Shen Feng rested for a night, and his physical strength finally recovered. Although his ribs were broken, as long as he could endure the pain, running would not be affected.
Shen Feng grilled another bird leg and ate it before preparing to leave the cliff. He pulled out two long feathers from the golden eagle, which were wing feathers. The feathers alone were taller than Shen Feng. Shen Feng held one feather in each hand and leaped from the cliff, gliding slowly to the ground. After roughly determining north and south, he rushed towards the south.
He was still in the mountains and Shen Feng didn't know where he was, but heading south was always the right direction. He had entered Wudang Mountain and was trapped by sparrows. Going south should lead him to the Yangtze River.
Shen Feng ran south for a long distance and finally saw a long river. The terrain around it became increasingly flat. Shen Feng breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had reached the Yangtze River.
At this moment, Shen Feng found a small town. People were still farming there. Many crops were planted in the plains. However, these people were very diligent. They knew that the land in the plains belonged to the public. When they were free, they voluntarily went to the mountains to farm. Vegetables and peas had short growth cycles, and they could be harvested and sold for money within a month or two of planting.
Shen Feng found these people in the mountains and was stunned when he asked. This place was not by the Yangtze River at all.
"This is Guihua Township, in Hanzhong! The river below is the Han River, and to the north is the Qinling Mountains," a young man said to Shen Feng.
Shen Feng was covered in blood and was holding long feathers, which attracted a lot of attention.
Shen Feng was stunned for a moment and muttered to himself, "It's Hanzhong? That's too outrageous. How should I go now?"
Shen Feng hadn't expected to be brought from Wudang Mountain to the Qinling Mountains. This meant he was even further from Yuzhou. It seemed the golden eagle's flight ability was not to be underestimated, as it could fly from Wudang Mountain to the Qinling Mountains in an hour, directly crossing provincial borders.
An elderly man in his fifties asked, "Young man, where are you going?"
Shen Feng quickly replied, "I'm going to Yuzhou. Old man, do you know how to get there?"
The old man nodded and said, "I do know that. You just need to go south. After passing the Dabashan Mountains, you will be in Yuzhou territory. I heard that Yuzhou is having trouble with mutated beasts, so you should be careful."
Shen Feng nodded, knowing the general route. It seemed his chosen path was correct. Going south would lead him to Yuzhou, which was a familiar place.
Just then, a young girl walked over curiously. She looked at the two long feathers Shen Feng carried with envy and asked, "Are these golden eagle feathers? Can I touch them?"
Shen Feng shrugged. They were just feathers. He had intended to take them back as trophies, but since others were interested, he might as well do a favor.
With that thought, Shen Feng handed over the feathers and said, "Here, they're for you. I plucked them casually when I killed two golden eagles. Since you like them, I'll give them to you. They're not that special anyway."
The young girl was stunned. Looking at the two long feathers before her, she numbly accepted the gift. However, she was so shocked by what Shen Feng had said that she couldn't speak. Although golden eagle feathers were beautiful, they weren't incredibly precious. What truly shocked her was Shen Feng's claim that he had killed golden eagles.
The other people farming also gathered around upon hearing Shen Feng's account and began to question him.
"Young man, are you joking?"
"This is not something you can just say casually. You have to be responsible for your words."
"Don't think you can fool us just because you happened to find two golden eagle feathers. How could something as fierce as a golden eagle be killed just like that?"
The group directly began to question the truthfulness of Shen Feng's words, mostly believing he was lying. Some even thought Shen Feng was trying to deceive them by finding feathers, a type of person they had encountered before. In short, no one believed him.
Seeing the group's agitated reaction, Shen Feng couldn't help but frown. He then said earnestly, "I really killed the golden eagles. Look at the bloodstains on me. These are injuries I sustained while fighting the golden eagles. If I had my phone with me, I would have taken pictures of the golden eagles by now."
The crowd looked at Shen Feng's resolute demeanor and became confused. Could it be that the golden eagles had really been killed?
Suddenly, someone recognized Shen Feng's face and exclaimed in surprise, pointing at him, "You... aren't you one of the top ten heroes who were on TV before? Why aren't you wearing your wolf fur coat? That's why I didn't recognize you sooner!"
In Yanjing, Shen Feng had been on national television and received a medal. However, at that time, Shen Feng was wearing a wolf fur coat, and most people's attention was focused on the coat. If Shen Feng had appeared here in his wolf fur cloak today, someone would have recognized him long ago.
Shen Feng shrugged helplessly and pointed at the sun in the sky, saying, "Everyone, it's summer now. Wouldn't wearing fur in this weather cause heatstroke? However, since you've recognized me, I'll be direct. I killed both golden eagles, so you can rest assured."
Upon hearing Shen Feng's words, the crowd no longer doubted him and cheered. But after the cheers, some people knelt on the ground and began to cry.
Shen Feng was confused by this scene. What was wrong with these people?
The girl who received the feathers explained, "Lord Fengshen, please listen to me. We have all been greatly harmed by the golden eagles in the northern mountains. The two golden eagles often came to the villages and towns to snatch people or animals to eat. Many people's relatives and friends were taken by the golden eagles. Nowadays, even when we farm, we have lookouts on high places to warn us. As soon as golden eagles are spotted, we have to hide."
Through the girl's explanation, Shen Feng gradually understood the truth. The golden eagles appeared after the apocalypse, possibly descending from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. After the golden eagles nested in the mountains, they immediately began preying on people and animals. The Qinling Mountains area became their hunting ground. An army had once dispatched ten fighter jets to encircle and annihilate them, but the golden eagles tore them apart. As a result, the surrounding residents were constantly vigilant against aerial attacks.
Two months ago, floods ravaged the Jingxiang region, displacing many people. The golden eagles shifted their hunting targets to Jingxiang. They would snatch and eat humans or zombies in the water, which brought some peace to the Hanzhong region.
Now that Shen Feng had killed the golden eagles, these people were mourning their lost friends and relatives. Thus, they were happy that their great enemies were dead, and then sad for those who had passed away.
"I see. I didn't expect that just two golden eagles would cause everyone in Hanzhong to be so cautious and vigilant," Shen Feng sighed, realizing how difficult it was for ordinary people to survive in the apocalypse.
On a tall tree on the mountainside, an adult stood holding a gong, constantly watching the sky. His eyes were dry from looking at the sky for too long, but he dared not blink. He was afraid that if he accidentally missed the appearance of the golden eagles, his friends would be harmed.
At this moment, cheers erupted from the mountainside. It turned out the golden eagles in the northern mountains had been killed. The man on the tree breathed a sigh of relief and then shed tears. In the apocalypse, he and his young son had depended on each other. He thought this was the hope for the rest of his life, but a few months ago, the golden eagles had taken his young son as well. His entire life instantly turned bleak.
"My poor child, you can rest in peace now. The menace has been killed!" a burly man couldn't help but cry on the tree.
If not for extreme pain, a strong, burly man would not have cried at this time and place. The pressures of life could not crush this man, but the pain of losing a loved one was unbearable.
Shen Feng received directions from a group of villagers and learned the way to Yuzhou. If he went south, he would only reach Yuzhou territory, but following the road would be easy. He first took a small path to the highway, and then he could go directly to Yuzhou.
Shen Feng hurried on his way, heading towards Yuzhou. By afternoon, he had arrived in Yuzhou.
When Shen Feng saw the city walls of Yuzhou, he couldn't help but leap up and climb over the wall, not entering through the city gate.
Shen Feng rushed to the City Lord's Mansion. Chang Jianyi and Chu Chaoyan were not there. Tu Xuhuai was handling government affairs, and he was overwhelmed, dealing with almost all the affairs of Yuzhou city.
"City Lord, you're finally back. Miss Chu is at home. Professor Chu has unfortunately passed away forever. Where are you going now?" Tu Xuhuai was finally relieved to see Shen Feng return. Since the City Lord had appeared, Yuzhou would be safe. He believed in Shen Feng's capabilities.
Shen Feng was saddened to hear of Professor Chu's death. He had wanted to return quickly, but he encountered a battle on the way, which caused him to return this late and miss his teacher's last moments. This was truly regrettable.
"Alas, I'll go see Chaoyan first. You handle things here for now," Shen Feng said dejectedly.
However, Tu Xuhuai pointed at Shen Feng's body. Shen Feng's clothes were tattered and smelled sour. Although the bloodstains had dried, his current appearance was truly unseemly. Such a handsome young man was now so disheveled. It would be truly inappropriate to appear at Professor Chu's funeral like this.
Shen Feng nodded, understood, and looked around at Tu Xuhuai. Tu Xuhuai was wearing a white shirt and a tie, with his jacket hanging to the side. Shen Feng casually took his jacket and went to the bathroom to wash up briefly before putting on the jacket and leaving.
Tu Xuhuai frowned as he watched Shen Feng leave, his eyes full of conflict. He thought, "It seems I won't get my jacket back. How can the City Lord just take things?"
When Shen Feng arrived at Chu Chaoyan's home, his mood was also heavy. White mourning cloth hung in the house, and many people in black suits were busy. Seeing Shen Feng, they quickly nodded in greeting, speaking in hushed tones, as if afraid of disturbing others.
Couplets were posted on both sides of the door: "Tears flow like Qujiang River into the sea, mournful cries choke the throat."
Entering the door, he saw a black coffin in the center of the main hall. Professor Chu's pale face lay inside. Many ice packs were used for cooling around him. Everlasting lamps were lit at the head and tail of the coffin, and a memorial portrait was hung in the center.
Chu Chaoyan was dressed in mourning clothes, wearing a white cloth headband. A white cloth was tied to her hair bun, and a white flower was inserted into it. She was weeping uncontrollably, her eyes red and swollen, indicating the depth of her grief.
Chang Jianyi, with her pregnant belly, was arranging matters. Chu Chaoyan was overcome with grief, so even though she was an outsider, she had to handle the related affairs.
Shen Feng appeared in the hall and couldn't help but walk to Chu Chaoyan's side and kneel, saying, "Chaoyan, I'm back, but I'm afraid I'm too late."