A Level 2 zombie suddenly sprang out from the roadside, its neck severed by Su Mo without a trace of mercy. Zhao Xiweng, sitting in the car, saw her and couldn’t help but feel a bit of schadenfreude.
When she got back to Jin Han’s car, Zhao Changsheng tenderly took her in, asking with concern, "Momo, did that stinky man lay a hand on you?"
Su Mo brushed her hand away with a laugh, "What are you thinking?"
Noticing the caring gaze Li Qian cast her way, she smiled and looked out the window. Only Su Mo knew in her heart that she was just forcing him to admit he was jealous.
So what if he forgot? What’s it to her if he reverted to his old ways? His body’s emotions were still painfully obvious.
Jin Han sat in the passenger seat, turned his head, and chuckled, "Those with the surname Lu are all ruthless, little lady, be careful not to get completely devoured."
Su Mo found his words quite agreeable, and curiously asked, "It seems like you go out on missions quite often, don’t you?"
Jin Han replied, "Well, a bunch of folks in the group rely on this for their meals. Naturally, we’ve got to take on big jobs often."
Su Mo nodded, then followed up with, "So do you know where Zijuan Tea is produced?"
"I know, I know," the driver, who was behind the wheel, said. He glanced at Su Mo from the rearview mirror and said, "The Sheng City we’re headed to is the place. It’s a mountain city surrounded by large and small tea plantations everywhere. There are countless varieties, and I even tasted some insanely fragrant tea there on a trip before the apocalypse."
Li Qian softly said, "It’s a nice place."
"Not anymore, haven’t you heard about the dense zombie hordes?" Zhao Changsheng scornfully glanced at him.
The latter just chuckled, remaining noncommittal.
Su Mo’s mind was abuzz with excitement, her eyes glittering with anticipation. "If it’s a mountain city, zombies won’t be a problem. The place is also quite open."
"That’s true. The tourism industry was thriving there, and the main city was very prosperous," remarked the driver.
Jin Han said, "To hell with it, as long as we make it back, the reward is double."
"How long will it take us to get there?" inquired Su Mo.
The driver answered, "About a two days’ drive, and we’ll have to camp on the road for these two days."
As dusk approached, the convoy had entered the rolling hills. The mountain road was difficult to navigate, and upon reaching a higher elevation, they stopped to set up camp for the night in the forest.
This area used to be a scenic spot. Thanks to the sun disappearing just before the apocalypse, it was sparsely populated with humans, and not a single zombie was in sight. The road was wide, flanked on both sides by clusters of bamboo, rustling in the breeze.
Su Mo got out of the car and stretched lazily before taking the initiative to set up tents with Jin Han and the others. Zhao Changsheng sidled up to her with foxy eyes full of charm, "Momo, we’re the only two girls in the group. Let’s sleep together."
As Su Mo hammered in tent stakes, she glanced sidelong at her, "You should be thankful you’re a girl, else I’d definitely treat you like a pervert."
Zhao Changsheng didn’t mind her words at all and even had a blush of embarrassment on her face.
Su Mo couldn’t help but roll her eyes, "Let’s sleep together then. Hurry up with the tent. I don’t want to be bitten to death by bugs at night."
Zhao Changsheng immediately got to work with vigour, her hands moving swiftly and efficiently.
Jin Han clicked his tongue in amazement, and his teammate muttered, "Who knew this she-devil could show such an expression."
Jin Han gave him a look and flashed a row of yellow teeth, "Got to cherish the return of a darling," he said.
While he said this, his gaze drifted toward the tall figure at the front of the convoy, "That guy used to fancy this girl quite a bit."
The teammate was puzzled, only a few who had seen Su Mo before knew the story.
At nightfall, dozens of tents were pitched in the woods, with a dedicated watch for each team.
Everyone consumed their own dry food and water, with the better-off ones eating canned meat or vegetables brought by Space Superpower Users.
Jin Han’s team was, of course, no exception.
Sitting in front of the campfire, Su Mo got a can of corn kernels and half a bottle of water prepared by the team. She pulled the can open and started eating directly from it, with many from Jin Han’s team covertly inching closer, speaking to her carefully.
After swallowing the corn, Su Mo surveyed the surroundings and noticed that Jin Han’s team was all male, even the Water Element Superpower User, whereas other teams had at least a few female superpower users.
She couldn’t help but ask, "Does your team not have any women?"
The men exchanged glances and then, under the flickering firelight, their expressions took on a lewd quality, "There are women, but they are all kept back at the main base."
"Our women are shared," they said.
Su Mo immediately realized that, to them, women were nothing more than tools for release.
Seeing her grim expression, those few hastily tried to make amends, "Miss Su, please don’t misunderstand, those women are there voluntarily."
Su Mo smiled and said, "There’s nothing wrong with taking what you need."
As she made idle conversation with them, her gaze suddenly shifted back to those phoenix eyes filled with endless coldness.
After a moment of eye contact, Su Mo looked down and took a few sips from her water bottle.
"Momo, have you finished eating? It’s time to sleep!" Zhao Changsheng patted her shoulder from behind, his foxlike eyes unblinking as he stared at her.
Choked by her drink, Su Mo coughed a few times, fending off his hand, "Keep it up and you’ll be sleeping outside tonight."
"Oh..." Zhao Changsheng obediently sat down beside her.
His seemingly innocent expression on that foxy face was shocking to many in the team.
There were even dry remarks, "This demoness, when unleashed, is the polar opposite of how she appears now."
Feeling Zhao Changsheng’s glaring daggers, that person shut up and didn’t make another sound.
Jin Han approached and consulted with Li Qian, "Your Spiritual Ability is the highest level in the team. How about you stand watch for the first half of the night and then get a good rest later?"
Li Qian nodded slightly, "That works."
Finally finishing her canned corn, Su Mo was pulled into the tent. She had overslept today and, with the woman beside her gazing eagerly, she turned her head uncontrollably, "Zhao Changsheng, shut those foxy eyes of yours!"
Zhao Changsheng obediently closed his eyes, and Su Mo lay flat, staring at the tent ceiling, "We’ve always been friends."
This time, Zhao Changsheng’s response was brisk. He snuggled closer, "It’s just that I haven’t seen you for a long time, and I’ve missed you terribly."
Su Mo was amused, "You must’ve picked up these words from those guys. Did you get over your aversion to men while I was gone?"
Zhao Changsheng opened his eyes and whispered, "No, but now I realize that you being alive is more important than anything else."
Su Mo was taken aback, her smile slipping away. She didn’t know how Zhao Changsheng had coped during the time she was pronounced dead, but she guessed that he must have been close to madness.