News from the Outside World

Rong Xianxian had no idea what Shang Yuge was thinking.

You don't bother me, and I won't bother you.

She hadn't gone for the kill earlier, but these people just kept pushing their luck.

Shang Yuge was calculating the chips he still held in his hand.

With one dead and two injured on his side, he had clearly lost all his dignity. How could he save face now?

He didn't want to show any weakness in front of Xianxian at all.

"Xianxian, can we step aside and talk?" Shang Yuge said after mulling it over for a moment.

"No way! What could you possibly want to say to her?" Zhang Xiaoxiao grabbed Shang Yuge's hand tightly.

Deep down, Shang Yuge cursed the last eight generations of Zhang Xiaoxiao's ancestors.

His mind kept flashing back to the sword held by Zhang Xiaoxiao's father.

That sword was meant to be his by destiny.

Everyone else thought it was just a sharp weapon, but Shang Yuge could sense something extraordinary about it. Every time he got close to it, he felt a surging restlessness deep within his soul.

He had an intuition that as long as he obtained that sword, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap.

At this thought, a trace of a smile flickered in the depths of Shang Yuge's eyes. *For the sake of that sword, I will endure.*

"Xiaoxiao, can you be a bit more generous? We were the ones who wronged her in the past, but you're the victor here. We've been married for so long—what could I possibly say to her? You still can't let it go? Why are you so petty?" Shang Yuge chuckled and lovingly ruffled Zhang Xiaoxiao's hair.

"Who told you she's your first love?" Seeming to thoroughly enjoy the caress, Zhang Xiaoxiao shot a provocative glance at Rong Xianxian, buried her face in Shang Yuge's chest, pouted, stomped her feet, and acted coquettishly.

Rong Xianxian, who was eavesdropping, shivered all over as goosebumps erupted across her skin.

A wave of nausea washed over her. What should she do?

A fleeting flash of disgust crossed the depths of Shang Yuge's eyes.

"Xiaoxiao, the people with her are all cultivators whose strength is unfathomable. Even with guns, we don't stand a chance. Besides, Big Brother hasn't returned yet, and our manpower can't afford any more losses." In the blink of an eye, Shang Yuge assumed a considerate and pampering expression once again.

Hearing Shang Yuge's words, Zhang Xiaoxiao's mood instantly plummeted.

"I wonder how my brother is doing. He said he would just follow the army at a distance to scout the path and would be back soon, but it's been half a month since he left." Zhang Xiaoxiao wore a worried expression.

"You know Zhang You's marksmanship, but do you know what just happened?" Shang Yuge's low voice was steady and calm, compelling people to obey from the bottom of their hearts.

Zhang Xiaoxiao instinctively perked up her ears. "No."

"Do you know what hypnosis is?" Shang Yuge offered an example.

"I know." Zhang Xiaoxiao nodded.

"Rong Xianxian must know some high-level, formidable hypnosis technique; that's why Zhang You suddenly turned around. Right now, not only is our strength inferior, but you're also the one who started this. If I don't find a way to persuade her to take a step back, do you think you can walk away unscathed today?" A hint of helplessness colored Shang Yuge's tone.

"Aren't you a cultivator too? Can't you even beat her, or is it that you can't bear to? I know you've never forgotten her. Do you still want something to happen between the two of you?" Truth be told, Zhang Xiaoxiao knew in her heart that Shang Yuge was right; she was simply too stubborn to admit defeat and didn't want Shang Yuge to have any one-on-one contact with Rong Xianxian.

A woman's sixth sense made her extremely uneasy.

"You little fool, she's already had a child with another man—what kind of thoughts could I possibly harbor about her? Aren't I doing all this for you? If not, you find a way to resolve this current situation." Shang Yuge smiled.

"No way. If I step forward in front of all these people, wouldn't that mean I'm not leaving you any face?" Understanding Shang Yuge's temper, Zhang Xiaoxiao—though deeply reluctant to admit it—had indeed turned cowed.

Listening in on the conversation, Rong Xianxian curled her lips in disdain. In her past life, who was the one who swore up and down to treat her child as his own?

Lying was a natural human talent; no one needed to learn or be taught how to do it.

Rong Xianxian muttered a silent complaint, wondering whether she should even bother listening to what he had to say.

"Sister Rong," Cui Lie walked up to Rong Xianxian, wearing the posture of someone determined to follow her wherever she went.

Shang Yuge tightly pressed his lips together. Rong Xianxian glanced back at the eager Wang Lin, then waved her hand at Cui Lie. Past grievances and old romantic debts aside, during the northward journey in her previous life, Shang Yuge had indeed extended a helping hand to them during their weakest moments as mother and child.

The two of them walked over to the car that had just been riddled with gunfire. The distance was just right—within everyone's line of sight, yet far enough to ensure no one else could overhear their conversation.

Seeing the spot they chose, Cui Lie, Wang Lin, and Zhang Xiaoxiao all relaxed slightly.

"What do you want to say?" Rong Xianxian asked straight to the point. *He was a benefactor to me in my past life, but not in this one. Does Shang Yuge really think a single word from him will make me let this go?*

Rong Xianxian muttered inwardly to herself.

Shang Yuge couldn't possibly be that socially clueless.

"Xianxian, I regret it. I regret what I did to wrong you back then." Even as he spoke of regret, Shang Yuge's expression remained calm and detached, creating a deeply jarring sense of dissonance.

Rong Xianxian wore a look of utter bewilderment, as if her brain had short-circuited.

*Big brother, do you have any idea that acting like this makes people think you've developed a split personality?*

Seeing Rong Xianxian's expression, Shang Yuge struggled to maintain his composure. He let out a secret sigh; it was finally time to get to the main point.

"Today's incident was provoked by Xiaoxiao, but with one dead and two injured on our side, I can't easily justify returning empty-handed. No matter how formidable you are, there are only a few of you, including two children. We still have a lot of manpower on our side. I know you don't want to kill anyone either, so why don't both sides take a step back and reconcile?" Shang Yuge said.

"What kind of step back do you have in mind?" Rong Xianxian was very curious to hear his proposal.

"You leave behind half of the supplies and promise not to come to this supermarket again," Shang Yuge said. Just as his voice trailed off, he caught sight of Rong Xianxian's mocking gaze and choked slightly, feeling that Xianxian was not as cute as she used to be.

"And what kind of concession are you offering?" Rong Xianxian sneered in her heart. *You want to step on my dignity to save your own face? What kind of daydream are you having?*

"I know you're feeling resentful inside, and maybe you think my demands are a bit excessive. But I can tell you a piece of news—news about the outside world." Shang Yuge subconsciously lowered his voice.

Rong Xianxian frowned. The vanguard troops sent out by the military hadn't returned; where could there possibly be any news of the outside world?

"How would you know news of the outside world when even the military doesn't?" Rong Xianxian looked at Shang Yuge with suspicion.

"Didn't you know there are many civilian exploration teams out there?" Shang Yuge countered with a question.

"If it's that kind of news, you might as well save it. Every lucky survivor who manages to escape back tells the exact same story: shortly after leaving the city, they were attacked by monsters, and the entire army was wiped out except for them. It's always the same script, completely unoriginal." Rong Xianxian looked thoroughly uninterested.

"No, don't you find it suspicious that the military hasn't sent any reports back? The military's soldiers are fully armed with elite weaponry; they have armored vehicles, trucks, artillery, ample ammunition, and rich supplies. Logically speaking, shouldn't they be unstoppable and invincible?" Shang Yuge patiently analyzed the situation for Rong Xianxian.

A flicker of movement stirred in Rong Xianxian's heart. *Could he actually know something?*