"Be careful!" Zhou You warned her.

"Perfect timing!" Few in the team knew Li Yunxi was also a martial artist; her brother preferred it that way, as martial artists were expected to protect the ordinary people.

Wang Zikai's group were just novice martial artists, not even at the primary level. They'd dare not touch her if they knew she was an intermediate martial artist.

"You... you're a martial artist!"

"Yes, I am, and I am far superior to scum like you. Today, there's no escaping your fate."

Li Yunxi's martial arts might not be top-notch, but Zhou You noticed her strength was unparalleled. Her blows always had the upper hand, and her opponents were the ones left screaming.

Had those men not bound her hands earlier, she'd have escaped by now.

After knocking down each opponent, Li Yunxi didn't immediately finish them off. Instead, she incapacitated them in a very personal manner.

Zhou You nearly felt the urge to cross his legs and run. Despite her youth, Li Yunxi's moves were swift and precise. She was undeniably fierce.

"Stay here and savor your impending doom. Reflect on your sins and pray you don't meet a particularly savage mutant creature, or else..." With a wicked grin, Li Yunxi turned and pulled Zhou You away from the building, leaving behind the desperate cries of several men.

Li Yunxi ran incredibly fast, urging as she went, "Hurry! Beasts will be here soon. We need to get back to the group."

Noting her extraordinary speed, Zhou You wondered aloud, "Aren't you worried they'll escape?"

"They can't escape. They're all wounded, and the recent commotion will surely attract the mutant beasts. Those few are no match for such creatures."

"What's a mutant beast?" Zhou You inquired curiously.

Li Yunxi glanced back at him as dawn broke, giving her a clear view of Zhou You's appearance. She stumbled, almost falling to the ground.

Zhou You steadied her, asking, "Are you alright?"

Speechless with astonishment, Li Yunxi pointed at him. But distant growls interrupted her. Without time to explain, she grabbed his hand and sprinted again. Only after covering several blocks did she slow down.

Pulling Zhou You into a kiosk, Li Yunxi, with an arm pressed against his neck, interrogated, "Who are you? What's your name? Where did you come from? How did you end up here?"

At first, she mistook Zhou You for one of her group members, but having seen his face, she realized she was wrong. After a decade in the post-apocalyptic world, traveling northward, there was no way her group would have someone so pristine and handsome.

Not knowing how to respond, Zhou You hesitated, causing Li Yunxi's expression to darken. "If you don't explain, I won't take you back. Do you want to be left for the beasts?"

"No, I just... I wasn't prepared for these questions," Zhou You admitted, not having formulated a backstory.

"Ah, did you escape from some high-ranking figure? Do you realize how much attention your appearance draws?" Noticing his suitcase, Li Yunxi became even more suspicious. "Who still carries luggage these days? You must've been sheltered by some influential person and haven't suffered at all."

Thinking of his narrow escape from spies, Zhou You nodded, "Yes, I hid in the mountains for a long time. I didn't realize the outside world had changed so much."

"You must've been well-protected. The flora and fauna now grow at an alarming rate. In another year, this city would be unrecognizable. It's a miracle you survived in the mountains. Good thing you met me," Li Yunxi remarked. She then smeared Zhou You's face with dirt, making him almost unrecognizable. "Your looks are too conspicuous. With thousands in our group, I can't guarantee their restraint. For safety, keep your appearance hidden."

Zhou You joked, "Are you afraid they'll fall for my good looks?"

"Of course. Now there are more men than women. The government has even implemented laws to protect women. The men you saw earlier only acted out because they were isolated. But men aren't protected, especially attractive ones like you who haven't ascended."

"I keep hearing you mention 'ordinary people' and 'warriors.' What does that mean?"

"You don't know?" Li Yunxi looked at him incredulously, becoming even more convinced of his sheltered past.

"There's no time to explain now. I'll tell you when we're safe. Considering everything, it's amazing you're still alive."

Zhou You agreed. Having encountered various wild animals while traveling through the mountains, fighting them off daily was exhausting.

After a brief rest, Li Yunxi continued leading Zhou You, and soon their base came into view, resembling an old school.

The night patrol guards raised their guns upon seeing them, demanding, "Identify yourselves!"

Li Yunxi quickly replied, "It's me, Yunxi, Wu's brother!"

Recognizing her, Wu put his weapon away, admonishing, "Yunxi, why did you run off again? It's too dangerous."

"I know, that's why I'm back, right?"

Wu eyed Zhou You suspiciously. "Who's this man?"