Chapter 35: Decompression

Yu Yue stared at Li Luyan for a few seconds before crossing her arms and leaning back against the seat, pretending to close her eyes for a rest.

Li Luyan ignored her and asked the little brat, "People? We’re almost out of the city limits; how could there be anyone here?"

"There really are! Just a little way ahead."

They were approaching the outskirts. Aside from the highway, it seemed impossible for any other structures to exist. She narrowed her eyes. Could it be Zhang Min and the others?

"Are there three of them?" she asked, voicing her thoughts.

"No, no, no—there are a lot of people, a whole group."

A whole group?

Li Luyan rolled down the car window and stuck her head out.

"Hey, hey, hey, Sister Yan, you're violating traffic rules," Yu Yue’s voice rang out beside her again.

Li Luyan didn't even turn her head. "Shut up."

"Oh." Yu Yue leaned back against the seat again and made a shushing gesture.

The sun outside was intense. As the light spilled onto her face, Li Luyan found it hard to keep her eyes open and instinctively squinted. As the car moved forward, a crudely constructed encampment came into view.

So, there really were people camped out here. Was this already an early-stage base?

Li Luyan prepared to pull her head back in and stop caring. What did these refugees have to do with her? It was the apocalypse now; survival was the only priority.

Wait, what was that?

From Li Luyan’s vantage point, tied to the fence of the makeshift camp was a—woman?

In such scorching heat, leaving a woman tied up outside would surely lead to dehydration. In just this short time, the woman’s skin had already darkened. Was the sun really that fierce?

No, wait. Why did this woman look so familiar? She looked a bit like…

"Yu Niaoniao!" Yu Yue’s voice exploded in her ear like a time bomb.

She pulled her head back in and realized Yu Niaoniao was currently sticking her head out the window on the other side.

Yu Yue also pulled her head back, her eyes wide. "Sister Yan, I saw Yu Niaoniao tied up!"

"Could it be that Zhang Min and Pei-whatever tied her up?"

"That’s not right. The brat just said there was a whole group of people there..."

"So..." Yu Yue seemed to have realized something; she raised a finger, eyes bulging.

"A group of people kidnapped them," Li Luyan said, cutting her off before she could finish.

"Should we stop the car?" Lin Youwei asked.

Should they save them? Why? They had no connection, and they were already even. Li Luyan instinctively replied, "No..."

"Save them! We have to save them," Yu Yue said, her voice rising an octave. "Yu Niaoniao is a decent person, and she’s a water-element user. If we have her, we won't have to worry about running out of water."

"Fine." With a graceful drift, Lin Youwei parked the car not far from the camp.

Inside the camp, a man looked suspicious. "You say, if we tie this bird up at the entrance, she won't run off, will she?"

"Her hands and feet are tied, how the hell is she going to run?" Mazi cast a disdainful glance at the man; he had always looked down on such timid types.

"Well, what if she does?"

"If you're so scared, go out and watch her yourself." Mazi stopped paying attention to the man, picked at his teeth with his pinky finger, and walked inside comfortably. "Anyway, I’m going to get some rest."

Why should Mazi get to rest while he had to stay outside in the scorching sun watching that girl? Whatever, she was tied up hand and foot; she couldn't cause any trouble.

Outside, Yu Niaoniao lay on a chair like a sun-dried dead fish. She shouldn't have had such a sharp tongue. If she had just ignored them like Zhang Min and Pei Siying, this probably wouldn't have happened. No, wait—even if they had cursed them, they wouldn't have done this. They wouldn't have dared to let them get sunburnt and fail their mission. So, it was definitely just because she was dark-skinned.

She couldn't take it anymore. Dark-skinned girls don't lose. Once she regained her abilities, she would definitely kill them, especially that Mazi.

Wait, was that Yu Yue? How was that possible? And Li Luyan and that goddess... how could this be?

Yu Niaoniao squinted, thinking she was hallucinating.

"Niaoniao..." The familiar voice exploded in her ear. Although the person kept their voice very low, they had chatted for so long in the gymnasium that she recognized it immediately.

She shook her head, opened her eyes wide, and saw the newcomers.

"Yu Yue?!" She was shocked.

As Yu Yue helped untie her ropes, she whispered, "What happened to you guys?"

"Right," Yu Niaoniao stood up from the chair, stretched her limbs, and a flash of fury erupted in her eyes. If her abilities were restored now, she would tear Mazi in two. "Go save Minmin."

Yu Yue pouted. "Why is she worth saving?"

Lin Youwei stepped forward and placed her hand on Yu Niaoniao’s head. A strand of white silk emerged from her fingertips and drilled into Yu Niaoniao’s mind.

Yu Niaoniao felt the dizzy, sun-stricken sensation vanish, replaced by a refreshing feeling, like a weary traveler submerged in an ice spring.

Yu Yue asked in surprise, "Eh? Weiwei, isn't your energy only supposed to work at night?"

Lin Youwei offered a gentle smile. "Who said that? It’s just stronger at night; there are limitations during the day."

Yu Niaoniao’s eyes were completely clear now. She grabbed Yu Yue’s hand. "Minmin saved my life. We must save her."

Yu Yue instinctively looked back at Li Luyan.

Why ask her? But when Li Luyan met Yu Yue’s gaze, her heart softened, and she nodded.

As if receiving an imperial decree, Yu Yue nodded solemnly at Yu Niaoniao.

"Then tell me first, how many ability users are inside?"

"Just one."

Yu Yue’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you guys useless? Ah!" She accidentally raised her voice. "Just one ability user took all three of you down?"

Her voice was indeed too loud; at the very least, Mazi, who was sleeping inside, heard it.

He threw on his clothes and, without calling the other man, decided to go out and check for himself.

As he pushed open the fence, Yu Yue spotted him. She extended a finger, and a vine shot out, wrapping tightly around Mazi’s waist. Mazi tried to run but couldn't move a muscle.

Yu Niaoniao saw the bound Mazi, smirked, and walked up, kicking him in the knee. "You motherf***er, did I tell you—"

Mazi’s strength gave way instantly, his face contorting as he fell to one knee.

"Wait until I break free; I’m going to kill you."

Mazi tried to call for help, but Yu Niaoniao’s slap was faster than his mouth.

*Slap—*

Mazi fell to the ground, coughed, and a tooth spat out.

Yu Niaoniao had no abilities right now, so she had to deal with these people in the most primitive way. And this primitive way felt incredibly satisfying—there was no need to explain just how cathartic it was.

It was exactly like drinking a bottle of ice-cold soda when you were dehydrated from the heat.