After officially entering the Tibetan area, the convoy continued on the highway for about a hundred kilometers. They had originally planned to leave the highway and head to the grasslands, but compared to the blooming flowers of March in the Central Plains, the Tibetan area was still covered in white snow. The ice layer on the highway was also very thick, and the five cars had to rely on the anti-skid chains installed later to continue driving.
Therefore, this relatively short journey of only a hundred kilometers took them all the way into the late night.
“Let’s set up camp here and rest,” Xiao Wen patted Han Ya, who was still studying the map.
Han Ya looked up and saw that it was already pitch black outside. He nodded and took out a walkie-talkie to signal the other vehicles to pull over to the side of the road together.
Xiao Wen and Yin Chengyang were the first to get out of the car. The cold wind that poured in when the doors opened caused Han Ya, who didn’t have any abilities, to shiver uncontrollably. He couldn’t help but peek at the instrument panel in front of Mo Yan.
The temperature outside the car was clearly displayed on the panel and had reached minus fifteen degrees Celsius, causing Han Ya, who had just felt the warmth of the day, to furrow his brow.
“Alright, it’s like this here. You should rest in the car,” Wen Le said to Han Ya.
Throughout the journey, when they set up camp at night, those with abilities and young, strong men rested in the tents that were set up on the side of the road, while those who were weak rested directly in the cars.
However, the nights in the Tibetan area were too cold, so Wen Le instructed Han Ya, who couldn’t feel temperature changes well, to sleep in the car using the walkie-talkie, while those who could still feel temperature changes would continue to sleep in the tents.
All the parts needed to set up the tents were stored in the trunk of each car, so Wen Le didn’t have to retrieve them from the space every time. After handing over food and warm clothing to a few people including Jin Zi, Wen Le walked towards Xiao Wen.
Xiao Wen walked back from the snow below the highway with a furrowed brow. Unlike the clearly frozen surface of the highway, the ground below was covered with a thick layer of white snow, and the ice layer was underneath the snow.
“There’s no way we can get off the highway,” Xiao Wen sighed when he saw Wen Le approaching.
Without even trying, Wen Le knew the situation below. Facing this kind of snowy terrain, vehicles couldn’t travel normally.
“How about we just continue along the highway?” Wen Le asked.
Han Ya, who was wearing a thick down jacket, followed the car lights and came over.
“Continuing to venture further is an option, but we can’t just keep following the highway, right? If we keep going, we’ll reach N City soon enough, and even though it’s a sparsely populated area like Tibet, N City is the provincial capital that we can’t just charge through on our own,” said Han Ya, voicing the same concern as Xiao Wen.
It was a dilemma for Xiao Wen too. With the reality of not being able to drive on the road, they had to keep moving forward. Should they just rest and wait until the snow and ice melt away?!
The thought of X City, which was also a provincial capital, made Wen Le shiver. Unlike when they entered X City, the second-tier zombies in N City hadn’t been eliminated by a massive zombie siege. If they surrounded them all at once, it would be enough trouble for their entire team.
“Or we could use the old method? Use fire-based abilities to pave the way. It may be slower, but it’s still better than being stuck on the highway,” Wen Le suggested, trembling at the thought of N City.
After thinking it over, Han Ya and Xiao Wen nodded in agreement with Wen Le’s proposal.
“This is already the last resort.”
Compared to before, when they relied on Han Yifeng and Chen Ye’s abilities to reach X City, now they have more fire-based ability users in their convoy, and their ability strength is much better than before. The speed of travel should not be too slow.
“Let’s do it this way. Notify all fire-based ability users to focus mainly on Huang Tao and Xiao Tao’s cars after we hit the road tomorrow, and let their two cars take turns leading the way, with our cars following behind.” Xiao Wen told Han Ya, who nodded and turned to walk back. In just a few minutes, Han Ya’s body, wrapped in a thick layer, had already started to feel numb from the cold. In a little while, he might need someone else to carry him back.
Xiao Wen and Wen Le, who were left behind, did not rush back. With a T-shirt and a woolen coat on, they were warm enough to move around normally in the freezing weather without feeling cold as ability users.
“We’ve finally arrived in the Tibetan area,” said Xiao Wen, taking hold of Wen Le’s hand. “As we expected, there are far fewer zombies here than in the Central Plains region.”
Wen Le squeezed Xiao Wen’s large hand and turned to look at the convoy not far away, where people were cooking and setting up tents. Despite the cold, the scene was peaceful.
“Zombies are the most immediate danger in the apocalypse, but even though there are fewer zombies here, this place is only relatively safer than other places. Natural disasters, human disasters… they haven’t struck yet. Once they do, I’m afraid it won’t be much better than being trapped in a zombie siege,” Wen Le said, even though they had spent an entire day in Tibet without encountering any zombies. He was still not as relaxed as the others.
Xiao Wen tightened his arm around Wen Le’s shoulders. “At least this place has given us some breathing room and space. Don’t worry so much.”
Wen Le nodded.
The two of them stood there for a while until Mo Yan came over to call them for food.
The night passed peacefully, and everyone in the convoy stood on the land of the Tibetan area watching the sun rise slowly.
As before, at the command of Han Ya on the walkie-talkie, the five cars drove side by side down the road, with flames continuously clearing the way, and slowly entered deep into the grassland.
The speed of traveling in the snow was far lower than that on the road. After five consecutive days of driving, if it weren’t for Han Ya constantly comparing the direction and time, the convoy would almost be lost in the vastness.
As the sun sets in the west and nightfall approaches, the pressure on Han Ya’s shoulders shows no sign of easing.
Although the danger from the outside has diminished, the aimless search is still taking a toll on the caravan.
“Calling command vehicle, calling command vehicle,” Jin Zi’s voice comes over the radio.
“Command vehicle here, go ahead,” Han Ya picks up the radio.
“There seems to be survivors ahead at the ten o’clock direction,” Jin Zi reports.
At the report from the lead vehicle, Han Ya and the others exchange a glance.
“There really are people.” With limited psychic power, Wen Le had no choice but to take out his telescope and look in the direction that Jin Zi had indicated. In the distance, under the setting sun, a faint light and a neatly arranged group of tents entered Wen Le’s field of vision.
After getting Wen Le’s confirmation, Han Ya ordered the convoy to stop and the trailing vehicle slowly passed the four cars in front.
“You guys wait here, we’ll go check out the situation. If anything happens, contact us through the walkie-talkie,” Xiao Wen rolled down the window and said to Lin Yan in the car next to him, who also rolled down his window and nodded in agreement.
Mo Yan followed Han Ya’s instructions and drove towards the cluster of tents, stopping the car about 500 meters away and honking the horn a few times to signal to the distant area.
In fact, when Jin Zi and the others discovered the cluster of tents, the other side had already taken precautions.
The car fleet of Wen Le and their team had been using fire-based abilities to pave the way, and such an obvious fire had long attracted the attention of those people.
Gu Sha Duo Jie walked out of the tent when he received the notice that outsiders were approaching, arranged for others to be on guard, and watched from a distance as the fleet slowly entered their sight. The other side should have also noticed their presence, so the fleet suddenly stopped in the distance and the last car even overtook the other four cars to continue approaching them, honking the horn as it stopped about 500 meters away.
Gu Sha Duo Jie waved his hand, letting the people who intended to block him step aside, and walked towards the nearby vehicles with Zhang Yuan.
Seeing the two approaching, Wen Le told Xiao Wen and Han Ya, “That Tibetan man has a Wood-based ability, while the person next to him has a Thunder-based ability.”
Compared to the threatening abilities of these two individuals, there were only a few scattered fire and water-based abilities behind them, and the majority were ordinary people. For the entire convoy, the danger was not significant.
After hearing Wen Le’s reminder, Han Ya tightened the thick clothes on his body and got out of the car with Xiao Wen.
“Hello, I’m the chief of this small tribe, Gu Sha Duo Jie,” Gu Sha Duo Jie introduced himself to Xiao Wen and Han Ya as he walked up to them.
“Hello, we’re a caravan from the Central Plains, and I’m Xiao Wen,” Xiao Wen extended his hand politely.
Gu Sha Duo Jie shook Xiao Wen’s hand, and the two leaders extended the olive branch of peace to each other.
“Are you soldiers?” Zhang Yuan looked at the military vehicle in front of him and then turned to the four other vehicles in the distance.
Han Ya smiled and explained, “No, we borrowed the car from the military. It’s tough enough to withstand the rough terrain and harsh conditions of the journey.”
Zhang Yuan took back his gaze and scrutinized Han Ya and Xiao Wen again.
They had clear and steady features, and their eyes were calm and not deceitful. At least at first glance, these two did not seem like cunning and sly individuals. Moreover, being able to acquire five cars from the military, their identities were probably not ordinary.
“How is it on the other side in Central Plains?” asked Zhang Yuan.
Han Ya shook his head and smiled bitterly.
Zhang Yuan did not inquire further.
“Guests from afar, it’s getting late. If you don’t mind, you can rest in our tribe,” said Gu Sha Duo Jie, making a formal invitation.
Xiao Wen and Han Ya were slightly taken aback, but they smiled without any hesitation and accepted Gu Sha Duo Jie’s kind offer.
“Please wait here for a moment. I’ll contact the other vehicles,” Han Ya said, bowing slightly before heading back to their own car to use the radio to communicate with the other four vehicles to come over.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wen and Wen Le switched positions and followed Gu Sha Duo Jie and Zhang Yuan towards the tents.
A group of young people outside the tents made way for them and, following Gu Sha Duo Jie’s instructions, a few of them stayed behind to guide the other five vehicles when they arrived.
Xiao Wen and Wen Le did not ask too many questions and followed quietly behind Gu Sha Duo Jie as they walked into the largest tent in the tent cluster.
Once the four of them were seated, a girl with braids all over her head came in carrying hot water.
Gu Sha Duo Jie smiled and rubbed the girl’s head, introducing her to the two, “This is my daughter, Bai Ma.”
Wen Le gently looked at the girl who was not even ten years old and complimented her with a smile, “She’s a very cute girl.”
No matter what the situation, parents are always happy when their child is praised. Gu Sha Duo Jie couldn’t help but follow Wen Le’s words and talk about his own baby’s excellence, making Bai Ma blush and lower her head in embarrassment.
Xiao Wen was somewhat surprised by Gu Sha Duo Jie’s friendliness, and he clearly felt that this person had a generous and simple nature without deep scheming.
Meanwhile, Wen Le continued to smile at the shy girl.
It was not just an act. Wen Le really thought that this shy child was very cute, with a round face. If Wen Le was still the simple-minded big boy he used to be, he would have sincerely exclaimed: “Did Bai Ma inherit her mother’s looks?! How can Uncle Gu Sha Duo Jie give birth to such a beautiful child?!”
Before Gu Sha Duo Jie could continue to praise Bai Ma, Han Ya and the others had arrived.
After being led by a young Tibetan man, Han Ya had the others follow another Tibetan youth to find a place to camp and rest, while he went to meet up with Xiao Wen and the others.
Once Han Ya arrived, Bai Ma finally found an excuse to leave, ignoring her father’s reluctant gaze as she quickly walked out of the tent.
As soon as Bai Ma left, Zhang Yuan chuckled, “Big Brother Duo Jie, do we have to do this every time we have guests?”
Duo Jie was a little embarrassed by Zhang Yuan’s laughter. “Okay, I won’t say anything. This gentleman…” Zhang Yuan stopped laughing and looked at Wen Le.
Although Wen Le and Xiao Wen followed them back, they still didn’t know how to address the young man.
“I’m Wen Le,” said Wen Le.
Zhang Yuan nodded and looked at Gu Sha Duo Jie.
“Are you here to find a place to survive?” Gu Sha Duo Jie asked seriously.
Han Ya nodded. “Compared to the vast population in the Central Plains, the population in the Tibetan area is small, making it a good place to settle down.”
Gu Sha Duo Jie understood Han Ya’s words very well. At the beginning of the apocalypse, they had also encountered people who entered Tibet for the same reason, even Zhang Yuan and the others had hidden in Tibet for this reason..
“I know the situation in the Central Plains, and your ideas are correct,” Gu Sha Duo Jie said.
“But I am just the leader of a small tribe and not qualified to represent the entire Tibetan area. Nevertheless, I sincerely welcome all of you. I hope you can adapt to the environment here and rest and recuperate.”
In response to Gu Sha Duo Jie’s simple words, Xiao Wen and the others laughed and responded.
“But the environment here is very harsh,” Zhang Yuan suddenly spoke up.
As someone who frequently did business in Tibet, he had a certain understanding of the living conditions here. However, it wasn’t until he brought his family and fled to Tibet during the apocalypse that he truly understood the living conditions here.
The altitude here is very high, and prolonged physical activity puts a lot of strain on the heart and lungs. Moreover, the climate here is far from the pleasant environment of the Central Plains.
“When did you arrive in Tibet, Zhang Yuan?” Han Ya didn’t immediately respond to Zhang Yuan’s reminder, but asked a seemingly unrelated question.
Zhang Yuan paused for a moment. “Based on the dates, it should have been the end of December last year, right when the apocalypse broke out.”
Han Ya nodded, that made sense.
“You came here at the beginning of the apocalypse, so you didn’t see the situation in the later stages in the Central Plains. Despite the harsh environment here, at least people can survive, while in the Central Plains, death is a constant threat almost every moment. Compared to that, we haven’t encountered any zombies or mutant animals since arriving in Tibet for the past few days. This place is already a paradise.”
Upon seeing Han Ya’s bitter smile, both Zhang Yuan and Gu Sha Duo Jie fell silent.
Since the early days of the apocalypse when they occasionally saw people escaping into the Tibetan area, they had not seen anyone else since February of this year. Although they knew the situation in the Central Plains was not good, they did not expect it to have reached a life and death crisis.
Under the weight of the heavy pressure, both sides did not have much enthusiasm to talk about this topic. They moved on from the heavy topic and Han Ya asked Gu Sha Duo Jie about the terrain of the Tibetan area.
Fortunately, they were given a detailed map of the Tibetan area by Gu Sha Duo Jie, which was different from the maps collected by Wen Le in the market. This map was very detailed and divided the area into regions, even carefully marking the terrain of various places. This map was of great help to Wen Le and the others who were a bit confused after entering the Tibetan area.
As a token of appreciation, Xiao Wen and his group took out some common medications for colds and fevers from the car. Although Gu Sha Duo Jie kept refusing, he eventually accepted them.
For tribes that have been wandering and migrating for a long time, they already have a lot of medicines. However, these things are used sparingly now, so any additional supplies are very rare.
In Gu Sha Do Jie’s opinion, a map of the Tibetan area, which almost every nomadic tribe has, is not worth these emergency medicines. But Xiao Wen and his group were very clear in their attitude that you helped us, so we want to give back.
From Xiao Wen and the other’s perspective, the value of this map far exceeds the value of these few boxes of medicine.
With this map, Han Ya felt that the day when he would officially settle in the Tibetan area was not far away.
Thanks for the chapter! I wonder where they will settle.