Hearing Zou Xiong's words, Xu Nuo found it laughable. He never asked them to do such unnecessary things. They knew it was pointless, yet now it seemed like he specifically requested their help. These people were truly amusing!
However, Zhu Xianhou quickly suppressed Zou Xiong's thoughts, believing that the people inside were not to be easily provoked.
With such talismans on the door, even waiting a few more days wouldn't necessarily cause any trouble, but might instead earn their resentment.
They could tear down the talisman on the door, making the zombies once again sense the presence of people inside and attack. But Zhu Xianhou believed if they could put up one talisman, they could put up more.
More importantly, Zhu Xianhou wasn't sure of the residents' abilities. Choosing such a dangerous place indicated they had some skills, so he couldn't act rashly.
In a post-apocalyptic world, they might meet again. Zhu Xianhou speculated that future governments would establish many bases, limiting safe havens. If these people were dealt with by zombies, it would be fine, but if they could escape a small zombie horde, holding a grudge wouldn't be good.
Unwilling to take such risks, Zhu Xianhou persuaded Zou Xiong to abandon this idea. Although Zou Xiong agreed to deal with the zombie corpses, his face showed displeasure. He didn't show his discontent in front of Zhu Xianhou, knowing he needed him for many things.
Zhu Xianhou didn't realize Zou Xiong was unhappy with him, but Xu Nuo, observing them closely, noticed this small detail.
It was interesting to see these two different personalities working together. It also made Xu Nuo reflect on human nature, wondering how many people displayed one face while harboring different thoughts and intentions.
Thinking about this, Xu Nuo unconsciously directed his spiritual energy towards Park Su's room. His willingness to stay with and help Park Su wasn't just because of the life-saving debt. Park Su was straightforward, and his emotions were visible through his eyes.
Xu Nuo found it easy to deal with someone like Park Su, and while pondering the secretive yet transparent nature of Park Su, he wondered if it was good or bad.
Park Su finally broke free from that mystical state, exhaling deeply and feeling refreshed. He circulated the spiritual energy within him, feeling it flow smoothly throughout his body, and his spirits lifted instantly. The breakthrough was successful, and this one surprised him because it was quite different from his previous life when he broke through to the third level of the wood element ability.
Back then, he only felt his ability level increase and could control the growth of ordinary plants well. But he could already do those things at the second level of the wood element ability now.
This time, breaking through to the third level, he found his entire dantian space had expanded significantly. Besides the area where the pothos plant was, another separate space seemed to have been created. Although the pothos could occupy this new space, it seemed overly spacious. Park Su suspected that space might allow him to accommodate another mutant plant.
He wasn't sure how to make another mutant plant serve him like the pothos, and he had only seen the pothos as a mutant plant so far. Whether this idea could become a reality was unknown, so he decided to try it when the opportunity arose. Regardless, reaching the third level made him feel filled with wood element energy, especially with his expanded dantian. He felt that although his current ability was third level, he could easily use it as if it were a fourth level or even higher.
Given the apocalypse had only been happening for about twenty days, breaking through to the third level of the wood element ability was quite an achievement, even if the ability was more supportive than offensive. At least among ability users, he was now considered quite powerful.
Of course, this power didn't include Xu Nuo. Having witnessed Xu Nuo's Daoist techniques, Park Su found them unfathomable, incomparable to his third-level wood element ability. In terms of attack power, Xu Nuo could likely defeat even a sixth-level dual-ability user.
Thinking of Xu Nuo, Park Su felt a bit sentimental. Having broken through, he wanted to share this news with Xu Nuo. Even if Xu Nuo might not share his excitement, Park Su felt Xu Nuo was the first person he wanted to tell.
He quickly got up to find him but was surprised to see Xu Nuo standing at his door. Just as he was about to ask why Xu Nuo was there, Xu Nuo interrupted with, "You broke through successfully?"
Park Su shifted his topic, nodding quickly, "Yes, I think I've reached the third level of my ability. I feel so powerful now. Thank you for guarding me for so long."
What he intended as polite words made Xu Nuo raise an eyebrow, "You certainly should thank me. Of all times, you chose this one to break through. It caused quite some trouble for me."
Park Su, momentarily speechless, quickly asked, "Did something happen?"
Xu Nuo smirked, pointing downstairs, "That mother and child you insisted on taking in? The mother has a high fever now. I suspect her condition is similar to when I awakened my ability."
"I remember you saying that in such cases, the person might either become a zombie due to the virus or turn into an ability user like us. Since you were so kind to take them in, naturally, you're responsible for them."
Park Su scratched his nose, muttering, "I did take them in, but it was with your approval. Now that there's a problem, you're leaving it all to me."
Park Su had just finished muttering when he saw Xu Nuo frown, clearly displeased by his words. Quickly changing the subject, Park Su said, "Well, I'll go check on her right away. How long has she had the fever?"
Xu Nuo, aware of Park Su's little tricks, didn't argue. He crossed his arms and stepped aside, "Even if you check on her, it won't help much. She's had the fever since last night, so it's been a full day and night. Chen Jingxuan is taking care of her now. Without your insistence, I wouldn't have taken them in."
Realizing that Lü Xia's condition might be serious, Park Su knew he had to take responsibility. Xu Nuo wasn't one to care about others' problems, and without Park Su, he might have left them to their fate. So, Park Su said, "I'll go see how she is and then come back to tell you about my breakthrough." Without waiting for Xu Nuo's response, he hurried downstairs.
Xu Nuo watched Park Su's anxious figure, feeling a bit irritated. Park Su was so concerned about Lü Xia, yet hadn't even heard about the people outside or Xu Nuo's efforts throughout the day. Instead, he rushed to check on Lü Xia first.
Xu Nuo narrowed his eyes and followed slowly. He was also concerned about Lü Xia's condition, not wanting this ticking time bomb in his house. With Park Su awake, he wouldn't have to bring it up and upset him. Park Su would see the seriousness of the situation and act accordingly. Despite his soft heart, Park Su was rational when it came to zombies.
Xu Nuo expected Park Su to handle the situation if Lü Xia turned into a zombie. However, upon reaching the room, he saw Park Su checking Lü Xia's temperature and wiping her face, with Chen Jingxuan clinging to his leg, crying about his mother's condition.
Xu Nuo stopped at the door, watching quietly. Park Su, gently rubbing Chen Jingxuan's head, said in a serious yet soft tone, "Your mother is indeed sick, but with you here, she will want to become an ability user, not a zombie."
Chen Jingxuan, still worried, asked, "But she could still turn into a zombie, right?"
Park Su nodded, "Yes, but think about all the hardships she's endured for you. She won't let a little illness stop her. You need to give her hope and yourself hope too, understand?"