After a round of drinking, everyone realized that this young man was not as easy to bully as they had thought . Lu Shu was not drunk at all . On the other hand, Zhang Yanfeng and the rest were about to vomit…
A few well-known backpackers, including Zhang Yanfeng, pasted a few brochures regarding the Death Valley route on the board outside the inn . They explicitly stated that they had a Class D secret practitioner in the lead . In just two days, they had gathered 12 people .
Out of the five new members, there were four men and one woman . There was a couple among the new members .
Everyone seemed to be very well-prepared . Even the lady seemed to be very experienced, as if she was a seasoned backpacker .
In this day and age, not only could men seek excitement in their ordinary lives . Women could as well . But the new members were not very young . The youngest member was about 25 years old . From the way they dressed, they seemed to come from wealthy families who were probably much richer than Lu Shu .
Lu Shu wore a jacket that cost over 300 dollars . Everyone used climbing boots, while Lu Shu wore sneakers… he did not want to spend too much money here . He would be able to survive even if he only wore a T-shirt in the cold, let alone wearing shoes here . Every time he exerted some strength, he would spoil a pair of shoes . Every fight made Lu Shu distressed .
Zhang Yanfeng looked at Lu Shu’s attire and said, “Brother, you will have a hard time in the mountains if you dress like that . You must have a jacket, climbing boots, snowshoes and other apparel to keep you warm . Even during this time of the year, it might still snow at the Kunlun Mountains . ”
Lu Shu thought about it . He could not make himself stand out so much either . He bought the cheapest set of clothes and came back .
The other members of the team did not further comment on Lu Shu’s attire . Everyone was responsible for their own actions . Do not say that we did not remind you if you freeze in the mountains .
The five new members had no intentions to talk to Lu Shu . They were of a different class . The world that they lived in was also different .
They had gone hiking with some backpackers before . After these backpackers knew their family background and their financial status, they begged for financial help daily . The friendships that they had made at the mountains were gone in less than half an hour .
The lady looked at Wang Zhe and said, “We have paid money for this, but you get what you pay for . Prove to us that you are truly a Class D secret practitioner . The ground at the Kunlun Mountains is uneven . If you lie to us, we could be sent to our deaths . ”
Wang Zhe conceitedly raised boulder that was used for decoration in the inn . “Is this enough proof?”
The lady did not speaker further . She had acknowledged his strength .
Now, the backpackers also knew that the Kunlun Mountains were not safe, thus the wealthy were only willing to hike if they joined a group with a secret practitioner in the lead . Zhang Yanfeng laughed . “Everyone, there is no need to worry . Yesterday, a team came out from Keriya Pass . They did not encounter any dangers along the way . There are many teams entering and exiting the Kunlun Mountains . Nothing has happened so far . ”
Lu Shu understood . No wonder they were so brave . Everyone had returned safely .
But he had some doubts . Were the changes in the Kunlun Mountains not as big as he had expected?
They would set off for the Kunlun Mountains the next day . Zhang Yanfeng, Wang Zhe and the rest arranged the equipment and made detailed markings on their map to confirm the route that they would take . Some had even gone ahead to orientate their GPS at the Kendrick Mine, where they would exit from . Once they strayed away from this direction, they would likely be trapped in the dangerous Kunlun Mountains .
Five days after Lu Shu had arrived in Sacheng, they took a flight towards Qingzhou . They would then hike through the Qimantag Mountains and walk along the border of the Kumukili Desert before reaching the Kunlun Mountains .
Lu Shu saw the Kunlun Mountains below them as they flew by . The mountain was black, like ashes after a fire .
He sensed that there was something within the mountains that was looking up at them . This made him feel very uncertain .
Zhang Yanfeng had bought naan bread at Qingzhou . Naan were better than other foods in the mountains . It was easy to store and could curb hunger .
Lu Shu had stored plenty of fresh water and food in the Seal of Lands . He would not die here because of dehydration or starvation .
As they climbed the Qimantag Mountains, Lu Shu was always last . He seemed as if he was about to give up any minute, but always managed to catch up . No one knew how strong he was, but they felt like he would reach his limit soon .
Zhang Yanfeng and the rest treated the wealthy well, but no one was willing to help Lu Shu, unless he paid up .
Zhang Yanfeng and the rest were waiting for Lu Shu to give up to help him . Afterwards, they would take the rest of his money . But Lu Shu did not complain the entire trip .
Are you playing around with me… he was Lu Shu, an outstanding figure among Class B’s . These people were no match for him, even if they took a car .
“From Zhang Yanfeng’s distress, +10, +10, +19…”
They passed by a river . There was a pumping station by the river . The staff in the station insisted on giving Lu Shu and the rest a good meal . Lu Shu took out two apples from his bag and passed it to the staff member . There was a lack of fruits and vegetables here .
People often grew closer in sparsely populated places . But when the rest of the team saw that Lu Shu still had the strength to bring superficial fruits like apples, they were filled with disdain .
Lu Shu did not speak with the rest of the members . Occasionally, when they passed by antelopes, he would observe whether they had mutated . But there were no signs of mutation .
He had also seen an antelope on the ridge of the mountain that was unusually muscular . Its antlers were also as sharp as knives . It observed the group of humans from far away . Lu Shu knew that they had not entered the heart of this region .
Before they left the pumping station, Lu Shu took the chance while there was still a signal to send a message to Lu Xiaoyu . “Everything is safe here . I am about to enter the Kunlun Mountains and will come out after 12 days . Gather in Qingzhou . ”
At night, Zhang Yanfeng brought the team to a place where there was no wind to set up their tents for the night . Everyone sat around and popped the blisters on their feet . Lu Shu sat at the entrance of his tent and looked up at the stars . It was as if the stars were breathing along with him .
The world truly was vast .
In Qingzhou, Lu Xiaoyu showed the message from Lu Shu to everyone . Luo Nan said, “Then let’s wait for Lu Shu here . ”
Chen Zuan looked impatient . “Teacher, is it really okay for you to come with us? This is not considered truancy, right?”
“No, no . ” Luo Nan smiled . “We are here to catch specimens . ”
Cheng Qiuqiao was suddenly curious . “Brother Zuan, are you still scared of skipping class? You don’t quite look like a model student . ”
Chen Zuan grew melancholic . “I have never skipped class in my entire life . I was traumatized when I was young . In primary school, I lied that my stomach hurt and wanted to go home . The class monitor called my father . My father insisted on bringing me to the hospital, but I couldn’t tell him that I was fine . If I did, I would be beaten . When we reached the hospital, the doctor said that I had appendicitis, and I had to remove my appendix…”