Xu Nuo's approach might be similar if the tables were turned—he'd only make such a move with the confidence of total success, or the ability to handle any retaliation. Otherwise, he'd steer clear of trouble.
After checking on Lǚ Xia and preparing breakfast, Park Su went to call Xu Nuo downstairs, only to find him at the second-floor window, his expression cold and calculating.
While Park Su didn't know the specifics of Xu Nuo's thoughts, he was certain of their target. Silently lighting a mental candle for the convoy leaders, he adjusted his demeanor and called Xu Nuo to breakfast.
Xu Nuo turned to Park Su with a smile, saying, "Not yet. I need to deliver a special gift to them first, then I can eat properly. Set the table, and I'll be back soon."
Before Park Su could process what Xu Nuo meant, Xu Nuo had already leaped out the second-floor window, disappearing from sight.
Park Su rushed to the window, only to find Xu Nuo already gone. Knowing Xu Nuo's martial prowess, he figured such a height was no problem for him. Park Su chuckled at himself for worrying unnecessarily.
Without Xu Nuo's help, his own spiritual training meant he could barely see beyond a meter. The convoy had moved about four or five hundred meters away, with buildings in between blocking his view. He couldn't tell what Xu Nuo was doing outside.
Since there was no show to watch, he followed Xu Nuo's instructions to set the table for breakfast and made sure Chen Jingxuan ate as well. He was confident that the convoy leaders were no match for Xu Nuo and that Xu Nuo wouldn't get hurt.
Chen Jingxuan, seeing his mother's fever had broken, felt relieved and ate heartily, making up for the meals he had missed. He then slept soundly beside his mother.
Xu Nuo returned while Park Su was halfway through his meal. Instead of sitting down to eat, he went to his room, likely to bathe, as Park Su caught a whiff of blood on him as he passed.
Presumably, he had killed quite a few zombies earlier, and the aura of death hadn't completely dissipated from him, causing Park Su to shiver and become more curious about what Xu Nuo had done.
When Xu Nuo sat down to eat, Park Su couldn't help but ask, "How did you teach them a lesson?"
Xu Nuo replied while eating, "I used their own tactics against them. They wanted us to be surrounded by zombies, unable to leave, so I made sure they experienced the same fate."
Park Su's mouth fell open as he grasped Xu Nuo's meaning. Had Xu Nuo just transferred the zombies from their doorstep to the convoy in that short span of time?
He immediately put down his chopsticks and hurried to the second floor. Opening the window and looking out, he saw the zombies gradually moving away, apparently heading towards the convoy.
The zombies surrounding them were gradually dispersing. Considering that yesterday, the people had killed quite a few zombies around them, leaving a lot of blood, it was surprising that the zombies, highly sensitive to blood, would suddenly move towards the convoy.
This reminded Park Su of the formation Xu Nuo had set up before, which could gather and disperse blood as bait, and also kill zombies.
He thought that Xu Nuo had likely used such a trap again, transferring the zombies to scare the convoy without harming them. Since Xu Nuo had promised to teach him Taoist techniques, formations with such powerful effects were very appealing to him. Curious, he asked, "Did you use the same formation I saw the first time? Could you show me the talismans you used?"
"I thought it looked incredibly cool the first time I saw you use it. With such a formation, there might be a glimmer of hope even if one fell into a horde of zombies.
So if you don't mind, could you teach me this first when I am ready to learn formations?"
For Park Su, falling into a horde of zombies had always been his deepest fear, so he wanted to learn any method that could help him escape from such a situation.
To his surprise, Xu Nuo just gave him a once-over and said, "You might not have the talent for Taoist techniques, and you're not that young anymore. You'll have to start from the basics, and it's hard to say how much you can learn. Thinking about learning such a formation now is like trying to run before you can walk—wishful thinking.
Moreover, didn't you say that zombies are getting stronger? Are you sure that even if you learn the formation, your level of Taoist skills will be enough to kill so many zombies at once?
But if you want to escape from a horde of zombies, instead of learning the formation, it's better to learn my footwork first. That way, even if you don't have a formation, and can't defeat the zombies, at least you can use the gaps between the zombies to escape. So think about whether you want to defeat the zombies or learn footwork that can save your life?"
After hearing Xu Nuo's analysis, Park Su felt that he made a lot of sense, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Not only did he lack Xu Nuo's talent for Taoist techniques and had no foundation in it, but even if he mastered the formation, it would likely take several years.
As a beginner, he could probably only deal with low-level zombies, which might not help him escape a horde. But hearing Xu Nuo talk about his footwork, Park Su couldn't help but remember the scene where Xu Nuo effortlessly moved through the zombies while setting up the formation—it was incredibly cool.
Hearing that Xu Nuo was willing to teach him, his eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked, "When can I start learning this footwork?"
Xu Nuo had anticipated Park Su's excitement but was still surprised by his reaction. He noticed that Park Su seemed particularly interested in escaping from or killing large numbers of zombies, almost to the point of obsession.
This obsession seemed to be about more than just enhancing his strength; it also seemed connected to some secret. But since Park Su didn't want to talk about it, Xu Nuo didn't press him. He nodded and said, "Learning this footwork isn't difficult, and you can start now. It just requires hard work and practice. Although you haven't learned Taoist techniques yet, you have spiritual energy in your body, which you call abilities.
The higher your abilities and the more effort you put in, the faster your movements will be. Using abilities to learn this footwork is ultimately based on my theory, so now I can try teaching you. But learning this footwork requires a high level of physical fitness, and I won't go easy on you during training, so don't give up halfway."
Park Su immediately responded, "I won't give up halfway, and my physical fitness is actually pretty good."
Xu Nuo gave him a once-over, "With your current physique? I think you should start with some proper training first."
Park Su felt a bit underestimated by Xu Nuo's comment. He wanted to argue but, noticing Xu Nuo's solid build and comparing it to his own softer physique, decided not to say anything self-deprecating.
Seeing his reaction, Xu Nuo stifled a smile, "Alright, I'll set up a training program for you. Make sure you work hard to learn quickly."
When Xu Nuo saw Park Su's expression change from resentment to eager anticipation, his smile deepened. "Didn't you say Lǚ Xia's fever had broken? Go check on her condition and see if she's awakened any abilities. If everything's fine, we should leave this place soon and find a quieter spot. I need to push my Taoist skills further, and this place is too noisy."
Park Su nodded, "I'll check on her right away." Then, with a sigh, he added, "If I'd known we would break through so soon, we could have stayed in the village a few more days. Now, where can we find a quiet and safe place?"
Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow, reminding him, "Do you still want to learn the footwork or not? If not, I can go find a place to train myself. Do you think I enjoy dragging you along?"
Upon hearing this, Park Su immediately perked up, "Of course I want to learn! Don't worry, I'll find an absolutely quiet place where you can have your breakthrough, so don't leave me behind!"
Xu Nuo gave him a light tap on the forehead, "I'm not that much older than you, so don't go calling me 'sir' like I'm ancient. As a wood element ability user who has just had a breakthrough, you also need to find a relatively remote place to get familiar with your new abilities.
So, let's change our route and look for a place that's more remote but has plenty of trees around.
For example, an upscale villa district—those places are usually in the suburbs, with a lot of greenery but low population density. It would be easier to deal with any zombies there."
With Xu Nuo providing a general direction, Park Su eagerly went to find a suitable spot. He was amused to think that what used to be highly sought-after upscale villa districts were considered remote and desolate by Xu Nuo.
Well, it did seem quite desolate when Xu Nuo described it!