Over the next while, Yue Shi kept an eye on everyone's movements through his ravens while teaching Bai Wanyang how to drive.
Yue Shi himself had virtually zero driving skills to speak of, so naturally, he couldn't teach anything useful. His main philosophy was simply letting loose.
Bai Wanyang was a quick learner. In an open, wide, and deserted place like this, driving a car that wasn't his meant he didn't have to worry about damaging it. As long as he could act freely and ignore the shackles of traffic rules, he could immediately experience the thrill of speed.
With Yue Shi occasionally directing him to change course, they drove at high speeds for over an hour without even realizing it.
“Peace Alley is just ahead,” Yue Shi said, glancing at the navigation.
Peace Alley was a territory within the Chaos Zone, occupied by a medium-sized gang.
The good news was that because of the gang's presence, there was a semblance of human order in Peace Alley, making it much better than other completely lawless parts of the Chaos Zone. By joining the gang, one could survive there and receive a certain degree of protection.
The bad news was that the social order in Peace Alley was nothing like that of a city; it was rife with oppression, bloodshed, and darkness—more like a makeshift operation than a real society.
Bai Qingyu's car entered Peace Alley and then came to a stop.
“How much further to Peace Alley?” Bai Wanyang asked.
“About two kilometers. Let's find a hidden spot to park and conceal the car, then we'll head in quietly to avoid alerting the enemy,” Yue Shi suggested.
The gangs in Peace Alley weren't necessarily friendly toward the Investigation Bureau. Driving in would make them too big of a target and attract too much attention, which was essentially asking for trouble.
Bai Wanyang understood this logic as well, so he didn't argue with Yue Shi's suggestion. He stepped on the brakes and parked the car in a patch of tall grass by the roadside.
“We're here.”
Yue Shi looked out the window. Ahead was a vast, flat area with relatively neat and intact buildings scattered throughout.
Supposedly, Peace Alley used to be a small town, but after the dawn of the supernatural era, the residents either fled or died, and it gradually became abandoned.
Later, it was occupied by fugitives, refugees, rioters, drifters, and scavengers, and even humanoid monsters, eventually forming the Peace Alley of today.
Compared to the completely lawless parts of the Chaos Zone, Peace Alley had its own set of rules, though ultimately, the gang leader's word was law.
Perhaps their luck wasn't the best, because as soon as Yue Shi and Bai Wanyang stepped out of the car, the sky quickly darkened. The previously clear day was suddenly covered in dark clouds, accompanied by the faint rumble of thunder.
“It looks like it's going to rain. Did you bring an umbrella?” Yue Shi asked.
Bai Wanyang rummaged through the trunk but only found a single folding umbrella. Fortunately, it was large enough.
“We'll have to make do. Once we're inside Peace Alley, we might be able to find a place to take cover,” Bai Wanyang said helplessly. He didn't expect to be able to buy another umbrella in a place like this; stealing one was more likely.
Yue Shi nodded, and then the two of them spent a moment camouflaging the car.
This car had gone from brand new to a wreck in just half a day, covered in blood. With a little bit of camouflage, it looked no different from any other scrap car by the side of the road.
Sparse, pea-sized raindrops began to hit the ground with a rhythmic patter. Bai Wanyang opened the folding umbrella and walked toward Peace Alley side-by-side with Yue Shi.
As the rain intensified, Yue Shi activated his Demon Feather Barrier. He wouldn't get wet, nor would he be affected by the damp air or the drop in temperature.
However, the moisture brought by the heavy rain gradually condensed into a thick fog. From a distance, Peace Alley was shrouded in mist, severely obstructing their vision.
“I don't know anything about meteorology, but I've heard that high schoolers study a wide range of things these days. Do you know... can heavy rain and thick fog happen at the same time?” Yue Shi suddenly asked Bai Wanyang.
Bai Wanyang shook his head. “I'm not sure, I never studied that. Why do you ask?”
Yue Shi explained, “I was thinking that if there's a transcendent in Peace Alley who can manipulate rain and fog, and this sudden weather was created on purpose, then the situation will be extremely disadvantageous for us.”
“But if it's just a normal natural phenomenon, the rain and fog will actually work in our favor. There are only two of us, so we're outnumbered. We can use the fog to sneak in silently. Even if we clash with the gang inside, this fog will make it easier for us to escape.”
Bai Wanyang praised him, “You've thought this through. You really are meticulous. It's a pity we have no way to tell for sure.”
Yue Shi said, “I haven't sensed anything abnormal about this rain. What about you?”
“Me neither,” Bai Wanyang replied.
“Alright, let's just assume it's an ordinary thunderstorm for now.” Yue Shi kept his barrier up, avoiding direct contact with the rain and fog.
Bai Wanyang was getting wet and breathing in the mist, but aside from feeling a bit cold, he didn't experience any negative effects.
Yue Shi felt slightly more at ease but remained vigilant.
The two of them walked all the way to the front of Peace Alley, where a wide, flat street began. Stepping onto this street meant they had officially entered the territory of Peace Alley.
The street was paved with bricks and stones, so it wasn't muddy in the rain.
Yue Shi and Bai Wanyang walked forward under the umbrella for a while. They hadn't encountered anyone yet, but a powerful stench hit their noses.
Bai Wanyang immediately covered his nose and mouth. “What is that smell? It's overpowering!”
Yue Shi looked around and quickly found the source of the odor. He pointed, and Bai Wanyang followed his finger to see a fenced-in backyard of a single-story house. In the corner were several bulging, dark-brown mounds.
As the rain washed over the mounds, a strangely colored liquid flowed out, emitting a foul gas.
Bai Wanyang hastily looked away, not wanting to see any more.
“That looks like piles of herbivore manure. I didn't expect anyone in Peace Alley to be into animal husbandry. Do the people here live a self-sufficient lifestyle?” Yue Shi mused with a frown.
“Let's just keep moving,” Bai Wanyang said with a look of disgust, pulling Yue Shi forward. As they walked, he added, “There's no way they're self-sufficient. They might grow vegetables and raise pigs, but they definitely can't produce tech products like phones, modern appliances like rice cookers and fridges, or even paper, pens, and building materials.”
As they moved deeper into Peace Alley, the buildings became more densely packed. The outskirts consisted of low, single-story houses, but as they went further in, the height of the buildings gradually increased.
Bai Wanyang and Yue Shi soon reached an open-air plaza. The two of them stopped, looking across the plaza toward the other side. They could faintly see a more bustling part of Peace Alley—that was likely the core area.
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