Part 1
After dinner, they all went to the arena to watch the evening sparring match. Shadow 8 even used his powers to shoot magical fireworks into the sky to cheer Han Yue on.
The fight began.Han Yue summoned an ice spear and threw it directly at Long Yi. He caught it barehanded, and the spear shattered into icy fragments. Han Yue raised an eyebrow—he was using his dark powers. Interesting.
She followed up with another strike, this time summoning a thick ice wall above Long Yi and letting it drop on him.
Shadow 8 screamed from the side, "Omg! Yueyue wants to kill her husband?!"
Grandpa Long nodded seriously, "Hmph! Obviously taking revenge for being imprisoned."
The other guards watching all twitched their mouths. Were these two really not afraid of death? Saying such nonsense while their commander was fighting?
The battle continued. Long Yi finally stopped defending and began attacking. His shadow powers crept along the ground and tried to sneak up on Han Yue. She sensed the incoming strike and surrounded herself with an ice shield. It shattered instantly from the impact, and she quickly jumped back to dodge.
Another shadow attack came, and another—she finally froze the area beneath them, suppressing Long Yi's movements temporarily.
He stood calmly in place, studying her carefully. He smiled faintly, pleased."Good," he said, then ended the power duel.
Next came close combat.Long Yi launched the first attack, a punch toward her shoulder. Han Yue blocked and retaliated with a sweeping kick. He blocked with his leg and countered again. The two exchanged blows fluidly.
Shadow 8 had stars in his eyes. "Waaah! Yueyue looks so cool for a martial arts beginner!"
Shadow 3 nodded, "Indeed. She's only trained seriously for a week, but the results are impressive."
Rose was also watching from the sidelines, eyes sparkling. Her idol sister was so strong! She silently vowed to work even harder.
They sparred for 30 minutes until Long Yi pinned Han Yue down. She had gone into "desperado mode" again, attacking vital areas like the eyes and crotch whenever cornered. Long Yi restrained her firmly to calm her down.
Seeing her settle, he helped her up and patted her head."Take your time. Don't be desperate. You're already ahead of most people."
Han Yue nodded, reflecting on herself. This wasn't the past anymore—she no longer needed to fight like a trapped animal. She could grow stronger at her own pace now.
Cheers erupted from the audience.Shadow 8, ever the drama king, shot more fireworks.Shadow 3 silently noted her mental instability during the final moments and resolved to focus more on her martial training.
Grandpa Long stroked his beard and said, "Shadow 3, me and the kids will also start training here from tomorrow!"
The event ended. Everyone was dismissed.
Later, Han Yue and Long Yi went for a walk.Long Yi asked, "How have you been these past few weeks? Are you happy?"
Han Yue nodded, "Yes. I can feel my strength returning… even improving."
They walked under the moonlight, hand in hand.
"As long as you're happy, I'll support you," he said.
Han Yue smiled. "Thank you… for always being on my side."
Afterward, Long Yi sent her back to her room to rest.As for him—he went straight to the dungeon.
Inside, screams and cries echoed through the dim hall. His face turned cold.
"Report," he said.
Shadow 1, 2, and 3 were already waiting, along with other shadow guards.
Shadow 1 stepped forward."They confessed. They were tipped off by a woman with light brown hair, mid-20s. She had a jade amulet with a koi fish on it. She said cars were going in and out of a suspicious place. The boss told them to scout it. They were caught by a woman who could use ice."
Long Yi tapped his finger on the desk. "A koi fish amulet?"
Shadow 3 replied, "Sir, only the Li Family uses koi fish amulets. They're an ancient clan… and not on good terms with us since you rejected their marriage proposal years ago."
Long Yi scoffed. "Tch. Wishful thinking from that old witch. Handle it."
He stood up.Shadow 1, 2, and 3 all saluted. "Yes, sir."
They left to investigate the thug boss's hideout… and the Li family's involvement.
Part 2
The next morning, they continued to harvest the surrounding forest and grass, also collecting herbs and wild vegetables. Han Yue worked nonstop to bald the mountain, stacking trees into a small, uniform hill. This made it easier for the guards to collect the leaves and cut them into sections for building materials and coal.
The kids were still collecting scattered leaves, picking wild vegetables and herbs. While Han Yue walked around, she spotted a little fox playing with its tail—white as snow, with ruby-red eyes. The fox sensed her, tilting its head curiously.
She smiled and took out some chicken meat from her space, tossing it nearby. The fox sniffed it, then ran over to eat with gusto. After eating, it came near Han Yue, whining softly, asking for more. She gave it more chicken and a bowl of goat milk. Crouching down, she let it eat. Though slightly wary, the fox couldn't resist the food.
After eating, it rubbed against her before dashing back into the bushes. Han Yue just smiled and continued her work, clearing trees and grass into a pile. Only a few days remained before the start of the end. She had to bald the mountain to prevent wildfires—any fire now would be devastating.
Eventually, she returned to the processing area and stacked the new batch. Everyone continued to work. Shadow 8 had already made 10 coal-processing pits, producing steadily. Grandpa and the two kids also started training. Long Yi had already left, returning to the base to handle other matters.
Han Yue's days continued like that—feeding the fox, clearing the forest, training, and organizing. At least 1,000 miles around the base had been cleared. The areas covering the highway and the nearby city were left untouched.
They also captured a number of mutated animals. Normal ones were left alone. The mutants were either sent to the base or brought to Shadow 6, who tried taming some. Han Yue asked Shadow 3 to deliver 30 bottles of spring water to Long Yi, since she had forgotten to give them earlier. Shadow 3 personally delivered them.
There were only two days left. The black fog had lifted, and the world seemed back to normal. Some people were cheering, though others remained uneasy.
The National Forecast Bureau announced that in two days, temperatures would begin to rise in an unstable way. People were advised to wear protective gear, stay indoors, and drink plenty of water. The government had long advised citizens to store water. Water factories were busy processing reserves into bottles.
Researchers had developed a new system to convert seawater into drinkable water. It didn't taste great—but it was usable. New pipelines were being built, running from the sea into government bases. Water stations were also set up in densely populated cities and near military and police bases.
After her training, Han Yue decided to leave the training site to retrieve the remaining items from the Long Mansion. She'd lived there long enough to know what to take.
Long Yi had already distributed the spring water—20 bottles to himself and 10 to Commander Long. Commander Long distributed them to his men and instructed his soldiers to finish relocating their families to either the government base or Dragon Peak Military Base.
Some families chose the government base, finding it more lenient. The military base had strict quotas—everyone had to train and contribute. Commander Long didn't mind. Fewer people meant better control.
The Dragon Peak Military Base was now fully complete: labs, a hospital, cafeteria, warehouses, breeding grounds, farming areas, dormitories, and full training fields. His personal space and warehouses were filled with food and supplies.
Meanwhile, Shadow 1 and 2 had already dealt with the gangsters who tried to occupy their training grounds. They destroyed the place, tied up the thugs, and dumped them at the police station. They also raided the warehouse—boxes of cigarettes, alcohol, and packaged food. A great haul.
As for the Li Family, Long Yi had his hackers trace their base. Then he released a rumor: the Li Family base had free food and water. Crowds began swarming the area, hoping for supplies. The Li Family, now in chaos, scrambled to find who was spreading fake news.
Long Yi went to pick up Han Yue. With two days left, he drove her to the Long Mansion. She finished packing in an hour. Then, they decided to walk around the neighborhood one last time, hand in hand like a young couple.
Suddenly, they heard a rustle in the bushes. Long Yi immediately moved in front of Han Yue. A small white fox popped out, wagging its tail and calling to her.
Surprised, Han Yue knelt and opened her arms. "Oh baby, why did you follow me here? It's dangerous now, you know?"
The fox cuddled up to her. She sighed and picked it up. "I've been feeding this little cutie for the past few days—it must've followed me when I left."
Long Yi nodded. "Just keep it. Public spaces aren't safe anymore. If the police or military spot it, they'll shoot it.""Okay, I'll keep her" she replied.
While walking, they unexpectedly ran into Han Feifei. She saw them holding hands and was stunned. Long Yi's looks, demeanor, and how he treated Han Yue filled her with jealousy.
Putting on a fake smile, she approached and said loudly, "Oh, is that you Han Yue? Did you finally ditch your sugar daddy for someone younger?"
People nearby turned to stare. "Sugar daddy? At her age?""So shameless…"
Han Yue tilted her head, amused. But Long Yi's face turned cold. "Apologize."
His voice silenced the crowd. Some backed away, lowering their heads.
Han Feifei shouted in frustration, "What? It's true! She asked for 500 million yuan from an old man and—"
Before she could finish, Long Yi grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up. His voice colder than ice: "Apologize."
Han Feifei struggled, choking, her eyes starting to roll back. Han Yue smiled fondly. "Long Yi is so good to me >o<."
As Feifei lost consciousness, Han Yue lightly touched his arm. "Don't waste time on clowns. Let's go."
Long Yi dropped her to the ground, not even looking back, and walked off with Han Yue.
The scene was seen by many. One of Han Yue's fans quickly posted a picture on Weibo:
"OMG! Isn't that the Wizard and her husband? An idiot called her a sugar baby—got choked nearly to death LOL."
Comments exploded:
"Wizard Yue's husband is so manly!"
"He's like a male god!"
"Too violent! She should be careful."
"She's so lucky!"
Han Yue didn't know she was trending again. She and Long Yi went to the mall to have fun. The mall now ran on a point system. It had expanded into a large warehouse-type facility, heavily guarded.
As they entered, Han Yue sighed, "Ahh~ the aircon's so strong!" She shopped leisurely—buying tank tops, suspenders, shorts, skirts—cute summer outfits. Long Yi followed with the cart.
Another picture was snapped:
"The Wizard isn't broke—shopping at the mall with her husband!"
The internet reacted again. People noticed she bought summer clothes. Suddenly, summer fashion began trending.
She also bought variant seeds—heat and cold resistant wheat, grains, cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and more. 10 kg each. She added pet items too.
Long Yi paid, and they drove off.
While driving, Han Yue asked, "Did you send the spiritual water to the government?""Not yet," Long Yi said. "Uncle Long and I are prioritizing our own people. Our labs are testing how to make potions with it."
Han Yue lit up. "Oh! That's even better!"
Long Yi agreed. Potions would give them more leverage when trading with officials. And since the raw spring water came from Han Yue's space, they had full control.
On the highway, they passed a small shop selling handmade furniture. Han Yue bought everything and paid the old uncles, letting them go home early.
Everything was packed into her space.
Time to return to base—The final countdown had begun.