Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Chapter 143

The suggestion to discuss this matter so quickly stemmed from the group’s enthusiasm while cleaning and preparing the sparrows. It seemed like they had collectively stumbled upon a new path for obtaining food in the post-apocalyptic world.

People online had already noted that as long as hunting wasn’t indiscriminate or excessive, it wouldn’t lead to any adverse consequences.

While the guesthouse still had some livestock, more than half of the animals had mutated and escaped their enclosures since the apocalypse began. This left the remaining unmutated animals scarce and expensive.

With no jobs and everyone worried about running out of resources, this discovery offered a glimmer of hope. The group began suggesting the formation of a hunting team to regularly gather meat.

Naturally, Yu Xi would have to lead the team. Someone like Lu Bin, who was skilled in archery, would be an excellent addition, while Wang Meng and Wang Yin, who knew Taekwondo, could serve as the team’s core fighters.

Lu Bin had no objections, but Wang Meng and Wang Yin merely rolled their eyes in silence.

The proposal was made by Zheng Feng’s parents, who lived in the neighboring compound. Their suggestion immediately gained support from others, with everyone agreeing it was a great idea. While it might put some burden on Yu Xi and the capable fighters, they reasoned that mutual support was essential for survival.

Those without combat abilities promised not to hold the group back but instead handle logistics. For example, once the animals were hunted, they would handle the messy work of gutting, plucking, and cleaning. By the time the meat was divided, Yu Xi could take home ready-to-cook portions, ensuring mutual cooperation.

The conversation soon turned to what types of animals were suitable for hunting and which ones had tender meat. Sparrows, for instance, were a bit tough—older folks might find them particularly difficult to chew.

Hearing this, Ma Tiantian chuckled. Without being too blunt, she remarked, “Wow, Uncle and Auntie have everything planned out. Not even a word to the person in question, and everything’s already arranged. Truly impressive.” Before tensions could escalate, Xu Yan stepped in and relayed Yu Xi’s earlier message. He clarified that while they were all part of the same group, if they wanted Yu Xi to lead a hunting team, they’d need to discuss it with her first.

The supporters of the idea quickly backtracked, saying, “Of course, Xiao Xu! Uncle and Auntie know we have to talk to her first. We’ll visit her place in a few days to discuss it properly. After all, her family has three people too, and they need to eat meat just like the rest of us. We can all sit down and work something out together.”

At this point, the group was well aware that they were asking Yu Xi for help. They knew they needed to approach her respectfully and obtain her consent, especially since she had already indicated she didn’t want to be disturbed.

However, by dusk that same day, a group of enormous mutated boars appeared from the hillside, smashing through several guesthouse walls lined with “Sui Grass.” In that moment, the only thoughts in everyone’s minds were escape

and call for help.Escape? There was nowhere to run. Night was falling, and the forest was teeming with mutated plants and animals. Even in protective gear, they could easily encounter creatures beyond their ability to handle.

Call for help?

Almost instinctively, everyone thought of Yu Xi.

She hadn’t been seen in days. Surely, no matter how important her family matters were, they should be resolved by now. And in such a dire emergency, how could she ignore their plight? Surely, she wouldn’t just stand by and watch them die!

These mutated boars were larger than cattle, with long tusks resembling those of wild boars. Even if they didn’t actively attack people, their constant rampaging caused tremors throughout the buildings, making everyone inside feel the shaking walls.

If the houses were truly breached, where could they even hide?

Quick-thinking individuals like Xu Yan, Chen Tong, Zheng Feng, Gou Yaoyang, Xia Xuan, and Huang Hui organized efforts to defend and attack the boars using fire. Meanwhile, Chen Tong’s husband, who lived on the first floor, bore the brunt of the boars’ assault on the walls.

Even Zou Yan, who had been hiding in his room since arriving at the guesthouse, could no longer stay put. He grabbed a backpack, hastily stuffed it with some food and water, and planned to temporarily seek refuge in an empty room on the second floor. On his way, he encountered Zheng Feng’s parents, who were also heading upstairs, intending to personally seek out Yu Xi.

Hearing that Yu Xi had previously handled seven or eight mutated sparrows at once, Zou Yan felt a sense of relief and decided to accompany them to the second floor.

While Zou Yan hid in a suite next to Yu Xi’s, Zheng Feng’s parents knocked on her door. Despite their persistent knocking, there was no response from inside.

Their son was outside fighting the mutated boars, yet someone capable like Yu Xi was hiding in her room, refusing to come out or even acknowledge them.

At first, they pleaded, but as time passed, their knocking grew angrier, and they began shouting accusations, calling her heartless and unwilling to help. Even as their shouts turned into insults, the room remained silent.

That night, no one in the nearby guesthouse buildings slept. Shaking with fear, they endured the boars’ roars and the crackling of defensive fires. While most could stay hidden in their rooms, the two buildings directly under the boars’ assault were not so lucky.

In the chaos, the defensive fires accidentally spread, igniting a massive blaze. As people scrambled to fight the boars, they also had to battle the flames, creating utter pandemonium.

It wasn’t until just before dawn that the mutated boars finally retreated.

When Yu Xi finally got up, the sky outside was faintly lit with the first light of morning.

She had heard the chaos throughout the night. Exhausted, she dragged her weak body out of bed, changed into fresh clothes, and prepared to head downstairs to wash up.

Opening her door, she found Yu Feng and Fan Qi standing outside. They hadn’t slept all night, worried about her condition and the turmoil outside.

“You didn’t go out, right?” she asked, concerned that she might have missed something despite her weakened state.

“No, we didn’t. Around dinnertime, someone knocked on the door for a long time, but you warned us repeatedly not to open it, so of course, we didn’t,” Fan Qi replied.

Although they stayed inside Star House, the east-facing windows in their room provided a view of the events outside, so they had a rough idea of what had happened. Their expressions were now tinged with worry.

Yu Xi headed to the downstairs bathroom, quickly washed up, and drank half a bottle of water. She then told her parents to stay in Star House while she went out to assess the situation.

“Do you want to eat something before you go?” Fan Qi asked, her concern evident as she noticed her daughter’s pale complexion. She realized Yu Xi hadn’t eaten since over 36 hours ago.

“I’m fine, Mom. I’ll just take a look and come right back.”

Without carrying any weapons or even a mask, Yu Xi left Star House empty-handed.

The moment she stepped out, a thick stench of smoke and animal musk filled the air. The suite outside Star House was in disarray: the south-facing glass of the living room was cracked with a large gaping hole, and the doorframe of the main entrance was partially dislodged.

The guesthouse’s first-floor activity room was filled with people from both affected buildings. Those with minor injuries moved around, while the severely injured lay on the sofas to the side.

The smell of smoke was even stronger on the first floor, with the walls blackened by the fire. Yu Xi passed by the activity room without stopping, heading straight out of the building to survey the damage.

The courtyard wall had completely collapsed, leaving piles of rubble and scorched debris everywhere.

The other building housing their team had suffered even worse damage—half of its wall had caved in, exposing furniture and belongings in the rooms. The former residents were busy packing up their belongings in the mess, preparing to temporarily move into this building.

The guesthouse owner, wrapped in thick protective gear, arrived to assess the situation. However, he had stayed hidden in his quarters throughout the boars’ attack and knew nothing of what had happened. Seeing how the residents had finally driven off the mutated boars after a night of struggle, even at the cost of half a building, he wisely chose to remain silent.

Huang Hui, carrying several travel bags, approached from the other building. Spotting Yu Xi standing outside, she stopped. “You’re out? Everything okay at home? Why aren’t you wearing protective gear? The Sui Grass around here is all destroyed. Smaller bugs can sneak in easily. You should be careful.”

“What happened last night?” Yu Xi asked. When she woke up, the fighting was already underway, so she wanted to understand why the mutated animals had suddenly attacked the buildings with Sui Grass.

Before Huang Hui could reply, a sharp, angry voice came from the damaged building behind them.

“Well, well! I thought I was seeing things! It really is you! How dare you show your face now? What, you saw the mutated boars were gone, so you came out to pretend like you care?”

Yu Xi turned to see Zheng Feng’s mother storming out of the building.

Her face was smeared with soot, her hair a mess, and her clothes stained with blood. She glared at Yu Xi with seething hatred, as if she could devour her whole.

Nearby, Zheng Feng’s father tried to calm her down. “Alright, enough. Keep your voice down. Our son just fell asleep, and if you wake him, his wounds will start hurting again. Also, don’t stand here with the door open—if some mutated bug gets in, it’ll be trouble.”

“Enough? How can I keep quiet now?” Zheng Feng’s mother snapped back, her voice full of fury. “Look at Gou family’s second son—he’s gravely injured, barely holding on! Everyone risked their lives to fight off those boars, and where was she? She acted so capable before, but when it mattered most, she didn’t show up! Coward!”

Yu Xi looked at her calmly, completely unfazed by the woman’s accusations. After realizing how easily she could end someone’s life if she wanted to, such anger and insults didn’t bother her anymore.

But there was something she wanted to clarify. Ignoring Zheng Feng’s mother, she walked directly into the activity room where the others had gathered.

“Why, out of all the buildings in this area, were only the ones housing our team attacked by the mutated boars? Boars don’t eat people. Why did they suddenly come to a human settlement and rampage like this?”

Her gaze swept through the crowd and landed on Xu Yan.

His condition wasn’t much better than the others—one of his arms was injured, and Wang Meng was sitting nearby, bandaging him. He had spent the entire night leading the group, devising ways to drive off the boars, and had barely caught his breath, let alone had time to reflect on the situation.

However, upon hearing Yu Xi’s question, his expression subtly changed.

“Why? Is this the time to ask why?” Wang Meng finished wrapping Xu Yan’s arm and suddenly spoke up, her face full of anger as she stared at Yu Xi. “Yu Xi, how do you even have the audacity to show up here?”

Yu Xi looked back at her, her expression calm. “Oh? Then tell me—why shouldn’t I be here?”