Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 70: Chapter 64: An Unexpected Surprise

At the very center of the forest, beneath the tallest ancient tree, the previously slumbering Black Wolf stood atop a massive boulder. Below it, more than ten wolves stared intently at their leader.

The scene looked like a briefing. In Tang Mo’s eyes, this was clearly a strategic planning session before a battle.

Alarm bells instantly went off in Tang Mo’s head!

The Intermediate Beast, the Black Wolf, had awakened.

Wolves had been constantly prowling near Taoyuan Village recently, and Tang Mo knew in her heart that the Black Wolf already considered the village a prize within its grasp.

Mutant Beast Groups didn’t usually attack without reason, and Tang Mo couldn’t figure out why a small place like Taoyuan Village, with only about twenty people, had become the Black Wolf’s target.

Now that the Black Wolf had awakened, it looked like an attack was imminent.

Based on Tang Mo’s knowledge of wolf pack behavior, if nothing unexpected happened, the large-scale assault would be tonight.

Run.

That was the first thought that came to Tang Mo’s mind. She couldn’t even defeat the Black Wolf on her own, let alone the entire pack.

As far as she knew, the only person in Taoyuan Village with any real combat ability was Tiegen. The others would be less than cannon fodder; they’d just be in the way.

She habitually carried all her personal belongings with her. If she left right now, her safety wouldn’t be threatened by the wolf pack in the slightest.

But...

Then, Tang Mo suddenly thought of Aunt Lin, her childlike, innocent daughter-in-law, and her well-behaved little grandson, who was like a small dumpling.

Tang Mo had always thought that after everything she’d been through, she had long since become a cold person. But now, scenes from her time in Taoyuan Village flashed continuously before her eyes.

The people there had been living in denial, but every one of them had retained a pre-apocalyptic simplicity and kindness that filled Tang Mo with a profound sense of warmth.

She remembered that Tiegen was still out working with a group of unarmed villagers, and that Taoyuan Village’s main gate hadn’t been locked yet...

Tang Mo bit her lip and turned, running back towards the village.

Tang Mo was already very familiar with the village chief’s house. It was just a shame that every time she came, she brought bad news.

When Tang Mo knocked and entered the courtyard, the village chief was still in the backyard, tending to his precious little garden.

Seeing Tang Mo arrive, the village chief seemed to sense it was something important and called both Shen Xiaodong and Shen Xiaotang into the main hall.

”The Black Wolf has awakened. If my judgment is correct, the Mutant Beast Group will attack tonight. One Intermediate Beast leading more than ten Basic-level Mutant Beasts.”

Tang Mo’s words were concise and to the point, but their meaning made everyone present sit up straight.

”Xiao Tang, go get Tiegen and the other villagers back inside. Then have Hua Zi lock the main gate and keep a close watch on any movement outside.”

Shen Qing immediately gave out the orders. Shen Xiaotang acknowledged with a ”yes” and hurried out.

”Why don’t we just take the villagers and leave now? It’s better than waiting here to die, and we can go before they get here.” Shen Xiaodong’s hands were clenched tightly, betraying his nervousness.

Tang Mo shook her head.

”It’s too late. On my way back, I saw a few wolves already scattered around, prowling. If we try to leave in a large group, they’ll attack immediately, putting us in an even more vulnerable position. The villagers would be like a fat piece of meat in an open field, devoured one by one.”

Shen Xiaodong pressed his lips together and said no more.

A dead silence fell. They were all waiting for the village chief to make the final decision at this critical moment of life and death.

”Xiaodong, go and gather all the villagers. Quickly.”

Shen Qing sighed softly.

This might be Taoyuan Village’s last night. At a time like this, he had no choice but to personally shatter the beautiful mirage he had built for his people.

”Chief, we still have a whole afternoon. There’s a lot we can do to prepare.”

Tang Mo said, perhaps to comfort him.

”Miss Tang, I know you’re no ordinary person, and I have a general idea of why you came to our Taoyuan Village. Today, I have a presumptuous request.”

Shen Qing paused, not continuing, and instead got up and went into the backyard.

Tang Mo sat there, a little puzzled by the village chief’s departure.

But she had a rough idea of what he was going to say next. After a moment of thought, she made her decision.

Soon, the village chief returned from the backyard, carrying a potted plant, which he placed carefully on the table.

It was a flower, with only a single, giant bud, poised to bloom.

A delicate, fluorescent glow surrounded each petal, the telltale sign of an abnormal treasure.

’This is...’

Tang Mo’s eyes were fixed on the potted flower, unwilling to look away.

Every bit of spiritual power in her body seemed to answer a call, boiling and erupting into a grand carnival within her.

Tang Mo didn’t even need to appraise it; she was certain that the plant before her was a spiritual power abnormal treasure—and a very, very powerful one with an extremely high attribute value.

”To be honest, I’ve known for a while. Miss Tang, you must have come to Taoyuan Village for its abundant spiritual power, haven’t you?”

Shen Qing pushed the pot toward Tang Mo.

”This pot of white peony is the very reason why the spiritual power in Taoyuan Village is so rich.”

”As it grows, this flower continuously releases spiritual power that can be absorbed by the human body. Cultivating spiritual power near it is twice as effective, providing the strongest possible support.

However, that is not its only value.

When it blooms, consuming each petal will increase the user’s Spirit Points attribute by 10.”

Tang Mo suppressed her immense shock. ’Each petal is worth 10 Spirit Points?’

’That’s like having numerous abnormal treasures combined into one. The value of this flower is simply immeasurable!’

But Tang Mo didn’t say anything. She knew the village chief wouldn’t have brought out this village-guarding treasure for no reason, just to give her a little introduction.

”If you are willing to stay and help Taoyuan Village survive this crisis, then regardless of whether we win or lose, it is yours now.”

The village chief’s eyes were filled with resolve. His many years of experience were enough to see that Tang Mo was extraordinary, and also that she was a person who honored her promises.

Based on the fact that she had returned to warn the village despite the danger after learning the Black Wolf had awakened, Shen Qing was willing to take a gamble.

If Taoyuan Village was massacred tonight, what would be the point of this Spiritual Flower’s existence?

It was better to trade it for a chance, to fight with all their might.

Looking at the flower before her, which held such an immense attraction, she seemed to understand why Taoyuan Village had met its fate in her previous life.

No wonder such a small village had drawn the covetous attention of a Mutant Beast Group. What the Intermediate Beast truly wanted was this abnormal treasure, a concentration of the world’s very essence.

After Taoyuan Village was wiped out, the abnormal treasure was naturally taken by the mutant beasts. This was the real reason why no one in later generations ever discovered the secret of Taoyuan Village’s spiritual power.