Fortunately, Xu Nuo didn't ask him to immediately decide on the tuition, just told him to think about it. Maybe suggesting being his follower for ten years would be too obviously advantageous?
Seeing Park Su's expression shift from excitement to contemplation, Xu Nuo thought that agreeing to this request might not be a big mistake. However, considering Park Su's somewhat muddled nature, he added, "I've agreed to teach you, but remember, revealing some things can bring trouble upon yourself. So, if one day someone discovers your ring, remember to say you bought it from someone else, and never say you made it yourself, or that I made it. Do you understand?"
Park Su naturally understood the implications, and he wasn't so ungrateful as to ignore Xu Nuo's kind warning. He nodded quickly, "I understand, don't worry. I won't say anything, and I won't show off that I can make spatial rings in front of others, especially not that you made them."
Xu Nuo was very satisfied with Park Su's response and, after nodding, helped him pack the things that could or needed to be taken from the house. Both had forgotten all about whether Park Su would actually be able to learn.
Having received Xu Nuo's promise, Park Su was extremely happy, especially since it made him feel that Xu Nuo cared for him, which made him even more delighted. He felt he had successfully latched onto Xu Nuo's "big thigh" and hoped their relationship would continue to improve. Xu Nuo was not as difficult to get along with as he had imagined!
They had only been together for a few days, and Xu Nuo was already willing to teach him how to make spatial rings. If their relationship improved even more, wouldn't Xu Nuo be willing to teach him how to make life-saving talismans?
However, since Xu Nuo was being so generous to him, perhaps it was time for Park Su to stop deliberately making vegetarian dishes for him; that would be too petty. He should treat Xu Nuo better!
With Xu Nuo's help, packing went much faster. It took them just a morning to clear out the place they had called home for about a month. As they were about to leave, Park Su took one last look at the house now devoid of personal items, feeling a bit reluctant to leave.
Although he had initially chosen this house for refuge, having lived there for some time, he had developed some attachment to it. Moreover, after his rebirth, he had put a lot of effort into preparing for the apocalypse, thinking he would stay there for at least a month or more. Unfortunately, plans didn't always go as expected.
If he didn't know for sure that this place wasn't suitable for long-term stay and that leaving early was for a better life, he would have wanted to stay a bit longer.
Seeing Park Su's lingering gaze, Xu Nuo patted his shoulder, "How about you stay for a couple more days?" In his view, Park Su's so-called advantage wasn't something he cared about. As long as one was strong enough, where and when you were didn't matter. So, if Park Su decided to stay, he wouldn't find it wrong.
The pat on his shoulder brought Park Su back to reality, and he immediately flashed Xu Nuo a grin, "No, that won't do. It's only been three days since the last convoy, and we've already had a new one arrive. Who knows what situation will come next? I don't want to be someone's free labor."
Xu Nuo, seeing Park Su's now cheerful and somewhat smug expression, couldn't help but smile. Well, let him decide then, "How can you be free labor? You collected so many supplies last time. If the next convoy is as foolish as the last, they might just deliver more supplies to you!"
Park Su had to admit that Xu Nuo's suggestions were tempting. Although he already had plenty of food, no one would complain about having too many supplies. If there was a chance to gather more, who wouldn't want to?
However, he wasn't sure what the next convoy would be like; what if it was filled with strong individuals? It could backfire. While he had full confidence in Xu Nuo's abilities, he didn't want to exploit that trust. Moreover, he preferred to play the underdog rather than flaunt his strength openly. So, he rejected Xu Nuo's suggestion.
He loaded some supplies into their pickup as a decoy and left the village with Xu Nuo. Just as Park Su had anticipated, not long after they drove off, other vehicles began to follow them covertly, clearly intending to use them as pathfinders.
For these obvious freeloaders, Park Su acted as if he didn't see them, not out of generosity, but because he was well aware that even if they benefited from his presence now, they would still face the threat of zombies at night.
Even if they were lucky enough to reach the outskirts of S City's base within a day, they might not be able to enter immediately. Sometimes, one had to rely on their own strength to protect themselves and those around them.
If they understood this, Park Su wouldn't mind letting them take a little advantage. After all, zombies would need to be dealt with regardless. However, if they simply expected them to help without contributing, that was out of the question. Another reason he didn't want to confront them was that even if he spoke up, they might not admit to following, and he would likely just get mocked.
Given the current road conditions, they couldn't shake off their tail, so rather than confront them and cause unnecessary trouble, it was better to let them follow. Whether they made it to the S base was up to their own luck.
As for helping them? Ha, he had never considered it. No one was a saint, willing to help without expecting anything in return, and no one had the right to demand help from others.
Most importantly, Park Su's focus was entirely on Xu Nuo. Since Xu Nuo didn't seem to mind the people following behind, Park Su was indifferent as well. After all, he wasn't the main fighter here.
So, he drove on, paying no mind to the cars behind. Unbeknownst to him, Xu Nuo, who appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, had already scanned the occupants of the three cars following them with his spiritual sense. Upon seeing them, the corners of Xu Nuo's mouth subtly twitched.
To his surprise, two of the vehicles contained familiar faces. One was the mother and child he had previously saved, and the other was their neighbor, Meng Qiang's family. The third vehicle was driven by a middle-aged man, with two able-bodied young men and a woman who didn't seem to be family but rather a temporary group.
The last car was indeed occupied by Meng Qiang's family, but what surprised him was that only Meng Qiang's wife, child, and father were inside; the amiable old woman, Meng Qiang's mother, was missing.
A quick glance told Xu Nuo that only the car with the two young men had some combat potential. Both men and the woman seemed relatively calm. Oddly, the woman appeared to have some authority among them, which was strange considering the current societal trend where men, due to their physical advantage, were gaining more power, and women's status was rapidly declining. Xu Nuo had noticed this trend even within the confines of their home.
Yet here, he didn't see the men harassing the woman; instead, there was a hint of respect in their eyes, which piqued his interest. What were their intentions in following them? Xu Nuo couldn't be sure, so he planned to probe them if an opportunity arose on the road.
If they could understand this, Park Su wouldn't mind letting them benefit a little. After all, zombies were something they would have to kill regardless. But if they were simply hoping for help, that was out of the question. Another reason he didn't want to address it was because if he confronted them, they would likely not admit to their intentions, and he might just end up with some cold mockery.
Given the current road conditions, they couldn't shake off their tail. So instead of causing a scene, it was better to let them follow. Whether they made it to the S base would depend on their own fortunes.
As for intervening on their behalf? Ha, Park Su hadn't even considered it. After all, no one was a saint who would act selflessly, and no one was entitled to demand others' assistance.
Most importantly, Park Su's focus was entirely on Xu Nuo. Since Xu Nuo didn't seem to mind the people following them, Park Su was indifferent too. In his eyes, he wasn't the main combatant anyway.
Thus, he continued driving without paying attention to those behind them. What he didn't know was that Xu Nuo, while appearing to be resting with his eyes closed, had already used his spiritual sense to observe the occupants of the three cars trailing them. He saw the people inside and his lips twitched slightly in amusement.
He hadn't expected that two out of the three vehicles were familiar. One car belonged to the mother and child he had saved before, and the other was their good neighbor Meng Qiang's family. The third car was driven by a middle-aged man with two young men and a woman, who didn't seem like a family but rather a temporary group.
The last vehicle actually contained Meng Qiang's family, but what surprised Xu Nuo was that only Meng Qiang's wife, child, and father were in the car; his relatively amicable mother was not present.
With a quick glance, Xu Nuo realized that only the car with the two young men had any fighting capability, as both the men and the woman looked calm and composed.
Moreover, the woman seemed to have some say, which was odd in the current social climate where men, due to their physical advantage, were increasingly dominant, and women's status had rapidly declined. Xu Nuo had seen signs of this during his time in the house using his spiritual sense.
Women's social status was plummeting, yet here, he didn't see the men harassing her; instead, he saw a hint of respect in their eyes, which was quite interesting. What did they want by following them? Xu Nuo couldn't be sure, so he planned to probe them when the opportunity arose on the road.
As for the young widow and her child, a quick look at their meager supplies in the back seat made Xu Nuo understand why they hadn't joined the convoy; they simply couldn't afford the supplies required to travel with them.
If they had given up those supplies, they wouldn't have enough to survive. Thus, choosing to travel with them was probably their last resort. If they behaved well on the road, Xu Nuo considered helping them out during a crisis.
Regarding Meng Qiang, Xu Nuo had never liked that family, and now they were clearly here to take advantage. Xu Nuo wasn't one to suffer losses unless he chose to. He might be willing to take a loss for the mother and child, considering her dedication to her child and the fact that she had given them twenty pounds of grain as payment despite not having enough.
But with Meng Qiang, he had no intention of doing so. He decided that if there was danger on the road, perhaps he could use Meng Qiang's family as a shield.
Weren't they trying to use them? They'd see who would end up using whom!
After observing the people behind, Xu Nuo had no further thoughts on the matter and genuinely closed his eyes to rest. Park Su drove quietly, secretly marveling at how much sturdier the pickup was compared to the Hummer he had bought.
The Hummer he had rented had been battered and bruised from his rough driving during the apocalypse, though he would never admit to his barbaric driving habits.
So, this time when they left, they had transferred all the fuel from the Hummer to the pickup, naturally abandoning the vehicle in their yard. Of course, it could still be driven, but with a better option available, they opted to leave the less favorable vehicle behind. Before setting out, Xu Nuo had placed three isolation talismans under the car, similar to the one he had on his vehicle when Park Su first met him, but these were much more powerful in terms of duration and effect.
With these three talismans, the lifespan of their pickup had been significantly extended, allowing Park Su to drive with more reckless abandon. Whenever zombies lunged at their vehicle, he didn't hesitate; he just floored the gas pedal, sending the zombies flying without any damage to his car. It was absolutely fantastic.
If someone had been watching from a distance, they would have seen zombies being repelled by an invisible force about ten centimeters away from the vehicle, creating a rather bizarre scene.