Old Master Gu’s furious tirade left Su Mei completely dumbfounded. Was this really the same gentle and kindly old man she knew?
She had no idea who he was talking to on the phone to make him so angry.
The person on the other end seemed to be explaining something in a low voice. Gu Qing’s expression changed repeatedly before he hung up and immediately called Sheng Xia back.
“Hello, Sheng Xia. Don’t worry. Ziyan just had some urgent business and returned to Yanjing. Don’t go wandering around these next few days. In a few days, Grandpa Gu will arrange for someone to come pick you up!”
Learning that Gu Ziyan had returned to Yanjing, Sheng Xia was delighted. Good! The farther away he was, the better. Without him around, no one could get in her way.
As for Old Master Gu suddenly wanting to send someone to pick her up, Sheng Xia could not help feeling puzzled. Has something happened in Yanjing?
There had been no such plotline in the original novel.
Then again, the original story was already nearing its abrupt end within the next few chapters. Since she had already altered the plot, she might as well follow wherever this new storyline led.
Things would work themselves out when the time came. Sheng Xia had always been open-minded about such matters.
After tidying herself up, she prepared to head out. Previously, with Gu Ziyan around, she could not openly make large purchases. Now that she was alone, she could finally go all out.
Taking all her savings with her, she rushed out the door. Her first destination was the largest pharmacy in Kangcheng.
Alcohol, iodine, gauze, hemostatic powder, bandages, antibiotics, fever medicine, anti-diarrheal medicine, potassium permanganate, various vitamins, and all kinds of common medications. Sheng Xia bought an enormous quantity of everything. The store clerk could only stare in amazement. They had clearly encountered a big spender today.
After arranging a delivery time to her house, she immediately headed for her second destination: an outdoor equipment store.
Tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, moisture-proof mats, flashlights, assault jackets, multifunctional water bottles, water purification cups, waterproof lanterns, portable gas stoves, Swiss Army knives, entrenching shovels, and more. She bought an entire set.
She also specifically purchased two sets of camouflage clothing, several quick-drying sports outfits, pullover hoodies, and several pairs of lightweight athletic shoes. Seeing her savings dwindling to almost nothing, Sheng Xia could not help feeling a pang of pain.
She had spent tens of thousands in a single day, something she had never even dared imagine before. But when she thought about how money would become practically worthless once the Apocalypse arrived, she steeled herself and continued shopping.
Only after reducing her remaining cash to two or three thousand yuan for emergencies did Sheng Xia finally return home, thoroughly satisfied, and patiently wait for all her purchases to be delivered.
Fortunately, most of the necessary preparations were already complete. The remaining essentials were food, water, and seeds for experimentation.
The easiest way to obtain food, water, and seeds was naturally online shopping. Although she had spent years training deep in the mountains, Sheng Xia still knew how to shop online.
She placed several massive orders through Taobao Supermarket. Watching the balance in her bank account decrease with each purchase filled her with a profound sense of security.
Taobao Supermarket was remarkably efficient. Orders placed in the morning arrived that same afternoon.
That evening, after making do with a simple meal, Sheng Xia began transferring everything she had purchased into her Spatial Storage.
One cubic meter of medicine, two cubic meters of outdoor equipment, several cubic meters of rice, flour, compressed biscuits, chocolate, candy, spicy snack strips, and all sorts of fruits and seasonings.
Food stored inside the space would never spoil. Sheng Xia also bought large quantities of potatoes and sweet potatoes. Not only could they fill stomachs, but they could also serve as seeds when necessary, making them ideal supplies to stockpile.
She purchased plenty of steamed buns and mantou from roadside shops, along with cooked foods and pickled vegetables.
She even managed to acquire several fruit tree saplings.
There was still plenty of unused space, so Sheng Xia simply stored all the useful tables, chairs, bowls, chopsticks, kitchen knives, and other household necessities from her home.
She even stored Su Mei’s specially made spicy braising stock. Sheng Xia directly placed the entire pot, broth and all, into a dedicated corner of the space.
It had to be said that Su Mei’s cooking skills were exceptional, even surpassing Zhou Baiya Duck.
In a moment of extravagance, she even stored her single bed inside the space.
Once everything had been arranged, she finally took the seeds she had purchased and placed them into the space. Using her thoughts, she controlled the seeds and planted them within the black soil of the Spiritual Farmland.
The process consumed a tremendous amount of mental energy. By the time she had finished planting a small packet containing just over fifty carrot seeds, Sheng Xia was soaked with sweat, and a dull pain throbbed through her head. It was a clear sign of spiritual power exhaustion.
The larger the space became, the more spiritual power was required to manipulate it. Sheng Xia reflected that as her space expanded, her spiritual power had also improved considerably.
Enduring the discomfort, she hurriedly took a shower before collapsing into bed.
The best way to recover spiritual power was simple: sleep.
At this moment, there were still eight days remaining before the Blood Moon arrived.
The next day, Sheng Xia slept until she woke up naturally. After breakfast, she headed to a hair salon and promptly chopped off the original owner’s long hair.
She opted for a neat, efficient short haircut. Her bangs no longer hung over her eyes but were skillfully parted to either side by the stylist.
Satisfied with the result, Sheng Xia nodded approvingly before returning to the Gu residence. She stored all her luggage inside her space and thoroughly emptied the Gu family’s kitchen.
Anything that looked potentially useful was taken without hesitation.
After returning home, Sheng Xia prepared to stay indoors and focus entirely on strengthening her training.
In order for this body to regain the combat capabilities she had possessed before, Sheng Xia had been training relentlessly every day since the moment of her rebirth, ensuring that her body remained in peak condition.
At the very least, when the time came to flee for her life, she would be able to run faster and endure longer.
As usual, she trained until midnight. After showering, she was about to get into bed when the moonlight outside the window suddenly caused her expression to change dramatically.
The night sky was clear, with only a few scattered stars. A blood-red full moon hung high above, casting the entire world beneath a crimson haze.
This bizarre cosmic phenomenon had already captured global attention.
Major news websites and social media platforms were flooding with reports.
A chill ran through Sheng Xia’s heart.
The Apocalypse described in the novel had arrived early.
Opening her phone, she saw the internet erupting within mere minutes. Along with the appearance of the Blood Moon, mysterious black holes and unknown zones were emerging all over the world.
Some appeared in cities, others in the wilderness.
Humans could neither enter nor leave these strange regions.
Followers of doomsday theories poured into the streets, holding demonstrations and prayers while pleading for divine salvation.
Many of those trapped within the unknown zones initially cried out for help. Before long, however, all communication ceased.
Governments around the world rapidly dispatched advanced teams into those areas, hoping to uncover the truth.
As Sheng Xia scrolled through the endless reports online, her heart remained calm.
The Apocalypse had only just begun.
God would not suddenly appear.
Those trapped people were beyond saving.
Anyone unfortunate enough to be enveloped by those regions would ultimately become food for mutated beasts.
As for the soldiers being sent in, she could only feel respect.
Military orders could not be disobeyed. Even when fully aware they were marching toward death, they advanced without fear.
Everything unfolding matched the events described in the novel exactly.
The Apocalypse was clearly irreversible.
By the second half of the night, mutated plants and animals would begin sweeping across the land. Those fist-sized mutated locusts would soon devour every exposed grain crop on Earth.
Within half a month, the entire world would descend into famine.
Communications would also collapse.
Sheng Xia called Su Mei to let her know she was safe before sitting quietly on her bed, contemplating her plans for the future.
Su Mei had already begun receiving treatment from medical specialists. Her surgery had been scheduled for the following day.
Sheng Xia told her to focus on preparing for the operation and not worry about her.
During the call, Su Mei also mentioned that Old Master Gu was temporarily unable to send anyone to pick her up. She should remain in Kangcheng for the time being. Once the situation became clearer, he would arrange something.
Sheng Xia completely understood.
She knew that the appearance of these phenomena around the world had already disrupted the planet’s magnetic field due to the Blood Moon’s influence.
Airplanes could no longer fly.
Beginning at dawn, all flights had been canceled.
Even helicopters had been requisitioned by the government.
There was no way Gu Qing would challenge the government solely for the sake of one person like her.
Still, she had not expected him to value loyalty and affection so deeply, and she found herself genuinely moved.
But being touched was one thing.
Figuring out how to avoid dying young and live freely in this Apocalypse was far more important.
She carefully reviewed the plot of the novel in her mind, filtering out information that could benefit her.
After pondering for a while, a bright light flashed in Sheng Xia’s eyes.
That was the place!