AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Should he hide under the car?

While Ji Yanqing was occupied with Ji Le, a knock came at the door. Xia Shen Shu and the others had returned, their playful mood evaporated after Ji Le’s sudden faint. Ji Yanqing carefully pried open Ji Le’s fingers, which were tightly gripping his own, and rose to open the door.

“How is he?” Lan Zi’s face was etched with worry.

Ji Yanqing shook his head.

The group quickly entered.

“I’m going to the church.” Ji Yanqing glanced at Ji Le on the ground, whose brows were furrowed in anxious sleep, as if disturbed by his absence.

“Wait, we’re going too.” Xia Shen Shu swiftly changed into clean clothes and grabbed his gun.

Li Pingsen and the others followed suit, arming themselves and falling in line.

Ji Yanqing, though impatient, waited. This wasn’t just about Ji Le; it was their first real interaction with another survival team since forming their own. Xia Shen Shu selected five others to accompany them.

Once ready, Ji Yanqing led the way to the church. The church was close, a mere two or three-minute walk from the bank. As they reached the back door, muffled voices drifted from within.

Ji Yanqing knocked.

The voices ceased. Footsteps followed, then the door creaked open. A seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy from Lü Qing’s team stood there, gun in hand.

Ji Yanqing’s gaze shot past him, taking in the scene within.

Lü Qing, acknowledging the new arrivals, had the church’s front doors opened. Brilliant sunlight poured in, chasing away the shadows and illuminating half the hall. A sizable crowd stood bathed in the entryway’s sun. Ji Yanqing estimated a hundred and fifty or sixty people, mostly men aged thirteen to forty, with fewer women, and a conspicuous absence of children or the elderly.

At the forefront stood twenty men in identical black suits. Each held a gun, muzzle pointed uniformly left, faces obscured by expressionless mirrored shades. They resembled a scene straight out of a gangster film.

Before them, in the very center of the doorway, stood a tall, thin, bald man in black clothing, a tattooed design sprawling across his back. The tattoo, a dragon, looked hastily done, its lines rough and uneven, resembling a caterpillar more than a mythical beast.

The suited men flanked the bald man with a practiced precision that gave Ji Yanqing pause. They don’t look too bright, he thought dryly. Xue Gang had put on similar displays of power, but nothing this theatrical.

“You’ve arrived just in time,” Lü Qing greeted him with a smile. He seemed unfazed by the ostentatious display, likely accustomed to such theatrics.

Ji Yanqing caught Xia Shen Shu mimicking the guards’ stiff posture and stifled a laugh. Ignoring him, Ji Yanqing took a deep breath, reminding himself that the apocalypse bred eccentricities. He stepped into the church.

“Ji Yanqing,” Lü Qing said, introducing him to the bald man first.

As they crossed the church and entered the sunlight, Ji Yanqing’s naturally curly hair seemed to brighten, his eyes clear and sharp. His high nose bridge and long, curling lashes cast shadows on his face, accentuated by the slight redness of his lips. The overall effect was striking, a delicate beauty framed by strength.

The bald man stared, momentarily stunned, not with disdain but with an oddly friendly smile. Ji Yanqing returned a polite nod.“This is Hei LongLiterally ‘Black Dragon’ ,” Lü Qing said. It sounded less like a name and more like a self-proclaimed title.

After the perfunctory introductions and an exchange of pleasantries about their respective teams and arrival times, Lü Qing expressed his hope for amicable relations.

“I’ve already had people prepare accommodations. Why don’t you go and take a look?” Lü Qing directed his words to Xiao Kang, who seemed well-versed in managing such logistics. She efficiently led Hei Long and his entourage towards a separate wing of the church, far from the bank where Ji Yanqing’s group was settled.

Once the main group departed, only Hei Long and his twenty armed guards remained. Lü Qing guided them further into the church, toward a cluster of tech-fabric sofas arranged near a dormant bonfire pit. As they seated themselves, the guards swiftly took up positions – four flanking Hei Long’s sofa, four by the entrance, and the rest spaced along the walls. Their movements were fluid, rehearsed. Ji Yanqing suppressed the urge to picture them practicing this bizarre formation.

“What’s this?” Lü Qing gestured to the guards, his inquiry directed not at their formation but at the fresh blood staining their bandages. Almost every man, including Hei Long, bore signs of recent injury.

Hei Long hesitated, casting a nervous glance at Lü Qing. “We encountered a Corpse King before arriving.”

“A Corpse King?” Lü Qing’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“A black… dog-like one. It was rampaging through a nearby city.”

“Black and dog-like? Tall?” Ji Yanqing instantly pictured a hulking monstrosity.

“Immense. Nearly three stories. It had an Awakened zombie with it, too. Always at its side. Perhaps hoping for scraps,” Hei Long said, clearly unaware of the concept of subordinate zombies.

Ji Yanqing remained silent. This wasn’t the creature he knew. His Corpse King was a solitary beast, without companions.

Seeing Ji Yanqing’s silence, Hei Long continued, “It had already destroyed two cities, killed both Corpse Kings. We were in the second city when they attacked…” He trailed off, the unspoken horrors hanging heavy in the air. Ji Yanqing and Lü Qing didn’t need him to elaborate. To survive a Corpse King encounter was a feat in itself. They were lucky to have escaped. And if that creature had pursued them... it might very well be headed towards Lü Qing’s territory.

Lü Qing, a smile still playing on his lips, glanced at Hei Long. A flicker of something – perhaps satisfaction, perhaps anticipation – danced in his eyes.

Hei Long’s face twitched, the tattooed dragon looking even more like a frantic caterpillar. “We brought you some gifts,” he said quickly, eager to placate the enigmatic Lü Qing. He signaled to one of his men, who hurried out to retrieve the offering.

“We also picked up some… interesting information.” Hei Long seemed hesitant to speak freely in front of Ji Yanqing and the others, but fear of Lü Qing’s displeasure seemed to outweigh his reservations.

“It’s said the Grim Reaper is in the area.”

Lü Qing and Ji Yanqing exchanged a knowing look.

“We heard from a southbound survival team… they encountered him in a nearby city. Fought a Corpse King there. The city’s not far. He vanished afterward.”

Lü Qing nodded. Ji Yanqing took a sip of water.

Hei Long, seeing their lack of surprise, was taken aback. “You already knew?”

“Mhm,” Lü Qing confirmed, giving nothing away about his source.

Disappointment flickered across Hei Long’s face. If this news was already common knowledge, it held no value. He glanced nervously towards the back, just as his man returned with several others carrying a small, heavy wooden crate.

“Let’s have a look?” Hei Long suggested, jumping to his feet and leading the way. “We don’t know if it’s still functional, but we thought you might find it… useful.”

Lü Qing followed, and Ji Yanqing trailed behind, casting a thoughtful look at Lü Qing. His gentle demeanor seemed at odds with the fear he inspired in Hei Long. The contradiction was intriguing.

At the entrance, the crate was opened, revealing its contents – a machine resembling a sewing machine, nestled amongst foam padding and down jackets. Ji Yanqing didn’t recognize it.

“This is…!” Lü Qing’s eyes lit up with recognition and excitement.

“Shall we try it?” Hei Long offered.

The machine seemed to hold immense significance for Lü Qing. His usual composure vanished, replaced by an almost childlike eagerness. He immediately began directing Hei Long’s men to move the crate to the backyard, where he resided in a cluster of low buildings powered by a private generator.

Hei Long remained behind. After a moment’s consideration, Ji Yanqing did the same.

“You’re planning to cross the bridge as well? Then we’ll be rivals.” Hei Long initiated the conversation.

Ji Yanqing, grateful for the opening, looked at him. “No, we’re just passing through.”

“Passing through?” Hei Long seemed surprised.

“You’re crossing?” Ji Yanqing countered.

“Yes. Who would come to a godforsaken place like this otherwise…” Hei Long’s words were cut short by a nervous glance over his shoulder to ensure Lü Qing hadn’t overheard his disparaging remark. He visibly relaxed when he saw that he was still occupied in the backyard.

“Your team is quite large.”

“Not bad, just a hundred or so.” Hei Long smiled, swelling with pride, knowing that a team of their size commanded respect – and fear – from most other survivalist groups.

“Do you have a doctor?” Ji Yanqing asked.

“No,” Hei Long responded automatically, then realized the implication of the question. “You need a doctor?”

“Yes.” Ji Yanqing’s hopes dwindled.

Hei Long’s expression shifted through a range of emotions, finally settling on a mixture of pity and disbelief. “...You didn’t know?”

Ji Yanqing met his gaze.

“Lü Qing is a doctor.”

Ji Yanqing whipped around, stunned. He hadn’t known. Lü Qing had never mentioned it. Hei Long studied him, a complex expression on his face. He now believed Ji Yanqing’s claim of simply passing through. He glanced back again, confirming Lü Qing’s continued absence, then lowered his voice conspiratorially.

“Do you know what they call the bridge near this town? The Bridge of Helplessness.In Chinese mythology, this is the bridge that souls must cross to enter the underworld. This side is hell, that side is supposed to be… the human world. Don’t know about that, but this side? Definitely hell.”

Ji Yanqing nodded. Where isn’t hell in this world?, he thought. The increasing cold seemed to seep into his bones, despite the afternoon sun.

“The bridge is infamous. And even more infamous is this town… and Lü Qing. Know what they call him? The Doctor.”

“Why not Meng PoMeng Po (孟婆): A mythical figure who serves soup of oblivion (孟婆汤 - Mèngpó tāng) to souls about to reincarnate. This soup erases all memories of their past lives. She is associated with the Bridge of Helplessness, as she resides there.?” Ji Yanqing asked dryly.

Ignoring the question, Hei Long continued, his voice a hushed whisper. “Heard he was a genius before all this. A prodigy. Joined some research institute in his teens, developed all sorts of new medicines.”

“He’s been here for five months, since shortly after the outbreak. After the Grim Reaper showed up, a lot of people started heading north… this town’s on the way.” He paused, verifying Lü Qing’s absence once more, then lowered his voice further. “Don’t let their small numbers fool you. They say twenty, maybe even thirty survival teams have died here in the last few months. Lü Qing... he’s a madman.”

Ji Yanqing frowned. Twenty or thirty teams… even small, that was hundreds of people. Lü Qing had killed hundreds? The image of the gentle, smiling man clashed violently with the accusation.

“He’s a psychopath,” Hei Long emphasized.

“Then why are you here?”

“Think we have a choice? It’s the only way across the river for miles.”

“What are you two discussing?” Lü Qing’s voice interrupted them, startling both men.

Ji Yanqing turned to see Lü Qing approaching, his usual affable smile in place, making it impossible to tell how much he’d overheard. He’s good, Ji Yanqing thought, too good. He watched Lü Qing intently, trying to discern any hint of deception or guilt in his reaction to the news.

Hei Long stammered, his forced smile faltering. “The… the machine. Is it functional?”

“Perfectly functional. Thank you.” Lü Qing’s good mood was evident. He seemed less like a hardened killer and more like a child presented with a fascinating new toy.

“Then…” Hei Long prompted nervously.

“Go and rest. Recover your strength. If you wish to cross, I’ll have someone escort you whenever you’re ready.”

Relief washed over Hei Long’s face. “Thank you,” he mumbled, beating a hasty retreat with his men, eager to put distance between themselves and Lü Qing.

As they left, Lü Qing turned to Ji Yanqing, curiosity in his eyes. “What did he say about me?”

“He said you’re a doctor.”

“I haven’t told you that?” Lü Qing feigned surprise.

Ji Yanqing shook his head.

“Must have slipped my mind.” Lü Qing chuckled.

“Do you treat the sick?”

“Is someone unwell?”

“One of my children, the younger one… he fainted earlier.” Ji Yanqing paused. “And several of my people have injuries.”

“I have time now.”

Ji Yanqing held his ground, scrutinizing Lü Qing. “The price?”

“Consider it a thank you for the… intriguing information about the Grim Reaper.” A manic gleam entered Lü Qing’s eyes at the mention of a talking zombie, a fascination that seemed to eclipse his interest in the Grim Reaper himself. “That sort of knowledge is invaluable.”

Ji Yanqing remained motionless. He didn’t trust this sudden generosity. Lü Qing had offered information about the bok choy before, but still…

“What else do you know about… unusual zombie activity?” Lü Qing pressed.

“I encountered an Awakened zombie who could… speak. Not converse, but she could vocalize human sounds. She’d been taught a name.”

Lü Qing’s smile vanished entirely, replaced by shock, then elation, then a calculating thoughtfulness. For a fleeting moment, a terrifying intensity, a bone-deep madness, flashed in his eyes. “It could speak?” he breathed, his voice trembling with a mixture of awe and something darker.

“It could mimic human speech,” Ji Yanqing clarified.

Lü Qing was lost in thought, his expression flickering through a whirlwind of emotions. Ji Yanqing held back the rest of his knowledge – the Corpse King’s blood, the communication between king and subordinate. This was enough for now.

After a long moment, Lü Qing seemed to return to himself. “Fascinating,” he murmured. “If you come across any more such… fascinating information, you know where to find me.”

Ji Yanqing nodded, a chill settling over him despite the warmth of the sun. He watched Lü Qing walk back towards the church, his steps lighter than air, practically skipping with excitement.

The bank’s back door stood unlatched, guarded by a few bored sentries who quickly stepped aside as Ji Yanqing and Lü Qing approached. Lü Qing, familiar with the layout, led the way directly to the still unconscious Ji Le.

“This one?”

“Yes.” Ji Yanqing knelt beside him. Ji Le’s skin radiated an unnatural heat, more intense than before, his small face creased with discomfort.

Lü Qing crouched, his expression turning serious as he examined the boy. The room fell silent, the only sound the whisper of the wind against the boarded-up windows. The unusual cold seemed to press against the glass, a silent, insistent presence.

After a few minutes, Lü Qing spoke. “An infection of some kind. I can’t say what. Things… deviate from the norm these days.”

Ji Yanqing’s stomach clenched. He remembered the mutated rice sprouts growing from Baldy’s eyes. “How serious?”

“Not critical. If it were, he’d be much worse. Children are more susceptible... it’s possible you’ve all been exposed, but haven’t manifested symptoms yet. I have some antibiotics at the church. I’ll bring them over.”

“Ji An has also been feverish. For over half a month,” Ji Yanqing said, gesturing to the older boy who sat huddled beside his brother, his eyes red-rimmed with worry. He clung to Ji Yanqing’s pant leg as Lü Qing approached, his small face a mask of anxiety.

“Open up,” Lü Qing instructed, gently pinching Ji An’s jaw. The boy, though clearly frightened, obeyed.

After a quick examination and a few questions, Lü Qing looked back at Ji Le. “Similar symptoms, but Ji An’s case is less acute. If he’s survived this long, it’s likely not fatal.”

Ji Yanqing glanced at Ji An, recalling his persistent fever but otherwise normal behavior. He felt a sliver of relief. Lü Qing proceeded to examine the rest of the group, tending to infected wounds and distributing medicine. By the time he finished, the oppressive heat of the day had given way to a chilling evening, the sun a pale ghost behind the swirling snow. The unusual cold bit at exposed skin, a stark contrast to the stifling heat of midday.

“Will you join us?” Ji Yanqing asked as Lü Qing packed his medical kit.

Lü Qing paused, surprised, then a smile spread across his face. “Is that an invitation?”

“It’s a question worth asking.” Their need for a doctor was undeniable.

“I’ll consider it,” Lü Qing said, though his tone lacked conviction.

Ji Yanqing watched him return to the church across the street, the swirling snow obscuring his figure. The cold seemed to intensify with his departure, an icy premonition settling over the town.

He returned to the bank, carrying two packets of white antibiotic granules – three doses each for Ji An and Ji Le.

The medicine was in granules, white, three pills per dose.

Ji Yanqing first took one of the doses and handed it to Ji An.

Knowing he had to take medicine, Ji An obediently opened his mouth. The medicine was thrown in, and he immediately swallowed.

He was still too young to be used to taking medicine this way, and he swallowed several times without the medicine going down.

The sugar coating on the medicine dissolved in his saliva, and the bitterness spread in his mouth. His little face instantly scrunched up. He forced himself not to spit it out.

Ji Yanqing hurriedly gave him some water and made him drink.

After taking five or six big gulps, he finally swallowed those pills.

It was easier to give medicine to Ji An since he was awake, but Ji Le was a problem.

He whimpered and fought against the taste, his cries of “Papa” heartbreaking in their vulnerability.

After taking his medicine, Ji Le curled up in his arms. His small hands clutched his clothes tightly. That was where he could find a sense of security in this chaotic world.

He soon fell asleep again.

Ji Yanqing didn’t put him down immediately and just let him sleep.

“He’ll be fine,” a cold voice said.

He looked over. It was Feng Yimo.

His voice was cold and calm, carrying a strange sense of absoluteness that eased his anxious heart.

“I hope so.”

“He’ll be fine,” Feng Yimo said with certainty.

Ji An and Ji Le were currently evolving rapidly, and their fevers were a side effect.

They were going from death to life, and they were directly evolving into Corpse Kings without going through the zombie stage or even the Awakened zombie stage. Their evolution speed was bound to be much faster than any other Corpse King. It was no surprise that there were side effects.

This was something they had to go through. It was unavoidable. No one could help them.

While he had been occupied with Ji Le, Xia Shen Shu and the others had already told the others what they had heard from Hei Long.

Hearing that Lü Qing had killed twenty or thirty survival teams, close to a thousand people, the expressions on the faces of those who had thought this place was quite nice became quite complicated.

Just from his appearance, Lü Qing didn’t look like that kind of person at all.

“This town has always been strange. A town this big, with so few zombies, it’s abnormal.”

“Could they have been killed by the Grim Reaper?”

“That’s possible. Didn’t that bald guy say that this is the only way to cross the river? The Grim Reaper might have come across the bridge, and when he saw that there was a Corpse King in this town, he just killed him.”

They speculated, and the topic quickly turned back to what they had been discussing before: what should they do next?

There were two paths before them now.

One was to cross the river. There were no Corpse Kings or Awakened zombies on the other side, but resources were scarce, and there were more survival teams, which meant more danger from humans.

The other was to continue foraging on this side of the river.

They didn’t have much food left. There was water here, which allowed them to eat the rice and noodles they couldn’t eat before. But it would only buy them two more days at most. They had to find new food within two days.

“Didn’t Lü Qing have a lot of things in his warehouse…” someone in the team wondered.

The others had already thought about this, but no one had said it out loud. Now that someone had brought it up, they all fell silent.

Everyone looked at Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing had said before that the things in Lü Qing’s warehouse were enough for a hundred people to eat for several days, and although Lü Qing and the others had guns, there were only twenty or so of them.

If…

Although no one spoke, the atmosphere in the room quickly became strange.

Even cannibalism existed in this desperate situation.

“We’re leaving the day after tomorrow morning. We’re not crossing the river. We’ll go get the truck from the forest and head downstream along the river,” Ji Yanqing said, breaking the silence and instantly dispelling the increasingly strange atmosphere.

Many people looked at him.

He was expressionless, but his gaze was resolute. He wasn’t to be refused.

He had indeed had his eye on the guns in Lü Qing’s hands before he came in, but that was based on the premise that they were both bad people.

The fact was, Lü Qing and the others hadn’t shown any signs of harming them. They had even taken the initiative to give them water and a place to rest, and had told them a lot of information.

Lü Qing might be a bad person, but at least he had been kind to them.

This was the apocalypse. There weren’t so many rules and laws. Just this one thing, that Lü Qing had been kind to them, was enough for them.

They looked at each other. Some were speechless, but more of them breathed sighs of relief.

Having followed Xue Gang and witnessed so much of the worst of humanity, they understood. If Ji Yanqing could turn on Lü Qing and the others now, then one day, he would also turn on his own team because of a lack of food or water.

“We’re really not crossing the river?” Xia Chen was still a little unwilling. He was truly terrified of Awakened zombies and Corpse Kings. Every encounter was a near-death experience.

“There might be Awakened zombies and Corpse Kings on the other side too. Zombies are constantly evolving. Even if the ones there before were all killed, there might be new ones now,” Lan Zi said.

“And do you think we’ll have any advantage when we encounter other survival teams with only this many people?” she asked.

Xia Chen sighed silently and gave up.

Hearing this, many who had still held a sliver of hope also gave up.

Having made up their minds, they put it aside and rested.

At about four in the afternoon, Ji Yanqing put Ji Le down and asked Ji An, Xia Shen Shu, and the others to keep an eye on him while he found a set of clean clothes and went to the river to wash up.

Seeing him head out, Feng Yimo immediately followed.

Ji Yanqing turned around and, seeing his tail, couldn’t help feeling a bit helpless.

After thinking for a moment, he didn’t send him back. Instead, he found another set of clean clothes and took them with him, planning to take him to wash up as well.

At four in the afternoon, the sun was no longer as scorching as it had been, and the temperature was around thirty degrees. The river water, after being under the sun all day, was warm. The breeze by the river was cool.

There was no one at the river. Hei Long seemed to be very afraid of Lü Qing, and naturally wouldn’t let his people wander around.

Ji Yanqing was happy to avoid interacting with them. After confirming that there were no zombies around and putting down his clothes and axe, he started taking off his clothes.

Feng Yimo, who had come with him, was vigilantly searching for the Grim Reaper when he noticed that Ji Yanqing had already taken off his top, revealing his smooth back.

The wounds on his back had healed, leaving only faint scars. His skin was fair, and the scars were barely visible unless you looked closely. But if you did look closely, you would see that he had quite a few.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Yanqing turned around and saw that he was staring intently. His skin tingled where he was being watched.

Feng Yimo looked away. He didn’t like the wounds on Ji Yanqing’s body. They made him “afraid.”

“Don’t just stand there. Hurry up and wash up. We’ll go back early after we’re done.” He glanced at Feng Yimo, and after confirming that he wasn’t staring anymore, he quickly took off his pants and went into the water.

Entering the water, feeling the warm current flowing over him, he breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he couldn’t help glancing back. They were both men, but Feng Yimo’s gaze made him feel uncomfortable.

Feng Yimo was standing on the bank, motionless.

Ji Yanqing scooped up some water and splashed it at him.

Feng Yimo’s chest immediately became wet. His white shirt became translucent, revealing the skin underneath.

He put his sword on the ground and started taking off his clothes.

He wasn’t wearing much: only a white shirt and a windbreaker.

After taking off his windbreaker, his slender fingers quickly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his well-defined abdomen.

Faintly visible abs, a waistline without an ounce of fat… His abdomen was firm and powerful, full of explosive strength.

Ji Yanqing’s gaze followed the line of his V down to his lower abdomen. He paused, then plunged his head into the water, deciding to wash his hair first.

The warm river water couldn’t alleviate the heat in his ears, but it felt good flowing over his face. It made him want to stay in the water forever.

When he finished washing his hair and opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Feng Yimo’s firm chest.

Even when showering, he had to stand next to him. As he washed himself, he also looked around cautiously, as if worried that a big cat might suddenly rush out and carry him away.

Ji Yanqing couldn’t help but laugh, and quickly splashed some water on his face to cool down.

They quickly returned to the bank under the night sky.

They still went to the church to cook dinner that night. Lü Qing and the others had water, and the church was safer with the doors and windows sealed.

Hei Long and the others seemed to be very afraid of Lü Qing, and they didn’t appear.

After dinner, Ji Yanqing found a chance to tell Lü Qing that they would be leaving the morning after tomorrow.

Hearing this, Lü Qing was incredibly surprised.

He had shown surprise before, but he was the most surprised this time.

He was so surprised that it even made Ji Yanqing feel a little dazed. Was it really so strange that they were leaving?

He didn’t ask. After the others finished eating, he took them back to the bank and they all went to bed early.

When he went back, he brought a small bowl of rice porridge and carefully fed it to Ji Le.

Ji Le didn’t have much of an appetite, and drinking the porridge was clearly painful for him.

After finishing the porridge, he woke up for a little while.

Waking up and finding himself being held by Ji Yanqing, he was overjoyed. He snuggled against his chest. He liked being held by his dad.

“Papa.” He rubbed against Ji Yanqing’s chest.

“Still feeling unwell?” he asked softly.

Ji Le, whose cheeks were flushed with fever, was muddled. He stared at the glass door of the bank. It felt like there was something bad in that direction, and he didn’t like it.

Ji Yanqing looked over. He only saw the glass door with two advertising slogans, a large up arrow, and a bunch of interest calculation formulas. It wasn’t scary at all.

Ji Le quickly fell asleep again.

Ji Yanqing put him back down in the quilt next to Ji An, tucked them in, and after touching Ji An’s forehead and coaxing him to sleep, he also lay down in the quilt next to them.

Xia Chen and the others were on night watch duty tonight.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly realized that Ji Le might not have been looking at the glass door, but at the wharf behind it.

The wharf was right outside the glass door, at the very edge of the town.

The thought surfaced, then he quickly dismissed it. Ji Le was just delirious from his fever.

He quickly fell asleep.

He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but the further north they went, the colder it seemed to get at night. Even though he was wrapped in a quilt, he still felt cold.

He didn’t know how long he slept. He drowsily sensed some movement in the darkness, and he opened his eyes.

He woke to a hand clamped over his mouth, the darkness thick and suffocating. He didn’t need to see to know it was Feng Yimo; the icy touch of his skin was unmistakable.

Trusting implicitly in Feng Yimo’s judgment, he remained still, his heart pounding against his ribs.

He felt an inexplicable trust in Feng Yimo that he didn’t feel with anyone else in the team.

The silence was absolute, broken only by the howling wind and the whisper of driving snow. He could feel the tension in the room, the alertness of the other guards who were also awake, their gazes fixed on the staff break room across the narrow corridor. The air crackled with unspoken fear.

A faint scratching sound, barely audible above the storm, came from the break room. Then, the sharp crack of shattering glass. Something was inside. Ji Yanqing’s blood ran cold.

Minutes crawled by, each one an eternity. Finally, after an agonizing wait, Feng Yimo removed his hand. Ji Yanqing rose swiftly, grabbing his axe. He exchanged a look with Xia Chen; his face was pale, his eyes wide with fear. They had heard the glass break, but before they could react, the intruder was gone.

Arriving at the door, Feng Yimo waited for a moment before slowly removing the stick that had been wedged under the handle to prevent it from being opened from the outside.

Gripping the handle, he gently pushed the door open.

As soon as the door opened a crack, a gust of cold wind blew in.

They looked through the crack. The window glass was broken.

Ji Yanqing looked at Xia Chen and the others who had been keeping watch. Their faces were grim.

Those who were asleep hadn’t heard anything because of the wind and snow. But they had heard the sound of the glass breaking. But before they could wake the others, that person had already entered.

Ji Yanqing entered, approaching the window, braving the cold wind.

There was no one in the alley outside, but there was a string of footprints in the snow.

Looking at the still clear footprints, he frowned. Had one of Lü Qing’s people come over, broken the window, tried to enter, realized the door wouldn’t open, and then left?

If Lü Qing really had killed almost a thousand people, as Hei Long had said, why would he use such a clumsy method?

It couldn’t be that all of those people had been idiots, not even one survival team locking their doors or having people on watch at night.

“Should we go take a look?” Xia Chen asked.

“Wake everyone else up,” Ji Yanqing said.

Xia Chen immediately went back to wake the others.

They were very fast. Two or three minutes later, they were all standing at the door of the break room.

Xia Chen had already told everyone what had happened.

“Lü Qing’s men?” Su Luo ventured.

“Unlikely,” Xia Shen Shu said, shaking his head. “Why break a window when they could just knock?”

“Let’s see where it went.” Ji Yanqing climbed out the window, the wind and snow a physical force against him. The unusual, bitter cold seemed to penetrate even the thickest clothing, seeping into their bones. The footprints were fading fast, but still discernible. He followed them, Xia Shen Shu and several others close behind, their hearts pounding with a growing sense of dread…

The trail led them through a labyrinth of snow-choked alleys and streets, the wind whipping the icy particles into a blinding frenzy. The footprints led toward the main street, then veered sharply towards the phone shop where Hei Long and his men were quartered. As they rounded the corner, the stench of fresh blood hit them with sickening force.

The snow in front of the shop was stained crimson. Large, irregular patches of blood marred the pristine white, still steaming in the frigid air. Scraps of clothing and fragmented bone littered the ground, a gruesome testament to savage violence.

The footprints were messy around the bloodstains, then disappeared into the distance, towards the other end of the street.

Ji Yanqing approached. The people who had died must have been from Hei Long’s team, the ones on night watch duty. Several guns, soaked in blood, were still lying by the snow.

The others, who had followed him to investigate, looked at him. This was too strange.

They had thought it was Lü Qing’s people, but even if it was, cannibalism? And to this extent?

“Should we wake them up?” Xia Shen Shu asked silently.

Ji Yanqing glanced at the mobile phone store, which was right next to them, and nodded.

Xia Shen Shu took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Hearing the knock, there was quickly movement inside.

The first ones to come out were a few people holding guns, then Hei Long.

“You…” Before Hei Long could finish speaking, he saw the blood on the ground. His face instantly turned green.

The others in his team who had come out because of the commotion also saw the blood, and they all paled, shivering.

They were still wearing suits, which didn’t provide much warmth. They quickly started shivering in the wind and snow.

Looking at them, Ji Yanqing was even more convinced that there was something wrong with their brains.

“All four of the people on watch duty are missing.”

Hei Long looked at Ji Yanqing accusingly. “Did you do this?”

“No,” Ji Yanqing said, his voice flat. He didn’t have time for this. The footprints were disappearing rapidly beneath the relentless snow.

“You expect us to believe—”

“Do we look like cannibals?” Xia Shen Shu snapped, gesturing to the gruesome remains. Even in the dim light, it was clear that whatever had done this possessed a ferocity far beyond human capabilities. The gnawed bones, the shredded clothing... it was the work of a beast.

“What… what was it?” Hei Long stammered, his bravado gone, replaced by stark fear.

Ji Yanqing shook his head. “Not human. Something… else.” He glanced at the fading footprints. “We need to follow it.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Hei Long rallied a dozen of his men, leaving the rest to guard the shop. They followed Ji Yanqing, their fear palpable in the frigid air.

The trail led them to the edge of town, to the frozen expanse of the canal. The wind howled across the open water, carrying with it a bone-chilling cold that cut through them like a knife. The footprints ended abruptly at the edge of the embankment.

“It went into the water?” one of Hei Long’s men asked incredulously.

“Maybe it swam across from the other side,” Lan Zi suggested. “A zombie… or something.”

“Zombies can’t swim,” Xia Shen Shu countered. “And even if they could, not across this. The current’s too strong.”

“What if it’s an Awakened... or a Corpse King?” The question hung in the air, a chilling possibility.

A hushed voice spoke, barely audible above the wind’s roar. “Maybe... the Grim Reaper?”

The others, who were already uneasy about the possibility of a Corpse King, all looked at him. He felt their gazes and quickly said, “I’m just saying…”

Ji Yanqing stared into the dark, churning water, the icy wind whipping his hair around his face. The unusual cold seemed to intensify, as if the very air held its breath, waiting. He felt a primal fear, a deep-seated unease he hadn’t felt since the early days of the outbreak. “Let’s go back,” he said, his voice tight.

They returned to find Lü Qing and his team assembled outside the church, alerted by their sentries. Lü Qing, his eyes bright with an unsettling mixture of curiosity and excitement, approached them.

“What happened?” Seeing them, he had immediately walked over.

Ji Yanqing recounted their findings, carefully observing Lü Qing’s reactions.

His excitement at the possibility of an Awakened zombie or Corpse King was almost palpable, morphing into visible disappointment and disinterest in the rest of the conversation when he learned the creature had escaped into the river.

Lü Qing’s team, however, seemed less fascinated and more… terrified. Several exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale in the flickering torchlight. Hei Long’s men, seeing Lü Qing, grew visibly agitated, their suspicion clear. They seemed convinced that he was somehow involved, but they remained silent, their fear outweighing their anger.

“Rest,” Ji Yanqing said, dismissing both groups. “We’ll deal with this in the morning.”

Back in the bank, the uneasy silence was broken only by the howl of the wind and the rhythmic breathing of the sleepers. No one spoke, the unanswered questions hanging heavy in the air. The unusual, penetrating cold seemed to amplify their fear, a constant reminder of the unknown danger lurking just outside their fragile sanctuary.

“It probably came from across the canal,” Xia Chen said, breaking the silence. “An Awakened, or maybe a Corpse King.”

“Or Lü Qing,” Xia Shen Shu countered, his voice low.

“You think he can control zombies?” Lan Zi asked incredulously.

“Maybe not control… but influence. Maybe he lured it here… used it somehow.”

The theory, as outlandish as it seemed, resonated with the growing unease in the room.

“That’s impossible. Who can control those things? If someone could actually do that, wouldn’t they be defying the heavens?!”

“I also think that’s impossible.”

“Don’t be ridiculous…”

“If Lü Qing really has killed so many people, then he must have some unknown method. Maybe he just released that thing, and it happened to eat a few of Hei Long’s guards,” Xia Shen Shu said.

“Then how do you explain that thing jumping into the river?” Li Pingsen asked.

Xia Shen Shu tried to explain, but he couldn’t come up with anything that made sense.

“You guys… don’t tell me you think it was a ghost?” The speaker was clearly afraid of supernatural things. His voice was trembling.

They all looked at him. Seeing his terrified expression, they couldn’t help but find it a little funny. There were no such things as ghosts!

But although they all thought it was funny, none of them could actually laugh.

They didn’t know what that thing was, but it definitely wasn’t an ordinary zombie.

But anything other than an ordinary zombie, no matter what it was, would be a disaster for them.

“Get some more sleep. We’ll check on the situation tomorrow. If nothing else works, we’ll leave early,” Ji Yanqing said.

They found places to sit down, but no one dared to sleep.

Who knew if that thing would come again?

“I’ll keep watch,” a cold voice rang out in the darkness.

After a moment of bewilderment, they all looked at Feng Yimo.

Feng Yimo’s personality was too solitary and aloof. And he almost never took the initiative to talk to them, so much so that they sometimes even forgot he was there.

This was the first time they had heard him take the initiative to say anything, let alone volunteer to keep watch.

Meeting his cold, black eyes, the anxiety in their hearts subsided.

Although Feng Yimo was difficult to get along with, they had all witnessed his strength.

He had even saved them once before, although they didn’t have very pleasant memories of that time, and the mere thought of it made them want to put a sack over his head.

“Go to sleep.” Ji Yanqing lay down. Ji An, who was beside him, hurriedly snuggled closer and got back into the quilt with Ji Le.

Seeing that he had already lain down, the others didn’t hesitate and went back to their quilts.

A moment later, everyone in the room except for Feng Yimo was lying down.

Ji Yanqing didn’t immediately close his eyes. He looked at Feng Yimo, who was sitting in the corner next to him, by the wall.

He felt reassured having him keep watch, but he also felt uneasy.

“Wake me up if anything happens,” he said.

“Yes.”

“And… don’t go out alone.” If Feng Yimo went after it alone, he would never come back.

He didn’t want to spend tomorrow searching the entire town for him.

A faint confusion appeared in Feng Yimo’s dark eyes, but he still nodded.

Seeing this, Ji Yanqing felt even more uneasy.

Feng Yimo was very strong. He might even be able to fight an Awakened zombie single-handedly, which meant he never took danger seriously.

If he heard anything at night, he would definitely rush out.

“That thing is very dangerous…” He wanted to tie Feng Yimo to him with a rope. He thought about it and rephrased, “I’ll be worried if you go alone.”

Confusion flickered in Feng Yimo’s dark eyes. “But—”

“It’s dangerous,” Ji Yanqing insisted, his voice softer now, a hint of vulnerability he rarely allowed himself. “I’ll worry.”

The corner of Feng Yimo’s mouth twitched, almost a smile. “Okay,” he said, his voice a low rumble in the darkness. “I’ll listen to you.”

Xia Shen Shu, who had been about to say that he would also keep watch, silently lay down, listening to their conversation. Should he hide under the car?

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