harleyscars Chapter 138 Military Rescue and the Heart of the Way
Chapter 138 Military Rescue and the Heart of the Way
Chapter 138: Military Rescue and the Heart of Seeking the Dao
The faint light of dawn barely penetrated the dust and moisture permeating the Madison River Valley, outlining a scene of utter devastation. The twenty-eight survivors huddled on the bedrock high ground chosen by Lin Yan, still shaken. Lin Yan used a small copper pot, seemingly "salvaged" from the landslide dam, to create a makeshift stove, placing it on a few rocks. He stuffed some branches underneath for firewood. First, Lin Yan pretended to pull a small knife from his pocket, using it to scrape wood shavings from the branches to use as kindling. He then placed these shavings around a drill bit, and within two minutes, the shavings ignited amidst the sparks. As the firewood burned, the settled lake water in the pot boiled, emitting a faint warmth that brought a rare comfort to the chilled souls.
The roar of the first helicopter came from the southeast, like the flapping of a hummingbird's wings, breaking the deathly silence of the post-disaster morning. It was an H-13 Sioux light helicopter, its slender fuselage and transparent bubble cockpit reflecting the light of the rising sun. Like a wary dragonfly, it cautiously circled a few times over the valley. The pilot looked down in disbelief—the former Rock Creek campsite had been completely buried by a massive landslide, and on a high ground, a group of seemingly orderly survivors had gathered.
The helicopter descended, the strong winds whipped up by the rotors almost blinding. Unable to land on the rugged high ground, it hovered in the air a short distance away. The cabin door opened, and a rescuer shouted through hand gestures while lowering a rescue stretcher (basket). Lin Yan carefully secured the two most seriously injured survivors—an elderly man with a broken leg and a woman disoriented from the cold—to the stretcher. The helicopter, like a marionette, smoothly lifted them up, returned them to the cabin, and then turned towards the makeshift field hospital. This scene rekindled hope in the eyes of the other survivors.
Following closely behind was a larger H-19 Chicaso helicopter. It successfully found a barely usable landing spot on a relatively flat riverbank nearby. The door opened, and the first to jump were several medics and National Guard members wearing Red Cross armbands. Carrying heavy medical kits, blankets, and emergency rations, they rushed towards the higher ground.
"God, how did you all survive?" The medic leading the group looked at the group of survivors, who were disheveled but still in good spirits, and his face was filled with shock, especially when he saw the young Eastern boy boiling water in a copper pot. He quickly arranged for people to check the injuries and distribute supplies. After receiving the supplies, the people told the medic about Lin Yan's rescue efforts the night before. If it weren't for the fact that everyone present, young and old, swore they were telling the truth, the medic simply couldn't believe his ears.
Lin Yan simply replied, "We were lucky; we happened to be in this open space when the earthquake struck." He attributed the success to coincidence, quietly retreating to the edge of the crowd to watch the well-trained rescue workers take over the work. Xiao Qi quietly squatted at his feet, curiously observing these strangers in uniforms.
Over the next few days, a coordinated operation involving water, land, and air rescue forces unfolded across the valley.
Helicopters became the primary means of connecting the disaster area with the outside world. They served not only as "air ambulances" for transferring the seriously injured but also as continuous supply lines. H-19s constantly took off and landed, bringing in more medical teams, engineering assessment experts, drinking water, and food, while also transporting batches of lightly injured and exhausted survivors to safety. Pilots, with their superb skills, navigated through complex air currents and confined spaces, the roar of their engines becoming a harbinger of hope. Simultaneously, helicopters also undertook aerial reconnaissance missions, continuously relaying the latest information on the rising water levels of the landslide-dammed lake (earthquake lake) and the stability of the dam to the command center via radio, providing crucial information for decision-making.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the disaster area, the heavy machinery of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers roared day and night. Bulldozers and excavators, like steel behemoths, struggled to clear roads blocked by tens of thousands of tons of earth and rocks. Soldiers, covered in mud, painstakingly carved out a lifeline inch by inch under the command of their officers. Their progress directly determined whether a large-scale ground evacuation could be achieved. A few days later, when the first barely passable road was repaired, a long convoy of military trucks and jeeps drove in along this lifeline, transporting all the remaining survivors gathered at the safe point, including Lin Yan's group, in batches to the nearest city for proper resettlement.
Faced with the newly formed and expanding "earthquake lake," the engineering corps also took countermeasures. Small motorboats were transported to the lake area, where engineers monitored the "dam" structure naturally formed by the landslide, assessed its risk of collapse, and began planning flood discharge schemes. The entire rescue operation demonstrated a highly efficient and modern three-dimensional response capability for 1959. Although communication relied mainly on radio and coordination was complex, the cooperation between the various units remained orderly.
As the last survivors were about to board the truck, a National Guard major approached Lin Yan, his eyes filled with admiration and curiosity as he wondered how the young man had organized such an effective self-rescue during the chaotic night. "Young man," he said, "you are a hero. Your composure and courage saved many lives."
Lin Yan calmly shook his head, gently stroking Xiao Qi's fur and pressing its head into his arms to avoid drawing too much attention to its curious gaze. "It wasn't me, it was luck, and everyone helping each other. I just did what anyone would have done." He attributed all the credit to the group and chance.
The major wanted to ask something more, but Lin Yan, already holding Xiao Qi, nodded slightly, then turned and walked lightly towards a secluded path. Amidst the grateful, puzzled, and complex gazes of the crowd, the figures of the man and the beast quickly disappeared into the shadows of the woods, their deeds and fame remaining hidden.
Leaving the bustling disaster area, Lin Yan strolled through the tranquil mountains with Xiao Qi in his arms. However, his heart was not as calm as it appeared. This earthquake had taught him a harsh lesson. He had always been absolutely confident in his abilities—as a transmigrator, he possessed a mysterious personal space, cultivated top-tier cultivation techniques, and was proficient in alchemy, talismans, weapon crafting, and array formations. He firmly believed he was invincible among his peers, and even capable of challenging those of higher levels, thus unconsciously viewing the world with a sense of superiority, as if he were playing a game of life.
But the overwhelming, colorless power he witnessed last night made him acutely aware of his own insignificance. Before that pure might of heaven and earth, his fifth-level Foundation Establishment cultivation and his prized magical treasures and spells seemed utterly insignificant. That feeling of powerlessness in the face of nature's might was an experience he had never had since his transmigration. A faint sense of frustration and awe quietly swept through his heart.
Xiao Qi keenly sensed Lin Yan's low spirits. It stopped playing and obediently climbed onto his chest, rubbed its fluffy little head against his chin, then tilted its head back, stuck out its warm tongue, and gently licked his cheek. Its obsidian-like eyes were filled with silent comfort, "Brother, it's okay."
Feeling Xiao Qi's warmth, Lin Yan took a deep breath, and the trace of confusion and frustration in his eyes was quickly replaced by a more determined light. Yes, in the face of this vast world, he might still be a slightly larger ant. But this could not make him submit; instead, it stirred up the fighting spirit deep within him that dared to challenge the heavens.
He believed that as long as he made unremitting efforts, cultivated diligently, and walked firmly along this path of cultivation, one day he would have the power to shake the heavens and earth and trample the might of heaven and earth under his feet!
"Let's go, Xiao Qi." Lin Yan hugged the little one tighter, his gaze fixed on the distant, rolling mountains, his eyes clear and resolute. "Our journey is far from over."
With a swift movement, he accelerated away from the land that had given him profound insights, continuing his journey. His yearning for the Dao, after this baptism of heaven and earth, became even purer and more resilient.