After the heavy snowfall, many people were contemplating when they could return home for the New Year, especially the civilian personnel who had come to offer support. With the snow, the zombies were clearly no match, and it was time to disband and go home. As for rewards, they could be given slowly; whether honor or supplies, they were all acceptable.
However, at this moment, headquarters announced the latest order: the battle was not over, the fighting was still ongoing, and victory would only be declared after all the Corpse Kings were killed and the zombie hordes numbering tens of thousands near Yanjing were no more. Until then, the fight must continue!
Afterward, headquarters released the current status of the zombies. It turned out that in the past month, the zombies had besieged Yanjing in large numbers, but the intensity of their attacks was only hundreds of thousands per day. This was merely to lull them into a false sense of security. The zombies had secretly dug underground tunnels and, after the heavy snowfall, had taken refuge underground. In the past month, although at least thirty million zombies had been killed, another one hundred and fifty million zombies were still hiding underground, constantly preparing to attack!
Upon hearing this news, everyone understood that the battle was not over. Without thoroughly dealing with the zombies, victory would be a distant prospect.
A large number of soldiers began to curse the cunning of the zombies. They had not expected these zombies to employ such a deceptive tactic, outwardly attacking Yanjing while secretly digging tunnels. Now the situation had become precarious, and no one knew how long they would have to fight before they could go home.
When Chu Chaoyan heard the news, she gritted her teeth and said, "Ke Yiming, that scoundrel, he's tricked me! He said that as soon as it snowed heavily, the zombies would be killed, and we would win. But now it seems it's not that simple!"
Chu Chaoyan recalled Ke Yiming's words: as soon as it snowed, all the zombies would freeze to death, and then the war would be won. She had naively believed this news. As it turned out, it snowed, but the zombies hid underground, making the situation even more bizarre.
Shen Feng was not particularly agitated upon hearing the bad news, as he had been mentally prepared. After all, he had witnessed the cunning of zombies in Rongcheng and knew they were not foolish creatures. His uneasy premonition had come true; the zombies had not been defeated by the heavy snowfall but had merely gone into temporary hibernation.
"It seems we have a tough battle ahead!" Shen Feng couldn't help but sigh.
As Shen Feng was lost in thought, a soldier suddenly reported, "City Lord, Li Keyi is here to see you."
Hearing this, Shen Feng frowned and said, "Then I'll have to hide. This person is persistent, and it's best for me to leave to avoid being pestered by her."
With that, Shen Feng used "Ru Feng Sui Xing" and instantly left his spot, disappearing into the distance like a blur. Li Keyi, in her desperation to become an ability user, had been relentlessly pursuing Shen Feng, hoping to strike a deal. Currently, Shen Feng could only evade her entanglements.
However, Chu Chaoyan's eyes gleamed. She said to the communications soldier, "Take me to meet this woman. If I can't defeat her, I can at least scold her. With my silver tongue, I'll make sure she surrenders without a fight."
Chu Chaoyan had regained her confidence. She had studied literature and was well-versed in countless satirical essays. Wasn't this the time to put them to use? Li Keyi should be severely berated to make her retreat and stop bothering Shen Feng. By appealing to her emotions and reason, she was sure to make the other party feel ashamed and flee in disarray!
When Li Keyi arrived at Shen Feng's encampment, she began searching everywhere. Having learned that Shen Feng possessed the head of a Corpse King, her hope ignited like a blazing fire. She knew this might be her only chance to become an ability user, and she was determined to seize it.
Normally, outsiders were not allowed on the front lines, but Li Keyi was special. She had a special pass because she frequently challenged ability users and never bothered others during active combat. Thus, Li Keyi could freely enter and exit the front-line areas, with only routine registration required.
However, Li Keyi searched Shen Feng's encampment but found nothing. It seemed Shen Feng had vanished into thin air. Li Keyi understood that Shen Feng was deliberately avoiding her, and she knew she wouldn't be able to find someone as fast as him.
Li Keyi knew where Shen Feng's tent was. Not wanting to return empty-handed, she walked towards Shen Feng's tent and quietly opened it. Inside, she found only bedding and a pile of comic books, along with messy clothes and pants. It was clear that Shen Feng was not a meticulous man and was too lazy to tidy his living space.
Li Keyi shook her head helplessly and thought, "It seems Shen Feng didn't carry important items with him. I wonder where he hid them."
As she thought, Li Keyi began to tidy Shen Feng's clothes, neatly folding the messy garments. If there were dirty clothes, she prepared to take them to be washed. As for the pile of comic books, Li Keyi also carefully stacked them aside to make them look neater. It had to be said that Li Keyi's skillful tidying of the tent suggested she would be a good wife and mother in the future.
But at this moment, Chu Chaoyan arrived. She saw Li Keyi tidying the tent and couldn't help but sneer, "I never expected you to be so meticulous. Since you're so gentle, why don't you just find a man and get married?"
Hearing Chu Chaoyan's voice, Li Keyi merely shrugged and replied without turning her head, "That's none of your concern. Whether I get married or not has nothing to do with you."
"It does! I am the person specifically assigned to supervise Shen Feng. You are shamelessly pestering a married man, which has crossed my line. I warn you, you'd better get lost honestly, or I'll beat you so badly your own mother won't recognize you. I was going easy on you before, but if I really fight now, you'll collapse and die before you can even get close to me!" Chu Chaoyan directly threatened.
Li Keyi turned to look at Chu Chaoyan and suddenly had an idea. She walked out of the tent and began to circle around Chu Chaoyan, nodding as she did so, as if treating Chu Chaoyan as a piece of art and herself as an admirer of art.
Chu Chaoyan felt uncomfortable being scrutinized like this, so she asked, "What are you doing? If you don't speak, I'll hit you!"
Li Keyi said sternly, "I'm thinking about what merits Shen Feng has to have such a beautiful confidante by his side. Upon closer inspection, I realize how outstanding you are. Not only are you beautiful and good-looking, but your appearance, voice, and knowledge are all exceptional. To have your companionship can only be attributed to Shen Feng's good fortune in his past life. I imagine you are also a kind-hearted woman who understands propriety and knows when to advance or retreat!"
Upon hearing such praise, Chu Chaoyan's face flushed. She hadn't expected the other party to start complimenting her as soon as she appeared. Flattery always works, even if she didn't like Li Keyi, Chu Chaoyan didn't need to refute these compliments. However, she was still clear-headed enough to say directly to Li Keyi, "Stop flattering me. Hurry up and leave. Shen Feng already has a family, so your pestering him is useless!"
Li Keyi shook her head and sighed, saying regretfully, "I know Shen Feng is very outstanding, possessing powerful and formidable strength at such a young age. But you misunderstand. The reason I'm looking for Shen Feng is to complete a transaction. He keeps delaying, preventing me from achieving my goal. And I also know that the person Shen Feng likes must be you. How could I snatch a man from you?"
Hearing this, Chu Chaoyan's face turned crimson. She retorted seriously, "Don't talk nonsense. Nothing has happened between Shen Feng and me. We are just ordinary friends. If Shen Feng's wife hears these words, I'll be in big trouble!"
Li Keyi smiled. She knew Chu Chaoyan had taken the bait and said regretfully, "What a pity. In my opinion, you and Shen Feng are a match made in heaven. After all, you are a talented woman paired with a handsome man, a perfect match. I suppose Shen Feng met you too late; otherwise, you would have been his wife. What a shame, what a shame!"
Although Chu Chaoyan agreed in her heart, she dared not speak her mind. If anyone reported her words to Chang Jianyiyi, she would be in serious trouble. She quickly said, "Stop talking nonsense. I know what's going on between Shen Feng and me, and I'm aware of it. Also, what transaction do you have to complete with Shen Feng?"
"Of course, it's an exchange of important items between me and Shen Feng. He clearly agreed before, but then he went back on his word. If possible, please put in a good word for me and ask Shen Feng to agree to this transaction!" Li Keyi revealed her true intentions. The reason she had spoken so many pleasantries earlier was to gain Chu Chaoyan's help now.
"Well, I don't seem to have any reason to meddle too much in Shen Feng's affairs. Besides, with transactions, if one party doesn't agree, we can't force it," Chu Chaoyan hesitated. She didn't want to help because she felt that if she interfered too much, Shen Feng would eventually become displeased with her.
"Please, do me a favor and explain this to him. This concerns my future prospects and my family's happiness. I must obtain powerful strength. You are so intelligent and virtuous, you must be a good woman who understands propriety. Please be kind and pity my hardships, and let Shen Feng complete the transaction. If he wants the information I have, I will provide it as much as possible. Most importantly, you are the only one whose words carry weight with Shen Feng. I know you must hold a significant position in Shen Feng's heart, and he will seriously consider what you say," Li Keyi pleaded, her face filled with a pitiable expression.
Chu Chaoyan was somewhat flattered by these compliments, feeling a bit lightheaded. She wasn't afraid of fighting or being ridiculed, but she was momentarily confused by this sweet-talk offensive and didn't know how to respond. Instead, she resolved to live up to these praises.
"Don't worry, this matter is on me. I guarantee that with a few words, I'll make Shen Feng change his mind and complete the transaction with you. Since Chang Jianyiyi is not here, he will definitely consider what I say," Chu Chaoyan promised. It was just a transaction, after all. It should be completed directly, saving Li Keyi from constantly pestering him. Shen Feng was so short-sighted, only seeing what was in front of him!
Upon hearing Chu Chaoyan's words, Li Keyi was overwhelmed with gratitude. She rushed forward and gave her a big hug, saying choked with emotion, "Good sister, thank you so much! I don't know what to do. Fortunately, you can help me. You are truly a fairy descended from heaven, saving me from my suffering."
"Hahaha, am I that great?" Chu Chaoyan grinned, having completely forgotten her original purpose.
Afterward, Li Keyi left with Shen Feng's dirty clothes. Before leaving, she said that she would personally deliver them once they were washed. Additionally, she would bring a gift for Chu Chaoyan and asked her to put in a good word.
Chu Chaoyan had never encountered such a situation before. She had lost herself after a round of flattery. Now, she was still immersed in Li Keyi's words, thinking, "Yes, Shen Feng and I are a match made in heaven, it's just that circumstances weren't right. If Shen Feng had met Chang Jianyiyi later, wouldn't I have been able to take her place?"
As for Li Keyi, after leaving the front lines, her smile never faded. As she walked, she thought, "This little girl is too easily fooled. A few kind words and she's already floating. She must have never experienced a sugar-coated bullet, only seeing the sugar coating and not the bullet. But it's good; with her help, won't I be able to become an ability user sooner?"
Shen Feng probably never dreamed that Chu Chaoyan, who had always been at odds with Li Keyi, would now fall victim to a verbal offensive. Li Keyi had clearly grasped Chu Chaoyan's psychology, and a few simple words had struck a chord in Chu Chaoyan's heart, making her believe Li Keyi was a sincere woman and leading her step by step into the designed trap.