Chapter 18: Courage and the Path

Chu Yunsheng counted, and with the initial six, there were already thirty-eight red-armored beetle corpses inside the storage talisman, still twenty-two short of the goal of sixty!

Pig brain had once been Chu Yunsheng's lifeline. There was no other way; solitary red-armored beetles were too few, and encountering two beetles moving together made Chu Yunsheng feel incredibly fortunate!

Of course, a group of beetles was something not even the army's armored vehicles dared to confront.

Beetles loved to eat brains, whether human or other animals. The heads of all creatures on Earth were considered delicious delicacies by the beetles. Chu Yunsheng had successfully lured no fewer than ten red-armored beetles with pig brain.

However, the effect had not been as good recently. The last time, he almost lost the pig's head to hungry people!

That was pork head meat!

Later, Chu Yunsheng learned his lesson. He took out the pig brain, mixed it with fresh blood, and placed it next to a human corpse by the roadside. Indeed, no one dared to pick up the pig brain anymore!

Chu Yunsheng speculated that it might be because the pig brain was not fresh enough. The beetles were being fooled less and less, and now hardly any came to investigate.

He was thinking about how to get solitary beetles when the female teacher and her students gradually walked into the hall.

They must have finished eating. There wasn't much in the pot to begin with, and there were so many of them.

The group hesitantly approached him, causing Chu Yunsheng to frown. This posture clearly meant something was up. He wasn't unwilling to help these children, but in such times, he could barely take care of himself, let alone pretend to be some great hero!

He regretted not leaving earlier.

The female teacher gratefully said, "Thank you for your help. I am a teacher at the 21st Middle School in Shencheng. My name is..."

Chu Yunsheng quickly interrupted her, "Okay, okay, I don't need to know these details. I think you should all go to the military or the government as soon as possible. You are students, and the military should take care of you."

His abruptness made the female teacher somewhat awkward, but she still explained, "We have been to the military, but there are too many people, and they can't handle it. Sir, I'm not asking for food. One of my students has had a high fever for three days. Without special medicine, she won't survive!"

Chu Yunsheng was taken aback. He felt sympathy, but he had no medicine. In the Sunlight Era, prescription drugs required a doctor's prescription, and he hadn't had the energy to get much. He had some ordinary medicine, but it was useless for such a high fever. He could only say helplessly, "I'm sorry, I don't have that kind of medicine!"

The female teacher, with a hopeful tone, quickly said, "There's a community hospital not far ahead. I took the students there, but there are beetles. Could you... please?"

"Sorry!" Chu Yunsheng thought for a moment and still refused. He had been to that hospital; there were three red-armored beetles at the entrance, and who knew what was inside. It was very dangerous. Although he sympathized with the girl, he wasn't noble enough to risk his life for hers.

The atmosphere was very awkward.

Chu Yunsheng felt that helping or not was his right. Risking his life for a stranger was not a good idea. He was about to leave when—

Thud! The female teacher knelt down behind him!

He was stunned.

Then, thud! thud! thud!...

More than ten students all knelt down!

Chu Yunsheng was shaken to his core!

He wasn't soft-hearted; he was shocked, stunned, and overwhelmed by an indescribable emotion.

In the Sunlight Era, on TV and the internet, there were often scenes of people kneeling in groups to appeal for justice, or to seek help for demolition, or to demand wages. He had once harshly criticized the cold, heartless, and numb authorities and their shamelessness.

But he never imagined that such a scene would happen in his world, and that he would be the one standing on the other side!

He opened his mouth but found himself unable to speak.

"Please, Uncle! Xiaoxue is going to die!" a kneeling girl cried out.

"Uncle! Please!" cries filled the air.

Chu Yunsheng was torn. On one side, he thought: Forget it, you don't have the ability, don't pretend to be a hero. You'll die without knowing how. Focus on your cultivation; it's the best thing to do!

On the other side, he thought: Come on, brother, life is about living passionately and with courage. Fight, brother! Strength is important, but without the courage to face blood and challenge limits, you'll always be a psychological weakling!

Much later, when Chu Yunsheng looked back on the past, he was startled to realize that it was this astonishing act of kneeling that subtly changed his mindset.

A true expert is not just someone with earth-shattering power; more importantly, they dare to challenge, face blood, and push limits without retreating!

Chu Yunsheng suddenly realized that for a long time, he had been caught in a vortex of avoiding danger, shirking challenges, and seeking comfort. While this had allowed him to survive without major incidents, could he continue like this? With more and more red-armored beetles, it was becoming increasingly difficult to hunt solitary beetles. Continuing to avoid challenges would only slow his cultivation while the number of beetles increased. If this continued, he might be eaten by beetles before reaching the Second Heaven Realm!

He was scared cold. Reflecting further, even in the Sunlight Era, it was hard to find success without taking risks, let alone in such a perilous Dark Era!

The number of beetles was rapidly increasing, and the power of Awakened individuals was also rapidly growing. However, his progress had slowed because he dared not face three beetles! If this continued, he would be crushed by the times and ultimately forgotten!

He would have wasted a thousand-year-old treasure!

Damn! Chu Yunsheng took a deep breath. He never expected that these people's actions would completely transform his thinking!

It turned him from a timid poacher into a battle-ready killer!

Of course, he couldn't act recklessly. Strength was still a crucial factor. Courage did not mean being rash. If the strength gap was too large, even with overwhelming fighting spirit, it would only lead to death.

With his current eight units of Primordial Energy, he could potentially face three red-armored beetles. If he planned carefully, he believed his chances of victory were at least 80%.

First, he needed to remain hidden and not be detected by the beetles. Then, he would use the Ice Arrow to freeze one beetle as quickly and accurately as possible. Next, he would face the wrath of the two remaining beetles. If he was lucky, he could paralyze one beetle with his pistol while they attacked him. With the pistol or crossbow still in hand, even if he was grabbed by the pincers, he had a chance to defeat the last beetle.

He couldn't yet cut through the beetles' protective shield and armor with his sword. He could only break the shield, as he did last time, and then stab the beetle through its unprotected mouth. This was a stroke of luck that was hard to repeat!

So, the key points were: first, freeze one beetle as quickly as possible, and second, never lose the pistol or crossbow.

If he could maintain these two points, he had at least a 70% chance of victory. If he could paralyze one beetle during their attack, the chances would rise to 90%. As long as no new beetles appeared, he should be able to win.

With a clear plan, he was less worried. He just needed to refine some details.

Chu Yunsheng had thought so much that when he came to his senses, he realized the others were still on the ground. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he acknowledged that these people had, in a way, influenced his future cultivation. Since he had decided to challenge himself with passion, helping them would be a win-win.

Moreover, medicine would be a crucial resource in the Dark Era, second only to food. It was the least prepared resource in the Sunlight Era, so stockpiling some was necessary.

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(End of Chapter 18)