"Brother, it's not enough for you to just be strong. You have to stick to what I teach you every day and don't let too many trivial things distract you."

Upon returning this time, Jian Ning noticed that Jian Anping hadn't made any progress in his cultivation. She wondered what he was doing with all his time.

"Sister, I'm so busy all day. I go out to work all day, and when I come back at night, my two kids are always making a fuss. I have to help your sister-in-law keep an eye on them."

After putting the child to sleep, I was so sleepy I could barely keep my eyes open. So, I've definitely been a bit lax in my practice lately.

Jian Anping was surprised that Jian Ning had such sharp eyes. She could even tell without him practicing. He should try to make time to practice more in the future and stop being so lazy.

"Come inside and eat. You young people, aren't you afraid of the cold? It's freezing outside. Why are you still chatting in the yard?"

Aunt Li opened the door and called out, then quickly closed it again, not wanting the warmth inside to escape. It had been so hard to get it heated.

"Let's go, let's eat first. Brother, I'll give you something later that can help you with your training. That's all for today." Jian Ning pulled Cao Xue and Tian Tian into the house.

Jian Anping, who was behind him, was very curious. What could help him practice his skills? He really didn't know.

Just as the group sat down inside, Xiao Lingfeng, Uncle Li, and Dazhuang came over from next door. Aunt Wang had called them back via walkie-talkie, saving them from the cold outside.

Dinner was a lavish affair, with chicken and fish. Jian Ning also added a roast chicken and braised beef. Uncle Li had some to go with his drinks.

Cao Xue stayed there until after 10 p.m. before reluctantly standing up.

"I have to go back. It's getting late."

"I'll see you off." Jian Ning didn't try to stop her. She put on her coat and followed Cao Xue all the way to the villa entrance.

"Do you know where Miao Xin lives? Take me there."

"It should be the third house in the row behind you. The one with the barbed wire fence on the wall." Cao Xue pointed.

"Okay, I got it. Drive carefully."

The base was quite safe, and besides, Cao Xue was now skilled in martial arts. Jian Ning didn't continue to see her off; she watched her walk away before casting an invisibility spell on herself.

We went to the villa in the back.

This villa looks a bit bigger than hers.

The wall was at least three meters high. The barbed wire on top was probably electrified. Jian Ning was still quite curious about this bald, rich second-generation.

In this apocalyptic world, to be able to procure several trucks for transportation is something most people can't afford. This person must be someone with connections; perhaps they own a large supermarket and have no shortage of supplies.

Without even worrying about disturbing the people inside the courtyard, he simply used a wall-penetrating technique to get inside. There was no need to go up there at all. Even the owner of the courtyard probably wouldn't have expected someone to take such an unconventional route.

It's like being a deity in a myth; you can get in without even having to climb over a wall.

The yard was quite large. Surprisingly, they kept two Tibetan mastiffs, plump and strong, who must have caught Jian Ning's scent. They started barking wildly.

The door opened immediately, and a man who was at least 1.9 meters tall came out. He shone a powerful flashlight around and looked around warily for a while, but found nothing unusual.

So she called out twice, and the two Tibetan mastiffs kept whimpering and pacing around, unable to find anyone. Jian Ning took advantage of the man closing the door and going inside to follow him in.

The house was brightly lit, and there was even a fireplace burning. It was warm and cozy.

On the sofa in the middle of the living room, a bald man was holding Miao Xin in his arms, watching a movie—yes, a movie. One of those old-fashioned videotapes with a screen.

There were two fruit platters on the coffee table, containing watermelon and grapes. There was also wine and dried meat.

Without a doubt, some of these people definitely possess spatial abilities, and the contents of those trucks might only represent a small portion of them.

Jian Ning sighed inwardly, "She really knows how to enjoy life."

Besides the two of them, there were four other men in the room, all over 1.85 meters tall. Judging from their demeanor, they were bodyguards, the kind who had undergone special training.

Jian Ning was a little puzzled. Who was this bald man? She didn't seem to remember Miao Xin having such a person in her past life.

“Honey, why are you still looking for that Taoist priest Huang? I think he’s just a charlatan. He’s a freeloader. I’m not short of food, but I can’t just support him for nothing.”

He didn't do any work and just talked nonsense all day, so I had someone send him to a Taoist temple in the mountains. It happened to be a relative's temple, and the Taoist priests there didn't mind him. Isn't that great?"

The man holding Miao Xin pinched a grape and stuffed it into her mouth. They seemed quite affectionate.

"Brother Long, I just need to ask him to do some calculations, and I don't want him to stay permanently."

"You won't even grant me this small request?" Miao Xin swallowed the grapes in her mouth, twisted against the man a couple of times, and pouted unhappily.

"Yes, yes, you're throwing a tantrum over such a small thing. Tomorrow I'll have Ah Ming go up the mountain and ask him to come down, okay?"

How could this man resist a beautiful woman's coquettishness? He picked up Miao Xin and carried her upstairs. Despite his short stature, he was surprisingly strong.

Jian Ning had no interest in eavesdropping on their conversations, but looking at Miao Xin's current state made her feel disgusted.

Judging from what she just said, she was looking for some Taoist priest, which means it's almost certain that the yellow talisman and dead rat in my house were her doing.

With a furrowed brow and a plan forming in his mind, he took out a festering talisman from his storage bracelet and slapped it directly onto Miao Xin's back.

Then he turned around and left.

Miao Xin was speaking in a high-pitched, coquettish voice when she suddenly felt a chill down her back, as if someone had patted her. She looked around but there was no one there.

She was at the corner of the stairs, neither going up nor down, and if someone got close, they would definitely spot her.

She figured she was just imagining things, so she steadied herself, wrapped her arms around the man's neck, and kissed him on the cheek.

She said with a coquettish laugh, "Brother Long, you're amazing! Let's hurry back to our room, I can't wait any longer."

"You little devil, don't be in such a hurry!" Brother Long chuckled, lifted Miao Xin up a little, and then walked upstairs.

The bodyguards below exchanged glances, and one of them went over and turned off the recording.

"Brothers, sit down and rest for a bit. The boss probably won't be coming down tonight. Ah Ming, what was that dog barking about when you went out? Was nobody there?" The bodyguard who spoke appeared to be the leader of the four men.

"Nobody's here. Those two dogs probably just woke up and have nothing to do. In this freezing weather, they're just barking a couple of times to warm up." The tall man named A-Ming found his words quite amusing.

He chuckled to himself.