Feng Moxi and Luo Yunxi remained expressionless. Feng Moxi's mind raced. 'Location doesn't matter, as long as there's food.' But her heart grew heavy when she thought about the impending mutations of plants and animals.
Luo Yunxi's feelings were also complicated. She wasn't an only child. On the contrary, she was the middle of three, with an older brother and a younger brother, making her the one her parents most easily overlooked.
Because of this, she had been sent to a boarding school in Binhai from a young age. She figured that even when they were all fleeing for their lives, her parents had never once thought of her. So, it didn't matter where she went.
However, Feng Moxi glanced down at her ill-fitting clothes and decided she had to go into town to gather some supplies first.
By the time their group escaped to the three-way intersection, the monsters had gradually disappeared, so they stopped.
"What, thinking of turning back for a counterattack?"
Just then, He Ping's car slowly pulled to a stop. Wan Yong stared blankly down the road ahead, then squatted by the side of it, clutched his head, and began to wail.
He Ping's vacant eyes and ashen face made him look all the more grief-stricken.
He had lost two of his men today—both strong, capable fighters, which devastated him. On top of that, with the two middle-aged women and the young boy who never left the car, their group's fighting power had plummeted.
Meanwhile, the true culprits had not only escaped safely but had also set them up, leaving everyone resentful.
A sudden wave of grief washed over them.
The rest of the group also looked grief-stricken and furious, their eyes filled with despair.
Even Chaoyang refrained from making any sarcastic remarks.
"I'm going back!" Feng Moxi's clear voice shattered the silence. She found a hidden spot and stashed the car.
From this intersection to the residential area by the small bridge was about a twenty-minute drive. Plenty of monsters had already been lured onto the wide road.
In addition, a few sparse houses and shops lined the road. Though most had collapsed, a few places still offered cover.
"Together." He Ping's face grew even paler, his eyes filled with resentment. He led a few of his men and was the first to charge forward.
The middle-aged woman and the young boy also abandoned their vehicle, following from a distance.
This time, Feng Moxi didn't hold back. She hefted her iron rod and followed.
The monsters seemed to have grown more ferocious. As they pushed forward, they encountered some that moved at nearly the speed of a normal person. This time, even Chaoyang's brow furrowed slightly.
"Monsters that consume flesh and blood will evolve!"
Chaoyang laughed heartily. "This is getting interesting, HAHAHA."
Feng Moxi glanced at him. 'I have no idea what this lunatic is so happy about!'
The group cleared them out quickly. By evening, they had already fought their way back to the small bridge.
Luo Yunxi, now covered in filth, asked uncertainly, "Are we going back to White Poplar Village?"
"No." Feng Moxi shook her head. They returned to He Ping's building and walked through the broken main gate. They didn't have a car, for one, and even if they did, the round trip would be a waste of time.
Chaoyang followed them inside. He was surprised to see that in just a day or two, the small buildings had become even more dilapidated. Doors and windows were smashed to smithereens, and the floor was such a mess there was hardly a place to step.
Even the supplies that Wan Yong had abandoned were gone without a trace. It was clear this place had been repeatedly baptized in blood.
Chaoyang and his group, much like Feng Moxi, were also exceptionally bold.
He lazily sniffed the rotten stench in the air and said, without any sign of disgust, "Let's piece something together and at least block the main door. We can make do for one night."
Several of the men started at once, lifting an overturned tabletop from the floor. They found some broken bed boards and just barely managed to block the main door.
They also pulled over some cabinet doors to block a bedroom window. The room was instantly plunged into darkness, bringing a sudden sense of security. Their temporary shelter was assembled.
Everyone knew this was just for show. If monsters really attacked, this junk wouldn't stop them.
In the end, they even dismantled all the tables and chairs from the bedrooms, spreading the pieces on the floor. As the group sat amidst the debris, Chaoyang laughed. "Tonight's going to be rough. Looks like nobody gets to lie down and rest."
Feng Moxi pointed to a hallway and said coolly, "It's spacious over there. Looks like you can lie down flat!"
"You little brat, you're doing that on purpose, aren't you?"
When Feng Moxi ignored him, he shouted, "Xiao Lizi, time to eat!"
There was one thing Feng Moxi had to admit: no matter the time or place, the guy could always find a way to amuse himself, completely oblivious to how others felt.
It seemed the angrier others got, the happier he became.
'What was wrong with him?'
The cold and stern Sima Yue and his group seemed very used to Chaoyang's ways; no one objected. At first, Feng Moxi had thought the group was led by the cold, expressionless man.
But apparently not, as Chaoyang had been the one giving all the orders this whole time.
Feng Moxi secretly scoffed. 'Pah, he's probably just an errand boy, a strategist at best.' A thought flashed through her mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it.
Xiao Lizi pulled over a chair with a broken leg and set it upright. He took a towel from his backpack to place on it, then pulled out two or three plastic bags.
Each bag contained different food. One held prepared white steamed buns, while another surprisingly contained ham, canned food, and pickled mustard greens.
The last bag held a handful of chopsticks, paper napkins, and water.
From what Feng Moxi could tell, both the stone-faced man and Chaoyang had storage spaces.
The rest didn't.
"You even have steamed buns prepared. Did you make them last night?" Luo Yunxi couldn't help but ask.
Feng Moxi was also curious. She had snuck into the back kitchen in the middle of the night but hadn't seen any food at all.
Which meant she had waited half the night to make her move for nothing.
"Yeah, a mouse was trying to steal food in the middle of the night, so we prepared ahead of time. It's on me tonight. Don't be shy, everyone gets one."
Feng Moxi acted nonchalant, but inwardly she froze. 'This guy... was he awake last night? Did he see me?' At the thought, she unconsciously clenched her fist. 'Strength. I need more strength.'
Luo Yunxi smiled. "Let's wash our hands first. I have water." After this period of Cultivation, the trickle of water she could produce had become a steady stream.
It wasn't strong enough for an attack, but it was perfectly fine for washing a few hands.
After the meal, Xiao Lizi stood up and said to He Ping, "Brother He, for the night watch, how about you send two people and we'll send two?"
Luo Yunxi said, "I'll join too."
"No need," Li Xiaosi said with a smile. "There are so many of us here. You two young ladies don't need to stand watch. Get a good night's rest. We still have to fight tomorrow."
The four on watch duty were split into two shifts, each with one person from He Ping's group and one bodyguard.
Meanwhile, Feng Moxi's Divine Sense was already exploring her space, where Little Shadow soared about on its transparent wings.
"Well? Did you find anything?"