Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 300 Passionate City

As Chu Tianshu moved forward with his umbrella, he had imagined it.

Since it already has the title of a megacity, Jinling in this world should be even larger than the one back home, having been expanded from the original city.

However, when he actually got close to Nanjing, the first thing he saw was a gray concrete fortress standing on the outskirts of the city.

After being soaked by the rain, the gray turned completely black.

Those fortresses were filled with gunmen and various firing positions.

The fortresses were connected by high barbed wire fences, behind which were defensive works made of sandbags.

Chu Yannian put on a raincoat and negotiated with the people on the fortress.

"Is it the legendary healer Yan Nian, who claims to have a life-saving needle?"

On the fortress, someone was holding up a large umbrella and shouting down to the people below.

That umbrella must have been specially made; carried on his shoulder, its radius was enough to cover most of his body.

As he leaped from the fortress, the umbrella steadily cushioned his fall.

This man had decent strength and agility; he must be the one in charge among the guards, for he actually came out to greet us personally.

It seems that Chu Yannian is indeed quite famous.

Chu Yannian also took off his helmet, and the two met under the umbrella, where the other person offered him a cigarette.

Yan Nian, with a cigarette between his fingers, pointed to the crowd behind him, and the two talked for a while.

The manager immediately ordered his men to let them pass.

A short distance to the side of the fortress, there were no sandbag fortifications, but there were several rows of very retro-style barricades.

The large wooden stakes were covered with thick iron sheets, and one row of them was even made of alloy casting. Judging by their weight, even a hundred-ton king would not be able to break through them in one breath if it rushed at full speed.

Many people in the fortress worked together, lifting only one end, to clear the way.

Yan Nian returned and first gave the gunmen a detailed explanation, asking them to relay it to the others.

"Once we enter the city, we can only move around in the outer city area for now..."

Chu Tianshu walked at the forefront of the crowd. As he passed the fortress with his umbrella, he saw the steward smiling and greeting Yan Nian.

After the crowd passed through this defensive line, they continued walking through the ruins and wilderness, where they encountered another defensive line.

Only then did we enter the city.

Before the catastrophe, Nanjing already had a considerable population, and its streets, transportation, and buildings were also large. The catastrophe left many buildings vacant.

However, in recent years, more and more people have moved to Nanjing, and the population of this area alone has exceeded that before the disaster.

The city center is already struggling to accommodate the new buildings, and the planning for the new buildings is still incomplete.

Many residents who arrived late, as well as those who wanted to open small shops, all converted some truck or shipping container.

Some even use sheet metal to build sheds outside other buildings.

The once spacious highways no longer appear so open because of the various corrugated iron sheds blocking the way.

When it rains, the raindrops hit the metal sheet, and the whole street, the whole block, sounds like a third-rate orchestra is playing.

The rhythm and pacing alone were worse than third-rate.

But after listening to it for a while, it gives you a feeling that the heavens love rain and are indulging in a carefree and natural way.

This kind of grandeur is something that no human musician can reproduce.

In this kind of weather, in this kind of small shop with a tin canopy.

All the businesses that put up signs were bustling with activity.

In order to make their voices heard by friends and shopkeepers, these people seem to be racing against the sound of rain on the metal sheet.

The group finally arrived at their destination. Although they didn't have a place to stay for the time being, the sound of such a lively crowd gave them a sense of security and reassurance.

They were much more relaxed and were preparing to find some eaves, street corners, or underpasses.

They could rest and prepare food wherever they could find shelter from the rain.

Some people were using the large trucks in the convoy as fulcrums to set up red, blue and white rainproof plastic sheets for everyone to rest on.

After Chu Yannian directed everyone to set up the sheds, he was covered in sweat and rain from working so hard.

Chu Tianshu helped pull a corner of the plastic sheet, putting in a lot of effort, but he didn't get very wet.

"smell good!"

Hou Jian looked at the small shops, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Among the thousands of people, some couldn't wait any longer and had already gone over to ask how much the food cost.

Chu Tianshu said, "I just heard that they said that newcomers who don't have any currency can barter. They can use dried meat, sugar, salt, gasoline, ammunition, and knives. The shop has a price list for exchanging goods."

As he finished speaking, Chu Tianshu smacked his lips.

This is truly a wasteland; even a small shop can buy guns and ammunition. It's incredibly wild.

This megacity is quite different from what I imagined.

Yan Nian misunderstood: "Brother Tian Shu also wants to try it?" He then looked at Hou Jian and the others.

Even Chu Tianshu, dressed impeccably, couldn't resist the fragrance, so everyone else was even more unable to resist.

"Okay, everyone did work really hard just now. Let's go into any of those small shops with empty seats and ask if we can have a meal first."

As soon as Yan Nian spoke, the vanguard team, whose members were the most exhausted on the road, all rushed over.

"Brother Tianshu, you're here too. I've noticed along the way that you're a warm-hearted person, so don't be shy."

Yan Nian pulled Chu Tianshu into a shop and spoke in a low voice.

"I pried off the beak and claws of that finned eagle. Just those alone are enough to feed us for several meals at this little shop, not to mention the most valuable part: its reverse scale."

Chu Tianshu was still holding an umbrella in his hand, and raised an eyebrow.

“I saw it all. You were the only one in the crowd who looked up first, and…”

Yan Nian smiled. Moreover, he had been paying special attention to this outsider, so he certainly didn't miss the fleeting fluctuation of intent on Chu Tianshu's body at that moment.

Chu Tianshu simply asked, "What's the use of that strange bird's claws?"

"After grinding, it can be combined with several raw materials to make an excellent fuel."

Yan Nian smiled and said, "The reverse scale is an excellent medicine for strengthening muscles and regenerating skin."

As they were talking, they had already entered the small shop.

Despite being called a small shop, there are actually more than a dozen round tables of various sizes set up under the tin shed.

The shed connects to a shop on the first floor of the building, and the shopkeepers come out from there from time to time to deliver vegetables.

Chu Tianshu saw that the ingredients were laid out directly on the windowsill, mostly instant noodle cakes.

But they weren't individually packaged; instead, they came in a large plastic bag, which seemed to hold about fifty pancakes at once.

There were no individual packets of seasoning; all the various rice noodles, vegetables, and luncheon meat were served in stainless steel bowls.

Chu Tianshu and his group managed to get a small table. They put away their umbrellas and leaned against the table, which was about a meter high and only big enough for four people to sit around.

Hou Jian and a short-haired girl with three scars on her right cheek came over and sat down at a table.

The four bowls of noodles arrived quickly, accompanied by four pairs of stainless steel chopsticks that had just been rinsed with hot water.

The chopsticks were still a bit hot to the touch, but fortunately none of the four of them cared. They simply flipped the chopsticks over as soon as they got them.

That's why it's called a big city.

Yan Nian remarked with emotion, "In this kind of city, many things have resumed production. In other places, you can't see batches of instant noodles and spices for many years."

The first bowl of instant noodles always tastes especially delicious.

Not only the three of them buried themselves in their food, but Chu Tianshu also ate a few bites.

The vegetables, in particular, are still crisp, and when mixed with the spiciness, their freshness and sweetness stand out.

boom! !

Thunder and lightning rang out outside, and the rain poured down even harder.

Chu Tianshu glanced outside and saw that the water droplets on the edge of the tin shed had formed a string.

A few seconds later, they were connected into a line, like a hundred or so water pipes, directly releasing water from the roof.

The streets were shrouded in mist, and the crowds that had just arrived, along with some local pedestrians, had dwindled to almost nothing.

Chu Tianshu frowned, his gaze falling on the buildings in the distance, as if he sensed something.

Yan Nian had already picked up his bowl and was drinking soup when he said, "Would you like two more bowls? If so, hurry up, this place is busy, and we need to give up our seats for other customers."

They were newcomers, and in this city of Jinling, they had neither many friends nor many enemies.

The more this is the case, the more important it is to make a good impression on everyone from the very beginning.

Yan Nian knew that his past reputation was still unfounded, and he needed to come up with a plan on how to integrate everyone into the group.

Hou Jian nodded repeatedly.

Business here is really good. Even now, customers are still walking in from the side of the shed, putting away their black umbrellas and looking around for empty seats.

The guest was a thin, middle-aged man with big eyes, a thin face, and slightly curly, split hair. He was complaining about the heavy rain and cold wind outside as he passed by Yan Nian's back.

The slanting wind and rain had left the guest quite damp, and he seemed to be getting a little chilly as he approached.

boom! !

Thunder rumbled outside, and a flash of lightning illuminated the world.

Many people who weren't in a hurry to eat, or who had already put down their bowls, including Yan Nian, couldn't help but glance outside.

Others might take it for granted, but Chu Yannian was still unfamiliar with this city. Precisely because he was unfamiliar with it, he had no grudges against it.

Therefore, his glance at the city scene flashing by in the lightning also carried a special appreciation and fondness.

Amidst the thunder and lightning, a steel nail peeked out from between the new guest's fingers.

There was nothing else unusual about the person's body, except that with a slight twitch of his wrist, the steel nail suddenly pierced Yan Nian's spine.

(End of this chapter)