Chapter 41: Yielding

Ye Nan and Gong Wanru finished absorbing the crystal cores, and their strength increased a bit more.

Nearby, the little white cat watched with big, eager eyes, left with nothing to do but feel envious.

Ye Nan said, "It is already noon, and we haven't had lunch yet. After our intense battle inside the car earlier, I am truly starving."

Gong Wanru said with a resentful expression, "Whose fault is that? I told you not to mess around in the car, but you insisted."

Ye Nan asked, "Aren't you hungry?"

"What do you think?" Gong Wanru retorted sharply.

"Alright, then let's have lunch right here," Ye Nan said. "I still have plenty of dried fish left, so we'll have dried fish for lunch."

Gong Wanru was startled for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You are such a bad guy."

Ye Nan said, "There are even worse things I can do. Would you like to taste them?"

Recalling the intense battle in the car earlier, Gong Wanru blushed and chided coquettishly, "Get away with you, you're always so improper."

Ye Nan turned around, secretly took out a large bag of dried fish from the Thunder Pagoda, and began eating with Gong Wanru.

The aroma of the dried fish drifted through the air, and the little white cat couldn't help itself anymore. Dried fish was its absolute favorite food. Seeing the two of them thoroughly enjoying the delicacy, it was practically drooling.

Truly detestable! You despicable humans actually dare to tempt this meow, you deserve to die.

The little white cat felt its stomach growling with hunger. It desperately wanted to beg them for a piece of dried fish, but pride got the better of it, so it could only squat aside and sulk.

Ye Nan deliberately tempted the little white cat, saying, "Oh my, this dried fish tastes simply amazing! It even comes in several different flavors. Sister Gong, we must try every single flavor. It's so delicious."

Gong Wanru replied, "Okay, give me a larger share. This is simply too good."

Ye Nan sighed, "What a pity. We have far too much dried fish left in stock, and we simply can't finish it all. The weather is so hot these days; it would be troublesome if it goes bad."

Gong Wanru said, "What can we do about it? We'll just have to throw it away. What else?"

Listening from the side, the little white cat nearly broke down. This meow is still starving, yet you two are actually going to throw away delicious dried fish? Is there no justice in this world?

Ye Nan said, "Just eating dried fish is a bit dull. I remember there is still plenty of fish in the car. Why don't we make an all-fish hot pot?"

"Great! I love fish the most," Gong Wanru smiled.

"Alright, I'll go get it." Ye Nan walked outside and retrieved a cassette stove, a pot, hot pot base, various fish meats, and seafood from the Thunder Pagoda before returning inside.

Ye Nan set up the pot on the cassette stove, threw in the hot pot base, fish meat, and seafood, and began to cook.

Before long, a rich fragrance filled the air.

The unique aroma of the tallow hot pot base was utterly irresistible. Not to mention Ye Nan and Gong Wanru, even the little white cat was drooling profusely.

Ye Nan handed a bowl and chopsticks to Gong Wanru and smiled, "Sister Gong, let's dig in."

Gong Wanru said, "Okay, it's been so long since I last had hot pot. It smells so good."

The two of them began to feast heartily, completely ignoring the little white cat's feelings.

In the corner, the little white cat was on the verge of tears. It was truly tragic. I must endure, I must endure, I must endure, endure, endure!

Forget it, this meow cannot endure any longer.

Whimper, whimper, whimper, whimper.

The little white cat was furious inside. The food was clearly right in front of its eyes, yet it couldn't eat any. Ye Nan was far too strong; the little white cat didn't even dare to consider snatching it by force.

It could only watch silently, its eyes filled with longing.

Ye Nan looked at the little white cat and asked with a puzzled expression, "Little Kitty, it's already noon. Why aren't you having lunch? Do you not want to eat?"

The little white cat could no longer hold back. It turned around, refusing to pay attention to Ye Nan.

Ye Nan continued, "As long as you throw your lot in with me from now on, I guarantee you'll be eating and drinking like royalty every single meal."

The little white cat still ignored Ye Nan.

"If you don't want to, then forget it." Ye Nan called out to Gong Wanru, "Let's keep eating."

"Okay." Gong Wanru took a piece of fish meat and said with satisfaction, "This bass is so fresh."

"Indeed, though hot pot isn't the best way to cook it. Steaming is still better," Ye Nan said.

Gong Wanru said, "Braised in brown sauce is also good."

Ye Nan said, "I remember the sweet and sour fish you made last time was fantastic. When we head back tonight, make another one, will you?"

Gong Wanru replied, "Alright."

Ye Nan said, "There is still endless fish meat in the safe house. It would be a waste if it spoils."

Gong Wanru said, "What's there to regret? Just throw it away."

The little white cat silently wiped away its tears from the corner.

This meow doesn't even get to eat fish, yet the two of you are going to throw fish meat away. It's driving this meow mad!

Ye Nan and Gong Wanru thoroughly enjoyed their meal, while the little white cat was filled with envy, its saliva pooling all over the ground.

Half an hour later, Ye Nan asked again, "Little Kitty, do you really not want to eat any fish?"

The little white cat ignored him.

Ye Nan chuckled, pulled out a large bag of dried fish, and tossed it right in front of the little white cat.

Looking at the dried fish before it, the little white cat experienced an internal war within its soul. The wonderful aroma was driving it crazy.

This meow will endure. Endure, endure, endure, endure, endure, endure, endure, endure, endure!

Soon, the little white cat completely broke down in tears.

Forget it, I can't take it anymore. No more enduring.

Just one bite, just one bite, just one bite alone.

The little white cat took a bite of the dried fish, and its whole body immediately trembled. Heavens, it was simply too delicious!

Ever since the apocalypse broke out, water was undrinkable, and the fish inside naturally couldn't be eaten either—consuming them would turn someone into a zombie. Therefore, the little white cat hadn't tasted fish up until this moment.

It had promised itself it would only take one bite, but after that single bite, it could no longer stop, frantically devouring the food in front of it.

Ye Nan and Gong Wanru exchanged glances and both smiled. They knew the little white cat couldn't resist. As long as they could tame this little white cat, it would definitely become a powerful asset for them in the future.

Before long, the little white cat had finished every single piece of dried fish.

It had thought eating the dried fish would satisfy its cravings, but on the contrary, having experienced such delicious food, it craved it even more.

Ye Nan said, "Come over here. There is plenty of food here, and plenty of fish too. Eat whatever you want."

After hesitating for a moment, the little white cat walked over and began to eat.

Ye Nan said, "From now on, you follow me, and you'll have all the dried fish you can eat."

The little white cat didn't explicitly agree, but it no longer showed any signs of resistance.

Ye Nan and Gong Wanru knew the deal was sealed.

After finishing the meal, Ye Nan packed everything away and said to the little white cat, "Let's go. I'm taking you back to my safe house. It's much better than living here."

With that, Ye Nan picked up the little white cat in his arms.

The little white cat only struggled symbolically for a moment before stopping, letting Ye Nan hold it.

Ye Nan was overjoyed. To have subdued such a powerful pet meant this trip out had been a massive profit.

Just as they stepped outside, Ye Nan suddenly felt a powerful aura rushing toward him and Gong Wanru, clearly intending a fatal strike.

"Careful!" Ye Nan reacted swiftly, summoning the Thunder Sword to deflect the two incoming attacks.

In the distance, two young men stepped forward: one had dyed yellow hair, and the other was a fat man weighing at least three hundred pounds.

Upon seeing the two men, intense hatred flashed in the little white cat's eyes. Its fur stood on end, and it let out a harsh, piercing screech.

Ye Nan instantly understood and whispered, "Are these the two who beat you up?"

The little white cat nodded.

The moment the yellow-haired man and the fat man saw Gong Wanru, their eyes lit up. What a stunning, voluptuous top-tier beauty! They had to capture her today and have some fun with her. And that little white cat—they definitely had to tame it to serve as their muscle.

The yellow-haired man called out, "Hey kid, your martial skills aren't bad, but even with the little white cat on your side, you won't get the upper hand against us. If you know what's good for you, hand over the beautiful woman and the little white cat, and we can spare your life."

Ye Nan said coldly, "Do you two think you're worthy?"

The yellow-haired man and the fat man burst into laughter, mocking Ye Nan's foolishness.

The yellow-haired man said, "Among ability users, strength varies greatly. To tell you the truth, we've absorbed crystal cores. Well, you wouldn't understand even if I explained it. Surrender obediently."

The fat man added, "Hurry up and do as we say, unless you want to suffer more."

"Whatever tricks you have, bring them on. I'd like to see how capable you really are," Ye Nan sneered.

"Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, I'll grant your wish. Earth Prison!" The fat man was clearly an earth-attribute ability user. Under his control, the ground suddenly bulged upward, forming a massive earthen prison that trapped Ye Nan, Gong Wanru, and the little white cat inside.

The fat man gloated, "Haha, and here I thought you were something special. You're still trapped by me after all. Don't count on that little white cat either; the two of us already beat it half to death earlier, so its combat effectiveness is quite limited now. I advise you to surrender obediently, or I'll crush your bones and make you feel the agony of death. As for the beauty by your side, hand her over so I can have some fun, or else you won't be able to bear the consequences."

Ye Nan snorted coldly, looking at them with utter disdain. "I thought you two were actually formidable, but it turns out you're just all talk. If you really have any strength, beat me into submission."

The fat man said, "Fine, your wish is granted."

Under the fat man's control, the earthen prison began to shrink at a visible rate, intending to crush Ye Nan and Gong Wanru to death inside.

"Mere parlor tricks." Ye Nan channeled his ability energy, gripped the Thunder Sword, and slashed forward fiercely.

Boom!

The sturdy earthen prison was sliced clean in two by a single sword strike.

Following that, Ye Nan delivered a few more slashes to the earthen prison, hacking it beyond recognition until it finally shattered completely.

One of the fat man's ultimate moves had been neutralized by Ye Nan with such effortless ease.

The fat man was shocked. Ever since acquiring the Earth Prison skill, he rarely used it, but every time he did, it yielded excellent results—only this time was an exception.

Realization suddenly dawned on the fat man, and he shouted sharply, "You also know the secret of the crystal cores and have absorbed them, right?"

Ye Nan mocked, "What, are you the only one allowed to absorb them?"

"Indeed." The fat man felt a knot of trouble. Since the opponent had also absorbed crystal cores, his strength was undoubtedly formidable, making it far from easy to deal with Ye Nan.

The fat man and the yellow-haired man exchanged glances and shouted simultaneously, "Attack!"

The fat man thrust his hands into the ground, causing the earth elements beneath to surge violently and condense countless tiny stone spikes that flew toward Ye Nan.

Meanwhile, the yellow-haired man's aura shifted as he unleashed his darkness-attribute ability. Rows of black laser beams materialized before him, shooting viciously toward Ye Nan to pierce him like a hedgehog.

The little white cat in Ye Nan's arms leaped out, swatting down with a paw to shatter the fat man's earth spikes. At the same time, channeling its own ability, numerous bolts of lightning descended from above, accurately intercepting and neutralizing the black laser beams.

Just as the yellow-haired man and the fat man wore grim expressions, Gong Wanru made her move. A pair of fiery blades instantly materialized in her hands. She dashed toward the yellow-haired man and brought her blade down fiercely.

Slash!

The yellow-haired man never expected Gong Wanru to be an ability user as well. Failing to dodge in time, his shoulder was struck, and blood poured out.

"Damnable bitch!" The yellow-haired man glared fiercely. A moment of carelessness had cost him dearly.

With this turn of events, Ye Nan's side now had three ability users, and since the yellow-haired man was injured, the situation looked dire for them.

The fat man yelled anxiously, "Stop fighting! Let's get out of here first."

"Right." Although the yellow-haired man hated Gong Wanru to the core, he knew better than to linger; preserving his life came first.

The two of them summoned their maximum speed and bolted outward.

However, Ye Nan was faster. He blocked their path with a blank expression and said, "Gentlemen, where are you off to?"

The yellow-haired man fired another barrage of dark lasers, while the fat man coordinated with him, launching countless stone spikes at Ye Nan.

"I'm done playing with you two. Go to hell," Ye Nan shouted. The full might of a Level 2 ability user was on full display. Several lightning tentacles materialized behind him, swatting away the duo's attacks. Then, gripping his Thunder Sword, he strode forward and swung.

The yellow-haired man was already injured and had no way to block the blow. His head was severed instantly by Ye Nan's sword.

"Holy shit, a Level 2 ability user!" The fat man's heart turned cold. If Ye Nan were a Level 1 ability user, he might have been able to escape by fighting with all his might, but against a Level 2? He had no countermeasures whatsoever.

The fat man wanted to beg for mercy, but Ye Nan's attack was already upon him—another single, unpretentious sword strike.

Though simple in appearance, the fat man felt the greatest crisis of his life bearing down on him.

Desperately, the fat man condensed a wall of earth in front of him, hoping to block the sword energy. But it was useless; Ye Nan's sword aura was indestructible, piercing through layer after layer of earth walls until, under the fat man's terrified gaze, it pierced straight through his heart.

Just like that, both the yellow-haired man and the fat man were dead.

The little white cat let out a long breath of relief. They had fought a fierce battle at the mineral water plant earlier, and both sides had been injured, but the little white cat's wounds were much worse, making revenge no easy feat. Fortunately, Ye Nan had helped fulfill its wish.

Sensing the little white cat's thoughts, Ye Nan smiled faintly, "Little Kitty, I've avenged you. From now on, you'd better stick with me."

The little white cat snorted coldly and said nothing.

Ye Nan continued, "I suddenly thought—since you're so cute and can understand human speech, as your strength grows stronger, will you turn into a great beauty in the future?"

The little white cat glared fiercely at Ye Nan and scratched a message into the ground: "Stop plotting against this meow. This meow would rather die than submit!"