At first, Chen He was surprised to see the military men. His surprise only increased even more when he saw the large military bag that Bai Zemin and the other men were carrying on their backs, barely revealing the butt of some guns.
In fact, he had also seen the Type 88 marksman's rifle slung over Bai Zemin's shoulder and had been drooling over that weapon. After all, while his own Type 85 sniper rifle was powerful, it could not compare to the Type 88.
Regardless of whether it was firepower, accuracy, range, or penetration capacity; the Type 88 rifle was undoubtedly multiple times better.
However, his attention soon turned to Shangguan Bing Xue and Wu Yijun. He approached his childhood friends and began asking how they were and asking questions related to the mission trip and the military camp.
Shangguan Bing Xue also seemed to notice Chen He's genuine worry so she along with Wu Yijun began to narrate the events that happened slowly as they sat in a corner.
On the other hand, Bai Zemin approached one of the modified jeeps they had come here in and ordered the driver: "Go back to the village. I want you to tell Cai Jingyi that I need her along with Zhong De to bring a group of two hundred worker survivors and another group of one hundred survivors who were approved to join the armed militia. Any questions?"
The driver of the vehicle hurriedly shook his head. However, he soon seemed to think of something and hesitantly said, "This... Leader Bai, could you send someone with me? Just in case..."
Bai Zemin thought about it for a moment and nodded. He looked to his side and casually asked, "Platoon Leader Fu Qigang, would you like to go and visit the Beginning Village? That way you can get in direct contact with one of my trusted subordinates, he will guide you through the place and there you can see the survivors. It will also be better for you to familiarize yourself with the rules of the place."
Fu Qigang was silent for a few seconds before nodding in agreement.
In fact, he was curious and wanted to see what kind of place this Beginning Village led by the young man beside him was. Only then would he feel more at ease and be able to wholeheartedly join him; after all, he needed to be sure that the person he was entrusting his life and the lives of his men to was not a total lunatic.
Bai Zemin gave a few more instructions to the driver and then, the modified jeep set off in a northerly direction, directly towards the Beginning Village. Fu Qigang had taken two other men armed to the teeth with him, so security along the way would be at least considerable.
The reason Bai Zemin wasn't worried or afraid that Fu Qigang would try anything funny after arriving at the village was because not only were there several of his brothers in arms here with him, but Fu Xuefeng and Kang Lan, who would be staying in the village protecting the house, were by no means weak.
Especially Kang Lan. The current Kang Lan was capable of releasing 5% of his total strength in times of crisis thanks to the fact that she had willingly agreed to become his Loyal Follower.
Moreover, she, just like Cai Jingyi, had also acquired a powerful skill from Bai Zemin. This was a gift he had given to both girls as a "welcome".
* * *
For the driver together with the soldiers to reach the village to communicate his orders and then return to this place would require a travel of at least twenty hours considering that Cai Jingyi and Zhong De needed some time to reunite the survivors required by him and organize everything before departing.
Therefore, Bai Zemin and the rest had nothing to do but wait patiently.
...
Inside the forest, about a hundred meters away from where the others were.
Bai Zemin was sitting on a not so high branch, about six or seven meters above the ground. Leaning against the main trunk of the tree, with one foot firmly resting on the thick branch and with the other swaying gently in the aire, he stared straight ahead with a calm gaze.
The wind whistled and Lilith in her real form appeared at his side. She looked at his face before looking at the place he was looking at before asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
Bai Zemin remained silent for over two minutes, not answering.
Lilith also did not speak again and simply remained seated next to him as she softly hummed a strange melody and swayed her slender legs that floated in the nothingness in rhythm.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Bai Zemin finally opened his mouth, "Lilith, can you tell me about yourself?"
"Eh?" Lilith looked surprised and her melodious humming stopped. She looked at him for a moment before asking with a smile, "What do you want to know? You already know my name... You also know that I belong to the Demonic Army faction under Lucifer's leadership... And you also know that I have absorbed enough Soul Power to become a Sixth Order being."
Bai Zemin smiled bitterly and rebutted, "Doesn't that mean I know nothing about you?"
"Oh?" Lilith raised an eyebrow and focused her full attention on his next words.
"I don't know your age, I don't know what your favorite food is, I don't know if you have a family or not, what your favorite season of the year is, I don't know what your favorite color is either. I also don't know...." Bai Zemin went on to name several other things he didn't know about her before stopping so as not to continue an endless loop.
Lilith looked at him in surprise, and then, he concluded, "Although I barely have some free time to relax and many times we don't even have time to chat, just feeling your presence somehow calms me down... At first, I thought this was due to the fact that you were the person who helped me when the Soul Record destroyed my peaceful life. However, I soon realized that this is not so."
Lilith's heart suddenly tightened. However, her smiling expression did not change as she asked in puzzlement, "And then why is it?"
Bai Zemin frowned tightly and was silent for a long time before smiling bitterly and shook his head, "I'm trying to find the answer to that as well... And something is telling me that you have the answer I'm looking for."
"I see... But you'll have to keep looking for it yourself." Lilith chuckled before stood up and stepped into the air as she walked slowly away, leaving behind a few words, "When you become strong enough, all the answers will come to you naturally. Even if you don't look for them, everything will come to you in proper time. there are things that are better not to know until you have the power to do something about them, otherwise it will only do more harm than good... Work hard, little Zemin. I'm cheering you on from the shadows and from the light."
As he looked at the empty space in front of him, Bai Zemin didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he whispered softly, "Just... Who are you, Lilith?"
In the end, he just shook his head slightly and took out the only photograph he had with his family; his most valuable treasure.
It was getting closer and closer to being able to meet them once again. He barely slept three or four hours during the night, because even when he was lying in his bed he was racking his brain thinking on different ways to become more powerful and to grow his small faction in order to reach his loved ones and give them a safe place in this chaotic world.
What more would he not want than to be able to reach them now? What more would he want than to make sure they were really okay? Bai Zemin was aware that his family might as well be dead or starving while they were hiding in some corner.
However, there was nothing he could do about it but to approach step by step to avoid falling.
Only a part of one of the many forests in Yanqing District had managed to give him so much trouble, Bai Zemin could not even imagine how many dangers there were out there.
"Therefore, I don't just need to be stronger myself." He spoke to himself as he looked at the picture in his hands, "I also need manpower. A few fierce lions or a large number of ants should be enough."