Chapter 463: Daoist
“Qingyue, take him to the villa for now. He’ll return to Moonbay Base with us when we leave.”
“Okay, I’m Gu Qingyue. Come with me.”
Once everyone was taken away, Zhuang Mingxu handed the two children to Lu Weiyi. “I’m going to treat the other base commanders to a meal. You take care of these two.”
Lu Weiyi still held a grudge about yesterday’s stinky tofu, frowning in clear displeasure.
Zhuang Mingxu casually wrapped an arm around his waist and patted Zhuang Aiyi’s head. “Little Dad doesn’t like strong smells, so you two be mindful. If you want to eat something, Big Dad will take you later.”
“Got it, Big Dad,” Zhuang Aiyi replied.
“Alright,” Taotao pouted, clearly reluctant, and Zhuang Mingxu pinched his cheek affectionately.
“Starting today, the other bases are gradually departing. As always, stay safe out there,” he reminded the rest of the base before heading toward the trial bench.
Lu Weiyi looked over at Li Zhuang.
Before Li Zhuang could speak, Xu Yi cut in, “Let’s go shopping. I heard there are a few children’s clothing stores here. Let’s pick out some trendy outfits for the kids.”
Hearing that, Li Zhuang unhurriedly followed Zhuang Mingxu to the trial bench.
As they walked away, Zhuang Aiyi and Taotao each clung to one of Lu Weiyi’s hands, acting all cute and sweet to win him over. Tang Bo, who was walking nearby, teased the kids before asking Lu Weiyi, “I heard the other bases are getting ready to leave. When will you guys head back?”
Lu Weiyi remembered his earlier suggestion to Zhuang Mingxu about going to hunt another batch of zombies. He hadn’t received a reply yet and wasn’t sure what Mingxu was thinking. “Has Zhuang Mingxu made arrangements? Are you guys leaving?”
“No,” Tang Bo answered firmly. “I’m going back with you guys.”
His determined look, like he was clinging to a golden opportunity, made some Moonbay Base members up ahead turn around and glance at him. Tang Bo showed no embarrassment. “I’ve already had the earth-ability users at Pingjin Base build an underground tunnel connecting to Moonbay Base. We’ll pass through Moonbay on the way back to Pingjin.”
“Didn’t Capital already start aerially distributing suppressant powder around the bases that signed the intent agreement?” someone up front asked.
“Heh, do you really believe a couple of days will make any difference?” Tang Bo scoffed. He’d rather waste a few more days than gamble on such uncertainty.
The person ahead just chuckled without responding.
“We’re still staying at the powered-users’ hostel. When you guys leave, don’t forget to bring us along,” Tang Bo added.
Lu Weiyi gave him an OK gesture. At the gate, he turned back to see Zhuang Mingxu still chatting with a few other base leaders. Not far away, Xu Sa and Liu Rui had surrounded the Sunlight Squad with a few others, eyes sparkling as if they were looking at a pile of crystal nuclei.
Xu Yi glanced at the pale, bitterly whispering members of the Sunlight Squad and sneered, “You’ve got the worst luck. Who else could cause trouble just by going to the bathroom?”
The streets of Capital were not much different from before the apocalypse. Shops of all types lined the roads. Compared to the trade halls and night markets, this place seemed relatively quiet.
Probably because they had been cooped up at home too long recently, Xu Yi took Lu Weiyi and the two kids into every single store, even looping through the women’s goods section twice. Lu Weiyi strongly suspected the only reason they weren’t kicked out was because the many shopping bags hanging on him screamed “rich sucker.”
“Little Dad, can Aiyi have an ice cream? One that doesn’t smell stinky,” Zhuang Aiyi asked, pitifully gazing at the dessert shop.
“Father, Taotao is thirsty and wants some water,” Taotao said, his sun-chapped lips bright red.
“Want to sit inside for a bit?” Lu Weiyi pointed to a stylishly decorated dessert shop with large windows nearby.
“Sure, I’m thirsty too,” Xu Yi said, pushing open the door. When the electronic bell above rang out, “Welcome,” he reached up to fiddle with it, only for the automated voice to repeat the greeting endlessly.
“Welcome! What would you like to drink?” The beautiful attendant, wearing a fitted qipao, looked more like someone from a boutique than a dessert shop.
The shop was small, with only six tables. In a corner sat two young women with cool, aloof expressions. One of them met Lu Weiyi’s gaze curiously.
Xu Yi lifted Taotao up and sat him on the glass display counter. “Taotao, what do you want to drink? There’s sweet milk tea, slushies, and ice cream.”
“Little Daddy, Ai Yi wants ice cream,” Zhuang Aiyi said excitedly, pointing at a floating promotional image.
“One…” Lu Weiyi looked at Zhuang Aiyi.
“Chocolate flavor!” Zhuang Aiyi shouted with joy.
“Taotao wants a slushie… a yellow one.”
“One large mango slushie.”
“I want a cold bowl with pearls, red beans, taro balls, sago, coconut jelly, grass jelly…”
Lu Weiyi and the two kids watched as Xu Yi rattled off a long list, ending with a definitive, “Add everything!”
“Also, one mango pomelo sago,” Lu Weiyi said.
After ordering, the three of them grabbed a few slices of cake. The attendant became even more enthusiastic, and they all turned their eyes to Lu Weiyi.
“Have you ever had a job?” Lu Weiyi asked unhappily as he counted out crystal cores.
“Nope. I was a rich second-generation heir. Why?”
“Good thing you didn’t. With your habit of making your boss pay every time you go out, you’d be fired within a week.”
Both the attendant and Xu Yi laughed. Xu Yi proudly claimed it was all thanks to being born lucky and led the group to a window seat.
The air conditioning hummed softly. Outside, pedestrians strolled leisurely. Xu Yi looked out, his excited expression gradually fading.
“Just looking outside… it’s hard to believe this is the apocalypse.”
“Mm,” Lu Weiyi replied absently, still calculating how many crystal cores the Jiaoyang Team could cough up. He wondered whether he’d have to lead another zombie hunt soon.
“Little brother, make sure you use your bib, or you’ll get it on your clothes.”
“Feed me, big brother!”
“Okay, open your mouth—ahh—”
“Ahh… nom nom, it’s so yummy…”
The cheerful sounds of the two kids eating their cake seemed almost out of place amid the two adults’ silence.
“Hm?” Lu Weiyi sensed someone watching them. There was no hostility, only curiosity—but that was enough to put him on alert.
“What is it?” Xu Yi asked quietly.
“Seems like… someone’s watching us.” Lu Weiyi subtly released his spiritual energy to probe the surroundings and reminded Xu Yi, “Act like you haven’t noticed anything.”
“Got it,” Xu Yi replied. He nudged the shopping bags by his feet aside and lifted Zhuang Aiyi into his lap, ready to grab him and run if necessary.
As Lu Weiyi’s mental scan mapped out the surroundings, the doorbell rang again.
Footsteps approached. Before he could identify the source, the person had already reached their table.
It was an elderly Taoist priest, perhaps in his fifties or sixties. He had a white goatee and his graying hair was tied into a bun with a wooden hairpin. His Taoist robe was washed pale from use.
“Layman, I am Master Tianning,” the man greeted, his gaze locking directly onto Taotao. “May I ask where the child beside you came from?”
Normally, Lu Weiyi wouldn’t give the time of day to this kind of approach, but after witnessing how different Taotao was, he had become more open to the idea of the supernatural. The fact that this priest had immediately noticed Taotao put him on alert.
He feared the man had ill intent—but also hoped to learn more about Taotao from him.
“He was grown in a lab,” Lu Weiyi said calmly as he, like Xu Yi, pulled Taotao into his lap. Meanwhile, he discreetly analyzed the man in front of him.
He was a lightning-type esper, early-stage A-rank—not especially strong, but his wiry frame and defined muscles hinted at considerable combat ability.
“What kind of lab?” Tianning asked, confused.
“A dual-sperm embryo cultivation experiment. Basically, a child made using the sperm of two men,” Lu Weiyi explained in rare detail. “Why? Are you about to tell me the child is cursed or something?”
Tianning frowned, clearly doubtful, but unsure of the situation. He shook his head. Still, his eyes remained fixed on Taotao, who was sneakily licking cream off his finger.
“Just thought the child seemed unusual. Perhaps I was mistaken,” the priest said. Then he gave a respectful bow to Lu Weiyi and turned to leave.
He had arrived suddenly and left just as cleanly—but the encounter left Lu Weiyi with a deep sense of unease.
“Little Daddy, Taotao is sleepy,” the child murmured. He yawned, rubbing his eyes, his soft pink lips parting to show a row of little white teeth. His eyes brimmed with tears.
“Sleepy?” Lu Weiyi was surprised. Since Taotao had started living outside the spatial chamber, his energy had always been high. Though he still looked about two years old, his stamina surpassed even Zhuang Aiyi’s.
This was the first time Taotao had ever said he was tired.
Taotao nodded, his eyes drooping shut.
Before Lu Weiyi could respond, Xu Yi had already scooped the child into his arms. “Uncle will carry you to sleep.”
After gently saying this, he turned to Lu Weiyi and pointed at all the shopping bags on the floor. When Lu Weiyi pointed at himself in disbelief, Xu Yi nodded seriously.
Lu Weiyi clenched his jaw, tempted to kick him—only to see that Taotao had already fallen asleep on Xu Yi’s shoulder. With a deep breath, he held it in.
With the child asleep and that priest’s visit weighing on his mind, Lu Weiyi and Xu Yi decided to head back to the villa early.
The villa was empty except for the chef who had been arranged to come—none of the team members were around. After Xu Yi took the children back to their bedroom, Lu Weiyi returned to the guard post. “They haven’t come back?”
“Mr. Xu is sleeping. Director Zhuang came back briefly, but then someone called him away again. He left a message saying he went to meet a friend from the Mengbei Base.”
“Who went with him?” Zhuang Mingxu didn’t have any supernatural powers, so it was very unsafe for him to go out alone—especially as the base leader of Half Moon Bay. Many people who couldn’t target Lu Weiyi would shift their attention to Zhuang Mingxu, the ordinary man.
“Mr. Liu Rui and Yue Qiwen went with him.”
Lu Weiyi raised an eyebrow and checked the team’s travel logs. Sure enough, there was no record of Xu Sa’s departure.
