Apocalypse: Why did you provoke her? She's a cultivator.

Chapter 134 Could it be her?
But she quickly snapped out of her reverie, looked up at the person whose gaze was fixed on her, and her lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

"Sure." She looked at Fang Jun, her eyes smiling.

Fang Jun quickly brought over a bowl of still-steaming soup.

He slowly simmered it in an earthenware pot, and the rich aroma of mushrooms and pork ribs filled the small room.

Ye Qiumian sat at the table, holding a warm soup bowl in her hands. She scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and slowly put it into her mouth.

The soup was at just the right temperature, its warmth traveling down my throat and soothing every corner of my body.

Sitting to the side, Nan Shaohua spoke softly, his voice neither too loud nor too soft.

"Sister Ye, Li Hongbo has led the main force of Lincheng to join Mu Zhenzhong's side."

Ye Qiu didn't speak, but took another sip of soup, his gaze calmly fixed on the slightly swaying surface of the soup in the bowl.

Seeing that she didn't stop him from continuing, Nan Shaohua knew she wanted to listen.

He then continued with his analysis, "The team from Lincheng is quite strong. I heard that Li Hongbo originally didn't want to get involved in the struggle in Xin'an City, but I don't know what method Mu Zhenzhong used, but Li Hongbo eventually agreed."

Now that the army in Lincheng has sided with Mu Zhenzhong, the balance of power has completely tipped.

He paused, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table unconsciously. "Mu Zhenzhong's momentum has now surpassed Wu Heshu's. Anyone with eyes can see that the game in Xin'an City is about to change."

Wu Heshu had been operating in Xin'an City for many years and had deep roots in the city. He was originally the undisputed leader in the city.

Mu Zhenzhong, on the other hand, was a rising star with great ambition. After the apocalypse, he had been fighting openly and covertly with Wu Heshu, with each side winning and losing, and neither of them was able to completely overpower the other.

But Li Hongbo's last-minute goal clearly threw the situation completely out of balance.

Nan Shaohua looked at Ye Qiumian, seemingly trying to see some reaction on her face—surprise, worry, or something else.

But Ye Qiu Mian's expression remained unchanged, as if Nan Shaohua was not talking about something major enough to shake the situation of a city, but just an ordinary topic like the nice weather today.

She continued drinking her soup, unhurriedly, taking each sip seriously, as if she were intently savoring every flavor of the soup.

Nan Shaohua was used to Ye Qiu's attitude, so he continued, "Wu Heshu will definitely not sit idly by, and he will probably make a move in the next few days. Mu Zhenzhong has gained power and is very arrogant, so he probably won't back down either. Xin'an City is going to be quite lively for a while."

He spoke at length, from the comparison of troop strength between the two sides to the changes in control of several key strongholds, and also mentioned the possible choices of various forces in the city to take sides. His arguments were clear and logical, and he had obviously done a lot of research.

The soup bowl in Ye Qiumian's hand gradually emptied.

After finishing the last spoonful of soup, she put down the spoon, picked up the tissue next to her, and wiped the corner of her mouth.

Just then, Nan Shaohua finished speaking, and the room fell silent, with only the occasional distant noise coming from outside the window.

"Hmm." Ye Qiu finally made a sound, a very soft syllable, revealing no particular inclination.

She stood up, placed the empty bowl on the table, nodded to Nan Shaohua, said nothing, and turned to walk upstairs to her room.

Nan Shaohua watched his retreating figure, smiled helplessly, and shook his head.

No matter how unpredictable or turbulent the situation may be, it seems to have nothing to do with Ye Qiu Mian.

For her, it was probably like this bowl of soup; once she finished it, it was over.

The door closed gently, shutting out the outside conversations and the impending storm.

The room was quiet. Ye Qiumian walked to the bedside, sat down, and closed her eyes. It was as if everything she had just heard had settled into an insignificant corner along with the warmth of the soup.

For her, the outcome of the struggle in Xin'an City, and whether Mu Zhenzhong or Wu Heshu would have the last laugh, was not something worth worrying about.

All she wants right now is to get some rest.

Here, in Mu Zhenzhong's study, there were still lingering traces of gunpowder smoke.

Dusk was falling outside the window, and several key points were circled in red on the map spread out on the table.

This was the key area where his forces intersected with Wu Heshu's.

When Li Hongbo pushed the door open, he brought a gust of wind that made the candlelight flicker.

"Deputy Chief Mu, there's new activity over there." Li Hongbo's voice was low, his hand clutching several folded sheets of paper, his fingertips turning white from the force.

Mu Zhenzhong looked up and put down his pen.

He had just adjusted his deployment, taking advantage of the momentum of the Lincheng army, and was looking forward to catching his breath.

Judging from Li Hongbo's expression, this was clearly no small matter.

"explain."

“It’s from Yu Zelun’s side.” Li Hongbo handed over the paper. “The person I planted sent back a message that he hasn’t been keeping an eye on our struggle with Wu Heshu lately. Instead, he’s been secretly looking for someone, and he’s been doing it quite discreetly.”

Yu Zelun?
Mu Zhenzhong raised an eyebrow slightly; that man was Wu Heshu's trusted general.

His sudden request for help at this time seems a bit unusual.

Mu Zhenzhong took the paper, unfolded it, and scanned the writing on it.

Initially, the investigation was conducted within a routine scope, but it gradually became more focused—the age range was vague, and the descriptions of characteristics were scattered, with only one line marked in red at the bottom of the page: "Suspected to be related to a woman, who was seen in the western part of District C."

"A woman?" Mu Zhenzhong's fingertip paused on that line of words, his tone clearly showing surprise.

Is Yu Zelun looking for a woman?

This is completely out of character for him.

He was Wu Heshu's lackey. If Wu Heshu took a fancy to any woman, he would just snatch her back and give her to Wu Heshu.

After the apocalypse, countless women died at their hands.

This is truly an act of evil!
Now he's actually going to secretly find a woman?
He re-examined the scattered information: slender build, about 1.7 meters tall, wearing a sky-blue long dress, and with her hair styled in a Chinese updo.

This information is fragmented like a jigsaw puzzle, unable to form a clear outline.

Li Hongbo also came over at this time. He had only glanced at the documents when he first received them, but now, as he followed Mu Zhenzhong and read them word by word, his brows gradually furrowed.

"These features seem vaguely familiar," he hesitated, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Could it be her?"

Mu Zhenzhong looked up at him.

Li Hongbo's gaze swept over the pages of documents repeatedly, his fingertip pointing to "Chinese hairstyle," before he suddenly looked up at Mu Zhenzhong.

The surprise and doubt in his eyes had settled into a determined anxiety: "Deputy Chief Mu, the more I think about it, the more something seems wrong."

The descriptions are so similar; besides Ye Qiu Mian, I can't think of anyone else in Xin'an City who matches them.

Mu Zhenzhong tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his brows furrowed.

He wasn't unaware of what was amiss.

According to Li Hongbo, Ye Qiumian is a person who is indifferent to worldly affairs.