then retreated faster than it had arrived, splashing back into the river.

Shen Lie sensed the water had calmed slightly. After a moment’s observation, he took a deep breath and stepped forward again.

Waves rippled across the surface, circles spreading outward, but no jet or mist emerged.

He advanced three more steps, Black Spear extended toward the water, until he stood right on the bank—one more step would take him into the river itself.

This time, not even a ripple disturbed the surface. Apart from its red hue, the river looked perfectly normal. Even as Shen Lie moved back and forth along the bank, the water showed no sign of responding.

A delighted laugh escaped Shen Lie, startling Zhang Jing and little Tao Tao, who hurried over. Hearing their approach, Shen Lie quickly stowed the Black Spear and left the riverbank, meeting them at the edge of the woods and signaling that all was well. He was about to suggest they head back when Tao Tao suddenly pointed to the river.

“Uncle, what’s that?” she asked in surprise.

Shen Lie glanced back and his eyes lit up. A pure white flower was bobbing on the river’s current, drifting toward them like a piece of polished jade.

A delicate fragrance wafted from the flower, and Shen Lie once again felt the black mark on his brow pulse. Without hesitation, he gripped the Black Spear and ran to the river, calling out to Zhang Jing, “Quick, hand me one of those long branches! But don’t get too close to the water!”

Zhang Jing was still amazed that Shen Lie could approach the river unscathed, but at his urgent shout, she rushed to the edge of the woods, snapped off a long branch, and handed it to him.

By now, the white flower was close. Shen Lie switched the Black Spear to his left hand, and with the branch in his right, gently nudged the flower toward the shore.

Just as a smile of joy appeared on his face, he caught a flash of white on the far bank—a streak of light racing toward him. Realizing what it was, his expression changed. He tossed the branch aside, and without waiting for the flower to reach the shore, shouted for the others to run, bent low, grabbed the white flower, and fled into the woods.

He had barely vanished among the trees when a piercing screech rang out: the white spider—the one that spat silk—had arrived at the riverbank.

Seeing the flower taken, the spider’s eyes blazed red with rage. It let out a furious howl and spat a gleaming web toward a tree on Shen Lie’s side, apparently intent on crossing and reclaiming its prize.

But before the silk could cross the river, the water erupted in a frenzy—like pent-up fury unleashed. Countless streams of water crisscrossed through the air, swirling wildly. Not only was the silk shredded to nothing, but water jets shot in all directions, forcing the white spider to flee in terror.