AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Ji Yanqing Was The Best Person In The World.
Watching as Feng Yimo sprinted farther down the wrong path, the beast hastily charged forward, attempting to call him back.
Seeing it catching up, Feng Yimo immediately ran even faster.
“Awooo!” As Feng Yimo completely vanished from sight, the beast’s eyes were filled with despair.
Within the mountain forest, as the sound of roaring was heard, Ji Yanqing and the others all furrowed their brows.
Glancing in the direction from where the sound came, as the voice faded away, the group quickened their pace without needing Ji Yanqing to softly remind them.
They didn’t approach the city. After entering the mountain near the city, they rolled up their sleeves to cover their mouths and noses, walking along the foot of the mountain through the woods far from the farmlands.
Between the foothills and the city lie vast stretches of farmland, where the majority of the land is cultivated with rice. These rice plants have now mutated, growing taller than a human, and are crowned with white tassels at their tips.
When they first encountered the rice paddies, they merely found them unsettling. Now, fully aware of the formidable dangers they present, everyone wishes they could stay as far away as possible.
After traveling for over two hours, as they neared 3 o’clock in the afternoon, they finally emerged from the mountain woods and entered a vast wilderness.
The wilderness was uneven and overgrown with weeds, the grass reaching above the ankles, yet nothing out of the ordinary was found.
From a distance, emptiness stretched as far as the eye could see.
Previously, aside from a few highways and national roads, there wasn’t a direct connection between that city and the next district. This fact had temporarily relieved everyone since the majority of the zombies were concentrated within the cities. Although zombies could also be encountered in areas outside the cities, the chances of encountering them were significantly lower.
“Are you tired?” Ji Yanqing asked lightly, glancing back at the two little chicks trailing behind him.
“Not tired.” The two little ones replied in unison, their voices milky and childlike.
Throughout their journey, their little faces were flushed with red, and their eyes misted with a thin layer of moisture. Coupled with the over-sized goose-yellow T-shirts they wore, they looked incredibly endearing.
The two little ones were only three years old, yet their physical strength and endurance far exceeded what Ji Yanqing had anticipated. After two hours, even the group of adults felt somewhat exhausted.
Ji Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief, feeling both pained and yet knowing this was for the best.
“If you encounter danger, run with the others and don’t look back,” Lan Zi instructed.
Lan Zi was caught between laughter and tears; the two little guys had truly taken a liking to Ji Yanqing. They barely acknowledged the others, and nodded while looking at Ji Yanqing instead.
“Truly clever,” Ji Yanqing’s eyes, hidden under his protective goggles, revealed a faint smile. His pink lips curved upwards as he gently patted Ji An’s head.
Ji An was still young, with hair that was soft to the touch and nice to pat.
Praised and even patted on the head, Ji An’s already blushing face turned even more crimson, his eyes misty with moisture and filled with greater joy.‘Seeing Ji An being praised and even getting a pat on the head, Ji Le took a quick step forward, eagerly approaching Ji Yanqing.
Ji Yanqing lifted his head to survey his surroundings, missing the approaching chick’s eager gaze. Even though the area was desolate, it didn’t necessarily mean they were in absolute safety.
Without being patted on the head, Ji Le looked completely deflated, sulking and listless.
On the side, Lan Zi saw it and a laughing smile bloomed on her face.
The gloom in others’ eyes and brows also eased a bit, allowing their tightly wound nerves to momentarily relax.
In a zombie virus apocalypse, nature undergoes drastic mutations, giving rise to creatures like the 3-story wolf beast. The virus, seeking hosts for replication, alters the genetic makeup of apex predators, enhancing their size and strength. As infected animals roam the wilderness, they encounter radioactive materials or chemical residues, further fueling their transformation. Over time, selective pressures favor larger, more formidable predators capable of preying on zombies and scavenging for food in desolate landscapes. The result is the towering wolf beast, a fearsome apex predator roaming the post-apocalyptic world, a testament to nature's relentless adaptation in the face of catastrophe.
Ever since the outbreak of the virus, in just over half a year, they had witnessed and experienced far too much. They could no longer remember the last time they had truly relaxed.
By five o’clock, the sun was beginning to set, and the temperature was dropping, making it more bearable to travel the barren wilderness. Signs of human life slowly began to appear.
The land that had been reclaimed from the wilderness, the dirt road that was still faintly visible, all of it should have brought joy but now only filled one’s heart with unease.
Continuing along the dirt road for about ten more minutes, a building emerged from the not-so-dense forest ahead.
The village wasn’t large, with a rough count of only around three to four hundred households. The rural areas of today are no longer made up of those traditional red-brick-and-tile houses. Quite a few families now live in small three-story villas.
Upon sighting the village, everyone gathered their wits and prepared for battle with utmost seriousness.
“Shall we go straight into the village?” Xia Shen Shu asked.
Ji Yanqing glanced at the time; it was nearly six o’clock. Once it reached six, the sky would darken rapidly, making it hard to see even one’s hand in front of them. They knew nothing about this village – whether they were inside or outside of it might as well be the same. In fact, considering the sparse scattering of barely a hundred trees outside, the village, with its potential hiding spots, could unexpectedly be safer.
“Let’s enter the village,” Ji Yanqing said softly. “We need to find a safe house quickly to stay in tonight, and we’ll look for food in the morning.”
With a firm decision made, a group of people quickly headed towards the village ahead.
Along the way, apart from a few trees, there was no cover whatsoever, making everyone extremely tense and cautious. However, even as they successfully approached the village, they didn’t see a single person around.
Are you reading this on https://rottentledits.blogspot.com/ ? If not, it's been stolen! Come read on the OG site. No ads, and it keeps me motivated~
Upon entering the village, the first thing they encountered was a small villa.
The villa spanned three and a half floors, featuring a beautifully manicured garden. In the midst of the garden, the roses were in full bloom, their fragrance faintly detectable in the air.
Having had a bad experience with the rice incident, the group was quite averse to that fragrance, so they decided not to enter and instead continued along the path outside the courtyard, walking a distance to the left before entering another courtyard between two buildings.
The house in the courtyard had its living room door wide open, with the interior in complete disarray and not a soul in sight.
Stealthily entering the courtyard, a group of people split into three teams; two ascending the stairs while one remained downstairs to investigate.
Ji Yanqing instructed Ji An and Ji Le to hide in a corner of the courtyard, while he and another team member went upstairs to check the second floor.
The front and back transparently illuminate the grand open doorway splendidly, with light green-gray tiles covering the walls, a dark teal large sofa, a beige coffee table, and a bedroom adorned in warm tones. The entire second floor is cozy and brimming with the ambiance of life.
Everything was supposed to be beautiful, but now the bed and the sofa are covered in dust, and the suitcase left open on the bedroom floor makes one wonder whether its owner was unable to leave in time or simply chose to abandon it.
There was no one inside the house.
When Ji Yanqing and another person were descending the stairs to check the third floor, the persons who initially went up were also coming down, leaving no one upstairs. By the time they returned to the ground floor, the rest of the group had already gathered in the living room, leaving no one elsewhere on the ground floor.
Once safety was confirmed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Many deep sea animals have bioluminescent features, allowing them to produce their own light to attract prey, communicate, or camouflage themselves in the dark depths.
Under the cover of night, there was no need for Ji Yanqing to say anything. A group swiftly locked both the front and back doors of the first floor before heading upstairs. Tonight, they would rest on the second floor.
After putting down their belongings, a group of people searched through the house, trying to find something to eat.
Ji Yanqing also joined in, picking out a set of clean clothes for himself, and finding a set for both Ji An and Ji Le as well.
The child that used to reside in this household was older than Ji An and Ji Le, likely around seven or eight years old. Their clothes, when worn by Ji An and Ji Le, were somewhat large, with both the pant legs and sleeves needing to be rolled up. However, even so, these were much better than the over-sized T-shirts they wore before.
When Ji Yanqing finished his tasks, everyone else had also completed theirs. However, they did not find any food in the house, not even half a biscuit.
“This godforsaken place has actually already been picked clean,” Qian Guoyun said, with a face full of bewilderment. Located in a place where there’s neither village in front nor store behind, he had thought they would be the first ones to arrive.
Ji Yanqing wasn’t surprised by this. He knew others had likely followed their same route and stopped here to search for supplies and rest.
“What’s wrong?” Lan Zi inquired, noticing that Xia Shen Shu had been unmoving, standing by the window for quite some time.
“It’s a bit strange,” Xia Shen Shu remarked.
Everyone turned their gaze in that direction.
“Strange?” Lan Zi approached from the side, near the window.
The sky had already darkened, enveloping the entire village in the cover of night.
Are you reading this on https://rottentledits.blogspot.com/ ? If not, it's been stolen! Come read on the OG site. No ads, and it keeps me motivated~
The villas in the village were not like the tall buildings in the city, which were no more than five meters apart from each other. Instead, there was a considerable distance between each villa, making it quite easy for them to see far off past the village perimeter.
Lan Zi meticulously inspected every place visible to her eyes, yet he didn’t notice the “strangeness” that Xia Shen Shu mentioned.
Lan Zi looked towards Xia Shen Shu.
Ji Yanqing had already made his way to the window.
“Have you guys not noticed?” Xia Shen Shu said, “There are no zombies in this village.”
Everyone was momentarily stunned; the next moment, they all looked out the window.
The world outside the window was gradually enveloped in darkness, yet it remained faintly visible. Previously, they hadn’t noticed, but now, taking a closer look, they realized that it was indeed just as Xia Shen Shu had mentioned – there were no zombies outside.
“Did anyone spot any zombies earlier?” Ji Yanqing asked lightly as he looked back.
Everyone shook their heads; since entering the village, they hadn’t seen a single zombie.
This village isn’t large but has a few hundred households. With so many people, not a single zombie was found in the village. Did all the inhabitants manage to escape?
Deep sea ecosystems are incredibly diverse, hosting a wide range of species including giant squids, gulper eels, vampire squids, and bizarre jellyfish adapted to survive in the extreme conditions of the abyssal zone.
This was clearly impossible. The virus outbreak was extremely rapid, making it nearly unthinkable for all the villagers to emerge unscathed.
“Let’s rest for now, and we’ll leave this place as soon as dawn breaks,” Ji Yanqing said softly.
Hearing this, the few people glanced outside the window again before they all returned to the living room.
During the night, it was Ji Yanqing’s turn to keep watch. After everyone else had found their spots to lie down, he sat down near the window.‘Ji An and Ji Le quickly moved closer, wanting to be right next to Ji Yanqing.
Are you reading this on https://rottentledits.blogspot.com/ ? If not, it's been stolen! Come read on the OG site. No ads, and it keeps me motivated~
“Come closer to stay warm,” Ji Yanqing gently directed the two little cubs to snuggle under the blanket. They were so tiny that even with the blanket folded in half, it was still a bit too large for them.
Lying down peacefully, they closed their eyes and fell asleep without making a sound or fuss. They were only three years old, yet they already understood that they had no right to be coddled or act spoiled.
After running around all afternoon by himself, Ji An fell asleep not long after lying down.
After Ji Yanqing tidied up the blankets for the two, he casually pinched their cheeks, finding them too thin, with barely any flesh on their young faces.
Ji Le hadn’t fallen asleep yet. Feeling his face being pinched, he stealthily opened his eyes to glance at Ji Yanqing. His ears blushed ever so slightly, with his eyelashes fluttering like little fans.
“Be good, go to sleep now,” Ji Yanqing said softly.
Ji Le quickly closed his eyes.
After gently patting his head, Ji Yanqing leaned back against the wall, focusing his attention to listen to the sounds from outside.
Deep sea ecosystems are incredibly diverse, hosting a wide range of species including giant squids, gulper eels, vampire squids, and bizarre jellyfish adapted to survive in the extreme conditions of the abyssal zone.
As he pondered what exactly was happening with the village, a warm presence appeared in the palm of his hand, which was resting by his side. Ji Le had taken hold of his hand.
Ji Le was only three years old; his hands were still too small to encompass an entire palm, so he could only grasp the index and middle finger.
Ji Le was lying in his blanket, his hands warm and cozy, just like a soft, warm kitten.
Ji Yanqing didn’t brush him off, instead, he turned back and clasped his petite paw within his own palm.
Ji Le glanced at Ji Yanqing, and seeing that Ji Yanqing wasn’t angry, he said in a soft, milky voice, “I will protect you too.”
“Hah, you will protect him, but with what? Those zombies love to snatch and eat children the most.” The bald man lying nearby couldn’t help but speak up, his eyes still in pain, which made his complexion deathly pale.
Ji Yanqing was the least in need of protection among their group; in fact, it was he who protected them all.
The saying that zombies prefer to eat children was not something Ji Le was hearing for the first time. Having witnessed zombies devouring people, his body involuntarily shuddered at the thought. He was clearly frightened, yet he did not give up.
Are you reading this on https://rottentledits.blogspot.com/ ? If not, it's been stolen! Come read on the OG site. No ads, and it keeps me motivated~
He stubbornly and resentfully clasped Ji Yanqing’s hand even more tightly, his eyes slightly reddening. He would protect Ji Yanqing no matter what.
Ji Yanqing fed them, gave them water to drink, helped them wash their faces, helped them get dressed, and tucked them into bed. He would even carry them around and gently pat their heads, praising them for their cleverness.
Ji Yanqing is the best person in the world, and he doesn’t want Ji Yanqing to die.
----
Comments
Post a Comment