“Brother Cen, we’ve received a letter from Anjun River Bay!” A squad member ran over, shouting from a distance. Cen An immediately emerged from the factory building, his voice filled with surprise: “Where is it? Who delivered the message?”

“There are two messengers—one is an ability user, and the other is from Anjun River Bay,” the squad member said, leading the way. “They’re both at the squad base. After all, construction here has just begun, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to have them come over here.”

“That makes sense.” Cen An quickened his pace.

Behind him stands a food processing plant still under construction… Of course, that’s just a joke—it’s called a processing plant, but in reality, it’s just a large cluster of connected wooden cabins. Once it’s finished, it’ll be filled with batches of barrels for pickled vegetables, canned goods, fruit juice, and alcohol. By then, there’ll be a lot more food we can produce… Who knows? Maybe some of the less essential items could even be sold to the Western and Southern Foothills?

By then, crystal cores will be pouring in from all directions. With the money to buy land and seeds, the farm system will level up even faster.

He jogged all the way to the Ability-users Base. Upon entering, he indeed spotted a squad member and an ability user he hadn’t seen before.

The ability users from Anjun River Bay seemed a bit surprised to see Cen An, but they were polite enough not to say much; they merely bowed slightly and said, “Bay Master Dai and Deputy Commander Cui Hong send their regards.”

Cen An gave him a gentle nod, then hurried over to the other ability user, “How have you all been lately? Have you been eating enough? Is it too hot? Has anyone else fallen ill? Have Sister Qiuhua and the others recovered from their illnesses…?”

He fired off so many questions in rapid succession that it was clear he was genuinely concerned. The squad members all laughed. “Brother Cen, you’re asking so many questions at once—which one should I answer first?”

Cen An felt a bit awkward. “Uh, well, just take your time.”

The squad member pulled out a letter. “You’ll know everything once you’ve read this.” The letter had already been opened; Squad Leader Shi and the others had finished reading it and were just waiting for Cen An. Cen An took the letter and began reading.

He hadn’t even gotten halfway through when he furrowed his brow. “What? It’s not a plague—it’s a superpower? How could there be such a strange superpower…” He immediately thought of Yu Lin’s curse; these rare superpowers were truly impossible to guard against.

He finished the letter quickly. It outlined three main points: First, the “plague” was caused by a superpower, and the corpses were the result of people succumbing to this power; second, since it was a superpower, medication was largely ineffective, while healing items proved more useful; third, the outbreak had already been brought under control using the “Phantom Sea Orchid,” a specialty of Anjun River Bay.

The ability user who had come from Anjun River Bay this time was the very same person who had previously served under Cui Hongxuan but was later turned by Cui Hong. His real name was Luo Bin, but after joining Cui Hongxuan, he felt ashamed before his ancestors, so he insisted on being called Luo Da.

Luo Da is a Level 2 ability user with metal-based abilities. His combat prowess is decent, which is precisely why Luo Pengfei took a liking to him and sent him to serve under Cui Hongxuan.

Ever since joining Cui Hongxuan, Luo Bin had been tormented by guilt. Before he was turned, he had secretly let things slide many times; numerous young women Cui Hongxuan had set his sights on were able to escape precisely because of him.

Cui Hongxuan didn’t actually suspect him; he just thought Luo Bin was a bad luck charm. Every time he took him out, he couldn’t seem to have any fun. Over time, he stopped taking him along as often.

Later, Cui Hong got in touch with him and arranged for a few staged incidents, which finally brought Luo Da back into Cui Hongxuan’s sights and allowed him to learn more and more classified information.

His visit to Yongning Village this time was also arranged by Cui Hong. He knew that the mission for this return trip was to obtain healing items from the leader of Yongning Village.

However, Cui Hong had privately instructed him that while treatment kits were rare, healing kits were even harder to come by. Moreover, many of these kits had usage limits, making them all the more precious.

Tian Yuan had arranged for one ability user from each side to participate, precisely to avoid creating any friction. Cui Hong told him to relax—whatever the other side offered, he should accept without quibbling. After all, with the Phantom Sea Orchid in hand, the spread of the infection had been halted, and no one had died in the past few days.

Luo Da quietly took Cui Hong’s words to heart. As soon as the chief of Yongning Village finished reading the letter, he immediately said, “Healing items are hard to come by. The Bay Master and the Commander asked me to convey a message: Chief, just do your best. For now, the epidemic in Anjun River Bay has been brought under control.”

Another ability user, squad member Li Da, added, “That’s right, Brother Cen. The epidemic over there has been contained, and the medicine you had us bring last time worked very well. It doesn’t matter if we don’t have any healing items.”

Cen An looked up, thought for a moment, and muttered, “I told you not to throw things away—look, they’ve come in handy.”

Everyone was taken aback. Before they could figure out what he meant, Brother Cen waved his hand, and a floral fragrance wafted toward them. When they looked down, a pile of fresh flowers had appeared on the ground… Hmm, items made from fresh flowers?

“Hundred Flowers Spirit Staff, Flower Soul Necklace, Flower Wreath…” Cen An sorted through the healing items among them. The shelf life of these floral items was very short. Their only advantage was that they worked just as well as any other item until they expired, but the moment they reached their expiration date, they would instantly rot.

Cen An had thought several times about throwing this pile of stuff away to prevent it from rotting in his backpack, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It’s a good thing he didn’t throw them away—otherwise, what would he use now?

He divided the items into two piles. “This pile is healing items—use them freely, don’t hold back. This pile is medicine; although it won’t help with this epidemic, take it anyway—it can be used by others who are sick.”

After saying this, he pulled out his storage box, stuffed everything into it in one go, and handed it to the two of them. Once he’d finished, he asked with concern, “Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? Are you leaving first thing tomorrow morning?”

The ability users of Yongning Village were already used to this, and Li Da nodded readily, “Right, we’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning.” Cen An frowned thoughtfully, “Then I’ll make you a few flatbreads to take with you on the road…”

Luo Da had been staring in awe the whole time; he’d been speechless ever since Cen An pulled out that pile of items. He knew Yongning Village was wealthy, but he had no idea they were this extravagant! Just casually scattering items all over the floor like that? And they’re all healing items!

Did Yongning Village just raid a stash of healing items or something???

But what happened next took him by surprise. The person who’d just casually pulled out a pile of items—the leader of their Yongning Village—actually started worrying about whether an ordinary ability user had enough to eat, and even offered to treat him? If he remembered correctly, on the way here, he’d tried to probe the matter: this ability user didn’t have any personal connection to the leader, did he? He’d heard they hardly ever even met… And yet, even so, he was being shown this kind of concern?

Wasn’t the leader of Yongning Village a bit too—too… how should he put it? Luo Da couldn’t think of the right words. He just felt that this person didn’t seem like a leader at all, but more like an ordinary young man worried about his family not doing well out in the world?

He just didn’t seem to have any edge to him…

Just as he was thinking this, the deputy captain of Yongning Village—Captain Shi Long, who was also the focus of Cui Hong’s special attention—personally poured a cup of tea for the Commander. A faint, sweet aroma drifted over; it wasn’t the sweetness of sugar, nor the flavor of honey, but rather the natural sweetness of pure water itself.

It was quite a coincidence—Luo Da was himself a water-type ability user, albeit only at Level 2. But having been by Cui Hongxuan’s side and having frequent opportunities to observe Cui Pengfei, he had gained some insight. So he immediately recognized it: this was the legendary water purification technique that only Level 4 ability users were capable of! Purifying the water over and over again—reducing an entire bucket to just a small cup—resulted in the essence of water.

It was said that drinking it could strengthen the body and purify both mind and body.

Cui Pengfei consumed it drop by drop, taking just one drop every morning. He had never shared this elixir with anyone—not even Cui Hongxuan had ever received any.

Luo Da paused for a moment, glancing at the teacup on the table. The essence that Cui Pengfei took drop by drop—the leader of Yongning Village was actually being used to brew tea… How could Cen An possibly know how precious this stuff was? After all, the entire Ability Squad had always told him, “It tastes sweet—just a little something to sweeten your palate.” He lowered his head and took a sip, sensing something was off. “Huh? This tea… seems even sweeter than usual?”

Shi Long nodded; he was always gentle when speaking to Cen An. “Yangze’s ability has leveled up again—he’s now a Level 4 ability user.” 

“That’s great news!” Cen An said, happy for him. “Too bad he’s out right now; otherwise, we’d have to celebrate.”

Shi Long smiled but said nothing. Qi Yangze was out searching for the village raiders, yet he still had someone send a bottle of Purifying Water back every day. That kid might be able to hide his true intentions from everyone else, but he couldn’t hide them from his childhood best friend—and certainly not from Shi Long, who’d watched him grow up. Fortunately, the kid had kept his thoughts to himself; if he’d dared to bother Cen An, Shi Long would’ve definitely taught him a lesson.

Cen An continued, “Come to think of it, aren’t Sister Qu and Brother Zhao the only ones whose abilities haven’t leveled up yet?”

Shi Long didn’t need to explain this; Liao Wanwan, standing nearby, laughed and said, “Sister Qu and Brother Zhao upgraded three days ago, but their abilities aren’t quite stable yet. They went up the mountain to hunt mutant beasts and will be back once their abilities are stable.”

Cen An thought for a moment and smiled, “Then our village’s combat strength has gone up by a huge margin!”

Beside him, Luo Da remained silent. He was grateful that Yongning Village didn’t treat him like an outsider, but wasn’t this really a way to intimidate him? …Level 4 ability users were appearing one after another. Thank goodness their Anjun River Bay had no intention of going head-to-head with Yongning Village; otherwise, they wouldn’t even know how they’d die…

That evening, Luo Da and Li Da did indeed go to Cen An’s house for dinner. The moment he saw the small wooden house, Luo Da felt a bit disappointed.

Although this small wooden house wasn’t as opulent as Cui Pengfei’s, it was still far beyond what an ordinary family could afford. Whether it was the interior decor or the clear glass windows, these were extraordinary luxuries in today’s world.

So there really is no one who remains unsullied by the mud, after all…

Li Da remarked with admiration, “Cen’s place is so much more spacious.”

Luo Da thought he was speaking from the heart, “Yeah, even the leader lives like this…”

Then Li Da said, “I wish Brother Cen’s place were a little more spacious. Otherwise, with so many of us, we won’t even have enough room to sit comfortably during meals.” 

Luo Da:?

Li Da continued, “Besides, if Brother Cen’s house hadn’t changed, where would we have gotten our medical clinic?”

“A medical clinic…” Luo Da knew there was a medical clinic in Yongning Village. When he first heard about it, he’d thought the guy next to him was just bragging… In the entire Silver Moon Mountain Range—not to mention the current Tianhu Base—not even the former Linghe Base had ever had a medical clinic! When anyone got sick or injured, didn’t they just grab a handful of random herbs? If you were lucky, you might get your hands on some rare medicine.

But a medical clinic… Sorry, he’d never even heard of such a thing, let alone seen one.

So the medical clinic in Yongning Village was actually brought about by the changes this house caused…

Luo Da wondered if Li Da was lying to him, but then thought it was impossible—what reason would he have to lie? If the leader of Yongning Village had truly wronged the villagers, Li Da should be even angrier than he was; why would he speak up for him?

He had a vague feeling that Yongning Village seemed different from every other settlement he’d ever seen.           

“Let’s go, let’s go,” Li Da suddenly nudged him. “I can smell the food—hurry up! If we’re late, we won’t get enough to eat!”

Luo Da shook his head in exasperation. Food was indeed precious, but were they—as ability users—really so short on food? On occasions like this, the higher-ups were always just trying to win people over; there was no way they’d actually serve a proper meal…

A moment later, Luo Da looked at the table laden with a dazzling array of food: Are… are we really going to eat? “You’re here? Come sit down, don’t be shy,” Cen An said with a smile, welcoming the two.

Li Da happily took a seat. “Thanks, Brother Cen!”

Luo Da sat down beside him, feeling a bit awkward. When he looked up again, he finally understood what “there’s no room” had meant earlier. At a glance, there were at least twenty people crammed around the table! Upon closer inspection… he quickly lowered his gaze. Good grief—the lowest-ranked ability-users were all Level 3, there were quite a few Level 4s, and there were even a couple whose ranks he couldn’t discern…

He stole a glance up at the front. Beside the leader stood a silver-haired man who looked incredibly arrogant and clearly not someone to mess with; a young man with a bright smile and the face of a high school student; and a man with a face as stiff as a coffin, clad in a large black robe…

The ability levels of these three were unfathomable; the aura of power he sensed from them was even stronger than that of Cui Pengfei. Keep in mind that Cui Pengfei was a Level 4 peak ability user—could these three be Level 5? Or even Level 6……

Luo Da dared not think any further.

Cen An swatted Su Rui’s paw away with a slap. “Sneaking a bite again! Do you think I’m starving you?”

Su Rui quickly pulled his hand back, tapping his fingers on the table as he waited anxiously, glancing repeatedly at Cen An’s expression, as if to ask: When can we eat? Can we eat now? What about now?

Cen An couldn’t be bothered with him. It seemed something was going on in the mountains these past few days; Su Rui would leave during the day and return at night. Today, he’d even specifically instructed him that there’d be a big feast tonight and told him to bring Yin Xiang back. Who knows what that little brat did to offend his older brother—he still hasn’t dared to show his face.

Yu Lin deliberately leaned in with a smile. “Brother Cen, that chili-stuffed pork smells so good. Can I have one?” Cen An glared at him again. “Go sit at the kids’ table—what are you doing eating spicy food!”

Yu Lin’s abilities had returned, and the curse had been lifted, but after being put through the wringer for several years, his body was still somewhat weak, so Cen An kept a tight rein on what he ate.

Yu Lin puffed out his cheeks and said cutely, “Fine, if Brother Cen won’t let me eat it, I won’t.” Cen An scooped a spoonful of corn porridge for him. “Be a good boy. Have this first to tide you over.”

Behind them, Yu Fei handed him a bowl; he’d eat whatever was given to him and was even quieter than Su Rui.

Luo Da watched from the corner of his eye. Cen An—just an ordinary person—had kept several powerful figures in line with just a couple of slaps. A deep sense of admiration welled up in his heart… The leader of Yongning Village—wow, he’s really something!

There had been no end of events in the village lately, and everyone hadn’t gotten together like this in a long time—today was the perfect chance to have some fun.

The only regret was that Tian Yuan, Wang Lie, and Qi Yangze weren’t there. But there’s plenty of time ahead—no need to rush it all in one day.

The drink was fruit wine that Cen An had found time to brew a few days earlier. Made from a variety of fruits picked from the mountains, it had become a “Hundred-Fruit Wine.” Since there wasn’t much of it—only one cup per person—everyone savored it all the more.

“You two shouldn’t drink,” Cen An told them. “You’re hitting the road tomorrow and need to get up early.”

Luo Da quickly handed his cup over with both hands, not daring to say a word. He wasn’t kidding—this was a man capable of slapping a Level 5 powerhouse! Defy him? That would be suicide.

Li Da, however, muttered a few words: “Brother Cen, I’ll just take a sip—just to taste it. I haven’t had any wine in ages. Please, Brother Cen…” But his “Brother Cen” was cold-blooded and ruthless; he didn’t even bother to listen.

Once Cen An had left, Luo Da quickly tried to comfort him: “It’s okay. Look, I didn’t get any either—I’ll keep you company.” Li Da scratched his head: “Uh, it’s not that I didn’t get any…”

Luo Da was puzzled and was just about to ask, but the feast had already begun at the table, so he swallowed his words and started eating.

He’d never seen most of the dishes before, but they smelled pretty good… Still, he’d been to Cui Pengfei’s banquets before—the food was always just so-so. It was all about the extravagance; the taste was secondary.

He’d already made up his mind: no matter how terrible it tasted, he’d pretend to enjoy every bite! And then…

Luo Da walked in on an empty stomach and walked out leaning against the wall.

Cen An was deeply concerned. This was a man from Anjun River Bay—if he got sick after just one meal in their Yongning Village, that wouldn’t do at all. “Are you okay? Does your stomach hurt? Are you allergic to something? Should I get you some medicine?”

Luo Da’s face was bright red; he couldn’t possibly admit he’d simply overeaten. “I’m fine, I’m fine. You go ahead with your work. I’m fine—I’ve just had a weak stomach since I was a kid. I always feel like this after a meal. I’ll be fine in a little while…”

Cen An watched him leave with concern. “Well then, let me know right away if anything happens!” Luo Da quickly nodded. How embarrassing—so embarrassing!

He hadn’t slept well all night, and when he woke up the next morning feeling groggy, he finally figured out the question he’d forgotten to ask the night before.

At the village entrance, Cen An was stuffing one package after another into their hands. “Here’s some food for the road—wheat cakes, meat sauce, and some dried meat. These are for Tian Yuan; they’ll all come in handy for him. This package is for Sister Qiu Hua and the others. They’ve been away from the village for so long—tell them to come back as soon as they’re done with their work. How can they just stay out there all the time? Oh, right—this is the wine from last night. I’ve packed it up for you—one bottle each.”

Luo Da watched the scene, a bit dazed and a bit envious… Although the supplies were meant for both of them, it was clear that Cen An cared more about Li Da and the people from Yongning Village who had stayed behind at Anjun River Bay. That was understandable, but still… he felt envious.

He’d never realized that a leader could be like this. They didn’t need them to risk their lives, didn’t need them to achieve anything, and didn’t even need them to complete missions. All that was required was that they didn’t get sick or injured out there, and that they came back soon.

No wonder the ability users from Yongning Village always fought with such a reckless, all-or-nothing intensity. If he had a leader like that, he’d want to risk his life for him from the bottom of his heart.

That kid Li Da actually tried to negotiate: “Just one bottle, Brother Cen? Can I have another one? I haven’t had a drink in ages…” Brother Cen glared at him. “How much more do you want to drink? If I catch you binge-drinking, I’ll personally kick you out of the squad! That’s it—take it or leave it!” Li Da immediately backed down. “My bad, Brother Cen. I wasn’t planning to get drunk—I just wanted an extra bottle to tease the others with.”

Cen An shook his head. “All right. When you guys come back safe and sound, I’ll brew another pot for you. Now get going—it’s going to get hot soon.” It wasn’t until they were well on their way and Yongning Village was out of sight that Luo Da, who had been silent for a long time, finally asked, “Does your Yongning Village still need people?”

Li Da looked at him. “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to leave Anjun River Bay? Now you realize how great Yongning Village is?”

Luo Da shook his head silently. “I don’t know much about what’s good about Yongning Village, but… the Chief…” I want a leader like that.

He asked a second time, “Is Yongning Village still accepting new ability users? I think every ability user in Anjun River Bay would be willing to join.”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

A few more days passed, and summer was drawing to a close. Logically, temperatures should have been dropping by now. Yet the heat kept rising day by day, reaching fifty degrees at the hottest part of the day.

If it weren’t for the livestock sheds, many people in Yongning Village would already be suffering from heatstroke.

Progress on the food factory, however, was moving quickly; half of the factory building had already been completed. Since it was what Cen An wanted, the construction crew consisted entirely of ability users (in fact, ability users were practically lining up to help), who aren’t as sensitive to heat. With construction taking place in the early mornings and evenings, plus all the heat-beating gadgets “Brother Cen” provided… Everyone was actually reluctant to wrap up this wonderful work.

But that was just a fantasy—Brother Cen was in a hurry! Now, even taking a break required Brother Cen to practically chase them away.

That morning, Cen An once again sent the ability users off to rest while he checked on the progress himself. Suddenly, a strong wind blew out of nowhere, and Yin Xiang—whom he hadn’t seen in a long time—came swooping down from the sky: “Brother Cen, we’ve found the group that massacred the village!”

Cen An sat up straight, surprised. “What? You found them?”

He realized instantly, “So Su Rui has been searching for that group in the mountains all this time?”

Yin Xiang scratched his head in confusion. “Yeah, he told me to go look for them the last time we met. Didn’t he tell you?” Cen An immediately understood what that guy was thinking… He must’ve been afraid of losing face if he mentioned it and they still couldn’t find them!

He called out, “Sister Qu, notify Team Leader Shi, as well as Wang Lie, Qi Yangze, and the others—we’ve found the village raiders.” Then he turned to Yin Xiang and asked, “Is it far from here?”

“It’s still pretty far,” Yin Xiang said. “Plus, there are quite a few of them, and the situation is a bit complicated, so it’s hard to bring them over here. That’s why my brother asked me to take you there.”

“Let’s go, then.” Cen An was ready to set off immediately.

The ability users behind him certainly weren’t going to let him go alone; several of them immediately followed him, while a few others followed Qu Yue away. As they made their way deep into the mountains, Cen An noticed that they were heading in the opposite direction of Su Rui’s territory.

In other words, Su Rui had combed the entire surrounding area to help him find this group of village-raiders. He felt a sudden surge of emotion—this big, silly dog really cared.

Yin Xiang observed his expression, and the dog whispered slyly, “Bro Cen, is my brother trying to court you?”

“……” Cen An looked at him helplessly. “Don’t talk nonsense—you’ll just get beaten up again later.”

Yin Xiang snorted twice. “I’m just asking… so is that true or not?”

Cen An smiled. “I don’t know.”

Yin Xiang studied his expression and whispered, “So, do you like him or not? My brother beats me every day, but he’s actually not a bad guy… Oh no, wait—it really hurts when he hits me. Don’t just agree to it so easily. But then again, he won’t hit you, and with him protecting you, Brother Cen, you’ll be able to walk all over the mountains…”

Cen An’s lips twitched slightly as he pointed ahead. “I hear a noise over there. Is it coming from there?”

Yin Xiang immediately forgot what she’d just said. “Right! Hmm? Why is the noise getting louder?”

From that direction came a series of howls, one after another, rising and falling in succession, sounding just like wild beasts. The expressions of several ability users changed, and they immediately stepped forward to shield him.

Yin Xiang waved her hand. “It’s okay—my brother has them all trapped.” Cen An took a step forward and finally got a clear view of the scene inside…   “How could this happen!”

“That’s so gross…”

Cen An frowned. Were these even human, or were they mutant beasts?