Parting Ways at Nineteen Minutes Past

On the twentieth day of the apocalypse, as May arrived, the weather gradually grew warmer, and flies and mosquitoes began to increase in number.

Summer’s greatest nuisance was the mosquitoes. Xiao Luo was relatively fortunate; even if bitten, the welts subsided quickly. But Xuan Xuan was different—any bite would swell up noticeably. Mosquito-repellent bracelets, patches, floral waters, eating fried scorpions, and wearing traditional herbal mosquito incense pouches all proved ineffective. After a bite, wiping the area immediately with garlic water or mild saline helped; if not noticed in time and the swelling hardened, only the ultimate remedy could be used: applying Mupirocin ointment locally.

Fortunately, Rong Xianxian discovered a new method—crushing vitamins into powder, dissolving them in water, and spraying it on the body. The effect was remarkable and safe.

Convinced of its effectiveness, she excitedly bought ten bottles of vitamins at once. Since they were so cheap, she suddenly thought of the pharmacy at the entrance and decided it might be time for a visit. After all, Jiang Jie’s wound had become infected, and after debridement, he had used antibiotic ointment for three days before it healed. The tube was already half-empty.

In case of injury during their upcoming relocation, having this medicine would be very convenient.

“Bang, bang, bang,” “rat-a-tat-tat”—the intermittent gunfire echoed, sometimes dense, sometimes scattered. Gunshots were common these days, but never so frequent or sustained.

Once Jiang Jie’s wound had stabilized and no further dressing changes were needed, peace returned to Rong Xianxian’s home. Suddenly, urgent knocking sounded at the door.

Opening it revealed Wang Lin.

“Sister Rong, did you hear that noise?” Wang Lin asked eagerly.

“Yes, it’s the military mobilizing,” Rong Xianxian replied, shaking the binoculars in her hand.

“The military? Then what about us...” Wang Lin’s face lit up with excitement, but she waved him off to interrupt.

“I know what you want to ask. I’ll tell everyone my thoughts—if anyone wants to know or has plans, just come and speak up.” She didn’t want to explain everything one by one.

Seeing Wang Lin hesitate, she sighed, “If you’re not going to spread the word, what are you waiting for? Anything else?”

“Sister Rong, didn’t you say before you didn’t want others coming to your place?” Wang Lin felt oddly uncomfortable. She had once been the only one Sister Rong trusted, but now it seemed Cui Lie and Jiang Jie were more favored.

“You mean I’ve become less cautious? That’s because I have you all here now!” Rong Xianxian smiled at him.

Of course, the main reason was her own significant improvement in strength. Many battles had honed not only her combat skills but also her confidence. Unlike in her past life, when she never possessed a proper weapon until death, now Rong Xianxian was on the verge of breaking through her cultivation boundary. If she didn’t deliberately suppress herself, she could gather her energy and charge her meridians at will.

With her curved blade breaking defenses, the Soul-Calming Bell confusing enemies, Xuan Xuan’s phoenix umbrella shielding her, and Xiao Luo’s rapid progress in martial arts—and with Wang Lin and Cui Lie’s support—they might be able to operate within the nearby area.

Soon, a group of ten young men assembled: Wang Lin’s four who arrived on the third day and Cui Lie’s six who came on the fifth, totaling ten. Over the past two weeks, except for Ren Cheng, who was kicked out, and another coward who quit voluntarily, they had fought almost daily. Compared to their initial clumsy arrivals, now they bore a more resolute and composed air.

Everyone had been practicing the Lightness Technique and Spirit Guidance Technique, though with varying starting times and differing aptitudes, progress varied widely.

“Everyone must have heard the gunfire, right? No need for idle talk—come and see!” Rong Xianxian handed the binoculars to Jiang Jie, the one who had come in first, pointing toward the northern window.

“Lots of military vehicles—cool! Those are the Warrior armored vehicles. Wow, there’s the Ironclad and the Fierce Dragon fighter jets. Amazing… Wait, what are you grabbing? I haven’t finished looking yet!” Jiang Jie exclaimed, only to have Wang Qirui snatch the binoculars away.

“Wow, so cool! How I wish I had one. Hey, I see a really handsome and beautiful lady—her sword is flaming. Hey, don’t snatch…” The binoculars were then grabbed by Ren Cheng.

After all ten had their turn, nearly half an hour had passed.

Once their excitement subsided, Rong Xianxian took back the binoculars and smiled warmly.

A sudden hush fell over the room.

Xia Kai covered his eyes with his hands and slumped onto the sofa, joking, “Sister Rong, don’t smile at me like that—my little heart can’t take it.”

With Xia Kai’s remark, the atmosphere normalized. Everyone found seats. Twenty days had passed since the apocalypse. Feeding so many people without limit was unsustainable. Everyone knew that household supplies were nearly exhausted, even with monster meat supplementing their food. Seasonings, especially salt, were running low; now even roasting meat lacked salt.

Rong Xianxian playfully tapped Xia Kai, “You’re such a rascal.”

“Everyone has seen it—the main force of our country’s army has arrived. The military vehicles are surrounding Chongzhou University of Light Industry, where they’re rescuing faculty and students. The university is only three kilometers from our neighborhood. At our current strength, driving there should be no problem. If we don’t go there, from today, we must begin venturing out in groups to gather supplies. Anybody with ideas or plans, speak up!”

The resurgence of spiritual energy, the sudden appearance of monsters from the sky, and the breakdown of communications had left people isolated. Yet the military had suffered little impact.

“Of course, we’re driving to join the military—they’ll protect us and provide proper shelter,” Ren Cheng said eagerly.

Seeing no response, he nudged Ren Tian’s arm, “Right, Tian?”

“Hmm,” Ren Tian glanced at Ren Cheng with an unreadable expression.

“Sister Rong, I promised to serve you for a year—wherever you go, I go,” Jiang Jie grinned broadly.

“Sister Rong, I was hoping to ride on your coattails back to the capital. My parents are there; you can’t abandon me,” Wang Lin said with a tinge of resentment, glancing at Jiang Jie who had spoken first.

“I’m coming with you,” Cui Lie, usually taciturn and blunt, made his stance clear.

“I want to go home,” Liao Yong muttered quietly.

Among Ren Tian’s five, only Wang Qirui expressed willingness to follow Rong Xianxian through thick and thin. In Wang Lin and Cui Lie’s group, only Liao Yong planned to join the military and then find a chance to return home.

Ren Tian looked at Rong Xianxian and sincerely thanked her. Since arriving, their strength had greatly increased; each wielded a handy weapon. Recent battles with monsters had become easier, and with the military nearby, the distance no longer seemed daunting.

Remembering that Ren Tian had ultimately given up taking his share of the beginner’s talisman-making book, she went to her cloakroom, retrieved several large hiking backpacks, packed a few compressed towels and blankets, and some men's clothing, then handed them over.

“We’ll escort you out of the neighborhood. I’m not sure if anyone is still visiting the convenience store at the gate, but you can stop by to grab some food and water. Life at the military base should be secure, but it’s better to be prepared.” It was also a good opportunity to get out, as many supplies needed replenishing.