Chapter 313- Cultured Villain vs. Humanoid Weapon (18)
Seeing his boss’s joyful look, Lou Bin mentally kicked away the proverbial “dog food” that had been shoved in his face. He wanted to shout at Jian Minghui, “Oh, so having a partner is a big deal, huh? Just wait until I find a girlfriend—I’ll flaunt it in front of you non-stop!”
But that was only wishful thinking; he didn’t actually have the guts to say it. Instead, he just felt a bit lonely on his own.
Jian Minghui, clearly in high spirits, cheerfully made his way to the pot where breakfast was already cooked. He ladled out two large bowls of noodles and carried them back to the tent, just as Mu Jin groggily stepped out, looking quite worn out.
Mu Jin plopped down beside Jian Minghui, looking drained, his face flushing as he took the noodles Jian handed over. But when he met his partner’s smiling gaze, he felt like he had to at least put up a front and glared at him.
Little did he realize that his rosy cheeks, flushed from their earlier morning ‘activity,’ only made him more irresistible to the man beside him.
After breakfast, the group set off on their journey once again.
Several days passed, and everyone could tell that the number of mutated plants and animals had noticeably increased. The zombies also seemed harder to handle than before. Thankfully, the powers of the group’s espers were also growing steadily.
Take Wei Xuezhen, for example. Although her power level hadn’t yet reached Tier 2, she could now summon enough water to fill two large barrels at once, doubling her original capacity—something that was a testament to her dedication and training.
Whenever the group encountered mutated animals, they’d share the meat after killing them. But they weren’t sure how to eat mutated plants, which left Mu Jin with an advantage.
After the first time he had harvested the core from a mutated plant in front of everyone, Mu Jin began to discreetly collect the cores when no one was watching.
These plant cores held vital energy, and if they were non-toxic, Mu Jin fed them to Jian Minghui. Taste aside, they greatly strengthened Jian’s physique.
In just a few days, Jian Minghui’s power had already reached the threshold of Tier 3 and was close to breaking into Tier 4.
Because his powers were mental-based and he was intentionally keeping them under wraps, Jian didn’t reveal his growing strength to the group. But Mu Jin knew that with his partner’s recent progress, Jian Minghui was now the strongest person in the team—second only to Mu Jin himself.
As the encounters with mutated plants and animals increased, Mu Jin found himself participating in more battles, giving everyone a clearer view of his incredible strength.
Mu Jin’s impressive abilities, along with his open displays of affection toward Jian Minghui, made Chen Shuyun feel increasingly uneasy. She could tell that someone of Mu Jin’s caliber must rank among the top at the base. After all, someone entrusted by Jian Zhengqing to retrieve them alone surely wasn’t an ordinary character. Unfortunately, this person was obviously loyal to Jian Minghui.
Over the past few days, Chen Shuyun had tried subtly to approach Mu Jin, hoping to learn more about him. She even hinted that Jian Minghui was out of favor, trying to make Mu Jin realize that aligning with Jian Minghui would offer no benefits once they returned to the base.
But Mu Jin paid her no attention, frustrating Chen Shuyun, who found herself unable to manipulate him.
After a few more days, the team found a relatively safe spot and decided to rest for two days. Once everyone had settled into their rooms, Mu Jin decided the timing was right. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he suggested to Jian Minghui that they should gather a small group for a picnic barbecue. He pointed out that, aside from Shi Haoyu and Lou Bin, there were a few others who were close to Jian.
Mu Jin even took out some beef jerky, ham, and canned goods from his system space. Of course, he kept the portions modest; bringing out too much at once might have aroused suspicion.
The invitation list was kept small, including Lou Bin and Shi Haoyu, of course. In addition to Wei Xuezhen, there were two other espers and a regular team member. All of these people were friendly and trustworthy, possessing good character and abilities. One of them, a young man with a crew cut and earth-based powers, was even the son of an old comrade of Jian Zhengqing.
Though his father’s military rank was lower than Jian Zhengqing’s, their family was well-regarded, and the two families had long had close ties. The young man had a good relationship with both Jian Minghui and Jian Mingyuan and had even later attended the prestigious University B, becoming classmates with the Jian brothers.
In the original storyline, it was briefly mentioned that this child of Jian Minghui’s father’s comrade—who had only a minor role—later revealed to Jian Minghui the truth of his origins. His father had let it slip during a drunken conversation. By that point, the story had already reached its later stages, and upon learning this, Jian Minghui found his past suffering almost laughable.
But what did it matter? The damage had already been done. By then, Jian Minghui had done many things, leaving him no path to retreat.
Now, thinking of this person, Mu Jin decided that it was better to uncover certain truths sooner rather than later.
Forming small groups within the team wasn’t unusual, especially since they were about to enter Pingcheng Base, where they’d likely organize various teams to search for supplies. Forming a team with friends was a natural move, so those invited simply assumed Jian Minghui and Mu Jin might be extending an invitation to join their team.
Everyone who received the invitation was pleased, except for Wei Xuezhen, who was still set on staying with Jian Mingyuan. Mu Jin’s strength was well-known, making the idea of teaming up with him appealing due to the increased safety he could provide.
Regardless of their preferences, none would decline Mu Jin and Jian Minghui’s offer out of respect.
No one was surprised that Jian Mingyuan wasn’t included. After so much time together, it was clear that Chen Shuyun had entirely different standards for her two sons. Behind closed doors, some people even gossiped, wondering if Jian Minghui might not be Chen Shuyun’s biological child, given how starkly she treated them.
After Mu Jin arranged the gathering, he invited the group to meet in a secluded spot outside the courtyard. Jian Minghui even got some meat from mutated animals hunted earlier from Aunt Wang.
When the others heard it was for an outdoor barbecue picnic, they hesitated a bit, aware of the considerable dangers that still lay outside.
Mu Jin confidently assured everyone that with him around, there would be no issues. He also mentioned spotting some mushrooms and edible wild greens nearby, which they could forage.
Hearing about the mushrooms and wild greens piqued Wei Xuezhen and the others’ interest. Since the apocalypse began, while they could find food in malls and supermarkets, fresh produce like vegetables and fruits had become scarce. Most store-bought vegetables had spoiled, and even those that were edible weren’t always fresh—and there was never enough for everyone.
While traveling, even if they passed through fields or forests, they had to stay cautious of lurking mutated plants and animals, so foraging was never an option with a large group. But now, they were in a smaller group, with most of them being skilled ability users. Most importantly, Mu Jin was with them—a legendary figure who had managed to journey solo from Pingcheng Base to B University to find them. Even Wei Xuezhen was immediately convinced.
Barbecue? They hadn’t had that since the world changed!
The thought of grilling fresh mushrooms and greens made everyone’s mouth water, and in the end, they all gave in to their cravings and followed Mu Jin, Jian Minghui, and the others to sneak out of camp.
With Huoyu’s fire abilities and Wei Xuezhen’s water abilities, starting a fire and preparing food was a breeze. Lou Bin even showed off, using his wind blades to slice ingredients in an attempt to impress everyone. Unfortunately, his technique wasn’t quite polished, and he ended up shaving off half of his bangs, sending everyone into peals of laughter. His antics lightened the mood, making everyone feel closer.
In his cultivation world, Mu Jin was known for his grilling skills, which had easily won over his man’s heart. His cooking was indeed delicious, and the group chatted and ate, enjoying a rare and lively moment.