Seven Companions

Seeing the slight urgency on Wang Lin’s face, Rong Xianxian swallowed the words of impossibility she had wanted to say.

“I don’t know. Qingyun told me that if conditions allow, we should kill more monsters to obtain skill books, and maybe weapons or other items. These things can enhance personal strength, but it’s best not to go out alone. It’s safer to go out in groups. Are there any trustworthy companions left in the security team?” She recalled that in the previous life, he said about a dozen people acted together. The community security team had over twenty members who ran drills morning and evening, so they should be quite familiar with one another.

“Two of my close friends happen to be on leave at home, and there are about four or five on day shifts, probably in the dorm. The dorm is not far, just across the street in the other neighborhood. Opposite that neighborhood is a vegetable market, surrounded by small shops and eateries. If the food stored in the dorm isn’t enough, they’d probably look for something at the market. They have keys and might go back to the duty room to get water. I left a note for them in a hidden spot; if they see it, they should come over,” Wang Lin said frankly.

Rong Xianxian rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. Well, if more people come, the stored food definitely wouldn’t be enough; they would have to go out to find food eventually.

She didn’t know the others well. Although they planned to share the skill books they obtained, the more people involved, the harder it was to negotiate terms.

Right now, people hadn’t realized the importance of skill books. Borrowing and sharing to get skill books was possible, but later on, especially upon reaching the base and understanding their value, would there be regrets and demands for compensation?

Only by grasping the initiative could one rightfully share the treasures earned.

“You all can rest for a couple of days and see if more people come. I have an idea: we can set traps and mechanisms on the rooftop, three or four people per group, to lure flying monsters. This method is relatively safer. The downside is that it might be all for nothing; if we can’t land fatal blows, the monsters will just fly away. On the rooftop, we know the terrain; it’s easier to escape and hide. If we really can’t handle it, we can call other groups for support. This will help us practice our coordination and reduce casualties when we go out for supplies. Since there are many people, home food may not be enough, and we might need to go out to find food,” Rong Xianxian explained.

“That sounds great, no problem at all. We often train together anyway; we even did wilderness survival exercises. Jiang Jie from our dorm is from the northeastern mountains; he’s good at making traps and very reliable. When he gets here, we’ll study it together. For now, let’s recover and train our bodies. Sister Rong, we’ve studied this talisman-making book a bit, but we don’t understand it. Can you? Is it really useful?” Wang Lin looked puzzled.

This book was about talisman-making, which required spiritual energy to create. Without cultivating foundational methods, the book was incomprehensible.

If she told him this, he’d realize she had cultivation manuals, but she actually didn’t.

Although in the previous life he had saved Xuanxuan, and Rong Xianxian planned to help him improve his strength, she had initially revealed his identity.

But this life was different; nothing had happened yet, and the circumstances were not exactly the same.

Should she give him the cultivation methods so easily?

Rong Xianxian hesitated.

As the saying goes, a favor for a peck of rice breeds enmity for a sheng of rice. If one gives unconditionally, people get used to it and gratitude fades.

In the previous life, he had only one companion; this time he had many. If someone harbored ill intentions and sowed discord, who knew what choices he might make?

Human hearts are fickle. It’s best to keep vigilance and caution inside and not show it on the face.

In the previous life, working in a hospital, most of her time was spent dealing with patients and their families. Later, on maternity leave, caring for children, she had become even less familiar with social niceties.

Because of her two children, she always felt that others’ approaches were insincere and was unwilling to put on a facade, thus arming herself like a hedgehog.

Unaware, this only made her more isolated.

“Even if I trust him, would he trust his companions? Although I have now drawn spiritual energy into my body, women are naturally weaker, with less strength and slower reflexes. Even with a strong soul, my combat ability can only surpass two or three young men at most. Of course, with my secret weapon, I’m not afraid if all four of them come together,” Rong Xianxian thought carefully.

But she had two children to care for and couldn’t take risks or reveal all her cards.

“Maybe in a few days, monsters will drop basic cultivation methods. I can’t teach out my own foundational methods. Thinking about the chaos and tests of human nature a month from now, it’s really unnecessary to stir trouble. I must maintain absolute superiority in strength to feel secure,” Rong Xianxian decided to frame it differently.

“I don’t really understand it either. I just studied traditional Chinese medicine and some qigong, so I know some acupuncture points. I want to see if I can figure it out,” she said—not lying. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the meridians and channels, closely related to breath control and spiritual cultivation.

Her smooth cultivation in the previous life was also connected to her medical background.

“All right then, sister, you look at it first. I’ll go tell the others. About dinner…” Wang Lin scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

“In half an hour, you and Xia Kai can come to get it. Sorry, I’m not used to eating with strangers at the same table, so I can’t invite you to my home. Please explain that to them,” Rong Xianxian said. Although she had interacted with Wang Lin and Xia Kai before, there were still two strangers, and she couldn’t let them into her home without knowing them better. After all, relationships are built over time. The real breakdown and chaos of human nature would come a month later.

She hoped to build relatively friendly relations with them during this month.

“Okay, Sister Rong, thank you. In this situation, your providing food and medicine is a great kindness. If they don’t understand, I’ll kick them out immediately,” Wang Lin said seriously.

“How did you tell them about our relationship? I saw them laughing at you just now!” Rong Xianxian probed.

“I said I know you, but they didn’t quite believe it. Their teasing just now was because they thought we were more than acquaintances,” Wang Lin said awkwardly. The enthusiasm of just meeting still left him puzzled.

“Wang Lin, since you call me sister, I’ll treat you like a younger brother. Qingyun said you can be trusted, so I’ll trust you. Honestly, as a weak woman with two children in this situation, I feel very insecure. That’s why I was so excited to see you just now,” Rong Xianxian said. Relationships between people are about sincere exchanges. Although she was cautious and guarded toward him in the previous life, she fulfilled her duties as a companion, helping heal wounds and standing watch. His genuine love for the children later came from shared hardship.

“Sister, don’t worry. With me here, no one will dare bully you,” Wang Lin said earnestly.