I Have No Interest in Money

[Ding! Jianxin's intimacy reached 80!]

[Skill acquired: Cleansing Profundity]

[Cleansing Profundity Lv. 1: Creates a powerful wind field that continuously pulls targets within its range toward its center and deals Aero damage. When the wind field dissipates, it explodes, dealing another instance of Aero damage to all targets within its range.]

"So I've officially joined the ranks of Resonators now?"

[Correct! Please make good use of your Resonance Ability! All skills can be improved independently through frequent practice and use, without relying on the choice module!]

"I get it. You're saying I still have to practice."

[Precisely!]

"Speaking of which, don't all Resonators have a Tacet Mark? Where's mine?"

[On your back.]

"Oh no, it's a shrimp's vein!"

[...]

The Midnight Rangers' rear camp wasn't far from Jinzhou City, and the group arrived as they chatted and joked.

This rear camp was near Qichi Village. Although it was called a rear camp, it was still nowhere near the rear of the battlefield.

The actual rear of the battlefield was farther north, at the Fubo Front, the front line where the Midnight Rangers clashed with the Tacet Discord tide.

Just as the group was about to enter the camp, a passing Midnight Ranger stopped them.

His gaze was wary, his voice low.

"Are you soldiers? What are you doing here at a time like this? Up ahead is the rear of the battlefield against the Tacet Discord tide."

Yangyang stepped forward and took out her Midnight Rangers credentials. "I'm Yangyang, a member of Taibai under the Midnight Rangers."

"So you're one of us." The soldier's tone softened.

Jianxin stepped forward as well and asked, "I am Jianxin, a humble Taoist. Someone has asked me to find a person. Have you perhaps seen a man named Zhiyuan?"

The Midnight Ranger thought for a moment. "Looking for someone... Zhiyuan..."

He seemed to be searching his memory for the name.

"The person you're looking for is an ordinary civilian, right? Not a Resonator?" the soldier asked.

Seeing that he seemed to know something, Jianxin hurriedly asked, "Yes. Have you seen him? Is he safe?"

The Midnight Ranger considered it. "I did meet him once. He's not an active-duty Midnight Ranger, is he?"

A hint of recognition appeared in his eyes. Clearly, he had remembered something.

"He seemed really eager to enlist. I think he's been secretly trailing the Midnight Rangers' marching columns since last year. We couldn't get him to leave."

"If he's not in the city now... he was probably taken along by Fubo Camp's quartermaster afterward."

"He should be at Fubo Camp's position up ahead. Any farther than that, and you'd reach the front lines. The Midnight Rangers wouldn't allow anyone who isn't serving to put themselves in danger."

Lu Li said with feeling, "Zhiyuan's grandfather is a veteran. Maybe Zhiyuan wants to do his part for Jinzhou too."

Jianxin's face brightened, and she cupped her fist in her palm. "That is what I believe as well. Thank you, soldier."

"You're welcome, but..." The Midnight Ranger looked conflicted.

"But what?" Lu Li asked in confusion. "Is there something else we should know?"

The Midnight Ranger hastily explained, "No, it's just that I have a favor to ask."

Lu Li said, "Go ahead."

A Piao gave him a meaningful look. "Why aren't you asking for Shell Credits this time?"

Lu Li played dumb. "Shell Credits? What Shell Credits? I've never touched money. I have no interest in money."

A Piao smiled. "Who would've thought? You're a man of principle."

The Midnight Ranger pleaded, "If you're heading to the Fubo Front, there's something I'd like to ask my Taibai colleague to help with."

Once Yangyang had proven her identity, he had placed his full trust in Lu Li and the others.

After all, Midnight Rangers credentials were made using special methods and were nearly impossible to forge.

Besides, all of them looked like upright people.

"Two nearby reconnaissance towers along your route have lost contact with us. Could you please check what's going on?"

Lu Li said, "Sure. It's on the way."

The Midnight Ranger nodded, a trace of gratitude in his eyes.

He pressed his palms together. "Thank you so much. I'll send the reconnaissance towers' coordinates to your Terminals."

"Well, that works out. Looks like we're heading the same way again." Lu Li turned to Jianxin, his hands on his hips.

"You're heading to the Fubo Front too?" Jianxin asked happily. "Then let us travel together and check on the reconnaissance towers along the way."

The group continued north.

"The reconnaissance Beacon is just ahead. Why are there so many people gathered around it?"

Jianxin pointed at the Beacon ahead in confusion.

Yangyang said, "They don't look like soldiers. They look more like..."

"Are they Exiles?"

Several Exiles stood with their backs to them, doing who knew what.

"Excuse me, what are you doing here? This is very close to the battlefield. It's dangerous," Jianxin gently warned them.

One of the Exiles startled at her voice. "Huh? We... we're not doing anything. We're just heading south into the city."

When the Exiles saw them approaching, they hurriedly tried to conceal whatever they had under their hands.

A Piao snapped, "Stop hiding it. Do you think I can't see?"

Clearly, A Piao had spotted something beneath the hands of these shifty Exiles.

"Excuse me, this reconnaissance tower..." Yangyang, however, hadn't realized anything was wrong and began to ask a question.

Before she could finish, as the group drew closer to the Exiles, one of them suddenly shouted:

"Everyone, run!"

Lu Li shouted, "After them!"

But no chase took place.

Aside from the Exile who had shouted and run a few steps, all the others collapsed to the ground.

"Bro, I can't walk anymore... I'm too hungry..." one Exile said weakly.

"Don't... don't arrest us! We... we only stole because we had no other choice!"

The innocent Jianxin asked, "Have you run into some kind of trouble?"

Lu Li took Jianxin's arm and pulled her behind him. "No matter how hard things get, you can't steal, especially military supplies."

The barely conscious Exile covered his face and sobbed. "The fighting up north is intense right now. People like us can't survive without supplies. After thinking it over, we decided to go back to the city to make a living."

"We just haven't eaten in too long, and we've spent all our money. A lot of us are so hungry we can barely walk."

"When we passed by, we happened to see some valuable equipment here. The troops had all gone off to fight, and there wasn't anyone around, so we thought we'd take the chance to steal a few things and sell them."

Lu Li sneered. "So you know the troops have all gone off to fight? You could've asked the Midnight Rangers for help instead of causing trouble behind their lines!"

Yangyang was furious too. "Damaging the reconnaissance tower could allow a Tacet Discord tide to invade from this direction without warning."

"Did you ever consider that if that really happened, the soldiers on the front lines would be attacked from both sides?"