"You cleaned them out. That was ruthless."

Ronan Kendrick squeezed Evelyn Ford’s palm. "Me, ruthless?"

"I misspoke. You’re incredibly brave and formidable."

Evelyn Ford was sleeping groggily when someone outside started crying her name, startling her awake.

"Is someone calling for me?"

Ronan Kendrick hummed. "It’s a woman. Are you going out?"

"I’ll go." Evelyn Ford put on her hat and stepped out of the tent. An older woman rushed over and grabbed her arm.

"Dr. Ford, my son was bitten by a scorpion! Please, you have to save him."

The shaking made Evelyn feel dizzy. "Take me to him first. Where’s the scorpion? Did you bring it?"

"No."

"Just take me to him." Evelyn went back into the tent, grabbed her medical kit, and followed the woman to help.

The woman’s son was lying on a straw mat. His right calf was swollen, the bite mark slightly red. The scorpion’s stinger was still lodged in his flesh, and he was wailing in pain.

"I’ll pull out the stinger first, then use a Silver Needle to squeeze out the venom. Ma’am, get a little bit of water and help me clean his wound."

The moment the woman touched the wound, her son screamed. A circle of people had gathered around. Just then, someone ran over and handed a dead scorpion to Evelyn.

"Dr. Ford, this is the kind of scorpion that stung him." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Evelyn glanced at it and understood. It was a pincer scorpion, not a deadly one.

"Stop screaming. It’s not fatal."

After pulling out the stinger, Evelyn inserted a Silver Needle into the area around the sting and slowly squeezed out the venom. Although the wound was still very swollen, it would be fine in a couple of days.

"Dr. Ford, is that all? My son keeps saying it hurts. Can’t you give him some painkillers?"

"Where would I get medicine now? Ma’am, this type of scorpion is venomous, but it isn’t fatal. It’s a very common type in our country."

After saying her piece, Evelyn picked up her medical kit and left, but the woman chased after her.

"Dr. Ford, please take another look at him."

"I’m telling you, stop being so dramatic. Didn’t Dr. Ford just say it? The scorpion that stung your son is a very common, non-fatal type."

An older man nearby spoke up in Evelyn’s defense, but the woman was not pleased.

"But it’s a venomous scorpion! There will definitely be long-term effects, right?"

"What long-term effects? He’s a big, sturdy man! Look at the times we’re in, and you’re still being so fussy." The older man couldn’t stand it anymore, practically spitting as he spoke to her.

Evelyn took the opportunity to slip away. The group now had several thousand people; there was no shortage of oddballs.

After a two-day rest, it was time to move on again. Past towns, across countless paths, over mountains, and along winding, collapsed highways. The next destination: Danver.

Danver was over four hundred kilometers away. Under these conditions, the journey would likely take fifteen to twenty days.

On the second day after leaving the town, the group arrived at the foot of a mountain. Taylor Vance said there was a thousand-year-old temple here where they could rest for a few hours. Many people put down their luggage and knelt in devout prayer. Some even wanted to go up the mountain to pray in the temple itself.

"Daddy, what are they doing?" Wendy asked, confused.

"When humans feel powerless, they cling to gods and buddhas like a last straw, praying for protection."

Officer Graham took Wendy’s hand and headed up the mountain. He had wishes to pray for, too.

Quincy and Wyatt Vaughn followed them up. Seeing so many people go, others just went with the flow and tagged along.

Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick didn’t move. The two of them found a shady spot to sit, drink water, and rest.

"Evelyn, Ronan, aren’t you going up?"

Taylor Vance walked over with a smile. Seeing the two of them just resting where they were, he couldn’t help but ask.

Evelyn shook her head. "We’re not going. The mountain is too high. If the gods are real, they wouldn’t want us to get so tired."

Taylor Vance burst out laughing. "That’s an interesting way to put it."

Zion Lowell came over holding a military-style canteen, wiping away sweat as he spoke. "I came here over twenty years ago. There used to be a small tourist town nearby. This temple was very famous—many people came to pray for children and marriage. I can’t believe that with so many places collapsed, this temple is still perfectly intact."

"Mr. Hawthorne took Cherie up. I remember him being a materialist. How did he live to his age and suddenly become so superstitious?"

Taylor Vance smiled. "It’s perfectly normal. Even a materialist, after going through so much, would want to pray for some peace of mind."

"What’s this mountain called?"

"Mount Qor."

Evelyn stood up, shielding her forehead with her hands, and squinted at the distant peaks. These mountains were different from those of Broken Cloud Mountain. Here, the endless ranges layered one upon another—mountains beyond mountains, boundless and without end.

"Oh no, it collapsed! The Buddha statue collapsed."

A few people came walking down, complaining nonstop.

"If I’d known, I wouldn’t have gone up. Walked for half an hour just to see a pile of ruins."

"There was nothing in the temple. And here I was hoping to pray for a safe journey."

Officer Graham and the others returned as well. Wendy was a little disappointed. She told Evelyn that up there, there was nothing but collapsed walls and broken tiles, so she couldn’t make a wish.

"You can make a wish in your heart. If you don’t tell anyone, they’ll still hear it."

Wendy’s eyes lit up. "Really? Then can I secretly make lots of wishes?"

Evelyn smiled and nodded. "Of course. Your wishes are your own. You can make as many as you want."

"Won’t they think I’m too greedy?"

"Of course not."

The people who had gone up the mountain returned one after another. Time was up. With an order from Taylor Vance, the group continued on its way.

Since ancient times, fleeing disaster and famine has always been filled with sorrow and hardship.

As water became scarcer and food supplies dwindled, people’s emotions often broke down. The squad trained by Zion Lowell carried spears and weapons precisely to prevent anyone from developing malicious intent along the way.

"Another ten days, and we’ll reach Danver."

"Can you still hold on?"

Evelyn nodded. "I can."

The only good news was that from the day they set out until now, the group had remained whole. No one had died.

After crossing another large mountain, Taylor Vance had everyone rest in place for five hours. Many people began to enter the woods to hunt for game.

"Evelyn, I think I hear the sound of water."

Evelyn grabbed him. "Are you sure?"

"I’ll go check it out."

After Ronan Kendrick left, Evelyn quickly set up the tent. Quincy and the others were already eating their dry rations. Evelyn had no appetite, her gaze fixed on the direction Ronan had gone.

Half an hour later, Ronan Kendrick finally returned.

"Is there water?" Evelyn pulled him into the tent and asked in a low voice.

"There’s a small cave on the mountain with a tiny pool inside. The water seems to be groundwater. The flow rate is very, very slow."

"We should tell Taylor Vance and the others. A lot of people are almost out of water. Without it, I’m afraid there will be a lot of trouble."

’Robbery and looting, for instance.’

Ronan Kendrick nodded. "Okay. But the flow rate is very slow, and I’m not sure if the water is safe to drink."

"Water from deep in the mountains, even if it has germs, won’t be poisonous enough to kill anyone."