Gao Wu: I became the minor villain that the protagonist was about to destroy.

Ji Wubai scratched his head: "Sorry? I killed your praying mantis."

"It's alright, it's alright, there's nothing I can do about it. My only intention was to drive you away, but who would have thought that the two of you could kill a Void Mantis that had awakened to level 9 so easily."

"I need to find another place to live with my children."

Leng Ruoxue said, "No need. I won't reveal what's going on here to anyone. Just stay here and raise them in peace."

Bai Dafei shook his head: "It's alright. I don't have many mantises to raise right now, so it's very easy to move them."

This time, Wubai asked, "Brother Bai, you've always lived in this area, haven't you?"

"That's right. I built a wooden house at the foot of the mountain over there. I live a secluded life, growing my own vegetables and hunting for meat with mantises in the mountains to make a living."

Have any strangers come here recently?

Bai Dafei pondered for a moment: "Emmm...no, it's just the two of you lately. Why would you come to such a remote place?"

"You mean this? We're usually interested in these abandoned areas. A friend told us about a place called Shicun, so we came to check it out."

Bai Dafei looked at the two of them with a strange expression: "You two... are really quite unique."

"Brother Bai, aren't you the same?"

&:"Ha ha ha ha!"

"You're right. Alright, it's getting late, I have to go back. I've lived here for a long time and I don't have any treasures at all. If I did, I would have taken them long ago."

After saying goodbye to the two, Bai Dafei walked towards the mountain.

Leng Ruoxue stared thoughtfully at Bai Dafei's departing figure.

Seeing Leng Ruoxue frowning as she looked at the other person's clone, Ji Wubai asked, "What's wrong? You don't seem to have let your guard down yet. Are you still suspecting him of having a problem?"

"Hmm, this guy is still too suspicious. If my memory serves me right, this village was indeed slaughtered by a Void Mantis, but not the one we just encountered."

"Moreover, the attack methods of that Void Mantis just now did not seem to be about driving people away at all. Instead, every move was deadly. If it were someone else who came here instead of us, they would probably already be dead at the hands of that mantis."

("If I remember correctly, this should have happened a long time ago. When Stone Village was massacred, it alerted the psychic police. By the time the psychic police arrived, the village had been completely wiped out. The Void Mantis was no match for the psychic police and simply disappeared through space, and the matter was left unresolved.")

("But now a Void Mantis has appeared again, although it's not the same one. Is there any connection between the two?")

("This guy named Bai Dafei is still very suspicious.")

"Don't overthink it. We're just here to find the remnants of those remnants. You've seen the villages here; they're all covered in dust, with no signs of life whatsoever."

"We should move on to the next area."

After returning to his cabin, Bai Dafei put down his things and headed straight up the mountain, eventually entering a cave.

As you go deeper, the light gradually dims until a faint purple glow appears ahead.

"Honey, I'm home."

The only response he received was a hoarse sound that seemed inhuman: "Buzz" (We haven't been discovered, have we?)

"Of course not, I've already sent them away."

"Buzz buzz buzz" ("That's good. Don't let anyone near here until our child comes out.")

Bai Dafei, his expression dazed, slowly approached and stroked the protruding belly.

"They should be out soon."

"Buzzing" ("He'll be out in another month.")

"Thank you for your hard work, darling."

"Buzz" ("It was all worth it.")

Inside an abandoned air-raid shelter.

After absorbing the last spirit crystal, the man in black revealed a satisfied expression.

"An S-grade meridian, indeed powerful. These few days of arduous training are equivalent to a month of cultivation before."

At this moment, the iron gate slowly opened, and Ouyang Jing (the leader) walked out.

"How is it?"

"Very good."

"I'm glad you're satisfied. I've already reported your situation to headquarters, and they'll send someone to pick you up soon. Until then, I'll be in charge."

"Now that you've joined the Sky Curtain, you need to abandon your worldly name. You can have a new code name."

Without the slightest hesitation, the man in black uttered a single word.

"Then let's call me Shang. The old me is long gone. Shang will be my name and code name from now on."

"Welcome to the team, Shang."

"Our commander-in-chief was very excited after hearing about your special abilities. If you need anything, just say the word."

Shang looked at Ouyang Jing and said slowly, "Any request is fine."

"Of course, after all, the Commander-in-Chief thinks highly of you. Our organization hasn't had a genius like you in a long time."

"I need someone with an SS-level talent, and an SSS-level talent would be even better."

"SSS-rank?!"

"Don't joke around, Shang. Forget about SSS-level network members. Even if we knew of such a person, our branch couldn't handle it, and even headquarters couldn't. So don't count on it."

"We need to plan carefully even for SS-class ships."

Shang asked doubtfully, "Based on my understanding of your Sky Curtain over this period of time, it shouldn't be that bad, right?"

"You're right. It wouldn't have been a big deal in the past, but since Luoxia City was wiped out by the Black Dragon Society that appeared out of nowhere, the headquarters has almost given up on this place. After all, it's just a remote city. Even in a provincial capital like Baiquan City, the people they send there are no different from us."

"So you mean there's no way to do it right now?"

"It's not impossible. In a few days, one of the twelve Earthly Branches sent by headquarters will arrive here. We can work with him and we should be able to get an SS-level genius."

"Or if you're not in a hurry, when you go to headquarters, becoming an SS-level genius is just a matter of a word from the commander-in-chief."

Shang nodded: "There's no rush." ​​He then slowly stood up and walked towards the door.

The scene changes.

Shang stood atop a tall building in Luoxia City, looking down at the brightly lit city below. He watched the diverse people below, living out a performance called life, and a hint of envy inadvertently flashed in his eyes.

A gentle breeze blew by, and Shang's figure disappeared from the high-rise building.

At this moment, a group of young people were saying goodbye to each other at the barbecue stall and leisurely leaving.

Little did they know that this would be the last time they would meet.