This time, Wen Xin sent private invitations directly, avoiding intermediaries. The letters were delivered to the recipients by mutated carrier pigeons.
The disturbances in City G had been significant, but the signal towers destroyed along the way hadn’t yet been repaired, resulting in some delay in communication.
By the time scouts traveling day and night brought updates to their intended recipients, the crisis had already been resolved.
When the group learned about Wen Xin’s recent dangerous encounters, those not present deeply regretted not being able to help. Thankfully, Xiao Hei had regained clarity in time, and with the care and protection of Ah Lü and Ah Zi, Wen Xin’s life hadn’t been threatened.
The moment they received the invitation, even the typically busy Ah Jiu postponed official duties. Along with San San and Lan Tuan, they rushed to City G without delay.
The first to arrive was Xiao Qi.
Before even entering City G’s vicinity, Xiao Qi sensed a powerful and ferocious mutated presence.
For two S-class beings, distance was no barrier. Perched atop the municipal building, Yuan Yanzhong (formerly Xiao Hei) lazily opened one eye. Xiao Qi, who had been about to leap off a cliff to take a shortcut, froze mid-jump when the black beast’s gaze locked onto him.
In an instant, they recognized each other.
Yuan Yanzhong wasn’t the type for friendly greetings. After confirming Xiao Qi’s identity, he indifferently averted his gaze.
Xiao Qi, however, stood frozen, staring at the unrestrained black beast. It felt as if a thunderbolt had struck him, leaving him completely stunned.
—What’s going on? Has No. 1 been exposed?
When Wen Xin received confirmation that all his invited guests would make time to come, he was naturally delighted.
He had taken care of important matters in advance and delegated minor tasks to trusted subordinates, freeing up a day and a half to host the group.
Xiao Qi didn’t notify Wen Xin of his arrival, wanting to surprise him.
But on the day of his arrival, Wen Xin, seemingly sensing something, waited for him outside the city.
The outskirts of City G had four access routes. The odds of a chance encounter were one in four.
By sheer coincidence, Wen Xin hadn’t been waiting long before he ran into the sneaky pink bundle—Xiao Qi.
And just like that, the surprise was spoiled.
Feeling dejected, Xiao Qi glared at the black dragon perched atop the municipal building, softly whining in protest.
From Xiao Qi’s perspective, his concealment had been flawless, undetected even by the city’s ability-user guard. If not for Yuan Yanzhong tipping off Wen Xin, there was no way he could have been found.
Yuan Yanzhong ignored Xiao Qi’s complaints entirely.
However, the fact that Wen Xin could sense Xiao Qi’s approach and happen to choose the path where they would meet did catch his attention.
Recently, such “small coincidences” seemed to occur frequently around Wen Xin.
Private gatherings didn’t require extravagant arrangements, and Xiao Qi didn’t want to waste precious time together with unnecessary pomp. Wen Xin didn’t linger on the road, carrying the pink bundle straight home.
Wen Xin’s home was a newly constructed single-story house with open views, excellent lighting, and an adjacent courtyard.
Though Wen Xin refused to indulge in luxury, the engineering team wanting to repay him took extra care in the construction. With ability users who controlled earth and wood and skilled architectural designers, the house was meticulously crafted.
Xiao Qi loved the place.
Unlike the grandeur of cathedrals, it exuded a sense of relaxation that eased the unease lingering from its earlier worries about being exposed.
The moment Wen Xin set him down, Xiao Qi eagerly hopped into the courtyard and rolled around in the bushes, covering itself in dried leaves.
Xiao Qi had been unusually quiet on the way back, leading Wen Xin to think that time apart had made it more reserved. He hadn’t expected the little fox to suddenly let loose.
Watching the lively, bouncing figure, Wen Xin frowned slightly, wondering if the Idealism Sect had done something again to suppress the poor fox.
Months ago, Wen Xin had tried to help Xiao Qi shed its burdens but, due to his limited experience, hadn’t known where to start.
Now, as he revisited the issue, a plan began to take shape in his mind.
He didn’t let his thoughts show, but his musings were interrupted by a startled yelp from Xiao Qi. He looked up.
Xiao Qi leaped out of the bushes and scrambled into Wen Xin’s arms, shouting, “Wen Xin, there’s a snake in there!”
The Ah Lü, who had been sunbathing outside, blinked in exasperation.
It stared at Xiao Qi with a mixture of annoyance and incredulity. “Are you serious?”
S-class beings rarely tolerated each other’s presence. When they crossed paths, it often led to rejection, conflict, or even bloodshed—a genetic predisposition.
To deter wandering mutants and zombie hordes near City G, Yuan Yanzhong had stopped masking his presence.
The results were undeniable; the deterrence of the First Mutant ensured that no creatures dared approach within a twenty-mile radius.
Given this situation, Ah Lü had fully suppressed its aura to avoid clashing with Yuan Yanzhong.
Yet this foolish fox, failing to recognize a familiar scent, mistook him for a stranger.
Xiao Qi stared at Ah Lü for a long moment before the realization dawned on him.
His body froze as he turned nervously to Wen Xin, trying to gauge his reaction.
Wen Xin, sensing the little fox’s cautious gaze, chuckled softly. He ruffled Xiao Qi’s head and teased, “How could you not recognize Ah Lü anymore?”
“You… it… you two…”
Xiao Qi looked back and forth between Wen Xin, whose expression remained calm, and the small green snake, Ah Lü, whose demeanor practically screamed, “I’m poisonous, don’t mess with me.” The little fox was utterly flabbergasted.
Wen Xin carefully removed the dried leaves from Xiao Qi’s fur, patting away the dust with a gentle smile. “Go ahead and play. When you’re tired, come back inside. Just be careful not to ruin the fruit trees. The scavenging team brought those saplings from over ten miles away, and it’s not easy to find fruit trees nowadays.”
Dazed, Xiao Qi mumbled an agreement.
Watching Wen Xin’s slender figure disappear into the house, Xiao Qi suddenly jolted upright and darted to Ah Lü, staring wide-eyed. “Why do you look like this? Did you and Xiao Hei both get exposed?”
The little green snake nudged Xiao Qi’s forehead with the tip of its tail, pushing the startled fox back slightly. “Can you not overreact all the time?”
But Xiao Qi couldn’t calm down. His voice was hushed, his ears drooping as genuine panic settled in. He was beginning to regret every time he’d deceived Wen Xin in the past.
Ah Lü stared at the pink bundle, unsure how to respond.
Since its identity had been revealed, Ah Lü hadn’t shifted back into its feline form. Wen Xin had never shown fear or distrust toward it.
It was only then that Ah Lü realized its long-standing worry had been completely unfounded.
Yet another problem arose: Wen Xin had clearly known its true form for a while, considering how unsurprised he’d been. This meant the youth had likely figured out its identity long ago.
Ah Lü couldn’t pinpoint when it had slipped up, nor could it understand why Wen Xin hadn’t called it out.
Since Wen Xin hadn’t mentioned it, Ah Lü continued pretending nothing had been exposed. It acted coy around Wen Xin, coiled around his wrist, and burrowed under his blanket at night, demanding to be soothed to sleep as usual.
Outwardly, it seemed carefree, but in truth, its nerves were just as frayed as Xiao Qi’s. It felt like a condemned prisoner waiting for execution, with every moment of calm just a prelude to the axe falling.
Even though Wen Xin would never treat them cruelly—at most he’d scold them lightly, and even that seemed unlikely—Ah Lü dreaded the thought of seeing disappointment in his eyes.
Xiao Qi’s ability had once allowed him to sense Wen Xin’s true emotions clearly.
But now, something had changed. It was as though Wen Xin’s heart had been fortified with impenetrable walls, hiding every thought flawlessly.
This realization was the real reason Xiao Qi felt so shaken.
Hearing Xiao Qi’s worries, Ah Lü began reflecting on its own assumptions. It had always taken for granted that Wen Xin believed their lies without question—a naïve and baseless assumption.
After all, no matter how convincing a lie might be, there were always flaws. And Wen Xin was meticulous.
Xiao Qi pressed his lips together. “So, what should we do? We… we should tell Wen Xin the truth, right?”
Though phrased as a question, the statement carried a tone of certainty. Xiao Qi no longer wanted to deceive Wen Xin.
Ah Lü realized that, in terms of courage, it was no match for this silly little fox.
Resolute, Ah Lü felt as though a fog had lifted. With newfound clarity, it declared with battlefield-like seriousness, “You’re right. If Wen Xin ends up clashing with Base One, our exposure is inevitable. We can’t keep lying to him.”
Their minds made up, they decided to wait until the rest of the group arrived to confess together.
The second to arrive was Ah Jiu.
Like Xiao Qi, Ah Jiu traveled light, bringing only the gluttonous San San and the small, blue Lan Tuan, who stayed curled in a bucket.
From afar, Lan Tuan sensed Yuan Yanzhong’s overwhelming aura, and any lingering drowsiness vanished instantly.
San San, on the other hand, was so startled that its fur stood on end. The moment it saw Wen Xin, it bolted toward him like a lost child finding its parent, crying as it jumped into his arms.
Wen Xin quickly picked up both San San and Lan Tuan, comforting them with soft pats.
Ah Jiu hesitated, glancing toward where Yuan Yanzhong was perched.
When No. 1 lost control that day, even from Rose City, Ah Jiu had felt the suffocating pressure. Cold sweat had poured down his face, and his body had turned icy, as if plunged into a thousand-year glacier.
Given the circumstances, Ah Jiu had no doubt that No. 1 had been exposed. The black beast looming over the municipal building only confirmed it.
As Ah Jiu stared at Wen Xin’s face, he couldn’t help but wonder: How much does he know about the mutants? Has he realized that our chance encounter was actually a calculated lie?
“What are you standing there for?” Wen Xin called out with a smile, breaking Ah Jiu’s thoughts. He didn’t seem to have noticed anything amiss. “Come inside. Don’t tell me you’ve developed a habit of standing in the cold.”
No matter the circumstances, reunions were always joyful.
Steeling himself, Ah Jiu followed Wen Xin toward the house. Just as he was about to step inside, a voice called out urgently from behind.
“Commander! I have an urgent report!”
Wen Xin immediately turned, his profile sharp and commanding. In that instant, his aura was like an unsheathed blade. His gaze fixed on the messenger as he asked, “What is it?”
The soldier answered quickly, “The ability user in the squad who awakened precognition powers—he says he’s seen a prophecy!”
