Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle-Chapter 955 - 468: Life (Finale)

The night was anything but peaceful.

The cacophony persisted, and although Chen Qiusheng said it would be fine once they got used to it, he himself, having lived many years in peaceful times, couldn't adjust, let alone Chen Ping'an and Zhao Cheng'an.

Qin Huai could actually go up and use the moonlight and firelight to see what was happening outside, but he didn't want to. It's best to watch fewer real-life war scenarios, since unlike movies, which are just a play by actors, these spirits' dreams are things that truly happened.

Qin Huai waited quietly in the cellar with the three of the Chen family until the outside noises gradually faded and everything returned to a deathly silence. Only after the three succumbed to sleep did he quietly pass through the wall and climb up from the cellar.

In this memory, Qin Huai's range was very limited; he could only move within a radius of about 10 meters centered on Zhao Cheng'an. Because of this, Qin Huai had barely left Zhao Cheng'an's side these days, always staying wherever Zhao Cheng'an was.

The 10-meter range prevented Qin Huai from leaving this house, but he could see that someone had entered it.

The ground bore chaotic footprints, mixed with dirt, mud, and blood. Following the footprints, Qin Huai could tell that the people who entered hadn't discovered the cellar where Zhao Cheng'an and the others were hiding. The dried blood drops accompanying the footprints indicated the newcomers weren't in good shape.

Qin Huai traced the footprints towards the main hall, but was soon blocked by an invisible wall. The three were still asleep in the cellar, and his anxiety above was futile. After considering his options, he decided to wait above; at least there was light to see things clearly. Being in a dark environment like the cellar for too long was unbearable, even for someone observing memories like Qin Huai.

Qin Huai quietly sat there for an indeterminate amount of time.

The louder the night was, the quieter the day, to the point where not even a bird's call could be heard. It was as if the entire world had been put on pause. If not for the shadow of the trees in the courtyard shifting with the sunlight, Qin Huai would have doubted the passage of time.

The three of Chen Qiusheng slept until the afternoon. Chen Qiusheng was the first to wake up, carefully opening the cellar door as soon as he awoke. The cellar door was well hidden, blending into the ground's bluestone tiles, designed like a mechanism. Without thorough inspection, it was impossible to detect.

Chen Qiusheng discovered the footprints on the ground.

"Father, outside now is..."

Chen Ping'an's voice echoed from the cellar, and Chen Qiusheng hurried to the cellar's mouth, gesturing for silence to signal Chen Ping'an to keep quiet. Zhao Cheng'an peeked out his head, only to be pushed down by Chen Qiusheng, who then gently closed the cellar door and carefully followed the footprints forward.

Qin Huai wanted to follow, but with Zhao Cheng'an still in the cellar, he could only watch from afar with bated breath.

Soon, the sound of another cellar door opening was heard not far away. The newcomers had hidden in another part of the house.

"Who?"

"Don't move!"

"We..."

After a brief commotion, everything returned to silence. Qin Huai couldn't make out what was said by Chen Qiusheng, only catching a few keywords.

If Qin Huai couldn't hear, then Chen Ping'an and Zhao Cheng'an inside the cellar definitely couldn't either.

The two waited in the cellar for over two minutes and, unable to sit still, Zhao Cheng'an pushed open the cellar door and dashed out, running to the other cellar with Chen Ping'an following, holding a stick.

Qin Huai hurriedly followed.

The scene at the other cellar was unexpected for everyone.

The cellar entrance was filthy, with many bloody handprints on the wooden boards. The intense smell of blood made Qin Huai suspect it was a crime scene.

The cellar door was open, and with the light shining in and the ladder below, they could see at least four or five people inside. All were injured, wearing uniform clothes, and some had guns on their backs.

They were injured soldiers.

One of them was young, looking very pale, more like a student than a soldier, with many small cuts on his face. An injured soldier with a makeshift tourniquet tied with cloth around his left arm was speaking softly with Chen Qiusheng.

Seeing this young injured soldier, Chen Ping'an exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Sheng, weren't you evacuated with the university? Uncle and Aunt said you left with the university a month ago, and they both left Beiping City half a month ago."

"What evacuation? He secretly enlisted," Chen Qiusheng said irritably, pointing to the cellar. "They got separated during last night's retreat, and now the city is under lockdown. There's no way out."

"Xiao Liu, can you explain the current situation outside?"

Liu Sheng quickly and quietly recounted the past two days' events in a nutshell: Beiping had fallen, the army had retreated to Baoding. There were five people in the cellar; one was severely injured and succumbed this morning. Now, these four are the most wanted in Beiping City, and the Japanese Army will soon be conducting a city-wide search for injured soldiers.

"Ping'an, I didn't know you were living in this house. We saw no one here last night, so we found shelter. Don't worry, we'll find another place tonight and won't be a burden to you," Liu Sheng said, glancing down at his cellar companions. They remained silent, lying there with ashen faces.

Chen Qiusheng said nothing. In these life-and-death moments, no one wants to risk harboring injured soldiers, even if one of them is a familiar junior.