Chapter 79: Before Departure, The Person Still Hasn’t Arrived (Second Update)

In the past, whenever Bian Changxi tried to wrap something up with her vines, she relied entirely on the speed at which the vine shot out, the roughness of the vine itself, and twisting or yanking it from the base with her hand. It was almost like swinging a whip—brute force, nothing more. But could you ever expect a whip to tie itself into a neat knot, all on its own?

It was like holding one end of a rope, keeping your hand still, but expecting the other end to write words on the ground.

Vines, of course, are different from whips or ropes, but her control over them wasn’t that strong either. In fact, she had the most control only at the very instant the vine shot out; after that, it was basically just a lifeless thing, hardly obedient at all.

The slender vine Bian Changxi sent out this time looked delicate and lovely, its green skin almost translucent, with a faint red glow pulsing at its core. When it first emerged, it swayed in the wind, its sheen beautiful. But soon, that luster dimmed, vitality fading bit by bit, until it became just another ordinary vine, and Bian Changxi gradually lost her sense of connection to it.

She hurriedly injected more energy, and the vine came alive again. She guided it toward a pebble, threading it underneath and then lifting it up—those parts were easy. The hard part was getting the other end to come back and tie a knot.

She silently urged it on with sheer willpower, driving it with energy, struggling with all her might just to get the reluctant vine to loop around and form a knot. Tightening it was even harder—her hand was holding this end, but the other end was left hanging in the air. She poured energy into it, willing it to pull itself tight.

The knot was barely passable, but as soon as she lifted it, the pebble slipped out and fell.

Bian Changxi let out a breath and wiped her forehead. She was actually sweating.

She gave a wry smile—she’d clearly overestimated herself. With no choice, she put the pebble away and switched to a pair of chopsticks, snapped in half.

She repeated the process: from taking two minutes to tie up the chopsticks, to one minute, then half a minute; from awkward and stiff to smooth and natural; from loose, sloppy knots to ones that were basically secure; from needing several minutes of rest after each attempt to just a quick pause for breath. Finally, she managed to lift both halves of the chopsticks at once, and only then did she realize she was drenched in sweat, especially her left hand—pale, trembling, and sore.

Zhang Bubai, driving, glanced over with concern. “Miss Bian, are you alright?”

Bian Changxi rubbed her left arm. Never mind the energy drain—her arm had been suspended in midair the whole time, muscles tensed and aching. “I’m fine… Wait, is it already half past ten?”

It had only been a little after eight when she started.

“Yeah, more than two hours just flew by. Miss Bian, I’m tired just watching you. You should take a break. I never thought even you Awakened have to train so hard.”

Zhang Bubai was actually envious. He wished he had some ability he could train, even the lowest-level one—though he didn’t even know if there were levels, or what counted as the weakest. All he had was a body that wasn’t even particularly muscular.

As soon as Bian Changxi relaxed, she realized how hungry she was. Her powers were completely drained, so she didn’t dare continue. She rummaged in her bag for a bottle of water and a custard pie, but before eating, she glanced at Zhang Bubai and handed him one too. “Here, eat something. You’ve only had a single steamed bun since morning.”

And that bun was smaller than her fist, hard as a rock—she felt her own teeth ache just looking at it. He hadn’t even drunk any water. She wondered if that bun would upset his stomach or if he could even digest it.

Zhang Bubai was flustered by the gesture. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly…” He hesitated but couldn’t refuse the little snack, which was barely a mouthful for him. He thanked her repeatedly, then tucked it away in his travel bag like a treasure. “I’m not hungry yet. I’ll save it for later.”

Bian Changxi didn’t say anything more. She ate a little, then curled up in her seat and fell asleep. After expending so much energy, she was exhausted.

She woke up to practice, practiced and then ate, ate and slept again. In this way, Bian Changxi spent two days in the car—dull but fulfilling days. By dusk on the second day, she could tie up three pebbles in a row without dropping them, her knotting speed much improved, and her control over the vines and energy had reached a new level.

She also noticed that the wood-type energy in her body had increased, almost reaching the peak of the first tier.

The only thing unsatisfying was that, over those two days, she’d only relied on natural recovery to replenish her energy. If she’d used crystal cores, she’d have felt too wasteful, but natural recovery was so slow that the more she improved, the more she felt her energy was lacking.

By now, the convoy had stopped for a while. An administrator with a megaphone was walking along, announcing that it was time to set up camp for the night.

Bian Changxi got out to stretch her arms and legs. Looking around, she saw they were on a wide national highway. In the glow of the setting sun, there were rice paddies stretching to the foot of the mountains, though the land was dry and the rice withered. Not far off were a few houses, and to the left, a sparse stand of trees—probably firs. It looked like they’d be spending the night among the fields and woods. The terrain was flat and open; not a bad spot.

The warrior squads took the lead, dismantling guardrails so the tanks, trucks, and construction vehicles could move into the fields, forming a defensive ring. Others spread out to guard the perimeter, with a few teams focusing on searching the houses and woods.

By the time all threats were cleared, more than half an hour had passed before the vehicles on the highway began to move into the fields one by one.

After another hour of busy work, the camp was finally set up. Everyone had a place to settle, and night had fallen. People split into groups, gathering firewood, lighting fires, setting up pots to cook. Soon, smoke curled up from the open ground, and people gathered around campfires to eat and chat, bringing a bit of life to this wilderness.

This was their first time camping out. The night before, they hadn’t found a suitable spot, so everyone had just stayed in formation in their vehicles. Now, with a real campsite, everyone was a bit excited. Some even started singing love songs to lighten the mood. Eating, talking, singing, pitching tents—the atmosphere was lively.

Bian Changxi had no intention of joining in. She leaned against the truck, eating spoonfuls of her eight-treasure porridge, eyes scanning the surroundings. Zhang Bubai was busy with the wood he’d snuck away to chop yesterday, hammering and chopping at something. Suddenly, Yang Xiaowen sashayed over, all charm. “Miss Bian, how are you settling in? Getting used to things?”

Everyone knew she was the beautiful administrator here and greeted her at once. Most of the men immediately perked up, fixing their hair or straightening their clothes, some even picking at their eyes, all trying to look their best.

Unfortunately, after two days of travel, with barely enough water to drink, no one had bothered to wash their face. They all looked rather rough.

Yang Xiaowen’s eyes were tinged with disdain, but she clearly enjoyed being the center of attention, responding with a coquettish laugh.

Bian Changxi bit her plastic spoon, suddenly finding her porridge tasteless. She smiled. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

Yang Xiaowen leaned in, covering her mouth to whisper, “We’ve got a luxury car with a whole row of empty seats, you can lie down, there’s air conditioning too. If you need it, just let me know.”

Bian Changxi narrowed her eyes. “That comfortable? I’m afraid I can’t afford the fare.”

“Oh, don’t say that! What fare? You’re so skilled—just a wave of your hand could save a life, and how much is a life worth? If you wanted, you could be one of the most privileged people among hundreds of thousands right now.” She suddenly changed the subject, glancing at the truck and clicking her tongue. “The army’s really not treating you right, giving you a spot like this. By the way, I heard saving people takes a lot of energy. Did the army give you any compensation—crystal cores or anything?”

Bian Changxi gave her a look. Yang Xiaowen just smiled. “Listen to me, I shouldn’t be saying this. I’m sure you know what’s what. Anyway, I have things to do. If you change your mind, come find me.”

She swayed off, leaving a trail of perfume. Bian Changxi poked at her porridge, thinking, a lot of people probably thought the army didn’t value her—otherwise, she wouldn’t be stuck in this little corner, riding in a truck with regular people. The truth was, she just hadn’t accepted the army’s offer yet. If she wanted, she could have an air-conditioned car.

But then again, “one of the most privileged among hundreds of thousands”—neither the army nor Yang Xiaowen’s crowd could really offer that kind of treatment. Even if she wanted to throw in with someone, would she pick them? Watching them circle around her every day—what was the point?

She was still grumbling to herself when loud laughter rang out. Like everyone else, she looked over to see Wei Xiaodong, clutching a green core and laughing. Wei Xiaodong was from truck 5-0524, just behind them, also in the front passenger seat. When she noticed Bian Changxi looking, she shot her a smug glare and said to her driver, “This thing isn’t easy to get, you know. You’re really willing to give it to me?”

“Heh, good things are for good people, right? If you like it, take it. If it makes a beauty smile, it’s worth it.”

The two of them laughed even louder, soon with arms around each other. Dusk had fallen, and Bian Changxi saw the man grinning lecherously, slipping his hand under Wei Xiaodong’s clothes as they cuddled and made their way back to the truck.

Bian Changxi sighed, glancing at Zhang Bubai, who was working away without distraction. She thought, thank goodness she’d been assigned to share a truck with someone so honest and reliable. If she’d gotten the driver from the next truck, she’d have been disgusted to death.

Zhang Bubai finished hammering the last piece in, tested it, and then, like a kid showing off a treasure, handed his handiwork to Bian Changxi. “Miss Bian, look—does it sit well?”

Bian Changxi saw it was a folding stool, cleverly made, the seat woven from strips of military canvas—very sturdy.

“So that’s why you were chopping wood and collecting old canvas! Is this for me? Thank you!”

Zhang Bubai scratched his head and grinned. “You always have to stand when you get out, with nowhere to sit. I thought I’d make you a stool. I’m glad you like it.”

Once again, Bian Changxi marveled at how different people could be."