Tobey quickly nodded, saying, "Heh, this matter has spread across the Dragon Soaring Continent for months now; it would be hard for me not to know. I never imagined I would meet you here."

After saying this, Tobey turned serious and performed a solemn gesture of allegiance to Muhan. "I, Tobey, swear here that it is my fortune to follow you, my Lord, in this life. I will certainly assist you with all my might, never failing the trust you place in me, until the very end of my life. If I break this vow, I implore the God of Light to deny my soul eternal peace. I beg you, my Lord, accept my fealty."

Seeing this, Muhan quickly smiled and helped him up, saying, "Heh, there's no need for such severity. I'm not that barbaric. You, like Latin and the others, are my friends. If you ever wish to leave, I will never stop you. And my promises still stand absolutely; I will certainly help you restore your family fortune. Just call me 'Boss' like everyone else; 'My Lord' sounds so strange, you know?" Hearing Muhan's words, Tobey replied with a look of deep emotion, "Yes, Boss, rest assured. I would never betray you even in death—that is my oath, and I will certainly keep it."

Muhan shook his head helplessly, saying, "Alright, I believe you. Get up now. You acting like this makes me uncomfortable. Let's go back to how things were before. Do what you normally do."

At this moment, Dali, standing nearby, smiled and chimed in, "Heh, in that case, we have gained another friend! That's wonderful. With Tobey's help, Brother Muhan, things will be much easier for you from now on." Dali had already discerned from Tobey's words and demeanor that he was definitely no ordinary person; he simply hadn't met someone who recognized his true value. Muhan, clearly, was that discerning eye that had discovered a rare treasure.

Hearing Dali's remark, Muhan smiled and nodded in agreement.

He then turned to Tobey and said, "Come, let me introduce you first. This is Dali. From now on, she will be your 'Big Sister-in-law,' so you must greet her properly."

When Tobey heard this, he actually started to bow in greeting, causing Dali's face to flush bright red as she hurriedly moved to stop him. "Don't listen to his nonsense! He has plenty of wives. If you bowed to every single one, you'd work yourself to death! Besides, I'm not one of them—he just loves to talk nonsense. Don't believe him."

Tobey, however, replied with a gentle smile, "I absolutely believe what Boss said. I also believe he wouldn't lie to me. Even if it's not true now, it certainly will be in the future. I also believe that Boss is not the type of person to speak carelessly."

Hearing Tobey, Dali couldn't help but laugh wryly. "That's because you haven't seen your Boss's true colors yet. Once you spend more time with him, you'll understand."

Muhan, meanwhile, wore a smug expression and remarked, "Well said, Tobey! You’re much better than that fellow Jack. To be honest, I am just an honest person. Dali, don't smear my good name!"

Dali looked at Muhan, gave him a helpless side-eye, and decided to ignore him. She knew Muhan's personality; if she argued with him, she would inevitably lose, so she didn't bother engaging in debate.

Just then, Tobey slapped his forehead. "Look at me! I was so busy chatting with the Boss and you all that I completely forgot you must not have eaten yet. I have some dry rations here. They aren't much, but I hope you won't mind."

Tobey finished speaking and retrieved some dry rations from under the cot, placing them somewhat sheepishly before Muhan and the others. They were just hardened, dry biscuits, some already spoiled. Surviving here was hard enough; having any food at all was a blessing.

Seeing this, Muhan quickly smiled and said, "Heh, it's alright. We brought some food in too, quite a bit of it. You don't need to offer these." With that, he retrieved the provisions he had prepared outside from his spatial ring, laying out a full table's worth.

After setting everything out, Muhan saw that Tobey was staring, utterly dumbfounded, at the ring on his hand. Noticing Muhan looking at him, Tobey exclaimed with excitement, "Boss, is that a spatial ring? I've only read about them in books! I never expected to see one with my own eyes—it's truly magical!"

"Why get so excited? Really. If the opportunity arises in the future, I'll get you one too. Let's eat first," Muhan said, shaking his head with a smile.

Tobey immediately waved his hands upon hearing Muhan, saying, "I don't need one, thank you, Boss. I was just curious because I’d never seen one before. Besides, having more things wouldn't be of much use to me."

Muhan's assessment of Tobey rose another notch upon hearing this. Since Tobey understood the value of a spatial ring but still refused Muhan’s generous offer, that was something beyond the capability of ordinary people. This further solidified Muhan's conviction that he hadn't accepted the wrong person.

After finishing their meal, everyone rested to gather strength for the next day’s activities. At Tobey’s insistence, Dali naturally slept on the cot, while Muhan and Tobey made simple beds for themselves on the floor. The first day within the barrier thus came to a close.

"What is it? Did you discover something?" Dali looked around with a puzzled expression, then back at Muhan. Early that morning, Dali, Muhan, and the two small ones, Xiao Mo and Xiao Han, had left Tobey's secret room and headed toward the courtyard with the red wall they had found yesterday. However, halfway there, Muhan suddenly stopped.

Muhan waved his hand and said, "I think I heard movement coming from the house up ahead. Let's be careful and go take a look."

Hearing Muhan's explanation, Dali drew her weapon and cautiously approached the house Muhan had indicated, staying close behind him. It was just an ordinary storefront on the street, likely a restaurant in the past, with a hanging sign at the entrance. The main door was now ajar, and a faint trail of footprints was visible outside, though they looked somewhat strange. Clearly, someone had entered not long ago. Observing this, Muhan and Dali grew more wary and crept into the establishment. At that moment, Dali also heard soft rustling sounds coming from the back courtyard.

Seeing this, Dali exchanged a glance with Muhan. Muhan had clearly also located the source of the sound. He nodded subtly to Dali, signaling her to stay behind him, and then headed toward the rear courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, Muhan spotted that the noises were emanating from a small structure leaning against the wall. The doorway was piled high with firewood, suggesting it was likely the restaurant's kitchen. The kitchen door was also half-open, and the sounds were clearly audible from inside.

Muhan immediately intensified his protective battle aura to the maximum, drawing his Holy Sword of Light. He signaled Dali to remain in the courtyard while he slowly edged toward the half-open kitchen door. As he neared the threshold, he suddenly unleashed a burst of battle energy, smashing the door into splinters. He then stood ready, watching the interior, but when he saw the scene inside, Muhan was momentarily stunned.

Near the kitchen stove stood a girl, perhaps seven or eight years old. Her clothes were utterly tattered, and they were so old the original color was indistinguishable. Her face was covered in dirt and grime, obscuring her features. However, she was staring back at Muhan with a pair of large, bright, clear eyes, appearing completely terrified, as if she were frozen in shock.

Yet, after only a few seconds, the little girl reacted. She raised a large cleaver—the kind used for chopping—that was beside her, guarding Muhan with a vigilant stance. However, the heavy cleaver seemed a substantial burden for her skeletal frame, and the girl's hand was trembling incessantly, threatening to drop the weapon at any moment, yet she held on with all her might.

Seeing this sight, Muhan felt his heart clench painfully. He immediately sheathed his weapon and spoke gently, "Don't be afraid, little darling. I am not a bad person. I just came in from the outside; I'm here to save you." With that, he slowly moved closer to the girl.

In the courtyard, Dali, after hearing Muhan's words to the little girl, seemed to understand something and quickly walked toward Muhan, arriving just as he was approaching the girl.

As the little girl saw Muhan draw nearer, she cried out in alarm, "D-don't come any closer! Who are you?" Her speech was a bit stuttered, likely due to long disuse.

Muhan stopped when he was about two meters away from her and smiled. "We are a mercenary group from outside, here to rescue you. Don't be nervous." Seeing that the girl's hand holding the knife was starting to falter, Muhan quickly added, "Put the cleaver down, be careful not to hurt yourself. I promise everything is fine now."

Hearing Muhan’s reassurance, and glancing back at Dali and the others behind him, the little girl finally became convinced that Muhan and his companions were not one of those mutated zombies. Slowly, she lowered the large kitchen knife she had aimed at Muhan, and it clattered onto the ground with a light ding.