Defeat magic with magic (Chapter 91)
Ye Sheng's attempt to defeat magic with magic had failed.
In fact, things had gotten even worse...
Aside from the ability user Ling Lan, it seemed that Miss Han Weiwei had also become abnormal.
Seeing Han Weiwei's cheeks flushed inexplicably, with a look of tender affection in her eyes, Ye Sheng quickly let go and sprang aside like a spring, trying to keep a distance.
She almost wished she could hang a "Chaste and Noble Woman" sign on herself.
Firstly, she had no intention of flirting with anyone.
Secondly, she really hadn’t flirted!!!
"Ye Sheng, I... I think you’re actually quite..."
"And there are still some wgite Ringed Snakes left. It’s not safe here, so you should find a safe place to hide quickly!"
Before Han Weiwei could finish her sentence, Ye Sheng realized something was wrong, abruptly interrupted her, and, taking advantage of the agility-enhancing potion's effects not yet wearing off, quickly ran towards the car team's camp.
As long as she ran fast enough, the trouble wouldn’t catch up with her!!!
However, no matter how many potions Ye Sheng consumed, it couldn't compare to the abilities of Esper.
After shaking off Miss Han Weiwei, Ling Lan easily caught up. Unlike Ye Sheng, who was running frantically, Ling Lan followed with a relaxed demeanor as if taking a stroll.
But the speed wasn’t slow, and she wasn’t falling behind.
Her silver wolf-tail short hair was still stylish. With a gust of wind, her hair fluttered slightly, and she casually swept it back, revealing her smooth forehead.
Her deep blue eyes seemed even brighter.
Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her slightly thin lips curved into a radiant smile.
At that moment, her gaze at Ye Sheng was like a wolf eyeing a piece of meat.
"Ye Sheng, your attack on the mother snake just now was really cool. If you’re willing, I can train you to become stronger, and then you could kill the mother snake with a single sword stroke, as long as you can stay by my..."
(? _? )
Ye Sheng didn’t even need to look to know Ling Lan’s intentions.
Train her to become stronger?
Not interested!
She didn’t even want to join a mercenary group, let alone stay by an ability user’s side.
As for her little one at home being a psychic esper too?
That’s different!
They were life-and-death partners, and they would be together in the future, supporting each other as they aged.
She could grow stronger with Little one slowly, adapting to life in the wasteland.
(*^▽^*)
Hmm.
Ye Sheng admitted she was double-faced, but it was only natural to lean towards those she was close to!
The bond she had with Little one, developed through daily companionship, was certainly stronger than with Ling Lan, who had ulterior motives!
At the very least, the little one would not look at her with the eyes of a hungry wolf eyeing a sheep, but rather with a gentle and trusting gaze. Every time Ye Sheng saw the little one, she felt all her fatigue instantly disappear and was filled with energy.
Whenever she saw the little one's smile, Ye Sheng also wanted to smile.
It was a relaxed and joyful smile.
This is what it means to be close partners...
Ye Sheng's current goal was simple: to find energy stones to heal the little one's injuries and to save up points to buy a house in the outer city of the safe zone.
Only after these two plans were completed could she finally relax.
"Soon someone will bring you the weapon you dropped, Ye Sheng. If you want to survive in this wasteland world, you need to become stronger, and I can give you the opportunity to do so! Or, if you want to become a psychic, I can also..."
"Stop, stop, stop, Ling Lan, you don't really understand me."
The psychic Ling Lan was chattering beside her, making Ye Sheng extremely annoyed. Seeing that the convoy was setting up camp just ahead and that Ling Lan still wasn't willing to leave, Ye Sheng had no choice but to stop and speak seriously.
Originally, Ye Sheng didn't want to offend the psychic, but Ling Lan's persistence was getting out of hand, and who knew what might happen if it continued.
She just wanted to quietly mine, not to attract attention in the convoy.
"I'm a bit of a coward and don't want to deal with polluted creatures every day, risking my life at every turn."
Ye Sheng intended to portray herself as a coward, but when she saw the change in Ling Lan's expression, she immediately anticipated her thoughts.
Quickly changing her tone, she continued, "I also don't want to be a bird in a cage, kept in one place all the time... I just want to live freely. No matter what challenges lie ahead, I will face them and find a way to overcome them. That's the kind of life I like!"
As expected, after saying this, Ye Sheng saw a look of disappointment appear on Ling Lan's face, which made her feel a great sense of relief.
Everyone prefers to slack off and relax.
Ye Sheng was no different.
But slacking off and relaxing didn't mean being trapped and becoming someone else's caged canary.
She wanted to live for herself.
After hearing Ye Sheng's words, Ling Lan did not get angry. Instead, she responded just as seriously, "Ye Sheng, I can't escape my identity as a psychic. No matter what happened in the past or what will happen in the future, I will always face danger."
"But today, when I first saw you, I felt really good."
"Even the usual headaches I get from anomalies disappeared! Maybe this is the power of love at first sight, which I really like! So, I hope you'll seriously consider it. If you don't want to take risks, I can choose a less dangerous job. If you don't want to waste time in the safe zone, I can drive you to hunt polluted creatures."
"Whatever you want to do, I can accompany you. I won't restrict your freedom, as long as you stay by my side."
Listening to Ling Lan's straightforward confession, Ye Sheng felt a headache coming on. She really wanted to tell this beautiful woman that this wasn't love at first sight; it was the effect of the mental soothing potion!
Ye Sheng was very clear-headed.
She wouldn't be misled by the false "love at first sight" and indulge in the vanity of being pursued and flattered by a psychic.
After all, it wasn't genuine; it was just the effect of the potion.
"Sorry, Ling Lan, I don't have feelings for you."
Ye Sheng knew that saying anything more would be pointless.
So she chose to coldly reject her.
In her previous life, she(?) had been quite popular, often being confessed to by girls, but she had remained single for eighteen years.
Whenever friends teased her about having high standards, Ye Sheng would just roll her eyes.
She was simply waiting for the right person.
Someone who would make her heart race with just one look, someone she would deeply like...
She was determined not to settle for less.
Due to Ye Sheng's pursuit of pure emotions and her picky nature, some friends analyzed that there were very few women who met her standards.
They joked that unless Ye Sheng traveled to another world and met a destined beautiful girl, it would be hard to find pure love in the modern world of fleeting relationships.
And then, Ye Sheng really did travel to another world.
(???)
As for meeting a destined beautiful girl...
Ye Sheng suddenly thought of the little one she had saved, and she blinked guiltily. She thought to herself that she had saved the little one not just for the super-intelligent network wristwatch but also out of kindness and sympathy.
Yes!
That's it!!!
"Ye Sheng, you just don't know me well yet. I won't give up!"
However, just as Ye Sheng was preparing for the possibility of retaliation after her rejection, Ling Lan turned out to be as persistent as chewing gum.
She wouldn't let go!
Under Ye Sheng's speechless gaze, Ling Lan, who had an unusually good temper for a psychic, smiled at her. Then, taking advantage of Ye Sheng's moment of distraction, she gently patted her head, as if patting the head of a kitten or a puppy.
Before Ye Sheng could react, Ling Lan quickly slipped away.
In no time, Ye Sheng was left hopping mad, but there was nothing she could do.
She just hoped this mining trip would end soon!!!
Feeling dejected, Ye Sheng walked over to the vehicle and sat down. The vehicle was empty; Brother Liu and the others were nowhere to be seen, which made Ye Sheng breathe a sigh of relief.
She didn't want that little brat Mo Lin to keep overthinking things.
If they thought she was a problem and it affected their next collaboration, that would be bad...
However, just as Ye Sheng settled into the back seat, the effect of the potions wore off.
The side effects hit immediately.
This time, the pain was doubled, making Ye Sheng grit her teeth and remain silent.
She curled up into a ball on the seat, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead as the intense pain made her body tremble, causing the vehicle to shake slightly.
Luckily, she was alone at the moment and wasn't seen by anyone else.
If she were at home, she could at least groan to the little one, but now, Ye Sheng would rather endure the pain silently than let others know...
Fortunately, the side effects of the potions only lasted for ten minutes.
After the ten minutes passed, the sweat-soaked Ye Sheng quickly recovered.
She took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket to wipe off the sweat, thinking to herself how dangerous the wilderness was. She resolved not to run around aimlessly anymore and to stick with the convoy to the mining site—that was the most important thing!
When they got there, she planned to mine as much as possible and buy a house!
As Ye Sheng recovered, Brother Liu and the others returned, calling her to rest on the other side of the camp.
Mo Lin took two disc-like objects from the trunk, which resembled cleaning robots. When they reached the spot, he placed them on the ground, and in the next second, they transformed into two outdoor tents that could accommodate 3-5 people.
Ye Sheng looked around and saw mostly the same black tents, each spaced a short distance apart.
But because the camp wasn't very large, the tents weren't too far apart, and with the number of people in the convoy, the scene looked quite impressive.
There were quite a few people like Ye Sheng, who had just gotten their tents. Some couldn't stay inside the tents and kept wandering around, unwilling to rest in the confined space.
"Ye Sheng, the three of us will share one tent, and you'll have one to yourself. Don't sleep too soundly at night, just in case something happens."
Mo Lin gave careful instructions once the tent was set up in a second.
Ye Sheng nodded in agreement.
Just as she was about to crawl into the tent to rest, a mercenary suddenly called out her name loudly: "Ye Sheng, I brought back the weapon you dropped earlier."
For a moment, Ye Sheng became the center of attention again, making her involuntarily twitch her mouth.
It was just returning a weapon; there was no need to make such a fuss!
The incident with the snake swarm that Ye Sheng and Han Weiwei encountered had lasted less than five minutes from start to finish, and since they were a bit away from the convoy, only the psychic and mercenaries had noticed the danger.
Most of the convoy members had gone to the other side of the camp to sort out dinner and accommodation for the night. Only a few people remained, keeping a distance and quietly watching the "show" from afar after spotting the snake swarm.
As the incident with the snake swarm hadn't spread much yet, when they saw the mercenary walking briskly towards Ye Sheng, Mo Lin immediately looked up at her with curiosity and asked, "Sister Ye, what did you do this time?"
Ye Sheng rubbed her nose and replied helplessly, "I just wanted to wander around a bit and ended up encountering a White Ringed Snake. Luckily, the mercenaries rescued me in time, so I could come back safely."
"Hiss! A White Ringed Snake! Sister Ye, did you encounter a mother snake?"
Upon hearing about the White ringed snake, Mo Lin immediately started asking about the mother snake, looking very interested. This made Ye Sheng glance at him in confusion. After thinking it over, she decided it was better to keep things low-key.
She just wanted to go along with the convoy and not stand out!
"Yes, I saw one. It was killed by a Esper with a single stroke."
"Wow, that psychic is going to be rich. Even though the mother snake is a high-radiation polluted creature, its gallbladder can be used in medicine and is super valuable. If I were there, I would've..."
"Would've been swallowed by the mother snake in one bite."
Brother Liu, listening to Mo Lin's wistful words, honestly continued the conversation, making Mo Lin's face fall. The Liu brothers couldn't help but laugh and teased Mo Lin, "Yeah, little brother Mo Lin, you'd better stay away, or the mother snake would gulp you down in one go."
"I once saw a mother White ringed snakes. Besides its thick skin, its bones are incredibly strong, making it hard to break through its defense and kill it! That psychic is really powerful to kill it in one strike."
As the four were talking, the mercenary who called Ye Sheng arrived. She reached out to take the crossbow and energy sword from him. Just as she was about to thank the mercenary, he cut her off.
"Ye Sheng, you also contributed to attacking the mother snake. The Esper and mercenary group have decided to give you some points."
"......"
The mercenary spoke with a friendly smile, but Ye Sheng felt a bit awkward because she was now facing Brother Liu and the others, who were all looking at her with a "You hid this from us" expression.
Ye Sheng pretended not to notice... Free points are not to be refused!
Besides, she did stab the mother snake, so taking these points wasn't unfair!
However, as Ye Sheng looked down at the transfer amount...
50,000 base points!!!
"Did you give too many points? The person who killed the mother snake was Ling Lan!"
"No, it's not too many. After all, the mother snake in the group of White ringed snakes is a B-level polluted creature, not to mention that after scanning, it was found to be a medium-radiation White ringed snakes, worth over 600,000 points!"
Upon hearing that it was a medium-radiation, edible snake, Ye Sheng immediately accepted the transfer without hesitation.
No wonder they say mercenaries make money quickly; killing just one polluted creature nets tens of thousands!
However, thinking about how her sword only barely broke the mother snake's skin, Ye Sheng didn't feel envious.
You need to be alive to spend the money you earn!
This time, there were no lottery points owed. Although it hurt to jab her thigh twice, earning 50,000 base points in one go covered half of the 100,000 points she spent to follow the convoy.
"Nice."
If this continues, maybe she won't need to sell the star ironstone to cover the trip's expenses.
"Not bad, not bad."
After completing the transaction, the mercenary didn't linger and turned back to clean up the "battlefield."
Ye Sheng was left behind, silently watched by the other three.
Raising her hands in surrender, Ye Sheng quickly explained her recent experiences. After hearing them, Mo Lin couldn't help but click his tongue, "Sister Sheng, you're so brave! You even dared to stab the mother snake!"
To attack a mother snake, Ye Sheng might not be physically large, but she sure had guts!
No wonder she was unmoved by the pursuits of esper.
Who would want to be a canary when they have the ability to adventure in the wilderness!
Seeing that explaining was useless, Ye Sheng didn't waste more words and told Brother Liu and the others she was going to rest, quickly retreating into her tent.
After a peaceful night's rest, they continued their journey the next day.
They drove the entire day.
It wasn't until dusk that they chose a campsite. Learning from her previous snake encounter, Ye Sheng stayed obediently with the crowd, diligently avoiding Ling Lan and Han Weiwei, hiding in her tent.
Sometimes, being a turtle hiding in its shell isn't so bad.
This overwhelming romantic attention is something she can do without!
Fortunately, Ling Lan didn't want to make things difficult for Ye Sheng, only returning to her place disappointed.
When the "fickle" Han Weiwei tried to run into Ye Sheng, she suddenly saw Ling Lan and immediately started trembling.
She didn't dare reveal her thoughts.
She just thought, once they're back in the safe zone of the base, she would secretly seek out Ye Sheng.
Hmph!
Compared to espers who might die at any moment, someone like her, who has a little wealth, is more trustworthy.
As long as Ye Sheng is with her, she'd live a good life.
However, for now, with Ling Lan's "restraint," Han Weiwei didn't dare make a move, allowing Ye Sheng to breathe a sigh of relief.
She just had to hold on a little longer!
After three days and nights of traveling, the convoy finally arrived near the star iron mine!
"Wow, so much bamboo!"
Mo Lin, sitting in the car, excitedly turned around and leaned against the car door, looking around with wide eyes and exclaiming in amazement.
The area around the star iron mine was covered with dense bamboo groves. The bamboo, affected by the pollution from the toxic fog radiation, had grown much taller, like giant trees blocking out most of the sunlight.
Mo Lin, who rarely ventured into the wilderness, had never seen such a spectacular sight.
Even Ye Sheng was equally impressed.
However, while Mo Lin marveled at the scenery, Ye Sheng was thinking about bamboo shoots. If she got the chance, she wanted to check if there were any edible bamboo shoots!
She imagined taking some home to stir-fry.
"Star iron mine is just ahead; vehicles, stay in formation!"
The convoy leaders called out to everyone through the radio, and they headed in the direction marked by the Supernet.
Soon, the road became rugged, with many bamboo plants blocking the way. When the vehicles could no longer pass, the group abandoned them and proceeded on foot.
Not long after, Brother Liu almost fell, but luckily, his brother caught him in time, preventing him from face-planting into the ground.
Standing back up, Brother Liu was frustrated and glared at the stone that tripped him.
Then...
"This is star iron ore!"
Brother Liu became excited and squatted down, using his knife to dig around the stone. After a few digs, he pried out a palm-sized rock.
Standing up again, he proudly showed it to Mo Lin and Ye Sheng, saying, "Look, this is raw star iron ore. It looks like an ordinary rock on the outside, but when you cut it open, it has a faint green glow."
As he spoke, Brother Liu cut off a corner of the stone, revealing a faint green light.
Ye Sheng and Mo Lin, amazed by the sight, exclaimed, "Wow!"
"Come quickly, we've found a mine!"
Before Ye Sheng and Mo Lin could continue their admiration, a mercenary who had been sent to scout returned and excitedly waved at everyone, urging them to go check out the mine.
Ye Sheng, however, frowned in confusion. A mine?
She had overheard the convoy leaders saying yesterday that once they found the star iron mine, they would have everyone dig a mine for easier access in the future.