Chapter Forty-Four: Yingzi Arrives

The little fox had evolved into a fire fox, its combat strength soaring, and with the addition of a weapon bearing the “Destruction” prefix, Li Yunfei’s damage output had reached staggering heights. His overall power had increased explosively, and he was now clearing the Hundred Serpents Den instance at a much faster pace.

Within two days, he had completed all the remaining levels of the Hundred Serpents Den. Li Yunfei had reached level 22, just a sliver of experience away from level 23, and the little fox was also well into level 22.

His four core attributes had now become: strength 54 (10), agility 47 (8), constitution 58 (10), and spirit 48 (7).

He was just one level away from having physical attributes six times that of an ordinary person, and his spirit was only one point shy of reaching seven times the norm.

Li Yunfei wasn’t quite sure what sevenfold spirit would truly entail, but he felt that, even without relying on spiritual energy, he could go without sleep for ten days or half a month without the slightest feeling of fatigue.

After processing all his gains, he had amassed a total of 2,265,300 in cash, bringing his system inventory balance to 2,516,117.5 yuan.

However, his balance was also depleting rapidly, since both he and the little fox treated the potent Hundred Serpents Pill and the powerful Spirit Serpent Pellet like candy on a daily basis.

These two pills were renowned for detoxifying poisons and fortifying the body even where there was no poison.

The potent Hundred Serpents Pill enhanced poison resistance and delayed aging; after consuming enough, one would become immune to all toxins and stay forever youthful.

But it was only eternal youth, not immortality—the length of one’s life still depended on cultivation.

If one’s lifespan expired, they would die even if their body had not aged.

The powerful Spirit Serpent Pellet increased bone flexibility; after taking enough, one’s body would become serpent-like, boosting defense in a different sense.

This defense came from the serpent’s ability to dissipate force rather than from withstanding attacks head-on.

Blunt force, in particular, could be almost completely ignored, though protection against sharp weapons was unchanged.

In short, Li Yunfei and the little fox’s bones could be cut, but never broken by blunt force.

This ability was somewhat akin to the elastic man, Mister Fantastic, from the “Fantastic Four,” though not to the extent of being able to reshape their bodies at will.

At most, Li Yunfei could compact himself into a ball, folding all his limbs and torso together, much like a snake coiling itself up.

With this skill, Li Yunfei could easily pass for a master yogi or a grandmaster of bone-shrinking techniques.

A bottle of potent Hundred Serpents Pill contained five pills and cost 10,000 yuan.

A bottle of powerful Spirit Serpent Pellet contained six pellets, also priced at 10,000 yuan.

Each day, he and the little fox consumed at least ten bottles each, amounting to 200,000 yuan.

Li Yunfei had no idea how many pills it would take to reach the limit, but he continued regardless.

Now that his daily income exceeded one million, the daily expenditure of 200,000 yuan was entirely manageable.

He wondered when his daily income could reach “One Shuang”—that is, 2.08 million.

This term had emerged more than twenty years ago, originating from the daily earnings of a certain female celebrity whose name contained the character “Shuang.”

…

Instances below level 20 had become obsolete for him; it was time to seek out the next stage.

The Boar Woods was a level 21–25 instance, and the boars themselves likely wouldn’t be harder to farm than the rats in the Rat Den.

He now preferred these large-bodied, physically weak, flesh-and-blood monsters with limited combat abilities and poor defenses.

But he couldn’t farm the Boar Woods.

Soon, the government would organize a culling of the wild boars.

Recently, he was the only one who had visited Qingyuan Village; if, when the time came, all the wild boars on the mountains ended up dead, wouldn’t that be an obvious clue to everyone that Li Yunfei was responsible?

Moreover, the boars would have died from poisoning, rendering their bodies worthless for recovery—how would he explain that?

So, he needed to find another instance. Qingyuan Village no longer had suitable options; it was time to change maps.

There were still plenty of instance monsters at the same level as the boars—wolves, wild cattle, hyenas, and the like.

Moving up a tier, the level 26–30 instances would likely feature lions, tigers, leopards, or bears.

He planned to head to the African savannah or the Amazon jungle once his declassification period ended.

Though in his eyes, all living things could serve as instance monsters, there was a difference between domesticated and wild creatures.

Most monsters above level 20 were protected animals; he couldn’t bear to farm those he raised himself.

Within Grand Xia’s borders, the animals were domesticated; outside, they were all wild. A double standard, perhaps, but one he embraced without shame.

The so-called “declassification period” referred to the post-discharge period during which soldiers were barred from leaving the country, entering foreign-based Xia institutions or organizations, or working for foreign enterprises.

They were forbidden to provide labor, consulting, or other services to overseas organizations, personnel, or businesses.

The declassification period for discharged soldiers was divided into three categories: general, important, and core classified personnel.

For general classified personnel, the declassification period ranged from six months to a year. As an ordinary soldier who had not held a critical post, Li Yunfei belonged to this category.

However, since he was a scout, his level of classified access was slightly higher than that of a standard infantryman, so he was in the highest subcategory: a one-year declassification period.

For important classified personnel—such as communications troops, technical corps, or civilian staff—the period ranged from two to five years, depending on the level of classified access.

Core classified personnel, such as special forces, intelligence agencies, or strategic unit veterans, had a declassification period of six to ten years.

In short, only when all information about your former unit had become obsolete could you go abroad or take on foreign-related work.

Li Yunfei had been discharged for more than half a year; in a few months, his declassification would end, and then he could apply for a passport and visa to farm instances abroad.

…

It was a little after four in the afternoon. As Li Yunfei emerged from the level 20 Hundred Serpents Den, preparing to leave Qingyuan Village and head back to the city, a 2046 model Hongqi H5 sedan pulled up outside the hydroelectric plant.

The car door opened, and the first thing to appear was a long leg clad in dark blue skinny jeans and outdoor hiking shoes, followed by a figure in a loose white T-shirt with a shapely upper body.

As soon as Zhang Ziying stepped out, her gaze immediately landed on the nearby off-road vehicle. She muttered, “That guy really has been holed up here for a week. What on earth is he up to?”

She turned and opened the back door, taking out a few gift boxes, similar to those Li Yunfei had bought previously.

The only difference was that, while Li Yunfei’s gifts included cigarettes, Zhang Ziying had not bought any cigarettes but had brought a box of fine liquor as a gift.

Locking her car, she carried the gifts toward the dock.

When she arrived at Li Si’s house, he was sitting by the kitchen stove tending the fire, with rice cooking in a pot above.

Rice cooked this way would have a layer of crispy, fragrant crust at the bottom—a simple pleasure city folks rarely experienced.

“Granduncle Si, making dinner?” Zhang Ziying called from the kitchen doorway. Her grandmother’s surname was Li, and though her blood relation to Li Si was distant, by seniority she was supposed to address him as granduncle.

Li Si turned around, his face breaking into a smile as he stood and said, “Yingzi! You’re back too? Here to see Xiaofei, I presume?”

Whenever Li Yunfei returned home, he would always pass by Li Si’s house and borrow a boat to cross the river.

So Zhang Ziying was not surprised that Li Si knew Li Yunfei had returned.

With a smile as warm as spring sunshine, she said, “Yes! Hasn’t he come out at all?”

Li Si pointed to a spot above the hearth not far from the stove, where wild boar meat—already cured into bacon—hung. He chuckled, “He did come out a few days ago, and even brought back a wild boar.”

“A wild boar?” Zhang Ziying was startled, asking anxiously, “He ran into a wild boar? Was he hurt?”

Li Si waved his hands reassuringly, “No, no, that boy’s tough! He just used that knife with the curved blade, looks a bit like a dog’s leg, and took the boar down head-on. Didn’t even get a scratch himself.”

Only then did Zhang Ziying relax, though inwardly she wondered: “Granduncle’s clearly describing a Kukri—when did that guy get his hands on one? Doesn’t he know it’s a controlled weapon?”

Li Si, oblivious to her inner concerns, warmly said, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Why not stay and have dinner with your granduncle?”

Snapping back to herself, Zhang Ziying replied, “Thanks, but I’ll have to pass. I’m here on urgent business, just need to find him in the village and then head straight back to the city.”

Li Si didn’t press further but asked, “By the way, when do you two plan to get married? Be sure to let your granduncle know, so I can come to your wedding feast.”

“Married?” Zhang Ziying was dumbfounded, repeating in confusion, “What marriage?”

Li Si looked surprised, “Aren’t you seeing Xiaofei? Last time your Aunt Dayong wanted to set him up, he said you two were already together and didn’t need an introduction, so…”

Instantly, Zhang Ziying understood—so he’d been using her as a shield all along!