Chapter 220
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi had been staying in the alternate dimension for another week.
Finally, on this morning, when Tang Yu’an went to check the incubation room, he saw a tiny crack appearing on the bird egg.
Excited, he stayed by the egg, watching as more and more cracks spread across the shell. Eventually, a tiny, pale red beak pecked through, breaking the shell into two halves.
A small, wet, red-colored bird appeared in front of Tang Yu’an.
“Chirp chirp—” it let out a soft cry.
As it chirped, a pea-sized flame suddenly spurted from its mouth. Luckily, it was weak and didn’t cause any damage.
After calling out a few times, the little bird flopped onto the eggshell to rest.
Tang Yu’an stared at it, eyes unblinking. The bird was incredibly small—about the size of his index finger, making it extremely delicate.
He couldn’t resist reaching out his hand, and the tiny red bird gently tapped his finger with its beak. After resting for a while, it started pecking at and eating the eggshell.
Once it finished, its feathers had dried, revealing a soft, light-orange down. It looked incredibly cute.
“Chirp chirp—chirp chirp chirp—”
After calling out twice to Tang Yu’an, it closed its eyes and dozed off.
Tang Yu’an immediately shared the good news with Zhou Qi, who soon rushed over. Seeing the tiny red bird, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “I can’t believe it actually hatched.”
“It can breathe fire!” Tang Yu’an said excitedly.
“Looks like its abilities and talents are impressive—it can already use flames right after being born,” Zhou Qi nodded approvingly.
“But what should we feed it?” Tang Yu’an wondered. “The bugs in the Giant Wood Forest are all huge.”
“We’ll have to look around—try insect eggs, fruits, leaves… see what it likes,” Zhou Qi suggested.
“Alright! I’ll go find something!”
Just as Tang Yu’an was about to dash off to search for food, Zhou Qi stopped him. “The time for accelerated drifting is up. We should return to our original dimension first.”
“Oh, right! Mom and Dad’s message bottle should be coming back!”
Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up.
Since the little bird had just eaten its eggshell, it probably wouldn’t be hungry for a while. He placed some millet next to it, then left with Zhou Qi to return to their original world.
*
Jufeng Town, Guard Post
Hong Li opened her eyes. Around her, the flame stones she had been using were now completely depleted of their fire energy.
She stood up—after so long, she was finally emerging from her closed-door cultivation.
As soon as the door opened, an intense wave of heat surged out.
Standing outside, Hei Xiong remained unfazed. He had been reporting on the town’s affairs to Hong Li during her seclusion and had long since adapted to the scorching temperatures.
“The Fortress sent people?” Hong Li asked.
“Yes, they arrived yesterday. They’ve already been assigned rooms,” Hei Xiong replied.
“How many came?”
“Seven,” Hei Xiong said in a low voice. “But only three came to the guard post.”
Hong Li let out a cold snort. She didn’t even need to ask where the others had gone.
“Let’s go meet them,” she said.
*
Guard Station Courtyard
Three visitors from the Fortress were seated on stone benches in the courtyard. Two were younger, seemingly around the same age as Chi Hao and Hong Li, while the last one looked to be in his late thirties or early forties.
“This Jufeng Town has developed quite well. I didn’t expect Hong Li to have some management skills,” said the older man, Li Feng.
Hearing this, the two younger men scoffed.
This was their first time leaving the Fortress for a mission. They were used to the advanced and prosperous environment of the Fortress, so they naturally looked down on Jufeng Town, a poor and backward place.
“I don’t see it,” Gu Zhenfei said, taking a bite of a fruit before grimacing. “Ugh, this fruit is so sour. I wouldn’t even touch this stuff back in the Fortress!”
Despite his complaints, he forced himself to swallow the fruit.
The journey to Jufeng Town had taken nearly two months, and they had suffered a lot along the way. They no longer dared to be too picky.
The other young man said nothing, but Li Feng could tell he also held the town in disdain.
Aside from the lack of resources, what they looked down on most was the strength of Jufeng Town’s ability users.
As Fortress operatives sent on missions, their ability levels were all at least Tier Five. Meanwhile, the town’s guards…
So far, of all the guards they had encountered, only Hei Xiong had some strength, but even he was only at mid-Tier Four—not impressive at all.
Li Feng had been to Jufeng Town before and knew what it had once been like, so he felt the changes more keenly.
He observed the town’s guards.
Leaving aside their actual strength, they were clearly in better physical condition than most people in other settlements.
First of all, they were well-fed. Even though their complexions were still slightly pale, they were clearly strong and had good spirits.
Second, he noticed that the night patrol guards wore thick cotton coats—something rarely seen in other wasteland settlements.
But the most striking difference was that all of Jufeng Town’s residents had short hair. Some had obviously shaved their heads recently, with fresh stubble just growing in.
This was unheard of in other settlements.
There were many benefits to having short hair, but Li Feng hadn’t expected that Hong Li would enforce this rule across the entire town—not just among her guards, but among all residents.
Because of this, the townspeople looked more presentable and had noticeably better morale. Beyond just fearing her, they genuinely respected and admired Hong Li.
This wasn’t something just anyone could accomplish.
But what Li Feng was most curious about was—where was Hong Li getting all these resources?
“Just a backwater town administrator, and she dares to make us wait so long? Acting so high and mighty,” Gu Zhenfei muttered under his breath.
As soon as he finished speaking, Hong Li arrived, surrounded by Hei Xiong and a squad of guards.
Having his complaint overheard by the person in question, Gu Zhenfei didn’t feel embarrassed. He sized up Hong Li and sensed the aura she exuded.
With a sneer, he said, “Hong Li, it’s been a while. Not only have you not improved, but your strength has actually regressed?”
After losing the spirit insect within her, Hong Li was finally free from its backlash, but her cultivation level had plummeted from the mid-to-late sixth tier down to the fourth tier.
During her seclusion, besides healing, she had also been diligently training.
For her, it was simply a matter of retracing a path she had already walked.
Without the threat of backlash and with the assistance of the Flame Stones provided by those two young men, her progress was swift, and today, she had finally restored her strength to the fifth tier.
Otherwise, facing Gu Zhenfei and his group now would have put her in an even more passive position.
She coldly glanced at Gu Zhenfei and said, “So, did you trade your intelligence for strength?”
“You…”
“Alright, enough arguing. Let’s focus on the important matter first,” Li Feng interjected just in time to stop their bickering.
“Hong Li, we’ve come with orders from headquarters. We need your cooperation,” he said solemnly.
Hong Li’s expression grew serious.
She glanced around before saying, “Let’s talk somewhere else.”
They moved to the reception hall, with only Hei Xiong accompanying them while the other guards remained outside.
“We’re planning to explore the Desolate City and hope you can provide some personnel for us,” Li Feng said politely.
Hong Li frowned. Desolate City again. She hadn’t expected that to be their objective.
Based on the timeline, Chi Hao should have just arrived at the Fortress, meaning Li Feng’s group couldn’t have set out in response to his debriefing.
Back then, even though Chi Hao borrowed the satellite phone from her, he had said the intelligence he had gathered wasn’t suitable to discuss over the phone and needed to be reported in person.
Yet, if she worked backward, Li Feng’s departure from the Fortress must have happened shortly after Chi Hao’s satellite phone report.
Was there a connection between the two events?
Pondering this, Hong Li asked, “What do you need to do in Desolate City?”
“That’s classified,” Gu Zhenfei replied arrogantly.
Hong Li gave him an icy stare. “Then I refuse to cooperate.”
“You dare?!”
Before Gu Zhenfei could say more, Hong Li continued, “Xie Chaori died in Desolate City, and now you want me to send my people to their deaths too? No way!”
The more than one hundred guards in Jufeng Town were all handpicked and trained by Hong Li after she took control of Jufeng Mountain.
They might not match the elite soldiers of the Fortress, but they were utterly loyal to her. They were her personally cultivated force—there was no way she would send them to be cannon fodder.
Li Feng calmed Gu Zhenfei and then said, “Hong Li, this is an order from headquarters.”
“Are you really planning to defy it?”
Hong Li pressed her lips together, silent, but her unwillingness to comply was evident on her face.
Li Feng softened his tone and said, “I know you and your brother were mentored and supported by Xie Chaori, and you had a deep bond with him. But ultimately, your allegiance is to the Fortress, not the Xie family.”
“If that weren’t the case, why don’t you and your brother carry the surname ‘Xie’?” He struck straight at Hong Li’s sore spot.
Yes, neither Chi Hao nor Hong Li had a surname.
Chi Hao, being younger, might not remember, but Hong Li recalled very clearly that they were orphans born in the wasteland. They were only taken into the Fortress because of their fire-based abilities.
Although they later met Xie Chaori, who treated them well and mentored them, they were never granted a family name.
In the Fortress, a surname signified status.
Even those with less talent and weaker abilities than them held a higher social standing simply because they had a surname.
Chi Hao, perhaps due to his carefree nature, never seemed to mind. But Hong Li resented this inequality and often clashed with others over it.
That was one of the reasons she had been ostracized and eventually assigned to Jufeng Town.
Had it not been for Xie Chaori advocating on her behalf, she might have been sent on even more dangerous missions. Managing Jufeng Town was far from the worst assignment.
So, while she felt gratitude toward Xie Chaori, that didn’t mean she felt the same way toward the Xie family.
Seeing her hesitation, Li Feng pressed on. “Hong Li, you don’t want to be disciplined again and reassigned elsewhere, do you?”
A flash of anger flickered in Hong Li’s eyes, but she suppressed it.
Years of leadership had at least taught her composure. She was no longer as reckless as she used to be.
She looked at Li Feng and said, “I can cooperate with you, but you must tell me exactly what my guards will be doing. That is my bottom line.”
Li Feng pondered for a moment, then nodded.
“We need to explore Desolate City and gather intelligence.”
Seeing that Hong Li still had more to say, he quickly added, “Rest assured, the Fortress has already lost a sixth-tier expert in Desolate City. We will not allow further unnecessary losses.”
Hong Li raised an eyebrow. Li Feng’s lack of surprise over Xie Chaori’s death confirmed that he had indeed left the Fortress only after Chi Hao’s report.
With that realization, she couldn’t help but sneer internally.
Her younger brother was still too naïve—he had traveled all that way to personally report his findings, only for them to immediately dispatch an advance team to claim the spoils.
And of all people, it was a Li family member leading the group. What was the Xie family even doing? They had lost Xie Chaori for nothing.
Hong Li had no intention of handing over her guards to these people.
They claimed they wouldn’t allow more casualties, but when had Jufeng Town’s guards ever been counted as part of the Fortress’s official forces?
In their hands, her soldiers would be nothing more than expendable resources.
However, Hong Li was well aware of her current situation. When she had the strength of the late sixth tier, she could still act tough, but now that she had fallen to the fifth tier, she no longer had the confidence for direct confrontation.
What’s more…
She was also very curious about what exactly was in Desolate City that made the Fortress place so much importance on it.
After careful consideration, Hong Li finally relented and said, “Alright, but I want to go with you.”
Gu Zhenfei interjected again, “Didn’t you hear us say this is classified information? Who do you think you are, wanting to tag along with us?”
Li Feng also showed a troubled expression.
Hong Li did not back down and replied, “You just said that my allegiance is to the Fortress, but if the Fortress is so wary of me, isn’t that a little disheartening?”
“I’ve managed Jufeng Mountain for three to four years; I am the closest power to Desolate City. Sooner or later, I will learn about what you’re investigating. Or are you planning to…”
“Once you find out something, just transfer me away and take the spoils for yourself?”
Li Feng hesitated, then waved his hand and said, “Of course not!”
Seeing that Hong Li was standing her ground, he eventually nodded. “Fine, if you want to come, then come.”
“When are we leaving?” Hong Li asked.
“Tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
After that, they discussed some details before finally leaving the reception hall.
“Uncle Li, do we really have to bring Hong Li along?” Gu Zhenfei gritted his teeth.
“Don’t create unnecessary trouble. This is her territory, after all,” Li Feng advised.
Gu Zhenfei snorted. “She’s just at early-stage fifth tier. If we wanted to seize control, it would be a piece of cake. Why should we be afraid of her?”
“She is, after all, someone from the Xie family,” said another young man who had remained silent until now.
“So what? Didn’t Uncle Li just say that even the Xie family never gave her a surname?” Gu Zhenfei muttered. “Xie Chaori is dead, and I don’t see the Xie family doing anything about it…”
“Enough, stop arguing!”
Li Feng frowned and said, “Who’s the leader here? How many times do I have to tell you—on the wasteland, you must watch your words and actions carefully.”
Gu Zhenfei finally quieted down.
By the afternoon, they had finally regrouped with four other people and consolidated the information they had gathered.
“Hong Li likely doesn’t know anything about the situation in Desolate City. She’s been in seclusion for a long time and hasn’t made any unusual moves recently.”
One of the investigators added, “Even after the floodwaters receded, she didn’t send anyone to Desolate City.”
They had actually arrived earlier, but because of the flood, they had to wait until the water receded before making their way to Jufeng Mountain.
“Li Li’s group, on the other hand, took a heavy hit.” Two others spoke up. “The strongest people they can provide for us now are at most third-tier.”
Upon hearing this, Li Feng frowned deeply.
“Why are they so weak?” he asked. “I remember they should have had at least four fifth-tier ability users.”
The local entrenched powers in Jufeng Mountain were actually nurtured by the Fortress noble families, mainly from the Li and Gu families.
So when Hong Li had been dealing with them, she had always been somewhat cautious. Even when she gained the upper hand, she didn’t dare to completely wipe them out.
“Three are dead, and one is crippled.”
Gu Zhenfei’s eyes widened. “Hong Li’s doing?”
“Not entirely…”
“Either she did, or she didn’t. What do you mean ‘not entirely’?” Li Feng frowned as well.
The investigator scratched his head and explained, “They did cause trouble for Hong Li before they got into trouble, but two of them died on their way back when they fell off a mountain. As for the other two…”
“I heard Hong Li just tossed out a ball of fire—one of them somehow burned to death on the spot, while the other was too close and got caught in the flames, ending up crippled.”
“With those four gone, the remaining forces couldn’t match Hong Li’s guards and were completely wiped out, leaving only some insignificant foot soldiers.”
Hearing this, the two people who had not yet met Hong Li exclaimed, “Is she really that strong?”
Gu Zhenfei had a complicated expression, while Li Feng said, “No, from her aura, she should only be early-stage fifth tier.”
“Then how did she take down four fifth-tier ability users?”
The group exchanged glances, no longer underestimating Hong Li and instead speculating that she might be hiding her true strength.
“That might actually be a good thing.” Li Feng nodded. “Our mission this time is to investigate whether Desolate City truly has…”
He paused, not finishing his sentence, before continuing, “Based on all the information we’ve gathered, the chances are very high. If we do find it, I don’t need to spell out how important it will be.”
The other six people nodded.
“If it does exist, aside from confirming its exact location, we need to take control of Desolate City entirely,” Li Feng said.
Everyone nodded seriously. Another young man, Gu Qingtai, who had gone to meet Hong Li earlier, spoke up. “If that’s the case, why don’t we just start by seizing control of Desolate City first?”
Based on the intelligence they had so far, there was an 80% chance that there was a spatial rift in the center of Desolate City.
To avoid any unnecessary risks, taking control of Desolate City from this moment on would be the best approach.
“Yes, I agree.”
The investigator who had gathered intel in the settlement said, “I’ve already found out that the residents of Desolate City are mostly ability users who left Jufeng Mountain.”
“They have decent abilities and are familiar with the environment of Desolate City. If we take control of the area and then have them explore the city center, we can achieve twice the results with half the effort!”
Listening to their proposal, Li Feng smiled and nodded. “Not bad. Young people really are bold and decisive.”
He thought this method would indeed be the most effective way to accomplish their goals.
Originally, Li Feng had planned to use Hong Li’s forces as cannon fodder, but due to the rules on the surface, he didn’t dare push too hard.
Now, hearing that Hong Li could take on four fifth-tier ability users without a scratch—
A group of four working together at the fifth tier could already pose a threat to a sixth-tier ability user. Even he wouldn’t underestimate the ones Li Li had trained.
Hong Li’s true strength was indeed something to be wary of.
Since that was the case, their original plan needed some adjustments, and Gu Qingtai’s proposal perfectly resolved the dilemma.
Desolate City wasn’t under Hong Li’s control anyway. If they let the city’s residents exhaust themselves first, she wouldn’t have any grounds to object, right?
Tomorrow, they would set out for Desolate City. The first step was to have part of their guards seize control of key transportation routes. Then, another group would be sent to capture the residents.
They began discussing the details of their operation, coldly deciding the fate of Desolate City’s inhabitants.
For this squad, only completing their mission and maximizing their interests mattered. As for human lives… they didn’t seem to care.
Their plan was straightforward.
After all, with their combined strength and the support of Jufeng Mountain’s guards, controlling an abandoned city with barely any inhabitants should be a piece of cake, right?
*
Meanwhile, outside Qingmu Fortress
Chi Hao stood at the front of the bus, gazing into the distance. The vehicle was traveling along a rough, uneven concrete road.
It was hard to tell how long ago this road had been built. Many sections were already cracked and sunken.
The bus struggled forward, and in the distance, the entrance to the fortress was already visible.
On both sides of the road stretched endless farmland, where many people were working in the fields. Further away, rows of densely packed houses stood.
Unlike other fortresses, Qingmu Fortress was rich in water and vegetation. After the thirty-year period of cataclysms, the climate had stabilized.
With such an environment, vegetation flourished naturally, nurturing a large number of skilled planters but also attracting countless mutant creatures.
It took Qingmu Fortress twenty to thirty years to clear a ten-kilometer radius around the stronghold. Even so, large mutant creatures still occasionally wandered over in search of food.
Many farmers lived in these newly reclaimed lands, making a living by assisting planters in cultivating crops.
On the way, Chi Hao had already encountered three or four mutant creatures. He had helped the patrol squad deal with them, which delayed his journey.
Now, at last, he was about to enter the fortress!
After undergoing a series of security checks—made especially strict since he had lost both his ID plaque and his gun—he was finally allowed back inside.
Seeing the bustling crowds on the streets, Chi Hao couldn’t help but rub his hands together in excitement.
Now, it was time for his comeback—time to catch up to Lan Yunqing! Of course…
Thinking about Old Xie, his excitement faded a little. He had to convince headquarters to send a team to search the center of Desolate City!
Chi Hao had always believed that Xie Chaori was tough. They had faced countless dangers together in the wastelands and always managed to pull through. There was no reason for this time to be any different.
No matter what, dead or alive, he needed to see for himself. He couldn’t just leave Old Xie trapped forever in that forsaken place!
Just as Chi Hao was about to report in at headquarters and figure out how to rally reinforcements, he suddenly noticed a new message pop up in the shop channel of the message board.
[Message Board (Shop Channel)]
[Xiang Tianshi]: .
[Greenish Blue]: ?
Who was this? Did Peace Grocery Store get a new employee? And what was with the random period—what were they trying to do? Chi Hao was confused.
Just as he was pondering this, more messages appeared—
[Xiang Tianshi]: Haozi?
[Greenish Blue]: ……
[Xiang Tianshi]: Little Haozi?
[Greenish Blue]: ……
[Greenish Blue]: Who the hell are you?!
