Chapter 44

For the newly discovered ruins of an old world city, since it's unclear what changes the "Heartless" inside might have undergone, and what hidden dangers might still exist, the ruins hunters tend to form alliances and explore together rather than guard against each other and try to eliminate competitors. After all, the resources in such a city ruin are abundant enough to satisfy everyone, so there's no need to fight over them.

In the ruins hunter community, this is called "pioneering."

Jiang Baimian wasn't surprised by Wu Shoushi's invitation. She first turned to look at Shang Jianyao and the others, then smiled and said:

"We have other matters to attend to."

Before Wu Shoushi could speak, she continued:

"I heard there are many anomalies north of Yuelu Station.

"Besides the midnight howling that you should already know about, some people have died mysteriously, with no visible wounds, their faces either twisted or smiling, which is very strange."

She relayed the information she had obtained from Harris Brown to Wu Shoushi and the others, as a way to thank them for helping to pull the jeep out of the mud.

After listening, Wu Shoushi turned to look at his female companion, who had a calm expression:

"Ruxiang, can you see anything?"

The woman in military green camouflage shook her head:

"Unable to determine."

Wu Shoushi nodded slightly and looked at Jiang Baimian:

"Thank you for the warning, we will be cautious.

"But such an opportunity might only come once every few years, and it will only become rarer in the future, so we can't miss it.

"On the Ashlands, we must strive for every opportunity, otherwise, it's just a matter of dying a few years earlier or later."

After expressing his firm resolve, and seeing that Jiang Baimian was only smiling without agreeing, he immediately understood that she had no intention of exploring the new ruins.

"Then we'll continue on our way. Hope to see you again." Wu Shoushi politely bid farewell and returned to the gray SUV with his companion.

"Hope to see you again." Jiang Baimian waved her hand.

"Hope to see you again" is one of the most beautiful wishes on the Ashlands.

In a world where anyone can die from hunger, disease, attacks, or natural disasters at any moment, being able to meet again is a precious thing.

After watching the gray SUV drive away, Jiang Baimian turned around and sighed:

"What a pity...

"Such an undiscovered city ruin would definitely yield a lot of valuable first-hand information."

Bai Chen looked north and asked subconsciously:

"Really not going?"

"Do I seem like the kind of person who says one thing and does another?" Jiang Baimian asked with a smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Shang Jianyao, Bai Chen, and Long Yuehong all looking at her with somewhat strange expressions.

"Ha ha." She chuckled, "It's a strategy, understand? A strategy."

Before the three team members could speak, she teased Bai Chen:

"What? The blood of a wilderness wanderer is burning fiercely in you, urging you to go?"

Bai Chen was silent for a second, then lowered his head slightly:

"More of a habit, I guess.

"Once you know about such a thing, no wilderness wanderer would let the opportunity slip.

"Compared to freezing to death from hunger and cold in winter, taking a chance at least gives you hope."

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly and looked at Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong:

"If our 'Old Tune Team' had been established for more than half a year and completed several missions, I would definitely revise our plan to detour to the north of Yuelu Station.

"But we have two new members who just arrived on the surface, and the anomalies and dangers there are already clearly evident. I can't take them on such a risky adventure, using their lives to pave the way for my own desires."

Shang Jianyao listened quietly and then said:

"You previously said I was doing well and that you had forgotten I was a new member."

"... What did you say? I didn't hear clearly." Jiang Baimian's smile froze on her face.

Before Shang Jianyao could repeat himself, she rubbed her ears:

"Anyway, every member of our 'Old Tune Team' is precious, and I won't let you sacrifice yourselves recklessly."

With that, she turned to Bai Chen seriously:

"Check the map and confirm our current position.

"Even though we won't go to the newly discovered city ruin, we need to pass this information back to the company. I need to find the nearest company-affiliated wilderness wanderer settlement with a radio transmitter.

"Also, the information provided by Harris Brown about the mechanical monk Jingfa needs to be passed back to the company."

"Okay." Bai Chen took out a relatively crude map.

At this moment, Long Yuehong remembered to ask the key question:

"Team leader, did you deal with Jingfa?

"Will he come after us again?"

Jiang Baimian chuckled:

"If he could come after us at any time, would I dare to talk with Wu Shoushi and chat with you here?"

Seeing Long Yuehong relax, she changed the subject:

"But, we haven't dealt with Jingfa yet."

Long Yuehong's body tensed up again.

Jiang Baimian then smiled:

"We just severely injured him, so he can't come after us for a while.

"By the time he repairs himself, we'll be out of his tracking range. The Black Marsh Wilderness is vast, so we don't need to worry about him finding us again."

Long Yuehong relaxed and rubbed his stomach:

"I feel a bit hungry."

It was already well past lunchtime, and he had only eaten half a compressed biscuit when affected by the "Hungry Ghost Realm."

Jiang Baimian raised an eyebrow:

"You don't even ask how we severely injured Jingfa?"

"From the moment you got off the car, I could roughly guess your real plan." Long Yuehong straightened his back, "The specific details can be asked after lunch."

"You're a quick learner." Jiang Baimian praised him with a deliberately aged tone, "Smarter than I thought."

Long Yuehong felt a surge of joy and wanted to be modest.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao asked, seemingly on purpose:

"Team leader, you previously thought he wasn't smart?"

"..." Long Yuehong's expression instantly fell.

Jiang Baimian coughed:

"... Not exactly, mainly because he lacks experience. It's already quite good that he can react in time.

"Besides, he has undergone genetic modification, so his brain isn't too bad."

"My grades are just average..." Long Yuehong lowered his head and muttered.

Jiang Baimian tilted her head and carefully listened to his words.

After a few seconds, she glanced at Shang Jianyao:

"Sometimes, being too smart isn't necessarily a good thing. Average people might have a better chance of surviving because they know how to follow orders and don't act on their own.

"Besides, everyone has different strengths."

Long Yuehong took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

At this moment, Bai Chen had confirmed their current position and pointed it out on the map for Jiang Baimian.

"Ha, the nearest settlement is actually to the north... We should reach it by evening or tomorrow morning..." Jiang Baimian studied the map for a while, "Fortunately, it's still far from Yuelu Station, and the direction is somewhat different, so we won't get involved in that situation."

She casually folded the map and tossed it to Bai Chen:

"Let's go, our destination is Black Rat Town!"

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong, unfamiliar with the Black Marsh Wilderness, had no objections.

"Bai Chen, check the vehicle. Long Yuehong, get some energy bars from the trunk." Jiang Baimian instructed as she walked toward the jeep.

After Bai Chen and Long Yuehong started their tasks, Jiang Baimian slowed her pace and looked at the small swamp ahead, then said to Shang Jianyao:

"Why did you try to undermine Long Yuehong's confidence just now?

"Be honest, speak your true thoughts."

Shang Jianyao also looked ahead, his lips curling slightly:

"I want him to leave the 'Old Tune Team.' He's too much of a hindrance."

Jiang Baimian didn't respond and continued walking slowly toward the jeep.

After a few seconds, she heard Shang Jianyao's slightly闷沉的声音低低响起：

"这对他来说太危险了……"

江白棉微微侧了侧头，脸上又露出了笑容：

"差点没听清楚你在说什么！"

她没有继续刚才的话题，加快步伐，登上了吉普车的驾驶座。

很快，吉普车重新启动，向偏北的黑鼠镇驶去。

轮流吃完午饭后，商见曜主动问道：

"野草城是什么地方？在哪里？"

副驾位置的白晨侧身扭头道：

"是‘最初城’边境的一座城市，在僧侣荒原的边缘。"

"僧侣荒原？"龙悦红敏锐地察觉到这个名词有些古怪。

——在“盘古生物”内部，因为很多人可能一辈子都不会到地表，所以相应的地理教材非常粗略，只大概介绍了各大势力，标注了最主要的地形。

"就是机械僧侣们活动最频繁的区域。"江白棉边开车边随口解释道，"传说僧侣教团的总部，藏有‘永生人’技术和相应设备的琉璃净土，就在这片荒原的某个地方。"

白晨接着补充道：

"这片荒原具体的位置在黑沼荒野东南，想去‘最初城’，只要不绕路，都会经过。"

简单介绍完僧侣荒原后，她继续之前的话题：

"野草城原本是僧侣荒原上一个小型势力，后来‘最初城’扩张到了那里，想把那里的居民都变成奴隶。

"就这样，他们打了几仗，各有死伤，而当时‘最初城’还与其他大势力有冲突，实在没办法增援这里的捕奴队，只好与野草城谈判，允许他们以正式公民的身份加入‘最初城’。

"所以，野草城自治程度很高，是遗迹猎人非常活跃的地方，那里的‘猎人公会’分部也相当有名气。"

听完白晨的讲述，吃饱喝足的龙悦红开始询问江白棉等人对付净法的具体细节，从中汲取经验和情报。

聊到最后，他侧头看向商见曜，难掩好奇又有点犹豫地问道：

"你让净法突然变得友善的那个觉醒者能力叫什么啊？"

他连忙又补充道：

"如果不方便回答，就不要说了。"

商见曜看着前方的挡风玻璃，沉默了几秒道：

"推理小丑。"

PS：周一求推荐票~第二更是中午十二点半

---

For the newly discovered ruins of an old world city, since it's unclear what changes the "Heartless" inside might have undergone, and what hidden dangers might still exist, the ruins hunters tend to form alliances and explore together rather than guard against each other and try to eliminate competitors. After all, the resources in such a city ruin are abundant enough to satisfy everyone, so there's no need to fight over them.

In the ruins hunter community, this is called "pioneering."

Jiang Baimian wasn't surprised by Wu Shoushi's invitation. She first turned to look at Shang Jianyao and the others, then smiled and said:

"We have other matters to attend to."

Before Wu Shoushi could speak, she continued:

"I heard there are many anomalies north of Yuelu Station.

"Besides the midnight howling that you should already know about, some people have died mysteriously, with no visible wounds, their faces either twisted or smiling, which is very strange."

She relayed the information she had obtained from Harris Brown to Wu Shoushi and the others, as a way to thank them for helping to pull the jeep out of the mud.

After listening, Wu Shoushi turned to look at his female companion, who had a calm expression:

"Ruxiang, can you see anything?"

The woman in military green camouflage shook her head:

"Unable to determine."

Wu Shoushi nodded slightly and looked at Jiang Baimian:

"Thank you for the warning, we will be cautious.

"But such an opportunity might only come once every few years, and it will only become rarer in the future, so we can't miss it.

"On the Ashlands, we must strive for every opportunity, otherwise, it's just a matter of dying a few years earlier or later."

After expressing his firm resolve, and seeing that Jiang Baimian was only smiling without agreeing, he immediately understood that she had no intention of exploring the new ruins.

"Then we'll continue on our way. Hope to see you again." Wu Shoushi politely bid farewell and returned to the gray SUV with his companion.

"Hope to see you again." Jiang Baimian waved her hand.

"Hope to see you again" is one of the most beautiful wishes on the Ashlands.

In a world where anyone can die from hunger, disease, attacks, or natural disasters at any moment, being able to meet again is a precious thing.

After watching the gray SUV drive away, Jiang Baimian turned around and sighed:

"What a pity...

"Such an undiscovered city ruin would definitely yield a lot of valuable first-hand information."

Bai Chen looked north and asked subconsciously:

"Really not going?"

"Do I seem like the kind of person who says one thing and does another?" Jiang Baimian asked with a smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Shang Jianyao, Bai Chen, and Long Yuehong all looking at her with somewhat strange expressions.

"Ha ha." She chuckled, "It's a strategy, understand? A strategy."

Before the three team members could speak, she teased Bai Chen:

"What? The blood of a wilderness wanderer is burning fiercely in you, urging you to go?"

Bai Chen was silent for a second, then lowered his head slightly:

"More of a habit, I guess.

"Once you know about such a thing, no wilderness wanderer would let the opportunity slip.

"Compared to freezing to death from hunger and cold in winter, taking a chance at least gives you hope."

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly and looked at Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong:

"If our 'Old Tune Team' had been established for more than half a year and completed several missions, I would definitely revise our plan to detour to the north of Yuelu Station.

"But we have two new members who just arrived on the surface, and the anomalies and dangers there are already clearly evident. I can't take them on such a risky adventure, using their lives to pave the way for my own desires."

Shang Jianyao listened quietly and then said:

"You previously said I was doing well and that you had forgotten I was a new member."

"... What did you say? I didn't hear clearly." Jiang Baimian's smile froze on her face.

Before Shang Jianyao could repeat himself, she rubbed her ears:

"Anyway, every member of our 'Old Tune Team' is precious, and I won't let you sacrifice yourselves recklessly."

With that, she turned to Bai Chen seriously:

"Check the map and confirm our current position.

"Even though we won't go to the newly discovered city ruin, we need to pass this information back to the company. I need to find the nearest company-affiliated wilderness wanderer settlement with a radio transmitter.

"Also, the information provided by Harris Brown about the mechanical monk Jingfa needs to be passed back to the company."

"Okay." Bai Chen took out a relatively crude map.

At this moment, Long Yuehong remembered to ask the key question:

"Team leader, did you deal with Jingfa?

"Will he come after us again?"

Jiang Baimian chuckled:

"If he could come after us at any time, would I dare to talk with Wu Shoushi and chat with you here?"

Seeing Long Yuehong relax, she changed the subject:

"But, we haven't dealt with Jingfa yet."

Long Yuehong's body tensed up again.

Jiang Baimian then smiled:

"We just severely injured him, so he can't come after us for a while.

"By the time he repairs himself, we'll be out of his tracking range. The Black Marsh Wilderness is vast, so we don't need to worry about him finding us again."

Long Yuehong relaxed and rubbed his stomach:

"I feel a bit hungry."

It was already well past lunchtime, and he had only eaten half a compressed biscuit when affected by the "Hungry Ghost Realm."

Jiang Baimian raised an eyebrow:

"You don't even ask how we severely injured Jingfa?"

"From the moment you got off the car, I could roughly guess your real plan." Long Yuehong straightened his back, "The specific details can be asked after lunch."

"You're a quick learner." Jiang Baimian praised him with a deliberately aged tone, "Smarter than I thought."

Long Yuehong felt a surge of joy and wanted to be modest.

At this moment, Shang Jianyao asked, seemingly on purpose:

"Team leader, you previously thought he wasn't smart?"

"..." Long Yuehong's expression instantly fell.

Jiang Baimian coughed:

"... Not exactly, mainly because he lacks experience. It's already quite good that he can react in time.

"Besides, he has undergone genetic modification, so his brain isn't too bad."

"My grades are just average..." Long Yuehong lowered his head and muttered.

Jiang Baimian tilted her head and carefully listened to his words.

After a few seconds, she glanced at Shang Jianyao:

"Sometimes, being too smart isn't necessarily a good thing. Average people might have a better chance of surviving because they know how to follow orders and don't act on their own.

"Besides, everyone has different strengths."

Long Yuehong took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

At this moment, Bai Chen had confirmed their current position and pointed it out on the map for Jiang Baimian.

"Ha, the nearest settlement is actually to the north... We should reach it by evening or tomorrow morning..." Jiang Baimian studied the map for a while, "Fortunately, it's still far from Yuelu Station, and the direction is somewhat different, so we won't get involved in that situation."

She casually folded the map and tossed it to Bai Chen:

"Let's go, our destination is Black Rat Town!"

Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong, unfamiliar with the Black Marsh Wilderness, had no objections.

"Bai Chen, check the vehicle. Long Yuehong, get some energy bars from the trunk." Jiang Baimian instructed as she walked toward the jeep.

After Bai Chen and Long Yuehong started their tasks, Jiang Baimian slowed her pace and looked at the small swamp ahead, then said to Shang Jianyao:

"Why did you try to undermine Long Yuehong's confidence just now?

"Be honest, speak your true thoughts."

Shang Jianyao also looked ahead, his lips curling slightly:

"I want him to leave the 'Old Tune Team.' He's too much of a hindrance."

Jiang Baimian didn't respond and continued walking slowly toward the jeep.

After a