Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 163: Chapter 153: The Next Sect Leader

With her brother’s help, Xiao Tao could soon walk independently. Not only that, she discovered her strength was astonishingly great.

Xiao Tao had known from her ID Watch’s attribute values that she was a Power Attribute Superpower User, but she had been sick for far too long.

Feeling this power—her own power—for the first time, Xiao Tao was thrilled. She started moving the table around the house, absolutely delighted.

After finishing the porridge Tang Mo had cooked, Xiao Tao grabbed a pair of scissors and chopped off her large, matted braid, leaving herself with easy-to-manage, ear-length short hair.

Then, she brought in a large wooden tub, filled it halfway with hot water, and began to bathe.

Young women like to be clean, and after being bedridden for so long, she wasn’t just dirty. Because she couldn’t be turned over and washed regularly, she had also developed numerous bedsores.

Fortunately, Tang Mo had considered this when healing Xiao Tao’s body and had removed all those unsightly blemishes.

After taking a thorough bath and changing into clean clothes, Xiao Tao truly felt as if she had been reborn, completely bidding farewell to her past self.

Xiao Hu went to help his sister empty the bathwater, and Xiao Tao didn’t stay idle either, starting to tidy up her room.

She threw open all the curtains and windows, letting sunlight spill across the floor. The once stuffy, damp air in the room instantly grew fresh.

”Um, Sis... I want to talk to you about something,” Xiao Tao said, hesitating shyly.

”Don’t call me Sis. If you think calling me by my full name is awkward, just call me Momo.”

Xiao Tao was a university student as well, and there wasn’t much of an age gap between her and Tang Mo.

”Okay, Momo. I wanted to ask... can you take me with you when you leave?!”

Xiao Tao took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on Tang Mo with unwavering resolve as she spoke.

”Hm?” Tang Mo had never expected Xiao Tao to make such a request.

’Xiao Tao grew up in Wuxi Village. She has family, a brother, right here. With the world in such chaos, wouldn’t a girl feel safer at home?’

”I’ve been sick for so long, I’ve thought it through very clearly. During the days I spent waiting for you, I kept thinking that if—if I was lucky enough to recover, then I absolutely refused to live my life with my eyes closed like the people here. I want to get out. I have to rely on my own strength to change something.”

Tang Mo looked intently into Xiao Tao’s eyes.

’There was a light in this girl’s eyes.’

”I promise I won’t hold you back! I’m a Power Attribute Superpower User, and my Spirit Attribute Value is decent. I’m a very fast learner, and I can endure hardship! As long as you let me follow you, I’ll do anything!”

The longing in Xiao Tao’s eyes moved Tang Mo.

Xiao Tao was the only university student from Wuxi Village, someone who had truly been outside the village.

Tang Mo could tell from their previous encounter that Xiao Tao was clear-headed and sufficiently decisive.

Ever since meeting Qin Ling’s team, Tang Mo had actually considered forming her own squad if the right opportunity and people came along.

And Xiao Tao, with her abilities and personality, was a good candidate.

”If you leave, what will your brother and parents do? Will they agree?”

”I’m an adult. I’m the only one who can make decisions about my own life. Besides, the new Sect Leader in Wuxi Village is a good person. Even if the villagers don’t have a wealthy life, they can live out their days peacefully. My parents still have my brother, and I’ve been living away from them since high school. They’ll definitely support me. As long as you’re willing to take me, none of that will be a problem!”

Xiao Tao was a very persistent person. Once she set her mind on something, she would never, ever change it.

”Alright, then. I’ll stay here for the night. After you say goodbye to your family this evening, we’ll leave tomorrow.”

In the end, Tang Mo relented. She was giving this girl a chance, and also giving herself a chance to open her own guarded heart.

”Brother Hu! Brother Hu, are you home?”

A boy’s knock sounded at the door.

”What is it? What’s going on?” Xiao Hu was still basking in the joy of his sister’s recovery, and his voice was considerably lighter.

”The Sect Leader heard you let that person from last time back in, and he wants you to bring her to the ancestral hall!”

The boy sounded urgent, which suggested the matter was just as pressing on the other end.

”The Sect Leader?”

Xiao Hu was instantly flustered. He had been so excited to see Tang Mo that he’d completely forgotten to report her arrival to the Sect Leader.

’He had really made a huge mistake this time!’

This was just Xiao Hu’s nature—kindhearted, but easily overwhelmed.

”Let’s go. It’s nothing, we’ll just pay him a visit,” Tang Mo said, patting Xiao Hu’s shoulder as she headed out the door.

”Momo, why don’t we just leave right now? The Sect Leader won’t do anything to my brother.”

Xiao Tao looked at Tang Mo, her expression filled with worry.

Tang Mo gave Xiao Tao a reassuring look. ”It’s fine. Just wait here at home.”

From what Xiao Tao had told her, Tang Mo had a general idea of what kind of person this Sect Leader was.

He was young and capable, had read a few books, and was relatively progressive in his thinking. He was also the grandson of the Sect Leader before last.

He had long questioned the previous Sect Leader’s Medicinal Insect scam, but unfortunately, he had little influence at the time and was heavily suppressed.

Now that he was the Sect Leader, he had done many practical things for the village and implemented a number of good policies and regulations. The entire village had already returned to an orderly way of life.

’This was someone she could reason with,’ Tang Mo thought.

’And even if she couldn’t, no one here currently had the power to do anything to her. She was well aware of that.’

Tang Mo had been inside the Sect Leader’s ancestral hall a few times before, and her impression of it had been terrible.

This time, however, when she arrived at the entrance, she found it greatly changed for the better.

The once splendidly decorated ancestral hall was now much more modest. There were no longer so many guards and servants outside; instead, the empty space seemed more solemn and dignified.

Tang Mo stepped into the ancestral hall. Seeing her enter, the young man inside rose to greet her and showed her to a seat.

”Hello, I am Guo Mingyi, the current Sect Leader of Wuxi Village. I’ve long heard of your reputation, Miss Tang. It’s a pity we never had the chance to meet. I’m glad we finally have today.”

Guo Mingyi’s attitude was extremely polite.

’Such a polite attitude was rarely a good sign.’

”I wonder what business the Sect Leader has with me? I only came to Wuxi Village this time to reunite with an old friend. I’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning and have no intention of overstaying my welcome.”

Tang Mo got straight to the point, too lazy to beat around the bush.

”Miss Tang, you’ve misunderstood. You are a great benefactor to our Wuxi Village, our most honored guest. We would be overjoyed for you to stay a few more days, why would we ever ask you to leave?”

”However, this time, I do indeed have a favor to ask. I wonder if a person of your intelligence and talent, Miss Tang, might be able to offer me a bit of guidance?”