AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 31

 Chapter 31

Feng Yimo was stunned. “You were worried about me?”

“Aowu…” the black beast tried to warn Feng Yimo, but it didn’t dare make too much noise. It could only watch Feng Yimo run quickly down the wrong road.

Seeing Feng Yimo disappear among the buildings, the black beast got up from the ground and went back to the stadium. It poked its head through the large hole that it had smashed in the wall.

The corpse king and the four Awakened zombies’ bodies were casually thrown on the lush grass. Feng Yimo had no interest in them at all.

The black beast looked back in the direction Feng Yimo had left, and then started to squeeze into the stadium. The hole was a bit small, only big enough for its head. It took a long time of wiggling its butt before it finally managed to squeeze inside.

After entering the stadium, the black beast jumped over the outer seats and circled the central court. It stopped in front of the four Awakened zombies’ bodies.

It ate the four Awakened zombies’ bodies.

After their initial Awakening, zombies need to constantly eat to obtain energy for further evolution, until they finally evolve into a corpse king.

The black beast had been among the first batch to evolve into a corpse king. For a long time, this had made it think it was invincible, at least second to none among its own kind.

Until it met Feng Yimo.

After finishing the four Awakened zombies, the black beast came to the human-shaped corpse king’s body.

Even though the corpse king was dead, its body still exuded a powerful pressure that made the black beast’s hair stand on end. The huge gap between them frightened it from the bottom of its heart.

It suddenly thought of Feng Yimo.

If it had fought the corpse king, it would have surely lost. It had almost been controlled by the corpse king earlier. But Feng Yimo easily killed it.

The black beast had always thought Feng Yimo was a corpse king like itself, just more powerful. But Feng Yimo had effortlessly killed this corpse king. Was Feng Yimo an existence far superior to it?

“Wu…” With a whimper, the black beast hesitated for a moment before giving up on eating the corpse king’s body.

Outside the city, in the mountains and fields.

After Ji Yanqing finished his portion of food, he looked at the others sitting around him.

Everyone had finished eating. The small amount of food gave them a feeling of fullness after being in a state of extreme hunger for so long. A look of satisfaction appeared on everyone’s faces.

They were still in a sorry state, but the despair and pain in their brows eased somewhat.

Ji Yanqing stood up. “We’ll camp near here tonight. Let’s look for a suitable place.”

Hearing that, everyone got up.

Finding a place to camp was something they were familiar with, and everyone quickly spread out.

The area outside the city was a mountainous area, but there were not many trees. It was mainly composed of fields and vegetable plots of varying heights. The vegetable plots near the city were planted with various vegetables, but most of the paddy fields closer to the mountains were abandoned.

The rice field they were in was just like that. Judging by the weeds growing inside and the traces of the field ridges being washed away by rain, it must have been returned to forest land a year before the virus outbreak.

Soon, someone found a suitable place to camp about five or six hundred meters ahead. It was under the crown of a huge tree. There were field ridges on both sides that were taller than a person, and a steep cliff wall about fifty or sixty meters away on one side.

The two field ridges and the cliff wall were like three solid walls, blocking the line of sight very well and providing a sense of security.

Ji Yanqing went over to confirm. After determining that the place was indeed suitable for camping, he asked everyone to go find some branches or other things nearby to try to enclose the place as much as possible before it got dark.

It would snow at night in the mountains, and the temperature could drop to minus twenty degrees at its lowest. They couldn’t just endure the heavy snow out in the open.

Everyone quickly got to work.

Ji Yanqing watched from the side for a while. Seeing that everything was proceeding in an orderly manner, he took his axe and wandered a little further away to make sure there were no zombies nearby.

There were only uneven fields and mountains nearby, and there were no zombies in the mountains.

About ten minutes later, when Ji Yanqing returned, Xia Shen Shu had finished treating Lan Zi’s wounds and was eating.

Her wounds had cracked open again, and the excessive blood loss made her already pale face even paler. Lying on the ground, she looked like a corpse, her face devoid of any color.

Seeing Ji Yanqing looking at Lan Zi, Xia Shen Shu said with a slightly slurred voice as he ate, “The wound is already a bit infected. She might have a fever tonight.”

Ji Yanqing’s handsome eyebrows furrowed slightly. He was a bit worried.

“We’ve done everything we can.”

Ji Yanqing didn’t say anything.

Xia Shen Shu looked at Ji Yanqing. “Do you need me to bandage your wounds?”

Ji Yanqing instinctively reached up to touch the wound on his forehead. His fingers stopped just before they made contact. His hands were also covered in injuries.

Ji Yanqing shook his head.

Xia Shen Shu picked up the first aid kit. “Sit here.”

Ji Yanqing looked over. Xia Shen Shu had already opened the first aid kit. He could only walk over and sit down.

Xia Shen Shu looked at Ji Yanqing. Ji Yanqing’s hair was light in color, and it was a bit naturally curly. This made his already young face look even more cute and handsome. He looked like a beautiful doll in a shop window.

Ji Yanqing knew his face wasn’t suitable for the position of “captain,” so he had always worn goggles that covered half of his face.

Xia Shen Shu carefully moved the blood-stained hair away from Ji Yanqing’s forehead. When he saw the wound under Ji Yanqing’s bangs, the smile on his face disappeared.

The wound on Ji Yanqing’s forehead was very deep. It must have been caused by some sharp object hitting his forehead hard, possibly even fracturing his skull.

The sharp object had cut down his forehead, stopping just above his brow bone.

Ji Yanqing’s goggles, which had fallen off earlier, had protected him. If it weren’t for the goggles, he would have surely lost his left eye.

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Xia Shen Shu suddenly recalled seeing Ji Yanqing’s back before. Ji Yanqing was very thin, and the new and old wounds on his back were painful to look at.

Ji Yanqing gently shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt that much.”

Xia Shen Shu was speechless. He took out some disinfectant and carefully cleaned Ji Yanqing’s wound.

When the disinfectant touched the wound, Ji Yanqing’s body trembled slightly. Xia Shen Shu immediately became even gentler.

Such a deep wound, how could it not hurt?

Ji Yanqing had always been very protective of Ji An and Ji Le. He knew they were still young, that in a different world, they would have been treasured by their families. But he himself was only a college student. In the past, wouldn’t any parent dote on their children, shielding them from harm?

After treating the wound on Ji Yanqing’s forehead, Xia Shen Shu examined his hands.

The backs and palms of Ji Yanqing’s hands, once slender and fair, were now covered in wounds, both big and small. The web between his thumb and forefinger had been particularly damaged by the axe, splitting the skin open on both hands.

After disinfecting and applying medicine to all the wounds, Xia Shen Shu prepared to give Ji Yanqing an anti-inflammatory injection, but he refused. Their medical supplies were limited.

Xia Shen Shu knew he couldn’t persuade him, so he didn’t insist.

After finishing the bandaging, Ji Yanqing looked over at Ji An and Ji Le, who were sitting on the ground near Xia Shen Shu.

Ji Le was watching Ji An with a serious expression. He had been tasked by Ji Yanqing to ensure Ji An ate his food and took his medicine.

Ji An still had a fever, and perhaps because of it, he had no appetite. Eating seemed to be a painful chore for him.

By the time Ji Yanqing looked over, Ji An had finished his food and was holding a bowl, ready to take his medicine.

Ji Yanqing walked over. After Ji An swallowed the medicine, he reached out and touched the boy’s forehead. The heat radiating from his skin, hotter than before, made Ji Yanqing sigh silently.

Seeing this, Ji Le also reached out and solemnly touched Ji An’s head, mimicking Ji Yanqing’s gesture.

“Get some sleep,” Ji Yanqing said softly.

Ji An was obedient and lay down quietly.

Ji Yanqing looked at Ji Le, who was watching Ji An with a serious expression, as if determined to watch over him as he slept.

Ji Yanqing ruffled Ji Le’s hair gently and got up to check on the camp.

If they had continued on foot, it would have taken them until nightfall to leave the city. However, because they had driven for a while and then run with all their might, they had managed to escape earlier than anticipated. It was only a little after four in the afternoon.

By 5:30 PM, the sun was beginning to set. Everyone finally managed to construct a simple shelter of about ten square meters along the field ridges.

They had gathered dry branches from the nearby forest and used them to create two walls on either side of the ridge. They reinforced these walls with their backpacks and then used branches and sheets to build a rudimentary roof.

Once the shelter was built, Ji Yanqing and Xia Shen Shu carried the unconscious Lan Zi inside.

After settling Lan Zi, Ji Yanqing carried Ji An inside and laid him down beside her.

With that done, Ji Yanqing instructed everyone to take their allotted portions of food and water.

As everyone ate in silence, the sky grew completely dark.

The starless, moonless night was like a vast black slate, oppressive and heavy, making it feel difficult to even breathe.

A chill accompanied the darkness.

After some thought, Ji Yanqing organized two groups of four people for night watch duty.

The two groups would guard the first and second halves of the night. Three people in each group would be stationed about 100 meters away from the shelter, while one person would stand guard outside.

Although they had escaped the city, no one knew if the Corpse King would send zombies to search the surrounding areas. It was better to be safe than sorry.

After making these arrangements, Ji Yanqing lifted the sheet curtain and entered the shelter.

The space was only about ten square meters, which meant that it was impossible for all thirty-plus people to lie down and sleep comfortably. Except for the few who were seriously injured, everyone else had to sleep sitting up.

Lan Zi was placed in the innermost part of the shelter. There were two other seriously injured individuals beside her. Xia Shen Shu was sitting next to Lan Zi with Ji An and Ji Le. There was also a space left for Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing walked over and settled into his space.

The room was quiet. Within ten minutes, the exhaustion of the day caught up with some, and light snoring could be heard.

Ji Yanqing also quickly felt drowsy after settling down. But just as sleep began to claim him, he was jolted awake by the biting cold and the throbbing pain from his wounds.

It started snowing a little after 8 PM. The already low temperature plummeted further. The chill in the air was like a thousand tiny needles, piercing his body and wounds relentlessly.

His injuries, in particular, throbbed with renewed intensity in the frigid air.

Ji Yanqing closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. Ji An and Ji Le beside him were also restless in their sleep. The walls made of branches and backpacks, which had seemed sturdy enough during the day, were full of gaps, allowing the icy wind to pour in.

Ji Yanqing unzipped his coat, carefully lifted the two boys, and settled them on his lap, buttoning the coat around them.

Enveloped in his warmth, the two children, who had been tossing and turning, gradually opened their eyes.

Waking up sleepily to see Ji Yanqing’s face, both of them snuggled their heads against his chest, which wasn’t broad, but was warm and safe.

“Papa…” Ji An murmured drowsily.

“Hm?”

“I like you so much.” Ji An’s voice was soft and sweet, tinged with sleepiness, like a soothing balm to Ji Yanqing’s heart.

“I like you too,” Ji Le’s soft voice followed quickly, as if afraid Ji Yanqing wouldn’t know he felt the same.

The corners of Ji Yanqing’s mouth curved upwards. He gently rubbed his chin against their foreheads, which were slowly warming up in his embrace. “I like you both too.”

Held close, reassured of his affection, and comforted by the gentle rubbing, the two little ones were overjoyed. Unable to express their feelings fully, they leaned against Ji Yanqing’s chest and clung to his clothes tightly.

Ji Le, nestled against Ji Yanqing, looked at Ji An’s face close to his own, their foreheads touching. He whispered, “Gege, I like you too.”

Hearing this, Ji An’s long eyelashes fluttered, and he looked up at his brother.

Ji Le’s ears were flushed. He was thin, but his fair cheeks were adorned with two small dimples, and he was smiling happily.

Ji An’s nose twitched, and his eyes felt hot. He reached out and took Ji Le’s hand.

He liked Ji Le too.

He also wanted to tell Ji Le how much he cared, but the words wouldn’t come. His nose felt so sour, and the bitterness spread to his throat. He was afraid he would start crying the moment he opened his mouth.

Ji Le didn’t know yet, but he was going to become a zombie.

After he turned, he wouldn’t be able to be held by Ji Yanqing like this, wouldn’t be able to hold Ji Le’s hand every day. After he turned, Ji Yanqing might even chop off his head with an axe.

“Does it hurt?” Ji Le stared at Ji An with wide, worried eyes. Seeing his brother upset, his own eyes started to turn red.

Hearing the commotion, Ji Yanqing looked down at them.

“I’m sleepy,” Ji An mumbled, burying his face in Ji Yanqing’s chest, hiding his red-rimmed eyes.

“Haha…” A weak laugh came from beside them.

Startled, all three looked towards the sound.

Lan Zi, lying next to Xia Shen Shu, had her eyes closed, but a faint smile played on her lips.

She couldn’t sleep either. The pain had woken her. Even though Xia Shen Shu had given her painkillers, they weren’t enough to completely dull the throbbing of her wounds in the freezing weather.

Ji Yanqing looked at the two children nestled in his arms. “Go to sleep.”

The two boys looked at each other and closed their eyes, their hands clasped together under Ji Yanqing’s coat.

Ji Yanqing’s embrace was warm and comforting. It quickly relaxed their already sleepy bodies, and they soon drifted off to sleep.

The snowy night was bitterly cold. The next day, just as dawn broke, everyone got up and moved around, trying to generate some warmth and revive their numb bodies.

Ji Yanqing rose and took his two little shadows for a walk around the camp. After checking with those who had been on night watch and confirming that nothing unusual had happened, he distributed the day’s rations of food and water.

Eating would also help them raise their body temperature.

After ensuring everyone had received their food and water, Ji Yanqing took Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi’s portions and entered the shelter. Inside, Xia Shen Shu was giving Lan Zi an injection.

Lan Zi had developed a high fever during the night.

Her injuries were severe. It had been a miracle that she had regained consciousness at all. Now, coupled with the extreme weather, her condition was even more precarious.

Because they had decided to rest here for the day, they had a rare chance to relax and get some proper sleep. After eating, everyone except those assigned to keep watch found a place to sit or lie down and rest.

Although there was still little conversation in the camp, and the atmosphere remained heavy, it was a noticeable improvement from the previous day.

Between 6 and 7 AM, as the sun gradually rose, the snow on the ground melted rapidly. Then, the heat arrived with a vengeance. People who had been shivering from the cold just a few hours earlier began shedding layers of clothing, unable to bear the sudden heat.

By 8 or 9 AM, the temperature had soared past 30°C.

Those who had taken off their coats had to put them back on. Direct exposure to the sun would cause rapid dehydration, which could be fatal.

At 10 AM, the full force of the heat arrived as expected. Everyone sought refuge in the sparse forest near the field ridges, finding whatever shade they could.

The temperature was slightly lower under the trees, but it was still well over 50°C. The oppressive heat made everyone drowsy and sluggish.

A little before 1 PM, as the weather gradually cooled down, Lan Zi woke up from her coma.

Xia Shen Shu brought her some water and food, and after watching her eat, he helped her drink some water.

After eating and drinking, Lan Zi still had a fever, but her spirits seemed to have improved.

A little after 2 PM, Ji Yanqing called a few people who were in relatively good condition to accompany him to the edge of the city.

He hadn’t initially planned to return. After all, all the zombies in the city were likely under the control of the Corpse King and served as his eyes and ears. If they were discovered, the Corpse King might pursue them. But after thinking it over all morning, he decided to take the risk.

The nighttime temperatures were dangerously low. In this harsh environment, even a simple cold could be deadly. If they didn’t find a way to stay warm, and if anyone became ill, they would die from sickness before they were even bitten by zombies.

Arriving at the edge of the city, Ji Yanqing didn’t take everyone into the city to expose them to unnecessary danger. Instead, he entered the outermost buildings alone to scout the area.

After confirming that there were no zombies lurking nearby or inside the buildings, he signaled for the people hiding in the forest to approach quickly.

The buildings at the edge of the city resembled a small town. Most of the houses were three- or four-story self-built houses, and most of them were old. Many families relied on farming for a living, and there were some farming tools in their yards and kitchens.

After Ji Yanqing led everyone into a house, he quickly had them spread out and search. Their main goal was quilts and coats, while food and water were secondary.

They didn’t find any food or water in the buildings because they were close to the edge of the city and relatively safe. The nearby buildings had been raided many times.

Fortunately, almost no one was interested in things like quilts and coats. After entering two houses, they quickly found more than ten quilts of varying thickness, and more than thirty coats.

Carrying a pile of quilts and clothes, everyone returned quickly.

Ji Yanqing left last. After making sure that everyone had entered the forest, he quickly climbed to the top floor of a building and looked towards the city.

As far as he could see, the whole city was desolate.

He couldn’t see Feng Yimo anywhere.

It had been a whole day since he had left Feng Yimo. In a few hours, it would be dark, and at dawn tomorrow, they would set off.

After walking through the forest for about ten minutes, everyone returned to the camp.

Seeing them return, the others who were waiting at the camp quickly stepped forward to take the things they had found. The coats were distributed, and the quilts and sheets were used to reinforce the house and to pad the floor.

Half an hour later, they had reinforced the camp into a large nest made of quilts and cotton.

The strange forest, the abandoned farmland, the huge nest made of quilts and cotton... it all looked strange and absurd, but also a little heartwarming.

Looking at the nest, Ji Yanqing had a fleeting thought that it wouldn’t be bad if they could settle down here.

Obviously, he wasn’t the only one who had this thought. Many people in the camp stared at the nest in a daze. Some even had tears in their eyes when they thought about the past.

Seeing the tears in those people’s eyes, Ji Yanqing suddenly remembered what Xia Shen Shu had said.

Form a survival team, then build a paradise with the team. Constantly strengthen this paradise, until it can be called home.

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath.

He looked at Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi. Lan Zi, who still had a fever, seemed to be in good spirits. She was sitting on a field ridge listening to Xia Shen Shu. Xia Shen Shu was teaching her how to shoot.

More accurately, Xia Shen Shu was trying to teach her how to aim and shoot from a distance by throwing stones.

Although Lan Zi’s three shots that hit the Awakened zombie had been largely due to luck, she had killed an Awakened zombie, which was a fact. After some thought, Xia Shen Shu decided to teach her some sniping skills.

If Lan Zi really had talent, it would mean their team would have one more sniper, which would be a great thing.

“See the white flower by the tree at the foot of the mountain? Throw it there,” Xia Shen Shu said, pointing to the foot of the mountain about thirty meters away.

“How long will it take to practice?” Lan Zi asked.

Xia Shen Shu couldn’t help but smile. “Call me again when you can hit it.”

Nine out of ten sharpshooters are fed by bullets, and the remaining one is fed by even more bullets. Lan Zi had no formal training, and she was using stones. How could it be so easy to hit the target?

It was a pity that their bullets were too few and too precious now. After all, one bullet could be a life. He could only use this method to teach Lan Zi.

Lan Zi found the flower that Xia Shen Shu had mentioned. She nodded and bent down to pick up a thumb-sized pebble from the ground near her feet.

“Practice slowly. It’s not so easy.” Xia Shen Shu turned and walked away.

“Swoosh.”

“Xia Shen Shu.” Lan Zi called out.

Xia Shen Shu, who was about to leave, turned around and looked at her blankly.

Lan Zi pointed in the direction of the flower. The flower beside the tree was swaying gently.

Xia Shen Shu was stunned. Surprise appeared in his eyes. Several other people who were resting nearby also looked over.

When Xia Shen Shu was teaching Lan Zi how to snipe, there were already many people eavesdropping. No one didn’t want to learn more ways to save their own lives.

“Try again.”

Lan Zi nodded. She picked up another small stone, aimed, and threw it.

The thumb-sized stone accurately hit the swaying flower, reducing its already halved petals to just one.

After she hit it, Lan Zi looked up at Xia Shen Shu.

Seeing Lan Zi hit the target with his own eyes, Xia Shen Shu’s expression was wonderful. He looked like he had swallowed a frog, a frog with a human face, and the frog was singing loudly, “Xia Shen Shu is so cute.”

After a long while, Xia Shen Shu rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked away. He stared seriously into Lan Zi’s eyes. “Have you learned how to shoot before?”

Lan Zi shook her head.

Before the virus outbreak, ordinary people not only didn’t have the opportunity to learn how to shoot, but they also rarely even had the chance to see a real gun.

The previous target was only about twenty meters away. The new target was more than twice as far.

The farther the target, the more difficult it was to aim. Lan Zi didn’t hit the target this time.

Seeing that, Xia Shen Shu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn’t walk away. Instead, he squatted down and carefully explained to Lan Zi the difference between using a gun and throwing a stone, as well as the things to keep in mind and the tips when using a gun.

After explaining these things, Xia Shen Shu took Lan Zi’s gun and carefully explained to her the function of each part of the gun, as well as how to disassemble and assemble it.

Xia Shen Shu had started a class, and many people shamelessly gathered around to watch.

Xia Shen Shu didn’t drive them away. In fact, he would even say a few more words if conditions allowed.

They only had four guns, and one of them was a pistol. It was too few for a survival team.

But since Ji Yanqing had already decided to form a survival team, their team would definitely grow slowly. Guns would definitely become more common, and learning to use them was a must.

Ji Yanqing was also listening from the side, but his attention was a bit unfocused. As the temperature gradually dropped and the sky gradually darkened, the time they had to leave was getting closer and closer.

There were now a total of thirty-four people in their team. The food that had seemed like a reassuring little mountain could only last for two more days at most with thirty-four people rapidly consuming it.

The same went for water. It could only last for two days at most.

They could endure not having food, but they couldn’t last more than a day without water. In other words, they had to replenish their water within three days, including tomorrow.

If Feng Yimo didn’t return before dawn tomorrow, he would have to consider leaving him behind. They couldn’t wait here any longer.

Night fell quickly, and the chill followed closely behind.

After finishing their meal, everyone except those on watch duty got into the nest they had made with quilts.

The walls covered with quilts and sheets no longer let in the wind. The ground was no longer cold. Although the air was a bit stuffy, the chill was indeed blocked outside the quilts.

Feeling all this, sitting among the bedding, even though they knew it was only temporary, the expressions of the group of people who had been desperately fleeing for their lives eased a little.

As they fell asleep, the frowns that many of them habitually wore also relaxed.

Perhaps the only ones who weren’t as happy as they had been yesterday were Ji An and Ji Le. Because it was no longer cold in the room, Ji Yanqing wouldn’t hold them while they slept, which was written all over the two little ones’ disappointed faces.

Seeing this, Ji Yanqing felt a bit helpless. But in the end, he still took the two little ones into his arms.

Even if it was only for a short while, he hoped the two little ones could escape from this cruel world.

Being held, the two little ones’ ears turned red with excitement. Their big, black eyes were full of moisture.

They quickly snuggled against Ji Yanqing’s chest, feeling the warmth of his body and smelling his scent. Soon, they both fell asleep.

“You’re going to spoil them,” Lan Zi said softly as she lay down next to Ji Yanqing.

“Hm…” Ji Yanqing rubbed his cheek against Ji An’s burning forehead. Ji An’s fever hadn’t gone down.

A normal person would easily develop problems with a fever over thirty-nine degrees. Ji An’s temperature must have already exceeded thirty-nine degrees, and it had lasted for several days.

Lan Zi hesitated to speak, but she didn’t say anything in the end.

This world was cruel enough. There was no need to brand that cruelty on everyone’s faces.

Ji Yanqing sighed silently. He pulled the covers over himself and Ji An and Ji Le. The two little ones’ bodies were warm, like two stoves in his arms.

Before he closed his eyes, Ji Yanqing glanced in the direction of the city. A faint worry lingered in his eyes.

They would set off after dawn, and there wasn’t much time left for Feng Yimo.

Under the night sky, in the heart of the city.

Squatting on the stadium roof, the black beast belched, having devoured the bodies of the four Awakened zombies. It was starting to feel quite full.

It glanced at a small figure passing by the stadium for the fourth time, wondering if it should offer some directions. He seemed to be going the wrong way.

Its furry head tilted in contemplation. Before it could come to a decision, Feng Yimo had disappeared into the maze of buildings again.

“Burp…”

The black beast suddenly felt a pang of relief that it hadn’t succumbed to its gluttony and consumed the Corpse King’s body as well. If it had, it would probably have exploded from overindulgence by now.

That Corpse King was not on the same level as it.

“Burp…”

Feeling the fullness in its limbs, it had a strange sensation. After digesting the bodies of the four Awakened zombies, it might be nearing a critical point, a breakthrough.

Before this, it had never known that there was something even more powerful than a Corpse King.

“Burp…”

Three hours later, the black head turned again, watching a certain someone passing by the stadium for the fifth time.

Its furry tail swished back and forth. It seriously pondered a question: was Feng Yimo’s poor sense of direction related to his evolution?

If every being that evolved to its final form became like Feng Yimo, it would have to seriously reconsider its own desire to evolve.

Perhaps something had gone wrong during Feng Yimo’s evolution?

After all, the Corpse King that died in the stadium didn’t seem to have this issue.

No, it was hard to say for sure. After all, he had only just successfully evolved when Feng Yimo had cut him down with a single slash. He hadn’t even had the chance to leave the stadium.

“Ao.”

Feng Yimo heard the sound and glanced coldly at the black, dog-like creature perched on the stadium roof. He frowned, his mood darkening.

He had intended to find Ji Yanqing after killing the human-shaped Corpse King yesterday. But he had followed the sound all the way to the outskirts of the city, searching thoroughly, but Ji Yanqing was nowhere to be found.

Had Ji Yanqing left?

Feng Yimo didn’t think so. Based on Ji Yanqing’s personality, he would wait for him outside the city for at least a day. Only if he still couldn’t find him after that would he leave.

Ji Yanqing was that kind of peculiar person.

He could have simply left, but he wouldn’t.

Ji Yanqing had indeed sent him a signal earlier.

But if Ji Yanqing hadn’t left, why couldn’t he find him?

Feng Yimo suddenly thought of Ji An and Ji Le.

Before Ji An and Ji Le, he hadn’t had a clear destination, so he had always traveled in a straight line. He had encountered many strange things along the way, but he had never been unable to leave a city. He had never encountered a situation where he clearly knew where his target was but couldn’t find the location.

He had clearly marked the place where Ji An and Ji Le were.

He still hadn’t figured out what had happened in the previous city. Now, Ji Yanqing seemed to have vanished from this city as well…

A faint flicker of confusion appeared in Feng Yimo’s cold, black eyes.

Could this city also be affected by some unknown anomaly?

“Aowu…” The black beast tentatively voiced a question.

Don’t you feel like something is wrong?

Just as Feng Yimo was about to pass by the stadium for the seventh time, he stopped abruptly. He turned and looked coldly at the massive beast on the roof.

He suddenly remembered something he had been overlooking.

“Aowu…”

Don’t you think this place looks a bit familiar?

Feng Yimo’s eyes lowered to the long sword in his hand. He drew it slowly.

The cold blade of the sword, nearly as tall as a man, emitted a faint blue light in the darkness. It was the glow of killing intent.

“Ao?”

Feng Yimo’s deep black eyes were like a bottomless pool, impossible to decipher, yet inexplicably chilling.

He stared coldly at the black beast before him.

He hadn’t noticed it before, but now he realized that both the last time, with Ji An and Ji Le, and this time, the beast had been present.

“Ao!” Sensing the cold killing intent emanating from Feng Yimo and seeing him approach, the black beast instantly puffed itself up in an attempt to appear larger. It leaped to the side, trying to escape.

“It really is you.”

“???”

“Stay there. Don’t move.”

Feng Yimo raised his sword.

“???”

After a moment of bewilderment, the black beast tucked its fluffy tail between its legs and turned to flee.

Almost simultaneously, Feng Yimo’s figure, like a phantom, shot forward, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

“Ao!” Glancing back, the black beast saw Feng Yimo gaining on it. Its four legs pumped even faster, its black fur standing on end as it ran for its life.

“Bang!”

Feng Yimo’s sword slammed into a nearby building, cleaving it cleanly in two. The black beast’s tail had been mere inches from the building just a moment ago.

“Ao!” A deafening roar ripped through the darkness.

In the mountains and forests, everyone was jolted awake by the sound.

In the darkness, after a brief moment of disorientation, everyone scrambled to their feet in panic.

Ji Yanqing gently set down Ji An and Ji Le, temporarily entrusting them to Lan Zi’s care. He quickly pushed through the crowd and rushed out of the shelter, looking towards the city.

“It sounds like that Beast Corpse King from before,” Xia Shen Shu, who had been on watch nearby, said, appearing at his side.

“It’s the Beast Corpse King!” A voice called out from above.

Both Ji Yanqing and Xia Shen Shu looked up. Someone had climbed a tree not far away and was peering out from a high vantage point.

The tree must have been planted before the virus outbreak. After six months of rapid growth, it was now thicker than a person could embrace, but it was still much smaller and easier to climb than the surrounding trees.

“What’s happening?” Xia Shen Shu called out, looking up at the figure in the tree.

“It seems like it’s fighting with someone, maybe the corpse king from the hospital…” The person paused before adding uncertainly, “It’s hard to say. Looks like it’s been running around, knocking over lots of buildings.”

Xia Shen Shu frowned. The person’s description was too vague.

He looked at the tree. He was thinking about whether he should climb up to take a look. As his eyes moved, he noticed someone clinging to the tree like a frog at the foot of the tree.

The person clinging to the tree was Ji Yanqing. He was trying to climb up to see what was happening in the city. But even though he could easily swing an axe that weighed over eighty pounds, and even though he could keep up with the speed of an Awakened zombie, he obviously didn’t know how to climb trees.

He hugged the tree, climbing up three steps but then sliding down two. After some effort . . . he was almost sitting on the ground.

Seeing this, Ji An and Ji Le, who had followed Ji Yanqing outside, ran over to help. They tried their best to push Ji Yanqing’s legs and butt from below, trying to push him up.

Xia Shen Shu was distracted by this scene when the voice came from above again. This time, the voice was full of tension and fear. “It’s coming! It’s coming!”

“What?” Xia Shen Shu immediately snapped back to his senses.

“The beast corpse king is running towards us!” The person in the tree said as he quickly slid down.

Almost at the same time as he spoke, a violent sound came from the direction of the city.

The sound was very close, almost at the edge of the city.

“Damn it!” Xia Shen Shu cursed.

Ji Yanqing’s chilling voice rang out in the darkness. “Pack up your things! Run!”

Hearing this, the panicked people immediately started moving. They rushed back to the house they had built with quilts, quickly dismantled the quilts, and took out their backpacks.

“There seems to be a person…” the man in the tree said as he jumped down.

“A person?” The image of Feng Yimo’s face appeared in Ji Yanqing’s mind.

Had Feng Yimo come?

Xia Shen Shu also thought of Feng Yimo immediately. He was about to run off while carrying Ji Le, when his eyelids twitched. “That guy brought the beast corpse king here?”

“No…” the man who jumped down from the tree wasn’t sure. “He’s behind the beast corpse king.”

The surroundings were too dark, and the distance was too far. He couldn’t see clearly. For a moment, he even had a strange feeling, as if the beast corpse king was being chased by Feng Yimo.

“Behind?” Xia Shen Shu was speechless. He couldn’t imagine what that scene looked like at all.

“You guys run first. I’ll go take a look!” Ji Yanqing shoved Ji An into Xia Shen Shu’s arms.

After saying that, he ran straight towards the city.

As they hesitated for a moment, the roars were already very close. They could even feel the ground trembling as the beast ran.

Xia Shen Shu glanced at Ji Yanqing’s back as he disappeared into the darkness. He gritted his teeth and, carrying a child in each hand, led the others in the opposite direction.

Ji Yanqing quickly shuttled through the forest. He moved swiftly, and in a short time, he appeared at the edge of the forest bordering the city.

Almost at the same time he reached the edge of the forest, the huge black beast leaped over his head.

Ji Yanqing instinctively looked up and saw the beast’s huge body. His heart clenched.

As he looked back down, a figure was running towards him.

“Feng Yimo?” Ji Yanqing called out. “This way!”

Feng Yimo, who had been running towards him, paused for a moment before running towards Ji Yanqing.

As soon as Feng Yimo got close, Ji Yanqing turned and started running in the direction Xia Shen Shu and the others had gone. “Follow me.”

Feng Yimo glanced at the black beast, which had already run far away, its four legs moving wildly. He sheathed his sword and followed Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing was very fast. In no time, they were far from the edge of the city.

After running for a distance, they vaguely saw Xia Shen Shu and the others in the distance. Ji Yanqing frowned and looked in the direction the beast had gone.

The beast corpse king had leaped over his head and continued running. It had already become very distant in a short period of time.

“Ji Yanqing?” Lan Zi noticed him from ahead, in the forest.

Lan Zi and the others also realized that the beast didn’t seem to have noticed their presence. They were slowing down.

“What’s going on?” Xia Shen Shu stopped and asked.

“I’m not sure.” Ji Yanqing shook his head.

He quickly caught up with the others and stopped as well. He looked again in the direction the beast had left.

The beast had already run to the mountains in the distance. The trees over there were too tall; they couldn’t see it anymore.

They had been spared, for now. The people who had been asleep just a moment ago all had blank expressions.

Ji Yanqing looked at Feng Yimo beside him.

In the darkness, Feng Yimo was also staring in the direction the beast had left. His black eyes were deep and serene, as usual, his face showing no fear at all.

Ji Yanqing frowned and started to get angry. “What’s wrong with you?”

Feng Yimo looked back at him.

“Leaving the team without saying anything...”

“I did say.” Feng Yimo was bewildered. He had said it. He would come back.

“That’s what you call saying something?” The worry in Ji Yanqing’s heart turned into burning anger. “You’ll come back. When will you come back? Where are you going? What are you going to do? Do you know that the city is full of Awakened zombies? There’s even a Corpse King! Did you know I would be worried if you suddenly ran off like that?”

The more Ji Yanqing thought about it, the angrier he got.

He had been worried that something might have happened to Feng Yimo. Now it seemed his worries had been unnecessary. He should have just left Feng Yimo behind instead of waiting here.

He had even been troubled about what to do if Feng Yimo didn’t come back before dawn.

Feng Yimo was now a member of their team. He didn’t want to leave him behind and just go, but he couldn’t let dozens of people wait here with him.

He was troubled. He was worried. And Feng Yimo… Feng Yimo didn’t seem to care at all.

Feng Yimo was stunned. “You were worried about me?”

For some reason, Feng Yimo suddenly felt very good. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously, forming a slight curve.

“You’re happy?”

Ji Yanqing became even angrier. Feng Yimo could still laugh at a time like this?

Feng Yimo didn’t understand why Ji Yanqing was suddenly angry and so fierce, but he didn’t hate this feeling. Under this strange feeling, he lowered his head.

“From now on, you’re not allowed to leave the team without my permission. If you want to go somewhere, you must report to me in advance.” Ji Yanqing’s tone was forceful.

Since they were now a team, he had a responsibility to Feng Yimo.

“Okay.” Feng Yimo looked at Ji Yanqing with his deep black eyes and nodded obediently. He took note of it.

Seeing Feng Yimo’s obedient attitude, the anger that had been burning in Ji Yanqing’s heart subsided a bit.

“Ji Yanqing,” Xia Shen Shu reminded him from the side.

Ji Yanqing glanced at where the beast had left, and then at the others who were still terrified. “Let’s go.”

They didn’t know what had happened to the beast corpse king, but it was definitely impossible for them to go back now.

Ji Yanqing led the way, walking forward.

“Aowuuu!” The black beast hugged its tail and looked at its tip, which had been shaved bare. It was heartbroken.

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