Apocalypse Star House Hoarding-Chapter 141

On their way down the mountain, they startled a mutant centipede. This creature had been poisonous and terrifying even before mutating, but now it was as large as a snake—wide and flat like one of those odd-looking serpents.
It slithered toward them with its countless legs wriggling, even raising its upper body toward the car hood and spitting venom.
Yu Xi quickly reached out to grab the steering wheel, helping Xu Yan swerve sharply to avoid the attack. The venom landed on the grass nearby, turning it black in an instant. A pungent, acrid smell filled the air, making Xu Yan tear up and sneeze uncontrollably as he scrambled to put on his gas mask.
But Yu Xi, wearing only a mask, grabbed her Tang sword and leapt out of the car. In just a few swift steps, she dodged left and right with astonishing speed, each precise slash cutting the centipede into multiple segments. Finally, she used fire to incinerate the writhing remains, leaving nothing behind.
Xu Yan: …
The entire process took less than a minute. She didn’t cough, didn’t choke, and remained perfectly calm, without even the slightest sign of panic.
It all happened so fast that Xu Yan didn’t even catch which brand of culinary torch she used to burn the centipede’s body—the flames seemed unusually large.
Yu Xi pulled out a cloth, wiped her Tang sword clean, sheathed it, and got back in the car, gesturing for him to continue driving.
Xu Yan stared at her blankly. Her eyes were clear, with no redness or watering. Even after that intense fight, her hat hadn’t tilted a bit.
Noticing his gaze, Yu Xi also realized her overwhelming combat skills might have raised some suspicions. However, she feigned ignorance and calmly met his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
Xu Yan wanted to ask if she had been hiding her abilities—no,
a lot
of her abilities—but her nonchalant demeanor made him hesitate.
After all, whether she had hidden her strength was her business. Today, he had been the one to ask for help, and she had saved his life without hesitation or holding back.
What more could he ask? Should he expect her to fight such a dangerous giant venomous centipede while still keeping her strength a secret?
If he couldn’t help, he had no right to pry.
Xu Yan removed his protective mask and said a simple thank you before continuing to drive.
The town was just at the foot of the mountain—a small place with only a few streets and three banks in total.
The situation in the town was similar to that in the cities. Unless absolutely necessary, people avoided going outside. The once bustling tourist town had become eerily quiet, and the banks were all closed. Fortunately, the town still had electricity, so the ATMs were operational.
Yu Xi and Xu Yan visited all three banks, withdrawing the maximum daily amount using several bank cards. Xu Yan used the PINs for a few households, while Yu Xi did the same for her and her parents’ cards.
Apparently, it was rare for anyone in the town to withdraw such large sums of money in one day, especially since the ATMs hadn’t been restocked in ages. They emptied all three machines.
Xu Yan, knowing how difficult it was to come down the mountain, drove around the town in search of any open shops to restock supplies.
Unfortunately, most of the town’s supermarkets were privately owned. In these times, food and supplies were scarce enough for personal use, let alone for sale.
The prevalent model was bartering: those with excess food would exchange it for other necessities.
Some people knew about the small farming and livestock area at the mountain’s guesthouse but avoided the trek because of the mutant animals and plants along the way. Meanwhile, some older residents or experienced youths had started loosening soil and planting vegetables in their yards.
Being near the mountains, the vegetation had always been lush. Even after the mutations, most plants remained familiar. The primary threat came from the mutated animals.
The mountain guesthouse’s idea of transplanting “Sui Grass” had spread to the town, but not every household had the conditions for such a project. Mutated snakes, insects, rats, and ants frequently appeared in people’s yards, turning the simple task of gardening into a significant challenge.
Overall, though, the town was faring slightly better than the cities.
On their way back up the mountain, they were attacked by a flock of mutant sparrows.
Each sparrow was as large as a hen, with gray feathers, sharp beaks, and talons. When they appeared in swarms, their attacks were formidable.
On a website dedicated to analyzing and studying new species, someone once posted about how, during a period of food shortage, their family had been desperate for meat. One day, a mutant sparrow landed on their balcony, pecking arrogantly at everything in sight.
The family’s child, craving meat, pointed to the sparrow and called it “chicken.” Determined to feed his daughter, the father improvised a long spear using a mop handle and a sushi knife, striking the sparrow through the window.
The sparrow didn’t die immediately but flapped its wings frantically, trying to escape. The family scrambled to catch it, eventually managing to subdue the oversized bird.
Before cooking, they tested the meat and innards with a silver spoon to ensure there was no poison. The father even volunteered to taste a small piece of cooked meat, confirming it was safe.
That evening, the father experienced no adverse reactions. Afterward, the family enjoyed half of the sparrow braised with sauce as a treat for the elderly and children, saving the rest for the next meal, which they planned to fry.
Everyone ate happily that day. However, while the elderly and children were oblivious, the couple was acutely aware of the rumors circulating online—claims that humans were the “virus of the planet,” that the planet was expelling humanity, and that killing mutated flora and fauna would bring retaliation.
But at that point, their mindset was rather fatalistic. They thought,
We’ve already reached this point. If retaliation comes, let it target us, not the elderly and children.
To their surprise, one day passed, then two, then a week… and they were all still alive and well.
When the father shared the story online, the comments were a mix of responses. Some people shared similar experiences, such as uprooting a mutated plant that had attacked them—without suffering any so-called retaliation.
Others analyzed the situation seriously, suggesting that unless the extermination was widespread and indiscriminate, there didn’t seem to be any backlash, as the planet might accept such actions as part of a “jungle law” system.
Still, some derailed the discussion entirely, asking about the taste of the sparrow.
The father replied:
The meat is firm, somewhat like pheasant. Since the sparrow was much larger post-mutation, it could make a whole pot. Both braised and fried, it’s delicious.
After that, a new type of post began trending across various forums—summaries of edible mutated animals. These posts even included innovative recipes for different mutated creatures while repeatedly reminding people not to kill indiscriminately, as it might provoke collective retaliation. Instead, they recommended only hunting as needed, especially when the creature initiated an attack.
Perhaps because they were in a mountainous area, bird populations were high. The flock of sparrows that attacked Yu Xi and Xu Yan consisted of at least seven or eight birds.
One sparrow, clearly the leader, dove toward them at high speed, resembling an eagle in its movement. It slammed into the transparent membrane of their all-terrain vehicle’s windshield and delivered a powerful peck, leaving a gaping hole in the membrane.
Although the windshield was transparent, it was incredibly tough—cutting through it with a knife would require considerable effort. Yet the sparrow had pecked a hole with a single strike.
Xu Yan froze as he stared at the sparrow’s sharp beak, which was stuck in the hole, and its cold, unblinking eyes.
The other sparrows, circling above, seemed to realize the vehicle was open-topped. After calling out a few cries, they all dove down at once.
Xu Yan scrambled to maintain the car’s balance, eventually managing to bring it to a stop.
Meanwhile, Yu Xi stood on the vehicle’s seat, gripping the car frame. Using her sheathed Tang sword as a staff, she swept away the sparrow clawing at the windshield. She then glanced up, gauging the angle, and swatted away two more diving sparrows.
“Take cover!” she shouted before leaping off the vehicle to monitor the flock’s movements.
If the sparrows retreated, she wouldn’t pursue. But if they continued their attack—this was clearly a flock species, and if she fought back, she couldn’t leave any alive.
If she killed only a few, the survivors might hold a grudge and launch sporadic ambushes later, which would be a huge hassle.
Although her family lived in Star House, there were other residents at the guesthouse. The “Sui Grass” might fend off ground-dwelling creatures, but it couldn’t stop those that flew.
The sparrows, however, were relentless. Understanding their advantage in numbers, they circled a few times before diving down again.
Yu Xi used her thumb to nudge the Tang sword’s sheath open. As the sheath fell to the ground, her blade swung forward.
Sensing danger, the sparrows tried to slow down and dodge. But at an almost impossible angle, Yu Xi accelerated her swing, cutting one sparrow mid-air despite its evasive maneuvers.
That single strike seemed to unleash chaos. The remaining sparrows screeched and charged at her all at once.
To Yu Xi, their speed and numbers were no different from playing Fruit Ninja. One swing of her blade brought down three sparrows; another swing took down two more.
The last sparrow, flying the highest, let out a piercing cry and tried to escape. Yu Xi, her expression calm, pulled a silenced handgun from her pocket and shot it down.
She holstered the gun, approached the fallen sparrow, and decapitated it with her sword to remove the bullet before turning to Xu Yan. “Come over here and grab a bag. Let’s take all seven of them back. These sparrows aren’t poisonous and can be eaten.”
Xu Yan: …
He wasn’t sure whether to be more shocked by the weapon she had just used or by her casual remark about the sparrows being edible.
The all-terrain vehicle belonged to Xu Yan. After driving back to his yard, he parked the car, intending to prepare the seven sparrows in the communal kitchen and let Yu Xi take a few home.
However, as soon as he stopped the car, Yu Xi got out, Tang sword in hand, ready to leave.
“Yu Xi!” he called after her. “Come in for a bit. I’ll clean these sparrows, and you can take a few home—they’re all yours, after all.”
“No need,” she replied, eager to get back to buy abilities. With plenty of food already, she didn’t care about the sparrows.
“I insist,” Xu Yan said firmly. He seemed unwilling to be entirely passive and dependent in front of someone he admired.
In his view, even if he lacked combat strength, at least he still had his intellect and reasoning to offer.
Currently, while food was available at the guesthouse, the portions were small, and meat was scarce. Considering that the sparrows were entirely hunted by Yu Xi, it didn’t feel right for her to return empty-handed.
Yu Xi understood that Xu Yan’s insistence stemmed from a desire not to take advantage of her. She walked up to him and patted his shoulder. “We’ve been working together for so long; let’s not get hung up on these things. Besides, I didn’t help you for free this time—I took your red label yesterday, remember?
“I’ve got some personal matters to handle. After this, I won’t have time to accompany you on outings for a while, so I’d also appreciate it if you didn’t disturb me for the time being. Consider these sparrows as a form of advance compensation.”
Before Xu Yan could respond, the sound of their conversation seemed to catch the attention of the people inside. A group quickly emerged from the house—Wang Meng, Wang Yin, Xia Xuan, Ma Tiantian, Chen Tong, Zheng Feng, and even Gou Mingfeng.
They had been passing the time playing cards, but after overhearing snippets of their conversation and learning about the mutant sparrows Yu Xi brought back, they couldn’t resist coming out to see for themselves.
“Wow! They’re huge!” Ma Tiantian, unafraid of birds, was the first to step forward, her eyes wide with amazement. “All mutant sparrows!”
“I heard these are edible—and really tasty!” Zheng Feng marveled.
“Yu Xi, you’re incredible!” Xia Xuan and Chen Tong couldn’t hide their excitement and gratitude, openly expressing their admiration.
Only Wang Meng and Wang Yin exchanged glances and didn’t step forward. Wang Meng’s gaze flickered to Yu Xi’s hand, which had just been on Xu Yan’s shoulder when she walked out.
Yu Xi noticed but didn’t care.
If it were “yesterday,” she might have avoided getting entangled in complicated relationships. But “today,” a decade later, her mentality was different:
Let people think what they want.
For now, she wasn’t interested in Xu Yan. If she ever were, she’d just go for it. She wouldn’t care how many admirers he had—as long as he was single, that was all that mattered.
With that thought, Yu Xi gestured for Xu Yan to step aside and lowered her voice to tell him that she genuinely needed a break from being disturbed. She also asked him to let others know appropriately, so no one unknowingly came to find her.
Xu Yan could tell she was serious and agreed without hesitation. “Alright. You take care, and thanks for today!”
“Mm, I’m off.”
Eager to proceed with her ability implant, Yu Xi quickly left.
Back at the simulated apartment, she informed her parents about her plan to implant an ability. She explained that the first 24 hours were critical and that she wasn’t sure how she would react during the process. She emphasized that no matter what they heard, they shouldn’t enter her room during that time.
Additionally, she mentioned the adaptation and recovery periods, asking them to stay within the safety of Star House until she fully recovered. Knowing they would be safe gave her peace of mind to focus on her recovery.
Fan Qi, concerned, asked questions about the ice ability she planned to acquire. The more she heard, the more incredulous she became—
controlling ice? Creating ice shields and blades? Freezing an entire room?
This sounded so far-fetched it felt like it defied all scientific reasoning.
Although Fan Qi and Yu Feng found it hard to believe, they trusted their daughter and reassured her that they would stay put in Star House until she was fully recovered. However, they insisted she eat dinner first before proceeding.
That evening, the entire group enjoyed roasted and fried sparrows, while Yu Xi had a simple meal of home-cooked dishes prepared by Fan Qi and Yu Feng.
During dinner, she overheard an argument between Zou Yan and Chen Tong downstairs. Most of the yelling came from Zou Yan.
While Zou Yan often shrank from confrontation and avoided attention in public, at home, his voice was anything but timid. He frequently argued with Chen Tong over minor matters, often escalating to shouting matches.
Lately, his favorite topic seemed to be their neighbor Zheng Feng, accusing Chen Tong of being too close to him, questioning if she thought Zheng Feng was better than him, and insinuating she looked down on him.
In the past, Chen Tong would get angry and argue back, but now she didn’t even bother responding.
After a period of cold war, Zou Yan would soften his tone, apologize profusely, and engage in self-reflection.
Yu Xi could only shake her head at the drama. It wasn’t her place to intervene—whatever decisions Chen Tong made were up to her.
After dinner, Fan Qi sent Yu Xi back to her room, gently touched her face, and closed the door for her.
Yu Feng tried to reassure his wife and said, “Don’t worry. Our daughter is amazing. With an ability, she’ll be even stronger. This is a good thing.”
As the couple went downstairs to tidy up, they had no idea what was happening in the room.
Inside, Yu Xi locked the door, confirmed her purchase of the ice ability with the system, and initiated the implantation process.
A brilliant white light enveloped her entire body.
When the light faded, Yu Xi was no longer in the room.