Feng Moxi didn't know where this was. In her past life, her hometown was Qing Town. After the Apocalypse began, she had relied on her Power Mutation and gone through untold hardships to rush back, only to find her parents already dead.
'If it's already been a week since the Apocalypse started... going back now... I'm afraid it's too late.'
"Do you know what this place is?"
"I heard it's called White Poplar Village."
"..."
'No wonder there are so many white poplars lining the road.' "Where does it lead if we keep going?"
"White Poplar Town."
Feng Moxi didn't feel like talking anymore. 'How am I supposed to know a place with a name like that? Looks like I'll have to find a map.'
Luo Yunxi suddenly realized something and said hesitantly,
"I know that Binhai City is to the right of White Poplar Village.
Because it's close to the Binhai coast, the entire region was destroyed during the earthquake and tsunami. Straight ahead is White Poplar Town, but I don't know what it's like now."
For a moment, Feng Moxi was in a daze. 'Binhai... so I'm already this close!'
'Isn't Wan Wanxin's family from Binhai? If I remember correctly, then past White Poplar Town is Su City, which isn't far from my own home in Qing Town.'
'I can't believe I was reborn here. Does this mean the day I meet that cousin of mine isn't far off?'
At this thought, a cold smile involuntarily touched the corners of her lips.
Even the air around them seemed to suddenly freeze.
Luo Yunxi's words came to an abrupt halt.
A short while later, they arrived at a three-way intersection. Countless wrecked vehicles lay strewn about, leaving only a narrow path through. She slammed on the brakes, and the two of them got out.
Feng Moxi's gaze swept forward. Past a grove of white poplars, she could faintly make out a dense area of buildings. They had reached White Poplar Town.
The road ahead was lined with cars skewed to the side, all of them damaged. Many were spattered with blood, and the skeletal remains of corpses littered the ground.
The scene was one of utter ruin, but the monsters had already been cleared out.
'Judging by the town's size, the population must have been significant. At least a hundred thousand people.'
'But it's so quiet it's unsettling. Judging by the thick stench of rot in the air, this town has probably fallen completely.'
Feng Moxi couldn't help but frown. "The way ahead is probably dangerous."
Luo Yunxi's heart pounded even more fiercely, and she couldn't help but feel a little timid.
'That just leaves the main road to the left. It connects back to the Binhai road. If things go south, we can just bypass the town and head north from here.'
Luo Yunxi's gaze also drifted to that road. She was a smart girl and had apparently reached the same conclusion.
Just then, the roar of car engines echoed from the main road to their left. A sedan and two minibuses came speeding toward them.
They screeched to a halt three meters away.
The three vehicles were packed with people. Two gaunt men jumped out.
Luo Yunxi instinctively tightened her grip on her iron rod, her posture wary. Feng Moxi, however, merely watched the two men approach in silence.
The man in the lead was in his thirties, with a gaunt face. His large, listless eyes were sunken deep in their sockets, and the heavy, dark bags under them spoke of a long and tiring journey.
But his expression held a trace of savagery that made him seem unfriendly.
The other was a man with a big beard, salt-and-pepper hair, and a haggard face. He looked to be in his forties and clutched a Big Saber marked with black stains.
His gaze was also ferocious, as if he were looking not at two young women, but at two monsters.
The gaunt man frowned, craning his neck to look past Feng Moxi and Luo Yunxi at their car. "Just the two of you girls?" he asked in surprise.
Feng Moxi held out a hand. A faint golden vapor swirled over her palm before coalescing into a small, golden blade that she toyed with. Her voice was exceptionally cold. "Is there a problem?"
'She knew that in this Apocalypse, women were considered weak. Alone and with no one to rely on, they would be devoured without a trace if she didn't show some strength.'
Sure enough, a glint flashed in the gaunt man's eyes. His hostile expression immediately vanished, and his attitude did a complete one-eighty. He chuckled. "So you're a young lady with the Gold Ability. It's an honor."
"I am He Ping, a Fire Ability User. This is my brother, Wan Yong; he has a Power Mutation. Might I ask if you two ladies are headed to Su City?"
Feng Moxi gave a noncommittal nod.
He Ping looked at their two young, solemn faces and found it amusing. 'The Apocalypse really tempers people,' he thought. 'Have all the girls become this fierce after just a few days? Before the Apocalypse, girls like them would probably just be in high school.'
"It's really unfortunate, but the road to Binhai is impassable." He pointed behind him and off to the left, saying regretfully, "The roads over here are all destroyed, too. No way through..."
As he spoke, his pale face looked even more exhausted.
That meant the only way left was through White Poplar Town.
He Ping continued, "There are a lot of monsters in the town. I see you two are on your own. How about we go in together and slowly fight our way out along the edge?"
It was a last resort, but there was strength in numbers.
Feng Moxi frowned. 'I'm not afraid of killing monsters. It'll be a good chance to hone my powers. Besides, the Demon Cores in the monsters' brains should be starting to form by now, and I really don't want to miss that.'
'Back in White Poplar Village, I checked carefully. None of those slow-moving monsters had a single Demon Core in their heads.'
She pinched the bridge of her nose and glanced at Luo Yunxi, who had a look of extreme caution on her face. 'This girl is destined for a thorny path if she stays with me.'
Feng Moxi swung the black iron rod in her hand, its surface clearly stained with blood. "Alright. Together."
Seeing this, He Ping didn't dare to underestimate her. He smiled. "You've got some good fighting skills, miss. Let's start from the edge and find a secluded place to rest before dark."
After speaking, he glanced at the town and sighed heavily. They had fought and killed their way here, but they had already scouted this small town countless times before.
The town wasn't large, but its population was unusually dense. If they hadn't been forced to charge left and right without finding any other way out, they really wouldn't have wanted to pass through here.
The group got into their cars and proceeded cautiously. As they reached the edge of town, they came upon a few scattered residential houses.
They flanked the main road, each building at least three stories high. The entrance to the town was marked by a stone arch bridge, covered in mottled stains. The water in the river below was pitch-black, and countless pieces of debris floated on its surface.
There were also some animal carcasses.
The group parked in front of a small courtyard. About ten people got out of Wan Yong's three vehicles one after another. Aside from a woman in her fifties and a boy of twelve or thirteen, the rest were all men.
The woman's face was filled with terror, and she cautiously pulled the young boy to her side.
Although the boy looked reluctant, he didn't resist.