Chapter 237: The Change In Little Aunt

Wu Junzhuang shook his head. "We don't have any leads right now. The culprit covered their tracks well."

Li Xiaofei gritted his teeth. "Those mad dogs deserve to be killed a thousand times over."

Wu Junzhuang added, "However, many are speculating that it might have been the work of the Wild Freedom Faction terrorists."

The Wild Freedom Faction?

They were a group of lunatic extremists who opposed the current government's rule, defied the leadership of the Star Council, and rejected the construction of base cities. They lived like savages in the wilderness, advocating for so-called harmony between man and nature and coexistence with the star beasts.

The Wild Freedom Faction was also responsible for numerous terror attacks. They were experts in assassination and sabotage. Most of the time, their targets were government officials, powerful families, and key figures in the Star Council.

Every member of the Wild Freedom Faction was a zealot. They burned with a feverish conviction, utterly unafraid of death.

"Liuhe Base City doesn't seem to have any known Wild Freedom Faction activity, does it?" Li Xiaofei asked, puzzled.

He had a nagging suspicion that the fall of the city walls was somehow connected to the Ye family.

"Those lunatics are like wild wolves and stray dogs roaming the wilderness," Wu Junzhuang cursed.

He continued, "Things have been unstable lately. The star beasts outside the city have been acting up more frequently. That Yinji Moon Fox is especially vengeful and has been relentlessly summoning and gathering star beasts. The horde is growing larger by the day, and you..."

At this point, Wu Junzhuang abruptly stopped speaking. He finally just patted Li Xiaofei gently on the shoulder and said, "Be careful."

Li Xiaofei smiled back in reply, "As warriors, it is our duty to slay star beasts and protect our people. Even if we must face mountains of swords and seas of fire, we will never retreat. What is there to fear? Death is just a part of life."

Those were his true feelings. He would not choose to hide and bide his time in order to live. Since he had crossed into an era where humanity's survival could be decided in a heartbeat, he would face challenges head-on and be unafraid of battle.

Wu Junzhuang gave Li Xiaofei a firm pat on the shoulder and said no more.

Li Xiaofei stood atop the hundred-meter-high city wall and looked down at the city below. The light of dawn illuminated the land. The wildfires had died down, leaving smoke curling into the morning air. Even a small incursion by star beasts had caused immense devastation.

In the aftermath, the people were already beginning to rebuild their homes like industrious ants.

***

"What?" Ye Guanzhen suddenly stood up, exclaiming, "Missing?! What do you mean by missing?!"

Ye Changlin replied, "The Greyfield Reapers team entered the slums last night according to plan. The last message we received from them was at 3:12 a.m., reporting that everything was normal. But thirty seconds later, all communications were abruptly cut off, and we lost contact. None of the thirteen team members returned."

"And what about Li Xiaofei?" Ye Guanzhen pressed.

Ye Changlin responded, "He's still alive and completely unscathed. In fact, he participated in last night's battle against the beast horde and performed exceptionally well. Now, various media outlets are scrambling to interview him, and Tan Zhenwei intends to invest significant resources into promoting him as a public figure."

Ye Guanzhen fell silent. This situation was far too bizarre. It was so outlandish that he couldn't process it immediately. The Greyfield Reapers team dispatched for this mission included not only the Five Spirits Realm leader, Greyfield Longhair, and four Meridian Expanding Realm experts, but also eight high-level Acupoint Opening Realm members who handled support, logistics, and communications.

This team should have been unstoppable in Liuhe Base City. Even if the assassination had failed, they should have been able to retreat safely.

How could they have vanished in the slums? It was as if they disappeared like a puff of smoke dissipating in the wind. Could Tan Zhenwei have anticipated my move and set a trap in the slums? But that seemed unlikely.

What kind of ambush could wipe out the entire Greyfield Reapers team in less than thirty seconds?

The more Ye Guanzhen thought about it, the more perplexed he became. He started to feel like he needed to be more careful. Perhaps Tan Zhenwei was secretly hiding more strength than what he had displayed so far.

After all, Tan Zhenwei was once a dazzling prodigy of the Tan family. If it hadn’t been for the conflict with his family over his marriage, leading to his exile to the remote Northwest, he might have become the head of the Tan family by now. That kind of person truly could not be underestimated. Ye Guanzhen quickly adjusted his mindset. This was not the time to lose composure.

Last night's City-Breaking Plan targeting the city's defenses had been quite successful. Tan Zhenwei should be overwhelmed and panicking now. However, the actions against Li Xiaofei needed to be put on pause. It would be unwise to make any further moves until they had thoroughly understood this person's background. Ye Guanzhen swiftly revised his strategy.

***

Guang'an Neighborhood. In Li Xiaofei’s bedroom.

Li Xiaofei quietly lay on the bed after taking off his clothes. As usual, Little Aunt straddled his back, giving him a massage. Her delicate fingers moved swiftly, pressing various meridians and acupoints across his body. The force of her touch penetrated deep into his skin.

Pa, pa, pa.

The soft sounds echoed as her fingers made contact. Li Xiaofei noticed that Little Aunt's strength seemed to have increased. He felt a bit puzzled. Since he began cultivating the introductory chapter of the Five Qi Origin Technique, Li Xiaofei's physical strength had increased significantly.

Even in his concealed first disguise form, his muscles were incredibly dense and nearly impervious to blades. Yet Little Aunt's fingers managed to press through his toughened muscles. The pressure reached deep into his acupoints with just enough strength to stimulate them just right and allow his starforce qi to better nourish his flesh and bones.

Li Xiaofei recalled a story he had once heard. There was a story about a man who raised a calf and lifted it ten times every day. Years later, when the calf had grown into a thousand-pound bull, the man could still lift it with ease.

Could Little Aunt have gradually adapted to his increasing muscle strength because she massaged him every day? Moreover, after finishing the massage this time, Little Aunt wasn't even slightly out of breath. She seemed at ease as she gracefully stepped off the bed.

"Your physical strength increased in a strange way. Have you been cultivating some new technique?" Little Aunt asked.

Li Xiaofei didn’t hide anything. He explained the concept behind his cultivation of the Five Qi Origin Technique: Introductory Chapter. Little Aunt listened, tilting her head in thought for a moment. For a moment, she looked like a scholar working through a complex problem.

"You can give it a try," Little Aunt finally affirmed, but then added, "But if anything goes wrong during your cultivation, let me know immediately. Don’t try to handle it on your own."

"Don't worry, Little Aunt," Li Xiaofei patted his chest reassuringly, but he hesitated before asking, "Little Aunt?"

"Hmm?"

"You seem to know a lot."

"Medicine and martial arts share the same roots."

"Little Aunt, how do you know so much about medicine?"

"I studied it before."

"Little Aunt, have you ever been to places outside the base city?"

"Yes, I came from a very, very far place. I'm just here temporarily."

"Will you leave here someday?"

"Yes."

"Really?" Li Xiaofei suddenly flipped over and sat up, his voice tense. "Little Aunt, where will you go?"

A gentle expression crossed the blind woman's face as she said, "Don't worry. If I ever decide to leave, I will definitely tell you in advance."

"Little Aunt, I know you have many secrets," Li Xiaofei said as he put on his clothes and jumped off the bed. He pleaded, "I won't press you for answers, but if the day comes that you have to leave, promise me you'll take me with you, okay?"

Little Aunt gently stroked Li Xiaofei's hair.

"All good things must come to an end," she said with a soft smile and a tender voice. "No one in this world can accompany another for their entire journey. I know you have many questions in your heart, but don't worry. All the mysteries will eventually be revealed, and I can already sense that the day is drawing near."

"Little Aunt, has something happened?" Li Xiaofei asked, a strange premonition creeping into his mind.

Little Aunt seemed different from before.