Chapter 97 He Zhuo and Gangzi
In the dimly lit living room, flickering candlelight and flashlight beams mingled on the floor.
After a full day of rest, everyone was in high spirits and showed no signs of sleepiness.
Gu Wan cracked her wrists, her eyes gleaming with eager anticipation: "Since we're just killing time anyway, why not have some special training?"
Gu Qi patted his younger sister's head, frowned, and glanced out the window: "Making too much noise will cause trouble."
Lu Nange took out a stack of neatly folded crawling mats from her spatial storage: "I stocked up on these at the mall last time. They'll help with shock absorption and sound insulation when laid on the floor."
"That's awesome!" Gu Wan clenched her fist excitedly. "I don't want to be just a fragile mage, unable to even protect myself when my powers are exhausted."
She made a chopping motion: "At least like Nan Nan, I need to be able to take down several zombies anytime, anywhere, even without superpowers."
Lu Nange waved her hand and put the living room furniture into the space, and everyone quickly laid out the anti-slip mat.
They quickly transformed the entire living room into a temporary training ground.
The seams of the crawling mat were faintly visible in the candlelight, and a faint rubbery smell filled the air.
Wen Qing was the first to stand up: "I can't keep hiding behind you all the time. I don't need to kill any enemies, but at least I need to be able to escape unscathed when facing a level one zombie. So that you won't be constantly distracted by me."
As she spoke, her fingertips unconsciously caressed the hilt of the Tang sword that Lu Nange had given her.
Chi Yanzhou nudged Chi Yi beside him with his elbow, and the latter understood and got up.
Chi Yi: "We need a sparring partner to demonstrate."
Gu Qi stood up: "Brother Chi, I'll do it."
Chi Yi and Gu Qi stood facing each other in the center of the field.
With a swift sidestep, the former thrust his right hand into a knife-like motion, aiming straight for Gu Qi's throat. Gu Qi leaned back to dodge while simultaneously thrusting his left knee upward. The two moved with fluid grace, demonstrating basic fighting skills to the fullest.
Soon, the group paired up: Wen Qing and Gu Wan faced off...
Luo Xingyou and Lu Nange practiced close-quarters grappling...
He Zhuo and Ji Xian are in the same group...
"Caw—!" A bird's cry suddenly broke the atmosphere in the living room.
The macaw was startled awake from Lu Beiye's arms, its fluffy feathers bristling and its orange eyes wide open.
It tilted its head and saw its own beauty fighting with the little beauty.
"Beauty under attack!" The macaw flapped its colorful wings and was about to rush over, but Lu Beiye grabbed its claws.
"Let me go! Ah Ye, saving the beauty is the priority!" It flapped its wings desperately, and the strong wind it generated instantly extinguished all the candles.
A chill spread, and the training ground was plunged into darkness.
The sounds of fighting on the training field suddenly stopped.
Lu Beiye released the macaw's claw, which he had almost broken.
The macaw hopped around dejectedly, muttering, "I can't peck Aye, I can't move Aye, quack quack, hero saves the beauty... hero saves the beauty..."
Lu Xici and Gu Wan relit the candles.
Lu Nange reached out and gently stroked the feathers on the parrot's head, feeling the soft texture of the downy feathers on her fingertips.
The macaw immediately nuzzled against her palm in a friendly manner.
"Sis," Lu Beiye said, looking into the macaw's orange eyes, "Gangzi has leveled up."
He Zhuo, rubbing his wrist which Ji Xian had twisted, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Gou Dan leveled up?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the macaw stood up on one leg with a whoosh, a fierce glint flashing in its orange eyes.
The next second, it transformed into a streak of seven-colored lightning and hurtled straight towards He Zhuo's head.
The pecking sound, accompanied by a sharp bird cry, seemed to say: "Baldy, baldy, you're the bald dog!"
"Gagaga!!!"
"Oh my god!" He Zhuo covered his head and ran away, waving his arms in a disheveled manner.
The macaw relentlessly pursued the bird, every feather screaming, "If I can't handle the owner, I can't handle you either."
As she passed by Lu Nange, Lu Nange swiftly grabbed the little rascal and pulled him into her palm.
He Zhuo slumped onto the floor mat with a thud: "Why do I feel like it's become even more ferocious?"
Ji Xian: "That'll teach you to be so foul-mouthed!"
"Are you its brother or mine?" He Zhuo asked, rubbing his forehead, which was red from being pecked.
Gu Qi leisurely added insult to injury, delivering the 'first kill': "The one who provokes first is despicable..."
The macaw immediately mimicked, "The one who starts it is the scoundrel... bald guy!" and proudly shook its feathers.
He Zhuo, channeling his inner drama queen, feigned wiping away non-existent tears: "Isn't anyone going to take care of this little cabbage in the field?!"
Gu Qi, expressionless, delivered a second blow: "Stop howling, nobody wants watered-down pork."
"???" He Zhuo stared wide-eyed in shock: "Old Gu, won't you get poisoned if you lick your own lips?"
"It's not like you can live by licking your own lips." Gu Qi sneered, 'Triple Kill'.
He Zhuo's expression twisted...
"Hahahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter.
******
On the training field, Chi Yanzhou and Lu Xici were sparring in combat techniques, the wind whistling as their punches and kicks flew.
On the other side, Gu Wan enthusiastically challenged Lu Nange: "Nannan, how about a match?"
The macaw perched obediently on Lu Beiye's shoulder, looking up at Lu Nange with him.
He Zhuo crept over, clutching a handful of sunflower seeds: "Brother Gang, let's make up, okay?"
The macaw gave him a haughty, aloof glance, then suddenly yelled at the top of its lungs, "Indecent assault—!"
All eyes in the room turned to him, only to see He Zhuo frozen in place, still in the posture of handing out melon seeds.
Gu Qi: "Old He... what's wrong with you?"
He Zhuo: "No! I didn't! Don't talk nonsense! I just wanted to feed it some sunflower seeds... This is such a misunderstanding, such a misunderstanding!"
Gu Wan's shoulders trembled as she tried to suppress her laughter: "He Zhuo, this is so creative..."
"I fucking..." He Zhuo squatted down, clutching his head in despair: "I can't live like this anymore..."
Lu Nange couldn't help but chuckle and reached out to pat the macaw's head.
Gangzi squinted its eyes contentedly, cackled twice, and suddenly spread its wings and flew towards He Zhuo, gracefully extending its claws: "Shake hands, friendship!"
He Zhuo was flattered and overwhelmed, gripping the paw tightly with both hands and shaking it vigorously: "Gangzi! You're the best!"
"Caw caw caw!!!" The parrot's feathers bristled instantly, and it frantically flapped its wings.
Let go of me! You've shaken me so much I'm about to throw up my breakfast!
......
The man and the bird shook hands and made peace.
After everyone tidied up the training ground, they went back to their rooms to wash up.
Lu Nange lay on the bed, her spiritual energy seeping out.
Her perception range wasn't enough to cover the entire Chiayi City base, but she had a clear view of the surrounding area.
As the mutated plant approached the nearest corner of their house, it seemed to veer off as if encountering an invisible barrier.
Inside the base, apart from the superhumans who patrolled the roads discreetly.
There wasn't a single pedestrian in sight; the entire base was practically deserted.
After withdrawing her mental energy, Lu Nange began to rest.
I slept soundly through the night and everything was peaceful.
Today she has to go to the city center, to see the place 'Youyou' mentioned.
I need to revisit the Chiayi City base when I get back; if it really is a good place for survivors...
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