Every expression, every gesture, every trace of elegance was perfectly controlled.
In just one night, Wan Wanxin had not only escaped from that place, but had also reached an agreement with Sima Yue’s group and become one of their teammates.
She truly had extraordinary luck.
And her methods were just as remarkable.
Noticing the brief distraction in Feng Moxi’s eyes, Chaoyang coughed lightly and said in a careful tone, “That woman knows the trail behind the mountain village. She’s useful.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
The way he phrased it made it sound as though Feng Moxi particularly disliked Wan Wanxin.
Which, to be fair, was absolutely true.
Still, hearing him blurt it out so openly made the atmosphere awkward for everyone.
Feng Moxi, however, acted as though she hadn’t heard a thing.
She had already been reborn into a different life.
As for Wan Wanxin…
Heh.
There was plenty of time to play.
After Chaoyang’s introduction, Wan Wanxin stepped forward with a flawless smile. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a lollipop and held it toward the little girl.
“Little sister, what’s your name? Here, have some candy.”
Her voice was warm and gentle.
Her smile was soft without seeming forced, instantly making everyone around her feel favorably toward her.
It was only a small piece of candy, but in the apocalypse, even something that insignificant could become life-saving.
No one knew how she had managed to save it until now.
Yet she was willing to give it away to a child.
Beautiful and kind-hearted.
At least, that was how she appeared.
Feng Moxi watched coldly from the side.
This was exactly the trick her dear cousin had always relied on.
Time after time, it had never failed her in the apocalypse.
The little girl, however, remained expressionless.
Her eyes stayed lowered, refusing to spare Wan Wanxin even the slightest glance.
Wan Wanxin’s hand remained suspended awkwardly in midair.
The atmosphere became increasingly uncomfortable.
Some people even began to feel that the child was simply being unreasonable.
She was so young, yet had absolutely no manners.
Wan Wanxin didn’t become angry after being rejected.
Her smile remained as radiant as the August sun as she gently reached out, intending to pat the little girl’s head.
The moment her hand approached…
The little girl reacted instantly.
A freezing gaze shot upward.
Her eyes were filled with icy killing intent.
Wan Wanxin instinctively withdrew her hand.
Only then did she truly feel embarrassed.
“Pfft!”
Chaoyang couldn’t help laughing, his eyes full of undisguised amusement.
Feng Moxi’s mood improved immediately.
She casually pushed the little girl into Luo Yunxi’s arms.
The child instantly widened her eyes, struggling to pull away.
Feng Moxi said calmly,
“Don’t move. She’s easy to bully. She can’t beat you.”
Almost instantly, the little girl stopped struggling.
Everyone stared in astonishment.
What kind of communication was that?
Luo Yunxi looked at her idol with utter resentment.
So you really think that little of me?
No.
She absolutely had to cultivate harder.
There was no way she was going to lose to a little girl.
None of them realized that this very moment would shape the future.
One day, the legendary leader would have two terrifying female guardians by her side.
One cold.
One warm.
Standing to her left and right.
They would protect her with unwavering loyalty until death.
No one had any interest in lingering any longer.
The group quickly left the town behind.
When they returned to the courtyard, Feng Moxi’s expression became serious.
If her memory was correct, the rainy plum season would arrive in about a week.
When that happened, certain plants would begin mutating as well.
If they failed to leave Baiyang Town before then, they might end up trapped here for a very long time.
Since she had already gathered more than enough supplies, she turned toward Chaoyang’s group.
“There are too many monsters behind the town. The roads are completely blocked, and the streets inside twist in every direction. Now that even animals have started mutating, we might be able to get through by climbing over the houses from the back of town, but…”
“But we’d risk getting surrounded by both monsters and mutated animals,” Sima Yue finished for her. “Even if we make it through, there’s no guarantee the town’s exit isn’t blocked by an even larger horde. If that happens, we’ll have nowhere to retreat.”
Feng Moxi glanced at the stern man before continuing.
“When Binhai fell into chaos, countless people must have fled this way. I’m afraid the town’s exit won’t look promising. If it’s blocked, we’ll be trapped with nowhere to go.”
She looked toward the towering mountain beside them.
Under normal circumstances, there weren’t many dangerous animals in those mountains.
But this was the apocalypse.
No one knew what awaited them anymore.
“But what if there are mutated animals in the mountains?” Luo Yunxi asked quietly.
To her, climbing over a mountain sounded even more absurd.
“As long as we don’t venture deep into the forest and stay along the outer edge of the mountains, the risk should be manageable,” Wan Wanxin replied softly.
He Ping looked around at the heated discussion and sighed deeply.
His group included both elderly people and children.
No matter which route they chose, it would be difficult.
“…Fine.”
After a long silence, Sima Yue finally made the decision.
“We leave tomorrow morning.”
That single sentence settled everything.
No one wanted to remain inside this town overflowing with monsters any longer.
They still had many things they needed to accomplish.
…
The moment they stepped back into the courtyard, a thick stench of blood filled the air.
In the center of the hall lay four young women’s bodies, arranged neatly side by side.
Black blood still seeped from the wounds in their chests.
It had already begun to clot.
The expressions frozen on their faces were filled with terror.
Judging from the bodies, they had died less than four hours earlier.
Each had been killed with a single precise strike.
There was no doubt.
This had been done by human hands.
Feng Moxi and Chaoyang raised their heads at exactly the same time, looking toward the mountain outside.
Only those four punks would find something like this amusing.
He Ping clenched his fists, his face filled with fury.
“It was those four bastards.”
“They’re completely heartless.”
His hatred wasn’t only because they had murdered the four girls.
They had also caused the deaths of three of his brothers.
The grief still tore at his heart.
Without changing expression, Sima Yue turned to Xiao Lizi.
“Arrange the night watch.”
“Stay alert.”
“We leave at dawn.”
It was already late afternoon.
Those four troublemakers had probably gone into the mountains by now.
But considering how unpredictable they were…
No one could rule out the possibility that they would suddenly return.
“Understood.”
Feng Moxi wasn’t in a good mood either.
Just the thought of traveling with that woman made her feel disgusted.
She had no desire to remain in the same room as Wan Wanxin.
Taking the little girl with her, she headed upstairs to the room she had previously occupied.
Luo Yunxi followed closely behind.
Soon, the three of them each occupied one corner of the room.
They simply stared at one another in silence.
After so many years of loneliness and isolation, after spending her entire life hiding behind a mask, Feng Moxi had long forgotten how to interact with people normally.
The little girl was even colder and more withdrawn.
How were two emotionally distant people supposed to get along in the future?
Luo Yunxi rubbed her forehead helplessly.
Seeing Feng Moxi already sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, quietly cultivating, she cautiously turned toward the little girl.
“What’s your name?”
“How old are you?”
In an instant…
A terrifying burst of killing intent exploded from the child.
The pressure was so overwhelming that Luo Yunxi nearly stopped breathing.
Feng Moxi suddenly opened her eyes.
Looking calmly at the little girl, she said,
“From now on, the three of us are together.”
The murderous aura vanished instantly.