Chapter 65: The Formation of the Community

Chapter 65: The Formation of the Community

Zhuo Haiqing rushed out of the medical clinic and ran home, hugging her sister Haihong and crying, "Sister!" Their elderly mother stood behind them, wiping away tears and sobbing uncontrollably.

The two sisters cried together for a while before Zhuo Haiqing, with tears in her eyes, said, "I heard two days ago that the entire Four Seas Gang was wiped out by the Laojie Gang in a gang fight. I asked around everywhere but couldn't find any news about you. I just got some information and rushed back. Where were you taken, sister?"

Zhuo Haihong's eyes were red: "That day, they dragged me into a car and took me to Nanshan Prison. That's their base, and many girls were locked up there."

"They said it was because our family has psychics, and our genes might carry psychic powers genes. All the psychics in Beiming have been summoned by the city lord's estate, so they wanted to keep us to have children... We were locked up there every day, taking turns... and forced to work. That Wu Jiao would often find women for his amusement, and anyone who didn't cooperate would be burned alive on the spot!"

Tears streamed down her eyes again, overwhelmed by endless humiliation.

Zhuo Haiqing gritted her teeth: "Damn them! I'll go to the city lord's estate to report them! I've been trying to report them before, but they said there was no evidence and couldn't find anything. The guards also said they couldn't find you. Now we have witnesses!"

Zhuo Haihong shook her head coldly: "The Four Seas Gang is gone. What's the point of going to the city lord's estate? It's been half a year! So many girls were kidnapped by the Four Seas Gang outside the city, not just one or two. Do they really not know?"

"It's just that it's not in the city, and they don't dare to confront Wu Jiao, a high-level fire psychic abilities who's cruel and murderous. The Gong family is just ordinary doctors. The Four Seas Gang does a few things for them, and they have to win them over. We have no power or influence. There's no need for them to confront the entire Four Seas Gang for us. Don't you understand?"

Zhuo Haiqing: "..."

Zhuo Haihong said bitterly: "It's not their daughters or sisters who were taken. Why would they care? This is the apocalypse! The Four Seas Gang knew we had no power or influence, and no one would stand up for us!"

She held back her tears. What's the use of crying?!

Zhuo Haiqing quickly comforted her sister: "It's all over, sis... don't dwell on it anymore... I heard the entire Four Seas Gang was wiped out, and that Wu Jiao fled and went missing. The Laojie Gang is said to be made up of locals. Out of respect for fellow villagers, they shouldn't trouble us anymore. Forget about it."

Zhuo Haihong said coldly: "Hmph, missing? That Wu Jiao is dead!"

Zhuo Haiqing was stunned: "Didn't they say he went missing?"

Zhuo Haihong said: "The people from the Four Seas Gang said he was burned to ashes by the Laojie Gang. All the members of the Four Seas Gang were locked up in Nanshan Prison. That day, they stormed the base, arrested everyone there, and were shocked to see us locked up. Then they released us all and arranged a car to take us back to the city."

Zhuo Haiqing asked: "Were all the kidnapped girls from the city?"

Zhuo Haihong replied: "Some were from fishing villages outside. Their families were gone, so they didn't return to the city and stayed in the prison."

Zhuo Haiqing was shocked: "They still have to stay there?"

Zhuo Haihong sneered: "I also signed up to work there. The Laojie Gang said they plan to convert it into a herb garden, renamed the Nanshan Herb Garden."

"Those willing to work there can sign up. They provide food and accommodation, and there are guards watching over the place."

"We don't have to do the hard labor of farming. That's left to the damned members of the Four Seas Gang."

"We only do some delicate work, like bookkeeping, warehouse management, supervising prisoners, and counting heads—basically, logistical tasks. We also get five crystal cores each month."

Zhuo Haiqing was surprised: "Food, accommodation, and five crystal cores? That's not bad, similar to what we get at the city lord's estate."

"Is the Laojie Gang that powerful? I heard they used to be a poor fishing boat gang from the old town area. But recently, they got connected with the Green Bird's supply of mutated medicine, producing zombie repellent and Zombie Attractant. Even the city lord's estate is cooperating with them to sell the medicine."

Zhuo Haihong said: "Yes, I heard they made profits from selling medicine and want to expand production, so they're recruiting. You have to sign a confidentiality agreement when you join. Whatever you see inside, you can't talk about it outside. I signed up."

"Now that I'm back... the neighbors keep asking questions. It's pointless. Over there, they've recruited former prison guards to manage the prisoners. It's safe, with food and accommodation provided, and we get to watch those people suffer every day."

Zhuo Haiqing clenched her fists in anger: "It's already a mercy to let them live. They deserve to die."

Zhuo Haihong whispered: "Luckily, I didn't get pregnant. If I had, it would have been a mess. The Laojie Gang is decent. They distributed the crystal cores found from the Four Seas Gang, giving each of us fifty crystal cores. If anyone needs medical treatment, they can spend some crystal cores at the medical clinic. Those who want to keep the child can continue working at the herb garden. They plan to hire doctors and light psychic abilities to visit once a week for medical checkups."

She looked around their impoverished home and whispered: "There's no point in staying here. I just told Mom to come with me. They're short on manpower over there. Mom can cook, clean, or even help with the herbs. At least we won't go hungry."

Zhuo Haiqing felt a bit melancholic: "It's really good, but this way, won't I be left all alone at home?" He felt a pang of sadness, still weak and feeling incompetent. Although he had awakened psychic powers, he couldn't do anything significant and hadn't achieved anything noteworthy in the city lord's office to be valued. Instead, he had even implicated his sister.

Zhuo Haihong said, "The city lord's office only provides some basic housing security and a little subsidy. You might as well come with us to the herb garden. There are special policies for wood psychic abilities there, providing mutated herbs for wood psychic ability users to cultivate. All the herbs grown are purchased. I've seen the price list; they provide the land and cultivation techniques, and they buy back all the herbs at fixed prices. Isn't that better than barely scraping by now?"

Zhuo Haiqing hesitated. After all, in the psychic division at the city lord's office, his status was high, and he was respected. Moreover, under the protection of the city lord's office, it was much safer, especially since now, not only women but also men with psychic powers were in danger. Plus, being close to the medical center here, he could get many conveniences.

Zhuo Haihong said, "You don't have to rush to make a decision. Tomorrow, you can take us there and see the situation for yourself. After all, I don't know much about you psychics, but the city lord's office has always talked about valuing you, yet I haven't seen much of it."

Zhuo Haiqing said, "They say the city lord is about to attend the alliance city lord conference. I heard that after that, they will support inter-regional psychic exchanges, train psychics, and continuously improve their abilities. There might be a comprehensive support system for psychics then."

Zhuo Haihong said, "They always promise the moon, but the real benefits that reach us common folks are few. Even among psychics, there are hierarchies. You might as well grab the tangible benefits right in front of you."

Zhuo Haiqing said, "I'll think about it. Sister, I also think that with the city lord's office backing us, at least others wouldn't dare to bully our family."

Zhuo Haihong sneered and said nothing.

Zhuo Haiqing felt a bit awkward: "After all, there are few as vicious as the Four Seas Gang. Good people fear the wicked. Look at how the Laojie Gang is now; they still have to show respect to the city lord's office."

Zhuo Haihong said, "It's okay. It's fine if just mom and I go. We can eat, stay safe, and have a place to live. In the city, jobs are hard to find, and there's no livelihood. Working outside the city is dangerous, and we have to think every day about where to find money to pay taxes."

Zhuo Haiqing saw that his sister had somehow gotten some fish soup to cook and eat, and she looked quite spirited, not devastated by the ordeal of being kidnapped and imprisoned. With their mother still taking care of things at home, he felt slightly relieved and said, "Sister, you rest and eat something first. I'll go finish today's work tasks and buy some meat for you."

Zhuo Haihong was just cooking in the kitchen and casually acknowledged.

Zhuo Haiqing then returned to the medical center at the city lord's office and saw a few colleagues with wood psychic abilities discussing something with a list: "So that's how it is. This mutated safflower needs controlled watering and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, with three top dressings. No wonder mine didn't bloom before. This is written so detailed, when to top dress, what soil, what fertilizer, how many kilograms, all clearly written. Are they really giving this planting information for free?"

"These things used to be easily found online. We just didn't have experience in planting before, but now we've awakened wood psychic abilities."

"Easier said than done. These are mutated plants, not ordinary ones. Can you find psychic watering methods online? Look how detailed it is here, growth spells once in the morning, root spells once at night, precise to the time and points of power, when to promote flowering, when to promote fruiting. What to do on rainy days, what to do on sunny days. This conserves a lot of psychic energy. Such precious information, and they're not asking for confidentiality? Are they really sharing it selflessly?"

"Is this really mutated safflower? Such precious seedlings, and they're really letting you take them home? Aren't they afraid you'll run off with them?"

The speaker was Xu Yan, a second-tier wood psychic, who was usually a planting enthusiast and now quite proud: "This mutated safflower is only available for second-tier and above, and it's still in the breeding stage, so you can take it home to plant and breed. The seeds harvested can be sold back at market prices."

"Some particularly precious mutated species won't be given out; they have to be planted at the designated Nanshan Herb Garden, with daily transportation services to and from the city gates."

"So, this mutated safflower seedling isn't considered precious?"

Hearing the name Nanshan Herb Garden, Zhuo Haiqing walked over and saw a cardboard box in front of Xu Yan, containing about ten packs of cultivation soil with a few seedlings inside.

Xu Yan pointed at the seedlings: "Safflower is considered more valuable. Only second-tier and above are allowed to take seedlings. First-tier can only take mutated honeysuckle, isatis root, and some mutated cacti."

"And what's the use of running off with them? Although they're mutated, they don't have crystal cores yet. If you take them home and grow them, the crystal cores can be kept by yourself, and the seeds and medicinal parts are bought by them."

"If you want to take them, you have to join the wood psychic guild. But I think it's worth it. Joining the guild immediately gives you a wood crystal core."

"Crystal cores?" Everyone became more interested.

Xu Yan took out a green crystal core to show everyone: "See? Just fill in the membership form with your home address and contact information, and you can get one."

"Really that good? There must be some purpose, right?"

"Of course, there's a purpose. They've made it clear that it's for making mutated medicine. Haven't you heard of Green Bird mutated medicine? Many are made from mutated herbs. They definitely need us wood psychics to stimulate the herbs, breed them, and cultivate them in large quantities to achieve mass supply. Look at the weather; crops need our wood psychic powers to nourish them, let alone herbs, especially mutated herbs."

"Most of us psychics are already being nurtured by various bases. Of course, they want to win us over."

Xu Yan smiled: "We wood psychics are always looked down upon, not as useful as light psychics for healing, only good for farming. But now, making mutated medicine is useful, and we get a steady stream of crystal cores, plus we can improve our psychic levels. I think it's great."

Zhuo Haiqing couldn't help but ask her: "Yanzi, where did you get this from?"

Xu Yan said, "I saw a task posted by the Green Bird Pharmacy at the city management office, recruiting wood psychic ability users to grow herbs. Out of curiosity, I accepted the task and went to check out the location. They’ve relocated to a spacious new store and handed me an incredibly detailed list. I was immediately tempted. This mutated safflower is available at the second level, and the rewards are high. It's also easy to grow. With two sandy soil planters at home, planting ten of these, plus my psychic powers, I should have seeds in about a month."

Zhuo Haiqing was also tempted after hearing this: "Where’s the new store? I’ll go take a look too."

Xu Yan said, "It’s at the old martial arts hall of the Four Seas Gang. They sell medicine downstairs, and upstairs you can collect medicinal seedlings and tasks. They’ve set aside a tea room for wood psychic ability users to exchange experiences. There are more than a dozen computers where you can self-query plant cultivation methods, and there’s also an internal forum for the wood psychic ability users’ guild where you can post questions about planting and using wood psychic abilities."

Other wood psychic ability users were curious: "Is there internet?"

"Internal local area network. I think they just hired a network administrator there, but it’s not bad. It’s convenient for looking up information, though you have to join the guild. You can self-print materials, but there are limits on the number of prints."

"So, the Four Seas Gang was really wiped out by the Laojie Gang? Even their base was openly taken over. Did the city lord conference say anything?"

"The city lord conference has had it out for them for a while. It’s just that their psychics are powerful and not easy to mess with. Besides, Green Bird Pharmacy’s medicines are also exclusively sold at the city lord conference’s medical center. Now everyone’s saying the Laojie Gang took down the Four Seas Gang so easily because the city lord conference was secretly backing them."

"It’s all come to light now. Beyond robbery and murder, they kidnapped people and locked them up in Nanshan Prison. Women were kept to bear children, and men were forced into hard labor. The Laojie Gang went and released everyone, arranged transportation, and distributed crystal cores. This time, the Laojie Gang really did a good job, so some gangs are dissatisfied. Seeing that the city lord conference is silent, they also speculate that the city lord conference is supporting them."

"No wonder the gangs have been laying low lately. My dad said that when the fishing boats returned from fishing, no one robbed them. They thought it was strange."

An older sister who usually has a good relationship with Zhuo Haiqing looked at him and said, "By the way, Haiqing, I heard your sister is back too. Is she okay?"

Everyone knew about Zhuo Haiqing’s sister being kidnapped while going out of the city to buy fish, and Zhuo Haiqing running around everywhere but unable to find evidence or get help. Beiming City is small, and people see each other often, especially in the psychics’ circle.

Now that the Four Seas Gang has been wiped out, the girls who were taken away have been released, and everyone knows about the Four Seas Gang’s atrocities. It would be inappropriate not to show some concern at this time.

Zhuo Haiqing said, "She’s back, and she said she wants to stay and work at the Nanshan Herb Garden."

Colleagues comforted him: "It’s good that she stays. Let her take it easy. It’s the apocalypse, and it’s not easy for girls. Now no one cares about these things anymore. The Four Seas Gang was really inhumane."

One of them said, "My neighbor also had a girl released, and she’s pregnant. The medical center took her in for prenatal care. Her parents said that if she doesn’t want to keep the baby after birth, it will be uniformly adopted into an orphanage."

"Really? She still has to give birth?"

"The pregnancy is too advanced to terminate. It’s said that there’s a high chance the baby will be a psychic. I heard several girls from this batch are pregnant, and the medical center is providing unified assistance."

"It’s not just this time. The medical center has already implemented an assistance mechanism. Pregnant women and orphans receive free assistance. It’s said to be advocated by the alliance, and major bases are already building it. The city lord conference is about to be held, and there are rumors that if a base’s city lord performs poorly, the alliance will appoint a new city lord and station troops."

"How do you know so much?"

"The psychics in the guard team have the most information. Last time when the alliance delegation came to deliver a message, they revealed a lot of information. It’s said that psychics will also be exchanged and appointed among major bases, and better rewards and job opportunities can be obtained based on merit points."

The conversation heated up, and someone suggested, "Why don’t we check it out now? Actually, almost all the wood psychic ability users in Beiming City are here."

Their work tasks include parceling out some farmland crops and greenhouse areas. Every day, they follow the guard team to the farm to cast growth spells. Because their psychic levels are low, their psychic powers are quickly depleted, and the effects are mediocre. After returning to the city, they treat or provide free clinics for people bitten by venomous snakes or insects or with minor injuries. The cost of treatment by psychics is too high, and in fact, no one is willing to spend crystal cores on minor injuries or illnesses, so the position of wood psychic abilities in the psychic center has always been awkward. They work in shifts, and those who don’t need to be on duty don’t have to stay at the psychic center of the city lord conference, so they are relatively free.

A group of them went to the largest commercial pedestrian street in the center of Beiming City, and sure enough, they saw that the previous "Four Seas Prestige" sign had been removed and replaced with "Green Bird Pharmacy."

A beautiful green bird logo was placed in the window.

They walked in and saw the bright and clean counters downstairs filled with medicines, with detailed effects and names written on them, along with various medication contraindications. The prices were listed in both crystal cores and credit coins.

A pharmacy clerk came over and politely asked what medicine they needed, curiously looking at this large group of about seven or eight people. As psychics, they had rosy complexions, bright eyes, smooth skin, and outstanding temperaments, which were very different from the ordinary people who couldn’t eat enough in the apocalypse.

Xu Yan smiled and said, "We are all wood psychic ability users, and we want to go upstairs to see the guild’s situation."

The clerk quickly came over to guide them upstairs: "Please come this way."

The group went up to the second-floor tea room, and as soon as they entered, they felt a cool breeze. The weather in the apocalypse was unpredictable. It was only June, but the sun outside had already scorched the leaves. They first saw the complete set of antique rosewood luxury tea room furniture, and then felt the cool and pleasant atmosphere inside the tea room, which surprised them.

Post-apocalypse, energy’s scarce, and unless it’s scorching hot to avoid heatstroke, folks avoid using the AC indoors.

Upon closer inspection, they noticed a huge bronze cauldron placed on one side of the tea room, with a massive iceberg on top of it. The iceberg was slowly melting. Behind it, an electric fan gently blew the cool air into the room, creating a refreshing atmosphere.

Beside the iceberg, there was an elegant arrangement of lotus flowers in a vase. The greenish porcelain plate had a smooth, jade-like glaze, and a pair of twin lotus flowers, as pure as ice jade, were in full bloom. The arrangement was artfully composed with plump buds, fresh lotus seed pods, and gracefully half-curled lotus leaves, radiating an extraordinary elegance.

On the wall hung a painting depicting two large trees with intertwined branches and leaves, with ten birds in various poses perched on them. The painting style was rustic yet vigorous.

On the massive tree root coffee table, a complete set of teapots and teacups was arranged, allowing guests to freely add water and enjoy tea.

At the entrance corner of the tea room, there was a service counter where a staff member sat. Upon seeing them enter, the staff member politely stood up and smiled, introducing, "Welcome to the Green Bird Guild. If you, ladies and gentlemen, wish to join the guild, you can inquire about the guild's details here. We also have brochures available for you to take and review. On the wall, you can find the cultivation conditions and recycling prices for various mutated herbs."

Xu Yan said, "These are my colleagues, all wood psychic ability users. They are here to take a look."

The staff member quickly smiled and said, "Please feel free to look around."

Zhuo Haiqing glanced inside the tea room and noticed a separate room. From the doorway, he could see computers and gaming chairs inside. He asked, "Can we go in and take a look?"

The staff member smiled and replied, "Of course. You can log in and check out our Green Bird Guild forum. It has sections for herb cultivation resources, cultivation experience exchange, psychic ability exchange, technical Q&A, and casual chat."

Zhuo Haiqing asked curiously, "Can we access the resources?"

The staff member smiled and said, "Yes, we have a public account for visitors to access the resources, but only members can use the printing function."

Zhuo Haiqing nodded. They walked in and saw brand-new gaming desks with curved large screens, new keyboards and mice, all kept spotlessly clean.

Inside, a few wood psychic ability users were already seated, browsing through resources. Beiming City was small, and almost everyone knew each other. Upon seeing them enter, they greeted each other and started chatting, "Have you joined the guild too?"

"Yes, I'm short on crystal cores, and there are mutated herbs to take back and cultivate. The crystal cores from the harvest are ours to keep, which is very convenient. Otherwise, it's hard to get any mutated plants on the market, and the ones from the city lord's mansion are out of our reach."

"The resources available here are incredibly thorough and detailed."

"Are there answers to questions?"

"Yes, yesterday I asked how to advance from the second to the third level in wood psychic abilities. I just asked casually, but I got a real answer. I was just thinking of printing it out to study." A wood psychic ability user named Wang Rui spoke. He had been stuck at the second level for a long time and couldn't advance.

The other wood psychic ability users immediately became curious, as most psychics were stuck at the second level. They gathered around to look, "What was the answer?"

The forum interface was user-friendly, with clearly defined sections and large, readable text. The first reply in the Q&A section read, "First, improve your physical fitness, nurture a tranquil spirit, and strengthen your meridians to allow your body to accommodate more psychic powers. The most effective method: practice Ba Duan Jin diligently, recommended twice a day. It can regulate your organs and unblock your meridians."

Everyone: "..."

Below, there was a very helpful link to a Ba Duan Jin instructional video.

Everyone burst out laughing, "Is this serious? It seems so abstract."

Wang Rui said seriously, "I don't think it's a joke. Moreover, the following points are quite actionable. I plan to give it a try."

The others continued reading. The second point was to try to nurture and cultivate as many different types of plants as possible. The third point was to maximize the use of crystal cores for absorption.

"Avoid relying too simplistically and crudely on crystal core absorption. Early uncontrolled absorption of crystal core energy may lead to rapid progress, but later you will be stuck in a long stagnation period. To put it simply, the human body is like a golden cup. Only by continuously forging and expanding it can you hold more water. If you fill it up all at once, it will be difficult to grow and expand further."

"The specific method is to use your psychic abilities to nurture and cultivate different types of plants extensively after each crystal core absorption, until your psychic powers are completely depleted and you can no longer use them. Then, rest and calm your mind, supplemented by Ba Duan Jin practice. After resting, stabilize your psychic powers, allow them to circulate, and stabilize your vital energy and blood flow before the next crystal core absorption."

Those reading fell into deep thought.

Someone said, "He seems to be right. I've noticed that the wood psychic ability users from well-off families in the city lord's mansion, who have access to many crystal cores, progress quickly at first but then stagnate. They don't do as well as those of us who only get a crystal core after a long time."

There were only three answers in the Q&A, concise and to the point, each very actionable and easy to understand.

Zhuo Haiqing whispered, "Practicing Ba Duan Jin can't hurt, right? And I've noticed that Old Gao in our institute is stronger than us young people. He reached the second level early because he has been practicing Tai Chi for many years. It seems these ancient martial arts practices have some merit."

"Are people really posting these methods for cultivating psychic powers so casually on the forum? This is incredibly generous, isn't it? It feels so unbelievable."

"The poster is named Dongjun. I noticed all the informational posts are from him."

"Yes, Dongjun is the president of the Green Bird Guild."

"President? Male or female? This president must also be a wood psychic ability user, right? Judging by this, he must be at least third-tier, right?"

"If we join the guild, would we have a chance to meet him and ask him about the specifics in person?"

The wood psychic ability users whispered among themselves, but someone suddenly exclaimed by the window, "Isn't this the pedestrian street? How can cars come in here?"

Several people curiously looked down from the window and saw two sleek, black luxury cars slowly driving up and stopping in front of the Green Bird Pharmacy.

An older colleague whispered, "Those are the city lord's personal rides."

As the cars stopped, the captain of the city lord's psychic squad got out and opened the door for an elderly man who stepped out with some difficulty. He was thin with graying hair but very amiable, nodding to the captain as he exited.

The psychics from the city lord's institute recognized him as Gong Yanqing, the city lord of Beiming. Behind him was Yuan Xuegang, the dean of the medical center, with silver hair but a vigorous and kindly smile.

At the entrance of the Green Bird Pharmacy, two young men came out to greet Gong Yanqing, shaking hands and then escorting him inside.

Someone who recognized them whispered, "I know them, they are the Qin brothers from the Laojie Gang. City Lord Gong and Dean Yuan actually came here personally."

"So, the Laojie Gang really has the support of City Lord Gong, which is why they dared to move against the Four Seas Gang."

"Definitely, all the psychics in Beiming are under the city lord's command, and even the leader of the Laojie Gang, Qin Sheng, is a squad leader in the city lord's guard team."

"The city lord's medical center sells Green Bird's medicine, what do you think?"

"I heard that night they also brought a fire-breathing mutated dog that torched anyone in its path. It was fierce. Who else could afford to keep a mutated dog these days? It must be supported by the city lord, not wanting to send people, so they sent a mutated dog."

"So, the Green Bird Guild is also backed by the city lord?"

"Hard to say, if it were supported by the city lord, they already command all the psychics in Beiming. Why go through the Laojie Gang to set up a guild?"

"Beiming City is small, and the City Lord Conference of the alliance is about to start. The Green Bird Guild probably wants wood psychic ability users from other bases."

"But why only wood? Aren't fire and lightning psychic abilities more powerful?"

"Maybe other guilds will be established soon?"

"If we join now as founding members, would we receive any special perks..."

...

The discussions of the wood psychic ability users and the calls for the waiter to register for membership were clearly transmitted through the monitoring feed to a small adjacent room in the tea house.

This small room was also furnished entirely with antique rosewood furniture, another generous contribution from the Four Seas Gang.

In the corner, a bronze cauldron held a massive block of freshly frozen ice, cleverly studded with honeysuckle flowers, sparkling and quite enchanting.

Zhou Yun was leisurely sitting in a reclining chair, holding a thermos cup of tea, facing a wall covered with a large surveillance screen that Zhu Zhuan, an expert, had set up just a few days ago.

On one of the screens, Qin Mu and Qin Sheng were seen seating Gong Yanqing in the living room.

Zhu Zhuan used a laser pointer to switch the main screen, hearing Qin Mu inside say, "City Lord Gong's visit today is a great honor for the Laojie Gang."

He felt a bit nervous. "City Lord Gong is very seasoned and has brought a lot of psychics with him. It seems like a bold move, likely tied to the city's rumors. Can A Mu and the others handle it?"

Zhou Yun slowly took a sip of goji berry and chrysanthemum tea. Recently, he had been spending too much time in front of the computer planning for the Nanshan Herb Garden and organizing various association forum materials, which made his eyes prone to dryness. He needed to drink more chrysanthemum tea to moisten them.

He remarked casually, "Don't worry, your childhood buddy is a real schemer with a shady side. City Lord Gong won't gain any advantage."

He pulled out his phone from the pocket of his work pants and pressed a text message: "What are you up to?"

Hundreds of densely packed zombie monkeys surrounded a massive tree, their screeches piercing and chaotic. The snow on the ground had been trampled by the zombie monkey horde, revealing dirty mud. In the distance, the farmhouses were dilapidated, and the land looked like a barren wasteland.

The zombie monkeys' muscles were decayed and festering, their dull, messy fur hanging dryly on their bones. Some had already fallen off, exposing the bones, while others were reduced to mere skeletons, with only their tails retaining some sparse fur. Yet, they still possessed sharp claws. Their climbing posture was somewhat stiff, but they were still more agile and swift than ordinary zombies.

The zombie monkey king crouched on a tree opposite, glaring with menace. Its massive body was fully zombified, with blood-red eyes, a grotesque and rigid face, and a head covered in eerie green mold. It let out a shrill roar, commanding the smaller zombie monkeys to climb the tree.

Guan Yuanfeng stood high on a tree branch, his long legs steady. Feeling the vibration of his phone at his waist, he calmly unleashed a lightning skill, sending the climbing zombie monkeys tumbling down.

Amidst the sharp screams of the zombie monkeys, he took out his phone, glanced at the message, and directly called back.

Zhu Zhuan suddenly heard the phone ring and was startled. He looked over and saw Zhou Yun answering the call, his long eyebrows relaxed, eyes sparkling, with a smile on his lips: "Not busy?"

"It's rare for you to have free time during the day. Have you eaten?"

Zhou Yun stood up, waved a gesture to Zhu Zhuan indicating he was leaving to take the call, pushed the door open, and headed to the rooftop.

Zhu Zhuan: "..." What about me?

He turned to look at the surveillance screen, where City Lord Gong was smiling and speaking to Qin Mu: "Truly, heroes emerge from the young. Now the whole city believes that the Gong family instructed the Laojie Gang to destroy the Four Seas Gang. The Gong family has taken quite the blame for you two young friends."