Cave Refuge-Chapter 170 - 169: Xue Ding’s Troops_1

"Alright, just spit it out,"

Although Ye Liuyun knew that Dong Tianyu was not pleased with such a suspenseful approach, he paused for a moment before carefully speaking,

"Let’s get this straight. The next part is just my personal speculation. Regardless of whether you think it makes sense or not, just forget it once it has been said. I won’t admit to it if you bring it up again after leaving the stool I’m sitting on."

"Okay, I understand you. Go ahead and say it."

"You know about me. I’ve recently attached myself to a local military base, and honestly, their situation is quite good except that they have strict control.

However, as you know, the base is filled with young, robust men, equipped with weapons, and they have a large stock.

At that time when we first made acquaintance, there was no significant difference between Martial Artists and common people. After learning that my brother was a retired Martial Artist from the Special Forces, they didn’t hide any information not restricted by confidentiality regulations from me.

Among them, about more than a thousand individuals in the stationed army have trained in martial arts, though only a few dozen were, like my brother, able to cultivate the Inner Breath.

But I heard that a Special Force, selected from all over the country, has stayed in Pengcheng after receiving training. Even though we didn’t chat a lot, I learned that these soldiers were being trained in Pengcheng just to await a second selection process."

If it were only a few more men it wouldn’t matter, but everyone in this group is a Martial Artist, and they’ve all reached the Inner Breath Realm. While their strength may not equal my brother’s, given that they were selected from a nationwide pool of candidates, their abilities should not be underestimated."

Watching Ye Liuyun babble on without getting to the point, Dong Tianyu grew impatient and blurted out, "Get to the point."

Seeing Dong Tianyu growing anxious, Ye Liuyun quickened his speech, "They are distinct from the local permanent troops in Pengcheng. Pengcheng’s troops are generally self-sufficient, but this group of troops which came to Pengcheng for selection training rely entirely on the military for supplies.

It didn’t matter before. Pengcheng, located at a junction of three provinces and enjoying convenient logistics, never faced much trouble with supplies.

But now, it’s been a while since they last obtained supplies. Has it been months or even years? If the troops left after the flood subsided, it would be liveable.

But if they haven’t left, Pengcheng must provide replenishments for them. Think about it, all of them are fully-fledged Martial Artists. If they all eat as much as my brother, can you imagine the amount of food they would need?

Besides the issue of supplies, let’s be realistic. During this period, what would happen if these rambunctious young men, during a moment of shortage, were incited by unscrupulous people? Definitely not a mess I’d like to deal with. Unless the outside temperature returns to normal and the roads are reopened, my speculation has a high chance of becoming a reality."

Listening to Ye Liuyun’s speculation startled Dong Tianyu, who thought the situation would become extremely problematic if what Ye Liuyun said was to happen.

"Given the worst-case scenario, how long do you think Pengcheng can remain stable?"

Hearing Dong Tianyu’s question, Ye Liuyun instantly realized that Dong Tianyu and he were of the same kind.

"There’s no way to estimate that accurately, because I’m unsure of the current conditions of the Special Force. The best case scenario would be if they left Pengcheng when the flood subsided.

The next best scenario would be if they’ve received supplies when the flood withdrew, even though they didn’t leave Pengcheng.

The worst-case scenario would be if they stayed in Pengcheng without receiving supplies after the flood ebbed.

If this were the case, the situation would be quite troublesome."

Upon hearing Ye Liuyun’s words, Dong Tianyu massaged his temples. Even though Ye Liuyun did not explicitly express his suspicions, Dong Tianyu understood his meaning.

His speculation might just be a vicious idea in his heart, but it could also become reality tomorrow. The timing depended on whether that troop was still in Pengcheng and, if they were, how long their stockpiled supplies could last.

However, the slight silver lining was their current location was far from the City Center, which meant survivors would spend less time outside as the temperature kept rising.

If that’s the case, Pengcheng can maintain stability for a longer time. But without any significant changes, Pengcheng will inevitably face a food crisis as time goes by.

After all, as Ye Liuyun said, after one becomes a Martial Artist, their food intake grows dramatically – one’s appetite is equivalent to dozens of people, and Martial Artists are not uncommon at all.

So, the potential food crisis is always there. Although it doesn’t seem imminent, it’s like a ticking time bomb buried in the ground, ready to explode at any moment.

At this point, Dong Tianyu’s past life experiences lost their value as guidance. He initially thought there was no need to worry before the Eternal Night, but now all his experiences apart from knowing the next catastrophe was the Eternal Night, were useless.

Moreover, Dong Tianyu abruptly realized that the strange feeling he had when he left the Cave Mansion after successfully building his foundation was not an illusion. It lasted for a moment, but he was certain.

Perhaps this is the Butterfly effect, affecting Blue Star after successful cultivation, and sending Blue Star on a divergent path from his past life’s.

Nevertheless, this matter could be put aside for now, and the main problem was the food crisis and what would happen when the nearby troops ran out of food. As for the exuberance of the soldiers, it could be put aside for now, as it was an issue related to tens or hundreds of thousands of people and not just a few.

Upon thinking of this, Dong Tianyu, who was initially a bit sloppy, became tense. If that time was to come, even Peach Blossom Paradise wouldn’t be able to escape.

After all, ancient sayings about the chaos caused by bandits and soldiers aren’t just tall tales. Dong Tianyu had no idea what would happen to Pengcheng at that time.

When that time came, no one could place their safety in the hands of others’ goodness.

Dong Tianyu decided to inquire about his mother’s situation when she came back, and then he needed to make a personal trip to the Peach Blossom Paradise.

No matter what, if he happened to meet a suitable candidate, he could bring them back first. After all, the vessel ’Wave Stepper’ was already prepared, waiting for the right person to inhabit it.

But before then, it’s important to get rid of this guy right beside him.