The day's luck was bad, and it wasn't suitable for refreshing the golden beetle's attributes.
Qin Shilei was about to turn and leave when his gaze suddenly swept over the pavilion in the backyard.
Something seemed to be missing.
Where was the Ice Source Stone?
Qin Shilei's heart leaped, and he arrived inside the pavilion in an instant.
The pavilion was empty. The nearly two-meter-tall Ice Source Stone had vanished without a trace.
"Glutton, where is the Ice Source Stone I asked you to guard?"
Qin Shilei's expression turned stern.
The golden beetle shook its head frantically. "Master, I didn't eat that stone."
Qin Shilei glared at it, looking around for clues.
A ray of light happened to catch his eye from the flower bush.
He stepped to the edge of the flower bush, bent down, and picked up a crystal-clear stone the size of an egg.
This was the Ice Source Stone, shrunk countless times.
Qin Shilei quickly figured out in his mind why the Ice Source Stone had suddenly shrunk from nearly two meters to the size of an egg.
It must be that when his pet advanced to the Platinum realm, it required a large amount of spiritual energy. The Ice Source Stone was rich in spiritual energy, so it was absorbed until it became only egg-sized.
Then, when the golden beetle was testing its flying ability, it had knocked the stone, which then hit the Ice Source Stone, causing it to roll into the flower bush.
Qin Shilei worried if the Ice Source Stone in his hand would return to its original size, but he couldn't blame the golden beetle, so he glared at it fiercely again.
"Master, I really didn't eat that stone." The glutton backed away fearfully.
"Hmph, I told you to guard a stone and you couldn't even do that properly."
Qin Shilei scolded, "As a punishment, you're not allowed to steal food or drool while working from now on."
"And close your mouth quickly."
He took out a cloth bag, put the egg-sized Ice Source Stone in it, and hung it on his waist for the time being.
Just then, An Qian and Zhang Xiaoli arrived.
Upon hearing that the golden beetle had successfully advanced to Platinum, everyone showed a relieved smile.
There was finally hope for the insects spread throughout Daxia.
After a small gathering with everyone, Qin Shilei and An Qian rode on Xiaoqiang and rushed to Bei'an City overnight.
........
Bei'an City was still heavily surrounded by the overwhelming number of insects.
Because of this, An Qian had to assign people to guard the city walls twenty-four hours a day.
After being besieged for many days, the evolvers in Bei'an City were going mad.
A sense of despair slowly spread throughout the city, and gloom hung on every face.
"Sigh, when will this endless siege end?"
"The city lord leads us out to kill insects every day, but why are there more and more insects?"
"I heard that drill worms appeared in three places yesterday, and hundreds of people died."
"Only those with strong strength can go out of the city with the city lord to earn crystal cores. Will ordinary evolvers like us never be able to upgrade?"
"Those who go out to earn crystal cores also take enormous risks. I heard that the group that went out today lost three to four thousand people."
"If we can't go out to search for supplies anymore, we might run out of tissues. We'll have to use sticks like in ancient times after we finish our business."
"We might even run out of sticks. Do we have to learn from the Indians and use our hands?"
Currently, in Bei'an City, except for food, all other supplies were scarce.
Clean water resources, essential daily necessities like tissues, fuel, and other materials.
Even for food, in a while, they might have to eat it raw.
This was because most of the burnable materials had already been used up by survivors.
Bei'an City had not restored power, and it plunged into darkness every night.
In such an environment, although people weren't dying, they were living very depressingly.
Not long after Qin Shilei and An Qian returned to the City Lord's Mansion in Bei'an City, a large group of people came knocking.
"City Lord An, you must find a way out for everyone," said Military Representative Ji Pengcheng first.
An Qian said expressionlessly, "So you remember to come to me, your City Lord, now?"
Ji Pengcheng said respectfully, "City Lord An, we have never been disrespectful to you."
An Qian glanced at him disdainfully. "Don't think I don't know about your underhanded actions.
If you really anger me, don't blame me for not giving you face."
Hearing this, Qin Shilei's expression turned cold. "An Qian, what is going on?"
Ji Pengcheng, Wen Zhiyuan, and others suddenly felt a killing intent locking onto them, as if Qin Shilei would draw his sword and kill them at any moment if they made a mistake.
Wen Zhiyuan quickly retorted, "We have never disobeyed City Lord An's orders."
Before An Qian could answer, Jin Qiaoqiao eagerly interjected, "It's because they're afraid our City Lord's Mansion will become too powerful and snatch their leadership of Bei'an City. They resist our people from the City Lord's Mansion at every turn. If we post a mission at the mercenary guild, it will be ignored."
Through Jin Qiaoqiao's explanation, Qin Shilei learned that the City Lord's Mansion was facing resistance from various parties in Bei'an City.
Important departments like the mercenary guild and the administrative hall did not allow people from the City Lord's Mansion to get involved.
They would also often taunt An Qian verbally, urging the City Lord's Mansion to send more people to defend the city walls. This would leave them with no energy to go out and kill insects to earn crystal cores, and their strength would stagnate.
"Hmph!" Qin Shilei sneered. "Very well! Qiaoqiao, see them out."
"Yes, Mr. Qin."
Jin Qiaoqiao waved her right hand. "Gentlemen, please!"
"Mr. Qin, it's a misunderstanding." Ji Pengcheng quickly explained, "It was agreed from the beginning that your City Lord's Mansion would not interfere in Bei'an City's affairs. As for the mercenary matters, it must have been a coincidence. We absolutely did not target the City Lord's Mansion."
"There's no need to say more."
Qin Shilei said calmly, "From now on, unless there are beasts at the Golden realm, the City Lord's Mansion will not participate in defending the city walls."
"The City Lord will no longer organize people to go out and kill insects. Since they are wary of the City Lord's Mansion at every turn, why should we work so hard to be their nannies?"
Ji Pengcheng and the others were flustered upon hearing this.
It wasn't that they were completely incapable of going out to kill insects on their own.
It was just that the risk was too high.
An Qian had only been away for one day, and while they were fighting insects outside the city, they were repeatedly surrounded by swarms of them. After losing three to four thousand lives, they finally managed to repel the insects and escape back to Bei'an City.
If An Qian truly ignored them, they would find it difficult to continue going out to kill insects and upgrade, and would eventually be trapped and die in Bei'an City.
Yuan Yuhang, the leader of the Heavenly Wolf Gang, suddenly stepped forward and cupped his fists. "City Lord An, is the City Lord's Mansion still recruiting?
Our Heavenly Wolf Gang wishes to join the City Lord's Mansion as a whole.
From now on, if the City Lord has any orders, I, Yuan Yuhang, will spare no effort to serve you."
Ji Pengcheng and the others' faces changed again.
Weren't they here to ask An Qian to solve the problem of Bei'an City being surrounded by insects? Why did this Mr. Yuan suddenly pledge allegiance?
Your Heavenly Wolf Gang is a top force in Bei'an City, are you really willing to be someone's subordinate?
An Qian looked at Yuan Yuhang, then exchanged a glance with Qin Shilei.
She smiled and said, "It is my honor, An Qian, to have such a great general as Brother Yuan. Welcome to our City Lord's Mansion!"