Such scenarios were common now. The South had many mountains, and after the great catastrophe, vegetation grew wildly, and animals mutated. Mountain villages ceased to exist, with only major cities organizing defenses against these invasions. Coastal cities, with their resources and distance from forests, would have survived the initial onslaught if not for the tsunami that wiped them out, leaving the fate of millions unknown.

Their group had escaped from an island, picking up some survivors along the way. But the death toll was much higher, and their numbers dwindled daily.

Zhou You hunted down a deer. Ever since he discovered the benefits of eating wild boar meat, he ate regularly. But the repetitiveness of roasted meat, especially without seasoning, started to wear on him. Now, the mere sight made him frown.

"Maybe we should make bone soup today." He had salvaged the pot from a ruined house. Rusty but still usable after a clean. The warm soup made him feel comfortable, and he was grateful for the shelter tonight, hoping to avoid earthquakes like the previous time.

Zhou You retired early, planning to scavenge the city at dawn. The city was large, surely some useful items remained.

In the dead of night, he was jolted awake by voices below. He heard a conversation, and excitement surged through him.

A sharp female voice shouted, "Wang Zikai, you bastard!... If you lay a finger on me, my brother will make you pay!"

A mocking voice responded, "Your brother? Who's that? Just be a good girl and let us have some fun. We promise we'll let you go afterward. Isn't that better than being a wretch?"

She spat, "My brother is Li Hongxi! Do you even know who you're dealing with?"

Another voice laughed, "Captain Li? That's a good one. Why not claim that Marshal Shao is your brother while you're at it?"

"Bastards! Help!"

"Relax, Captain Li is out hunting tonight. He won't be back anytime soon. Who else would dare wander around at night?"

"Bro, stop the chitchat. She's just stalling. Let's get on with it. It's been a while for us. I mean, look at her. What a body."

Another voice chimed in, "Last time, that boy was soft alright, but frail. Didn't last long. These scums sure have weak constitutions."

"Don't touch me! Get away!"

Recognizing the situation, Zhou You's anger boiled. Just as he prepared to intervene, the floor beneath him gave way. He fell right into the midst of the ruffians, landing perfectly in front of someone's exposed rear.

"Damn! That's gonna leave a mark!" Debris, controlled by Zhou You, smashed into the head of one of the men, splitting his skull open. As the man crumpled, blood pooling around him, Zhou You pushed away the corpse and helped the girl, assuring her, "It's okay now. You're safe."

Without diverting his gaze, he pulled the girl behind him, his fist clenched and ready to deal with the remaining scum. But someone grabbed his arm.

The woman buttoned up her coat, stepped past him, and authoritatively said, "Step back! Stay away! I was careless to be lured out by these lowlifes. Do they really think I, Li Yunxi, am easy to bully? I'll show them!"

Author's note: I'll be participating in a competition next month, so there might be a slight delay. Please reserve the next chapter in advance. Three chapters will be updated today. Please save and recommend!

Chapter 006 - It's a wonder you've lived this long.

"Tch!" Li Yunxi spat on the ground, hands on her hips, staring down the men before her.

Zhou You stood behind her. It was only now that he could clearly see four men standing opposite them. Including the one on the ground, five grown men bullying a woman—it was utterly despicable.

Murderous intent filled Zhou You. Had he not intervened timely, these men might have committed rape. Even though they hadn’t gone through with it, their previous conversation indicated this wasn’t their first time.

He didn't know what the outside world had become. Still, the fact that these men could act with impunity showed that the rule of law had significantly weakened. Such scum shouldn't be allowed to harm humanity.

After waiting for a while and seeing no one else approaching, the four men visibly relaxed. They perceived Zhou You, with his thin and frail appearance, as a mere commoner, thinking they could easily crush him.

A brash-looking young man stepped forward, crossing his arms. "Ha, I thought some great hero had arrived. Turns out it's just a weakling. Remember the last guy who tried to play hero? What happened to him?"

"You mean that overconfident doctor? We slowly tortured him with surgical blades. Such a waste of his skillful hands. If only he wasn't so old... heh heh."

Zhou You felt nauseous hearing this, while the woman beside him stomped her foot in anger, "You bastards! So, it was you who killed Dr. An. You lied, saying he was taken by wild animals. You heartless monsters don't deserve the team's protection!"

Li Yunxi's fists tightened as she shouted and charged at them. Initially, Zhou You was worried she couldn’t handle the men and thought of secretly helping. To his surprise, she effortlessly swung one of the muscular men, kneeing him right in the groin.

"Aaah..."

Hearing his scream, even Zhou You felt the pain. The remaining three men, underestimating her, all attacked at once.