The leader wanted to puncture the tire, but when he got closer, he saw that the car was really formidable and imposing. It looked at least 70% to 80% new and didn’t look like a car that had experienced many rounds of natural disasters. 

It was probably owned by a wealthy person with a prominent status; otherwise, it couldn’t be preserved so well. 

The car was covered with a privacy film, and he couldn’t see clearly what was inside. 

He circled it lightly and noticed that there was a gap in the window for ventilation, so he leaned closer. 

Well, there seemed to be a woman inside, and only one at that, and his blood boiled instantly. 

He couldn’t see her face clearly, but her figure was definitely well-nourished. 

Smelling something was wrong in the air, Jiang Ning half-squinted her eyes and looked at the people outside through the window. 

She didn’t rush to open her eyes and found five individuals armed with only cold weapons—batons wrapped with barbed wire, sharpened steel pipes, heavy iron rods, and kitchen knives, no firearms in sight for the moment. 

They came out to rob despite the strong wind and sand; it was probably the evil people from the nearby area, rushing to escape with the survivors. 

Three of them had their faces scarred by acid rain, giving them a ferocious appearance. 

She doesn’t know if they feel confident on their numbers or didn’t take a woman seriously. Seeing that she didn’t have a gun, they obviously lost their vigilance and alertness. 

Several of them approached the car, one of them kicked the door rudely, flashing a lecherous grin. “Hey beauty, it’s dawn; time to wake up.” 

After making sure that they didn’t have firearms, Jiang Ning slowly lowered the window and said in fear, “What do you want to do? My husband went out to find food and will be back soon.” 

“Husband? In this sandstorm, your husband probably won’t make it back.” Seeing her reveal her fair and tender face, their eyes widened, their words becoming more explicit. “But don’t worry, from now on, we’ll all be your husbands, and we’ll definitely treat you well.” 

The bloodied knife tapped against the glass. “Beauty, open the door, let us in for a nice chat!” 

The emphasis was on the last tone, with the others joining in. 

Jiang Ning pretended to be confused, shaking her head fearfully. “My husband will be back soon. He’s very capable. You should leave quickly.” 

“Capable?” They laughed heartily at this. “How capable? Don’t worry, he’s definitely not as capable as us.” 

Jiang Ning still refused to open the car door, looking like a startled deer.  They feel even more arrogant towards her, and they wish to drag her out and bully her severely. 

There are some who couldn’t hold back a threatening glare. “Don’t push it. Either let us in or come out yourself, or we’ll just kill you.” 

Jiang Ning had no choice but to nervously open the car door and step out. 

It was stifling inside the car, so she hadn’t fastened her military coat, revealing a well-proportioned figure. 

Tsk tsk, it had been many years since they’d seen such a devilish figure. 

Jiang Ning walked to a sheltered spot, and everyone surrounded her in a circle, their eyes gleaming like a wild beast, as if they wanted to devour her in one gulp. 

There were middle-aged people and young, strong individuals. Looking at the weapons in their hands, she could tell they were habitual criminals specializing in robbing houses. She just doesn’t know how much blood has stained their hands. 

One of them impatiently reached out towards Jiang Ning’s face. 

She sidestepped and swiftly drew her gun from behind. 

Her movements were quick and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. 

She fired at those in front of her first, then turned and fired at those behind. 

One of them took a hit but didn’t fall, clutching his chest as he ran into the sandstorm. 

Jiang Ning did not rush to chase. She felt that it would be a waste of bullets, so she took out her Tang sword and began to finish them off one by one. “Puff!” 

The leader was shot in the chest and fell to the ground. His body moved backward step by step, his face pale as he said, “Beauty, spare me, spare my life.” 

“Spare your life?” Jiang Ning pressed the tip of the knife against his already wounded chest. “After so many years in this apocalypse, hasn’t anyone told you not to mess with women who are still living well and beautiful?” 

As the knife pierced deeper, the man let out a scream and soon he stopped breathing, with no chance to speak again. 

Watching the blurry figure in the sandstorm, Jiang Ning put on her goggles to shield her eyes from the wind and chased after the man. 

Blood gushed out as he stumbled and fell, watching helplessly as she approached. 

He had just been standing behind her, witnessing her miraculous actions. 

The man retreated in fear, “Please don’t come any closer.” 

“Scared?” Jiang Ning smiled at him, lifting the blood-stained Tang knife in her hand. “You were quite bold just now.” 

“You… you have space.” The man blurted out in panic. 

Why didn’t he have space? These past few years had been worse than living like a dog, it wasn’t fair! 

If he had space, he would have been the one standing today. 

Jiang Ning smiled softly, “Originally, I just wanted to give you one more cut, but it seems that won’t be enough.” 

With that, she struck him directly in the heart and stabbed him several more times. 

Jiang Ning wasn’t polite with those who were eager to die. 

The man died thoroughly, and he couldn’t even close his eyes. 

This incident also taught Jiang Ning a lesson. The wind and sand were growing weaker, and the likelihood of encountering people in the future was increasing. 

She couldn’t wait any longer. 

At the very least, she couldn’t openly wait anymore, otherwise she might attract not Huo Yishen, but a packs of wolves. 

Even ordinary people couldn’t afford to be careless. In the sandstorm, they were short of water and food. As soon as their lives were threatened, even the gentlest lambs could turn into demons. 

But without a signal, how could she let Huo Yishen know she was waiting? 

After thinking it over, Jiang Ning tore off a long strip of red cloth from her space and tied it to a conspicuous tree, letting the cloth flutter in the sandstorm. 

Back in the car, her wrist was throbbing from the recoil of the gun and the swinging of the Tang knife. It was not only swollen but also extremely painful. 

She treated the injury, dressed herself, and stored the car in her space. With a hiking stick in hand, she walked through the sandstorm, intending to search from the surrounding mountains and forests. 

No matter how tough it had been in his past life, Huo Yishen had made it through. He wouldn’t die before the tectonic plates collided. 

… 

Doudou opened her eyes in a daze and found herself lying in a pitch-black cave, with a foul stench filling the air. 

Her body was cold and stiff, and she couldn’t move at all. 

It took a moment for her confused mind to wake up fully. The emergency kit on her body was missing, and her hands and feet were tied up. 

She was captured by someone. 

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to vaguely see the surroundings. It resembled a prison cell, with six or seven women in tattered clothes sitting or lying around, all looking emaciated. 

They weren’t tied up, but their bodies were covered in bruises, and they appeared lifeless. 

Recalling the events of the past few days, she couldn’t help but frown, her worried expression evident in her bright eyes. She had no idea what had happened to her brother, sister-in-law, and Coke. 

Her brother grabbed her hand, but the overwhelming storm hit her and knocked her out directly. 

Doudou was swept into the eye of the storm, her body turned upside down, and then she was thrown high and smashed down. 

When she woke up, her body was almost buried by the sand. 

She was in pain all over, injured everywhere, and her ribs hurt so much that she couldn’t breathe. 

What’s worse, she couldn’t see anything.