When Lu Kaiyang arrived in Ice City with ten young ability users, He Qiuan and Gong Changfa of Ice City personally came out to greet them. This made Lu Kaiyang and his group feel flattered. Gong Changfa had been a prominent figure for a very long time, someone of the same generation as their master, Shen Feng. The fact that he came out to greet them outside the city clearly showed how much they valued the ability users from Yuzhou.
"Esteemed guests, it is my honor that you have come to assist us. You truly are disciples of Shen Feng, each with an imposing presence, destined to achieve great things. Indeed, a great teacher produces outstanding students. We have been awaiting your arrival." He Qiuan said with a smile.
Many important figures enjoyed flattering others, regardless of their actual capabilities. The flattery was meant to gain favor, especially when dealing with a group of newcomers.
Currently, many young people were starting to feel conceited. It was clear that He Qiuan's flattery had made them feel very good about themselves. Fortunately, Lu Kaiyang was not swayed by such tactics. He subsequently said, "Mr. He, please do not say such things. These youngsters are all arrogant. You should be suppressing them at this moment. By praising them now, they will only become more insufferable!"
He Qiuan smiled and did not dwell on the matter. He then asked, "I heard that a few days ago, your City Lord Shen Feng summoned a typhoon, causing rain in many areas. Is this true?"
"Of course, this is true. Many news outlets have already reported on it. Why do you still need to ask us?" Lu Kaiyang inquired.
He Qiuan chuckled self-deprecatingly and said helplessly, "Unknowingly, we ability users have been surpassed by Shen Feng. Previously, I never believed humans could achieve such feats. But now, it seems the human world truly hides dragons and crouching tigers, with all sorts of heroes emerging!"
It turned out that He Qiuan had been skeptical of Shen Feng's ability to control typhoons. Only after confirming with Lu Kaiyang did he believe it was true. He was filled with emotion. He was not yet a seventh-tier ability user, but Shen Feng had already reached the eighth tier. Such rapid evolutionary speed was astonishing.
"Enough pleasantries. Let us quickly enter the city. I have prepared a welcoming feast for you. For the upcoming operation to retake Yanjing, we will be relying on your assistance!" Gong Changfa interrupted their reminiscing. There was no use in idle chatter; they needed to get into the city quickly.
Lu Kaiyang quickly nodded and said to the youths behind him, "When we enter, you must be polite and do not act impulsively, lest you displease our hosts."
"We understand. When we were at the Fengshen Palace, we were always learning etiquette," Qu Zhaoqian quickly explained. The other youths also nodded in agreement.
As Shen Feng's disciples and his core strength, these youths had already acquired extensive knowledge. They had studied with Chang Haojie since childhood, and after Chang Haojie left Yuzhou, they continued to study with the eldest and second young masters. They understood astronomy, geography, poetry, and prose. As for etiquette, they were also very knowledgeable.
As the group entered the city, they saw many trucks prepared. It was evident that Ice City was serious about retaking Yanjing.
"Follow me, everyone. The banquet is underground. The surface parts are not important," He Qiuan continued to lead them to the underground section.
Shen Feng's disciples already knew that Ice City was a city built half underground. The city's energy came from oil rigs on Sakhalin Island. The entire underground section was supported by steel. However, hearing about it was one thing, and seeing it with their own eyes was another. The group was stunned upon seeing the city's underground section.
The youths rode down in a glass elevator, allowing them to see the underground conditions. There was a vast space underground, and even in the underground section, it was very bright. There was no shortage of energy here.
"Near Ice City, there are vast plains and fertile black soil suitable for mechanized farming. No wonder Ice City can casually provide twenty thousand tons of grain. With energy and food, this is a formidable force, though the population is a bit small," Lu Kaiyang concluded after observing Ice City's situation.
At the banquet, He Qiuan said to Lu Kaiyang, "Actually, the most difficult obstacle for us to reach Yanjing is not the spider forest, but other mutated insects. Although spiders are numerous, they do not like to move. As long as we bypass these forests, it should be fine. However, there are other dangers in the forests that cannot be ignored. You may not have encountered them on your way here, but with this large-scale expedition, it is inevitable that we will."
"What other dangers are there on the road to the Great Wall? Please tell us now so we can be prepared," Lu Kaiyang could not help but ask.
Even the two powerful ability users from Ice City mentioned dangers on the road, so they could not underestimate the threat to others.
"Actually, it's just some mutated insects. In the Northeast, these insects are called 'yang la zi'," He Qiuan said seriously.
"'Yang la zi'? That is, 'ba jiao ding' or 'mala ding', right?" Lu Kaiyang inquired.
"That's right, it's those things. Many pine forests are now infested with these insects. Once they land on you, they release strong toxins. Even if you don't die from the poison, you will be unable to move," He Qiuan explained.
'Yang la zi' are distributed throughout the country, and the names vary in different regions. In the Northeast, they are called 'yang la zi', while in the Southwest, they are generally called 'mala ding'. Almost all caterpillars are the larvae of moths. In their larval stage, they are simply caterpillars. In their early stages, these caterpillars have little ability to resist natural predators, so they evolved poisonous spines.
The spines on 'yang la zi' are diverse. Some release toxins upon contact, while others can be dispersed by the wind. Once the wind blows, these light spines can land on people and cause a severe toxic reaction. It is said that after being stung by a 'yang la zi', killing one and applying its sap to the wound can quickly reduce swelling and detoxify. However, such claims generally lack scientific basis.
No one expected that the greatest difficulty they would face would be inconspicuous caterpillars, and that the danger posed by the spider forest was even less than that of the caterpillars.
"Are there many of these insects? Can't we find a way to get rid of them with pesticides?" A young man from Yuzhou could not help but ask.
"If pesticides could kill these 'yang la zi', we would have done so long ago. Almost all 'yang la zi' have developed strong resistance to pesticides, rendering them ineffective," He Qiuan explained helplessly.
In the post-apocalyptic world, mutated insects almost universally developed resistance to pesticides, to varying degrees. In Yuzhou and Sichuan Province, Shen Feng had also attempted to use pesticides to kill locusts, but it ultimately came to nothing. The people of Ice City were also finding the situation very troublesome.
"If we can't use pesticides, why don't we set a fire? A fire would burn all the insects," someone suddenly suggested.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding people looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"There are many forests here. We need to prevent fires, not start them. If a fire were to break out, it would not only burn the insects in the forest but also endanger our city," He Qiuan patiently explained.
"This matter is indeed very tricky. I can't think of a solution in a short time. Let's eat quickly. We'll figure something out by the time we depart," Lu Kaiyang said promptly.
"Yes, yes, look at me, saying such inappropriate things at a welcoming banquet," He Qiuan quickly apologized.
The group then began to eat and drink, putting the previous matter out of their minds. After all, where there's a will, there's a way. They should enjoy themselves for now and not worry about it.
In fact, He Qiuan and Gong Changfa had a simple objective: they wanted Shen Feng and Chu Chaoyan to come. The strength of these two was evident; they could directly kill ferocious mutated earth bees. Dealing with a group of caterpillars would be a piece of cake for them.
Unfortunately, their plan was like casting pearls before swine. Neither Shen Feng nor Chu Chaoyan showed up. Instead, they sent ten young ability users. Their strength was uncertain, and whether they would be useful was unknown, but at this point, they had no choice but to proceed.
Over the next two days, Ice City prepared a large number of personnel and supplies for the upcoming departure. The most important weapons in the hands of the soldiers were no longer machine guns but flamethrowers.
When dealing with mutated beasts or mutated birds, machine guns were crucial due to their high rate of fire, capable of sweeping down large numbers.
However, facing mutated insects, which were very small, using bullets would be wasteful and ineffective. Flamethrowers, originally less valued firearms, now proved useful.
Flamethrowers had a range of over 20 meters. Wherever they passed, the fuel would ignite surrounding enemies. Insects would be reduced to ashes in an instant. Since Ice City had a large supply of fuel, using flamethrowers against insects became much simpler.
At this point, the group of youths from Yuzhou finally demonstrated their usefulness. One of the ability users could control water. If the flamethrowers accidentally set the forest ablaze, this ability user could quickly use his powers to extinguish the flames and prevent them from spreading.
"Fortunately, these youngsters are somewhat useful and not just here to eat. They can be put to good use!" He Qiuan thought to himself.
This time, He Qiuan led the expedition from Ice City. He set off with tens of thousands of people, with hundreds of scouts going ahead to explore. In the post-apocalyptic world, many roads had been destroyed and not repaired. To travel on these roads, pioneers were essential.
Gong Changfa had also intended to join the expedition. As the strongest ability user in Ice City, he should not stand by idly.
However, He Qiuan said, "Last time, you led the soldiers on an adventure. This time, it's my turn. Moreover, retaking Yanjing was my great-grandfather's wish. This matter must be accomplished by me."
Upon hearing this, Gong Changfa finally agreed. After all, it had been He Qiuan's lifelong aspiration, and the opportunity to fulfill that wish was now before him. It was not appropriate for him to snatch it away.
"Then do your best. If you find the situation too dangerous, return quickly. Honestly, Yanjing has been destroyed for six years. Rebuilding it will be a very long process," Gong Changfa urged.
He was very worried that his good friend might recklessly pursue the mission and put himself in danger.
"Don't worry, I understand how this world works. I will also try my best to protect myself and my subordinates. While I am away, Ice City will be in your care," He Qiuan said with a smile.