Chapter 23: Plan successful

In the woods, Gu Lian sped through while carrying Yao Yao and Yi Yi.

She had already circled the Nanqing Forest once, making it nearly impossible for the Hunters to catch her.

The wound on her left shoulder had healed, but her clothes were dirty and disheveled.

After the battle, Gu Lian had retrieved them; fortunately, they hadn’t been caught in the crossfire, or she would have been left with nothing to wear.

Clinging to Gu Lian’s neck, Yao Yao felt a waterfall of gray hair brush against her face.

A light, fresh scent and a faint trace of sweat entered her nose.

Her eyelids flickered, and her long lashes opened a crack to reveal pale blue eyes shimmering with moisture.

“Do you want to rest? You must be exhausted from the fighting earlier.”

Yao Yao pushed herself up, trying to slide off Gu Lian’s back, but Gu Lian shrugged her shoulders, forcing Yao Yao back down.

“Tired? I can keep running for quite a while.”

Gu Lian gave a wicked smile.

Although she didn’t stop, her pace was much slower than at the start.

In the battle several hours ago, she had endured heavy fire and used the Fire of Dead Silence.

Her physical stamina was one thing, but the mental exhaustion was the real challenge.

“Then… could you wipe the sweat off your forehead? Saying that makes me look like a fool.”

Yao Yao wiped the beads of sweat from Gu Lian’s brow, her expression somewhat speechless.

“Don’t worry, I—”

Growl.

Gu Lian’s expression twitched, and she came to a temporary halt.

Yao Yao leaped off her back and helped bring Yi Yi down as well.

“If you’re tired, you’re tired. Your body is being honest.”

Yao Yao spoke as she laid Yi Yi flat on the ground.

Because she was undergoing Evolution, Yi Yi was currently sleeping soundly.

“Nonsense, that’s just a sign of my body getting excited.”

Raising a middle finger, Gu Lian walked to a tree.

She flexed her fingers, snapped off a branch, and began chewing on it.

“I’ll take your word for it, but why are you eating a tree?”

Yao Yao pointed at the branch in Gu Lian’s hand, her twitching eyelids showing that she was far from calm.

“I guess I’m just used to it.”

Gu Lian smacked her lips, and the wood pulp was crushed and swallowed into her stomach.

‘Eating branches is one thing, but I actually ate rocks not long ago and found them tasty… that’s the most ridiculous part of all this!’

She tore off another piece of the trunk and chewed, muttering, “As long as it fills the stomach, I can’t be too picky.”

“Sister Gu Lian, I truly admire your palate.”

Yao Yao gave a thumbs up.

Gu Lian scratched her head awkwardly, letting out a sheepish laugh as she continued her “meal.”

Ten minutes later, after consuming an entire tree, Gu Lian picked up Yi Yi with one arm and hurried forward.

Yao Yao claimed she had rested enough and refused to be carried further.

After traveling for another half an hour, Gu Lian reached the edge of the woods.

A circular road was visible in the distance, its streetlights casting a dim, yellow glow.

Past the road, she could see several low-rise buildings.

Gu Lian stopped, and Yao Yao followed suit.

“Sister, what is it?”

“…”

Gu Lian scanned the area for a moment before her eyes lit up.

She pointed at a sign by the road that read Nanxi Highway.

“Yao Yao, remember this place. We’ll meet here in the future.”

“Um…”

Yao Yao’s cheeks flushed.

She hesitated for a moment before saying, “I can’t read…”

“That doesn’t matter. Look below; there’s Pinyin.”

Gu Lian pointed to the four Pinyin words under the characters.

Yao Yao stared intensely for a long time before slowly speaking, “Laxi Gonglu…”

“???”

Gu Lian’s head tilted, and her body stumbled a few steps before she regained her balance.

She shook her head and looked at Yao Yao in shock.

“What did you just say?”

“Laxi Gonglu?”

“It’s Nanxi Highway! Good heavens… once you both turn human, I’m definitely sending you to kindergarten.”

Gu Lian closed her eyes, looking like she had a massive headache.

‘I’ve seen people who are illiterate, but I’ve never seen anyone who can’t even recognize Pinyin.’

They’ve learned to speak like humans, but they don’t know a single word?

This is a first…

“Oh, really? It looked like Laxi Gonglu to me.”

Yao Yao scratched her hair.

Slap.

Gu Lian face-palmed and slowly dragged her hand up her face.

“Fine, whatever you say.”

Gu Lian lowered her hand and pointed to the sign again.

“I’ll come to this ‘Laxi Gonglu’ once a week. If things allow, I’ll pick you up. Got it?”

“Okay.”

Yao Yao nodded and turned back into the forest, while Gu Lian headed for the road.