Wang Jin looked at him with pleading eyes.

Cen An sighed helplessly. “Alright, I’ll take these, but please don’t bring me any more gifts in the future.”

Wang Jin gave a silly grin but didn’t say a word.

Cen An waved his hand, and the strangling vine released him.

Cen An looked at the mountain of supplies piled up at the door. He couldn’t help but smile, shook his head, packed them into his backpack, and slowly carried them inside.

He wondered how late these people had worked last night—they’d managed to gather over three hundred bundles of firewood, more than four hundred bundles of hay, and fifty or sixty medicinal herbs of every variety, some of which were quite rare.

There was even a plump, temperamental goose hidden among them…

Cen An slowly took inventory. To his surprise, there were over twenty bundles of hardwood and a dozen or so of softwood types he hadn’t been able to find, no matter how thoroughly he’d searched the entire forest. He wondered how these people had managed to find them. Could they have ventured into dangerous areas?

After organizing the supplies one by one, Cen An looked at the haystack in the courtyard, which had grown significantly larger, and thought to himself that with a few more trips like this, he’d likely have enough materials to upgrade his house.

Just as he was thinking this, someone knocked on the door.

He opened the door casually. Outside stood the black-robed psychic, his eyes half-closed, speaking in a stiff tone: “Up the mountain.”

Cen An’s headache grew even worse. Rubbing his temples, he said, “I’m not going up the mountain today… Never mind, come on in first. Have you had breakfast? Let’s eat together.”

They had red bean buns for breakfast today.

The picked red beans had simmered on low heat all night, long since turning to a paste; a gentle stir turned them into red bean paste.

The dough had also been prepared last night, kneaded with steamed cassava. Having sat by the warm fire all night, it had risen into a soft, pliable mass even without yeast.

He pinched off a piece of dough, shaped it into a flat patty, stuffed it with the red bean paste, pressed it into the steamer, and in twenty minutes, it was done.

In the earthenware pot beside it was a pot of simmered multigrain porridge, with a few pieces of pickled green jade fruit added—a delicious sweet-and-sour flavor.

He also shredded some white radish to make a quick cold salad. It was a comfortable, satisfying breakfast.

He didn’t know if Yu Fei had breakfast or not, but from the moment he sat down until he stood up, he’d eaten five red bean buns and two bowls of multigrain porridge.

He didn’t even burp.

Cen An shook his head in disbelief. He said to Xiao Yi, “Share these red bean buns with Tian Yuan and the others. I won’t be leaving the village today, but if anything comes up, you can find me at the Supernatural Abilities Squad.”

Xiao Yi knew exactly who he meant by “them,” and asked, “Are you going to the Supernatural Squad today, Brother?”

Cen An nodded. “I have some things to take care of.”

The so-called Supernatural Squad base wasn’t the one Shi Long had used before.

Although no one had used the base since Shi Long was sent to the stone dungeon, the squad members—whether they thought the place was dirty or something else… …In any case, no one was willing to come here.

So, they still spent most of their time at the new base—the small wooden courtyard in the woods on the edge of the village.

This was the place Cen An had been referring to.

He led Yu Fei to the courtyard, where they saw a man in his twenties. He looked rather impatient, as if he were waiting for someone.

Seeing this man, Cen An felt a sense of familiarity, as if he were looking at the former Shi Jie… This young man also had a slicked-back, made-up look. Cen An didn’t know if he possessed any special abilities, but he was certain he hadn’t seen this person in the Special Abilities Squad before.

When the man saw Cen An enter, he lifted his chin rather arrogantly. “You’re Cen An?”

Cen An sized him up from head to toe and nodded. “And who are you?”

He smirked. “Pfft, you don’t even know who I am… Just a country bumpkin. Hey, I hear your vegetables are pretty good. Send me a truckload sometime.”

Cen An’s eyes widened slightly. A truckload… Fearing he might have misinterpreted the man’s meaning, he asked, “My vegetables aren’t cheap. Are you sure you want a whole truckload?”

The young man sneered, “You want money? It’s a favor for me to even eat your vegetables, you mud-covered peasant! Do you know who my grandfather is? Do you know whose influence it is that our village hasn’t been devoured by beasts yet?”

Cen An looked at him. “Whose influence?”

The young man: “My grandfather, Geng Hui! Liao Yongzhi and Shi Long were both taught by him! Whose influence do you think it is? Let me tell you, this young master has never spent a dime eating in this village! You…” He reached out to grab Cen An’s collar, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his temple. “Ah!”

Yu Fei half-opened his eyes and raised his hand slightly, but Cen An pressed it back down. “Wait, Brother Fei, I haven’t finished asking.”

He continued, “Your surname is Geng? Do you know Geng Qingxue?”

“What the hell is Geng Qingxue!” The young man clutched his head in frustration. “My surname is Sun! My head hurts so much… you guys must have rigged this! Watch out—I’ll have my grandpa kill you all!”

Surnamed Sun? A flicker of doubt crossed Cen An’s mind. Perhaps because the young man had shouted so loudly, the people inside had already heard him and pushed the door open.

The group inside was quite complete: Qu Yue, Zhao Wu, Wang Lie—they were all there, and even Liao Wanwan was present.

Apart from Xiao Ji and a few other members who were quite badly injured, the rest of the Supernatural Abilities Squad was present in full force.

Behind the group of young people, an old man emerged—none other than Old Geng, whom they had just met yesterday.

As soon as Old Geng saw the scene in the courtyard, he frowned and hurried over. “Yuanhao, what’s going on here?”

Sun Yuanhao’s face was contorted with pain; his already unsightly features looked even worse. “Grandpa! Those two attacked me with their abilities! They’re using their powers against ordinary people—you must punish them!”

Old Master Geng’s expression turned grave. He glanced back at Cen An, then finally fixed his gaze on Yu Fei. “A mental ability user? Very well, very well. I haven’t been involved in village affairs for a long time, so I wasn’t aware that such a master had arrived in the village. I wonder what business has led you to use such heavy-handed tactics? Supernatural users who harm ordinary people are subject to punishment in this village.”

Cen An blocked his gaze from Yu Fei and said calmly, “I wonder if failing to pay for groceries is punishable in this village?”

Old Man Geng froze. “Wh—”

Sun Yuanhao immediately let out a wail. “He’s lying! Grandpa, look at him—he didn’t even bring any vegetables. What’s this about not paying for groceries? I was just joking with him!”

Cen An chuckled, “Just a moment ago, you asked me to send you a cartload of vegetables, and you even said that eating my vegetables was a sign of respect for me. What’s this? Now you’re denying it? Oh, right—you also said you never pay for anything in the village… Old Geng, don’t you know about these things?”

Old Geng’s hand trembled. He looked at Sun Yuanhao in disbelief. “This… Yuanhao, didn’t you tell me you’d turned over a new leaf? You… I give you so many crystal cores every month, and yet you…”

Seeing things were taking a turn for the worse, Sun Yuanhao closed his eyes and wailed at the top of his lungs: “Grandpa, I was wrong! I was just joking with him! He’s fine, isn’t he? Grandpa, I’m so sorry, Grandpa! He used his abilities to hurt me so badly! Abilities users are bullying ordinary people… If my real grandpa were still alive, he definitely wouldn’t let me get bullied like this… waaah…”

A flicker of pain crossed Old Geng’s face; the passing of his close friend was a lifelong source of grief for him.

A look of realization flashed in Cen An’s eyes. Could it be that Sun Yuanhao was adopted by Old Geng?

Wang Lie leaned in quietly and whispered, “Old Geng and Sun Yuanhao’s grandfather were close friends. His grandfather passed away long ago, and Old Geng raised his father from childhood. Later, his father also passed away, so Old Geng adopted Sun Yuanhao.”

Glancing at the grandfather and grandson over there, Wang Lie lowered his voice again. “Old Master Geng is honest and trustworthy, but Sun Yuanhao is no good—he’s far worse than Shi Jie. If it weren’t for the Special Abilities Squad keeping him in check, he’d be capable of all sorts of bullying and harassment. But everyone looks out for Old Master Geng’s sake, so they don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Cen An shook his head. Others might let it slide, but in the eyes of someone like Sun Yuanhao, that just meant they were afraid of him.

He didn’t actually agree with Old Master Geng’s parenting methods, but this was someone else’s family affair, and it wasn’t his place to interfere.

As long as Sun Yuanhao didn’t interfere with what he had to do today…

Wait a minute, the surname Sun… Cen An remembered that Geng Qingxue’s family letter had mentioned someone with the surname Sun. If Old Geng really was a descendant of Geng Qingxue…

A thought crossed his mind.

Over there, Geng Qingxue had finally managed to placate Sun Yuanhao, handing him a large handful of crystal cores before coming over to apologize to Cen An, blaming himself for his poor parenting and so on.

Since he hadn’t suffered any loss himself, Cen An naturally forgave him magnanimously.

Only then did the group enter the house.

Old Master Geng was somewhat surprised to see Cen An following behind them. “This is the base of the Special Abilities Squad. How is it that you, Young Brother Cen, are allowed to enter?”

After all, even though he doted so much on Sun Yuanhao, he’d only let him wait in the courtyard.

Qu Yue quickly stepped in to explain.

Old Geng, however, wasn’t stubborn or self-righteous. After listening carefully, he said, “Even though Young Brother Cen has done the Special Abilities Squad many favors, he shouldn’t be allowed into the squad’s base. Personal matters are personal matters, and official business is official business. This isn’t the right way to repay a debt of gratitude. Besides, for ordinary people, getting too close to those with special abilities isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

He thought of his own friend—they’d had a deep friendship dating back to their fathers’ generation. After his father went missing, the other family had taken great care of him and his mother.

But when he awakened his abilities, and the other did not, it threw the other off balance, even leading to jealousy… which ultimately brought about his own downfall.

He sighed. “It’s not that I’m petty or can’t tolerate others; it’s just that rules are rules. Please, Brother Cen, you’ll have to leave.”

Qu Yue and the others were stunned. What kind of joke was this? Wasn’t the very reason this secret base existed because Shi Long and Cen An were at odds?!

A base built for Cen An, yet he’s barred from entering? That’s putting the cart before the horse!

But then again, Old Geng is different from Shi Long. Old Geng is a bona fide Level 3 Wind-type ability user—he’s even reached the peak of Level 3, needing only a breakthrough opportunity to advance to Level 4, though that chance has yet to come.

But Old Master Geng has taught so many members of the Supernatural Squad. Every single Wind-type ability-user in the squad has been personally trained by him. Everyone feels too embarrassed to argue with him, and they really don’t want to upset him either…

But what should they do now? They can’t exactly build another secret base, can they? Go through the whole “three people, four groups” routine?

Qu Yue and the others exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

Cen An, however, remained at ease and smiled. “Old Master Geng… I’m just a junior, so please don’t mind if I say something wrong. I feel like you remind me of someone I once met.”

Old Master Geng froze, his gaze shifting slightly. Then, as if a thought occurred to him, his expression darkened. “At your age, how could that be… Never mind. Perhaps people just look alike.”

Cen An asked calmly, “Do you happen to know Geng Qingxue?”

The moment the name “Geng Qingxue” was mentioned, Qu Yue and the others were still confused, but Old Geng suddenly jumped to his feet. “You… you’ve really seen him? Where is he?”

Cen An quickly calmed the old man down, and only after his emotions had settled did she slowly recount the events.

Since matters involving ghosts shouldn’t be spoken of, Cen An only mentioned that he had seen Geng Qingxue’s body in the mine shaft and had picked up a letter.

Old Mr. Geng was, after all, quite advanced in years; he had long since prepared himself for his father’s passing. Yet, deep down, he still held onto a lingering hope. Upon hearing this, he exclaimed with emotion, “Where is the letter? Let me see it!”

Cen An didn’t know what to say; he simply pulled the letter out and handed it to him.

“My wife, Yong’an, when I left home, you were already with child…”

Cen An had already read this letter. Since he wasn’t the one it was addressed to, though moved, he remained composed. Old Geng, however, read on and on, tears streaming down his face. He had been born without a father; his mother had raised him with great difficulty, yet she had always believed his father would return. The life of a mother and son, orphaned and destitute, was too painful to share with outsiders.

Old Geng read to the end, tears streaming down his face, but then suddenly widened his eyes.

“Among my friends, Du Hong and Sun Heze cannot be trusted. After I’m gone, my wife must not become close to them. Especially Sun Heze—he owes me 3,000 crystal cores that he cannot repay, and I have already severed ties with him…”

Geng Qingxue’s eyes widened instantly. Sun Heze! The man who had taken care of them—his surname was Sun!

Geng Qingxue remembered this episode from his childhood quite clearly: When he was five years old, a friend of his father’s came to their door and told him and his mother that his father had once owed them 3,000 crystal nuclei, and they had come to collect the debt. But seeing how hard life was for the two of them, he said he would not demand the 3,000 crystal nuclei.

His mother had always been a proud woman and refused to tarnish his father’s reputation, so she insisted on repaying the debt. The man had no choice but to agree to monthly payments of 50 crystals, interest-free. He and his mother were deeply grateful.

Later, this friend took good care of him and his mother, and he became good friends with the man’s son.

It wasn’t until he turned fifteen that he awakened his Wind-elemental ability, while his best friend hadn’t succeeded in awakening his own until he was eighteen. From then on, the friend’s attitude toward him changed drastically.

Later, when the Beast Tide struck, this man, in a fit of recklessness, charged into the swarm to prove himself. He followed closely behind to save him, but arrived too late, forced to watch helplessly as his friend died before his eyes. Thinking of that final look of resentment in his friend’s eyes, Old Geng still feels a lump in his throat.

Old Geng was a man of integrity, and this incident has always been a source of deep pain for him. He has always felt that after awakening his abilities, he was too careless and failed to consider his friend’s feelings, which is why the other man’s personality changed so drastically—from an open and enthusiastic person to a narrow-minded and obsessive one.

Moreover, the other man had been a benefactor who had taken care of him and his mother for over a decade. Unable to repay him, he could only take good care of the other man’s family…

As he grew older, the memory of this incident became increasingly vivid in his mind, eventually turning into a deep emotional knot…

But after reading his father’s letter, he realized that this whole affair had been a conspiracy from start to finish!

It wasn’t his father who owed that man money—it was the other man who owed his father! Not only did he skim off their living expenses, but he also made him and his mother feel indebted to him. To treat a widowed mother and her orphaned son with such contempt was simply infuriating!

Even that final scene where he charged into the horde of beasts…

Old Geng had replayed that moment in his mind countless times over the past decade; the memory was as vivid as if it had happened just yesterday. He remembered that before the other man charged into the wave of beasts, there was a motion to pull him—a move that even involved using a precious, one-time-use item—but he had dodged it using his wind-based abilities.

Old Geng had always believed that the other person’s move was an attempt to shake him off—a final gesture of friendship… But what if that wasn’t the case?

What if this whole affair was a setup from the very beginning, a scheme concocted because the other person didn’t want to repay those 3,000 crystal nuclei?

Then, after he awakened his abilities, did the other person strike first out of fear that he would discover the truth?

Was that final charge into the tide of beasts truly the other party’s attempt to prove himself? Or was it an attempt to push him into his death, only to be thwarted when he dodged it?

It was true that Old Geng had a loyal and honest nature, but having lived for over seventy years, he wasn’t so naive as to fail to consider even this much.

Previously, he had been blinded by their past friendship, but now, with irrefutable evidence before him, he could no longer choose not to believe it.

A knot in his heart that had been there for decades was suddenly untangled… A gentle breeze suddenly swirled around him.

Clusters of tiny air currents wrapped around his entire body, then slowly grew larger. It was as if a tornado had risen inside the room, causing the tables and chairs to rattle and shake.

Qu Yue and the others exchanged bewildered glances, unable to fathom why such a commotion had suddenly erupted.

Wang Lie whispered, “Brother Cen, what did you do to Old Geng? Why does it feel like his abilities are getting stronger and stronger?”

Cen An sighed helplessly, thinking to himself, What could I have done? I just gave him a letter!

The strange phenomenon lasted for over ten minutes before finally fading away. Sure enough, Old Master Geng’s abilities had risen from Level 3 to Level 4.

The old man set the letter down, exhaled slowly, stood up, and bowed deeply to Cen An.

Cen An was startled. “What are you doing, Old Master? Please, get up!”

He’d only produced the letter to curry favor with Old Master Geng, hoping to prevent him from interfering with his plans for the day. He hadn’t expected such a strong reaction, which actually made him feel a bit embarrassed.

Old Master Geng looked at the young man and said earnestly, “Thank you, Young Brother Cen. Today, you’ve resolved one—no, two—of my lingering concerns.”

Seeing the young man’s bewildered expression, the old man actually smiled. He was already on his last legs, and his greatest fear was that the village wouldn’t be able to withstand the tide of beasts, leaving the villagers to be trampled by them.

If it weren’t for his advanced age and the severe decline in his physical condition—which would only slow down the Supernatural Ability Squad—Old Geng would never have agreed to step down.

Now that his abilities had upgraded, his combat prowess had greatly increased, allowing him to protect the village for a few more years.

Just then, Sun Yuanhao’s voice rang out from outside: “Grandpa, why’s it so noisy in there? Are you okay? I want to go play at the little market. Can you give me some more crystal cores?”

Old Man Geng’s expression shifted slightly. He gave Cen An an apologetic nod, stood up, and walked to the doorway. “Sun Yuanhao.”

Sun Yuanhao immediately came running up, beaming, and held out his hand.

Old Man Geng looked at him. In the past, he had been blinded by their familial bond, seeing only the best in his own grandson.

But now he saw a man in his twenties who couldn’t support himself, relying solely on a man in his seventies to keep him afloat, and using his connections with the Supernatural Squad to lord it over the village. Cen An had come all this way, and yet he had the nerve to walk right up and ask for vegetables…

Even an old man like him, who never leaves the house, had heard of the benefits of those vegetables! How could he have the nerve to ask for a whole truckload!

Sun Yuanhao felt baffled by the old man’s scrutiny. “Grandpa, are you out of money? Then go home and get some. I’ll wait for you.”

“No need.” Old Man Geng sighed heavily. “I raised you to this age. Our debts—both mine and the Sun family’s—are now settled. Don’t come looking for me anymore. You’ll have to fend for yourself from now on.”

Sun Yuanhao froze, thinking he must have heard wrong. After a long moment, he lunged forward. “Wait, what do you mean, Grandpa? How can we be even? Why can’t I come to you anymore?”

Seeing Old Master Geng’s resolute expression, his face fell, and he burst into heart-wrenching sobs: “Grandpa, tell me what I did wrong—I’ll fix it! Don’t abandon me! If my real grandpa were still here, he’d never let me end up like this… waaah… Grandpa, open your eyes and look—your grandson has no one left…”

Inside the house, the ability-users heard his wailing, and all rolled their eyes.

“This Sun Yuanhao is really a piece of work. I heard that whenever Old Geng didn’t go along with him in the past, he’d cry about his own dear grandfather.”

“That probably won’t work now, right? Old Geng may have a straightforward heart, but once he’s made up his mind, he won’t change it.”

“Heh heh heh, our Brother Cen is the real deal. I’ve wanted to beat up that jerk Sun Yuanhao for ages, but never found the chance. Brother Cen stepped in and wiped out his backer right on the spot!”

“Let’s see if he changes his ways. If he doesn’t, he’ll get what’s coming to him. If he does, we’ll pretend he never existed. I don’t want to get my hands dirty over him…”

The psychics were chatting quietly when suddenly it grew quiet outside. Then, Sun Yuanhao shouted violently, “I get it! Did that pretty-boy named Cen An say something? You weren’t like this before, Grandpa. Why did you change the moment you saw him…? Damn it, I’ll have him killed!—Ah! Waaah…”

This was followed by the sound of a gale sweeping through the room—it was clear that Sun Yuanhao had been punished by Old Geng using his powers.

The atmosphere in the room shifted abruptly. The ability-users who had been chatting fell silent; two figures leaped to their feet, ready to rush out. “I’m going…”

Cen An froze. One of them was Wang Jin, and the other was… Qi Yangze?

He blurted out instinctively, “Where are you going? Sit down!”

Before Wang Jin and Qi Yangze’s minds could process it, their bodies had already sat back down on their own. Once they’d regained their composure, Qi Yangze said expressionlessly, “Mr. Cen, don’t worry. This won’t have anything to do with you.”

“Don’t say a word.” Cen An was exhausted. He had to state solemnly, “Just as I said earlier, if Sun Yuanhao reforms because he’s lost his backer, then treat him as if he never existed. If he continues to do bad things, let the consequences follow. Don’t do anything unnecessary!”

After speaking, he turned his head again. “And you—don’t sneak in and attack.” Yu Fei, who had been warned privately, reluctantly withdrew his finger.

Cen An shook his head helplessly. Was he the kind of person who’d kill or beat someone just for being scolded? He wasn’t that arrogant.

He said that, but the psychics didn’t agree. They exchanged glances, and it was clear they were all thinking the same thing.

“Hah, since Brother Cen won’t let us fight, then… Why not just fight behind his back? Plan approved!”

Wang Lie also exchanged a glance with Qi Yangze. Brother Cen was soft-hearted and easygoing; retaliating to his face was definitely out of the question, so they’d have to do it covertly.

Qi Yangze nodded slowly and didn’t press the matter further.

Cen An didn’t pick up on their subtle exchange and breathed a slight sigh of relief. The door to the small room swung open, and Old Geng walked in.

Fearing they might bring up Sun Yuanhao again, Cen An quickly said, “Old Geng, Sister Qu, actually, I came here today because I have something to do. I’d like to donate a batch of equipment to the Superpower Squad… uh, I mean, props.”

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Cen An blinked in confusion. Had everyone missed what he said, or what?

After a long pause, Qu Yue pressed her hand to her forehead. “Wait a minute, Xiao Cen. I think I just had a ringing in my ears. I heard you say you wanted to donate a batch of props to the Supernatural Squad. Hahaha, that’s hilarious.”

“Me too, hahaha. My ears must be playing tricks on me, hehehe…”

Cen An: “……”

He smiled. “Everyone, you heard right. I am donating a batch of props—at least twenty or more!”

Fearing that this group of sharp-eyed and sharp-eared ability-users might not hear him clearly, he emphasized every syllable of that last sentence.

Thud, thud, thud…

One after another, people stumbled off their stools. Wang Lie scrambled to his feet, scurried over to Cen An with a hunched back, and bowed low: “Mr. Cen, please take the seat of honor. I’ll brew you some tea! Xiao Jin, hurry up and bring out our finest tea!”

Wang Jin: “Right away! I’ll go get it…”

Cen An was at a loss for words, but he sat down at the head of the table, to the left of Old Geng, following Wang Jin’s lead. “Is this really necessary? I didn’t explain myself clearly. Although there are over twenty props, they aren’t anything special—just the most ordinary kind…”

Qu Yue finally recovered. “Xiao Cen, don’t say they’re the most ordinary kind. Even if you gave us twenty broken props, we’d still be grateful! You don’t know—our Yongning Village is just a poor mountain hick town. The whole village only has one prop…”

She glanced at Old Geng. “Oh no, now we don’t even have that one prop left.”

Old Geng didn’t take offense. Although he had a healing heart, he had only used that artifact once himself; the remaining two uses were spent saving members of the Special Abilities Squad.

Speaking of which, during that rescue of Xiao Ji, if Cen An hadn’t saved him at the last moment, this kind-hearted old man would likely have carried another emotional burden for the rest of his life.

Thinking of this, the old man glanced at Cen An again. What a good kid—kind-hearted and capable.

Wang Jin indeed brought over a cup of tea. Cen An drank it with a wry smile, then wasted no time getting to the point: “The item I will give you is called the Wooden Amulet.”