Curly Noodles

"I've never eaten good food?" Li You immediately retorted. "Back when I ruled the gambling halls, the money I won in a single day was more than you'd see in your entire life. Ever had curly noodles? I bet you've never even seen them!

The noodles are twisted and compressed into a hard cake, with patterns more complicated than a sweater's. Boil them in hot water until golden, and instead of turning soft and mushy like ordinary noodles, they become incredibly chewy. Then crack in an egg—the taste is simply...

This is a delicacy only city folk get to eat!"

Curly noodles?

A strange expression appeared on Bai Ye's face. The more he listened, the more this sounded like instant noodles. No, not sounded like—it was fucking instant noodles!

Watching Li You savor the memory, Bai Ye felt only a sense of dissonance and absurdity. He had not traveled through time long ago, and his mindset sometimes still lingered in the civilized era. Now, he felt slightly dazed.

Instant noodles, which he had once dismissed as junk food, were now a delicacy that most wasteland people would never see in their entire lives.

Seeing Bai Ye suddenly fall silent, Li You chuckled. He knew his words had given this ignorant kid a tiny, billion-point shock.

"What? Craving some? Don't worry. Since you saved my life, once we get into Dawn City, I'll treat you to two... one bowl, with two eggs!"

"Gee, thanks." Bai Ye replied irritably.

"No problem, we're bros!" Li You patted his chest with a heroic air, even though his pockets were emptier than his face.

"By the way, why didn't you join the Silent Court earlier? From the way Tan Jie and the others acted, the Silent Court seems like some powerful supernatural organization. And such a beautiful, powerful woman invited you, yet you still had the heart to refuse?"

"You could tell she was beautiful even with a mask on? Maybe she wore it because she was too ugly. What decent person wears a mask?" Bai Ye recalled the knight girl's appearance.

She had a strikingly tall figure and long, straight black hair cascading to her waist. A total back-view beauty.

"You don't understand. Back when I dominated the dating scene, I'd seen countless beauties. Even though she wore a mask, I could tell at a glance that she was gorgeous. A beautiful woman's unique temperament can't fool anyone. I think she was clearly interested in you. Otherwise, why not invite me, the obvious supernatural being, and invite you instead?

I truly feel sorry for you. If you had joined, maybe you'd have had a chance to win the beauty's heart."

"Childish." Bai Ye could not be bothered with Li You's lewd fantasies. In his eyes, this sort of adolescent male fantasy was childish.

He would never entertain such childish fantasies. As a god of the new era, he wielded the supreme authority over time. His divine power was merely sealed for now, allowing him to extract only one minute each day, but a god's pride still remained.

How could a god date? Everyone knew dating was the biggest waste of time.

"Hey, you still haven't answered me. Why exactly did you refuse her? She has a powerful background, great strength, and a kind, beautiful face. Don't tell me you're..." Li You's gaze gradually turned strange, carrying a hint of vigilance and wariness.

"What the fuck are you thinking?" Bai Ye snapped. "The reason I didn't join is simple. I don't want to waste time."

Li You froze and blinked in confusion. "How is that a waste?"

"An organization that carries out justice in the wasteland—no need to think about it, they must have a ton of enemies. Wouldn't killing enemies waste time?"

"Uh... I don't know whether it wastes time, but it might cost you your life."

Bam!

Bai Ye abruptly stood and rushed toward the window.

Li You was startled. "What is it?"

Seeing Bai Ye pressed against the window, he could not help growing curious.

"Outside..."

"Don't speak. Vehicles are coming—lots of them!" Bai Ye listened carefully. He could hear the roar of a convoy advancing.

Li You's expression changed. He hurried over to look, but his sudden movement tugged at his right hand. The pain twisted his features, yet he did not make a sound. He endured it and listened, then indeed heard the vehicles as well.

Inside Gray Soil Town, ten military transport trucks drove forward in a single line. Each truck bed was crammed with heavily armed soldiers—well over a hundred in total.

More than two hundred dirty-faced wasteland people also followed around the trucks, driven onward by soldiers like a flock of sheep.

Bai Ye looked through the window and spotted quite a few familiar faces among those two hundred wasteland people.

"They're residents of Gray Soil Town. They've been brought back."

"The Eye of Apocalypse! Those soldiers have the Eye of Apocalypse emblem on their uniforms. They're Dawn City's army!" Li You cried out in a low voice.

Bai Ye also saw the so-called Eye of Apocalypse. Its main body was an eye that seemed to contain the mysteries of the universe, embedded with patterns like countless stars. Three silvery-white lightning streaks ran through the entire eye.

"What's going on? Why has Dawn City's army driven the residents back here?"

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" Bai Ye replied irritably. He hated unforeseen changes. He only wanted to quietly accumulate some time. Fuck, they won't even give me that little bit of time!?

No matter what these Dawn City soldiers had come for, it definitely was not anything good.

"Stop the vehicles. It's getting late. We'll rest here for the night and proceed toward Black Mountain tomorrow."

The sound of a radio came from one of the transport trucks in the middle. An officer was giving orders, and the convoy soon stopped in Gray Soil Town. Clearly, this army intended to spend the night here.

Bai Ye and Li You were no ordinary people. Though they were still some distance away, they could barely make out the officer's voice.

"Black Mountain!? They're going to Black Mountain?" Li You's eyes widened in surprise.

Mutated beasts now ran rampant across Black Mountain. Only a regular army like this would dare go there.

What exactly was inside Black Mountain? Why did Dawn City keep sending troops there? Was it really for war? But this force of a hundred men carried no heavy weapons and transported no supplies. They did not look like they were going to war at all.

Bai Ye secretly pondered the matter. It would be a lie to say he was not curious, but he had no intention of joining in, because it would be too much of a waste of time.

If he had an hour at his disposal, he would definitely go have a look. Maybe he could even gain something from it. But he only had one minute now. It was better to keep a low profile.

"They're going to Black Mountain, so why bring these residents along? Could it be..." Li You suddenly thought of a possibility. He and Bai Ye exchanged a knowing glance, both understanding what the other was thinking.

"Cannon fodder."

"Suicide squad!"

The two spoke at the same time.

The truth proved that they did not have the slightest bit of tacit understanding. Not only had they used different wording, they had even used different numbers of words.

"They're driving a group of wasteland people with no combat ability to Black Mountain. Obviously, they're making them serve as a suicide squad to clear the way." Li You's face darkened.

He was also a wasteland person, so he felt deeply disgusted by the Dawn City soldiers' actions.