78: From now on, you'll be with me.

Mo Li looked at the unyielding Ai Yue, unsure if she would care about their lives. He took a deep breath. "Ai Yue, that matter was my fault. I apologize to you. You don't have to save me now, I only ask that you take Ye Rui away."

This time, Ai Yue looked Mo Li straight in the eye, sizing him up from head to toe. "I didn't expect you to be so loyal. I..."

"Hey, you two are chatting quite lively. Did you forget something, huh?

You're completely ignoring us brothers! Do you think we're made of paper, that you can just leave whenever you want?" The group surrounding them, seeing the two chatting as if no one else was there, roared angrily.

Only then did Ai Yue cast her gaze toward the surrounding group of disgusting people, smiling playfully. "Right, you're quite self-aware. I really didn't put you in my eyes."

"Damn it, you bitch! How dare you look down on us like that! See how I deal with you! Everyone, get her!"

The group rushed forward, cursing and swearing.

Ai Yue twirled her knife, kicked one person away with a cold expression, leaned slightly to the side, and plunged her knife into the chest of someone trying to sneak up on her.

Since absorbing the energy stone, Ai Yue's strength had become immense, as if she had an inexhaustible supply of power. Killing these mediocre people was quite easy for her.

As if playing, she took care of everyone; not a single one managed to escape.

Most of them lay on the ground moaning in pain, unable to stand up at all.

Ai Yue did not deliver the killing blow to those who had lost their ability to resist.

At that moment, the woman staggered up from the ground, picked up her knife, and walked with a murderous aura to the man who had touched her face. Without hesitation, she hacked off the hand that had just touched her and finally slit his throat.

Ai Yue raised an eyebrow and nodded inwardly. In the Apocalypse, women should be like this—decisive and ruthless.

Wait, why did the knife she was using look so familiar?

After the woman named Ye Rui finished the kill, she turned around with a calm face, looked at Ai Yue, and grinned. "Sister, do you remember me?"

Ai Yue was stunned. Did she know her?

She studied Ye Rui carefully, feeling a sense of familiarity, but she couldn't remember where they had met.

Ai Yue honestly shook her head.

Ye Rui was a bit disappointed, but soon brightened up again. "Sister, you saved me in the Jinhua Residential Area! You even gave me this military knife!"

Ai Yue suddenly remembered who she was.

Ai Yue's family had gone to the Jinhua Residential Area to seek revenge on the enemies who killed her parents in her past life. They happened to encounter those beasts gang-raping a little girl.

She was that little girl.

At that time, she had asked Ai Yue to kill her, but Ai Yue hadn't agreed. Instead, she left her a bloody military knife, letting her decide for herself whether she wanted to keep her life.

Seeing that Ai Yue remembered, Ye Rui choked up. "Sister, thank you for rescuing me, helping me get revenge, and giving me the hope to live on. Thank you!"

Ye Rui gave Ai Yue a deep bow.

A hint of heartache appeared in Ai Yue's eyes. She understood that it must have been very difficult for this girl to decide to live, and surviving must have been full of hardships. Regardless, she had managed to survive on her own.

"Sister, look how wonderful the world is. You saved me last time, and this time, just as I was about to follow in my previous footsteps, you saved me again.

I don't know how to thank you. In this world, I no longer have any attachments. Sister, from now on, I want to follow you. My life is yours. If you want me to die now, I'll give my life back to you immediately!" Ye Rui said excitedly.

When Mo Li heard Ye Rui say she had no one left in the world to care about, his throat felt tight and his heart felt bitter. He unconsciously squeezed his fingers hard.

Hearing her heartfelt words, Ai Yue's heart softened. She patted her shoulder and said, "How could I let you die? But we truly have a connection. From now on, you follow me!"

Ai Yue felt that after suffering such a massive blow, this girl could still pull herself together. She admired her greatly. Letting her follow along might be the right decision.

Ye Rui nodded heavily with tears in her eyes.

Her wandering heart, which had nowhere to rest, suddenly found peace.

Ye Rui made up her mind that in this man-eating Apocalypse, she would use her life to protect this woman who had given her a new life.

"Regardless, I still want to thank you for saving us." Mo Li, who was unable to stand because of his injuries, suddenly spoke up in gratitude.

Ai Yue snorted ungraciously. "I didn't plan on saving you. Consider yourself lucky..."

Mo Li smiled silently. Although Ai Yue disdained to admit she saved him, he silently took her life-saving grace to heart.

Ai Yue left the remaining defenseless people for Mo Li and Ye Rui to handle; she didn't lift a finger again.

The two of them had been struggling in the Apocalypse for so long that they had long since lost any sense of mercy toward their enemies. All they knew was to pull up the roots.

With Ye Rui's help, Mo Li crawled up from the ground, staggered over to one person, and finished him off with a knife.

Under Ai Yue's supervision, all the remaining people were eliminated by Mo Li and Ye Rui.

"What are your plans next?" Ai Yue asked.

Ye Rui quickly replied, "I will naturally follow your arrangements."

Ai Yue gave her a reassuring smile and looked at Mo Li. "And you?"

Mo Li smiled helplessly. "In my current state, I really can't travel alone. Can I temporarily follow you? I originally wanted to take Ye Rui to the Safety Tower in Yingjin City, but I didn't expect to almost fall here."

Although Ye Rui said nothing, it was clear she was very concerned about Mo Li's condition, looking at Ai Yue with a hint of hope in her eyes.

Ai Yue really didn't want to bring Mo Li along, but seeing Ye Rui's reluctant gaze, and considering the car they had been driving was trashed by that group, if she left him here alone, death would be his only end. Thinking of this, she agreed.

Ye Rui took their things from the broken car and helped Mo Li into Ai Yue's car.

Once inside, Mo Li asked in confusion, "Ai Yue, weren't you driving a marauder? Why did you change to a kaibaihe battle shield?"

Ai Yue rolled her eyes and said chillingly, "You should go ask your good brother, Gu Xiheng."

Mo Li was shocked to hear Gu Xiheng's name. "Xiheng is still alive? You've seen him? Where did you see him?"

Before Ai Yue could answer his barrage of questions, he continued, "Did you guys go to the Safety Tower in Yingjin City later? You saw him there, right? So that means he's still alive? Haha, the heavens have eyes!"

Seeing his manic state, Ai Yue didn't want to talk to him at all.

This man was so smart. Ai Yue had only said one sentence, and he could deduce so much on his own. He was truly not simple.

Ai Yue couldn't be bothered with him and focused on driving.