Chapter 143: A Strange Phenomenon

Qin Yu shook her head and said to Xue Qi, "Brother Li naturally has his own plans. I am not entirely clear on the matter either."

Xue Qi wore an expression that clearly suggested, "Is he out cheating on her?" Fortunately, Qin Yu did not see his face; otherwise, she surely would have given him a stern lesson.

Thinking his boss might be off dallying with someone else, Xue Qi quickly and cautiously added, "Um, sister-in-law! Don’t be sad, you still have us! Haha."

Assuming Xue Qi was referring to her worry over Brother Li, Qin Yu nodded and said, "Yes, I still have you all! I will be strong!"

This left Xue Qi, who had been letting his imagination run wild, suddenly enlightened. What a tolerant sister-in-law! What a wonderful woman! When the boss returns, he must give him a piece of his mind! To think he loved her so much at the beginning, only to treat her poorly after winning her heart! Hmph! What a scumbag!

At that moment, Qin Yu was immersed in her concern for Qing Li, and since Xue Qi kept his wild theories to himself, a beautiful misunderstanding unfolded—one that would certainly not be pleasant for Qing Li! Xue Qi was clearly too idle; he would definitely be "well taken care of" later!

After a long while, Qin Yu sighed and said to the still-musing Xue Qi, "You should go back first. Tell the others to get some good rest tonight so you can continue the fight tomorrow!"

Xue Qi frowned and asked, "What about you, sister-in-law?"

Qin Yu turned to look at the vast darkness and said slowly, "I will keep watch here. If those mutant animals show any movement, I can be ready at a moment's notice."

"Sister-in-law, if you ask me, we should be the ones staying here! You go back and rest; we’ll keep watch!" Xue Qi declared righteously.

Qin Yu replied, "You are the main force; you need to rest well!"

Although Xue Qi felt her words made sense, the idea of leaving their sister-in-law to stand guard alone while they slept soundly in the villa didn't seem right. Before he could protest, Qin Yu spoke again, "Go back and rest! That is an order!"

Xue Qi was taken aback. He raised his right hand, saluted, and said, "Yes!" before turning to leave.

Once he was gone, Qin Yu leaned against the wall, rubbed her temples, and remained silent.

The night grew deeper, the darkness devouring the earth with an unstoppable momentum. The people in the base grew increasingly exhausted, eventually drifting into dreams of peace.

Qin Yu felt her eyelids growing heavy, and she seemed on the verge of sleep. But suddenly, she jolted awake. Listening to the faint, rhythmic breathing around her and staring into the darkness, her eyelids drooped once more, and she drifted into slumber.

At the very last moment before losing consciousness, she had a fleeting vision of a tall figure and a smaller figure flashing past.

Day and night always alternate. As the darkness lost its dominance and was gradually dispelled by the sunlight, the earth began to recover the little vitality it had left.

When the first rays of sunlight slanted through the clouds across the land, Qin Yu slowly opened her eyes. She felt a weakness in her limbs—a lack of control over her own body that made her feel deeply unsettled. She struggled to stand, leaning against the wall, and looked out.

At that sight, she was stunned!

Could someone tell her what happened? Where were those mutant animals? Where was that army of immortal beasts? Why was the area in front of the base completely barren?

Oh, no. Aside from the scorched and frozen carcasses left from yesterday, there was no trace of the mutant animals at all!

A sense of foreboding welled up in Qin Yu’s heart. Could it be that Brother Li…

Qin Yu gripped the railing with trembling hands. Her footing was unsteady, and her body shook slightly. Her eyes were filled with terror, and her long eyelashes fluttered, damp with either dew or tears, making her look truly heartbreaking.

The people in the base woke up one by one. Whether they were high-spirited, dejected, or indifferent, they all looked out toward the perimeter of the base, only to discover with joy: they were gone! That army of monsters was gone!

If not for the remains left on the open ground, they would have thought yesterday was all a dream! They rubbed their eyes repeatedly, and some even had their companions slap them to ensure it wasn't a hallucination.

Soon, the base was filled with the sound of slapping, followed by bursts of laughter.

They cheered and rejoiced! Not a single person noticed Qin Yu’s distress, nor did anyone realize that Qing Li was missing! To them, survival was the only thing that mattered.

When Zhao Mei and the others arrived, filled with joy upon hearing the news, they saw Qin Yu clutching the railing, her face etched with sorrow as she looked into the distance.

Sensing that something was wrong with Qin Yu, Zhao Mei signaled the others and walked over to her side alone, asking with concern, "Xiao Yu, are you alright?"

Hearing Zhao Mei’s voice, Qin Yu stiffened. She quickly wiped the sadness from her face, forced a faint smile, and replied, "I’m fine! Xiao Mei, why are you here?"

Seeing Qin Yu’s forced smile, Zhao Mei knew she wasn't as calm as she appeared, but since Xiao Yu wasn't willing to talk, there was nothing she could do.

"I heard the news that the mutant animals had disappeared, so I came to see," Zhao Mei said.

Qin Yu nodded to show she understood. Zhao Mei noticed that Qing Li was nowhere to be seen beside Qin Yu and felt her heart sink. She asked quietly, "Xiao Yu, where is Qing Li?"

Qin Yu’s face went rigid for a moment before she quickly regained her composure. She smiled and said, "Brother Li had something to take care of and left."

Zhao Mei didn't believe her, but it wasn't the right place to discuss it, as there were many prying eyes. Zhao Mei glanced around with a heavy expression and said to Qin Yu, "Xiao Yu, let’s go back to the villa first. I have something I want to tell you."

Qin Yu nodded and returned to the villa with Zhao Mei and the others.

Meanwhile, the people in the base looked at Qin Yu and her group with admiration! They knew this group had contributed the most yesterday! And that man who had been standing next to Qin Yu was incredibly powerful—likely a fourth-order ability user, or perhaps even stronger!

As they pondered this, their attention shifted. Wait? Where was that man from yesterday? Was he still sleeping? What a lazy pig!

Because of Qin Yu’s careful cover-up, the people in the base didn't suspect a thing. To them, the disappearance of the mutant animals must have been a divine intervention! Heaven surely couldn't bear to see its children perish. Oh, the foolish masses, still believing in the lies of the heavens.