102 Puppet Jade
"Luoyang... 12 kilometers." Tang Yanqiu tapped the snow-covered road sign. Despite its rusty appearance, the faded highway sign was still recognizable with these few characters.
Cong Xia looked towards the vast white distance. "We'll be entering the city soon."
Tang Yanqiu counted his arrows one by one, carefully placing them into the quiver. Meanwhile, Cheng Tianbi was maintaining his guns. In front of him were an SSG69 sniper rifle, an M12S submachine gun, an MP5 submachine gun, and a Desert Eagle pistol. These weapons were acquired from Zhuang Yao. Although he had come into contact with many high-end firearms during his time in the military, most of them were Chinese standard issue weapons. Zhuang Yao's arsenal provided him with many options, and before leaving, he had practically emptied Zhuang Yao's weapon storage. While many remembered him as a Natural Power Evolver, they often forgot that he was a perfect iron-blooded special forces soldier.
Deng Xiao developed a great interest in these weapons, but after being warned by Cheng Tianbi with a stern gaze, he didn't dare to touch them. He sat on the side, eagerly watching and pestering Cheng Tianbi for explanations.
Zhuang Yao sat down and asked, "How much ammunition is left for the Gatling gun?"
"About one-third of the ammo box, no more than 200 rounds at most."
"So, we'll run out of ammunition soon."
"Yes, when we dealt with those owls last time, and later with Zhang Qian's gang, we almost used up all the ammunition."
"Do you have enough ammunition for these weapons?"
"For now, yes."
Cong Xia said, "When we left, the most significant thing we brought with us was weapons. Now it seems like a wise choice." For them, food was no longer as important because they had the ability to hunt. Although hunting became increasingly challenging during winter, it was not easy for them to starve to death. On the other hand, ammunition, just like gasoline, became one of the scarcest resources.
Deng Xiao eagerly said, "Everyone has guns, so give me one too."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him. "I have trained them in basic knowledge. Just wait a bit longer."
"Then when will you train me, Brother Cheng? How about now?"
"No time."
Liu Fengyu said, "Why do you need a gun? We carry guns just in case. You have tough skin and flesh, safer than any of us. Besides, once you transform, those big claws won't be able to hold a gun."
"How can you say that? I also need it just in case. Give me a gun," Deng Xiao pleaded earnestly, looking at Cheng Tianbi.
"Just wait... Huh?"
Suddenly, everyone felt a significant energy fluctuation.
"Where is it?"
Cong Xia said, "It's under our feet. Abu, don't move."
Abu immediately froze. Its raised paw fell back down, and it hesitated to take another step, ending up crouching down with its front paws raised like a beckoning cat.
Tang Yanqiu, with his keen eyes, pointed to a spot near Abu's feet. "There's something there. Let me check it out."
The others vaguely saw a movement beneath the snow-covered ground. Cong Xia called out, "Be careful, Xiaotang."
Tang Yanqiu ran over, bent down, and used his bow to sweep away the snow. He exclaimed, "It's a person." He crouched down, pushed away the snow, and revealed a half-naked, frail body in the snow. He shouted, "It's a little girl, and she's still alive."
He lifted the little girl from the snowy ground. She was about seven years old, her body devoid of color due to the cold, and there was a large bloodstain on her waist, staining the snow red. Although she was still breathing, her life hung by a thread.
Cong Xia quickly jumped down and infused energy into her body. Liu Fengyu found some clothes from the car and wrapped her up.
"How is she? Can we save her?"
Cong Xia said, "We should be able to." Although he had never saved someone at death's door, if the Attributeless Energy could repair all wounds, then as long as the person was still alive, they should be able to save her. It would just require more energy consumption.
Zhuang Yao said, "She's a mutant. Was she attacked by a wild beast?"
"The wound looks like it was caused by a large predator. She might have come out to hunt," Cong Xia sighed. "Such a young child, yet she needs to go hunting."
Zhuang Yao calmly said, "That's because she's a mutant. This world doesn't sympathize with little children."
Cong Xia exhausted most of his energy and finally repaired the wound. The color slowly returned to the girl's face. He looked at the unconscious little girl and asked, "What should we do?"
Zhuang Yao said, "Bring her back to Luoyang. When she wakes up, she can decide for herself. After all, she's a mutant and must have survival skills."
"Alright."
The group continued on their way to Luoyang.
When they were only three or four kilometers away from Luoyang, a row of gray birds hovered overhead. There were at least seven or eight of them.
At first, they didn't pay much attention, but the birds flew away after circling above their heads once, only to return a few minutes later.
Tang Yanqiu looked up at the flock of birds constantly circling above them and said, "Should I go up and take a look? There seems to be someone on those birds."
"No, don't go up. Let's see what they're up to."
They continued walking, and after a while, the birds descended and flew down. Cheng Tianbi raised his gun, and Tang Yanqiu grabbed his bow, both ready to attack.
The birds flew past them sideways with people on their backs, looking down at them with cold expressions. However, instead of descending, they flew away at a low altitude.
Cong Xia watched them fly away into the distance and said, "They should be people from Luoyang City."
Liu Fengyu snorted coldly, "They know what's good for them, not coming down."
Zhuang Yao said, "We haven't entered the city yet, so let's keep a low profile. We'll soon be getting off the highway."
In the early afternoon, when the sun was shining brightly, they arrived in Luoyang, the ancient capital that had stood for a thousand years. Cong Xia had never been to Luoyang before, and in his imagination, Luoyang was a city of mountains and waters filled with peony flowers. Of course, he didn't expect to find peonies in Luoyang now. Every time he passed through a city, his only wish was for there to be more humans left.
As they approached the former toll gate on the highway, they were surprised to find people there.
A person wearing a black coat rode over on a large sled dog and shouted loudly, "Stop!"
They halted, and the person approached them. "Do you want to enter the city?"
Zhuang Yao impatiently asked, "Why would we come here if we didn't want to enter the city?"
"To enter our Luoyang, first, you need to pay a fee. Second, you need to undergo questioning and inspection. Third, you need to abide by the rules of Luoyang City. Otherwise, you can't enter."
"What fee do we have to pay? What kind of questioning and inspection?"
"Fifty kilograms of meat, one kilogram of fruits and vegetables, one kilogram of gasoline, one piece of any type of weapon, 200 grams of medicine, or other useful supplies. You need to fulfill any of these requirements before we can discuss further."
Liu Fengyu sneered, "Do you have a golden nest here? We have to give something just to enter the city."
The man rubbed his forehead and shouted, "The resources in our city are limited. They're not enough for our local residents. If you want to come, either abide by the rules or don't come at all. Have you ever paid taxes here before? What's with the attitude?"
Cong Xia held back Liu Fengyu, who was about to explode, and said loudly, "We'll give you fifty kilograms of meat in exchange."
"Fine. Now you need to undergo questioning and inspection."
"Go ahead and ask."
"Where are you from, where are you going, why did you pass through Luoyang, how many days do you plan to stay in Luoyang, what do you plan to do during those days, how many people are in your group, and what are your respective mutant abilities?" The man asked a series of questions without pausing for breath.
Zhuang Yao stared into his eyes, used his brainwaves to shield part of his energy sensing ability, and answered those questions with a mix of truth and lies, concealing all the important information.
As he spoke, the man recorded everything in his notebook. When he finished, he said, "Alright, I need to inspect the items in your vehicle. Explosive items are not allowed into the city."
The group exchanged glances. They had at least two large boxes of grenades and plastic explosives in their vehicle, along with rifle grenades and Zhuang Yao's homemade petrol bombs. All of these were considered explosive items.
The man rode over on his sled dog and stood by their vehicle, looking at them. "What's the matter? Are you not letting me inspect?"
Cong Xia said, "Wait a moment, sir." He went to the backseat, rummaged around for a while, and finally pulled out a cigarette. It seemed that someone from the Tang family had put it in their vehicle back at Mount Emei. He opened the car door and smiled at the man. "Sir, this cigarette is not part of the toll fee. Consider it a special gift from us. Is that alright?"
The man's eyes went wide as he looked at the cigarette.
Cong Xia had noticed that his fingers were yellow, a clear sign of a heavy smoker. He hoped that this man would be reasonable and take the cigarette and leave. Otherwise, they would have to force their way in.
The man reached out, trembling, and took the cigarette.
None of them in the group smoked, unaware of the value of cigarettes in the apocalypse. This cigarette was enough to exchange for a year's worth of rations for an ordinary family. The man had never seen such a generous gift before and was too shocked to speak.
Cong Xia smiled at him. "How about it, sir?"
The man looked around and, in a low voice, said, "If you cause trouble after entering, please don't sell me out."
"Don't worry, we won't."
The man took out a hand-written paper from his coat pocket. "These are the rules of the city. Take a good look at them and don't cause any trouble. You can't afford to mess with the people inside."
Cong Xia took the paper and said, "Let's go, into the city."
"Hold on." Zhuang Yao looked at the man and asked, "I heard there's a powerful Bat Person in Luoyang. Have you heard of it?"
The man whispered, "That's the top expert of 'Wei Zi'."
"'Wei Zi'?"
"Most of the factions in Luoyang are named after peonies. You better hurry and go in. I won't tell you anymore." The man tucked the cigarette into his clothes and hurriedly returned to the toll booth on his sled dog.
Liu Fengyu laughed. "Named after peony varieties? That's quite classy."
Zhuang Yao sneered. "Seems like that Bat Person is quite famous. Once we're in the city, we won't have trouble finding people to inquire about him."
After entering the city, they found that the situation in Luoyang was better than they had imagined. The most direct and accurate way to judge the situation of a city was to see if there were people walking on the streets.
If it was easy to see people moving about, it meant there were fewer mutant creatures and more people, indicating a relatively good situation. Conversely, if there were few people visible, it meant that the mutant creatures had been suppressed by humans.
Their large group quickly attracted the attention of people on the street.
Cong Xia said, "Do you think our news might have already spread to Luoyang?"
Zhuang Yao said firmly, "It has."
"So, entering like this..."
"This is the fastest way to gain core information. Otherwise, when would we have a chance to interact with influential people in this city? We don't need to waste our energy searching for them; they'll come to us, especially... that Bat Person. I believe he remembers us. What we need to do now is to eat well, drink well, and prepare."
Cong Xia said, "After finding a place to settle, let's go to the streets and ask about the situation here."
"Cong, Cong." Deng Xiao suddenly called out.
"What's wrong?"
"That little girl seems to be waking up."
Cong Xia looked towards Abu and saw the unconscious little girl suddenly sit up and swing her hand towards Deng Xiao's neck. Her sharp nails were about to touch his skin.
Cong Xia shouted, "Be careful!"
Cheng Tianbi quickly threw his handgun, hitting the girl's wrist with a loud bang. She let out a cry of pain.
Deng Xiao grabbed her neck and pressed her down to the ground, angrily saying, "What are you doing?"
The girl kicked and struggled in his arms like a frantic hedgehog, screaming, "Let me go, let me go, I'll kill you!"
Cheng Tianbi placed the tip of his knife against her nose and said coldly, "Shut up."
The girl bit her lip, her bloodshot eyes filled with hatred and fear.
Deng Xiao released his grip and sighed, "Did this girl get bitten by a mad dog? Seems like she has rabies."
Cong Xia climbed onto Abu and looked at the girl, softly saying, "Little one, we're not bad people. Why did you attack us?"
The girl seemed to slowly regain her senses, carefully observing them with a hint of confusion in her eyes. However, she remained cautious. "Who are you?"
"We're outsiders who just arrived in Luoyang. We found you in the snow, so we brought you back to the city."
The girl got up, touched her stomach, and a surprised expression appeared on her face. It seemed like she was unsure if she was truly injured since there wasn't a single wound on her. She glanced at Cong Xia, still skeptical. "Are you really not from 'Wei Zi'?"
"'Wei Zi'? No, who is that?"
The girl angrily shouted, "They're bad people!"
"But we're not. You don't have to be afraid of us."
The girl calmed down slightly and curled up like a little dog.
"What's your name?"
"Yan Ting."
"Yan Ting, why were you outside the city and... buried in the snow?" Cong Xia almost blurted out "Why were you injured," but suddenly remembered that he had already healed her wounds and they didn't intend to let her know why.
Yan Ting confidently said, "I stole something from a mutant person of 'Wei Zi' and they chased me out of the city. But, I remember being bitten by a beast..." She touched her stomach. "Strange, what's going on?"
"Maybe you were disoriented due to being frozen. When we found you, you weren't injured."
A trace of confusion appeared in Yan Ting's eyes. "But it hurt a lot at that time, and I was bleeding heavily. How could I remember it wrong?"
Cong Xia smiled and patted her head. "You must have remembered it wrong. Look, you don't have any injuries. Isn't it a good thing not to be hurt? Do you really want to be injured?"
The little girl stubbornly said, "That's not true. I knew it. I wouldn't let those idiots from 'Wei Zi' kill me."
Cong Xia said, "If you're fine, you should go home early. Can you go back on your own?"
Yan Ting looked at him with bright eyes. "Big brother, thank you for saving me."
"You're welcome. It's getting dark soon, so you should go home."
Yan Ting wiped her reddened nose. "Where are you staying tonight? Do you have food?"
"We haven't decided yet. We'll look for a place."
"In that case, come to my house. We have delicious food, and it's warm inside."
Liu Fengyu's eyes lit up. "Great! Is there hot water?"
"Yes, and..."
"No, we can't go." Before Liu Fengyu could get too excited, Zhuang Yao poured cold water on the idea.
"Why not?"
Zhuang Yao said without raising his head, "If we go, we will definitely cause trouble for the other party. I don't mind causing trouble for anyone, but then you all will feel guilty and start with all sorts of emotional fuss. I don't have time to comfort you, so it's better not to go."
Yan Ting looked at them in confusion, blinking her eyes. "What trouble? My dad is very powerful, and our home is safe. You can come without worry."
Cong Xia sighed. "Zhuang Yao is right. We can't go. When we were in Xi'an, we almost caused trouble for Aijia."
Yan Ting looked at them in confusion. "Why can't you come? I'll prepare lots of delicious food for you, and I can make cakes too. Dad said we should repay kindness."
Zhuang Yao said, "Answer a few questions for us, and consider it as repaying kindness. How about that?"
Yan Ting looked at them skeptically. "What do you want to ask?"
"We want to know more about this 'Wei Zi' group you mentioned."
Yan Ting's pupils contracted sharply, and she shouted, "Why are you asking them?"
"Never mind that. If you really want to thank us, answer my questions."
Yan Ting pursed her lips. "Go ahead, ask."
"What kind of people are they, this 'Wei Zi' group?"
"They're bad people."
Zhuang Yao rolled his eyes. Expecting a seven or eight-year-old child to explain clearly was indeed difficult. He changed his approach and asked, "How many of them are there in the group, and are they the most powerful force in Luoyang?"
Yan Ting pouted. "Hmm, they're the most powerful. My dad said they have over sixty mutant people."
"Who is their leader, and who are the powerful mutants among them?"
"Their leader is called Yi Nan, a white fox mutant. The bat mutant is called Yi Dong. They are two brothers, and they are both very powerful. There are also many other powerful mutants in Wei Zi."
"Tell me about the most powerful ones you know."
Yan Ting thought for a moment. "In addition to the Yi Dong and Yi Nan brothers, there's a centipede mutant who is disgustingly creepy, and a skeletal evolution mutant who is also very creepy. There also seems to be an amphibious reptile, not sure if they are atavistic humans or mutants, but in any case, they have many mutants."
Liu Fengyu frowned. "Is it amphibious or reptilian?"
Zhuang Yao said, "The boundary between amphibians and reptiles is relatively blurred. For example, Deng Xiao possesses characteristics of both amphibians and reptiles. His appearance is closer to a lizard, which should technically be classified as a reptile. However, he also has many features of amphibians. Therefore, many people consider lizards as amphibians. The concept of atavistic humans emerged after the apocalypse. Our classification of atavistic humans is based on their appearance. However, to truly determine to which species a creature belongs, it may require studying their reproductive methods, developmental processes, diet structure, and so on. For example, not all organisms living in water are fish. Whales, for instance, are mammals. Therefore, creatures resembling lizards could be classified as either amphibians or reptiles. Currently, based on their appearance, we classify them as atavistic amphibians. However, when we reach Beijing, the research there might be more advanced and provide a reclassification of these atavistic species. So whether they are amphibians or reptiles is not that important. But I appreciate the meticulous scientific attitude of the people in Luoyang, using the term 'amphibious reptiles' is quite comprehensive. Of course, it's also possible that they are closer to Beijing, and their information updates are much more advanced than ours."
Liu Fengyu rolled her eyes. "I was just asking casually. You don't have to give such a lengthy explanation."
"I'm only giving you an explanation that matches your level of intelligence. If you don't need an answer, then don't ask. It's a waste of my time." Zhuang Yao glared at him and continued questioning Yan Ting. "Are there any other powerful people?"
"Can't remember them all, but there are many powerful ones, all a bunch of bad guys," Yan Ting replied.
"Why do you say they're bad guys?"
Yan Ting said fiercely, "They always bully people from our family and snatch things from us."
"Are there any other powerful forces? I heard that the forces in Luoyang are named after peonies?"
"Yes, our family is 'Green Cloud,' and there's 'Zhao Fen,' 'Yao Huang,' and so on. It seems that 'Wei Zi' started it, and then everyone started naming their groups after peonies. Hmph, they don't deserve such nice names."
Seong-Ha sighed. "It seems that there are many mutants in Luoyang."
Cheng Tianbi asked, "Apart from Wei Zi, what about the others?"
"I don't know, but whenever we encounter people from other families, they are enemies," Yan Ting replied.
Seong-Ha sighed again. Along the way, they rarely saw the beautiful sight of humanity coming together to rebuild their homes. All mutant factions were engaged in overt and covert power struggles. When mutant creatures threatened human survival, humans might unite. But once human factions grew stronger, conflicts between them were inevitable, especially in this post-apocalyptic era with scarce resources and no laws. All disputes could only be resolved through force. Even a small child like Yan Ting couldn't escape this fate if she was a mutant. It was a scene that was bound to occur, but it was still saddening.
Yan Ting was too young, and the things she asked were sometimes confusing and easily emotional. After questioning her for a while, Zhuang Yao couldn't continue and decided to find a reliable adult to learn more about the situation after finding a place to settle down.
Yan Ting left reluctantly. "Are you really not coming to my house? We have delicious food."
"We won't come. Hurry home so that your father won't worry."
"If you want to come to my house, come to the south of the city and look for me. There's a flag with the Green Cloud peony on top of my house. Everyone knows where my house is."
After the little girl left, they began searching for a place to stay for the next few days. Since it wasn't yet dark, there were people on the street. Abu's enormous size almost blocked the sun, and as they walked, everyone looked at them.
Zhuang Yao got tired of being stared at and patted Abu's head. "Abu, scare them a bit."
Abu lowered his head and opened his large mouth, letting out a sharp roar. The people were frightened and ran away in a hurry.
Seong-Ha curiously asked, "Has Abu's intelligence improved?"
"Yes, it seems to be related to the Puppet Jade. Its intelligence has improved, and my brain's evolutionary level has also increased, making our communication more effective," Zhuang Yao explained.
邓逍 excitedly said, "Abu can understand almost everything people say now. He's the ultimate battle pet!"
Liu Fengyu ruffled his hair and said with a smile, "You're also the ultimate battle pet."
"Huh? Am I a battle pet...?"
Tang Yanqiu pointed to a three-story building in the distance. "How about that three-story building ahead? It's standalone and suitable for our temporary camp."
Zhuang Yao stood on Abu's head, his lips curled up into a smile. "That's the one."
In a building far away, a tall and stern man in black put down the binoculars in his hand and thoughtfully looked into the distance.
"How are they? Is it them?"
"Yes, I didn't expect them to come to Luoyang."
"What's even more unexpected is that they are the same group of people who caused a huge stir in Beijing. If only...," the young man in white squinted his eyes, "I regret not killing him when he was still a weak Natural Power Evolver."
The man in black calmly said, "There was no need for them to come to Luoyang from Guiyang on their way to Beijing. I'm afraid they came for us, or rather, for the Puppet Jade. So, it's not too late to kill them now."
A cold smile appeared on the young man's face. "I want to see if the legendary healing ability is really as amazing as they say. We have guarded the Puppet Jade for so long, and now we have evolved to a point where no one can take it from us. Even a Natural Power Evolver is not worth fearing."
The man in black said, "Let's first find out their intentions. If they are not after our Puppet Jade, there's no need to start a conflict."
"I understand. I'll send someone to inquire."
The tall figure of the man in black instantly dissipated into countless bats, engulfing the young man in white in the middle. Like a wisp of black smoke, they drifted away into the distance.
102 Puppet Jade
"Luoyang... 12 kilometers." Tang Yanqiu tapped the snow-covered road sign. Despite its rusty appearance, the faded highway sign was still recognizable with these few characters.
Cong Xia looked towards the vast white distance. "We'll be entering the city soon."
Tang Yanqiu counted his arrows one by one, carefully placing them into the quiver. Meanwhile, Cheng Tianbi was maintaining his guns. In front of him were an SSG69 sniper rifle, an M12S submachine gun, an MP5 submachine gun, and a Desert Eagle pistol. These weapons were acquired from Zhuang Yao. Although he had come into contact with many high-end firearms during his time in the military, most of them were Chinese standard issue weapons. Zhuang Yao's arsenal provided him with many options, and before leaving, he had practically emptied Zhuang Yao's weapon storage. While many remembered him as a Natural Power Evolver, they often forgot that he was a perfect iron-blooded special forces soldier.
Deng Xiao developed a great interest in these weapons, but after being warned by Cheng Tianbi with a stern gaze, he didn't dare to touch them. He sat on the side, eagerly watching and pestering Cheng Tianbi for explanations.
Zhuang Yao sat down and asked, "How much ammunition is left for the Gatling gun?"
"About one-third of the ammo box, no more than 200 rounds at most."
"So, we'll run out of ammunition soon."
"Yes, when we dealt with those owls last time, and later with Zhang Qian's gang, we almost used up all the ammunition."
"Do you have enough ammunition for these weapons?"
"For now, yes."
Cong Xia said, "When we left, the most significant thing we brought with us was weapons. Now it seems like a wise choice." For them, food was no longer as important because they had the ability to hunt. Although hunting became increasingly challenging during winter, it was not easy for them to starve to death. On the other hand, ammunition, just like gasoline, became one of the scarcest resources.
Deng Xiao eagerly said, "Everyone has guns, so give me one too."
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him. "I have trained them in basic knowledge. Just wait a bit longer."
"Then when will you train me, Brother Cheng? How about now?"
"No time."
Liu Fengyu said, "Why do you need a gun? We carry guns just in case. You have tough skin and flesh, safer than any of us. Besides, once you transform, those big claws won't be able to hold a gun."
"How can you say that? I also need it just in case. Give me a gun," Deng Xiao pleaded earnestly, looking at Cheng Tianbi.
"Just wait... Huh?"
Suddenly, everyone felt a significant energy fluctuation.
"Where is it?"
Cong Xia said, "It's under our feet. Abu, don't move."
Abu immediately froze. Its raised paw fell back down, and it hesitated to take another step, ending up crouching down with its front paws raised like a beckoning cat.
Tang Yanqiu, with his keen eyes, pointed to a spot near Abu's feet. "There's something there. Let me check it out."
The others vaguely saw a movement beneath the snow-covered ground. Cong Xia called out, "Be careful, Xiaotang."
Tang Yanqiu ran over, bent down, and used his bow to sweep away the snow. He exclaimed, "It's a person." He crouched down, pushed away the snow, and revealed a half-naked, frail body in the snow. He shouted, "It's a little girl, and she's still alive."
He lifted the little girl from the snowy ground. She was about seven years old, her body devoid of color due to the cold, and there was a large bloodstain on her waist, staining the snow red. Although she was still breathing, her life hung by a thread.
Cong Xia quickly jumped down and infused energy into her body. Liu Fengyu found some clothes from the car and wrapped her up.
"How is she? Can we save her?"
Cong Xia said, "We should be able to." Although he had never saved someone at death's door, if the Attributeless Energy could repair all wounds, then as long as the person was still alive, they should be able to save her. It would just require more energy consumption.
Zhuang Yao said, "She's a mutant. Was she attacked by a wild beast?"
"The wound looks like it was caused by a large predator. She might have come out to hunt," Cong Xia sighed. "Such a young child, yet she needs to go hunting."
Zhuang Yao calmly said, "That's because she's a mutant. This world doesn't sympathize with little children."
Cong Xia exhausted most of his energy and finally repaired the wound. The color slowly returned to the girl's face. He looked at the unconscious little girl and asked, "What should we do?"
Zhuang Yao said, "Bring her back to Luoyang. When she wakes up, she can decide for herself. After all, she's a mutant and must have survival skills."
"Alright."
The group continued on their way to Luoyang.
When they were only three or four kilometers away from Luoyang, a row of gray birds hovered overhead. There were at least seven or eight of them.
At first, they didn't pay much attention, but the birds flew away after circling above their heads once, only to return a few minutes later.
Tang Yanqiu looked up at the flock of birds constantly circling above them and said, "Should I go up and take a look? There seems to be someone on those birds."
"No, don't go up. Let's see what they're up to."
They continued walking, and after a while, the birds descended and flew down. Cheng Tianbi raised his gun, and Tang Yanqiu grabbed his bow, both ready to attack.
The birds flew past them sideways with people on their backs, looking down at them with cold expressions. However, instead of descending, they flew away at a low altitude.
Cong Xia watched them fly away into the distance and said, "They should be people from Luoyang City."
Liu Fengyu snorted coldly, "They know what's good for them, not coming down."
Zhuang Yao said, "We haven't entered the city yet, so let's keep a low profile. We'll soon be getting off the highway."
In the early afternoon, when the sun was shining brightly, they arrived in Luoyang, the ancient capital that had stood for a thousand years. Cong Xia had never been to Luoyang before, and in his imagination, Luoyang was a city of mountains and waters filled with peony flowers. Of course, he didn't expect to find peonies in Luoyang now. Every time he passed through a city, his only wish was for there to be more humans left.
As they approached the former toll gate on the highway, they were surprised to find people there.
A person wearing a black coat rode over on a large sled dog and shouted loudly, "Stop!"
They halted, and the person approached them. "Do you want to enter the city?"
Zhuang Yao impatiently asked, "Why would we come here if we didn't want to enter the city?"
"To enter our Luoyang, first, you need to pay a fee. Second, you need to undergo questioning and inspection. Third, you need to abide by the rules of Luoyang City. Otherwise, you can't enter."
"What fee do we have to pay? What kind of questioning and inspection?"
"Fifty kilograms of meat, one kilogram of fruits and vegetables, one kilogram of gasoline, one piece of any type of weapon, 200 grams of medicine, or other useful supplies. You need to fulfill any of these requirements before we can discuss further."
Liu Fengyu sneered, "Do you have a golden nest here? We have to give something just to enter the city."
The man rubbed his forehead and shouted, "The resources in our city are limited. They're not enough for our local residents. If you want to come, either abide by the rules or don't come at all. Have you ever paid taxes here before? What's with the attitude?"
Cong Xia held back Liu Fengyu, who was about to explode, and said loudly, "We'll give you fifty kilograms of meat in exchange."
"Fine. Now you need to undergo questioning and inspection."
"Go ahead and ask."
"Where are you from, where are you going, why did you pass through Luoyang, how many days do you plan to stay in Luoyang, what do you plan to do during those days, how many people are in your group, and what are your respective mutant abilities?" The man asked a series of questions without pausing for breath.
Zhuang Yao stared into his eyes, used his brainwaves to shield part of his energy sensing ability, and answered those questions with a mix of truth and lies, concealing all the important information.
As he spoke, the man recorded everything in his notebook. When he finished, he said, "Alright, I need to inspect the items in your vehicle. Explosive items are not allowed into the city."
The group exchanged glances. They had at least two large boxes of grenades and plastic explosives in their vehicle, along with rifle grenades and Zhuang Yao's homemade petrol bombs. All of these were considered explosive items.
The man rode over on his sled dog and stood by their vehicle, looking at them. "What's the matter? Are you not letting me inspect?"
Cong Xia said, "Wait a moment, sir." He went to the backseat, rummaged around for a while, and finally pulled out a cigarette. It seemed that someone from the Tang family had put it in their vehicle back at Mount Emei. He opened the car door and smiled at the man. "Sir, this cigarette is not part of the toll fee. Consider it a special gift from us. Is that alright?"
The man's eyes went wide as he looked at the cigarette.
Cong Xia had noticed that his fingers were yellow, a clear sign of a heavy smoker. He hoped that this man would be reasonable and take the cigarette and leave. Otherwise, they would have to force their way in.
The man reached out, trembling, and took the cigarette.
None of them in the group smoked, unaware of the value of cigarettes in the apocalypse. This cigarette was enough to exchange for a year's worth of rations for an ordinary family. The man had never seen such a generous gift before and was too shocked to speak.
Cong Xia smiled at him. "How about it, sir?"
The man looked around and, in a low voice, said, "If you cause trouble after entering, please don't sell me out."
"Don't worry, we won't."
The man took out a hand-written paper from his coat pocket. "These are the rules of the city. Take a good look at them and don't cause any trouble. You can't afford to mess with the people inside."
Cong Xia took the paper and said, "Let's go, into the city."
"Hold on." Zhuang Yao looked at the man and asked, "I heard there's a powerful Bat Person in Luoyang. Have you heard of it?"
The man whispered, "That's the top expert of 'Wei Zi'."
"'Wei Zi'?"
"Most of the factions in Luoyang are named after peonies. You better hurry and go in. I won't tell you anymore." The man tucked the cigarette into his clothes and hurriedly returned to the toll booth on his sled dog.
Liu Fengyu laughed. "Named after peony varieties? That's quite classy."
Zhuang Yao sneered. "Seems like that Bat Person is quite famous. Once we're in the city, we won't have trouble finding people to inquire about him."
After entering the city, they found that the situation in Luoyang was better than they had imagined. The most direct and accurate way to judge the situation of a city was to see if there were people walking on the streets.
If it was easy to see people moving about, it meant there were fewer mutant creatures and more people, indicating a relatively good situation. Conversely, if there were few people visible, it meant that the mutant creatures had been suppressed by humans.
Their large group quickly attracted the attention of people on the street.
Cong Xia said, "Do you think our news might have already spread to Luoyang?"
Zhuang Yao said firmly, "It has."
"So, entering like this..."
"This is the fastest way to gain core information. Otherwise, when would we have a chance to interact with influential people in this city? We don't need to waste our energy searching for them; they'll come to us, especially... that Bat Person. I believe he remembers us. What we need to do now is to eat well, drink well, and prepare."
Cong Xia said, "After finding a place to settle, let's go to the streets and ask about the situation here."
"Cong, Cong." Deng Xiao suddenly called out.
"What's wrong?"
"That little girl seems to be waking up."
Cong Xia looked towards Abu and saw the unconscious little girl suddenly sit up and swing her hand towards Deng Xiao's neck. Her sharp nails were about to touch his skin.
Cong Xia shouted, "Be careful!"
Cheng Tianbi quickly threw his handgun, hitting the girl's wrist with a loud bang. She let out a cry of pain.
Deng Xiao grabbed her neck and pressed her down to the ground, angrily saying, "What are you doing?"
The girl kicked and struggled in his arms like a frantic hedgehog, screaming, "Let me go, let me go, I'll kill you!"
Cheng Tianbi placed the tip of his knife against her nose and said coldly, "Shut up."
The girl bit her lip, her bloodshot eyes filled with hatred and fear.
Deng Xiao released his grip and sighed, "Did this girl get bitten by a mad dog? Seems like she has rabies."
Cong Xia climbed onto Abu and looked at the girl, softly saying, "Little one, we're not bad people. Why did you attack us?"
The girl seemed to slowly regain her senses, carefully observing them with a hint of confusion in her eyes. However, she remained cautious. "Who are you?"
"We're outsiders who just arrived in Luoyang. We found you in the snow, so we brought you back to the city."
The girl got up, touched her stomach, and a surprised expression appeared on her face. It seemed like she was unsure if she was truly injured since there wasn't a single wound on her. She glanced at Cong Xia, still skeptical. "Are you really not from 'Wei Zi'?"
"'Wei Zi'? No, who is that?"
The girl angrily shouted, "They're bad people!"
"But we're not. You don't have to be afraid of us."
The girl calmed down slightly and curled up like a little dog.
"What's your name?"
"Yan Ting."
"Yan Ting, why were you outside the city and... buried in the snow?" Cong Xia almost blurted out "Why were you injured," but suddenly remembered that he had already healed her wounds and they didn't intend to let her know why.
Yan Ting confidently said, "I stole something from a mutant person of 'Wei Zi' and they chased me out of the city. But, I remember being bitten by a beast..." She touched her stomach. "Strange, what's going on?"
"Maybe you were disoriented due to being frozen. When we found you, you weren't injured."
A trace of confusion appeared in Yan Ting's eyes. "But it hurt a lot at that time, and I was bleeding heavily. How could I remember it wrong?"
Cong Xia smiled and patted her head. "You must have remembered it wrong. Look, you don't have any injuries. Isn't it a good thing not to be hurt? Do you really want to be injured?"
The little girl stubbornly said, "That's not true. I knew it. I wouldn't let those idiots from 'Wei Zi' kill me."
Cong Xia said, "If you're fine, you should go home early. Can you go back on your own?"
Yan Ting looked at him with bright eyes. "Big brother, thank you for saving me."
"You're welcome. It's getting dark soon, so you should go home."
Yan Ting wiped her reddened nose. "Where are you staying tonight? Do you have food?"
"We haven't decided yet. We'll look for a place."
"In that case, come to my house. We have delicious food, and it's warm inside."
Liu Fengyu's eyes lit up. "Great! Is there hot water?"
"Yes, and..."
"No, we can't go." Before Liu Fengyu could get too excited, Zhuang Yao poured cold water on the idea.
"Why not?"
Zhuang Yao said without raising his head, "If we go, we will definitely cause trouble for the other party. I don't mind causing trouble for anyone, but then you all will feel guilty and start with all sorts of emotional fuss. I don't have time to comfort you, so it's better not to go."
Yan Ting looked at them in confusion, blinking her eyes. "What trouble? My dad is very powerful, and our home is safe. You can come without worry."
Cong Xia sighed. "Zhuang Yao is right. We can't go. When we were in Xi'an, we almost caused trouble for Aijia."
Yan Ting looked at them in confusion. "Why can't you come? I'll prepare lots of delicious food for you, and I can make cakes too. Dad said we should repay kindness."
Zhuang Yao said, "Answer a few questions for us, and consider it as repaying kindness. How about that?"
Yan Ting looked at them skeptically. "What do you want to ask?"
"We want to know more about this 'Wei Zi' group you mentioned."
Yan Ting's pupils contracted sharply, and she shouted, "Why are you asking them?"
"Never mind that. If you really want to thank us, answer my questions."
Yan Ting pursed her lips. "Go ahead, ask."
"What kind of people are they, this 'Wei Zi' group?"
"They're bad people."
Zhuang Yao rolled his eyes. Expecting a seven or eight-year-old child to explain clearly was indeed difficult. He changed his approach and asked, "How many of them are there in the group, and are they the most powerful force in Luoyang?"
Yan Ting pouted. "Hmm, they're the most powerful. My dad said they have over sixty mutant people."
"Who is their leader, and who are the powerful mutants among them?"
"Their leader is called Yi Nan, a white fox mutant. The bat mutant is called Yi Dong. They are two brothers, and they are both very powerful. There are also many other powerful mutants in Wei Zi."
"Tell me about the most powerful ones you know."
Yan Ting thought for a moment. "In addition to the Yi Dong and Yi Nan brothers, there's a centipede mutant who is disgustingly creepy, and a skeletal evolution mutant who is also very creepy. There also seems to be an amphibious reptile, not sure if they are atavistic humans or mutants, but in any case, they have many mutants."
Liu Fengyu frowned. "Is it amphibious or reptilian?"
Zhuang Yao said, "The boundary between amphibians and reptiles is relatively blurred. For example, Deng Xiao possesses characteristics of both amphibians and reptiles. His appearance is closer to a lizard, which should technically be classified as a reptile. However, he also has many features of amphibians. Therefore, many people consider lizards as amphibians. The concept of atavistic humans emerged after the apocalypse. Our classification of atavistic humans is based on their appearance. However, to truly determine to which species a creature belongs, it may require studying their reproductive methods, developmental processes, diet structure, and so on. For example, not all organisms living in water are fish. Whales, for instance, are mammals. Therefore, creatures resembling lizards could be classified as either amphibians or reptiles. Currently, based on their appearance, we classify them as atavistic amphibians. However, when we reach Beijing, the research there might be more advanced and provide a reclassification of these atavistic species. So whether they are amphibians or reptiles is not that important. But I appreciate the meticulous scientific attitude of the people in Luoyang, using the term 'amphibious reptiles' is quite comprehensive. Of course, it's also possible that they are closer to Beijing, and their information updates are much more advanced than ours."
Liu Fengyu rolled her eyes. "I was just asking casually. You don't have to give such a lengthy explanation."
"I'm only giving you an explanation that matches your level of intelligence. If you don't need an answer, then don't ask. It's a waste of my time." Zhuang Yao glared at him and continued questioning Yan Ting. "Are there any other powerful people?"
"Can't remember them all, but there are many powerful ones, all a bunch of bad guys," Yan Ting replied.
"Why do you say they're bad guys?"
Yan Ting said fiercely, "They always bully people from our family and snatch things from us."
"Are there any other powerful forces? I heard that the forces in Luoyang are named after peonies?"
"Yes, our family is 'Green Cloud,' and there's 'Zhao Fen,' 'Yao Huang,' and so on. It seems that 'Wei Zi' started it, and then everyone started naming their groups after peonies. Hmph, they don't deserve such nice names."
Seong-Ha sighed. "It seems that there are many mutants in Luoyang."
Cheng Tianbi asked, "Apart from Wei Zi, what about the others?"
"I don't know, but whenever we encounter people from other families, they are enemies," Yan Ting replied.
Seong-Ha sighed again. Along the way, they rarely saw the beautiful sight of humanity coming together to rebuild their homes. All mutant factions were engaged in overt and covert power struggles. When mutant creatures threatened human survival, humans might unite. But once human factions grew stronger, conflicts between them were inevitable, especially in this post-apocalyptic era with scarce resources and no laws. All disputes could only be resolved through force. Even a small child like Yan Ting couldn't escape this fate if she was a mutant. It was a scene that was bound to occur, but it was still saddening.
Yan Ting was too young, and the things she asked were sometimes confusing and easily emotional. After questioning her for a while, Zhuang Yao couldn't continue and decided to find a reliable adult to learn more about the situation after finding a place to settle down.
Yan Ting left reluctantly. "Are you really not coming to my house? We have delicious food."
"We won't come. Hurry home so that your father won't worry."
"If you want to come to my house, come to the south of the city and look for me. There's a flag with the Green Cloud peony on top of my house. Everyone knows where my house is."
After the little girl left, they began searching for a place to stay for the next few days. Since it wasn't yet dark, there were people on the street. Abu's enormous size almost blocked the sun, and as they walked, everyone looked at them.
Zhuang Yao got tired of being stared at and patted Abu's head. "Abu, scare them a bit."
Abu lowered his head and opened his large mouth, letting out a sharp roar. The people were frightened and ran away in a hurry.
Seong-Ha curiously asked, "Has Abu's intelligence improved?"
"Yes, it seems to be related to the Puppet Jade. Its intelligence has improved, and my brain's evolutionary level has also increased, making our communication more effective," Zhuang Yao explained.
邓逍 excitedly said, "Abu can understand almost everything people say now. He's the ultimate battle pet!"
Liu Fengyu ruffled his hair and said with a smile, "You're also the ultimate battle pet."
"Huh? Am I a battle pet...?"
Tang Yanqiu pointed to a three-story building in the distance. "How about that three-story building ahead? It's standalone and suitable for our temporary camp."
Zhuang Yao stood on Abu's head, his lips curled up into a smile. "That's the one."
In a building far away, a tall and stern man in black put down the binoculars in his hand and thoughtfully looked into the distance.
"How are they? Is it them?"
"Yes, I didn't expect them to come to Luoyang."
"What's even more unexpected is that they are the same group of people who caused a huge stir in Beijing. If only...," the young man in white squinted his eyes, "I regret not killing him when he was still a weak Natural Power Evolver."
The man in black calmly said, "There was no need for them to come to Luoyang from Guiyang on their way to Beijing. I'm afraid they came for us, or rather, for the Puppet Jade. So, it's not too late to kill them now."
A cold smile appeared on the young man's face. "I want to see if the legendary healing ability is really as amazing as they say. We have guarded the Puppet Jade for so long, and now we have evolved to a point where no one can take it from us. Even a Natural Power Evolver is not worth fearing."
The man in black said, "Let's first find out their intentions. If they are not after our Puppet Jade, there's no need to start a conflict."
"I understand. I'll send someone to inquire."
The tall figure of the man in black instantly dissipated into countless bats, engulfing the young man in white in the middle. Like a wisp of black smoke, they drifted away into the distance.
