The King of Black Fog

Li Qianxia and Yang Qinglan were sitting in the living room, looking at something on a laptop.

Their living room was practically a library, with so many books that they spilled onto the floor.

But it was very tidy, with a vase on the dining table, filled with roses.

Li Changzhou's "Snow Mountain Water Bottle" was also there, taken by Li Qianxia.

Hearing footsteps, both of them looked up. Yang Qinglan held her fist to her lips, coughed twice, and said, "Thank you."

Her complexion was delicate, like a dewdrop about to fall from a leaf, her voice very light and her demeanor gentle.

"You turn from Honored Concubine Yang into little sister Yang when you're sick," Li Changzhou said.

"Qinglan is ill, and yet you only see beauty," Li Qianxia snatched the breakfast from his hands.

"No matter what the time, complimenting a girl's beauty is never wrong." He poured himself a glass of Snow Mountain mineral water, cold and tasty.

"What are you looking at?" he asked again.

"Survivor's forum, and some online news, cough, cough," Yang Qinglan said.

"It's because of the video you posted. Qinglan wouldn't continue to rest in bed," Li Qianxia said as she opened the corn porridge, thoughtfully preparing a spoon for her.

"Thank you," Yang Qinglan gently sucked the orange-yellow corn porridge from the spoon.

Li Qianxia then peeled an egg for her.

"You've never pampered me like that," Li Changzhou said, dipping a soup dumpling in ginger vinegar.

"Have you forgotten when I used to change your diapers as a kid?!"

"Qian Xia," Yang Qinglan said helplessly, her porridge was yellow.

"Sorry," Li Qianxia said with a bashful smile, handing over the creamy white egg.

Li Changzhou looked at his sister with a teasing smile.

Li Qianxia grabbed his chopsticks and the soup dumpling and swallowed it whole.

"Hmm—" Scalded.

"Hahaha!" Her brother clapped and laughed uproariously.

Yang Qinglan pressed her lips together in a small smile and gently bit into an egg.

As the three of them had breakfast, Li Changzhou reported on the crocodile and Zheng Qing's situation.

"Hmm," Yang Qinglan nodded appreciatively, "This way, the people higher up will know we are not only not doing evil but also maintaining peace; moreover, since this happened near our home, resolving it is also for our own safety. By the way, you also got to test your skill."

"All these benefits? I just wanted to make some money," Li Changzhou said, eating a fried dumpling. "Did you see any useful news?"

Yang Qinglan took a sip of porridge and said, "Some places abroad are already in chaos, massively culling animals; breeding farms and zoos are all shutting down."

"It seems to be the same in our country," Li Qianxia said. "Every decorative plant in the cities is being checked individually to see if they have turned into players."

"Many consortiums and banks are suddenly merging; most national projects have stopped, all financial and human resources are being diverted elsewhere, some countries are even announcing the construction of walls."

"No knowing how long peace will last," Li Changzhou said, biting fiercely into a bun.

"We need to plan early," Yang Qinglan coughed twice, "prepare food, clothing, household supplies. If possible, it's best to use the yard as a base and build a small base; there are many things to consider."

"We can look it up online, like 'Apocalypse Survival Bar', 'Hermit Bar', 'Exploration Bar', 'Camping Bar'; relying on the wisdom of netizens, there should be no problems."

"I'll leave it to you," Yang Qinglan said.

"Hmm," Li Changzhou nodded.

"Don't waste any spare time, check it during class on Monday, and take notes in the notebook."

"..."

"That sounds so strange," Li Qianxia, who felt the same, bit into a super-loaded egg pancake.

"One more thing," Yang Qinglan put down her spoon, "let's not log into the game this week. One reason is my cold, and another is that everyone has new skills they need to familiarize themselves with."

"Agreed," Li Changzhou said.

Li Qianxia tilted her head, catching a piece of loin meat trying to escape from the egg pancake.

After breakfast, the two siblings prepared to leave, letting Yang Qinglan rest well.

Before leaving, Li Changzhou hesitated to speak.

Yang Qinglan quietly "Hmm?" sounded, gazing at him like a fragile white lamb.

"Never mind, it's nothing," Li Changzhou's expression eased, "Just be careful yourself, lock the doors and windows; nobody knows which mosquito or moth might carry the poison of a poison dart frog."

"Hmm!" Li Qianxia released her milk straw, and after a loud swallow, she said, "You might as well sleep in my room!"

Yang Qinglan looked toward Li Changzhou.

"I have no objections," Li Changzhou scratched the corner of his eye near his temple with his right hand.

"You wanted to say that from the start, didn't you?" Li Qianxia suddenly said.

"I wanted to say that from the start," Yang Qinglan nodded.

"As teammates, we should indeed worry about each other's safety!" Li Changzhou spoke loudly.

"Qing Lan, let's go. By the way, you don't mind my quilt and pillow, right? They're the standard issue from school, pretty average."

"Um—, could you help me get my quilt and pillow?"

"You really do mind!"

"It's not you I mind, it's the school's quilts. I used them when I started college, and they're too rough. What if my skin gets worse, and your brother stops worrying about me?"

"That's true, then I'll also go buy a new, soft quilt."

"Li Qianxia, even if your skin gets rough or you turn into a vegetable and can't take care of yourself, I won't mind you," expressed Li Changzhou, reassuring his sister not to worry about that.

"Let's wait for your brother to finalize the list, and buy them together. Once the base is built, we won't have to worry like we do now."

"A base, huh? I've been looking forward to having a secret base since I was little!"

The two paid no attention to Li Changzhou.

Returning to the twins' yard, Yang Qinglan went to sleep in the room, Li Qianxia went shopping for groceries to prepare for the noon gathering, and Li Changzhou continued to train under the apricot tree in the courtyard.

This time he was punching a shield target, a specially customized human-shaped target.

There were three in total, one filled with sand, one with gravel, and another with steel filings and iron sand.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His punches were incessant, and the sand shield target suffered a barrage like a storm.

As the temperature rose gradually, sweat flowed down his temples, and with every punch, drops of sweat fell, but his fists kept moving continuously.

Li Changzhou was highly concentrated, with a sharp look in his eyes, putting all his heart into each punch.

After about a hundred punches, he stopped, gasping slightly due to the exertion of each powerful punch. He was dissatisfied with himself, with no inspiration regarding the Bull Horn Spiral Force.

Li Changzhou thought for a while, then simply stood still and closed his eyes.

He recalled the battle with the water buffalo by the creek. After a long while, he opened his eyes, and the sandbag before him had disappeared; the oppressive, tower-like body of the water buffalo stood before him again.

"Bull Horn Spiral Force..."

Since he had gained this skill, he had been fixated on it, whether sleeping, running, eating, even while talking to Yang Qinglan, it was always on his mind.

He threw a punch.

The water buffalo showed no reaction.

Another punch, but the water buffalo remained immovable as a mountain.

Li Changzhou stopped the attempts and closed his eyes again.

After a moment, 'Concentration' activated, but he still kept his eyes closed.

The water buffalo's roar, every punch aimed at him, the tearing pain when his knuckles grazed the buffalo's horns, what is a spiral...

He still had his eyes closed but suddenly struck the sand shield target.

"Thump!"

"Big brother, come help!" Li Qianxia entered the yard carrying bags big and small.

Li Changzhou opened his eyes, noticed no change in the sand shield target, and sighed internally, realizing it was indeed very difficult.

"Brother!"

"Coming!"

Li Changzhou took the things from his sister's hands and they went into the living room together.

"I called my roommate to wake them up and get ready to come over."

"Good, I also messaged Da Huang and the others."

"Should we invite Qing Lan to join us for the meal?"

"If she wakes up, she joins; if not, let her sleep well."

The siblings busied themselves.

Under the apricot tree in the courtyard, behind that punch from Li Changzhou, the sand shield target had cracked, leaving a slit only visible if you pried it open with your hands.