The Beautiful Sister

Simon remarked, "This world harbors all sorts of people. Of course, everything I've said is purely speculative. I don't have concrete evidence. But if my suspicions are correct, then we are indeed in trouble. Initially, I had thought we could use the raft to make our way to Zifeng Tower. If my conjectures hold true, heading there would be akin to walking into a trap."

"Wait, those three seemed intent on killing us, but they left the girl alone. Why is that?" Long mused, turning his gaze to Lily as a curious thought struck him.

Simon replied, "I'm not sure. Perhaps because she's just a child, posing no threat to them, they spared her. Or maybe they see some use in having a child around."

Of course, the most likely reason was that Lily was a girl, but Simon refrained from mentioning this.

"Simon, have you considered that if your guesses are accurate, Zifeng Tower is now occupied by a dangerous group? Ni Jianrong escaped, and we killed his two companions. Won't he come back with reinforcements for revenge?"

"It's highly probable," Simon acknowledged. "Based on his parting words, I believe my suspicions hold some truth."

"What should we do then? Should we try to leave this place as soon as possible?" Long, despite his burning hatred for Ni Jianrong, knew that the three of them stood no chance against a larger, organized force.

Simon said, "Besides Zifeng Tower, there's no better place around here. Where would we escape to? And Ni Jianrong swimming back safely is no small feat, let alone returning with reinforcements. The tower isn't exactly close."

Long furrowed his brows. Over the past few days, he had accumulated a significant amount of supplies, all stored in the house. Even if they wanted to flee, taking all these provisions with them would be a daunting task.

"So, do we just sit here and do nothing? If they really come after us, we'll be in serious trouble."

Simon pondered, "Regardless of whether they come for revenge or not, we must be prepared. The surrounding water, while a nuisance, also offers an advantage: it provides an easy escape route."

He recalled Ni Jianrong's swift escape into the water, which had deterred him from giving chase. Fighting in water is entirely different from combat on land; there's no guarantee of success, and the risks are considerably higher.

Long's eyes lit up, "I see your point. We can stay here and observe the situation. If no one comes for revenge, so much the better. But if they do, even if we can't defeat them, we can jump into the water, making it hard for them to catch us."

Simon responded, "That's one part of the plan. The other is that Lily and I need to improve our swimming skills. You're already proficient in water, but I still have some catching up to do. Additionally, I aim to level up. We must enhance our strength; with enough power, we won't need to fear anyone."

Currently, he possessed eleven Spirit Sources, needing nineteen more to reach level four. While it might seem a lot, it was achievable with enough monsters.

Long remarked, "I need significantly more Spirit Sources to advance further; it's quite a challenge."

"It's only been four days since the flood hit. I don't think there's a significant disparity in everyone's strength yet. Zifeng Tower may have more people, but we can prepare several plans. With an extra raft now, we can place one in the opposite direction of Zifeng Tower, load it with essential supplies. If a large group comes, we can escape early by raft. With Lily's sharp eyesight, she can spot them from afar. Whether we stay and fight or flee, we can decide based on the situation."

Long's eyes brightened at Simon's words, "That's a good plan. Lily, it'll be tough on you, but keep an eye on that direction. If anything seems off, alert us immediately."

Feeling needed, Lily perked up, her eyes sparkling as she nodded vigorously. She then started scanning the distance.

"They're coming."

Lily suddenly looked into the distance and shouted.

"Already?" Long was startled. Had Ni Jianrong already returned to Zifeng Tower and brought reinforcements?

Long, visibly anxious, asked, "How many are there?"

"One," Lily said intently, her brows furrowing slightly.

Simon's expression shifted, "Just one?"

Long's eyes widened, "Could it be Ni Jianrong himself? Is he coming alone again? But the direction seems off; it's not quite where Zifeng Tower is. It's a bit further away."

Simon seemed to grasp the situation and asked, "Lily, you're saying there's one person coming from that direction? Is it Ni Jianrong or someone else? Besides this person, do you see any supplies like food or water?"

"No, it's a woman. Very beautiful. She has some supplies, but not much."

Hearing Lily's succinct response, Simon let out a long "Oh," already understanding.

This newcomer, unrelated to Ni Jianrong or Zifeng Tower, was likely another survivor from elsewhere, alone on a raft, searching for other survivors and a new place to stay, much like Simon himself had done before.

Long's eyes lit up, "A beautiful woman? Are you sure? This can't be someone from Zifeng Tower coming for revenge."

Simon glanced at him, "Long, have you already forgotten the painful lesson we just learned? Even if they're other survivors, it doesn't mean they have good intentions."

Long chuckled, "But Lily said it's a beautiful woman. A pretty girl is less likely to be a bad person, right? And she's alone. Do we really need to be afraid of her?"

Simon found his logic baffling. As they continued to watch, they finally saw a faint silhouette in the distance.

The shadow grew clearer as it approached. Amid this vast waterlogged area, the three-story building where they stood was quite noticeable, likely attracting survivors.

As the distance between them decreased, Simon could finally make out the figure.

The so-called beautiful woman Lily had mentioned.

What surprised Simon and Long was not her beauty but the fact that she wasn't on a raft as they had assumed. Instead, she was in an orange kayak.

The kayak was small, barely fitting three or four people. The woman sat in it, paddling swiftly, approaching them at a fast pace.