36: Chapter 36 is about Xiao Sinian! Chaos!

Everyone's fatigue was miraculously relieved after drinking the water, which surprised Mu Feng and the others.

Looking at Lu Yanxiu and the others sitting on the ground, they seemed to understand something.

Xiao Sinian walked over to Qi Yin, his long blade firmly driven into the ground.

A small bag of blood-stained white crystal cores was handed to Qi Yin: "Here!"

Qi Yin didn't stand on ceremony and accepted them.

Her gaze was fixed on the blade; she reached out and pulled it up, her slender fingers slowly tracing the cold blade, feeling the familiar patterns.

She looked down at Xiao Sinian with a complicated expression, not even noticing that her voice had tightened.

"This blade is..."

Xiao Sinian looked up to meet her eyes, the gaze beneath his mask flickering for a moment. He reached out, took phoenix feather back from her hand, and returned it to the scabbard at his waist.

His tone was flat, devoid of emotion: "A family heirloom."

Qi Yin watched his hand as he withdrew the blade and didn't ask further.

However, the mystery of her past life in her heart and the image of the man before her suddenly collided.

Even now, it was clear yet shrouded in thick mist.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Qi Yin glanced behind Xiao Sinian's ear and approached him step by step.

Xiao Sinian didn't know what she was doing, but he didn't dodge either.

The two were immersed in each other's presence, completely unaware of the dozen or so pairs of shining eyes watching them from not far away.

Lu Jinwen poked Lu Yanxiu beside her, her expression incredibly lively.

"Brother, I'm shipping them!"

Lu Yanxiu seemed to have found a kindred spirit: "Right? I think so too."

Qi Yin didn't care what they were thinking; she was focused on figuring out Xiao Sinian's identity and whether he was who she thought he was.

Steeling herself, she said to Xiao Sinian, "Excuse me."

Then, she cupped Xiao Sinian's head with both hands.

Just as Xiao Sinian thought she was going to take off his mask, Qi Yin turned his head in the opposite direction.

A small red mole behind his ear appeared before Qi Yin's eyes without warning.

After a moment, she lowered her hands, her eyes suddenly turning red.

It was confirmed—that person really was Xiao Sinian!

Sensing her loss of composure, Xiao Sinian stood up and waved his hand.

"Snap out of it. What's wrong with you today, Little Fiancée?"

He tried to use a teasing tone to bring Qi Yin back to normal, also because he didn't want to see her unhappy.

However, Qi Yin didn't know how to face the person in front of her now. Should she be grateful? Or what?

In short, her current mood was very complicated.

So, Qi Yin chose to escape.

Without answering Xiao Sinian's question, she fled with her people.

After she left, the gentleness that had just been in Xiao Sinian's eyes was replaced by a layer of cold frost.

"Mu Feng, it seems Yanqi Mountain is looking for trouble!"

...

As night fell, they returned to Kyoto and felt the city sinking into a strange clamor.

News of zombies appearing in Lin City had spread like wildfire. Accompanied by exaggerated and vague explanations and videos from major marketing accounts, it completely shattered people's last bit of wishful thinking.

A massive panic spread rapidly like a plague.

Qi Yin checked the time; it was already one in the morning.

Despite this, major supermarkets, shopping malls, and even corner convenience stores were packed with people.

The sounds of shoving, arguing, and crying were incessant.

On the shelves, anything visible and tangible was quickly cleared out, regardless of price or category.

As long as it was edible, it was all snapped up in a frenzy.

With sudden wealth raining down, shop owners scrambled to restock while jacking up prices several times over.

But these actions could not stop the frenzied crowd.

The city's traffic was suddenly paralyzed by the crowds. Traffic police were dispatched, and shouting could be heard everywhere, but it was useless.

The entire city was in a state of chaos.

Qi Yin and her group watched from the car, feeling uneasy.

But none of this had anything to do with them.

They all looked at Qi Yin, their eyes filled with relief.

Qi Yin lowered her eyes, her gaze dark and unreadable.

This was only the beginning.

"Let's go back."

Soon, the government dispatched a large number of police to maintain order, allowing the nearly paralyzed city to return to normal.

In stark contrast to the city's clamor was a small two-bedroom apartment in an old residential area.

Qi Mingyuan's family of four was squeezed into the cramped living room, the air thick with oppression and panic.

The television was scrolling through emergency notifications, urging citizens to stay calm and not spread rumors.

Although those bloody videos had long since disappeared under the swift actions of the regulatory departments, the faint clamor from outside the window could not be hidden.

Wang Hui's voice trembled, and her face was pale as she grabbed Qi Ming's arm: "Is it really the Apocalypse?"

Was that prophecy on the internet true?

The huge drop from luxury to frugality made Qi Ming extremely irritable, and he shoved her away.

"Shut up! So annoying! Didn't you hear it's a rumor?"

Wang Hui had never lived a hard life. She truly liked Qi Ming, which was why she was willing to follow him to this dump. Now that she was being yelled at, she couldn't help but be angry.

She stood up and slapped Qi Ming: "I'm telling you, Qi Ming, I have other options. You dare yell at me? Go live your life by yourself!"

With that, she stormed off, the old door slamming loudly.

Qi Ming didn't have time to chase her. He held a bankbook that was nearly crushed out of shape, the pitiful numbers on it dripping with irony.

This was only barely scraped together after he and Qi Mingyuan sold all of Lu Yingman and Wang Hui's jewelry and bags.

Qi Mingyuan's expression was also extremely poor. He had originally hoped to make a grand comeback relying on that treasure mountain, but who would have thought he'd be outmaneuvered by Qi Yin and Xiao Sinian?

Truly, damn it!

Qi Ming gnashed his teeth, blaming everything on Qi Yin.

"It's all that bitch Qi Yin's fault. If she hadn't interfered, how could we have ended up like this?"

Lu Yingman's tearful voice sounded particularly piercing in the small room.

"What's the use of saying this now? I told you to be nicer to her, but none of you would listen."

"Well, look at us now. Hurry up and find a way to buy more rice and flour. I heard from Auntie Wang next door that people are going crazy outside. I don't know how much we can buy with this little bit of money!"

Although they claimed the TV reports were rumors, they had learned their lesson and decided to buy some food for safety.

In the corner, a dozen or so bags of rice and some canned goods were piled up, which Lu Yingman had bought earlier with some skepticism.

But now, as things outside spiraled out of control, such a small reserve seemed laughable and insignificant.

A deep sense of helplessness filled the hearts of the three.

Now, they could only find a way to get some supplies from the black market.

Meanwhile, in the Mountaintop Villa Sanctuary, it was exceptionally quiet.