Chapter 84 Earthquake and Great Flood

Around three o’clock in the afternoon, the student group, led by Director Tang Ke, broke away from the main crowd and headed toward a nearby shelter.

Before leaving, Xiong Hui and Lu Xuechuan once again thanked Su Miao.

“Miss Su Miao, Zhao Xue says, thank you!” Xiong Hui spoke earnestly. “On behalf of the students and teachers, we thank you. Without your help, we would have all died at the hands of the demons.”

Lu Xuechuan added, “Thank you for saving us!”

Su Miao shook her head. “It was nothing.”

Xiong Hui said, “Zhao Xue says, if you ever need anything from us in the future, we won’t refuse.”

Su Miao quickly waved her hand—this was too daunting for her. She didn’t need it.

The group suddenly shrank by over two hundred people.

Su Miao watched as the students, led by their teachers, departed. Each carried sharpened wooden sticks, steel pipes, bamboo poles, makeshift bows and arrows, or shields. The formation looked as if it had been specially rehearsed and had seen blood.

“Big sister, their history teacher taught them this. It’s called the Mandarin Duck Formation, and it can block the charge of mutated animals,” Xia Xiao’an whispered.

Su Miao nodded and withdrew her gaze. These students should be able to reach the shelter safely now.

Perhaps the display of their resolve inspired confidence; over a hundred villagers followed the students, hoping to catch a ride to safety.

Chang Jieming, Song You, and other members of the security team were among them—they wanted to see if any family members were in the group.

The main group continued on. Around three in the afternoon, an earthquake struck. Fortunately, the highway was solid, and there were no collapses or mudslides.

A tourist from Sichuan, dressed in a cosplay battle robe and weighing nearly 180 pounds, commented, “Body estimate: magnitude 5.0 earthquake. Not bad.”

Despite the bravado, the earthquake lasted nearly three minutes and caused considerable panic.

Su Miao, in particular, struggled to maintain her composure. After the tremors subsided, Xia Xiao’an tugged her for quite a while before she recovered.

How terrifying!

Thank goodness she wasn’t living in that precarious villa. If an earthquake of this magnitude struck while she was asleep, would she be able to deploy her magical space array in time to save herself?

As dusk approached, the main group arrived at a roadside hotel.

This place used to be run by local villagers.

From the outside, most of the hotel’s windows were shattered, debris lay everywhere, and the ground was stained with blood.

“There’s a convenience store nearby!” someone shouted, running excitedly toward it, followed by a crowd.

Moments later, they emerged in disappointment. Not even a single cigarette remained.

After a brief chaos, Qin Longzhang and others restored order.

There were two hotel buildings here, several restaurants and guesthouses—plenty of space for over four hundred people.

That night, Su Miao and Xia Xiao’an were assigned a spacious room, with two soldiers guarding the door as usual.

Su Miao felt awkward. In the tourist zone it was understandable, but she’d just survived a battle and was exhausted. Today, however, she’d only walked a bit, while these soldiers had traveled a long way.

Su Miao opened the door nervously and said, “You don’t need to guard my door. You can go rest.”

The taller young soldier replied, “Please rest assured. It’s our duty.”

Su Miao waved her hand again. “Really, you don’t have to. You’re all tired.”

A soldier with a gentle face said, “Su Miao, you’re the benefactor who saved our families. Without the information you provided to the country, our parents wouldn’t have been evacuated in time. Guarding your door is the least we can do.”

Su Miao was at a loss for words.

She felt she hadn’t really done anything. The so-called information was simply what she told Major General Qin Xuezheng when he contacted her.

“Please remember to rest,” she said, closing the door.

“Big sister, they’re the most admirable people,” Xia Xiao’an whispered.

Su Miao patted Xia Xiao’an’s head and recalled a lesson from school. “Xiao’an, if anything happens on the road and we’re separated, tell them not to look for me. Follow them to the shelter. I’ll find my own way.”

Fear flickered across Xia Xiao’an’s face. “Big sister…”

She had only shown this expression when Su Miao first took her in.

Su Miao continued, “They sacrificed seventeen people to come for me. The blizzard and extreme cold are coming soon. If we’re separated and they keep searching, more people will die.”

“But with you among them, your abilities can help them avoid many dangers,” Xia Xiao’an said. “Big sister, don’t you want me anymore?”

Su Miao stroked her head. “No, it’s not that. I don’t know what the future holds. I’m just telling you ahead of time.”

The earthquake earlier still haunted her.

The room fell silent for a moment. Xia Xiao’an suddenly asked, “Big sister, what if I’m lost and alone?”

Su Miao blinked. “I won’t look for you.”

Xia Xiao’an’s face turned pale.

She tried to hear Su Miao’s inner thoughts, but nothing came through.

Su Miao took a bottle of deadly hallucinogenic potion from her magical space and handed it to Xia Xiao’an. “Xiao’an, keep this. If you’re separated, it might protect you, but only use it if necessary.”

“If you manage to bring this potion to the shelter, you’ll be well cared for.”

Xia Xiao’an stared at the bottle, bewildered.

She felt Su Miao still had something unsaid.

It seemed that soon, they really would be separated.

“Go to sleep,” Su Miao said, patting her head.

…

The next day, the main group moved on.

Around ten in the morning, as they neared the second official shelter, another two hundred people bid farewell and turned toward safety.

By two in the afternoon, near the third shelter, three hundred more departed.

However, not everyone left. More than twenty stubbornly stayed with the group, determined to follow until they saw Longcheng ahead, submerged by floodwaters. After much deliberation, they decided to head to the shelter after all.

“Big sister, the city is underwater…” Xia Xiao’an said, gazing in horror at the flooded city in the distance.

The raging flood was only a few meters away, just tens of centimeters from surging onto the highway.

From afar, only a few high-rises floated above the water. The remaining high ground resembled islands in a stormy sea, uncertain when they too would be swallowed by the flood.

“Mm,” Su Miao murmured, gripping her silver umbrella as she looked at the sky. The rain was growing heavier.

The sky darkened further. It seemed as if the storm clouds were pressed right against the earth. The submerged city ahead vanished from view, replaced by the encroaching floodwaters.

This situation was dire.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently—another earthquake!

Su Miao quickly folded her umbrella, her heart racing, her balance unsteady.

“Big sister!” Xia Xiao’an cried out in fear.

Su Miao instinctively reached for her.

Suddenly, the flood, disturbed by the quake, surged in massive waves toward the highway.

“Run!” Qin Longzhang shouted, his expression changing as he led the group in a frantic retreat.

“Protect them!”

Before the words faded, the floodwaters swept in.

There was no time to react; Su Miao raised her hand and cast a hollow water sphere spell over herself, Xia Xiao’an, and the nearby soldiers.

These water spheres could protect those inside, ensuring oxygen supply and preventing drowning. They could still grab onto trees or floating debris without much hindrance.

In a daze, Su Miao saw Xia Xiao’an grabbed by a soldier, clinging tightly to a large tree.

Xia Xiao’an watched in terror as Su Miao was swept away by the flood, unable to even cry out.

An earthquake in the sea can trigger a tsunami.

An earthquake in floodwaters can trigger a deluge.

Those caught in the flood were utterly insignificant. Su Miao, unable to grasp a tree or a piece of driftwood, was swept away in an instant, destination unknown.

Terrified, she could only keep reinforcing her protective water sphere.

She didn’t know how long she drifted, but eventually she was carried near a forest.

By chance, she grabbed a branch and dared not let go.

Minutes later, struggling with all her might, she climbed onto the trunk and hugged the tree tightly.

“Huff… huff… huff…” Su Miao stared at the raging flood, trembling uncontrollably.

It was terrifying!

She’d nearly lost her life.

Had the flood swept her into an undercurrent or culvert, she couldn’t imagine if she’d have survived.

Looking around, there was nothing but endless flood.

After a wave of fear, she calmed herself.

She took a rope from her magical space and tied herself to the tree with a slip knot, just in case another wave threatened to carry her away.

Now, all she could do was wait.

She waited until nightfall; only then did the earthquake-induced floodwaters slowly recede.

Su Miao checked the time: 9:35 p.m.

Using the safety rope, she carefully climbed down from the tree.

It was pitch dark; nothing was visible.

She was truly alone.

Alone in a wilderness, in the darkness after the flood, Su Miao was afraid.

After a few moments’ silence, she took out a flashlight from her magical space and surveyed her surroundings, heading toward higher ground.

After walking nearly half an hour, her body temperature dropped. She stopped immediately—she couldn’t go on.

Ignoring the harsh environment, she pulled out a tent, waterproof mat, inflatable raft, and other survival gear from her magical space.

Having been soaked in floodwaters for half a day, drenched in rain all afternoon, and dangled from a tree for hours—plus, it was late October, and the night was cold—being thoroughly wet made hypothermia a real danger.

But the ground was muddy and unsuitable for pitching a tent.

The raft wasn’t ideal either.

“Ah, those stones!” Su Miao remembered the villa rubble she’d stored in her magical space.

She released them all, forming a temporary foundation for the tent, and quickly set it up.

She used a fireball spell to gently heat a water sphere, cleaned herself, and changed into dry clothes inside the tent, regaining some warmth and feeling much better.

Next, she placed the tent atop the raft. If the flood returned while she slept, it would be an extra layer of safety.

For further protection, she poured a ring of deadly hallucinogenic potion around the camp—if any mutated animals approached, it might deter them.

Having finished these preparations, she set up an alcohol stove and mini hotpot, added some water and mushrooms, and cooked a packet of delicious instant noodles to stave off hunger.

In such a dangerous environment, she had no appetite for beef hotpot.

She was scared.

Minutes later, eating the steaming noodles, Su Miao felt it was the most delicious meal on earth.

With her hungry stomach satisfied, she felt revived.

After finishing, she checked her phone—still no signal. She had no idea where she was, and could only wait for daylight to search for landmarks.

Looking at the pitch-black night sky, she wondered about Xia Xiao’an.

During the flood, she’d seen Xia Xiao’an grabbed by a soldier, hugging a tree; hopefully she was safe.

…

“Instructor, everyone’s here,” a young soldier reported to Qin Longzhang in the temporary camp.

Qin Longzhang looked at the young soldier, his heart bleeding.

He’d fought for this mission, promising the commander he’d see it through.

But along the way, fifteen young soldiers had died before they reached the Panshan Scenic Area and found Su Miao.

In the tourist zone, they faced unprecedented danger, losing two more.

Now only thirty-three remained.

He thought that once Su Miao was found, nothing else would go wrong.

The road to Shelter No. 1 might be long, but he was confident he could deliver Su Miao safely and fulfill his orders.

No one had anticipated that the sudden earthquake would not cause landslides, but instead unleash an unprecedented flood.

It was as if a tsunami swept the land.

Su Miao and twelve young special forces soldiers were carried away by the flood, their fate unknown.

Qin Longzhang clenched his fists. “Everyone, eat and rest! In two hours, we depart to search. We must find Su Miao and complete the mission!”

Xia Xiao’an sobbed beside the tent.

Hearing Qin Longzhang’s words, she wiped her tears and stood up. “Uncle Instructor.”

Qin Longzhang turned to her. “Xiao’an, don’t worry. We’ll find your big sister Su Miao.”

Xia Xiao’an shook her head. She opened her backpack, took out the deadly hallucinogenic potion, and cried, “Last night, Su Miao said if she was separated from us, we shouldn’t search for her. She’d find her own way to the shelter.”

“This is what she gave me—it can kill those terrifying mutated animals.”

She could hear Qin Longzhang’s inner resolve.

His determination to find Su Miao was real, as was his desire to use the potion to save more people.

Xia Xiao’an began to understand what Su Miao had wanted to tell her last night.

Su Miao must have foreseen something.

She didn’t want everyone to risk themselves for her.

She could use magic—she would be safe!

Xia Xiao’an remembered how, when the flood swept in, her sister cast the familiar water sphere spell to protect her…

But the flood was so vast…

Thinking of this, Xia Xiao’an burst into loud tears.

Qin Longzhang and the soldiers watched her sobbing and the potion she held, and fell silent.