AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 30

 Chapter 30

Ji Yanqing Was Calling Him Back

“Roar.” It was just passing by.

Ignoring the giant beast peeking out from the hole in the wall, Feng Yimo drew his long blade and approached the Corpse King standing on the gymnasium floor.

Now separated from the pile of corpses, the creature’s massive body seemed even larger, the stench emanating from it even more potent.

“Aaagh!” A shrill, ear-splitting scream, completely inhuman, ripped through the stadium. All the glass windows, even the roof, shattered from the force of the scream.

The Beast King whimpered, feeling as though something sharp had pierced its ears, causing unbearable pain.

Unfazed, Feng Yimo continued his advance toward the grassy center of the stadium. He needed to finish this quickly and return to Ji Yanqing.

“Guhhr…” The Corpse King, a pulsating blob of flesh, ceased its screaming and formed a mocking smile, its four pupils fixated on Feng Yimo.

He’d been found, but so what? The Corpse King had recalled his four Evolved Zombies, and they had each grown stronger than before, nearing his own level. With their combined might, even someone as formidable as Feng Yimo wouldn’t stand a chance.

Feng Yimo walked through the knee-high grass, stopping before the massive creature. Its obscene obesity obscured its neck entirely, making decapitation difficult.

The thought of wasted time, of his plans to return to Ji Yanqing being delayed, intensified the coldness in Feng Yimo’s eyes.

As he took a step forward, a scaled figure suddenly launched itself down from the gaping hole in the roof, pouncing toward him. One of the Evolved Zombies had returned.

Its enhanced strength and speed, boosted to near-King level, were evident in its attack. It descended like a lightning bolt, its movements a blur to the naked eye.

Feng Yimo tilted his head slightly, evading the claws aimed at his throat, and swung his blade in a swift, downward arc.

“Thud.” A heavy weight crashed to the ground, forming a crater in the grass. Foul-smelling liquid splattered everywhere.

The four pupils of the seated Corpse King simultaneously constricted as it stared at the Evolved Zombie’s bisected body in disbelief.

Impossible. How could this be? Even if only one had returned, its strength was formidable. How could it be killed so easily, without even laying a claw on this strange opponent?

Ignoring the headless corpse, Feng Yimo took two steps forward, his long blade glinting in the dim light.

“Graaah!…” A sharp, pained scream echoed through the stadium.

A deep gash, over a meter long, appeared on the Corpse King’s abdomen. Viscous, foul-smelling fluid oozed from the wound, revealing glimpses of its putrid innards.

“Aooo…” The black beast, peeking through the hole once more, yelped and tucked its tail between its legs. Avoiding Feng Yimo was definitely the wisest course of action.

Three figures burst into the stadium, roaring with fury like enraged beasts, and charged toward Feng Yimo.

Feng Yimo, who had been frowning at the how long it was taking to kill the blob-ish creature before him, now raised his eyes, his gaze icy as he watched the three charging Evolved Zombies.

He didn’t dodge, nor did he move at all, until they were almost upon him.

With a flick of his wrist, he blocked the attack of one zombie with his blade, simultaneously kicking another, sending it flying into the stadium wall.

His blade flashed again, slicing through the neck of the first zombie, then cleaving towards the third.

The tough, scaly skin of the twice-blood-enhanced zombie, normally impenetrable even by bullets, parted like butter under his blade.

Having dispatched two Evolved Zombies in a single stroke, he looked back to find that the Blob Corpse King, previously rooted to the ground, was now screaming and scrambling away in the opposite direction.

Thick, foul-smelling liquid dripped from its wounds, corroding the ground and filling the stadium with a sickening stench.

“Don’t move.” Disapproval flickered in Feng Yimo’s deep, black eyes. It was already difficult to cut through its layers of fat, why did it have to complicate things by moving? Ji Yanqing was waiting for his return.

The Evolved Zombie that had been kicked into the wall pulled itself from the debris and looked at Feng Yimo with fear, a whimper escaping its throat.

It tried to escape, but under the influence of the injured, frantic King’s panicked cries, its eyes gradually turned bloodshot. Fear seemingly forgotten, it charged at Feng Yimo again.

Feng Yimo’s blade rose and fell, giving the zombie no chance to get close.

“Aaagh!” The fat Corpse King screamed again, desperately trying to summon all the zombies in the city. It refused to die here!

Struggling to scream, struggling to summon, struggling to stand up and escape, it felt a wave of intense heat enveloping it. The scorching heat seared its body, bringing both pain and a strange excitement.

It was about to break through! It had been waiting for this moment for over three months, relentlessly consuming countless humans and zombies, herding and manipulating, over and over, all for this!

Finally, this moment had arrived!

“Graaagh!”

Within the intense heat, its bloated body began to melt, oozing black liquid. The liquid sizzled as it hit the ground, creating large, smoking craters.

“Aaagh!” It screamed again, once again summoning all the zombies in its vicinity.

Even if they just threw themselves at Feng Yimo like cannon fodder, as long as they bought it enough time to complete its evolution…

“Roar…” The Beast King, still observing from the hole, felt the black fur on its body stand on end. An overwhelming pressure emanated from the creature in the pool of black liquid, making its limbs tremble.

It was terrified. It had never felt this way before. Its mind went blank. It instinctively looked at Feng Yimo, who was pursuing the Blob King. It had to kill him—

Its gaze landed on Feng Yimo’s back, and it snapped out of its trance.

Shaking its head to break free from the mental control, it stared at the Blob King, who now had a completely human form, in disbelief.

It was a Corpse King, yet it was almost controlled by this Blob King. Had the Blob King successfully evolved?

“Hee hee...” The man, submerged in the foul-smelling black liquid, couldn’t help but grin. His eyes, still with four pupils, narrowed with amusement. He stopped trying to escape and, after looking at his own arm, turned to face Feng Yimo, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Feng Yimo would be his first offering.

“What’s... your name?” He asked, his voice laced with a strange, unsettling amusement.

He had decided. He would remember Feng Yimo’s name, after all, he owed his evolution to him.

Feng Yimo stopped in front of him.

“Haha, don’t be so stingy...” The man walked towards him. He might be an intelligence-enhanced Corpse King, lacking the physical strength of a power-enhanced one, but he was now a thrice-evolved being.

He was no longer his former self.

There might not be anything in this world more powerful than him.

He and Feng Yimo were no longer on the same level!

Feng Yimo raised his long blade and swung down.

“Why the rush?” The man reached out, gripping his wrist.

Feng Yimo’s long, slightly curled lashes fluttered as he looked at the man.

“I’ve decided to remember your name—”

Feng Yimo continued his downward swing. His blade sliced through the man’s left shoulder, continuing diagonally across his body until it reached his right hip. The man was cut clean in two.

“No—” All four pupils shrank simultaneously, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He had evolved, he had grabbed his hand, why…

Was he careless? Had he not held on tight enough?

No, it was because he was weaker than Feng Yimo.

His grip on Feng Yimo’s wrist was as weak as a child’s scratch to Feng Yimo. His thrice-evolved body, pushed to its limits, was as soft as tofu to Feng Yimo.

“Impossible…” He looked at his severed body, struggling to activate his regenerative abilities. He desperately tried to heal the wound.

He couldn’t die like this.

How could he die like this?

He was a thrice-evolved being!

New flesh rapidly grew from his severed body, squirming like worms, attempting to fuse both halves.

Feng Yimo brought his blade down, the tip piercing through the man’s head.

As the blade struck, everything seemed to freeze. Even the nauseating stench in the air faded for a moment.

He looked down at the head impaled on his blade, then pulled it out, flicking his wrist to shake off the clinging liquid.

The man was much easier to decapitate after being cut in half.

**

“Ji Yanqing!” Lan Zi cried out in alarm.

They had reached the ground floor alley. The Evolved Zombie, after scanning the group, fixed its gaze on Ji Yanqing.

Nearly forty people, yet none dared to meet its eye. Even those who did looked at it with fear and despair, except for Ji Yanqing. His eyes, shielded by the goggles, held only icy killing intent.

“Grrr…”

Ji Yanqing stepped forward.

The lizard-like Evolved Zombie on the roof crawled down the wall. Reaching the second-floor level, it lunged towards Ji Yanqing.

This wasn’t the first time he had encountered such a situation. He didn’t retreat; instead, he charged forward, his axe swinging, connecting with the zombie’s side and sending it flying into a garbage can.

“Thump!”

Landing on the ground, the Evolved Zombie scrambled back up, its eyes filled with animalistic rage.

Seeing this, the group huddled in the alleyway gasped in astonishment.

Before they could fully comprehend how Ji Yanqing had managed to match the zombie’s speed and strike it, he shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

Ignoring the ordinary zombies on the road, he focused solely on the Evolved Zombie.

He might have ignored those ordinary zombies, but they didn’t ignore him. Sensing his movement, several of them lunged at him.

“Bang, bang, bang!” Xia Shen Shu fired three shots in rapid succession.

Someone from the group in the alley rushed out, heading for the other end of the alley, seeking an opportunity to escape.

The leader was the one with the gun from Xue Gang’s team. Two others who had been following him closely and two more, quick to react, also followed.

“Tsk!” Xia Shen Shu, seeing this, cursed under his breath. They already had few people who could fight. And now, with the one with the gun abandoning them, he was the only one left.

“Bang!” Another gunshot rang out.

He looked over to see Lan Zi.

She stood with her back against the wall, gun in hand. The recoil from the powerful weapon made her wound split open, pain contorting her face and making her body tremble.

Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain, firing continuously at the surrounding zombies.

Ji Yanqing remained focused on the Evolved Zombie.

After sending it flying, he charged at it again, not giving it a chance to recover. His axe swung towards its neck before it could even get back on its feet.

“Clang!” The eighty-pound axe slammed into the concrete ground, creating a large crater.

He missed. The zombie was fast. It had already scrambled back onto the wall, clinging to it like a lizard.

“Bang! Bang!” Xia Shen Shu held a submachine gun in one hand and a pistol in the other, alternating between both weapons with practiced ease, each shot aimed at the head of a zombie surging towards them.

Behind him, the group from the alley had spilled onto the street, a panicked mass of pushing and shoving bodies desperate to escape.

As Xia Shen Shu continued firing, a path opened up on their right, leading away from the carnage. Seizing the opportunity, nearly ten people dashed towards the opening.

The others jostled and shoved, frantic to follow, but before they could break through, the relentless horde of zombies surrounded them.

Xia Shen Shu frowned, his expression hardening. They were truly taking advantage of the situation. He had given them an opening, and they had simply abandoned the rest?

“Get away!” Ji An’s childish voice, laced with fear but resolute, rang out.

He clutched an iron bar, likely scavenged from the debris, in his small hands. Despite barely reaching half the height of the bar, he swung it with all his might, trying to keep the zombies away from himself and Ji Le.

Shielding Ji Le behind him, they stood pressed against the wall.

He struck a zombie on the head, forcing it to stagger back.

The zombie didn’t falter for long. Stunned momentarily, it lunged towards him again.

Ji An didn’t have time to raise his makeshift weapon. As the pale, decaying face loomed closer, he instinctively gritted his teeth and shouted, “Get away!”

Hearing his shout, seeing the faint golden glow in his eyes, the zombie hesitated, a flicker of fear in its dead eyes.

Seeing that his shout had an effect, he put on a fierce expression and shouted again, his voice still childish but filled with a newfound authority, “Get away!”

The zombie took a step back, torn between its instinct to attack and its growing fear.

“Bang!” A gunshot echoed, and the zombie’s head exploded in a shower of gore.

Ji An flinched, his small face paling further, as he watched the zombie being shot dead right in front of him.

“Brother…” Ji Le, equally frightened, instinctively clutched Ji An’s arm.

“Don’t be afraid.” Ji An, trembling, shielded Ji Le with his small body.

He was terrified of the towering zombies, so much so that his body shook uncontrollably, but he still tried to maintain a fierce facade.

He was already turning into an ugly zombie; it didn’t matter if he got bitten, but they wouldn’t be allowed to bite Ji Le.

He would hit and bite anyone who dared to approach! And his bite was painful!

As the gunshots continued, more and more zombies swarmed towards them, drawn by the noise and the scent of living flesh.

Seeing three zombies heading for Lan Zi, Ji An, and Ji Le at the alley entrance, Xia Shen Shu was about to turn and fire when a small figure suddenly dashed out from the alley.

“Aah!” The boy swung his backpack at one of the approaching zombies.

He was fast, but he lacked strength. His backpack knocked the zombie to the ground, but it quickly climbed back up, its hunger undeterred.

“Hold it down!” Another person rushed out from the alley.

Two people pinned the zombie down with their backpacks, while others grabbed sticks, planks, knives, and hammers from the building, raining blows upon the trapped creature.

“Hit its head!” someone shouted.

Their attacks were chaotic and disorganized, but they were effective. The zombie’s head was soon bashed in, ending its struggle.

“Aah!” Another zombie lunged at the boy who had first rushed out.

“Catch!” Xia Shen Shu yelled, tossing his pistol towards the boy.

The boy fumbled to catch the gun as he backed away, then gripped it with both hands. Closing his eyes, he fired twice at the decaying face in front of him.

“Bang! Bang!”

The zombie fell, collapsing into his arms and sending him stumbling backwards.

“Ugh…” He regained his balance and, looking at the blood splattered on him and the corpse at his feet, he gagged.

“Don’t waste bullets!” Xia Shen Shu shouted, opening his backpack and pulling out another gun. He tossed it towards someone in the crowd who seemed relatively calm.

They had found six guns in the village, one for each of them, plus an extra. Baldy and Wu Yao had taken three, leaving them with three, plus his pistol, making it a total of four.

The gun in his backpack originally belonged to Ji Yanqing, but he wasn’t used to using firearms.

The boy stood up, his hands still shaking as he gripped the gun, trying to stay calm. He aimed the gun at the surrounding zombies.

The other man who had received a gun did the same.

Those without guns huddled together, fighting one zombie at a time.

The scene was utter chaos – screams, cries, shouts, all mixed with the stench of blood, gunpowder, and rotting flesh.

“Crash!” The sound of something heavy smashing through a glass window rose above the cacophony. Everyone instinctively looked towards the source of the sound.

Ji Yanqing, his body and forehead covered in blood, stood there. His goggles had fallen off, but there was no fear in his eyes, only icy killing intent.

Single-handedly, he had forced the Evolved Zombie to retreat into a nearby hardware store.

He was injured, and so was the Evolved Zombie. One of its hands was mangled, a leg broken, its back and tail covered in wounds.

Stepping over the shattered glass on the ground, Ji Yanqing entered the hardware store.

If he could kill that Evolved Zombie, they might have a chance to escape… They weren’t doomed…

“Don’t let them get near the store!” Xia Shen Shu yelled.

Everyone snapped out of their daze and looked at the ordinary zombies on the street.

Disturbed by the commotion, several zombies had turned their attention towards the hardware store.

The group, driven to desperation, charged at them. They wouldn’t let them enter the hardware store.

“Xia Shen Shu…”

He was about to head towards the store when Lan Zi’s weak voice called out.

He turned back to see her, her face pale and slick with sweat, looking at the rooftop across from them in terror.

A wave of dread washed over him as he turned to follow her gaze.

Sure enough, an Evolved Zombie was crawling down from the rooftop.

One had been enough trouble, and now another one…

The glimmer of hope that had sparked within him was instantly extinguished.

“Clang!” A loud bang came from inside the hardware store as Ji Yanqing’s axe struck the wall.

The Evolved Zombie on the rooftop looked towards the store.

Xia Shen Shu’s pupils constricted. His heart pounded against his ribs as his body reacted before his mind could process the situation. He raised his gun and fired at the zombie’s head.

“Bang!”

The bullet hit the zombie’s temple, but its head didn’t explode. Only a scale flew off.

The zombie stopped its descent towards the store and turned its head, glaring at Xia Shen Shu. Meeting those inhuman, venomous eyes, Xia Shen Shu’s lips twitched.

He took a deep breath and taunted, “What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen your father before?”

The Evolved Zombie, as if understanding his words, seemed to be filled with even greater malice. It abandoned its pursuit of the hardware store, quickly scaled the wall, and lunged at him.

It was incredibly fast. Even though he had been prepared, Xia Shen Shu couldn’t react in time. As it pounced, his mind went blank.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Three bullets struck the exposed spot on the zombie’s temple, where Xia Shen Shu had knocked off the scale.

He had no time to dodge. The world tilted as the zombie crashed into him, sending him sprawling onto the ground.

His head and back slammed against the pavement, and he groaned in pain. He quickly pushed the zombie off and scrambled to his feet.

Barely standing, still dizzy, he emptied the entire magazine into the downed creature before finally stopping.

Looking at the headless corpse on the ground, he glanced at Lan Zi, who had fired the three shots.

She was staring at the corpse, her expression as stunned as his own.

Xia Shen Shu twitched his lips, trying to smile, but he couldn’t control the muscles in his face.

Landing three consecutive shots on the same spot on a rapidly moving target, hitting the exact location where he had just knocked off a scale, was a feat even he might not be able to replicate.

No, even a seasoned marksman might not be able to achieve that.

Lan Zi also twitched her lips, trying to say something, but no words came out.

“Clang!”

“Thud…”

The sound of an axe striking the ground followed by the sound of something rolling down the street reached them.

Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi simultaneously turned their heads and saw the Evolved Zombie’s head rolling out of the hardware store. Their minds, already reeling, went completely blank.

The world, previously a cacophony of noise, fell silent.

“Dad!” Ji An was the first to react.

Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi snapped out of their shock and stared at the hardware store.

In the dim, cluttered interior, a figure emerged, stepping over the shattered glass. He swayed slightly, but his grip on his axe was steady.

“Ji Yanqing!” Xia Shen Shu rushed towards him.

Ji Yanqing lifted his head. His eyes, no longer shielded by the goggles, were bloodshot, but they held no fear. He looked at the twenty or so remaining ordinary zombies on the street. “Let’s go.”

His gaze fell on the Evolved Zombie corpse at Xia Shen Shu’s feet, and he paused.

Xia Shen Shu, who had reached him, was about to reach out to help him, but his legs gave way, and he almost fell.

Having narrowly escaped death, his legs were trembling.

Ji Yanqing caught him.

As Xia Shen Shu regained his footing, he looked at the Evolved Zombie corpse again. His mind, finally catching up to the situation, was overwhelmed by delayed fear.

If Lan Zi’s shots hadn’t hit that zombie, he would be the one lying dead.

“Go!” Ji Yanqing said urgently.

The others had already noticed him emerging from the store. Seeing him single-handedly kill an Evolved Zombie, their eyes lit up with hope.

Lan Zi’s three shots had been largely due to luck, but Ji Yanqing had genuinely killed an Evolved Zombie by himself.

They abandoned their struggle against the remaining zombies and quickly gathered around him.

Ji Yanqing took the heavy backpack from Ji An, who despite his small size was struggling to carry it, and helped Lan Zi up. Her wounds had split open again, soaking her in blood, making it difficult for her to stand. He then led the group forward.

They rushed through the alley, reaching the intersection, where they were greeted by the sight of several corpses lying on the ground, being gnawed on by zombies. One of the bodies still had a gun slung across its chest.

Those who had tried to escape earlier were all dead, killed by the approaching zombies.

As they ran, Ji Yanqing scanned for an escape route.

Turning the corner, they reached the main road, jammed with vehicles from previous accidents. In the distance, dozens of zombies were racing towards them.

More and more zombies were attracted by the gunshots.

Looking at the approaching horde of pale, decaying faces, listening to their excited roars echoing from all directions, their blood ran cold.

There was nowhere to escape.

“Get on the bus!” He made a quick decision.

Without waiting for the others to react, he rushed towards a bus with its doors open.

“Anyone know how to drive?” He shouted from the doorway.

Snapping out of their panic, the others charged towards the bus.

He lifted Ji An and Ji Le onto the bus, then moved aside, letting the others enter. Once everyone was on board, he quickly pulled the doors shut and asked again, “Anyone here know how to drive?”

A figure darted towards the driver’s seat. He looked over to see Xia Shen Shu.

“You know how to drive?” Ji Yanqing was surprised. It seemed Xia Shen Shu knew how to do everything.

“I’ll learn now!” Xia Shen Shu yelled, settling into the driver’s seat.

Ji Yanqing’s lips twitched, but he didn’t have time to say anything. He put down his axe, grabbed the gun Xia Shen Shu had left on the seat, and moved towards the window.

Zombies were already swarming around the bus.

The others with guns aimed their weapons out the window, while those without guns hastily closed the windows.

As the engine turned over, the bus, dormant for over half a year, shuddered and groaned like an old man coughing. The sound grew louder, the vibrations more violent, and then, just as everyone held their breath, it sputtered and died.

Xia Shen Shu slammed his hand against the dashboard, attempting a forceful repair.

He tried to start the engine again.

It roared to life, but died again after barely two seconds.

At the same time, banging and thudding sounds came from all directions as the zombies outside threw themselves against the windows and walls of the bus.

“Maybe it’s broken?” Someone voiced everyone’s concern. This bus had been exposed to the elements for over half a year. It would be a miracle if it could still run.

Xia Shen Shu, his face grim, gritted his teeth and tried again.

The engine sputtered, coughed, and roared. It sounded like it was about to die again, then the noise gradually evened out, becoming steady.

The bus started. In that instant, Xia Shen Shu was so elated he wanted to hug the steering wheel and kiss it.

He quickly took action, trying to get the bus moving.

He proved with his actions that he indeed didn’t know how to drive a bus. Stepping on the gas, the bus lurched backward, crashing into the car behind it. The rear of the bus crumpled inwards, and the people inside were thrown around.

“Hold on!” He yelled, slamming on the accelerator.

The bus didn’t accelerate as quickly as a car. It crept forward, finally managing to climb onto the sidewalk.

With vehicles blocking their way, Xia Shen Shu floored the accelerator and rammed into them.

The bus groaned under the strain, the engine sputtering, the whole vehicle groaning like a dying man.

But it was determined, and despite its slowness, it managed to push aside the cars on the sidewalk, creating a path.

“Head into the residential area!” Ji Yanqing threw his gun to another person and grabbed his axe. He wasn’t comfortable with firearms.

Xia Shen Shu, alerted, regained his senses and quickly steered the bus, turning towards the alley beside the road.

The alley was narrow, a one-way street. As the bus squeezed through, the zombies clinging to the windows on both sides were crushed and mangled, eliciting cries of horror from those inside.

As they rumbled through the alley, the zombies on both sides were obliterated, leaving only those on the roof and those chasing from behind.

Xia Shen Shu simply slammed on the accelerator, crushing any zombies in their path.

“Turn right ahead,” Lan Zi directed. Xia Shen Shu was driving towards the city center; after all the commotion, they were disoriented.

Following her instructions, Xia Shen Shu steered the bus, entering an open space at the entrance of a residential complex, and headed towards the city outskirts.

His driving was terrible, with frequent wrong turns and collisions with zombies. The bus swayed violently, forcing the passengers to grip their seats tightly to avoid being thrown around.

However, with the bus moving, they finally had a chance to regroup.

“Stop shooting!” someone shouted.

Gunshots could be heard from afar, attracting more zombies.

Ji Yanqing grabbed his axe and stood near the window next to Xia Shen Shu. The others who could fight also took positions, blocking all the windows.

“Screech…” A grating sound came from the roof.

Everyone looked up, their hearts pounding.

Xia Shen Shu had driven straight into a residential complex, crashing into the height restriction bar at the entrance and bending it out of shape. The roof of the bus was also dented.

Looking back at Xia Shen Shu, Ji Yanqing noticed a satisfied grin on his face.

Ji Yanqing’s lips twitched, and he silently looked away. He turned his attention towards the window, observing their surroundings as they sped towards the outskirts. Zombies continued to appear, drawn by the commotion, and give chase.

Most of the zombies in the city had already been consumed by the Corpse King at the hospital, leaving only a few as guards. This had initially been terrifying, but now it was working to their advantage.

If this were any other city, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of zombies would be chasing after them. But now, there were only a hundred or two at most.

“Crack!” The bus suddenly lurched.

He looked back, his heart sinking.

This time, it wasn’t Xia Shen Shu hitting something. The sound came from the bus itself.

It seemed to have finally remembered that it had been exposed to the elements for half a year and was practically scrap metal.

Everyone’s hearts leaped into their throats. It felt like the floor beneath their feet had turned into thin ice, with a bottomless abyss below.

As they pressed onward, the bus continued to groan and creak, a constant reminder of its fragile state.

Twenty minutes later, the buildings around them started to become shorter, and the bus slowed down noticeably.

No one asked why. They just gritted their teeth, waiting for the moment the bus finally gave out.

The number of zombies trailing behind them had grown to three or four hundred. They were getting closer, and if they came to a complete stop, those zombies would descend upon them like a tidal wave.

As they approached the edge of the city, the forest at the outskirts coming into view, the bus slowed down even further, until it was moving at a pace a person could outrun.

“Get off!” Ji Yanqing said through gritted teeth.

The doors swung open, and before the bus could come to a full stop, everyone, anticipating this moment, jumped out.

They had prepared for a fierce battle, but as they landed, the zombies behind them suddenly slowed down, many of them turning their heads towards the city.

Then, several of them turned around and ran back towards the city.

Seeing this, everyone was stunned.

“Don’t stop!” Ji Yanqing reminded them. The only thing that could make so many zombies turn back simultaneously was that Corpse King at the hospital.

Xia Shen Shu half-carried, half-dragged Lan Zi off the bus.

Everyone else followed, running towards the city outskirts.

After running for a distance, Xia Shen Shu realized Ji Yanqing wasn’t with them. He turned back to see him sitting in the driver’s seat, steering the bus in the opposite direction.

Lan Zi also noticed. “What is he doing?”

Xia Shen Shu dragged Lan Zi along. “Let’s go.”

Ji Yanqing wouldn’t do anything reckless; he must have a plan.

He followed the others, quickly leaving the city and heading towards the forest beyond.

The forest was small, easily seen through, and there were no zombie corpses in sight.

Beyond the forest was a hilly area with terraced fields. The uneven terrain would provide good cover.

Everyone filed into the forest, quickly finding places to hide.

As they entered, a series of five horn blasts suddenly shattered the silence.

With the entire city already dead, devoid of vehicles and human sounds, the sudden blare of the horn was like a clap of thunder, echoing across half the city.

Hearing that sound, everyone’s hearts sank.

After driving the bus a distance away from the others and sounding the horn, Ji Yanqing quickly abandoned the vehicle and rushed towards a nearby building. He stepped on the wall, vaulted himself onto the second floor, and entered through a window.

Evading the approaching horde of zombies, he peered out from the side of the window.

Feng Yimo should have heard it.

He retracted his head, seizing the opportunity while the zombies were distracted by the horn. He quickly headed towards the location where Xia Shen Shu and the others were hiding.

Leaving the city, he sprinted forward, finally finding them after running for seven or eight minutes.

Having escaped disaster, the group was huddled together in a field enclosed by cliffs on two sides, their faces filled with relief.

Ji Yanqing scanned the group, his gaze finally settling on Lan Zi.

The scabs on her wounds had all split open again, and the excessive blood loss, coupled with the intense pain, had rendered her unconscious. Xia Shen Shu was re-bandaging her wounds and administering an injection.

Apart from Lan Zi, the other injured members were also tending to their wounds.

“There’s medicine in the bag.” Ji Yanqing took off his backpack and placed it before them.

His words surprised the group.

They exchanged glances, astonishment evident in their eyes. Then, they realized he was serious.

“Not much medicine. Use it sparingly,” Ji Yanqing added.

This time, everyone heard clearly and understood that he was talking to them. Their surprise was mixed with a complex array of emotions.

Ji Yanqing was willing to share his medicine with them?

No one moved; the entire field fell silent.

Medicine was even more valuable than food and water. In Xue Gang’s team, they didn’t even have enough food and water, let alone medicine.

And now, Ji Yanqing was willing to share his precious medicine with them?

Seeing their hesitation, Ji Yanqing, who was wiping the blood from his face, was momentarily confused. He then spoke again, “After you’ve treated your wounds, take stock of our supplies. Distribute a portion for everyone to eat and regain their strength. Then, make a record of what’s left.”

He paused, then added, “We’ll rest here for a day and set off at dawn the day after tomorrow.”

After such a harrowing experience, most of them were injured. Even those without injuries were exhausted and couldn’t continue traveling. Resting for a day was the best option.

Besides, Feng Yimo hadn’t returned yet.

He didn’t understand why Feng Yimo had left, but since he had said he would come back, he would wait.

However, he could only wait for one day. He couldn’t have everyone waiting here indefinitely.

Hearing that they would be taking stock of their supplies, they finally started moving.

They had often done this when they were with Xue Gang, so they were quite proficient. Everyone automatically took out the supplies from their backpacks and piled them in the open space.

It took less than five minutes to complete the inventory.

Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi also came over to observe.

Ignoring the miscellaneous items, the food and water they had amassed looked like a small mountain. Someone even had a stash of bullets in their backpack. Overall, it was a rather bountiful harvest.

Xia Shen Shu couldn’t help but whistle in appreciation.

“Distribute some food to everyone based on the number of people,” Ji Yanqing instructed.

The person who had helped with the inventory glanced at him and started dividing the food, allocating the same meager portions they had received in Xue Gang’s team – barely enough for five bites.

Ji Yanqing stepped forward and separated a portion equivalent to what they usually ate per meal in their own team. “Distribute it like this.”

Everyone looked at him.

The portion he had separated was still not enough for a full meal, but it was ten times what they had received from Xue Gang.

Their throats tightened as their feelings grew even more complex.

“Eat as much as you have. If we run out, we’ll find more.” Ji Yanqing’s gaze swept across their faces, his voice cold and steady. “I treat you as people, but I also hope you won’t make things difficult for me.”

He didn’t want to become another Xue Gang, but if anyone dared to have any malicious intentions, he would make them regret it.

Despite his cold words, he still had a gentle demeanor, especially without his goggles, but no one took his words lightly.

He wasn’t joking.

After a brief silence, the young boy who had received the pistol from Xia Shen Shu earlier was the first to move. He took his allocated portion of food.

Seeing him move, the others followed suit.

No one took more than their share; everyone took their own portion as instructed.

After receiving their food, the group found their own spots and wolfed down their portions.

It had been far too long since they last ate their fill. They were mostly in a state of hunger-induced dizziness, the meager bites they normally had weren’t even enough for them to remember what food tasted like.

Feeling the aroma of the food in their mouths and the fullness in their long-empty stomachs, many began to tear up as they chewed.

In the gymnasium, Feng Yimo glanced in the direction of the faint noise.

A ripple spread through his icy eyes. He quickly guessed that it was Ji Yanqing.

Having followed Ji Yanqing for a while, he had developed some understanding of their group. Ji Yanqing and the others would never make too much noise unless absolutely necessary; that would be no different from seeking their own deaths.

That sound was Ji Yanqing telling him his location.

Ji Yanqing was calling him back.

Ji Yanqing’s face surfaced in his mind. Feng Yimo’s long, slightly curled eyelashes drooped. For some reason, he suddenly felt happy.

Ignoring the black beast lying on the ground nearby, pretending to cover its eyes with its paws while peeking at him, Feng Yimo walked out of the gymnasium. Then, with a determined look, he ran resolutely in the wrong direction.

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