118 Epidemic (1/2)

The next morning, a lot of people were feeling weak all over, and their bodies were aching as they got up from the ground. It was just as Ren Xiaosu had predicted.

The effects of being on a long and arduous journey and being affected by the cold weather had emerged. The healthier and stronger people could endure it, but a minority could not stand up to it at all.

Ren Xiaosu realized the stronghold's residents did not have developed muscles. At least, they were not like the refugees in town where even a woman like Xiaoyu was slightly stronger than them.

At this moment, the difference in the circumstances of those who had a campfire to warm themselves last night and those who didn't could clearly be seen. Even the students led by Jiang Wu appeared to be doing fine.

”Let's hurry up and leave.” Ren Xiaosu got up and looked at the people around them. ”This area has become ground zero for an epidemic. If we don't leave quickly, we might get infected as well.”

No one could save those people anymore.

”Master, there's greater merit in saving a life than building a seven-story pagoda!” Chen Wudi said, ”We can't just leave these people behind!”

”The Western Paradise is just up ahead.” Ren Xiaosu said as he walked, ”I'm going there to obtain the scriptures. You can stay behind if you wish.”

Chen Wudi was stunned. After considering it for a long while, he finally caught up. It seemed that escorting his master to the Western Paradise to obtain the Buddhist scriptures was top priority for him.

Seeing Chen Wudi catch up, Ren Xiaosu heaved a sigh of relief. He was worried Chen Wudi would foolishly try to save those several hundred people who had fallen sick.

How could they save them?

Wang Fugui still had some antibiotics on him, but how much could the medicine that one person carried do in this situation? Besides, that was all of Wang Fugui's life savings, so why would he selflessly give it up to those people?

When they were about to leave the place, Jiang Wu gathered her students to follow close behind. In any case, Jiang Wu would have her students do whatever Ren Xiaosu was doing.

As everyone looked at the sick people around them, it was inevitable they would feel a little gloomy. But what could they do?

Some of the kinder students said to Jiang Wu, ”Teacher, why don't we stay behind and help them?”

Jiang Wu clenched her teeth in a dilemma. She decided, ”No, we need to learn to save ourselves first. Perhaps I'm teaching you the wrong things right now, but you guys must leave with me straight away.”

This world had forced such a gentle and kind teacher into a corner, but she did not regret it.

”Stay close and don't fall behind, everyone. Do you still remember the wild vegetables we ate yesterday? Pick them if you spot any by the road,” Jiang Wu said.

”But those wild vegetables taste horrible,” a student muttered with his head lowered.

”Even if it tastes horrible, you still have to eat it,” Jiang Wu said firmly.

With Ren Xiaosu getting up to leave, the escapees who could still move tagged along. They felt aimless and only knew how to follow whoever took the lead.

In the end, only the sick people were left lying on the ground.

Ren Xiaosu was puzzled. He knew the wolves had been following them all this while, but they had not come out to attack the group. Why was that? It was clear these people were no threat to them, so could it be the wolves were deterred by the number of people in the group?

What about the Experimentals? Ren Xiaosu was hoping that they had gone northwards from the Jing Mountains with the Qing Consortium's people. That way, he would not have to worry too much about their threat.