Cultivation Partner Reborn in the Apocalypse

Zhu Xiao, hearing the news, became visibly agitated and immediately addressed the group who had come looking for him, "Old Chen is in such a state, and you're still wandering around here? Hurry up and follow me back to save him!

Without me, you'd just get a new leader, but without him, this village is truly finished."

Seeing Zhu Xiao's urgency, they were more convinced that he was indeed their leader, and their guard began to lower.

Someone bolder among them cautiously asked, "So, you are really our leader? Not some impostor sent by them to deceive us?"

Zhu Xiao was almost amused to the point of laughter by this question. Pointing at the man, he said, "You've got quite the imagination. I just said you could test me if you didn't believe me.

Come over here and look for yourself, see if it's your leader or someone else pretending. Once you're sure, follow me back to the village to rescue him."

The man hesitated after Zhu Xiao's outburst, but his companions didn't give him much time to ponder, pushing him forward, "Go check if it's our leader. If it is, we'll go back with him to save Old Chen." Forced into the situation, the man tremblingly approached Zhu Xiao, looked him over, and with a shaky voice called out, "Boss?"

Zhu Xiao gave a cold laugh, "Have you seen enough? If so, let's move!"

The man felt an overwhelming presence from Zhu Xiao, certain that only their leader could exude such an aura, confirming his identity without further need for tests, a testament to the loyalty of a true fan.

He turned to his comrades, "No mistake, it's our leader. He's safe."

After delivering this good news, he turned back to Zhu Xiao, "Boss, if you're fine, why did you go with their convoy? You've had us worried for quite some time."

"Especially since Old Chen nearly got sick from worry over this, and now there's such a big mess in the village. Cleaning it up won't be easy!"

Zhu Xiao was well aware that dealing with the village's issues now would be difficult. Once internal strife begins, it's like a snowball effect; everyone involved would go all the way to avoid responsibility.

He wasn't pleased with the situation either, but he couldn't bring himself to voice his true feelings, especially not about being forced into this situation, which would be too humiliating. After some thought, he decided to put it differently, "I had heard for a while that there were many restless elements in our village, causing chaos. I saw these two team leaders and thought they had potential.

I figured I'd stage a play to see who the troublemakers were and then deal with them all at once. I didn't expect such a big mess to happen while I was away. Looks like this village can't be maintained anymore."

Hearing this, Zhu Xiao's ardent fans panicked and quickly said, "Boss, you can't back out now! We follow you; if you lose faith in this village, what will we do?

Besides, you're not alone; you have us, Old Chen, and his research team. Everyone supports you. We just need to deal with those rebellious elements, and we can rebuild something better."

Zhu Xiao sighed but before he could respond, Xu Nuo emerged from one of the vehicles behind. Seeing Zhu Xiao surrounded by people, he spoke directly, "I think you should be clear with them about your intentions.

Old Chen isn't in immediate danger; he's the one everyone wants right now. As long as it's not clear who the next leader will be, he's safe.

But you, if you don't explain things clearly, you might end up dead here, and then who will look after Old Chen?"

Zhu Xiao's fans were ready to explode hearing Xu Nuo talk to their leader like that. How could their leader let anything happen to Old Chen? And how could their leader be in danger?

His words were harsh, and his attitude was too arrogant. But before they could react, something even more shocking occurred.

Their usually revered Zhu Xiao approached Xu Nuo with a fawning expression, saying, "Since I'm considered one of yours now, could you help me save Old Chen?"

The fan standing beside Zhu Xiao was stunned. He knew his leader liked men, but was this new guy someone Zhu Xiao had taken a fancy to?

Otherwise, why would Zhu Xiao say he was "one of yours"? They would never believe their leader would willingly be someone's underling, so he looked Xu Nuo up and down.

Admittedly, Xu Nuo had good bearing and was handsome; it was no wonder their leader found him appealing. With this demeanor, he could just about match their leader.

So, was their leader following this convoy to chase after his new love? Was that why he hadn't wanted to talk about it?

He thought he had figured it out but didn't want to embarrass Zhu Xiao in public, so he remained silent.

Fortunately, he didn't voice these thoughts aloud; otherwise, Xu Nuo might have given Zhu Xiao a good thrashing and perhaps even washed his eyes out for having such followers.

Thinking either that Xu Nuo's wife was with Zhu Xiao or that Zhu Xiao was with Xu Nuo, without even looking at what Zhu Xiao looked like, how could he compare to Xu Nuo or his wife?

Clearly, Xu Nuo and his wife were the perfect match, but since Xu Nuo didn't know this, he just gave Zhu Xiao a cool glance, saying, "Helping you isn't out of the question, but I never do anything for free. There needs to be some benefit for me."

"I don't need any other benefits; I want all the potions Old Chen has developed, including both antidotes and toxins. If you agree, we'll move out."

Zhu Xiao thought that since he was already under Xu Nuo's command, these items were of no use to him anymore. Leaving them here would only benefit whoever took control of the team next. Giving them to Xu Nuo might earn him some favor and increase his own value. Moreover, with Xu Nuo's help, his chances of turning the situation around could increase by 50% or more.

Without a second thought, he agreed. Xu Nuo was somewhat impressed by Zhu Xiao's quick decision, seeing it as a sign of good judgment.

After getting Zhu Xiao's consent, Xu Nuo tapped on the car window, summoning his wife Ge Qing, along with Lu Shang and Xia Ji to handle the matter, leaving Shi Lei and Lü Xia to look after the team.

Xia Ji was thrilled to have the chance to go on a mission with both team leaders, completely disregarding the potential dangers. He had never seen a mission where the team leaders couldn't ensure the safety of their members.

Moreover, he saw this as an opportunity to prove himself, possibly securing a permanent position with Xu Nuo. Although he didn't think he could match Ge Qing or Lu Shang, he hoped to achieve a status similar to Shi Lei's.

Xu Nuo noticed Xia Ji's excitement but said nothing. Since he had chosen to bring him along, Xia Ji would have tasks to perform, and his performance would determine if he would be kept in the team. More crucially, Xia Ji was a speed esper, and speed was the most troublesome ability in this village, making him the highest-ranked speed esper here, potentially capable of avoiding the toxic agents.

Zhu Xiao, seeing they were ready, informed his fans about the plan to rescue Old Chen, which they readily supported. They thought this was a chance for their leader to teach those rebels a lesson, ensuring they wouldn't dare to cause trouble again.

Seeing their enthusiasm, Zhu Xiao couldn't bring himself to tell them he no longer intended to be the village head. He decided to wait until this matter was resolved before discussing it with them, to avoid shaking their morale. When the time came, those willing to follow him would go with him; those who didn't want to would be left to their fate, as the nearby village factions would likely welcome them.

Park Su had no objections to Xu Nuo taking on this task; he quietly followed the team. When they reached the village entrance, he suddenly stopped and asked, "You just need to rescue Old Chen while minimizing losses here, right?"

Although Zhu Xiao found the question odd, he didn't reply. Then he heard Park Su say to Xu Nuo, "We've been outside for too long, far beyond the time we planned for this venture. How about I take the lead this time?"

"After all, you and I are familiar with the situation inside. If I help clear out a batch of them first, it should make it much easier for you to move in!"

Xu Nuo could see from Park Su's expression that he was somewhat annoyed, likely because of the undisclosed plan to establish a new team. He sighed inwardly, thinking that if Park Su could vent half his frustration now, explaining things later that night would be much easier. So, he nodded directly, "If you want to take the lead, go ahead, but remember to keep yourself safe.

And my decisions were never meant to be hidden from you; I was going to tell you everything. Some things just haven't been finalized yet, so I hadn't brought them up. I'll explain everything in detail tonight, so don't be upset, and don't jump to conclusions, okay?"

Park Su thought he had hidden his petty irritability well, but Xu Nuo had seen right through him. Or perhaps, being with Xu Nuo had brought out those little quirks he thought he'd lost. Regardless, with Xu Nuo openly addressing the issue and promising a full explanation later, Park Su's anger dissipated.

He nodded, then turned to Zhu Xiao with a much friendlier look, "Do you want to sneak in and rescue people quietly, or make a big scene, ensuring everyone remembers that Zhu Xiao's legacy isn't something that can be coveted by just anyone?"

Zhu Xiao was taken aback by the question, replying somewhat dazedly, "Is there a choice?"