Weapon Systems 15. Evacuation
On the second day after the monsters appeared, sure enough, schools around the world closed, and students returned home for full-time online learning. Even crucial exams like the college entrance test had to be postponed indefinitely!
Zhang Mingjing was trying to persuade Zhang Yidao and Xiao Nüxia to leave this southern small town, but the two were stubborn and arrogant, making Zhang Mingjing quite frustrated.
Both Zhang Yidao and Xiao Nüxia had seen the news on television. In their eyes—especially in Zhang Yidao’s view—the great monster had finally arrived.
With a triumphant grin, Zhang Yidao said, “See? I warned you all before. Those cats, dogs, and rats were just minor demons, the vanguard of the demon clan. The real monster was still on its way. Nobody believed me back then—even the police arrested me. But now, everyone must believe me, right?”
Zhang Mingjing knew there was no point in offering scientific explanations. He just hoped they’d leave the town quickly, while he himself had to stay and fight the monsters.
“Zhang Yidao, you must take Xiao Nüxia and leave this city immediately. The monsters are targeting this place; the Grandmaster has told me everything,” Zhang Mingjing said, resorting to invoking the Grandmaster as leverage.
Zhang Yidao raised an eyebrow, suspicion clouding his face. “The Grandmaster told you? You barely even worship him—how does he tell you everything? I kneel to him every day, yet he gives me no information at all.”
“Are you saying the Grandmaster plays favorites?”
“I wouldn’t say that. But isn’t he keeping in touch with you a bit too often?”
“No choice—I’m the only one with the hardware to receive his signals. We’re running a celestial-mortal long-distance connection. If you had the same equipment, he’d talk to you too.”
“Bah! You rascal—is that true?”
“Then why didn’t the Grandmaster tell you to leave as well?” Xiao Nüxia asked.
“I have a destiny to fulfill; I must stay, and I can’t die. The Grandmaster told you two to leave because he foresaw danger for you if you remain.”
Zhang Yidao and Xiao Nüxia exchanged glances. Zhang Yidao asked again, “Are you serious?”
“Come on, Zhang Yidao! How many times do you need to ask? After everything that’s happened this past month, isn’t it proof enough?”
Zhang Yidao turned to Xiao Nüxia. “You go. I’ll stay here and take care of Zhang Mingjing.”
Xiao Nüxia flared up. “Zhang Yidao, what kind of person do you take me for? What’s that supposed to mean? At a critical moment, you want me to abandon my husband and son, so I’ll spend the rest of my life in despair? How vicious you are!”
Seeing this tactic fail, Zhang Mingjing was out of options and had to use the move he least wanted. He deliberately complained, “Let me be honest with you—the Grandmaster said you two don’t have enough blessings. If you stay, not only will you be no help, you’ll drag down my luck, so he told me to make you leave. Otherwise, I’d be fine, but you could bring trouble upon me.”
“Really?!” Zhang Yidao and Xiao Nüxia looked at each other, feeling suddenly dejected.
Zhang Mingjing felt he’d gone too far, his heart burdened, but he had no choice—it was for their safety.
After hearing such harsh words, Zhang Yidao and Xiao Nüxia spent the whole afternoon in silence, their spirits low.
By evening, the two finally began packing.
Zhang Mingjing felt sorrow, but as he watched them prepare to leave this dangerous place, he also felt relieved.
He handed his bank card to Xiao Nüxia, smiling, “Xiao Nüxia, Mom, I’m sorry for what I said today. Please keep this card for me—I’m afraid I’ll lose it.”
Xiao Nüxia took the card with tears in her eyes, choking back her sadness. “Son, Zhang Mingjing, with me and Zhang Yidao not by your side, you must take care of yourself.”
“I know.”
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Xiao Nüxia reached out and touched Zhang Mingjing’s face, then said with a sob, “I need to finish packing. Go talk to Zhang Yidao.”
“Alright.”
Zhang Mingjing stepped out, seeing Xiao Nüxia’s tears streaming down. His own eyes grew moist.
He saw Zhang Yidao packing in silence, sighing mournfully. Once he’d composed himself, Zhang Mingjing entered his room and tried to sound cheerful. “Zhang Yidao, don’t go too far—just a city or two away is fine. Otherwise, it’ll be a hassle for me to visit you and Xiao Nüxia.”
“Is that what the Grandmaster said?” Zhang Yidao asked, his tone gloomy.
“Heh, no.”
“Zhang Mingjing, with me and Xiao Nüxia not by your side, you must take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry—I always look out for myself.”
“Hmm, that’s true. You’d even send your parents away for your own sake.”
“Uh, don’t be angry. It’s the Grandmaster’s orders—he’s our elder, we must listen. Besides, he wants you two to leave this place for your own safety.”
“Ah, it’s my fault I haven’t cultivated enough. I can’t help you.”
“You’ve got many good qualities, but you’re too competitive. People like that always make life hard for themselves.”
“That’s true—I do have a stubborn streak.”
“And you passed it on to me. It’s dragged me into this.”
“Bah!... I know you’re dutiful. You wouldn’t have told us to leave unless you absolutely had to. If anyone’s to blame, it’s my own arrogance. Just a month of powers and I got carried away. But really, how could people like me and Xiao Nüxia deal with a monster like that? Yet... I don’t believe you can handle it alone either.”
“Ha! You live up to your reputation as Divine Dao Zhang Yidao—sharp eyes. Of course I can’t manage by myself.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t forget, there’s still the Grandmaster. At the critical moment, he’ll help me. That should ease your mind.”
“So that’s how it is!” Zhang Yidao nodded, then knelt before the Grandmaster’s statue, knocking his head three times.
Just then, the avatar spoke. “The city government has notified us—three monsters are racing toward our city, and their trajectory suggests their destination is here. Citizens are urged to evacuate within two days.”
“Understood,” Zhang Mingjing replied.
Then Zhang Yidao said, “I discussed with Xiao Nüxia—we’ll leave Yu Hua and Cheng Xian here with you. They shouldn’t reduce your luck, right?”
“Oh, please, stop bringing up luck shortages. Leave them—it’ll be good to have company.”
The avatar spoke again. “Please download me onto your phones. I can keep you company and help relay messages.”
“Don’t worry—I won’t forget you. I spent eighty thousand yuan on you!” Zhang Yidao joked. “Even machines have gained spirits these days!”
Early the next morning, Zhang Mingjing avoided going out to see Zhang Yidao and Xiao Nüxia off, for fear of being forcibly sent away himself.
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He sensed the two quickly blended into the dense crowd leaving the city. Once they were gone, he could no longer sense anything about them, relying only on his phone’s tracking to know where they were.
He thought, after all these years, this was the first time he’d been apart from them. A pang of sadness struck him. Ironically, the one who always wanted to run away from home ended up staying.
By noon, Zhang Yidao and Xiao Nüxia had traveled far from the city, and Zhang Mingjing’s emotions finally settled. At that moment, Elder A contacted him.
“You’re brave, daring to stay and face danger alone.”
“I took your five-dimensional spatial thinking model, so I have to repay you, right? I’m honest and straightforward.”
“Hahaha…”
“But I’m really afraid I’m not up to the task.”
“That’s natural. You don’t need to fight every monster, just eliminate the one closest to the energy sphere.”
“Oh! So I’m the guardian of the sphere?”
“Hahaha…”
“But what about the other monsters?”
“There’s the Earth army.”
“Oh.”
“The army will take care of some monsters. Those that slip through will head for the energy sphere. Just guard it.”
“I took such a valuable thing from you, only to repay you by being a guard. Isn’t that a bit too convenient for me?”
“This guarding position is crucial!”
“Oh, I see! So where’s the energy sphere?”
“A thousand meters beneath the city sports stadium.”
“Wow, so deep—how can monsters get to it?”
“Monsters have their ways, otherwise they wouldn’t be monsters.”
“But didn’t you say they can’t absorb the energy even if they get the sphere? Why worry about them?”
“Silly, the sphere is just bait. If they realize they can’t absorb its energy, they’ll stop fighting for it and attack other energy sources on Earth. That would cause even greater problems.”
“So that’s it. Guarding the sphere is to protect its secret!”
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