Chapter Eighteen: For the Sake of a Home

"Open your mouth, a bit wider..."
Li Qianqian sat at the bedside, her fair little hand holding a bowl of chicken broth. Pouting her rosy lips, she gently blew on it and placed the spoon by Ke Bei's lips.
"Qianqian, I can do it myself. Let me handle it."
Ke Bei reclined against the pillows, his cheeks flushed red, feeling a strange warmth and comfort he couldn't quite describe.
"Be good now, just listen~~ Open up."
Seeing Ke Bei reluctant, Li Qianqian pursed her lips slightly, unconsciously echoing the words she used to coax her younger brother at home to eat.
She spoke without thinking, but Ke Bei listened with intent.
Li Qianqian seemed oblivious to what she'd said, still focused on gently blowing the chicken soup. Yet Ke Bei's body suddenly trembled, and a blurry figure appeared in his mind; at some moment, another woman had said these very words to him.
His eyes grew moist. Ke Bei blinked hard, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Quietly, he opened his mouth and drank the soup from Li Qianqian's spoon.
The fragrant bowl of chicken soup was gone in moments. Li Qianqian smiled with satisfaction, took the empty bowl, and turned to wash it.
Ke Bei watched her busy figure, and a new resolve flashed between his brows. He made a silent decision: for the massive purge two months from now, he would protect this woman!
A thousand red crystal coins was no small amount, but with his current strength, it wasn't beyond reach!
For the next ten days, Ke Bei recuperated under Li Qianqian's meticulous care. Nearly bedridden, he spent every waking moment cultivating the Foundation Technique, aside from sleep.
Though a basic method, the Foundation Technique showed remarkable effects. Within just over ten days, Ke Bei felt a tingling sensation in his chest and his bones healed swiftly.
"My body is about ready to wield the second blade technique Father left behind!"
He squeezed his muscles, now hard as steel, eager for what was to come.
His bearded father had left three blade techniques. The first, the Severing Blade, was more than enough against Red-haired zombies, but less effective in combat with humans.
Ke Bei had long memorized the second technique, but it demanded high physical strength. Its principle was simple: speed!
All power converged at a single point, erupting in an instant!
Ke Bei already had a name for this move: 'Thunder Slash.' The blade would strike with the force of thunder, and he felt the name fit perfectly.
Once his body recovered, he began training in Thunder Slash. It was far more difficult than the Severing Blade; every muscle had to work in unison at the moment of the strike. It took four or five days before Ke Bei began to grasp its secrets.
Still, he couldn't succeed every time; only one in ten attempts would unleash Thunder Slash.
Assessing his remaining red crystal coins, Ke Bei frowned. With his current strength, hunting Red-haired zombies felt like a waste. If he needed to kill a thousand for enough contribution points, he could now easily handle even Blue-haired zombies, and with throwing knives, Purple-haired zombies wouldn't pose much trouble either!
"I can finally venture into the true wilderness,"
Ke Bei felt a faint excitement. The real wilderness was the domain of the strong!
Before, his abilities were too weak for the wilderness and he lingered near Lingfeng City, where high-level zombies and beasts rarely appeared, having been cleared out by the city's guardian squads.
But heading into the wilderness alone was unthinkable; danger lurked everywhere, with gods and even general-level beasts possibly appearing at any time. No matter how strong, Ke Bei could only handle so many emergencies. Worse still, there was no guaranteed safe place to rest; an injury or exhaustion could spell his end.
Given his resolve to venture into the wilderness, Ke Bei had only two options: join the Lingfeng City Free Warrior Alliance, select an organization, and team up with other warriors; or join the city's official Guardian Squad.
"Which path should I take?"
Ke Bei hesitated.
Each path had its advantages. The Free Warrior Alliance offered freedom, but required twice the crystal coins for contribution points. All city amenities—housing, weapons, armor—required matching contribution points to purchase.
The Guardian Squad was the opposite: pass the assessment and you’re freely given a set of equipment and a home. Earning contribution points was easier, and weapon purchases came with discounts based on points. The only drawback was lack of freedom—any assigned mission had to be accepted without question.
"I heard joining the Guardian Squad comes with a free house..."
Ke Bei muttered, glancing at Li Qianqian busy in the small room. He’d already decided to help Li Qianqian pay her contribution points, meaning they'd be living together for quite some time.
A man and a woman sharing a tiny house couldn’t last forever.
"Sigh, if I don’t join the Guardian Squad, owning a house of my own is nearly impossible..." Ke Bei shook his head.
To buy a house, one needed a one-star contribution—ten thousand crystal coins. A house in the northern district cost at least twenty thousand more, totaling thirty thousand crystal coins!
Thirty thousand crystal coins!
Ke Bei sighed again. Saving up that much in a short time was nearly impossible.
"Come eat,"
Li Qianqian’s gentle voice floated over.
"Alright, coming,"
Ke Bei set his worries aside for now, sat at the table, and took a few bites. Watching Li Qianqian’s figure, now fuller and more mature, he suddenly asked,
"Qianqian, how old are you this year?"
Li Qianqian froze, then as if remembering something, two red clouds bloomed on her fair cheeks. She shyly lowered her head, staring at her toes, fidgeted for a while, then answered in a voice barely above a whisper,
"Seventeen... In three days, I'll be eighteen."
"Almost eighteen, then not so young."
"Yes, not so young," Li Qianqian lifted her head, straightened her chest, and spoke with determined tone.
Ke Bei nodded thoughtfully. He leaned ever more toward the Guardian Squad. Li Qianqian was almost eighteen, not too young anymore, and couldn’t always look after him. She’d have to marry eventually. He himself was fifteen, soon sixteen, and in two years would need a wife. Surely, he couldn’t let the whole family cram into this tiny room?
Without realizing it, Ke Bei had already considered Li Qianqian family.
With that, his mind was made up.
"Join the Guardian Squad—for the sake of a home!"