The place Ying Li and Xiang Ye returned to was the same apartment they’d stayed in during their last visit.
Right across the hall lived Ding Hua. All the adjacent units were occupied by her trusted confidants. In other words, complete safety.
The moment Ying Li stepped inside, he noticed the changes.
Before, this place had been barren—practically empty. Now, it was properly furnished. Even the kitchen and bathroom were fully set up.
Examining them… the stove and shower had clearly been ripped out of an RV. Both were connected to large water tanks.
Once they were safely indoors, Xiang Ye immediately asked, “Big Brother Ying… you smell like blood. Are you hurt?”
“Minor injuries, nothing to worry about,” Ying Li said with an easy smile. “I’ll go shower and apply some medicine.”
Last night had been a brutal fight. Though he’d eventually routed the wolf pack, he hadn’t escaped unscathed. The wilds offered no real chance to treat wounds.
“Alright. I’ll cook,” Xiang Ye said.
Ying Li shot him a grin and headed for the bathroom.
Stripping off his Combat Suit—torn in multiple places by wolf fangs—he showered, then sprayed a healing mist over his wounds. By the time he’d made himself presentable again, Xiang Ye called out:
“Big Brother Ying, the Mutant Sweet Potatoes need more time to roast. Eat some meat first.”
Xiang Ye had laid out the Crystal Core-powered griddle taken from the RV, slices of raw meat already arrayed beside it. They could grill and eat at leisure.
Besides the meat, there was a bowl of Lotus Seed Soup, plus a platter of something stir-fried.
Ying Li couldn’t identify the greens. But Xiang Ye happily explained before he could ask.
“Big Brother Ying, these are the young shoots of a mutated plant. Their Corrosive Energy content is relatively low when freshly sprouted, so the Sentinels here will occasionally pick a few to eat. Of course, I’ve already purged every trace from this batch. I think they’re delicious—they have a special fragrance. Not sure if you’ll like it.”
“I do. It smells wonderful,” Ying Li said.
Xiang Ye moved on to the star of the meal. “Big Brother Ying, the Mutant Sweet Potatoes roasting in the oven are also non-toxic—just high in Corrosive Energy originally. I purged them yesterday and ate one. It was incredibly good.”
Listening to the stream of chatter, all the lingering exhaustion of the hunt melted from Ying Li’s bones. He couldn’t stop the smile forming as he beckoned Xiang Ye to sit and join him.
Unlike those early days when Xiang Ye had first met Ying Li—when he’d eaten like a bottomless pit with no hope of ever feeling full—he wasn’t truly hungry now. Especially after the heavy lunch earlier.
But even when he wasn’t famished… he could definitely still eat!
Throughout the meal, Ying Li concentrated on the meat. He took one small taste of the Lotus Seed Soup, then left it untouched. The Lotus Seeds were the specific type beneficial for Guides. Xiang Ye needed them more.
As for the greens… Ying Li rarely had the chance to eat genuine leafy vegetables. He genuinely enjoyed them.
Fifteen minutes later, the sweet potatoes finished roasting. The moment the oven door opened, a mind-numbingly sweet fragrance gushed out.
Starlight City grew sweet potatoes. The tubers, the vines, even the leaves… all sold at sky-high prices.
Ying Li had eaten roasted sweet potato before—back then, paired with pickled sweet potato vines. But that sweet potato’s flavor was nowhere near what now sat before him.
Mass-produced under artificial light and chemical fertilizers underground… just couldn’t compare to a tuber grown wild, under a natural sun.
Ying Li polished off several jin by himself.
Seeing how much more Ying Li was eating than usual, Xiang Ye knew—he hadn’t had any proper meals out there.
“Big Brother Ying, where did you hunt this time? What did you catch?” Xiang Ye asked.
Ying Li paused briefly, then smiled and began recounting his experiences.
He’d ventured farther than usual. The A-level Mutant Beast he encountered wasn’t one listed in Starlight City’s records. It had been a Mutant Water Buffalo. Water buffaloes normally ate only mutated flora and logically shouldn’t attack humans… but Ying Li had terrible luck. He met it in rutting season. A lone, frustrated bull buffalo with no mate was violently ill-tempered. Spotting Ying Li, it attacked without hesitation.
Ying Li had no choice but to fight.
But that wasn’t how he told the story.
He claimed he’d targeted the buffalo deliberately, because beef tasted best. Then, spotting a wolf pack nearby, he’d cleverly used the buffalo carcass as bait to lure in a horde of B-rank Mutant Wolves, killing them all.
Saying “I was walking along and got ambushed by an A-level beast, then ambushed again at night by wolves” sounded terrifying. But saying “I actively hunted them”? That didn’t sound terrifying at all.
As expected, Xiang Ye’s eyes shone with pure reverence. “Big Brother Ying, you’re incredible! But you still need to be careful in the future… try not to get hurt.”
“I will,” Ying Li smiled. He pulled out the Crystal Cores he’d earned these past two days for Xiang Ye to admire.
One A-Rank Core, and over twenty B-Rank Cores. Laying them together made an impressive sight. Yet after learning Xiang Ye’s own earning power, Ying Li felt his haul was utterly ordinary.
Yesterday alone, Xiang Ye’s earnings from cleansing Dried Meat and combing a B-Rank Sentinel… maybe slightly less than his, but not by much!
His Xiang Ye… was terrifyingly amazing.
After his meal, Ying Li went to sleep. When he awoke, he felt completely refreshed, his injuries largely healed.
He woke early. Xiang Ye was still asleep. So Ying Li brought out the A-level Water Buffalo meat and began practicing his knife-work.
He sliced the frozen buffalo meat into wafers, each one so thin it was practically translucent, arranging them on plates. Achieving such precision required absolute focus, augmented by delicate mental control—an exercise that honed his Mental Power. His speed steadily increased… Platter after platter piled up.
By the time Xiang Ye woke, the table was covered in sliced meat.
And so, early morning, they sat eating hotpot-style shaved buffalo.
The Water Buffalo meat tasted truly remarkable!
Once he’d eaten his fill, Ying Li prepared to head out again into the wilds.
Xiang Ye felt a pang of reluctance, his energy flagging. But cloaked head-to-toe, no one could tell anything.
That morning, he finished purging the remaining Water Buffalo meat Ying Li had brought back. That afternoon… he was scheduled to comb another one of Ding Hua’s core men.
This Sentinel’s Mental Sea condition was, once again, dangerously poor. Yet the other Sentinels stationed around as backup, ready to restrain him—and the man himself—had relaxed, even expectant expressions.
Yesterday, the Elder Ye had saved someone in worse shape than him. He was confident his own mind would be properly tended.
“Elder Ye, I’ve prepared some gifts for you.” The Sentinel produced several jars filled with dehydrated plant matter. “I enjoy researching Mutated Flora. These are all seasonings that mutated after the Great Cataclysm. According to tests, they’re non-toxic—just lethally high in Corrosive Energy. After you cleanse them, you can use them to cook truly delicious meals.”
Mutated Flora had changed drastically from their original forms. And being dried… Xiang Ye couldn’t identify any of them.
Fortunately, the thoughtful Sentinel had labeled each jar. He wouldn’t be left guessing.
In Starlight City, such seasonings would be worth a fortune! Xiang Ye accepted them with genuine pleasure. “Thank you.”
“Elder Ye, I should be the one thanking you.” The Sentinel’s Mental Power swirled, aggressive and wild, yet he wore a huge smile. “My personal stash is small, but I know exactly where these plants grow in the wild. Tomorrow, I’ll lead a team to harvest. Then you’ll have as many seasonings as you want.”
“Good. I’ll trade you meat for them,” Xiang Ye offered immediately.
Overjoyed, the Sentinel resolved to harvest a literal ton of Mutant Chili the very next day.
The Mental Combing went more smoothly than the day before.
Over the following days, a rhythm settled. Mornings, Xiang Ye cleansed Aberrant Beast Meat or Mutated Flora. Afternoons, he combed the Mental Seas of Freedom City’s Sentinels. His days were full and productive. His popularity surged with each passing day.
The Sentinels around him scrambled and fought for the honor of helping him, treating him with utmost deference.
The several hundred jin of Water Buffalo meat Ying Li had brought back? The Sentinels voluntarily processed it into dried meat for him.
That dried meat had been seasoned with Mutant Chili, Mutant Sichuan Pepper, and other spices. The flavor was explosively savory. Every time Ding Hua visited, she’d wheedle a portion out of him. Naturally, she reciprocated in kind, gifting him many rare items.
Xiang Ye lived in Freedom City for ten days. The first two, he maintained a relatively high profile. After that, he lived deep in seclusion—his Mental Combing sessions all conducted inside Ding Hua’s residence.
His eventual departure was known only to Ding Hua. Nobody else.
This was for his safety. If Elder Ye materialized in Freedom City every single time Xiang Ye vanished from Starlight City, someone might connect the two identities. Thus, after discussing it, Ying Li and Ding Hua decided: henceforth, Elder Ye would permanently “reside” in Freedom City.
During that ten-day span, Ying Li had returned only three times, spending the rest in the wilds. His final return had been for one purpose: to retrieve Xiang Ye.
Ding Hua drove them away from the city in one of the vehicles capable of operating underground. Coincidentally, on the road out, Ying Li overheard a cluster of Sentinels chatting.
“Wonder where that Elder Ye came from…”
“None of the A-Ranks in Starlight match his description. He can’t be from there.”
“Heard Mister Li is Elder Ye’s son. Think it’s true?”
Ying Li had been fine until that last comment. His expression darkened.
Turning his head, he caught Ding Hua’s eyes crinkling with suppressed laughter. She’d obviously heard it too.
Only Xiang Ye remained blissfully unaware, his dulled senses catching none of it.
Near the outskirts of Freedom City, Ding Hua brought the vehicle to a halt. Looking at the two, she said: “You are always welcome back.”
“In ten days or so, we’ll come again.” Ying Li gave an exact timeframe.
He bid Ding Hua farewell, then rode off with Xiang Ye, reuniting with Luo Qiming’s squad.
The four had hunted in a safe, utterly generic hunting ground. Their spoils were meager, but the payoff was security—no real threats. They’d spent ten full days without seeing Ying Li, so his return flooded them with relief.
“Captain Ying, you’re finally back! My heart can settle now!”
“Xiang Ye… I smell something incredible. What delicious stuff did you bring?!”
“Xiang Ye, I want some too!”
Indeed, Xiang Ye had brought back quite a haul of delicious items. He distributed portions to them as he recounted his experiences in Freedom City.
Far away in Starlight City, certain individuals who had learned of the “Elder Ye’s” existence were growing frantic, dispatching even more agents toward Freedom City.
As for Yu Mingwei…
He was desperately trying to cobble together the money for his compensation payments.
