Chapter 63: The Woman
Shen Jinwen found an automatic car for Xu Zhi and gave her a quick twenty-minute crash course.
Anyway, there were no pedestrians or other vehicles on the roads anymore, so as long as she drove slowly… it should be fine.
Xu Zhi had already memorized the route map. Her brain now had an unusually fast memory and comprehension ability, so she didn’t even need offline navigation.
Thanks to her clear mind and good coordination, even though she’d only been driving for under half an hour, Xu Zhi could already drive smoothly.
The gas tank wasn’t full—fuel was now a precious resource. Xu Zhi thought maybe she should claim the nearest gas station for her own territory.
The nearest one to the old residential district was a bit far, near a highway entrance. But she could send her familiars to clear out the mutated beasts nearby and let Zhong Lingfan decide what to do with it afterward.
As she drove, Zhen circled above the car, acting as a guard, taking out one mutated creature after another that tried attacking the vehicle after hearing its noise.
Because Cloud City had been locked down in such a hurry, many private cars were still parked on the sides of the streets. Thankfully, the main roads were mostly clear, so Xu Zhi’s drive was pretty smooth.
After arriving at the area where the residents had gone missing, Xu Zhi turned off the engine and parked. Zhen sensibly flew higher, beginning to search the surroundings for signs of life.
Unless someone was hiding in a room with curtains drawn and no lights on, any movement would be picked up by Zhen instantly. It was far more efficient than sending people to search manually.
Leaning against the car door, Xu Zhi pulled out her game console and switched to Zhen’s perspective.
In less than a minute, Zhen seemed to have found something—but at the same time, Xu Zhi sensed something off. It was a feeling much like when she had gone to the garden park before—someone was watching her from the shadows.
Looks like she wouldn’t need to go hunting—someone might just come to her instead.
She sent a command to Zhen through the console, then casually put it away and glanced around as if unaware. Spotting a closed convenience store, she headed toward it.
In truth, the suspicious gaze wasn’t coming from that direction, but it didn’t matter. Xu Zhi just needed to lure someone out.
So she squatted by the convenience store door and started fiddling with the lock.
Of course, she had no idea how to pick a lock. She didn’t have that kind of talent. So she knelt there for quite a while—accomplishing nothing—until…
“Little girl, what are you doing?”
A middle-aged woman approached from behind.
“Ah—” Xu Zhi stood up quickly, stepping back a little with a wary expression. “I was just passing by and thought I could restock some supplies.”
Then she added, “This shop doesn’t have an owner anymore, right?”
The woman shook her head. “The owner of this store hasn’t left Cloud City. If you want supplies, why not talk to him directly?”
The woman looked to be in her forties or fifties, with a kind expression. She wasn’t carrying any weapons, and her eyes weren’t black—seemingly non-threatening. But just the fact she was walking around alone in the fog was suspicious enough.
Xu Zhi put on a doubtful expression. “Well, if it’s still owned, I’ll leave.”
As she spoke, she quietly activated her [Eye of Secrets]. Since her eyes had already turned gray, activating the skill no longer caused an obvious change in eye color. In the fog, it was almost impossible to tell.
The moment she activated it, Xu Zhi saw the problem clearly.
This seemingly kind woman had a red flame burning in her chest.
Xu Zhi didn’t know how the woman hid her eyes, but no disguise could hide from the [Eye of Secrets].
She turned off the skill immediately. The woman hadn’t noticed her using it and just seemed a bit anxious that Xu Zhi was about to leave.
“Why go so soon, young lady? Why not come with me to our gathering place? We might have some supplies you need.”
The moment she said that, it was obviously fishy. But Xu Zhi already had her suspicions confirmed, so she simply nodded. “Alright.”
The woman didn’t seem surprised that Xu Zhi agreed. Instead, she looked genuinely pleased, leading her in a certain direction. “That’s more like it.”
Xu Zhi also smiled. That’s more like it.
So her “vegetables” had been caught by a bunch of lunatics. She didn’t know if they were still alive, but judging by how they sent a woman to lure her in instead of killing her on the spot, they probably were still alive.
For some reason, she thought back to the strange ritual circle in the cafeteria.
Maybe this cult was also luring survivors to use them for something?
Xu Zhi followed the old woman into a residential complex. The withered-wood-like familiar clung obediently inside her pocket, while Zhen silently circled overhead.
As she entered the complex, Xu Zhi suddenly felt a chill.
It was as if she had passed through some invisible threshold into a much colder world.
Cloud City was already cold, but the moment she stepped inside, it felt like autumn had turned to winter—like the temperature had plummeted.
“Why is it so cold here?” Xu Zhi asked innocently.
The woman smiled. “You must be imagining it.”
How perfunctory! Xu Zhi felt annoyed. This cult seemed a little smarter than the ones she met before… but only a little. Just barely.
From the outside, the complex looked completely normal. The woman led her toward the building in the center.
As they approached, someone came out to greet them—someone with pitch-black eyes.
Normally, anyone seeing that would bolt. The woman probably thought Xu Zhi would too, so she immediately grabbed Xu Zhi’s wrist to stop her from running.
But…
Xu Zhi didn’t move at all.
Even the cultists—who weren’t known for being too bright—looked surprised, unable to understand why their “prey” didn’t panic or try to flee.
“Hey, Auntie, why are you gripping my wrist so hard? What if you bruise me?” the girl complained.
The man who had come to greet them paused mid-step, pointing at Xu Zhi and asking the woman, “Is she mentally challenged?”
The woman nodded. “Shouldn’t matter.”
“True.”
The two of them casually exchanged remarks, and the woman started dragging Xu Zhi into the building.
Xu Zhi was very displeased. Why did it feel like this wasn’t the first time someone called her mentally challenged?
She’d remember this grudge!
“Stop pulling—I’ve got legs, you know.”
While complaining, Xu Zhi used her other hand to press down on her pocket. She could feel the familiar inside had stirred the moment she was grabbed, and she needed to calm it down.
Her performance was just getting to the good part!
Ughhhhh it’s already 12:04 AM!
Time to put on the pain mask!
