Chapter 176

Mo Li had actually been feeling unwell since that morning.

He was a cat, so of course he couldn’t say what was wrong. He didn’t even have any concept of expressing that he felt unwell.

Cats had an astonishing tolerance for discomfort.

When Jiang Cheng was about to head out, Mo Li still followed her as usual despite feeling sick.

There was nothing dangerous about this trip.

There were occasionally zombies wandering along the roadside, but these days, even humans wearing armor no longer considered them much of a threat.

On the way back, Mo Li felt even worse. His head was heavy and foggy.

When Li Jiangbing teased him, he didn’t respond.

Li Jiangbing even said, “Sleeping in broad daylight? That’s all you know how to do.”

What did he know? Cats were supposed to sleep more and bask in the sun during the day!

Mo Li was groggy. He wanted to swat Li Jiangbing with a paw, but he couldn’t even lift one.

When the first “earthquake” struck, he was the first of them all to realize that something was wrong.

He wanted to warn Jiang Cheng, but he couldn’t open his mouth.

Then the vehicle overturned. Explosions spread, and heat rushed in from every direction.

All the humans got out of the vehicle.

Mo Li did not.

He was still trapped beneath it.

Actually, he wasn’t really crushed. For a small cat, there was plenty of room beneath the vehicle.

He simply couldn’t move. He wanted to unleash his strength, but it seemed he was just a tiny bit short.

The vehicle exploded.

It was warm and comfortable. His fur spread open, greedily absorbing the heat.

His body seemed to be growing.

He hated Wu Jiancheng for putting out the fire so quickly.

Because of that, Mo Li had to curl up and stretch beneath the vehicle, allowing the energy to seep through his entire body. Only after quite a while did he finally feel completely relaxed and refreshed.

That was when he heard everyone shouting, “Mo Li—!” and “Mo Li, where are you—?”

I’m right here.

“Could he have been thrown out through a window when the vehicle overturned?”

No, I’m right here.

“He couldn’t have been. Mo Li is so strong.”

That’s right. I’m very strong.

...

...

Why could he suddenly understand everything they were saying?

Mo Li slowly opened his eyes. Through a gap, he could see everyone’s shoes moving around.

Yes, he could understand every word perfectly.

It wasn’t like Jiang Cheng’s telepathy.

Nor was it merely recognizing simple sounds and actions.

He could understand everything—clearly and completely.

“Mo Li~”

“Mo Li—”

Everyone was still calling for him.

Jiang Cheng was also calling out to him through telepathy.

[Mo Li, where are you?]

Mo Li replied through telepathy, [Under the vehicle.]

Jiang Cheng froze, then spun around. “Mo Li is under the vehicle!”

Li Jiangbing cried out in alarm. “Was he hurt? Cui Haiyang! Cui Haiyang!”

Why call Cui Haiyang? I can get out by myself.

Mo Li tried to push the vehicle up with his head, but it didn’t feel quite right. Without thinking, he raised both front paws and braced them against the underside of the vehicle. Then he exerted his strength and lifted it.

Li Jiangbing called for Cui Haiyang. Cui Haiyang came jogging over, intending to break the vehicle apart and find Mo Li.

Before he could even touch the vehicle, it suddenly shifted.

“Wait!”

Cui Haiyang took a step back.

“It’s Mo Li, right?”

“It has to be!”

They had been driving a sixteen-seat minibus that day.

The vehicle weighed roughly three and a half to four tons.

Aside from Mo Li, they couldn’t think of anyone who could possibly lift it.

Sure enough, Mo Li was beneath the vehicle.

And sure enough, he was unharmed.

After all, he was that strong.

Everyone took another step back and waited for Mo Li to grow larger, lift the vehicle, and crawl out on his own.

The several-ton vehicle rose into the air.

Mo Li could see everyone clearly now. He knew every single one of them so well.

Whenever they approached him, he didn’t even need to distinguish their scents. Just by listening to their footsteps, he could tell who was who.

He called out to the person most important to him.

“Jiang Cheng.”

But Jiang Cheng didn’t answer.

She stared at him without even blinking.

Everyone else was doing the same, staring at him without blinking.

It was as though they had forgotten the flames filling the street and the explosions in the distance that popped like firecrackers.

They could see nothing but him.

What was going on?

Mo Li suddenly exerted himself and flung the vehicle behind him. With a thunderous crash, it sent shards of debris and clouds of dust flying.

He habitually wanted to lick his paw, but what he saw instead was a hand—snow-white skin, sharply defined knuckles, and long, slender fingers.

Mo Li froze.

He lifted his other paw. It was a hand too.

Only then did Mo Li realize that he was standing upright on his hind legs, just like Jiang Cheng and the others.

He seemed to have gained a new transformation form.

He had to show Jiang Cheng right away.

“Jiang Cheng!” he called happily, running toward her.

“Holy crap, stop!”

Li Jiangbing was finally the first to recover from his shock. He hurried forward to block the completely naked pervert.

“Stop! There’s a woman here! Holy crap!”

Li Jiangbing quickly stripped off his shirt, bent down, and tied it around the young man’s waist. He even pulled it down carefully, afraid it might expose anything that shouldn’t be exposed.

Then he took a step back and stared at the stranger who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

In fact, Jiang Cheng was the only woman there that day.

Zhang Lesi was a doctor and had to stay home to see patients, so she rarely went out with them.

Su Yu was taking her turn looking after the little ones.

The group was smaller than usual that day, but according to the principle of the Five Elements, each element was supposed to have one superpowered person accompanying Jiang Cheng. Zhao Yi, being a technical specialist, had to go with them, so Aunt Pan, who had earth-based abilities like him, stayed behind.

Gao Yuxuan was stunned. “Who are you? Where did you come from?”

He had asked what everyone else was thinking.

Because standing before them was not the giant version of Mo Li they had imagined—the one who had just lifted a vehicle weighing several tons.

The overcast sky lent the scene a bleak air, while the flames on all sides added an eerie quality.

Amid the gloom and strangeness stood a handsome young man.

He appeared to be eighteen or nineteen, at that vague point between boyhood and young adulthood.

Not only was his face delicate and striking, but his shoulders, back, and waist were also perfectly proportioned. His powerful body was nearly flawless, like a sculpture carved from marble.

If they had to pick a flaw, it would be that his skin was too pale—paler than many girls’.

If he had been properly dressed and possessed even a little taste, a young man like this would have looked like a celebrity walking down the street.

But right now, everyone was staring at him as if he were an idiot.

Because what normal person would stand stark naked in the middle of the road, facing the gazes of so many people without the slightest trace of embarrassment?

The only thing covering him was Li Jiangbing’s shirt, wrapped around his waist.

The young man’s eyes were clear. He seemed unable to understand why these familiar people were looking at him like that and keeping their distance.

Fortunately, Jiang Cheng stepped forward.

After studying him for a moment, she walked toward him.

The young man brightened. He opened his arms and hugged Jiang Cheng, draping his entire body over her shoulder. His arms dangled loosely across her back.

Li Jiangbing shouted, “Hey, hey, hey, hey!”

Gao Yuxuan was stunned. He turned to look at Zhao Yi, who was also turning toward him.

The two men, connected by an unspoken understanding, both wore expressions of disbelief.

They simultaneously grabbed Li Jiangbing, who was about to charge forward.

Li Jiangbing tried to shake them off. “Let go! That pervert—”

“Jiangbing, it’s all right.” Jiang Cheng reached out and hugged the young boy, then gently pushed him away and turned to face everyone. She introduced him: “This is Mo Li.”

Li Jiangbing froze.

Everyone’s mouths fell open.

The Technology New District.

The fires in the surrounding area had all been extinguished, including those on the upper floors and around the ground-level pipelines.

Every pipeline that could be shut off had been cut off.

They had also called the heads of several other housing developments. Some metal- and earth-type ability users had already been sent over, cutting off the pipelines as they went. The fire-type users had headed that way to help put out the flames.

There was nothing they could do for those who had already died. Most had been killed instantly in the explosions.

As for the injured, anyone who was carried to Zhang Lesi before taking their last breath had been saved.

Zhang Lesi couldn’t move now.

She had given everyone quite a scare this time.

The little ones had first been entrusted to someone else, while Su Yu stayed by her side the entire time.

Things had more or less settled down. Song Jingshuo called Jiang Cheng and briefly explained the situation.

“Zhang Lesi is out of danger. Tell Zhao Yi not to worry.”

Then he asked, “How are you?”

“Our car was blown onto its side, so we found another one,” Jiang Cheng said. “Only, well...”

“What is it?”

“It’s hard to explain,” Jiang Cheng said. “There’s a minor situation. I’ll tell you when we get back.”

Half an hour later, Jiang Cheng and the others returned.

Zhao Yi came running over. “Where’s Lesi?”

“She’s over there.” Song Jingshuo pointed toward her. “She’s out of danger now. Don’t worry...”

The rest was unnecessary. Zhao Yi had already taken off toward her at a run.

No one dared stay inside the building anymore.

Everyone remained in the courtyard.

Someone carried a mattress out of an empty first-floor apartment for Zhang Lesi to lie on, while someone else brought bedding to cover her.

Aunt Pan built a little shelter with three walls to keep the wind off her.

Su Yu was taking care of her. She had already wiped the blood from Zhang Lesi’s face, but she didn’t dare touch her eyes.

Su Yu hadn’t gone with them to the neighboring site, so she hadn’t seen what happened herself. But she had heard the others talk about it.

She had secretly trained her supernatural ability with great diligence, so she knew very well how painful it was to reach the point where one’s eyeballs began to hurt.

Almost everyone who trained hard enough stopped at that stage, unable to force themselves any further.

She couldn’t imagine what it would feel like for one’s eyeballs to burst.

Zhao Yi came rushing over. Su Yu hurriedly gave up her place to him and warned him, “Don’t touch her eyes.”

Then she stepped away, watching from a distance.

Zhao Yi sat on a small stool and looked at Zhang Lesi, who lay beneath the blankets with her eyes closed.

Zhang Lesi was energetic and bursting with power, and she had always been fiercely proud. Zhao Yi had never seen her this weak, her face pale as gold paper.

He carefully took her hand.

Zhang Lesi moved slightly. Her voice was hoarse. “Zhao Yi?”

“It’s me. Do they still—does it still hurt?”

Zhang Lesi grinned with her eyes closed. She didn’t answer his question.

Instead, she said, “Zhao Yi, I’m freaking awesome!”

“I know. You’re awesome, like the heroine of a comic book.” Tears fell as Zhao Yi spoke.

Zhang Lesi mocked him in her hoarse voice. “What a crybaby...”

Meanwhile, Song Jingshuo explained the details of the situation to Jiang Cheng again, along with all the measures he had taken and the arrangements he had made.

Jiang Cheng nodded. “It’s lucky you were here. You’ve worked hard.”

At that moment, Song Jingshuo couldn’t help shifting his gaze toward the young boy.

“Who is this?”

He was a handsome little guy, but there was something strange about him.

His eyes held a clear, unmistakable innocence—almost stupidity.

He wore an iron vest on his upper body and a skirt-like suit of iron armor below.

It was obvious that he wasn’t wearing anything beneath the armor.

He was even barefoot, standing directly on the ground.

Jiang Cheng paused. She didn’t answer. Instead, she said, “You two should compare heights and see if you’re about the same.”

As expected, they were nearly the same height.

Jiang Cheng entrusted the boy to him. “Find him two sets of your clothes so he has something to wear for now.”

Li Jiangbing, Gao Yuxuan, and the others returned after checking on Zhang Lesi. They grabbed Song Jingshuo and dragged him away.

“Come on, come on. Let’s find him some clothes first. We’ll tell you who he is later.”

At Song Jingshuo’s house, Cui Haiyang “undressed” the boy, removing his iron skirt armor.

Li Jiangbing pushed him into the shower, turned on the hot water, and washed him.

The hot water gathered into a whirling column, whooshing as it spun. Li Jiangbing even worked shampoo into the boy’s hair, and after washing it, casually scratched under his chin.

The boy tilted his head back and let him.

The two of them were remarkably at ease with each other.

They wrapped him in a large bath towel and carried him out. Several people then bustled around, helping him put on the clothes Song Jingshuo had found, underwear included.

Once everything had been sorted out, Song Jingshuo sat with one hand on his chin and half his face covered, staring at the bewildered young boy crouched on his sofa. The boy had his knees tucked to his chest, both hands pressed in front of his feet.

Song Jingshuo still couldn’t fully process the information he had just received.

“You’re saying... this is Mo Li?”

Song Jingshuo rubbed his face and asked, “How did you accept this so easily?”

How had they managed to take it so calmly?

A cat had turned into a human.

That made even less sense than a cat turning into a gigantic creature the size of a house.

Actually, everyone had asked Jiang Cheng the same question in the car at the time.

“You already knew he could turn into a human, didn’t you?”

Jiang Cheng denied it. “No. This should be the first time.”

“Then why are you so calm?”

Jiang Cheng looked out the window and asked in return, “Is there anything left that we can’t accept now?”

Outside the window, flames soared into the sky all along the road.

The city was burning.

It looked like a scene from hell.

Compared with that, a little cat turning into a human was nothing at all.