Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!-Chapter 208: Refugee Territory

The loud voice suddenly quieted down.

With a smack of small lips, she quickly finished eating, and the little one’s moist lips pouted, twisting around to find the delicious taste from earlier.

Unable to find it, she was about to cry...唔~

The tiny lips were again blocked, starting to smack.

Cheng Xiaoxiao playfully teased Baiyi along the way, completely ignoring the eerie mist around them.

When everyone complained that the mist was getting thicker, they finally emerged from the quiet path, greeted by ground full of stones.

Getting a bit closer, they could see that a river stretched before them.

The river was wide and shallow, with riverbanks filled with stones of various sizes.

On both sides of the river, greenery gradually increased, and the clear stream flowed among the stones, bringing refreshment to one’s senses.

Such a picturesque scene should’ve been a delight, but due to the plague, there was no time to appreciate it.

Next, they waded through the river ahead, climbed over an uneven hill, and finally saw a road. Though not as spacious as the main road, there were traces of passage, approximately two meters wide.

Everyone cried tears of joy, having finally gotten out.

Their hearts were much more settled, and they were less afraid now, collapsing on the ground, looking up at the sky, mind relaxed, feeling like they’ve come back to life.

At this point, the sky had turned completely dark.

Liu Juan lit a few candles and quickly called the team to start cooking, as everyone had been hungry all day, gnawing only a couple of dry buns during the journey, now famished, lacking energy and risking collapse without nourishment.

After appeasing their bellies, they cleared a space to spend the night.

The deeper, dewy night grew colder.

Although Cheng Xiaoxiao distributed warm cotton clothes, temporarily meeting urgent needs, there were not enough blankets for the more than 100 people, leaving them exposed to cold winds.

Everyone leaned against each other by the fire, daring not to fall completely asleep, for sleeping in this open dock with no shelter could easily cause a chill.

Several carriages had been reassembled, with young children sleeping inside while adults gathered around the fire for warmth.

Cheng Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but feel relieved they had finally exited Yanzhou County, hoping the road ahead would be smoother.

After trudging for several days, they finally encountered living people, initially sparse but gradually increasing.

Though their clothes were ragged, faces sallow and thin, their wolf-like greedy eyes stared fixedly at the team.

These gathered refugees in cold autumn wore scant, ragged summer clothes, some in straw shoes, and some even barefoot.

Cheng Beiniu cautiously observed them, directing the Patrol Team to guard the surroundings, watching the restless crowd moving with the team’s progress, the patrol directly revealing weapons to intimidate the surrounding crowd.

With difficulty, they traversed a stretch of road with no mishaps, without yet letting their guard down.

Suddenly, several scruffy children were pushed into the middle of the road, blocking the path. They knelt pathetically on the cold ground, pleading, "Please, kind sirs and madams, give us something to eat!"

"Kind big brother, give us some water!"

"Kind uncles, have mercy on us!"

The sudden change left them bewildered.

Some women in the group looked sympathetically at the children, but felt helpless, their food limited. Besides, looking around, hungry eyes fixedly stared at them; revealing food could prompt a robbery.

Moreover, to obtain food, approval from the Life Department leader was first necessary, which showcased the team’s organized benefits.

Cheng Xiaoxiao had to admire her prompt arrangement of the team, as this situation arose; if one member’s sympathy resulted in giving food, even escaping would leave them unable to preserve their supplies.

Cheng Beiniu shouted, "Move! If you don’t move, don’t blame me for being harsh."

The children hesitated, frightened, but glancing at their parents’ distant warning eyes, continued their effort.

Two girls knelt before Cheng Beiniu, ignoring his sword, clinging to his trousers, pitifully begging, "Please, uncle, have mercy on us! We haven’t eaten in three days and are starving to death, please have compassion."

Cheng Beiniu remained unmoved, having roamed the world for years and seen all sorts of tricks.

These adults didn’t seek their own food, sending children to beg for others’, such parents were utterly shameless.

Yet seeing the two frail girls clutching his leg, emaciated and red from the cold, one could sense they couldn’t withstand a single kick from him. If he did kick, would it lead to their death, causing even bigger trouble?

As he pondered this, Cheng Xiaoxiao stepped forward, drawing her sword, stabbing forward.

The surrounding refugees gasped, covering their eyes in fear of witnessing a bloody scene, surprised by the group’s ruthlessness, prepared to kill immediately.

The girl clutching his leg went pale with fright, trembling uncontrollably as the sword approached.

With one stroke, Cheng Xiaoxiao sliced off most of the girl’s grass-braided ponytail, skimming her scalp. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Cheng Xiaoxiao said coldly, "Move, or the next strike will be your throat," eyes narrowed dangerously, sword tip scanning the kneeling children.

"Who wants to try?"

Stunned and speechless, the children were scared by Cheng Xiaoxiao’s display.

Her warning sent them scrambling away in terror.

Thinking she had intimidated effectively, Cheng Xiaoxiao saw the girl clutching Uncle Beiniu’s other pant leg held fast.

Her parents favored her brother; without securing food today, they might truly let her starve.

Early or late death was still death; perhaps dying now was relief, no longer a burden at home.

In the girl’s eyes, Cheng Xiaoxiao saw resolve and a will to die; ridiculous that a seven or eight-year-old was driven to willingly face death.

Her parents must be exceedingly callous.

Though sympathetic to the girl, Cheng Xiaoxiao could not give anything, besides food termination, whether consumed or snatched by surrounding wolves.

Cheng Xiaoxiao sheathed her sword, drawing her signature dagger from her waist, squatting before the girl, maliciously smiling, "What, you think I won’t follow through?"