Chapter 27 (1/2)

Translator: virtual group  Editor: virtual group

Bai Chen immediately slowed down the heavy motorcycles and looked up ahead.

A reddish-brown wall was 100 meters away. It stretched out to the sides as far as it could, bending at the ends of Bai Chen’s line of sight as if it were going to surround her.

Most of the bricks on this wall were mottled and old, but a small number looked very new, as though they had been cast in the past year.

Rusted barbed wire lined both the walls and their exterior. Only one path provided passage.

On the wooden outposts that were erected between the barbed wire and walls were armed, patrolling guards, wearing dirty and messy clothes.

The one who warned Bai Chen was the guard standing on the highest wooden outpost. He wore a yellowish, stiff shirt inside, and a navy-blue coat outside. It was suspected to be a cotton jacket that appeared puffy and bloated.

This guard had an automatic rifle slung over his body while he held a black, pen-like object. This object emitted a red laser that shone in front of Bai Chen, forming a small dot.

Bai Chen stopped the motorcycle, took off her helmet, and tried to tuck her short hair behind her ears. She was deliberately revealing herself as female. This was not to charm or seduce anyone, but simply to let the other party relax a little and not be too nervous.

She knew very well that, in the Ashlands—where there was little law and order—even if firearms could reduce the harm men and women could dish out to those of the same level, they could not truly bridge the gap between the two parties.

Be it in terms of physique or aggression, men were more dangerous than women. A male stranger induced greater panic than a woman.

In the years Bai Chen roamed the wilderness, she had always been in two different states. When she needed to explore ruins, hunt in the wilderness, pass through relatively dangerous areas, and transact with certain bandits, she would hide her long hair, darken her face, and change her clothes to make herself look like a man.

When she approached a settlement with a certain level of order or interacted with Ruin Hunters from large factions—who cared more about news and information regarding the Old World—she would reveal her female identity.

After she was recruited by Pangu Biology and gained some confidence, she could finally cut an ear-length hairstyle that she preferred.

After placing the helmet in front of her, Bai Chen let the heavy motorcycle slowly continue forward. During this process, the red dot of light kept swaying in front of her, occasionally landing on her motorcycle. This meant that the other party was already aiming at her and wasn’t letting his guard down.

When the distance between the two parties reduced to 30 meters, Bai Chen tilted the motorcycle, propped herself with one foot, and shouted, “I’m here to look for Mayor Tian Erhe!”

She repeated it twice and stopped talking before waiting patiently.

One of the guards on the wooden outpost broke rank and stomped down the slanted wooden plank.

Five to six minutes later, an elder appeared on the wall. He wore a furry, dark-blue hat as if he wore an overturned, alms bowl on his head. He had very obvious white hair at his temples. His eye sockets were sunken, and his face was thin. Wrinkles were in all the normal spots, making him look very old. However, his dark brown eyes remained bright and spirited. He was none other than Tian Erhe, the mayor of this settlement.

He wore a white, yellowing T-shirt, a wrinkled, patched suit, and a large, military-green coat that did not match his figure. He also wore a pair of dark-yellow woolen pants. It was unknown how many other pants were stuffed inside, but it looked baggy.

Tian Erhe looked at Bai Chen and took several seconds to identify her. “Ah…” He seemed to recognize her, but he realized that Bai Chen was too far away when he wanted to greet her. He couldn’t shout as loudly as he used to.

He quickly turned his head and angrily said to the guard beside him, “Give me my loudspeaker! Seriously, there’s a shortage of brains here!”

The guard aggrievedly replied, “Your loudspeaker has long run out of battery. I haven’t been able to exchange for a battery of the same model. I-I can help you shout…”

Tian Erhe thought for a moment and said, “Help me shout: Bai, where have you been this past year? I thought you were gobbled up by beasts!”

“Bai…” The guard came to a realization. “Is she the Bai Chen who used to come here often?”

“Who else could it be? I’m already in my seventies. My eyesight is getting worse and worse, yet I can recognize her. Why are you, a young lad in your twenties, acting like a blind person?” Tian Erhe glanced at the guard and cursed.

Everyone in this settlement was already accustomed to Tian Erhe’s temper. The guard did not mind his tirade and only muttered, “She’s much better looking than before… I wouldn’t have recognized her if I didn’t look carefully…”

Without waiting for Tian Erhe to glare at him, the guard shouted, “Bai, where have you been this past year? I thought you were gobbled up by beasts!”

Bai Chen’s expression softened unconsciously as she replied loudly, “Somewhere else. Mayor, I’m here to exchange for some items!”

This place was called Moat Town. Bai Chen had heard Tian Erhe mention that the name of the town came from before the Old World was destroyed, and it was named this way because of the four water bodies circling it.

After the destruction of the Old World, the prolonged wars, and the multiple geological disasters, the nearby water bodies had already become a part of the Great Swamp. This gave Moat Town a natural defense, providing it with sufficient cover.

Only Moat Town’s residents and the guests they previously invited could find the path that seemed to be covered in mud in the Great Swamp and reach this place despite the maze-like environment. Compared to the settlements that often had to migrate, Moat Town—with a clean water source and plenty of arable land—had been here since the Old World was destroyed.

Tian Erhe wanted to speak loudly, but his throat itched before he could really speak. He couldn’t help but cough twice. “Come in, come in.” He waved his hand in exasperation.