Netherworld Retrograde

Chapter 704: Chapter 330: Assembly

In fact, Li Yelai had misjudged a fact.

He was indeed exhausted, sleep-deprived after being startled awake earlier and, after a long period of hard work, headed out to the Upper City District late at night, wandering for several hours.

If his physique weren’t already so robust, he wouldn’t even have thought about going out; he’d probably still be asleep by now.

But the Doll had already slept enough, enjoyed her fill of rest.

As the Doll under the covers reached up with her arms, pulling closer to Li Yelai, the warm nest of blankets gently opened to reveal the beautiful body of the girl beneath to Li Yelai’s eyes…

Yet with an adorably clueless expression, the Doll sought a kiss from Li Yelai.

She was unaware of it herself, but this was a tremendous test for Li Yelai.

The first time they kissed, she was tentative and nervous.

The second, filled with reflection and addiction.

And then, there were those that followed one after another…

She might not have had other thoughts, but the repeated kisses plunged them both into deep temptation.

Eventually, things naturally progressed between the two…

It was unclear how much time had passed before the sounds in the room gradually subsided.

“Are you okay?” Li Yelai whispered tenderly, wiping away the tears from the girl’s eyes.

The girl in his arms breathed gently, her chest rising and falling slightly, as if she hadn’t yet recovered from the recent shock. Her face was flush with a rosy hue, her eyes tearful and unfocused, giving her an incredibly seductive look.

As Li Yelai spoke, the Doll gradually came back to reality.

She embraced Li Yelai’s neck unconsciously, slowly shook her head, and then nodded.

Li Yelai let out a heavy breath, murmuring, “Shall we sleep?”

He feared that if this continued, he would truly attract the attention of Jile. The Doll had a simple mind but would inadvertently ignite his desires.

“Mhm.”

With the girl’s sweet response, Li Yelai quickly fell into dreamland.

…

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Border City, a number of teams headed toward Lava Mine City.

Raising the vantage point, one would see hundreds of teams approaching Lava Mine City under the cover of night.

They were of different identities, some Scavengers, some Wild Spirit Ability Users, and even some wanted criminals from Giant City, but they shared a surprisingly unified goal.

On a dimly lit mountain path, a motorbike burst forth from the forest.

The man riding the bike shouted, “Did you point us down the wrong route? Why are there only mountains?”

The little girl sitting behind him, tied to the man with a piece of hemp rope, was holding a map and said, “No, we’re supposed to go this way. Teacher, could our map be wrong?”

“It can’t be, I spent several hundred on it!” The man clenched his teeth, stopped the motorbike, and snatched the map from the little girl behind him, examining it closely.

This man was none other than the Wilderness Ranger, Zhang Zhong, whom Li Yelai had contacted before!

Soon thereafter, Zhang Zhong bit his teeth and said, “Don’t call me Teacher! Never! I don’t have a disciple as foolish as you! The map clearly shows we should follow the river at the bottom of the mountain, not climb over these ridges!”

“You idiot! Not even the Master of Green Flames has such a dimwitted Believer!”

“Stop eating! Don’t eat anymore! You’ve gained a whole seven pounds already!” Zhang Zhong saw the girl munching on a pancake and sighed in despair: “Alright, eat then, eat. Just don’t throw up later!”

The girl was indeed a pitiable soul.

She hailed from a rural village, her father a worker from Giant City who died in an accident.

The compensation that should have been hers was embezzled.

The mother and brother who sought justice were left seriously injured on their way.

Soon after returning home, the mother succumbed to illness and passed away.

Her brother sought revenge but was found by Scavengers acting on a tip; the outcome was unimaginable.

Such was the wilderness, a place where life was all too cheap.

After the Scavengers killed her brother, they planned to sell the girl to other settlements. In the wilderness, this was common… a human was an asset.

In the face of despair, the girl, not even ten, bravely brandished a kitchen knife at the Scavengers.

Easily kicked aside, she refused to give up, picked up the knife again… wishing to tear through the darkness before her.

And that rebellious fire… attracted the Wilderness Ranger, it brought Zhang Zhong!

Thus followed the incidents of officials and judges being stabbed and Zhang Zhong becoming a wanted criminal.

Now, the little girl had become Zhang Zhong’s disciple.

Zhang Zhong would instruct her in reading and writing, and concurrently impart the Ranger’s principles and beliefs.

If she possessed Spiritual Talent, she would become a Spiritual Ability User upon reaching adulthood, continuing to practice the way of the Ranger.

If she lacked Spiritual Talent, he would adhere to her wishes, either send her into Giant City to attain residency or continue having her follow by his side.

This was also one of the ways in which Rangers passed on their mantle.

Zhang Zhong sighed inwardly; the girl simply ate too much, and her mind… didn’t seem all that sharp.

“Great Master of Green Flames, if you are displeased, please don’t blame us,” Zhang Zhong murmured to himself, parking the motorbike under a tree, lit a fire to boil water, and let the little girl eat well, careful not to choke.

He leaned on the faint firelight, studying the map in his hands.

He, too, had received the news when he was about to leave the vicinity of Border City. So, he had turned back at once.

“If nothing unexpected happens, the other Rangers should also be on their way,” Zhang Zhong mused to himself: “Looks like a large operation is coming up. I wonder if the Ranger from Border City Number Two will also come? If he truly is a Ranger… truly walking the path of a Ranger…”

At that moment, Zhang Zhong saw the girl with a hesitant expression and couldn’t help chuckling: “What’s wrong, did you choke?”