58 Cambrian Consciousness
"These individuals are all the evolvers in the industrial park. Both of them are power-type evolvers, while she is an olfactory evolver," Tang Yanqiu introduced the three young people one by one.
The girl with the olfactory mutation was the one who threw herself into Tang Yanqiu's arms and cried that day. She appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, with a delicate face and a slender figure. It was evident that she had suffered from malnutrition for a long time, but her eyes were bright and she seemed a bit nervous upon seeing them.
Cong Xia smiled gently and asked, "What's your name?"
"Xiao Yan."
Zhang Gong said, "Don't let Xiao Yan's young age fool you. She's a great contributor here. We rely on her to find prey. Whenever there are strangers approaching, she can detect it. So, she always gives us warnings. Once she smells a scent, she never forgets it. That's why I can guarantee that we will never get lost. Even if we can't find the direction, as long as Xiao Yan smells the scent, she can definitely lead us to that group of people."
Cong Xia praised, "This ability is truly remarkable." Although Abu also had a keen sense of smell, it couldn't speak. If there was someone in the team with such a sensitive nose, it would greatly enhance their team's strength in terms of security and tracking. Unfortunately, this girl still had several family members, and she was the treasure of the industrial park. She wouldn't leave with them.
Cong Xia looked at the two power-type mutants again and noticed that they looked similar. He asked, "Are you two brothers?"
The younger one smiled brightly, "We're cousins. Just call us Big Chen and Little Chen."
"How strong are you?"
The two exchanged glances, and Little Chen pointed to a tree that was just felled, which was over twenty meters long. "I can carry it without any problem."
Cong Xia was pleased and said, "Then each of you can haul a lot of fuel."
"Yes, we've specially made two large trailers for them. Although we have a good number of people, if the fuel tanker really can't move, we can only take away two or three tons of fuel, which is quite distressing. If we can take a bit more, it's better."
Zhuang Yao said, "You two go and get busy. Xiao Yan will come with us."
The group arrived at an exit of the industrial park, which was a must-pass road to Chongqing. Zhuang Yao asked, "What's the effective range of your sense of smell?"
Xiao Yan whispered, "About two or three kilometers."
"Do you remember the scents of the people who attacked the industrial park last time?"
"I remember."
"Do their scents still linger here?"
"Yes, some of them died here, so the scent is strong. But the scent of those who escaped is faint."
"But if they reappear, you can recognize them."
"Yes."
"Good. What about the group that blocked the road, do you recognize their scent?"
"I went with Zhang Gong to make a trade once and saw several of them. I remember."
"If their scent appears, immediately notify us. Can you do that?"
Xiao Yan nodded, looking somewhat puzzled as she watched this young boy who was shorter than her, but was confidently commanding everyone without hesitation.
Cong Xia said, "Do you think the people who attacked the industrial park last time and the group that blocked the road are the same?"
"Even if they are not the same group, they must have received orders."
Tang Yanqiu said, "The attackers at the industrial park were all new faces, but they were familiar with the park. They deliberately sent a group of people to distract me, which shows that they must have some information."
Cheng Tianbi said, "They are connected."
Cong Xia frowned, "That's right. In order to avoid breaking the rules and not wanting to openly rob, they sent others to do it. It's possible that they recruited new people in the vicinity."
Liu Fengyu sneered, "Perfect, we'll deal with them all at once."
Cheng Tianbi asked Tang Yanqiu, "How much do you know about their people?"
Tang Yanqiu's expression became serious. "I know that their total number is approximately twenty, with at least three power-type evolved individuals, one with enhanced vision, one with a variant of a mountain wolf, and one with a mammalian atavistic individual. These two are quite formidable. They also have two Tibetan Mastiff mutated pets. These are the ones we have seen, but as for those we haven't seen, it's hard to say."
Cong Xia pondered, "They sound pretty formidable."
"Yes, and they are constantly recruiting new members."
Zhuang Yao suddenly looked at Cong Xia. "This is our first time engaging in a battle with other humans. Are you up for it?"
Cong Xia hesitated for a moment. "Why are you asking this?"
"Many people will die, especially energy-based individuals."
Cong Xia immediately understood Zhuang Yao's implication. Zhuang Yao was hinting at absorbing the energy of those people. Cong Xia's face changed, and he lowered his head without saying a word.
Although he didn't sympathize with evildoers, absorbing the energy of his own kind was always a moral dilemma for him. He had unknowingly absorbed the golden energy of the long-haired man in Kunming before. Since then, even though he had encountered many deceased mutant (evolvers) humans, he never considered absorbing their energy. It was similar to how Liu Fengyu refused to digest the blood of humans inside mosquitoes. Absorbing the energy of his own kind felt almost like sucking human blood, which made him feel anxious.
However, he also understood that it was something he would have to face sooner or later because there would definitely come a day when he needed more neutral energy to support his teammates on the battlefield. If it really came down to a critical moment, he might not have the luxury of choosing whom to absorb energy from.
This contradiction left him unsure of how to answer.
Cheng Tianbi coldly glanced at Zhuang Yao and said to Cong Xia, "No need to force it."
Liu Fengyu also added, "Don’t force yourself. We can handle it."
Tang Yanqiu listened, feeling puzzled, but didn't ask anything.
Zhuang Yao shrugged. "Completely disregarding personal gain and being constrained by unnecessary beliefs. With your wisdom, it's quite normal."
Liu Fengyu snorted, "If you're not satisfied, go find some more obedient people and see if anyone is willing to pay attention to you, brat."
Zhuang Yao gave him a disdainful look and walked away, visibly unhappy.
Cong Xia turned to Tang Yanqiu and asked, "I wonder how Zhang Gong and the others are doing with their preparations?"
"They're almost done. We can depart on time."
With expectations for Chongqing, everyone exerted their efforts to work hard.
On the eve of dawn, the team of just over a hundred people set off mightily.
The oil tanker carrying Zhang Gong, Tang Yanqiu, and Xiao Yan traveled at the forefront of the convoy, while Zhuang Yao rode on Abu at the back of the group. Road Bully carried the remaining three people in the middle of the convoy.
They had a total of seven oil tankers, but five of them were filled with water, while only two had actual oil, which they marked.
The first ten kilometers of the journey went relatively smoothly. The road was passable, and they didn't encounter any enemies.
Liu Fengyu was sound asleep in the car. After a long silence, Cong Xia suddenly spoke up, "Tianbi, absorbing energy from the dead is indeed difficult for me, but if you guys really encounter danger, I can do anything."
Cheng Tianbi calmly replied, "I know."
Cong Xia forced a bitter smile. "Tianbi, do you not trust me? I've made significant progress during this period. We've experienced all kinds of dangers along the way, and with you guys by my side, I'm not afraid. Now I can also assist you in combat, so... you can trust me and consider me your comrade. I'll do everything I can to support you."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and softly said, "I know, you are our comrade."
“I've been watching you all this time, so I know about your progress, your changes,” Cheng Tianbi continued in his heart.
Cong Xia felt warm inside and couldn't help but smile foolishly. Being acknowledged by Cheng Tianbi meant more to him than anything else. After the teasing remarks from Liu Fengyu that day, he had been conflicted for a long time. He had never been in a romantic relationship before and didn't know what it meant to like someone. But if his admiration and trust in Cheng Tianbi was considered "liking" someone, he accepted it.
In fact, whether the person he liked was male or female no longer mattered to him. In this world where people struggled to find enough food and could die at any moment, being able to nurture a glimmer of positive feelings in his heart amidst the exhaustion of constant survival was the most luxurious indulgence. What was even more extravagant and fortunate was that amidst the apocalypse, where so many loving couples in the world would never have the chance to reunite, the person who made him feel good was right beside him, fighting side by side, sharing life and death.
This kind of liking felt like a blessing. Cong Xia felt a sense of tranquility and happiness at this moment.
He looked at Cheng Tianbi with a smile.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and asked, "What?"
"Nothing."
At noon, they began their first break.
Everyone was drinking water and eating to replenish their strength.
At that moment, an arrow suddenly shot out from the front, passing by Abu, and hitting a tree at the back of the convoy.
It was their agreed-upon signal. As soon as Xiaoyan detected the scent of the enemy, Tang Yanqiu would immediately notify them.
Everyone became tense.
They were intruding into the territory of that group of people, and they were carrying so much gasoline. It was undoubtedly going to be a fierce battle. Abu called out anxiously, scratching the ground with its paws. Being the biggest target, it was at a disadvantage in this situation where the enemy had the advantage of darkness.
Zhuang Yao focused on sensing Abu's brainwaves and calmly soothing it.
Their communication with Abu used to be less smooth than it was now, but since Zhuang Yao's brain domain evolved, almost all the information he transmitted could be smoothly received by Abu.
Although there were language barriers, there were no barriers in consciousness. Recently, based on the methods provided by Cong Xia, he had been practicing diligently. The water energy in his body had become more abundant than before, which also improved his control and perception of the brain domain. Perhaps if this development continued, he could fully manipulate the brains of organisms. If that day truly came, the true terror of those with an evolved brain domain would be revealed.
Abu felt the calming force deep in its consciousness, and indeed, it became much quieter.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and Abu leaped up from its spot, but the bullet still hit its hind leg. Abu let out a cry of pain. Due to its large size and thick fur, a small bullet didn't cause significant damage, but the pain was real.
"Abu!" Zhuang Yao shouted, controlling Abu to run forward. Moving at high speed, none of the bullets behind them managed to hit it.
Abu ran to the road bully; the three people had already climbed onto the roof of the car. Abu's tail curled around them, carrying them all on its back as it ran towards the direction where the gunshots were coming from within the deep jungle.
From behind, they heard Tang Yanqiu yelling, "Everyone, gather together and don't run around!"
Up ahead, a person with a sniper rifle was frantically trying to escape. However, before he could take a few steps, Abu had already pounced and was less than thirty meters away. An invisible and colorless wind cone pierced through his neck in an instant.
Any long-range sniper posed endless troubles.
"There are two more people over there!" Zhuang Yao shouted.
Cheng Tianbi raised the sniper rifle and took a shot at one person who was beyond his control range. The shot hit the person's thigh, while the other person panicked and fled.
Abu leaped over and pinned down the injured person with its claw.
"Ah—spare me! Spare me!"
Abu's massive paw was bigger than the man's upper body. With just a little force, it could crush him alive.
Zhuang Yao exclaimed, "How many of you are there?"
"Only four or five, please don't kill me, please don't kill me!"
"Are there any mutants among you?"
"There's only one mutant, I-I'm just a normal person. Please, I beg you, spare me."
"Where is your base? How many people are there?"
The man was terrified by Abu and quickly answered, unusually cooperative. "It's in the southeast direction, only three kilometers from here. There are about twenty people there, and more than half of them are mutants."
Zhuang Yao looked in the southeast direction. "Abu, this one isn't food. Let him go."
Zhuang Yao never let Abu eat humans. Abu curiously flipped the man with its paw a few times before turning around and leaving.
Returning to the group, they found everything was calm without any further attacks.
They found Tang Yanqiu and he said, "It seems like only a few people came to scout us. The scent has disappeared again."
It was a frightening experience that made everyone nervous. The enemy didn't suffer any losses, but they were exposed, which was frustrating.
However, they didn't return empty-handed. If the man didn't lie, they could strike directly at the bandits and wipe them out.
Tang Yanqiu said, "It seems like they found out about Xiao Yan's ability and disguised their scents. Xiao Yan only discovered them when they were less than two kilometers away. It's a bit troublesome."
Cheng Tianbi tightened his grip on the gun and coldly said, "Two kilometers is enough."
The group slid off Abu's back, and Zhuang Yao urged Cong Xia, "Quickly heal Abu's injury."
Abu's fur was too dense, and Cong Xia couldn't find the bullet for a while. There were no bloodstains either.
Abu lowered its head and lightly touched its leg with its nose. Cong Xia flipped open the fur in that area and finally found the bullet. It was lodged halfway into Abu's flesh, but the injury wasn't severe. Cong Xia placed his hand on Abu's gunshot wound and repaired it with little energy expenditure.
Tang Yanqiu had excellent eyesight and witnessed everything. He looked at Cong Xia in surprise but resisted asking anything.
Cong Xia smiled at him and said, "You'll find out in the future."
Abu lowered its head and licked Cong Xia's hand.
Zhang Gong shouted, "Everyone, don't rest! Let's continue on our way!"
*****
58 Cambrian Consciousness
"These individuals are all the evolvers in the industrial park. Both of them are power-type evolvers, while she is an olfactory evolver," Tang Yanqiu introduced the three young people one by one.
The girl with the olfactory mutation was the one who threw herself into Tang Yanqiu's arms and cried that day. She appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, with a delicate face and a slender figure. It was evident that she had suffered from malnutrition for a long time, but her eyes were bright and she seemed a bit nervous upon seeing them.
Cong Xia smiled gently and asked, "What's your name?"
"Xiao Yan."
Zhang Gong said, "Don't let Xiao Yan's young age fool you. She's a great contributor here. We rely on her to find prey. Whenever there are strangers approaching, she can detect it. So, she always gives us warnings. Once she smells a scent, she never forgets it. That's why I can guarantee that we will never get lost. Even if we can't find the direction, as long as Xiao Yan smells the scent, she can definitely lead us to that group of people."
Cong Xia praised, "This ability is truly remarkable." Although Abu also had a keen sense of smell, it couldn't speak. If there was someone in the team with such a sensitive nose, it would greatly enhance their team's strength in terms of security and tracking. Unfortunately, this girl still had several family members, and she was the treasure of the industrial park. She wouldn't leave with them.
Cong Xia looked at the two power-type mutants again and noticed that they looked similar. He asked, "Are you two brothers?"
The younger one smiled brightly, "We're cousins. Just call us Big Chen and Little Chen."
"How strong are you?"
The two exchanged glances, and Little Chen pointed to a tree that was just felled, which was over twenty meters long. "I can carry it without any problem."
Cong Xia was pleased and said, "Then each of you can haul a lot of fuel."
"Yes, we've specially made two large trailers for them. Although we have a good number of people, if the fuel tanker really can't move, we can only take away two or three tons of fuel, which is quite distressing. If we can take a bit more, it's better."
Zhuang Yao said, "You two go and get busy. Xiao Yan will come with us."
The group arrived at an exit of the industrial park, which was a must-pass road to Chongqing. Zhuang Yao asked, "What's the effective range of your sense of smell?"
Xiao Yan whispered, "About two or three kilometers."
"Do you remember the scents of the people who attacked the industrial park last time?"
"I remember."
"Do their scents still linger here?"
"Yes, some of them died here, so the scent is strong. But the scent of those who escaped is faint."
"But if they reappear, you can recognize them."
"Yes."
"Good. What about the group that blocked the road, do you recognize their scent?"
"I went with Zhang Gong to make a trade once and saw several of them. I remember."
"If their scent appears, immediately notify us. Can you do that?"
Xiao Yan nodded, looking somewhat puzzled as she watched this young boy who was shorter than her, but was confidently commanding everyone without hesitation.
Cong Xia said, "Do you think the people who attacked the industrial park last time and the group that blocked the road are the same?"
"Even if they are not the same group, they must have received orders."
Tang Yanqiu said, "The attackers at the industrial park were all new faces, but they were familiar with the park. They deliberately sent a group of people to distract me, which shows that they must have some information."
Cheng Tianbi said, "They are connected."
Cong Xia frowned, "That's right. In order to avoid breaking the rules and not wanting to openly rob, they sent others to do it. It's possible that they recruited new people in the vicinity."
Liu Fengyu sneered, "Perfect, we'll deal with them all at once."
Cheng Tianbi asked Tang Yanqiu, "How much do you know about their people?"
Tang Yanqiu's expression became serious. "I know that their total number is approximately twenty, with at least three power-type evolved individuals, one with enhanced vision, one with a variant of a mountain wolf, and one with a mammalian atavistic individual. These two are quite formidable. They also have two Tibetan Mastiff mutated pets. These are the ones we have seen, but as for those we haven't seen, it's hard to say."
Cong Xia pondered, "They sound pretty formidable."
"Yes, and they are constantly recruiting new members."
Zhuang Yao suddenly looked at Cong Xia. "This is our first time engaging in a battle with other humans. Are you up for it?"
Cong Xia hesitated for a moment. "Why are you asking this?"
"Many people will die, especially energy-based individuals."
Cong Xia immediately understood Zhuang Yao's implication. Zhuang Yao was hinting at absorbing the energy of those people. Cong Xia's face changed, and he lowered his head without saying a word.
Although he didn't sympathize with evildoers, absorbing the energy of his own kind was always a moral dilemma for him. He had unknowingly absorbed the golden energy of the long-haired man in Kunming before. Since then, even though he had encountered many deceased mutant (evolvers) humans, he never considered absorbing their energy. It was similar to how Liu Fengyu refused to digest the blood of humans inside mosquitoes. Absorbing the energy of his own kind felt almost like sucking human blood, which made him feel anxious.
However, he also understood that it was something he would have to face sooner or later because there would definitely come a day when he needed more neutral energy to support his teammates on the battlefield. If it really came down to a critical moment, he might not have the luxury of choosing whom to absorb energy from.
This contradiction left him unsure of how to answer.
Cheng Tianbi coldly glanced at Zhuang Yao and said to Cong Xia, "No need to force it."
Liu Fengyu also added, "Don’t force yourself. We can handle it."
Tang Yanqiu listened, feeling puzzled, but didn't ask anything.
Zhuang Yao shrugged. "Completely disregarding personal gain and being constrained by unnecessary beliefs. With your wisdom, it's quite normal."
Liu Fengyu snorted, "If you're not satisfied, go find some more obedient people and see if anyone is willing to pay attention to you, brat."
Zhuang Yao gave him a disdainful look and walked away, visibly unhappy.
Cong Xia turned to Tang Yanqiu and asked, "I wonder how Zhang Gong and the others are doing with their preparations?"
"They're almost done. We can depart on time."
With expectations for Chongqing, everyone exerted their efforts to work hard.
On the eve of dawn, the team of just over a hundred people set off mightily.
The oil tanker carrying Zhang Gong, Tang Yanqiu, and Xiao Yan traveled at the forefront of the convoy, while Zhuang Yao rode on Abu at the back of the group. Road Bully carried the remaining three people in the middle of the convoy.
They had a total of seven oil tankers, but five of them were filled with water, while only two had actual oil, which they marked.
The first ten kilometers of the journey went relatively smoothly. The road was passable, and they didn't encounter any enemies.
Liu Fengyu was sound asleep in the car. After a long silence, Cong Xia suddenly spoke up, "Tianbi, absorbing energy from the dead is indeed difficult for me, but if you guys really encounter danger, I can do anything."
Cheng Tianbi calmly replied, "I know."
Cong Xia forced a bitter smile. "Tianbi, do you not trust me? I've made significant progress during this period. We've experienced all kinds of dangers along the way, and with you guys by my side, I'm not afraid. Now I can also assist you in combat, so... you can trust me and consider me your comrade. I'll do everything I can to support you."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and softly said, "I know, you are our comrade."
“I've been watching you all this time, so I know about your progress, your changes,” Cheng Tianbi continued in his heart.
Cong Xia felt warm inside and couldn't help but smile foolishly. Being acknowledged by Cheng Tianbi meant more to him than anything else. After the teasing remarks from Liu Fengyu that day, he had been conflicted for a long time. He had never been in a romantic relationship before and didn't know what it meant to like someone. But if his admiration and trust in Cheng Tianbi was considered "liking" someone, he accepted it.
In fact, whether the person he liked was male or female no longer mattered to him. In this world where people struggled to find enough food and could die at any moment, being able to nurture a glimmer of positive feelings in his heart amidst the exhaustion of constant survival was the most luxurious indulgence. What was even more extravagant and fortunate was that amidst the apocalypse, where so many loving couples in the world would never have the chance to reunite, the person who made him feel good was right beside him, fighting side by side, sharing life and death.
This kind of liking felt like a blessing. Cong Xia felt a sense of tranquility and happiness at this moment.
He looked at Cheng Tianbi with a smile.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and asked, "What?"
"Nothing."
At noon, they began their first break.
Everyone was drinking water and eating to replenish their strength.
At that moment, an arrow suddenly shot out from the front, passing by Abu, and hitting a tree at the back of the convoy.
It was their agreed-upon signal. As soon as Xiaoyan detected the scent of the enemy, Tang Yanqiu would immediately notify them.
Everyone became tense.
They were intruding into the territory of that group of people, and they were carrying so much gasoline. It was undoubtedly going to be a fierce battle. Abu called out anxiously, scratching the ground with its paws. Being the biggest target, it was at a disadvantage in this situation where the enemy had the advantage of darkness.
Zhuang Yao focused on sensing Abu's brainwaves and calmly soothing it.
Their communication with Abu used to be less smooth than it was now, but since Zhuang Yao's brain domain evolved, almost all the information he transmitted could be smoothly received by Abu.
Although there were language barriers, there were no barriers in consciousness. Recently, based on the methods provided by Cong Xia, he had been practicing diligently. The water energy in his body had become more abundant than before, which also improved his control and perception of the brain domain. Perhaps if this development continued, he could fully manipulate the brains of organisms. If that day truly came, the true terror of those with an evolved brain domain would be revealed.
Abu felt the calming force deep in its consciousness, and indeed, it became much quieter.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and Abu leaped up from its spot, but the bullet still hit its hind leg. Abu let out a cry of pain. Due to its large size and thick fur, a small bullet didn't cause significant damage, but the pain was real.
"Abu!" Zhuang Yao shouted, controlling Abu to run forward. Moving at high speed, none of the bullets behind them managed to hit it.
Abu ran to the road bully; the three people had already climbed onto the roof of the car. Abu's tail curled around them, carrying them all on its back as it ran towards the direction where the gunshots were coming from within the deep jungle.
From behind, they heard Tang Yanqiu yelling, "Everyone, gather together and don't run around!"
Up ahead, a person with a sniper rifle was frantically trying to escape. However, before he could take a few steps, Abu had already pounced and was less than thirty meters away. An invisible and colorless wind cone pierced through his neck in an instant.
Any long-range sniper posed endless troubles.
"There are two more people over there!" Zhuang Yao shouted.
Cheng Tianbi raised the sniper rifle and took a shot at one person who was beyond his control range. The shot hit the person's thigh, while the other person panicked and fled.
Abu leaped over and pinned down the injured person with its claw.
"Ah—spare me! Spare me!"
Abu's massive paw was bigger than the man's upper body. With just a little force, it could crush him alive.
Zhuang Yao exclaimed, "How many of you are there?"
"Only four or five, please don't kill me, please don't kill me!"
"Are there any mutants among you?"
"There's only one mutant, I-I'm just a normal person. Please, I beg you, spare me."
"Where is your base? How many people are there?"
The man was terrified by Abu and quickly answered, unusually cooperative. "It's in the southeast direction, only three kilometers from here. There are about twenty people there, and more than half of them are mutants."
Zhuang Yao looked in the southeast direction. "Abu, this one isn't food. Let him go."
Zhuang Yao never let Abu eat humans. Abu curiously flipped the man with its paw a few times before turning around and leaving.
Returning to the group, they found everything was calm without any further attacks.
They found Tang Yanqiu and he said, "It seems like only a few people came to scout us. The scent has disappeared again."
It was a frightening experience that made everyone nervous. The enemy didn't suffer any losses, but they were exposed, which was frustrating.
However, they didn't return empty-handed. If the man didn't lie, they could strike directly at the bandits and wipe them out.
Tang Yanqiu said, "It seems like they found out about Xiao Yan's ability and disguised their scents. Xiao Yan only discovered them when they were less than two kilometers away. It's a bit troublesome."
Cheng Tianbi tightened his grip on the gun and coldly said, "Two kilometers is enough."
The group slid off Abu's back, and Zhuang Yao urged Cong Xia, "Quickly heal Abu's injury."
Abu's fur was too dense, and Cong Xia couldn't find the bullet for a while. There were no bloodstains either.
Abu lowered its head and lightly touched its leg with its nose. Cong Xia flipped open the fur in that area and finally found the bullet. It was lodged halfway into Abu's flesh, but the injury wasn't severe. Cong Xia placed his hand on Abu's gunshot wound and repaired it with little energy expenditure.
Tang Yanqiu had excellent eyesight and witnessed everything. He looked at Cong Xia in surprise but resisted asking anything.
Cong Xia smiled at him and said, "You'll find out in the future."
Abu lowered its head and licked Cong Xia's hand.
Zhang Gong shouted, "Everyone, don't rest! Let's continue on our way!"
*****
