AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 24

 Chapter 24

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Feng Yimo Sat On Ji Yanqing’s Clothes

Coming back to his senses, Feng Yimo glanced at Ji An and Ji Le and saw that both little cubs were gazing intently at Ji Yanqing who was before them, completely ignoring him. His eyes empty of any vitality, he stepped back to his previous resting place by the tree.

The group set up camp at around 9 o’clock in the morning. Not even half an hour later, they were met with the hottest time of the day.

The sun was blocked by the forest canopy, and the air in the woods was somewhat more humid than in the urban areas, but it couldn’t stop the heat from penetrating their bodies, making them feel sticky and uncomfortable.

Soon, all the men were getting drowsy and becoming disoriented in the oppressive stifling heat.

The forest was quiet.

That day, Ji Yanqing slept soundly. When he gradually regained consciousness, he couldn’t help but stretch. Muscles all over his body ached from being thoroughly rested.

Thinking back, ever since the apocalypse arrived ... it had been a long time since he felt this relaxed.

Blearily opening his eyes, he saw the pitch-black curtain of night, and stretched his sore shoulders lightly.

As soon as he raised his hand above his head, his movements suddenly froze.

Curtain of night?

Pitch black?

When did it get dark?

Ji Yanqing suddenly sat up from the ground. The sleepiness disappeared from his eyes and was replaced by a forced wakefulness fueled by a rapidly beating heart.

He looked ahead.

In the dim and eerie forest, numerous figures were either gathered in groups of three or two, or lying alone on one side, deep in slumber, creating a tranquil atmosphere.

The scene is extremely harmonious, if you don’t consider the where and when.

Ji Yanqing quickly got up from the ground. He picked up the axe that was lying beside him and glanced at Ji An and Ji Le, who were sleeping soundly next to him, then quickly walked towards Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi.

Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi were resting under the same big tree. Xia Xia Shen Shu was half leaning on the roots of the tree, while Lan Zi was lying on her side, curled up tightly. Both of them were sleeping soundly.

“Xia Shen Shu!” Ji Yanqing lightly crouched and shook Xia Shen Shu by his shoulders.

Xia Shen Shu was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly called. He was confused for a while before opening his eyes.

Seeing his lax state, Ji Yanqing’s brows furrowed deeper beneath the goggles. Despite his usual frivolous demeanor, Xia Shen Shu was actually a rather vigilant and reliable person. Even in slumber, he should not have been so unguarded.

“Ji Yanqing?” Xia Shen Shu rose from the ground in a daze.

When Ji Yanqing saw him waking up, he quickly called Lan Zi next to him, “Lan Zi, wake up.”

“Both of you get up. Something’s not right,” Ji Yanqing said softly as he rose.

He called the two of them in a loud voice, but looking over the scattered group members, everyone except a certain Feng Yimo, who had woken up, was still sleeping.

Ji Yanqing walked toward the others with the axe in his hand. Instead of calling people close to each other like before, he kicked those people directly on their calves.

Pain is the most eloquent language—soon, a good number of sleepers were kicked awake by him.

When they woke up, a group of people sat on the ground in confusion for a while before finally realizing that something was wrong. For a moment, everyone in the forest was in panic.“How could this be?”

“Why is it so dark?”

“Damn it...”

“Fuck, where are the guys who were standing guard...”

In the midst of the noise, everyone soon discovered a bigger problem: people were missing.

Ji Yanqing’s small team of nine is negligible, but Xue Gang’s team had almost 300 people that had previously filled the empty space, but their number had suddenly reduced to half when they woke up.

“Boss, our numbers have dwindled as well,” a man holding a gun said nervously, casting his gaze towards Xue Gang.

Xue Gang, who had just woken up, was stunned for a moment before he realized what he meant. The other party was not talking about those insignificant trash, but the members of his inner circle, those who were granted weapons, were missing as well.

Xue Gang immediately stood up from the ground and looked around in the darkness.

After being awakened and discovering something unusual, all his people were moving towards him.

His personal team originally had a total of twenty-four people, but now there were only seventeen or eighteen people approaching, six or seven less than expected.

“Where are their weapons?” Xue Gang immediately turned his head to look for them. If a person was missing, he could easily be replaced. But if a gun was missing, it was really gone.

The few members who had huddled together were taken aback when they heard this. They quickly looked around.

Ji Yanqing ignored Xue Gang’s men. After rousing everyone, he hurriedly returned to Ji An and Ji Le. The two little ones had already awakened on their own.

They were too weary, their heads bobbing about, struggling to keep from falling asleep again.

“Not here.”

“There’s nothing here either.”

“The bags look like they are all still here... but the people are nowhere to be found...”

“Tsk!” Xue Gang’s face was dark. They only had about twenty guns in total, and now there were six or seven missing.

“Boss, what should we do now?” one of them asked.

“Don’t you have a fucking brain?” Xue Gang cursed, “Pack your things, let’s get out of here.”

This time, there was no need for Xue Gang to urge them on. Everyone present took action immediately. After some people organized the backpacks of the disappeared people and packed up the necessary things, everyone quickly headed towards the national highway.

Ji Yanqing put on his backpack lightly and headed towards the national highway with his two tailing cubs.

As he approached the national highway, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi approached him.

“There were no signs of dragging or struggling. Those people disappeared out of thin air.” Xia Shen Shu reported.

Ji Yanqing had already noticed it.

“Could it be that they left on their own?” Lan Zi’s complexion wasn’t very good.

“How else can we explain this?” Xia Shen Shu asked.

If those people couldn’t stand Xue Gang’s abuse and left secretly so they didn’t leave any traces, all this would indeed make sense – but what about the phenomena of the entire group falling into a deep sleep?

Did those people put sleeping pills in the food?

In the current state of affairs, let alone sleeping pills, even food is hard to come by. Who would be so idle as to carry so many sleeping pills on them?

Moreover, if those people were truly dissatisfied with what Xue Gang had done, then why didn’t they simply kill him and take his group’s guns? Wouldn’t that have been a more permanent solution?

“It can’t be that this forest devours people...” Lan Zi smiled bitterly .

Xia Shen Shu’s lips quivered, but he couldn’t muster the words to speak.

Lan Zi, upon seeing that Xia Shen Shu didn’t reply, suddenly found herself unable to smile any longer.

In less than two minutes, everyone gathered on the empty national highway.

With half the number of people compared to before, the national highway stretched out like a black-gray ribbon under the cloak of darkness. The trees on either side seemed to tower even higher than during the day, their forms more menacing and terrifying, as if they had come to life.

Standing on the national road, facing those big trees, everyone was trembling in the looming darkness.

“Let’s go.” Xue Gang had no intention of looking for anyone. After giving the order, he took the lead and headed forward.

Ji Yanqing glanced at the two little guys who were closely following him, and quickly followed along. During his movements, he did not forget to drag back on course a certain man who was walking towards the forest where they had just been.

Following the previous incident, no one dared to take things lightly anymore. A group of over a hundred people were practically sprinting along the national road.

The night was tranquil, and though they were nestled amidst a cluster of mountains, not a chirp nor a call could be heard from any insect or bird. It was as if the entire world had been distilled to nothing but the sound of their breathing and the beating of their hearts, along with the occasional creaking from the woods, as if the trees were stretching their limbs.

Nervous and uneasy emotions swirled in everyone’s heart, and they also turned into motivation to make everyone run faster.

But even if fear is used as motivation, human physical strength has its limits. After running along the national highway for nearly forty minutes, the crowd gradually slowed down.

“Boss...”

Xue Gang ran forward quickly and looked at the person who called him.

“Boss...” The man’s face, vaguely visible in the darkness, was pale, and his voice was unclear whether it was because his physical strength had reached its limit or because he was clearly trembling.

“Hurry up and spit it out if you have something to say.”

“Boss, the number of people in our group doesn’t match up...”

Hearing what the man said, Xue Gang suddenly had a sudden idea and stopped in his tracks.

After a commotion, everyone stopped.

The people in the large troop panted heavily and were on guard around them. Xue Gang counted with a dark face.

Having cursorily counted everyone behind him, Xue Gang looked towards the person who had earlier pointed out the discrepancy in their numbers, his eyes reddened.

“The numbers truly don’t add up. Just a moment ago, we had over a hundred and seventy people, and moreover...”

Xue Gang frowned and glanced back, noticing that there were at most around one hundred and fifty people on the national road.

“Did you count before we left?” Xue Gang asked.

“No.”

Xue Gang kicked him over, “Then stop talking nonsense.”

The man was kicked so hard that he staggered off the national highway and approached the woods. He was startled and ran back to the national highway.

The others looked at each other in shock when they heard this, but no one said anything.

In their previous hurried departure, no one had taken the time to count exactly how many people remained. If possible, they too hoped that the count was just mistaken.

Behind the large team, Ji Yanqing made sure that Ji An and Ji Le had been following him obediently, and then grabbed Feng Yimo again to prevent him from entering the forest. He looked at Xia Shen Shu and the others.“Team Leader Ji...” Lan Zi held the gun tightly in her arms, with cold sweat beading visibly her forehead.

“Yeah.” Ji Yanqing nodded gently, “There are indeed fewer people.”

In order to avoid being scattered, they ran at the end of the team and followed the people in front of them all the way down.

Logically speaking, the people in the group were always looking ahead. If someone disappeared in front of them, they would definitely notice it. But the fact was that until that pointed out that there were missing people in their team, they did not notice that anyone was missing at all.

Xia Shen Shu’s smile vanished from his face. “We let our guard down; we didn’t encounter any issues before entering the forest, so we didn’t consider the possibilities. But these ghastly creatures are constantly evolving. Who knows what they’ll become next?”

“You’re saying...” Lan Zi looked at the woods on both sides of the highway instinctively.

Upon looking again, those tree trunks which grew independently or were twisted together, appeared to come alive.

The patterns on those tree trunks resembled faces, each one grinning malevolently. The occasional faint sounds echoing in the darkness melded into their laughter.

Lan Zi’s swallowed nervously, and instinctively, she took a step back.

It was only after she stepped back that she remembered they were now amidst the mountains, surrounded by forests on all sides, with absolutely nowhere to retreat to.

Pt 002 (if I were to split it)

“Don’t kid around, these trees are just inanimate objects, how could they actually come to life...” One of the people in front of Ji Yanqing couldn’t help but interject after hearing their conversation.

He spoke loudly, voice saturated with apparent fear and trepidation despite his boisterous assurance.

Currently, they’re trapped in these mountains. If things are truly as Xia Shen Shu speculates, then aren’t they basically wandering in hell, walking towards an inevitable death?

Xue Gang in front heard this, and his gaze made its way through the crowd to look at Ji Yanqing and the others.

In the past, he had tried to befriend Ji Yanqing several times, but the latter remained indifferent, so he had long since run out of patience for him.

Xue Gang took a deep breath and tried to suppress his dissatisfaction. He wanted to target the gun in Ji Yanqing’s hand, but now was not the time to attack, “Do you have any opinions?”

Xia Shen Shu glanced at him and roughly stated his guess.

“The forest came to life?” Xue Gang’s complexion turned exceedingly grim. He had harbored this suspicion for a while, but he always refrained from entertaining the thought.

“It’s not necessarily ‘alive’ in the conventional sense.” Xia Shen Shu said, “Plants that prey on animals and insects are not uncommon.”

Hearing this, the crowd, whose nerves had been on edge, let out a slight sigh of relief. As long as these damn things don’t run onto the national highway, everything should be fine.

“In other words, as long as we don’t enter the forest, we’ll be fine?”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go quickly.”

“Not necessarily.” Ji Yanqing interrupted lightly.

Everyone looked toward him.

“It could also be using toxins or causing hallucinations,” Ji Yanqing said softly as he surveyed the surrounding woods. He always had the illusion that something in the darkness was watching them.

Xia Shen Shu frowned, not quite comprehending the meaning behind Ji Yanqing’s words.

Ji Yanqing glanced at the crowd, “Does anyone still remember how wide this mountain range is? I recall that when we first entered the mountains, I saw that this particular mountain was at most the width of four or five mountains put together, but up until now, we’ve been walking inside for the better part of the day.”

In the morning, they walked until the sun was high. By noon, they fell into a deep slumber, not waking until the sky was shrouded in darkness. But scarcely had they awakened when they found themselves quickly traversing through the mountains for over an hour again.

Even if their speed was slow, they should have already seen the end of the mountain range by now.

After the crowd rustled for a while, someone soon raised his hand tremblingly, “I also remember that there were only four or five mountains in front of me. I was still thinking that if we were fast, we could pass through before dark.”

“I remember this too...”

The dark road once again fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone turned their attention towards the national road ahead.

They were currently halfway up the mountain, not very high, but enough to see far into the distance; however, all they could see were the rolling mountains, and their black, undulating peaks stretched as far as the eye could see.

There was a moment of commotion in the crowd, but soon the commotion was swallowed up by darkness, leaving only darkness and silence.

Xia Shen Shu frowned and contemplated seriously, trying to figure out what was going on.

Lan Zi’s expression was extremely ugly, this was all beyond her comprehension.

Ji Yanqing looked at a certain someone wearing a windbreaker and holding a sword.

In the darkness, there was no trace of nervousness or anxiety on Feng Yimo’s face. He was completely set apart from the situation. His pair of dark black eyes were staring straight ahead, empty and lifeless, as if he had been struck by something and had started to doubt life itself.

Ji Yanqing was without words, feeling that the man before him was quite peculiar.

He looked down at the cubs, pulling Ji An and Ji Le further away to prevent them from being infected by Feng Yimo’s strange behavior.

Protected by his side, Ji An and Ji Le looked up with their little heads, obediently gazing at Ji Yanqing.

“There is a high possibility that we are hallucinating. It could be the gas secreted by these trees or pollen or something like that...” Xia Shen Shu broke the dead silence.

No one spoke; they all just quietly watched him.

They were not interested in the reasons behind the current predicament; their focus now was on how they could extricate themselves from it all.

If this continues, they might end up trapped here for the rest of their lives. With their current supplies of food and water, ‘the rest of their lives’ may only be two or three days.

This was still the best possible outcome, for hallucinations could not account for the disappearance of those people. No one could guarantee that this was all merely an illusion; no one could assure that there were no other entities in the woods, such as zombies.

If among them, someone had already been bitten by a zombie, yet they remained trapped in their hallucinations…

“If all else fails, let’s set this damned place ablaze!” Baldy declared fiercely.

“Setting a fire will burn us all to death here.” Xia Shen Shu glanced at him, his eyes blazing.

The bald man’s forehead throbbed, yet he said nothing.

Xia Shen Shu was right. Should these trees really catch alight, the immense temperatures would cook them entirely to crisps within these mountains. Darkness once again resumed its tranquility, leaving everyone completely clueless.

After a long time, someone suggested, “How about we go back?”

No one spoke. It didn’t matter whether they were walking forward or backward now, because they couldn’t even guarantee that they were still on the national highway. The national highway under their feet might also be a figment of their own imagination.

“Anyway, cover your mouth and nose first.” Lan Zi said.

After being reminded, everyone rummaged through their backpacks, tore off their clothes, and wrapped their mouths and noses with cloth.

Covering their mouths and noses, the crowd fell into dead silence again.

“Boss...”

Hearing the familiar call, Xue Gang looked at the person who spoke with a cold face.

It was not the previous person that called on him, but someone else—a man whose face was crumbling as he was about to cry. “Wang Li is missing.”

Xue Gang was thrown into a momentary daze, then his head suddenly whipped around to scan his surroundings. Wang Li, who had previously been the one to mention their dwindling numbers, was, as predicted, nowhere to be seen.

“Wang Li?” Xue Gang called for someone.

In the darkness, a deathly silence prevailed, and there was no response.

Xue Gang’s face turned an metallic shade of blue as he opened his mouth, ready to unleash a torrent of curses. However, when the words reached the tip of his tongue, no sound emerged; his throat was parched dry.

It was certain that their numbers were indeed diminishing; gradually, the sound of sobbing emerged from within the crowd.

“The mountain range is not too far from the previous city,” Ji Yanqing’s soft voice arose.

Everyone turned their gaze towards Ji Yanqing.

In the darkness, Ji Yanqing lightly turned his head to look behind him.

“The beastly Corpse King we encountered in the city might still be lurking within its bounds,” Ji Yanqing said softly.

“So?” Lan Zi asked, puzzled.

Xia Shen Shu had already figured it out, eyes lighting up.

“Let’s fire some shots to attract it here. As long as it can create a hole in this forest, we can leave this enclosure, even if it doesn’t destroy the whole thing,” Ji Yanqing said softly.

On one side was the Corpse King, and on the other was this ghost forest. They were sure to die no matter which side they chose. But they might just gamble their way into a chance to live.

Xue Gang almost didn’t even think before nodding, “Let’s do it!”

As he spoke, he looked at some of the gunmen in his team. “The few of you in front, open fire.”

The faces of the named few twitched; once their gunshots rang out, and the fierce Beast Corpse King was attracted, they would definitely be the target of its first attack.

Giving them this task was tantamount to sending them to their deaths.

“What are you still standing around for?” Xue Gang asked with a frown.

Those people exchanged glances, steeling themselves as they followed the national road beneath their feet, heading forward.

They had not gone far; having come to the foot of the mountain, they immediately took up their positions and fired into the air.

The deafening gunshots echoed through the mountain forest, jolting everyone’s senses to attention.

Everyone held their breath in silence, trying to hear the roar of the beast.

A minute, then two passed, and they did not hear the roar of the beastly corpse king. Instead, they were first met by those who had gone to fire their guns.

After firing their shots, they turned and ran back, smoothly making their way to rejoin the main force.

Silence pervaded; everyone continued to wait.

Ten minutes later, still unable to await the anticipated roar, everyone exchanged puzzled glances.

Had the beast left the adjacent city district?

Xue Gang raised the gun in his hand and unleashed a barrage of bullets into the sky above. The sound of gunfire thundered like a bolt from the blue, echoing through the distant valleys.

Everyone waited with furrowed brows. However, ten more minutes passed, and yet the chaos that they were waiting for, failed to come.

The plan had failed, and the glimmer of hope that had just ignited in everyone’s heart was extinguished, leaving only a lifeless void in their eyes.

Despair spread, and the cries grew louder.

“Should we just keep walking straight? I don’t care what peculiarity of space we’re in, or what’s happened to us. If we keep walking straight, we’re bound to find a way out...” Lan Zi looked at Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing understood Lan Zi’s intentions, and he choked back the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He glanced at Xue Gang and the others by his side, and after pulling back a certain somebody who was absent-mindedly following the wrong path, he took the lead and walked forward.

As Lan Zi had instructed, he had stopped following the national highway and instead went straight in one direction.

Leaving the national road and entering the forest, the path beneath their feet suddenly became extremely difficult to navigate. The uneven ground, compounded by the intricate network of protruding tree roots, significantly slowed their pace.

Continuing straight ahead in one direction, they journeyed through the forest for about an hour. After an hour, they found themselves back on the national road.

Standing on the national road, the crowd looked into the distance, still surrounded by countless mountains.

Lan Zi was struck dumb, unable to comprehend why things had turned out this way.

“If we are ensnared in an illusion, then no one can guarantee that the path we’re treading is straight. What we perceive as a direct route could very well be a winding road,” Xia Shen Shu had realized halfway through their journey.

“Then there really is no other way...” Lan Zi looked around, a profound sense of bewilderment in the depths of her eyes.

She had contemplated many possible ways she might meet her end: being bitten to death by zombies, succumbing to hunger or thirst, or perishing from injuries. However, she never imagined that she would meet her demise trapped within a desolate forest.

“How shall we test it?”

“We are indeed in an illusion right now.” Ji Yanqing paused for a moment, “But in theory, an illusion should only affect our vision, hearing, and sense of smell.”

“You’re right.”

“What if we discard all these?”

Xia Shen Shu hesitated. First, he was puzzled, then he understood, and finally, his brow furrowed deeply.

Two minutes later, he looked up with a slow, “Perhaps.”

Lan Zi was perplexed.

Xia Shen Shu explained without waiting for her to ask, “If the hallucinations we’re experiencing right now are being caused by what we see and hear, then we just need to stop looking and listening.”

“And so...?” Lan Zi vaguely understood.

“Let’s find someone to walk forward with their eyes closed and ears plugged. We’ll follow behind them,” Xia Shen Shu instructed.

“Two people,” Ji Yanqing softly added.

Hallucinations might directly affect the brain, causing a person to stray from their path if influenced alone. However, if two people proceed together, they are much more likely to recognize the issue at hand. Moreover, the likelihood of both individuals being influenced to veer off course in the same direction decreases significantly.“This method is feasible,” Xia Shen Shu said, looking towards Xue Gang.

Xue Gang’s face had been darkened with anger from the very beginning, the fury accumulating in his heart reaching its limit. Yet, he was not the type to lash out in rage without thought. After a moment of consideration, he nodded.

Xue Gang looked at the men in his company.

Having heard Ji Yanqing and his men’s words, and knowing what was to happen next, everyone averted their gaze and refused to look at Xue Gang.

In such a hellish place, if one were to close their eyes, plug their ears, and advance, it would be akin to throwing their life away. Besides, who knows if the people following them would still be the same ones when they opened their eyes?

Or even more, what if they weren’t people at all?

Pt 003 (if I were to split chapters)

Ji Yanqing glanced at Xia Shen Shu and his companions, nearly saying something but swallowing his words at the last moment.

“I...” Lan Zi seemed to say something, but her voice was so soft the first time that Ji Yanqing didn’t catch it clearly. It wasn’t until she took a deep breath and spoke again, “I’ll do it.”

Ji Yanqing suddenly looked over.

Lan Zi smiled at him, her smile uglier than crying.

She knew that Ji Yanqing didn’t trust Xue Gang’s people, and neither did she or Xia Shen Shu.

Under such circumstances, asking them to lead a group of people with their eyes closed meant that those individuals could scatter in fear at any moment, only to then declare that this method was futile.

To be honest, Lan Zi was also scared, scared to death.

Just thinking about closing her eyes and plugging her ears and wandering around in such a ghost place made her calves tremble with fear.

Yet, she was aware that, aside from Baldy and Wu Yao, among the remaining three in their team, Xia Shen Shu was more skilled with firearms than her, and Ji Yanqing was the strongest fighter among them all. She was indeed the best choice.

As for Feng Yimo, setting aside the issue of trust for the moment, if Feng Yimo were to lead the way, then they could forget about ever leaving the forest in this lifetime.

Had it not been for Ji Yanqing keeping a close eye on him all this way, he would have vanished without a trace long ago.

Ji Yanqing’s lips quivered lightly, and it was only on the second attempt that he made a sound.

He gazed into Lan Zi’s eyes, earnestly promising, “I will protect you well.”

“Mm.” Looking into Ji Yanqing’s eyes and listening to his sincere words, Lan Zi smiled, suddenly feeling much less afraid.

Ji Yanqing had said that he would protect her, so he would definitely protect her well.

Precisely because she knew that Ji Yanqing was this kind of person, she had decided to follow Ji Yanqing and leave with him, even though she knew that she would definitely suffer a lot.

All of the men on Xue Gang’s side refused. In the end, Xue Gang had no choice but to choose a man from the lower ranks.

The person who was selected was on the verge of tears. Had it not been for Xue Gang’s gun pointed at his loved one’s head, he would have already burst into tears and protests.

After wrapping Lan Zi and the unfortunate man’s eyes and plugging their ears, and then tying two ropes to connect their bodies, everyone stood ready.

Xue Gang threw the backpack he took off the man’s back to Feng Yimo’s feet, the meaning being self-evident.

Their number was already half less than before, and the available manpower was naturally insufficient. Only Feng Yimo among them now had empty hands.

Feng Yimo glanced at Xue Gang unhurriedly and ignored the backpack.

“You——” Xue Gang looked unkind and pointed the gun in his hand at Feng Yimo.

Ji Yanqing has a gun, so look at how much face Xue Gang gives him, but who is Feng Yimo to ignore him so brazenly?

Facing the black muzzle of the gun, Feng Yimo’s eyes remained cold and unwavering, as if everything in the world had nothing to do with him.

Ji Yanqing took a step aside and stood in front of Feng Yimo. He handed the other end of the rope tied around Lan Zi’s waist to Feng Yimo.

“Help me hold onto her.” Ji Yanqing said lightly.

If it was before, he could still rely on Baldy or Wu Yao, but now he has no other choice. Xia Shen Shu and he must always be on guard to rush to protect Lan Zi at any time.

Feng Yimo’s cold eyes swept over Xue Gang’s face and ignored him.

After Xue Gang, his eyes stayed on Ji Yanqing’s face for three seconds, raised his hand, and took the rope obediently.

Xue Gang’s forehead veins bulged in an instant.

Holding onto the rope, he obediently stood still, appearing utterly clueless from the very start. Feng Yimo watched Ji Yanqing with a face full of bewilderment.

Ji Yanqing felt an impulse to rub his temples. He took a deep breath and roughly explained what they were preparing to do, as well as Feng Yimo’s mission.

Feng Yimo listened very attentively, occasionally glancing at the rope in his hand and then at Lan Zi. This behavior gave Ji Yanqing the odd sensation of patiently instructing a large dog that knew nothing at all.

After finishing his explanation, Ji Yanqing casually ignored Xue Gang, who was scowling beside him, and signaled for Lan Zi and his companion to start their mission.

Before the operation began, Lan Zi and the man had been informed of the direction they were going to take. The direction they judged based on their approximate directions led to the opposite side of the mountain range.

When the action started, Lan Zi and the two men immediately groped forward slowly.

Their speed was very slow, and they were obviously uneasy and fearful. After several minutes, they only walked about ten meters.

However, this method was undoubtedly effective, because soon, Ji Yanqing and his party realized that the two guides had deviated from what the group perceived as “ahead.” Lan Zi and her companion proceeded one after the other towards the group’s northeast.

Seeing the rope gradually tightening, the people following behind looked at each other and slowly followed.

Half an hour later, they completely deviated from their original “front” and were taken into the forest.

After walking down the mountain, Lan Zi and the other led them towards the hillside on the right.

Everyone held their breath and watched all this with numbness.

After walking forward for nearly twenty minutes, they entered a slightly flat area.

Lan Zi and the man had distanced themselves after a while, nearly a hundred meters apart now, but their general directions were the same, and they were still moving strangely to the right.

The path became easier to navigate, yet the pace of Lan Zi and her companion grew increasingly slower. As time stretched on, their inability to hear or see, forcing them to rely solely on intuition, pushed their unease and fear to its limits.

Fear of the unknown can quickly break a person down.

About ten minutes later, of the two, the man was the first to break down.

He wailed loudly while attempting to untie the cloth covering his face.

Xue Gang shot directly into the sky.

The sound of the gunshot was so loud that Lan Zi and the man trembled with fear when he fired it.

The sound of gunshots also made Lan Zi and the other calm down instantly. Although their fear did not disappear, it at least let them know that Ji Yanqing and the others were still following behind.

Lan Zi looked back. She touched the rope on her back to make sure it was still being pulled. Her whole body was shaking when she moved, and her exposed chin and lips were pale and bloodless.

She didn’t stop, she gritted her teeth and continued moving forward.

Seeing Lan Zi like that, Ji Yanqing pursed his thin lips and couldn’t bear it. He barely held himself back, refraining from shouting to stop the entire thing.

He diverted his gaze, and just as he was about to look to the left, his body preemptively and abruptly turned to look to the right.

Feng Yimo moved at the same time as him, also looking over there.

Ji Yanqing paid no attention to Feng Yimo. He clenched the axe in his hand and looked to the right with all his concentration.

“Ji Yanqing?” Xia Shen Shu noticed his peculiarity and loaded his gun.

“There is something in the woods.” Ji Yanqing said lightly.

Everyone was on guard and looked around, but Lan Zi, who still didn’t know anything, continued to move forward.

Ji Yanqing lightly surveyed his surroundings, yet he found nothing but the eerie, twisted trunks of trees enveloped in darkness.

Xia Shen Shu moved closer to Lan Zi, ready to cover her at any moment.

Following Lan Zi, the group continued onwards, advancing nearly five to six hundred meters further, yet they still could not find anything in the forest.

Xue Gang glanced at Ji Yanqing, reproach evident in his expression.

Ji Yanqing furrowed his brows lightly, uncertain whether he had made a mistake or not.

Xia Shen Shu did not relax his vigilance, he chose to believe Ji Yanqing.

The team continued to move forward, and after walking for another twenty minutes, everyone saw a “figure” in front of them.

The moment they saw that figure, a chill ran down everyone’s spine.

The figure appeared, its body tilted at a ninety-degree angle as it peeked out from behind the tree, watching them. Such a posture was beyond what a human could achieve; no ordinary person would ever observe others in such a manner.

“Ji Yanqing...” Xia Shen Shu’s Adam’s apple bobbed, indicating that even he was somewhat overwhelmed by this bizarre scene.

Ji Yanqing remained silent. After glancing at Ji An and Ji Le, he walked around Lan Zi who was in front of him and stepped forward.

The other party remained motionless and kept looking at them sideways.

Ji Yanqing slowly approached alone. Every time he took a step forward, the sweat on his forehead became more intense. When he was only three meters away from the person, his forehead and palms were already covered with sweat, and his heart was racing to the limit.

As Ji Yanqing approached nervously, he realized that it was not a human being.

To be more precise, that thing was once a human being, but now it is not.

It was the corpse of a zombie. Its neck and skull remained intact, but from the abdomen down, its lower half had been entwined and crushed by tree roots. It had died a gruesome death, with the roots growing into its body, voraciously absorbing every bit of moisture and nutrients until there was nothing left.

Ji Yanqing stepped back lightly.

As Ji Yanqing lightly retreated, the others in the back looked around cluelessly.

A few minutes later, Lan Zi, still none the wiser, walked past the object. Others gradually drew near, and now they could finally see what it was.

Before they could figure out what was going on, more and more corpses gradually appeared on the ground, at the foot of trees, or even suspended in mid-air by tree roots.

After walking forward for another ten minutes or so, they found themselves surrounded by what seemed like an immense hell, with various grotesque zombie corpses strewn all around.

Facing this eerie scene, the group trailing behind began to feel fear creeping in.

“What’s all this noise about?” Xue Gang didn’t allow anyone to stop and insisted on moving forward.

This time, Ji Yanqing actually agreed.

Deep within the dense forests and remote mountains, zombies do not arise without reason. The presence of such undead bodies indicates that a town or village must be close by, suggesting their method is indeed proving effective—they are truly drawing nearer to the mountain’s edge.

Ji Yanqing and Xia Shen Shu glanced at each other. It was clear that Xia Shen Shu had already thought about this. He nodded and became even more vigilant and tense.

After making eye contact with Xia Shen Shu, Ji Yanqing looked at Feng Yimo, who was holding the rope. Seeing how he was following the rope’s guidance, he didn’t wander off track again.

Lan Zi remained oblivious to the imminent danger in her surroundings. Her body was laden with sweat, and her uncoordinated movements became more and more labored as she stumbled onward.

She was on the brink of collapsing, her body shaking violently.

Moving forward, after another ten minutes or so, the view in front of them gradually revealed the outline of a structure between the tree trunks.

The moment it was confirmed that those things were indeed part of a building, everyone let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders. From within the crowd at the back, the faint sound of crying could also be heard.

Ji Yanqing and Xia Shen Shu did not let their guard down. Instead, they focused all of their attention and remained vigilant in observing their surroundings to ensure that no zombies would pounce on them.

After another ten minutes of walking, they arrived at the edge of the forest.

The end of the forest was immediately followed by the city, or more precisely, the forest had grown into the city.

The side of the city near the mountains should be a botanical garden. The outbreak of the virus caused a mutation in the plants, making them grow wildly. The mutated trees formed a forest, absorbing part of the streets and the park.

Having confirmed that the vicinity was relatively safe, the others immediately quickened their pace towards the city. At that moment, even the zombies within the city seemed more endearing than the forest behind them.

Ji Yanqing and Xia Shen Shu rushed over first to quickly undo the cloth around Lan Zi’s face and prepared to bring her along with the others.

Xue Gang was the first to get hold of a lighter, and started setting fires everywhere, intent on burning down the entire forest.

Watching the fire engulfing everything in its path, Xia Shen Shu knitted his brows together in a frown, “There might still be others alive inside.”

Xue Gang’s face was filled with murderous intent as he asked, “Do you really think they can still come out alive?”

Xia Shen Shu frowned.

“Let’s go.” After lighting the fire, Xue Gang quickly ran towards the city with his men.

Xia Shen Shu glanced at the fires one last time before leaving with Lan Zi.

They dashed forward nonstop for over ten minutes until they reached the city. It was only upon spotting familiar, normal zombies in the alleyways that they sought refuge in a nearby residential building. Making their way to the third floor, they squeezed into a room with an open door.

Having confirmed her safety, Lan Zi couldn’t hold back any longer. She curled up in a corner, hugging her knees as she sobbed in anguish.

Her cries were distinct from those of Ji An and Ji Le. Although they similarly contained elements of restraint and forbearance, her sobs were laden with an overwhelming despair and collapse. This was the previously suppressed despair in her heart from within the forest, coupled with her hopelessness towards this apocalyptic world.

Ji Yanqing sat quietly on the ground beside her, listening attentively.

Ji An and Ji Le had never seen an adult cry like this in front of them. Their eyes were wide as saucers, filled with worry and confusion.

Summoning his courage, Ji An gently stroked Lan Zi’s head, murmuring, “Don’t cry, don’t cry...”

Ji Le also rubbed her head, even though his own eyes were as red as a rabbit’s, already filled with tears.

They were quite fond of Lan Zi; they were aware that in their team, Lan Zi was the second person who had held them dear. Sometimes, Lan Zi would even offer them food.

Though Lan Zi was different from Ji Yanqing, Lan Zi’s conduct was still good.

Being consoled, Lan Zi immediately cried even more fiercely.

Ji An and Ji Le were frightened. Their eyes were red, and they looked at Ji Yanqing helplessly, unable to understand why their comfort made Lan Zi cry even more.

Ji Yanqing beckoned at them and two aggrieved cubs immediately leaped into his arms.

The two little buns were as warm and tiny as when they were infants, their bodies exuding warmth in his embrace. As he hugged them, he felt their gestures as they tried to prevent others from seeing their tears, secretly wiping them away. At that moment, Ji Yanqing’s heart felt warm and fulfilled.

Ji Yanqing occasionally caressed the little ones’ heads.

Silence hung in the air, interrupted only by Lan Zi’s sobs.

As Feng Yi Mo was puzzling over the issues, he discovered that Ji An, who was in Ji Yanqing’s embrace, was secretly watching him.

Compared to when Ji An was found by him in that building, his complexion had improved significantly. His little face, no longer deathly pale from being engulfed by fear and acute pain, now had a touch of color.

Especially those eyes, which had already been consumed by death, regained their vitality. They were clear in their black and white, moist and reddish-bright.

Feeling a covert gaze upon him, Feng Yimo straightened his posture.

He couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the issue lay, but he believed that Ji An would surely recognize him.

Ji An sniffled and reached out his hand, stealthily grasping the hem of Ji Yanqing’s clothes, tugging it towards himself slightly, ensuring it wasn’t sat upon by Feng Yimo.

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