Xu Nuo hadn't expected Park Su to come to terms with it so quickly, but he still felt the need to drive the point home, "Don't worry, today you'll see an even uglier side of humanity.
Prepare yourself mentally. In the future, don't be so trusting and kind to everyone. In peaceful times, that wouldn't matter; you'd just lose some money or suffer minor setbacks. But in this world, if you don't change, sooner or later, you'll die because of it."
Xu Nuo's words struck a chord with Park Su. After all, in his past life, it was his excessive trust in others that led to his demise at the hands of his lover. Even in this life, though he knew he should be cautious, he couldn't bring himself to harm those who had done him no wrong.
And when he truly saw others in danger, he couldn't just stand by and watch; he always felt compelled to help where he could. This was why, when he went out later, like the time he saved that girl in the supermarket, he faced similar situations.
However, after the first experience, Park Su had become more guarded and hadn't suffered as greatly as he did the first time.
Moreover, as long as the other party didn't cross the line, he wouldn't hold any deep grudges. But now, after Xu Nuo's words, he suddenly felt that perhaps the hardships he had faced were because he had repeatedly overlooked these transgressions.
When you ignore something initially, others will become more and more excessive.
He thought that if he wanted to change his fate, he might need to pay closer attention to his own situation. As Xu Nuo said, not everyone deserved his help, and not everyone was trustworthy.
After all, villains don't write "I am bad" on their faces. Take Sun Mu Yang, for example; Park Su had been so good to him, and though Sun Mu Yang wasn't particularly considerate, often appearing haughty, Park Su never imagined that Sun Mu Yang had always harbored intentions to kill him.
Thinking of this, Park Su felt a pang of sadness. He looked up at Xu Nuo. Why was Xu Nuo so unwilling to trust others? He knew that this man, who had been betrayed, found it even harder to trust than he did.
Because the legendary Master Xu Nuo from his past life was famously known for being a lone wolf, never having a fixed partner.
Could it be that he too had been betrayed or hurt by humanity? If that was the case, weren't they kindred spirits, both victims of betrayal? So, would his desire to get close to Xu Nuo and cling to him still succeed?
As Park Su was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his forehead; Xu Nuo had apparently flicked him. He looked at Xu Nuo with a hint of resentment, "Why did you suddenly hit me?"
Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow, "Shouldn't I be asking why you're looking at me with that kind of gaze?" He had expected Park Su to be upset by his words, but instead, Park Su seemed not only not angry but somewhat forlorn.
Moreover, the look in his eyes today had been different; instead of the usual light of admiration, there was a mix of worry and sadness. This version of Park Su seemed pitiful, like a puppy that had lost its favorite toy, and this was the first time Xu Nuo had seen such an expression on him, causing a small ripple in his heart.
He instinctively wanted to reach out and touch Park Su's soft short hair, but as his hand was about to make contact, he pulled back, instead flicking Park Su's forehead with his index finger. He hadn't expected his action to reveal a different side of Park Su, expanding the ripple of emotion within him, but he ultimately concealed his feelings, only saying that one sentence.
Unfortunately, Park Su didn't pick up on Xu Nuo's slight change in demeanor. Upon hearing his words, Park Su just turned his head away, muttering quietly, "What kind of look can I give you other than one of admiration?"
Unfortunately for Park Su, his voice, though low, did not escape Xu Nuo's sharp ears. Although Xu Nuo had noticed the light of admiration in Park Su's eyes since realizing he was the creator of the spatial rings, hearing Park Su say it outright still surprised him, but it also brought a tiny thrill of pleasure.
However, he knew that continuing this topic might only make Park Su embarrassed and angry. Besides, now was not the time for banter. He decided to tease Park Su after everything was settled.
Sadly, Park Su was unaware of Xu Nuo's current thoughts. If he knew that Xu Nuo was already planning how to tease him, he'd probably be furious. But because he didn't know, he was also unaware that Xu Nuo had indeed heard his murmur.
At the moment, he was concentrating intently on waiting for Xu Nuo's next move. Xu Nuo, after waiting for ten minutes, stepped out of the door without hesitation, and Park Su naturally followed behind him, watching as Xu Nuo walked forward, hastening to keep up.
Simultaneously, he glanced up and saw, from a distance, that a few households had already hung bedsheets from their windows, indicating those were the ones agreeing to their proposal and seeking their help. However, Xu Nuo did not head towards the nearest house to them; instead, he went in another direction. Park Su could tell Xu Nuo had a specific target in mind and didn't say much, continuing to follow.
When Park Su followed Xu Nuo to that house, he realized that the door had already been broken down by zombies. Inside, a young woman was fighting to protect her child from the zombies, showing no signs of cowardice despite being at a disadvantage. When Xu Nuo arrived, the zombie was just about to strike at her neck, having knocked aside the solid wooden chair she was using as a shield.
Desperation filled the woman's eyes, but she did not stop fighting; she pulled out a fruit knife from behind her and stabbed towards the zombie. However, she knew deep down that with the length of the knife, even if she managed to kill the zombie by some miracle, she would likely be scratched or bitten, making her chance of turning into a zombie nearly 100%.
But she had no other option; it was the only way to ensure her child's safety. She hoped that after killing the zombie, the two young men would be willing to look after her child, even if it meant giving them all her family's possessions. She was aware that her meager belongings might not be of much interest to the two, but it might be her son's only chance at survival. All she wished now was to last long enough for those two to arrive, even if she was injured.
However, what she didn't expect was not the pain but the sudden death of the zombie. As the zombie vanished right in front of her, she saw the two young men standing behind where the zombie had been. All her strength seemed to drain away, and she collapsed, completely exhausted.
She was saved. Looking at the two young men, she opened her mouth and uttered a thank you!
Xu Nuo, however, didn't acknowledge her gratitude. Instead, he coldly dropped a line, "Remember to deliver your payment to our doorstep by tomorrow morning."
Before leaving, he paused, sticking a talisman on both the door and the window, "With these two talismans, zombies won't enter for the time being. But this place isn't safe anymore; you'd better think of a way out. Since you protected your child by your own ability, I won't count the child's head. You only need to deliver ten pounds of grain."
With that, he no longer cared for the woman's reaction, leaping out of the window towards another house with a bedsheet hanging.
Park Su, watching Xu Nuo's departing figure, couldn't help but purse his lips. Xu Nuo was clearly all bark and no bite. However, he was indeed moved by the scene in the room. He thought if his own mother were in such a situation, she would stand in front of him to protect him, even if she knew she wasn't strong enough. This must be the greatness of maternal love!
Thinking back to his past life, perhaps his mother endured hardships in base B because she was waiting for him to come find her, hoping to see him again. Maybe it was because she feared that without their protection, she wouldn't survive, but also because she didn't want to cut off her son's last retreat out of her momentary anger.
He was unfilial, not having thought to go to City B for six years, and for such a laughable reason as love. Now, looking at the woman collapsed on the floor and the boy trembling in the corner, Park Su couldn't help but offer some advice, "The world has changed, and we don't know how long it will last. You can't keep protecting him like this; it's harmful to him too.
You need to teach him to face the current situation bravely. Only then do you both have a chance to survive. He's not that young anymore, and as a boy, he should learn to protect his mother rather than always being protected, don't you think?" After saying this, he didn't wait for the woman's response and jumped out of the window, following Xu Nuo to the next house.
There wasn't much more he could do; the rest was up to them to fight for their own fate.
After dealing with two more households, Park Su finally discerned Xu Nuo's pattern. He was handling the most dangerous situations first, prioritizing based on the severity of the danger they faced. At the moment, he was focusing intently on waiting for Xu Nuo's next move, and Xu Nuo, after waiting for ten minutes, stepped out of the door without hesitation, Park Su naturally followed behind him, watching as Xu Nuo walked forward, hastening to keep up.
Simultaneously, he glanced up and saw, from a distance, that a few households had already hung bedsheets from their windows, indicating those were the ones agreeing to their proposal and seeking their help. However, Xu Nuo did not head towards the nearest house to them; instead, he went in another direction. Park Su could tell Xu Nuo had a specific target in mind and didn't say much, continuing to follow.
Upon reaching the house that Xu Nuo had chosen, Park Su found the door already broken down by zombies. Inside, a young woman was fighting off zombies to protect her child, showing no fear despite being at a disadvantage. When Xu Nuo arrived, the zombie was about to strike at her neck, having just pushed aside the solid wooden chair she was using as a shield.
Desperation filled the woman's eyes, but she didn't stop fighting; she reached behind her for a fruit knife and stabbed towards the zombie. However, she was well aware that with the length of the knife, even if she managed to kill the zombie by some stroke of luck, she would likely be scratched or bitten, making her chance of turning into a zombie almost certain.
But she had no other choice; this was the only way to keep her child safe. She hoped that after she killed the zombie, the two young men would be willing to look after her child, even if it meant giving them all her family's possessions. She knew her meager belongings might not catch the interest of the two young men, but it might be her son's only chance at survival. All she wished now was to hold on long enough for those two to come, even if she was injured.
What she didn't expect was not pain, but the sudden demise of the zombie. As the creature vanished before her eyes, she saw the two young men standing behind where the zombie had been. All her strength seemed to drain away, and she collapsed, utterly exhausted.
She was saved. Looking at the two young men, she opened her mouth to say thank you!
Xu Nuo, however, was not moved by her gratitude. He just coldly dropped a line, "Remember to deliver your payment to our doorstep by tomorrow morning."
Before leaving, he paused, placing a talisman on both the door and the window, "With these two talismans, zombies won't enter for the time being. But this place isn't safe anymore; you'd better think of a way out. Since you protected your child by your own ability, I won't count the child's head. You only need to deliver ten pounds of grain."
With that, he no longer cared for the woman's reaction, leaping out of the window towards another house with a bedsheet hanging.
Park Su, watching Xu Nuo's departing figure, couldn't help but purse his lips. Xu Nuo was clearly all bark and no bite. However, he was indeed moved by the scene in the room. He thought if his own mother were in such a situation, she would stand in front of him to protect him, even if she knew she wasn't strong enough. This must be the greatness of maternal love!
Reflecting on his past life, perhaps his mother endured hardships in base B because she was waiting for him to come find her, hoping to see him again. Maybe it was because she feared that without their protection, she wouldn't survive, but also because she didn't want to cut off her son's last retreat out of her momentary anger.
He was unfilial, not having thought to go to City B for six years, and for such a laughable reason as love. Now, looking at the woman collapsed on the floor and the boy trembling in the corner, Park Su couldn't help but offer some advice, "The world has changed, and we don't know how long it will last. You can't keep protecting him like this; it's harmful to him too.
You need to teach him to face the current situation bravely. Only then do you both have a chance to survive. He's not that young anymore, and as a boy, he should learn to protect his mother rather than always being protected, don't you think?" After saying this, he didn't wait for the woman's response and jumped out of the window, following Xu Nuo to the next house.
There wasn't much more he could do; the rest was up to them to fight for their own fate.
After dealing with two more households, Park Su finally discerned Xu Nuo's pattern. He was handling the most dangerous situations first, prioritizing based on the severity of the danger they faced.