AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Because he had a terrible sense of direction!

Before Ji Yanqing could even react, Feng Yimo’s entire weight fell into his arms.

He steadied him. “Are you okay?”

That flower field could make them lose control of their bodies and cause hallucinations, but the hallucinogenic effects didn’t affect everyone. As far as he knew, only a few people in the team had experienced them.

He was one of them, and so was Lan Zi.

Besides that, could the scent of the flower field also make people feel drunk?

Come to think of it, Feng Yimo really had seemed fine when everyone else had collapsed before. It was fortunate that he had been fine. Otherwise, they would still be lying there, motionless.

The effects of the flower field might not just be to make them lose control of their bodies. If they were exposed for a long time, if they inhaled too much of it, their breathing and heartbeat might even stop.

Feng Yimo had saved their lives this time.

Being asked, Feng Yimo’s head lolled, rubbing against Ji Yanqing’s chest.

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath, wrapped his arms around Feng Yimo’s burning chest, and pulled him up, letting him lean on his shoulder as he took him back to the tent.

Feng Yimo was very obedient. His black eyes were earnest and dark. Aside from occasionally stumbling because his legs weren’t working properly, he was almost no different from usual.

When he brought Feng Yimo back to the tent, everyone’s attention was still on the three guns.

After entering the tent, Xia Shen Shu took the three guns and tried to match them with the assortment of random bullets the group had scavenged, hoping they could be used.

After Mo Xian and the other two handed over their guns, they also handed over their bullets. But they hadn’t had many to begin with. All three of them together only had about twenty rounds.

Fortunately, the three guns were all different models. More than twenty of the dozens of rounds they hadn’t been able to use could be used with two of the guns.

Xia Shen Shu briefly explained to the three people who had just received guns the things they needed to pay attention to when shooting, then counted out some bullets and gave them to them to keep.

When he was done and started telling everyone to settle down and sleep, Ji Yanqing had already brought Feng Yimo into the tent, to where Ji An and Ji Le were.

The two little ones, who were used to sleeping after dark, were already a little sleepy after a tiring day. Seeing him return, they hurriedly moved closer.

The spot Ji Yanqing chose was near the edge of the tent, where it was cooler. But it was also more convenient for him to take care of Ji An and Ji Le.

“Papa…” Ji Le rubbed his eyes sleepily.

Ji Yanqing pulled his hand away, stopping him. “Go to sleep.”

After that, he looked back at Feng Yimo, who was sitting beside him, staring at him motionlessly. Feng Yimo, who seemed drunk, wasn’t making any noise at all. He was incredibly well-behaved.

Ji Yanqing patted the spot next to him. “Go to sleep too. You can sleep here.”

Feng Yimo usually found an empty spot to stay by himself and rarely crowded together with other people.

Hearing that they could sleep, Ji An and Ji Le immediately moved closer to Ji Yanqing, one on each side, wanting to sleep next to him.

Ji An went to Ji Yanqing’s left side, but just as he was about to lie down, he was picked up by the collar.

Feng Yimo put him on Ji Yanqing’s other side and then lay down himself in the spot Ji An had just been lying in, next to Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing had just given this spot to him.

His spot taken, Ji An, sitting on the ground, stared at him with wide, black eyes, astonished.

He looked at Ji Le, who had also sat up.

The two little ones exchanged glances and, looking over Ji Yanqing, who was lying down facing them, stared incredulously at Feng Yimo lying behind him.

Feng Yimo ignored them.

Since Ji Yanqing had given this spot to him, it was his. No one could take it.

Lying behind Ji Yanqing, feeling the warmth from his body, he closed his eyes contentedly.

Being ignored, Ji An and Ji Le looked at each other again. Their eyes were full of disdain. Feng Yimo was already so old, and he still wanted to sleep next to Papa. When they were his age, they already slept by themselves.

And Ji Yanqing was their papa!

“What’s…” Ji Yanqing, who was lying down, was wondering why they had gotten up again when he sensed movement behind him.

Turning his head, he met Feng Yimo’s eyes, they were so close that the tip of his nose almost touched his ear.

The night was nearly pitch black, but a faint light still outlined his features. His eyes were closed, his long, curly eyelashes looking even thicker while he was asleep, making him look less cold and more peaceful.

Feng Yimo had already closed his eyes, seeming very satisfied with the spot he had claimed. Ji Yanqing, smelling his scent, felt his breath hitch.

He looked away and pulled Ji An and Ji Le, who were pouting, down to lie next to him. “Go to sleep.”

They obediently lay down side by side. In the darkness, the two little ones, lying next to each other, exchanged a look. The sleepiness in their eyes was gone, replaced by vigilance.

Was Feng Yimo trying to steal Ji Yanqing away?

They held hands in the darkness. They would never let Feng Yimo take Ji Yanqing away.

Ji Yanqing was theirs.

Ji Yanqing had the two little ones lie down and covered them with his clothes. By the time he lay back down between them, Feng Yimo was already breathing evenly in his sleep.

He was deeply “drunk.”

Ji Yanqing couldn’t help looking over.

Feng Yimo was usually very alert. He himself was a very alert person, but he didn’t think he had ever seen Feng Yimo actually sleep in front of them before. He usually just closed his eyes and rested.

As he was spacing out, looking at Feng Yimo’s face, he heard footsteps approaching them in the darkness. At the same time, Feng Yimo frowned.

Ji Yanqing looked back at the person approaching.

It was Xia Shen Shu. The tent was full, and there was only a little space left next to Ji An and Ji Le.

He waved at the two little ones and lay down.

When Ji Yanqing looked back at Feng Yimo again, he was still frowning. His muscles even tensed when Xia Shen Shu lay down.

He didn’t like strangers getting too close to him, especially when he was asleep.

Ji Yanqing moved, tentatively holding his wrist.

His frown relaxed slightly, and his tense muscles also eased. He turned his face towards Ji Yanqing, wanting to get closer.

Ji Yanqing was speechless. Feng Yimo was fierce, yet surprisingly easy to please.

Not long after lying down, everyone in the tent fell asleep. Ji Yanqing, listening to the breathing of the one adult and two children on either side of him, also fell asleep.

As dawn broke, the moment the people who had been keeping watch outside entered the tent, Ji Yanqing woke up immediately.

Feng Yimo woke up at the same time.

Ji Yanqing looked at him in the faint light. “You can sleep a little longer.”

Feng Yimo opened his eyes in the darkness. He was bewildered for a moment, then his eyes cleared.

He turned his head slightly and saw Ji Yanqing lying beside him, their shoulders touching. He held his breath, as if he didn’t understand why he was lying here.

He didn’t get up and leave, but lay there with his eyes open for a long time, until Ji Yanqing thought it was about time and got up to wake everyone up.

They had to get back to the railway as soon as possible and then reach the next village to replenish their food and water.

Villages were different from cities. They were limited in size. If they were unlucky and the village had already been looted by another survival team, they might come up empty-handed, and the next village was often far away.

At dawn, after quickly eating and drinking, they set off again.

After leaving the forest, they didn’t approach the flower field, but kept their distance as they walked forward.

After leaving the wasteland, the next area was one full of rolling hills.

There were hills everywhere, not very high, and not very densely packed. Some of them even had trees growing on them. The trees, which had mutated and become enormous, practically dwarfed the hills, looking very strange.

They walked in the snow for more than three hours, until most of the snow melted and the dark yellow ground was exposed, until they were far enough away from the flower field. Only then did they start moving towards the right again.

They were lucky. At a little after eight, they saw a railway up ahead.

There were signs of human activity along this section of the railway. It must have merged with another railway while they had been taking the detour before.

Ji Yanqing didn’t know anything about railways, but Li Pingsen, who had often gone to play on the tracks as a child, declared that it must have been a freight railway.

Seeing signs of human activity, everyone became incredibly alert. Where there were people, there were zombies.

The area they were currently in was full of hills and trees. If they weren’t careful, even one ordinary zombie suddenly lunging at them would be enough to put them in danger.

On the way, they passed an unmanned railway platform. Ji Yanqing stopped to look at the map. The next village wasn’t far from the platform.

Estimating the distance, he led them forward at a faster pace. At around ten o’clock, when the weather was incredibly hot, they saw a village.

Approaching the village, everyone couldn’t help swallowing as they looked at it from afar.

This village was different from the villages they had been to before.

The village had five or six hundred households and was not far from the railway. There was even a platform near the village, but there was no passage for passengers to get on or off the train. The railway must have indeed been a freight line, as Li Pingsen had said.

The village was built at the foot of a mountain. Probably because of crustal movement, half of the village and half of the mountain had collapsed several meters downwards, and the collapsed area had filled with water.

Everyone swallowed because of the large pool, which was almost a thousand square meters.

They were all thirsty, but no one was ecstatic to see the pool. The water in it clearly had a problem.

The traces of the collapse were fresh, and the parts of the buildings submerged in the water also looked new. It was clear that the collapse had occurred after the virus outbreak. That meant that, at most, it had only been half a year.

But in just half a year, the water was already full of lush green aquatic plants.

The dark green color of the water, and the round leaves of the plants, the size of thumbs, made the entire pool look like something from the depths of a mountain forest, completely at odds with the brand-new buildings with their tiled exterior walls that were submerged in it.

Without Ji Yanqing saying anything, Li Pingsen took a few people with guns and slowly approached the half of the village that wasn’t submerged.

The weather was incredibly hot. Their skin burned under the sun.

They approached quickly, seeking shelter from the heat.

As soon as they stepped into the house Li Pingsen had chosen, they couldn’t help frowning.

The entire building had obvious signs of having been ransacked, and not just by one group of people.

They quickly exchanged glances. Disappointment filled their eyes. If this village had already been looted many times, then the chances of them finding any food or water were slim.

Disappointed, they still quickly entered the house.

After entering and locking the door, they all found places to sit down.

Ji Yanqing had people take out food and water to distribute. He went outside for a walk while they were eating.

There weren’t many zombies in the village. The doors of every house were wide open, and the living rooms they could see were all messy. The village had obviously been looted by many people. There was practically no chance of them finding any food or water here.

After walking around the village, Ji Yanqing approached the pool.

The ground had collapsed very suddenly, sinking down several meters at once. Standing at the edge, looking down at the pool, he could clearly see the break in the dark green water.

He looked at the water for a while, then found a long, thin bamboo pole in a nearby yard that had been half-collapsed. He scooped up some aquatic plants from the water and put them on the ground.

The ground was incredibly hot from the sun. The moment the plants were put down, there was a sizzling sound, as if they had been put on a hot pan.

He used the bamboo pole to spread them out and take a look. The plants were somewhat like clover, but much larger. Each leaf was as big as an adult’s thumb.

They were obviously mutated.

The water couldn’t be drunk. Even if they boiled it, no one could guarantee that the high temperature would kill the seeds. If they drank it, the seeds might sprout in their flesh.

When Ji Yanqing returned to the house they were resting in, everyone was already eating. They all looked at him as he entered.

He shook his head and went to sit down next to Ji An and Ji Le.

Everyone guessed that he had gone to check on the water. Seeing him shake his head, they couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Ji An and Ji Le had already received their rations, but they had been waiting for Ji Yanqing to return, so they hadn’t eaten yet.

The weather was too hot. Everyone was muddled from the heat. No one spoke, and the house was silent.

After eating, they found places to sleep.

As soon as the hottest time of the day, between ten and eleven o’clock, passed, they started moving again.

Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi, whose wounds were gradually healing, took part of the team to the village. Even though they knew that the village had been looted countless times and there was unlikely to be anything left, they weren’t willing to just leave like this.

They didn’t have much food and water left. If they couldn’t replenish their supplies within three days, they would run out.

In this weather, not having food was fine, but if they ran out of water, they would surely die within two days.

The village itself wasn’t big, and half of it was submerged. They only needed to search about two hundred houses. The search ended in half an hour.

Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi did bring some things back: a large bag of loose noodles that might have expired, two bags of low-gluten flour for making bread, and some odds and ends.

Some of the odds and ends were things they could eat directly, but the noodles and flour needed water to cook. They already had quite a bit of that kind of stuff. They wouldn’t use water to cook those things unless they had no other choice.

They were all dejected for not being able to find food and water. But they had grown accustomed to disappointment, so no one showed it.

After putting everything away and having a few people carry it, everyone looked at the sun outside, which was still blindingly bright, and then at Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing was staring blankly at the left side of the yard.

“What’s wrong?” Xia Shen Shu looked over.

The people who had searched the village before hadn’t even spared the yards. The ground was covered with all kinds of odds and ends: clothes, plastic bags, cups, pens…

There was a truck parked on the main road near the entrance to the village. It was a large truck used for transporting goods.

Its cab was red. It was almost ten meters long. The cargo bed was made of a metal frame and canvas. From their angle, they could see that the cargo bed was completely empty.

“It will take at least three days to get to the next village from here,” Ji Yanqing said.

Three days. Just about the time they would run out of food and water.

“So?”

“We’ll drive.” He looked back at everyone.

Hearing this, they were all stunned.

The word “drive” was both unfamiliar and familiar to them. For a moment, it even felt like they had returned to the days before the virus outbreak.

Ji Yanqing pointed at the truck in the distance. “The villages around here are very far apart. As long as we’re careful, we shouldn’t attract too many zombies. We only have enough food for three days. If the next village has been looted as well, then we’re as good as dead. We have to travel fast and shorten the time.”

Everyone was worried about food, and they had all thought about the possibility that the next village would also be looted.

“The problem is how to find the keys,” Ji Yanqing said.

There were about two hundred houses left in this village. It was impossible for them to search every one. Even if they had the time and energy, the keys might have fallen into the water with the landslide.

“I… I can fix cars,” someone in the team raised their hand.

Ji Yanqing looked over. It was a thin man. Being stared at by everyone, he scratched his head, embarrassed. “I used to like studying vehicles, so I tried modifying them myself.”

“Rich kid?” Li Pingsen scrutinized him. Being able to play around with car modifications… you had to have some family money.

“Well they were…bicycles.” The man blushed. “But I’ve studied how to start cars without keys.”

“Are you sure you can do it?” Ji Yanqing asked.

“…Maybe.”

Hearing his unconfident answer, not only Ji Yanqing, but everyone else in the house was silent.

The man wanted to say something else, but he swallowed the words. He really wasn’t very confident. And that was all half a year ago.

Ji Yanqing thought about it. “Go get ready.”

This was a gamble. If they could successfully start the truck and drive away, they might be able to reach the next village tomorrow. That way, even if there was no food or water in the next village, they would still have the chance to go and find it elsewhere.

If they couldn’t start it, they would have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario of reaching the village, only to find no supplies.

“I saw quite a few cars in the village. I’ll take some people to see how much gas is left,” Li Pingsen said excitedly.

“What about the radiator?”

“Isn’t there water right next door? We’re not going to drink it anyway.” Lan Zi pointed at the pool next to the village.

The water and gas problems were solved. All that was left was the truck. “I’ll go see if the truck is drivable.”

The truck was at the entrance to the village, where the view was wide. There were also many zombies nearby. If they wanted to drive the truck away, they would have to deal with those zombies.

The group went their separate ways. In a short while, only ten or so people were left in the hall.

Ji Yanqing led them towards the entrance to the village. Their main problem with driving the truck away was the zombies.

Approaching, he had the others hide at the corner and went over to Xia Shen Shu.

Xia Shen Shu had already made his way to a spot behind the truck.

When he approached, Xia Shen Shu turned around. Recognizing Ji Yanqing, he pointed to the entrance to the village, just past the corner.

The truck was parked on the left side of the main road leading into the village, its rear end right next to the village gate.

They had seen the gate from afar earlier. It was a fairly large square, with some fitness equipment. The square had the most zombies in the entire village.

Ji Yanqing quietly approached the corner and looked at the square.

Most of the people in the square were middle-aged or elderly. There were even some playing cards scattered on the ground under a sunshade on the left side. When the virus broke out, many people had been playing cards and watching the excitement at the village gate.

After looking at the square, he glanced at the truck on the left.

Up close, the truck looked even bigger. It could easily hold seventy or eighty people. It didn’t look like an abandoned vehicle. The tires were intact. It should be drivable.

Ji Yanqing looked away.

They quickly walked back to the others.

After getting away from the square, Xia Shen Shu picked up a stone and squatted down, drawing a rough map of the square and the location of the truck on the ground.

There was practically nothing to provide cover between the square and the truck, and the square connected with several main roads in the village. Although half of the village was now submerged, if they made too much noise, they could still attract close to a thousand zombies.

There were only fifty or so of them. If that really happened, they might not be able to escape.

Ordinary zombies weren’t as terrifying as Awakened zombies or Corpse Kings, but it didn’t mean they weren’t scary.

Even ants could kill a human if there were enough of them, let alone a horde of zombies who couldn’t think or reason, and would only attack frantically, infecting anyone they bit with the virus.

“Make some noise to distract them?” Xia Shen Shu suggested.

Ji Yanqing didn’t speak, only staring at the map on the ground. Xia Shen Shu was talking about their only option, but the question was, how should they make noise?

It couldn’t be too loud or too soft. If it was too soft, it wouldn’t be able to attract all the zombies. If it was too loud, they might alert all the zombies in the entire village. And after making noise, how would they get away from the zombies that had been attracted?

Those zombies couldn’t think, but there were too many of them. Once they entered their field of vision, they would immediately become the target of a group attack.

“If nothing else works, we can go into the mountains and fire a shot, lure all the zombies there, and then drive away while they’re distracted,” someone in the team suggested.

“If the whole mountain is full of zombies, how do you plan to get back?” Xia Shen Shu asked.

The person thought about it and didn’t say anything.

Although there were trees everywhere in the forest, the trees blocked their view as well as the zombies’. In that kind of environment, with so many zombies scattered around, it would be even harder to hide.

Ji Yanqing looked at the buildings around them. Compared to the forest, the houses in the village were obviously easier to hide in.

“I’m going to take a look around. You go see if the others are back yet,” he said.

Xia Shen Shu glanced at him and then turned and walked towards the house where they had been resting before.

One group had already come back. It was Lan Zi’s team, who had gone to collect water.

Because they didn’t know what was wrong with that water, they had found plastic gloves and carried several large buckets back, collecting the water while wearing the gloves and using the buckets.

Li Pingsen and the others hadn’t come back yet.

They were in charge of getting gas, which was more troublesome than getting water.

Many families in the village had cars, but most of them were parked in their garages or in front of their houses. It wasn’t easy to get close to them without alerting the zombies inside the houses and yards.

After waiting in the house for a while without seeing them return, Xia Shen Shu decided to take Lan Zi and the others to find them.

When they found them, they had only collected less than half a bucket of gas. The gas tanks of the cars had all dried up from the high temperature. They had only been able to get this much after siphoning gas from four cars.

Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, and the others joined them, and they split up.

There were quite a few zombies in the village, but it was still different from a city. At most, there were only five or six people living in each house. As long as they didn’t make too much noise, it shouldn’t be a problem.

By the time they returned to the house, Ji Yanqing was already there waiting for them.

He took off his backpack and put it aside. He was wrapping cloth around his hands. Most of the injuries on his hands from before were almost healed.

Seeing him get ready like this, Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, and the others, who had been smiling because they had found gas, quickly understood what he was going to do. The smiles on their faces disappeared.

“I can only hold them off for three minutes at most,” Ji Yanqing said.

Lan Zi’s gloved hand clenched into a fist. Her nails were practically piercing through her gloves, digging into her palm. She hated seeing him risk his life.

“Three minutes. We can definitely start the truck in three minutes,” Xia Shen Shu said, taking a deep breath and forcing a smile.

Ji Yanqing’s strength, speed, and explosive power were all among the best in the entire team, which was why he was the captain.

Li Pingsen and the others, who had joined the team earlier, understood what they were talking about. They all had grim expressions.

This wasn’t the first time Ji Yanqing had risked his life.

Mo Xian and the others who had joined later vaguely understood. Their expressions were complicated and surprised. If they had still been in Xue Gang’s team, Xue Gang would definitely be picking people from the team with a gun in his hand now.

Ji Yanqing secured the last bit of cloth, and then looked at Ji An and Ji Le.

They had also vaguely understood what he was going to do. They held hands, their faces pale, their eyes full of worry. But they didn’t cry or make a fuss to try to stop him. They had always been well-behaved.

Ji Yanqing touched their heads.

After making preparations, they carried the water and gas, avoiding the zombies, and headed towards the entrance of the village.

Because there were so many of them, it took some time for them to reach the corner where they had been observing the square earlier.

When everyone had taken their positions, Ji Yanqing looked back at the people hiding at the corner. He took a deep breath, and then, axe in hand, quickly walked towards the square.

Turning the corner, he was exposed to the eyes of the zombies in the square.

He didn’t immediately turn and run. Instead, he walked towards the center of the square, unhurried.

Upon reaching the village center, Ji Yanqing raised his left hand and whistled sharply, fingers pressed against his lips. 

The clear, piercing sound acted as a trigger. The zombies in the square, momentarily confused by his sudden appearance, snapped to attention and surged towards him.

His right hand, gripping his axe, swung with practiced ease. As the first two zombies closed in, he brought the axe down in a swift arc, shattering their skulls.

Only then did he turn and sprint towards his planned escape route.

As he ran, a zombie lunged at him from the side.

Before he could react, a flash of silver sliced through the air behind him, severing the zombie’s head from its body.

Ji Yanqing didn’t look back, but a smile tugged at his lips.

He weaved through the horde of zombies, disappearing into an alley on the left. He navigated the village's maze-like alleyways with practiced ease, leading the frenzied zombies on a chaotic chase. 

His speed was remarkable. Few zombies could keep pace with him, and he effortlessly dodged those that lunged at him from the front or sides.

Feng Yimo was a seamless partner. He moved swiftly, cutting down the zombies that got too close, even finding time to strike at others that weren't directly in their path. 

He seemed particularly displeased with these zombies’ relentless pursuit.

They zigzagged through the narrow alleys, passing house after house. The number of zombies trailing them swelled to nearly a hundred.

Ji Yanqing's movements began to lose their fluidity. His pace slowed as he dodged the relentless onslaught.

Barely 30 seconds had passed.

Meanwhile, at the village entrance, the team sprang into action as soon as Ji Yanqing led the zombies away. They rushed towards the truck, filling the radiator, the gas tank, starting the engine, and posting lookouts.

Everything was executed flawlessly, except for starting the engine.

“Can you do it or not?!” Xia Shen Shu barked, his face grim, as he watched the thin man drop the wires for the second time, his hands trembling uncontrollably. 

The thin man, his face drained of color, remained silent. He quickly retrieved the wires and used a lighter to burn off the insulation.

“How is it —” Lan Zi approached, having finished filling the radiator.

Hearing her voice, the man’s hand jerked again, nearly dropping the wires once more. Xia Shen Shu’s jaw tightened.

“Get in the truck!” Lan Zi instructed, ignoring the struggling man and turning to address the others.

The group, their backpacks already on, their nerves stretched to the breaking point, scrambled into the truck. Those who climbed in first reached down to help their companions up.

Within seconds, everyone was inside.

After confirming that Ji An and Ji Le were safely crouched inside, Lan Zi returned to the front of the truck. The engine remained stubbornly silent.

Xia Shen Shu stood outside, his face dark, his heart pounding. Not urging the man further was already pushing the limits of his patience. 

But as each second ticked by, the commotion in the village growing louder and louder, the man's panic escalated. 

He was on the verge of tears.

He hadn’t fully grasped the gravity of the situation when he’d volunteered. Now, the terrifying possibilities flooded his mind: what if he couldn't start the engine? What if Ji Yanqing died? What if they were discovered?

“He’s already killed two Awakened zombies,” a woman's voice cut through the tense silence. 

Both the man struggling with the engine and Xia Shen Shu turned to look.

Lan Zi smiled, the scar on her left cheek making her expression appear both unsettling and fierce, but her eyes were soft. “Sometimes, even I find it hard to believe.”

“Awakened zombies?” the man in the driver's seat mumbled, his head still bowed as he worked. He’d never heard of anyone killing an Awakened zombie before. 

Their only encounter with that monstrous Corpse King, back when they were with Xue Gang’s team, had left them devastated. 

“Mhm,” Lan Zi confirmed with a smile. “He even killed one all by himself.”

She paused, then added with a chuckle, as if recalling a fond memory, “Actually, I killed one too.”

The man looked up in astonishment.

Lan Zi… had killed an Awakened zombie?

Lan Zi met Xia Shen Shu’s gaze. “Ask him if you don’t believe me.”

Despite the element of luck involved, it was a feat worth boasting about. 

If it weren’t for Ji Yanqing, she would have already spread the story far and wide. But compared to his accomplishments, hers seemed insignificant.

He'd never bothered to keep track of how many Awakened zombies he'd slain.

“Vroom…” The sudden roar of the engine cut their conversation short. 

The man’s face twitched, his forehead slick with sweat, his eyes red-rimmed. He had been close to tears.

He looked up at Xia Shen Shu.

Xia Shen Shu, at his wit's end, slammed the truck door shut. “Let’s go!”

“What about Ji Yanqing…?”

“Start driving first!” Xia Shen Shu ordered, his voice firm.

The moment the engine sputtered to life, Lan Zi dashed to the back of the truck, grabbed the railing, and swiftly pulled herself up.

After slapping the driver’s side door, Xia Shen Shu sprinted to the back as well. 

He was hauled into the truck just as it began to move. He checked the time. Exactly three minutes.

The truck lurched forward hesitantly. The driver was clearly still unnerved.

Xia Shen Shu, his anxiety mounting, slammed his fist against the metal railing. “Drive faster!” 

The driver, startled by the bang and the low growl from behind him, glanced at the rearview mirror, gritted his teeth, and pressed the accelerator to the floor.

Trucks didn't accelerate as quickly as cars. Even with the pedal floored, it took time to gain speed.

Just as the truck was about to reach its maximum speed, everyone, including the driver, couldn't help but glance back. Ji Yanqing was still nowhere in sight.

Ji An and Ji Le, crouched inside the truck, stood up anxiously. They looked at Xia Shen Shu and the others, who were positioned at the back of the truck with their guns raised. Weren’t they going to wait for Ji Yanqing?

But Xia Shen Shu and the others weren't looking at them. Their eyes were fixed on the road leading into the village.

The truck’s engine roared, alerting the zombies in the village. They began to converge on the sound.

One, two, five… The number of pursuing zombies grew, the village receded, the truck neared its top speed… 

Suddenly, two figures burst out from the village gate.

Ji Yanqing and Feng Yimo were sprinting towards them, one after the other.

Relief washed over the occupants of the truck. They had been holding their breath, their limbs tense with fear. Now, blood rushed back into their faces, leaving them weak.

Nearly three hundred zombies were hot on their heels, a relentless horde pouring from the square and the rooftops.

Their eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger as they lunged and snapped, their throats emitting guttural roars.

“This way!” Xia Shen Shu tossed his gun into the truck, grabbed the railing with one hand, and extended the other towards Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing dodged the zombies pursuing the truck and, gritting his teeth, surged forward, closing the remaining 50 meters in a burst of speed.

His explosive power was astonishing. He covered over 10 meters in an instant. In less than a second, he reached the truck.

Xia Shen Shu leaned out, grabbed his hand, and pulled him up.

Ji Yanqing, working in tandem with the pull, jumped. He used the side of the truck to propel himself upward and landed inside.

“This way!” Li Pingsen extended his hand to Feng Yimo.

Feng Yimo dispatched a zombie that was relentlessly pursuing them, attempting to reach Ji Yanqing. He sheathed his sword, accelerated, and leaped onto the truck in one swift move. 

Seeing both of them safely aboard, the tension in the truck dissipated. Color returned to their pale faces, replaced by relieved smiles.

Almost simultaneously, the truck hit its top speed, surging forward like a projectile.

“Those zombies are catching up,” someone shouted from inside the truck.

Their moment of elation vanished as they looked back. The commotion had attracted even more zombies from the village, their numbers swelling to four or five hundred.

They were closing in like a relentless tide, their frenzied movements sending chills down their spines despite the distance. 

Xia Chen instinctively raised his gun.

Ji Yanqing pushed the barrel down. “Don’t shoot.”

Gunfire would only attract more zombies from the surrounding area.

Lan Zi made her way to the front of the truck and banged on the metal wall near the cab. “Drive faster!”

The driver, seeing Ji Yanqing safely onboard, felt some of the color return to his face. He gritted his teeth and kept his foot firmly on the accelerator.

Zombies, drawn by the noise, blocked the road ahead. He closed his eyes and plowed through them.

The truck’s weight easily sent the zombies flying. Those that didn’t react in time were crushed beneath the tires.

Maintaining their top speed, they sped down the road. Within minutes, they had outpaced the horde, leaving the village far behind.

As they entered a flat, wooded area, devoid of zombies, smiles returned to the faces of those who had been jolted by the rough ride.

Ji Yanqing, finally able to relax his vigilance, let out a breath and turned to check on Ji An and Ji Le.

The two boys, their faces still pale, clung tightly to the railing on the side of the truck, their bodies crouched low.

They had been barely two years old when the outbreak occurred, with few memories of riding in vehicles. The recent crash had understandably shaken them.

“It’s okay,” Ji Yanqing reassured them, placing his axe down and sitting beside them.

The two boys, who had been gripping the railing as if their lives depended on it, immediately launched themselves at Ji Yanqing, burying their faces in his clothes. 

He held them close, shielding them from the wind. 

Feeling safe in his embrace, their color gradually returned. They cautiously peeked out, their eyes wide as they took in the interior of the truck.

The truck had likely been used for transporting goods before the outbreak, though the exact nature of the cargo was unknown. Two plastic boxes remained in a corner.

The truck bed had a half-meter high wall, above which were metal bars and a canvas covering. The canvas only extended over the roof, leaving the sides open. As the truck sped along, the wind whipped through the vehicle. 

“Hu…” Someone leaned into the wind, taking a deep breath.

The action, the sound, triggered a wave of nostalgia among the passengers. They forgot the danger they had just escaped and turned their faces to the wind.

“Ah!”

“Ah…”

“Waaa…”

“Haha…”

The wind carried away their sweat and the oppressive heat. Even though they knew it would dehydrate them faster, they couldn't resist the momentary coolness.

They laughed and shouted, letting out unrestrained whoops of joy.

Riding in a vehicle, feeling the wind in their hair… it felt like a relic from a past life.

Ji Yanqing, witnessing their unadulterated joy, couldn’t help but smile. 

Seeing his smile, Ji An and Ji Le, who had been clinging to him, grew bolder. They poked their heads above the railing, their eyes wide with wonder as they took in the passing scenery.

The truck sped onward, the landscape blurring into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. It was a sight only those who had traveled in vehicles before could appreciate. For the two boys, who were accustomed to a slower pace, it was a novel experience.

They looked around curiously, even daring to touch the truck’s surface.

Ji Yanqing chuckled, then noticed another hand beside them, its fingers long and slender.

He looked over.

Feng Yimo was studying the truck, a flicker of confusion in his dark eyes. It seemed he had never encountered a vehicle before. He touched the wall, then the floor, his expression serious, as if analyzing a new type of Corpse King, assessing its strengths and weaknesses.

The wind picked up, ruffling Ji Yanqing's already curly hair. The world seemed vibrant and full of possibilities.

Ji Yanqing’s smile was radiant.

Feng Yimo, his attention on the truck, looked up and met Ji Yanqing’s gaze, his hair tousled by the wind, his smile warm and inviting. He felt a strange warmth spread through him.

The sunlight illuminated Ji Yanqing's face, making his messy hair appear soft and fluffy, his pink lips inviting, his skin flawless and translucent like jade. 

But it was his amber eyes, sparkling with mirth and focused solely on him, that captured Feng Yimo’s attention.

For a moment, nothing else mattered. The world narrowed down to those captivating eyes.

“Papa,” two small voices interrupted the moment.

Feng Yimo blinked, his gaze dropping to two pairs of hostile eyes staring up at him.

Ji An and Ji Le stood protectively on either side of Ji Yanqing, glaring at Feng Yimo.

They knew Feng Yimo wanted to steal Ji Yanqing away, and they wouldn’t allow it.

He was a grown-up. Grown-ups should sleep and eat alone. Even if they were scared, they shouldn’t whine like children.

If he wanted a papa to cuddle with, he could find his own!

Ji Yanqing was theirs.

...

In the grassland, where the road stretched to the horizon, the badger-like Awakened zombie, whose tail had been bitten off, suddenly stopped after running for two or three days, finally leaving its territory. It looked at the small forest to the right.

Its pupils contracted, and it trembled from the bottom of its heart.

There was something over there that was even more powerful than it, something that made its scalp tingle just from its presence, something that was about to surpass even a Corpse King.

A huge beast with black fur walked out of the forest. It had already noticed the badger-like Awakened zombie running towards it.

It had completely digested the four Awakened zombies it had eaten in the previous city. It was only a hair’s breadth away from evolving into something even more powerful than a Corpse King.

“Wu…” The Awakened zombie, with its badger-like form but covered in scales, whimpered in fear.

It trembled, turning its head. It didn’t want to be eaten, but even if it struggled, it probably wouldn’t be able to escape. The creature in front of it was far too powerful.

“Ao…” The black beast, now an even more formidable Beast Corpse King, narrowed its eyes slightly. It could read the thoughts of the Awakened zombie. The huge gap between their levels made the badger-like zombie like an open book.

“Grraah!” The Awakened zombie’s eyes were blood red, full of despair and madness.

It would never just lie down and be eaten! It wouldn’t accept it!

It forced itself to stand up, despite the invisible pressure, and raised its tail, ready to attack.

The Beast Corpse King’s gaze, full of contempt, rested on its raised tail. The tip of the tail, which should have been covered in scales, had been shaved bare. There was a small tooth mark on the exposed flesh.

“Wuuuwuuu...” Being reminded, the Awakened zombie remembered the fear of almost being eaten before. For a moment, it even forgot its current situation and quickly tucked its tail under its belly.

A breeze blew past, and the Beast Corpse King’s mind went blank, its eyes unfocused.

“Guhhr…” The Awakened zombie bared its teeth and slowly backed away, trying to escape.

Hearing the noise, the Beast Corpse King glanced at it, completely losing interest in eating it. Its eyes unfocused, it walked towards the small forest.

The Awakened zombie was stunned. It was still terrified. Then it noticed the tail tucked between the Beast Corpse King’s legs. That big, fluffy tail… had no tip!

The fur at the tip of its tail had been cleanly shaved off, the pink skin a pitifully 

The Awakened zombie’s pupils contracted sharply.

Understanding what it was thinking, the Beast Corpse King quickly hid its tail under its belly.

It turned around, baring its teeth. The instant their eyes met, they saw the bitterness in each other’s eyes and suddenly came to a silent understanding.

You were also almost eaten by another Corpse King?

Eaten? No.

Then what happened to you?

…Little badger, there’s something in this world that’s much more terrifying than a Corpse King.

What is it?

…A guy with a terrible sense of direction.

Is he nearby?

No.

Then why are you afraid of him?

The Beast Corpse King’s eyes were unfocused.

Because he had a terrible sense of direction!

Who knew where he would suddenly pop out from?!

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