Seeing that Bai Zhi was no pushover, those who had hoped to weasel some money out of her left, muttering curses under their breath.
Some were simply envious, but seeing as she was telling people to leave, they couldn't very well stay either.
In an instant, the crowd that had just gathered had all but dispersed.
Di had always known that Hu Yan and the others' female was a formidable one, but this was the first time he had seen it firsthand. 'No wonder they're bullied so badly,' he thought, but then reconsidered. 'But seeing how she just defended them, she doesn't seem like the type of person who would do that. I just hope Lang Qiu and the others will have fewer injuries from now on.'
He was the one who had started all this, so even though everyone else had left, Di still felt a bit awkward. He said, "Hu Yan, I'm going to head in. If you ever need someone to hunt with, be sure to call me."
Hu Yan nodded. "Okay."
He had just watched Bai Zhi take on a whole crowd all by herself. 'With that kind of fighting spirit, she doesn't need our help at all in a verbal spar.'
His gaze fell on Bai Zhi, a smug look on her face. 'She's different now,' he thought. 'Before, she was always so somber, as if the whole world owed her something.'
Now, even with that smug expression, she didn't seem quite as detestable as she used to be.
Bai Zhi, unaware of his thoughts, turned and pushed open the door, which was still ajar.
The room that came into view was sparsely furnished. She took it all in with a single glance. She had been thinking about tidying up, but now it seemed there was nothing that really needed any special attention. The most valuable possessions were probably their old, broken Light Computers. In fact, any single item they had bought today was worth more than this entire home.
As soon as Sang Mo entered the house, he slumped down into the nearest seat as if he were boneless, closed his eyes, and prepared to fall asleep.
Just then, Lang Qiu and the others returned, bringing in the package Bai Zhi had just ordered.
Yue Junxiao frowned, his tone harsh. "What did you call us back for? Don't you know we'd already found a Feathered Dragon Beast's trail? We were so close to catching it! And now? It was all for nothing!"
Yan Yichen also frowned. "What did you buy now? Don't you know we're out of money? If you keep spending, we'll have to move to the slums!"
Hearing their voices, Bai Zhi turned her head and saw three handsome, bare-chested men standing at the door. They were her other three Beast Husbands.
"You're back?" she asked, her eyes slightly dazzled as she took in their well-built physiques.
Then, remembering the groceries she had just bought on the Star Network, she added, "I bought some ingredients. I'm planning to cook dinner tonight."
Hearing her say "You're back?" stunned the three men outside. They all instinctively put their guards up, and Yue Junxiao even forgot what he had been about to say.
In their experience, Bai Zhi only acted like this when she was plotting something.
Bai Zhi, however, acted as if she hadn't noticed their strange reactions and walked right over to take the package from Lang Qiu's hands.
She eagerly took out the ingredients, only to find that the dark mist swirling around them was much thicker than on the food at the restaurant. It was so dense she could barely make out what the food actually looked like.
In the few hours since she'd arrived in this world, she had become most familiar with Hu Yan, so she called out to him instinctively, "Hu Yan, come over here for a second."
When Hu Yan heard her call his name, he frowned slightly before smoothing his brow. He walked into the main room, saw that Lang Qiu and the others were back, and greeted them before heading over to Bai Zhi.
Lang Qiu and the others watched this, all frowning in confusion. What on earth had happened while they were in Zone C?
Hearing his approach, Bai Zhi held an ingredient up to his face. As she thrust it toward him, his body reacted before he could think. His muscles tensed, and he shifted slightly to the side to protect his vital points from a direct hit.
The movement was so subtle that Bai Zhi didn't notice anything amiss. She just asked with a puzzled expression, "Hu Yan, why is this food giving off a dark mist?"
At her words, Hu Yan's gaze finally fell upon the ingredient she was holding out to him.
A flash of surprise flickered in his pale blue eyes. "You can see the dark mist on it?"
Bai Zhi froze. "You can't?"
He shook his head. After a moment of thought, he said, "Try channeling your spiritual power into the food."
Hearing this, Bai Zhi tentatively released her spiritual power. The moment it touched the dark mist, the mist seemed to shrink back in fear. The closer her spiritual power got, the more the mist receded, until it vanished completely.
Bai Zhi stared at the potato, now revealed in its natural state, and a suspicion began to form in her mind.
'A Purification Master!'
Purification Masters held a very high status in the interstellar age. This wasn't just because they could purify plants, but more importantly, because they could dispel the contamination from an infected person, restoring their sanity. They were also pioneers in developing new applications for their abilities.
This was different from a Beastman's berserk state. A berserk Beastman would ultimately only cause their own death, but the "contamination" was infectious and could lead to mass infections.
This was another reason why Purification Masters were held in such high regard.
An additional factor was the scarcity of Purification Masters in the interstellar age; thus, the higher a Purification Master's level, the greater their status.
The ones who purified plants were almost always low-level Purification Masters. Having a high-level Master purify plants was considered a tremendous waste of their talent.
This also explained why the food at the restaurant had a bitter taste—the Purification Master there was low-level and hadn't been able to purify it completely.
A small amount of contamination wouldn't harm the body. Unless someone was exposed to a massive dose all at once, the trace amounts in food weren't enough to cause an infection.
However, many Purification Masters worked with powerful and influential families, purifying all sorts of things for them.
It was then that Bai Zhi finally understood why each type of ingredient on the Star Network was limited to a hundred portions. After all, not every household had a contracted Purification Master, and not everyone cooked their own meals.
Preparing these ingredients was a hassle, and besides, most people in the interstellar era didn't even know how to cook. On top of that, the food had to be purified. Otherwise, even the most delicious ingredients would be ruined by that bitter taste.
This was why so few people bought them.
Bai Zhi didn't know what her own level was, but based on how thoroughly she had purified the potato, she was definitely higher-level than the Purification Master at that restaurant.
Seeing her expression, Hu Yan asked, "Well?"
After a brief internal debate, Bai Zhi nodded. "I think it's purified."
Although Hu Yan had suspected as much, hearing her confirm it still made him purse his lips. His eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
'To think that Bai Zhi is actually a Purification Master, a profession with such high status.'
Hu Yan asked, "Should we tell the others?"
Bai Zhi thought for a moment. "Let's not say anything for now. I'll wait until I can go to a testing center and get it confirmed."
'What if it turns out to be a fluke?'
Hearing this, Hu Yan nodded in understanding.
Meanwhile, out in the main room, Yue Junxiao was grabbing Sang Mo and looking him up and down in astonishment. "She actually let you out?"
Even as he mentioned Bai Zhi, the unconcealed disgust in his eyes was matched only by his undisguised shock.
Sang Mo shook his arm, flinging Yue Junxiao's hand off. He furrowed his brows and said coldly, "Don't touch me."
Lang Qiu, accustomed to Sang Mo's attitude, simply frowned and said, "It is a bit strange. Considering how much she hates Sang Mo, it's unlikely she would have let him out so easily."
Yan Yichen added, "And she actually greeted us when we came back. I got goosebumps all over. I still feel creeped out. I have a bad feeling she's plotting something again."
Listening to them, the corner of Sang Mo's mouth curled into a meaningful smirk. "What else could it be? She's planning to sell you all to the Gladiatorial Arena."