PSW - Chapter 131
Chapter 131
A golden, divine radiance illuminated the world, keeping all cold, wind, and rain at bay. Under the watchful eyes of Xuancheng's people, a golden, divine insignia was branded onto the back of Si Zhuangjing's hand, sealing an eternal, unchanging contract.
【Unlimited Communication Mark】: Can be applied to any target, forming a specific pattern on the back of the hand. The bearer of this mark has three opportunities to communicate with the host over an unlimited distance. Once the opportunities are exhausted, the pattern disappears and the mark becomes void. (Note: Each opportunity lasts for 5 minutes.)
Price: 300 Saint Points
【Apocalypse Shelter Barrier (Advanced)】: Creates a protective circle with a one-hundred-meter radius centered on the target location (lasts for one month).
Price: 5000 Saint Points
Over the past few days, Zheng Yi had intermittently gained a few more Saint Points, bringing her cumulative total to 63,366. After spending 5,300, she was left with 35,005 points—still a huge sum.
On the morning of the second day after Si Zhuangjing received the mark, snowflakes began to fall outside the residential buildings. The extreme cold period had arrived gracefully.
The residents of Xuancheng hadn't felt a deep connection to the previous day's blessing. After all, it was Si Zhuangjing who had received the divine insignia; it didn't seem to have much to do with them. They were merely witnesses. As for the promise of "within a one-hundred-meter radius, no wind or cold shall invade for one month," they hadn't been particularly moved.
That was until the extreme cold period arrived. Within the hundred-meter radius, it was like spring all year round. They could move about freely, even walk down the street in a single layer of clothing. But the moment they stepped beyond that hundred-meter distance, the temperature plummeted below freezing. The bitter cold was a sobering shock.
After breakfast, Yu Yinan and Zheng Yi were strolling in the rain when they saw ordinary residents and ability users alike, excitedly stepping back and forth across the hundred-meter boundary, experiencing the stark contrast between a warm spring one second and a frigid winter the next.
Perhaps out of curiosity, to join the fun, or to experience the wonder of the "miracle" up close. In any case, the unmarked edge of the barrier was now almost completely encircled by people, forming a ring of human walls.
"It's truly magical," Yu Yinan remarked, gazing at the crowd. "You're really becoming more and more like a god."
"Am I?" Zheng Yi chuckled softly and said nothing more.
"Should you… reveal your identity at Humanity's Light? Actually… if you want them to believe in you, Zhao Haiyue already knows everything. Aren't Zhou Xiyue and Yun Lingjian on good terms with her? You wouldn't have to preach, just make a trade. A month of protection in exchange for faith, to help the shelter get through the difficult extreme cold and high-temperature periods. I think… they would probably agree to your terms."
As Yu Yinan said this, another thought occurred to her. Life at Humanity's Light was actually quite decent; even the ordinary people weren't in a difficult situation. They were genuinely trying to protect everyone and live up to their name as "Humanity's Light." For most people, it probably wouldn't be so easy to place their faith in a "god," to accept Zheng Yi so readily.
Even if she demonstrated this barrier, the amount of faith contributed by each person probably wouldn't be very high. Humanity's Light had too many ability users, and the leadership wasn't just Zhou Xiyue's sole decision… If Zheng Yi revealed too much, she might attract the covetous gazes of other reckless people, who might want to get something from her or study her. Yu Yinan wasn't worried that Zheng Yi would be at a disadvantage, but…
If a conflict really did break out and Humanity's Light was destroyed as a result, it would be too much of a pity.
"…Forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything. After all, things don't always develop in a positive direction," Yu Yinan sighed. And it wasn't like Zheng Yi could just abruptly bring up these things or propose a collaboration.
"They have the ability to handle things and overcome crises, so there's no need for me to excessively intervene or help them," Zheng Yi said. "Even for Xuancheng, I can't provide a protective barrier for them every single time there's extreme cold or heat."
If they want to survive in the apocalypse, they ultimately have to rely on themselves. Zheng Yi could step in to help when they were on the brink of despair or facing a crisis, but she couldn't escort them safely forever.
She had always been capricious and unpredictable. If those people placed all their hopes of survival on her… they would only be bringing about their own destruction.
The news that the "god" was leaving was no secret. The extreme cold that even ordinary ability users struggled to withstand was no threat or obstacle to her. Nothing could stop her from leaving.
"Will you come back to visit?" Si Zhuangjing asked, looking at Zheng Yi, unable to hold back the question. "I will definitely build this place up and lead everyone to survive. You've bought me a month's time, and in this month, I will do everything in my power to get things in order…"
"You… you will come back to see, won't you?"
"Who knows," Zheng Yi said with a smile. She gave Si Zhuangjing a small wave, then got directly into the modified vehicle. "Keep up the good work."
Yu Yinan gave Si Zhuangjing a slight nod. "Well then, may we meet again." She got into the driver's seat and quickly started the engine.
"I wish you a safe journey."
With that heartfelt blessing, spoken very softly but with perfect clarity, Yu Yinan drove the modified vehicle through the barrier's boundary in Xuancheng, plunging into the world of ice and snow and speeding away.
For a long time, Si Zhuangjing stared in the direction where the vehicle had disappeared. She couldn't help but take a step forward, and the bone-chilling wind pierced her body. Before long, her skin was aching from the cold. She slowly exhaled a long plume of white mist, bowed in the direction Zheng Yi had left, and then turned resolutely to walk back inside the barrier.
There were no more gods in this apocalypse. If there was one, it could only be Zheng Yi.
May the light of the Saint God soon shine upon the world.
Yu Yinan was quite happy to leave Xuancheng. After all, with the barrier Zheng Yi had put up, the temperature had risen considerably. When Yu Yinan got excited at night and wanted to cuddle with Zheng Yi, she would be pushed away to cool down.
But even though they had left, most of their time was spent driving. When she was behind the wheel, she had to use her ability the entire time to keep the car's interior and body warm, leaving no time to cuddle with Zheng Yi or warm her hands. And when Zheng Yi was driving… Yu Yinan dared not disturb her at all.
Finally, dusk arrived. The sky darkened quickly during the extreme cold period. Yu Yinan proactively found a long-abandoned storefront, parked the car at the entrance, and led Zheng Yi by the hand, constantly transferring heat to her. She even conjured flames, their warm light illuminating the surroundings.
"What are we eating tonight?" From the moment they got out of the car to when they entered the shop, Yu Yinan didn't let go of Zheng Yi's hand, not even when Zheng Yi was using her ability to clear away the nearby dust. If she weren't afraid of getting in Zheng Yi's way, Yu Yinan would have wrapped her entire body around her, holding her completely in her arms.
"Hot pot?" Zheng Yi let Yu Yinan hold her hand. "Let's have a beef hot pot. Which kind do you want?"
The store offered five types of beef hot pot: beef trio, beef offal, pure beef, beef tendon, and golden tripe. At 8 Saint Points per pot, it wasn't expensive at all for the current Zheng Yi.
"I'm fine with anything, I'm not a picky eater," Yu Yinan said softly, squeezing Zheng Yi's fingers.
"Jiejie, won't you get uncomfortable using your ability like this all the time?" Zheng Yi looked down at Yu Yinan, who was gently squeezing her knuckles. "A basic barrier costs 100 Saint Points and lasts for a day, you know~ It could cover this whole area… Jiejie, you've had a long day. Maybe you could get a good night's sleep?"
"?!" Yu Yinan froze. Forgetting about squeezing Zheng Yi's soft fingertips, she blurted out, "That's- that's too expensive! One hundred points! I'm not tired at all, really. I can handle it. I- I… I can get a good night's sleep just by holding you…" She had been looking forward to the extreme cold period for so long, looking forward to cuddling for so long! She had always wanted to warm Zheng Yi's body.
This was the extreme cold period! If she didn't seize this opportunity, it would be the high-temperature period next, when Zheng Yi would find her too hot!
"…I just want to hold you," Yu Yinan said, her shoulders slumping as she saw the gentle smile on Zheng Yi's lips. "You knew all along." Her little thoughts were completely transparent to Zheng Yi, yet Zheng Yi deliberately teased her like this. She knew… she knew it was probably a joke, that Zheng Yi might not actually do it, but she still couldn't help but wonder about that one percent possibility and grow anxious over it.
"This is the extreme cold period; I've waited so long for it. I just want to sleep while holding you, warm your body, and put my fire ability to good use. You even gave me that potion—don't you want to test the results of my improvement?" Yu Yinan chattered on, wrapping her arms around Zheng Yi. Seeing that Zheng Yi didn't push her away, she grew bolder and started acting cute. "Stop joking around."
"I just don't want you to overexert your mind and pass out tomorrow."
"I won't! I'll be careful, I won't overdo it. If I feel unwell, I'll tell you. You- you can just give me a Stamina Recovery Pill, right? That's only thirty points, but the barrier is a hundred," Yu Yinan said, slowly releasing her embrace so Zheng Yi could set up the iron pot and place the beef hot pot inside. Without waiting for Zheng Yi to say anything, she lit the stove herself.
This beef hot pot was different from ordinary ones, and it was nothing like the canned beef hot pot they'd had before. Its sauces and spices were specially made, and with the quality bonus from the system store, the moment the pot began to boil, a rich aroma filled the entire room.
The broth was rich and savory, defined by the words "fragrant and spicy." The more you ate, the more fragrant and spicy it became, with no gamey taste whatsoever. At first bite, the beef was firm and chewy. If you didn't like that texture, you could let it simmer a while longer until it became tender and had fully absorbed the flavors.
The stove was lit, and the rice was steamed. Just a little of the thick, reddish-brown sauce drizzled over the rice was enough to make one's mouth water. It was hard not to have a second bowl.
"This is pure bliss," Yu Yinan exclaimed, holding her bowl of rice.
Except when it came to Zheng Yi, Yu Yinan was actually a very easily satisfied person.
"Zheng Yi, you're so good to me." As Yu Yinan spoke, she grew emotional again, her eyes turning slightly red. "I like you so much."
"Mm," Zheng Yi replied nonchalantly, picking up a piece of beef and putting it in her mouth. "I know."
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