The space inside the ruined building was too large, and using a plastic cup to scoop mud and sand was inefficient. Besides, there wasn’t enough mud and sand in the water to use. With no other choice, Yun Zhen had to go downstairs to get a water scoop and then retrieve a bag of leftover sand from a house renovation project from the storage room.

She then started pouring sand into the bookcase, determined to bury the bandits thoroughly.

The scene was so intense that Pei Hao, who had come to help, retreated to the side in fear.

Before long, the shouting gradually ceased, and the deep well-like ruin was completely filled with sand.

“That should do it, right?”

Yun Zhen looked at her recently completed “masterpiece” and couldn’t shake the feeling that it looked a bit out of place with the surroundings.

But since the apocalypse had arrived, Huacheng wouldn’t be competing for the title of a clean and civilized city anymore. After all, it was just a grave for evil men—no need to worry about the city’s appearance now.

Out of respect for human rights and life, Yun Zhen stood quietly in place for a moment of silence.

Images of the bandits’ lively and bold faces flashed through her mind, and a wave of guilt crept into her heart.

Yun Zhen took out her phone, searched for a few religious scriptures, and then activated the system’s “group call” feature to begin a ritual for the dead.

“When the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was practicing the profound Prajnaparamita, he illuminated the five aggregates and saw that they were all empty, thus overcoming all suffering…”

She realized that there were nine bandits in total and wasn’t sure if they all had the same faith or different beliefs. To be fair and impartial, she decided to include everyone, so she also recited the Daoist “Rebirth Mantra”:

“By the decree of the Supreme Being, I absolve your souls, all spirits of the four forms of life…”

Alright, just a few lines will do—the most important thing is the sincerity behind it. There’s no need to get caught up in formalities.

Yun Zhen successfully convinced herself and felt at ease as she let the matter go.

However, inside the miniature world, Pei Hao grew more and more confused as he scratched his head in bewilderment.

Is the goddess Daoist or Buddhist? Why does the ethereal voice from above recite both Buddhist and Daoist scriptures? And why does she stop after just a few lines? Is it because the goddess didn’t finish reciting, or did she chant the rest so quickly that he, a mere mortal, couldn’t hear it?

Pei Hao fell into deep thought but then recalled the cultural history of his country, where Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism were deeply integrated.

In many myths, the Buddha and the Jade Emperor could sit together at the Peach Banquet, so it wasn’t strange that the goddess was proficient in both Daoist and Buddhist scriptures, right?

As for the somewhat perfunctory tone during the chanting, Pei Hao chose to ignore it.

Unaware that the little human had logically reconciled her behavior, Yun Zhen was now staring in surprise at a system notification that had popped up.

Just after reciting the scriptures, the system had displayed a message: [Congratulations! You’ve gained +0.02 Correction Value.]

Though the amount was small, it was better than nothing. At least it was a small step toward upgrading the system.

At the same time, Yun Zhen was puzzled. Did she earn the correction value because she saved Pei Hao for the second time, or because punishing evil also counted as a positive contribution? Could she gain benefits from the same person more than once? She felt this warranted further investigation.

Yun Zhen brought Pei Hao back to the Yulong Mountain campsite, where they began to inventory the loot from this mission and organize the supplies left behind by the bandits.

Yun Zhen removed the ceramic cup from the campsite, dug a large pit in its place, and moved the yacht from the mountain’s base into the pit, turning it into Pei Hao’s temporary residence.

The Lego walls were extended and modified until they could enclose the entire yacht. The small storage shed for medicines was temporarily left in place in case of future emergencies.

Seeing Pei Hao busy on the yacht, cleaning and organizing, Yun Zhen asked him, “Yachts need diesel fuel to run, right? Should I prepare some in advance for you?”

Moving the yacht onto the ground was just a temporary measure. Once Pei Hao contacted his family, he would undoubtedly need to leave Yulong Mountain by water.

With Huacheng now a flooded city, finding fuel would be challenging.

Pei Hao paused, realizing that the goddess was unfamiliar with some basics. He quickly explained, “Nowadays, urban power is primarily nuclear. Fossil fuels like oil and coal have long been phased out of daily life. Yachts and other large watercraft are also powered by electricity, so there’s no need to prepare diesel for me.”

All nuclear power? The technology in the miniature world was indeed advanced.

Yun Zhen quietly marveled at this but then furrowed her brow. “The city is flooded. How will you charge the yacht?”

Pei Hao pointed toward the communication base station. “I found a large charging station at the top of the mountain. It has enough power to last a long time. My self-defense weapon was also charged there.”

As he spoke, he took out the black short staff he had used against the bandits, somewhat embarrassed. “This weapon had been out of power for a while, and I usually kept it locked in my suitcase. Today was the first time I charged it fully, and I ended up using it right after descending the mountain.”

Pei Hao then explained the weapon’s origin. In the Pei family, it was customary to train in martial arts from a young age, and at sixteen, one could choose a weapon to be custom-made for personal use.

Yun Zhen looked at the weapon, which seemed ordinary when inactive but was flashy and dangerous when powered up. She was puzzled by the miniature world’s legal and security environment.

In her world, electric batons were regulated weapons that couldn’t be easily purchased.

“Was the social environment dangerous before the apocalypse? Did you need to carry weapons with you?” Yun Zhen couldn’t suppress her curiosity and asked.

Pei Hao immediately shook his head. “The security was excellent before the apocalypse; it wasn’t an exaggeration to say people didn’t need to lock their doors at night. But my family is a bit special, and carrying weapons was a privilege granted by higher authorities. The purpose was protection, not harm, and all weapons had to be registered and approved before use.”

Yun Zhen widened her eyes in surprise and carefully examined the little human.

Who would have thought she had saved a young master from a prominent family?

What kind of “special” family was it? Yun Zhen was curious but didn’t want to pry into his privacy.

So she changed the subject and asked about his activities on the mountain that day.

At the mention of this, Pei Hao beamed with a bright smile. “Goddess, I repaired the communication base station at the top of the mountain! I also successfully contacted my elder brother. He’s currently leading a rescue team from Shen City by boat, heading south to Huacheng to find me. However, the weather along the way is terrible, with continuous heavy rain, tsunamis, and earthquakes. It might take some time for them to reach here.”

“My brother said that many coastal cities have suffered severe disasters, and a lot of communication base stations have been badly damaged. We might experience communication issues later on, so he told me to wait patiently. Goddess, I want to repair as many communication base stations in Huacheng as possible to provide some assistance to my brother’s team and others stranded in the city. Could you help me?”

The not-yet-20-year-old was a bit embarrassed, worried that the goddess might think he was asking for too much. So, he quickly added:

“If it’s inconvenient, it’s okay. I can search for the base stations by boat myself. My respect and gratitude for you are as boundless as the rivers; no matter what happens, that will never change.”