AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 49

 Chapter 49

"Then How About I Kiss You Too?"

The black beast cast another cautious glance around, ensuring Feng Yimo was nowhere in sight before it allowed itself to relax slightly.

A thunderous roar cut through the air, shattering the quiet.

The black beast’s head snapped towards the source.

Not far away, the badger-shaped Awakened Zombie, now evolved into a Corpse King, was finishing its feast upon the remains of a fallen Awakened Zombie.

This city had, up until recently, housed one Corpse King and two Awakened Zombies. But now, the Corpse King had been devoured, and one of the Awakened Zombies had fallen prey to this badger-like Awakened Zombie.

Gazing at the newly evolved badger, the black beast’s throat rumbled with a low, forlorn whimper.

It could sense the profound transformation in the badger creature’s aura—utterly distinct from before. The gap between them had widened. The badger had successfully ascended to a Corpse King, yet the black beast remained unaltered.

Its annoyance was palpable. Its body brimmed with an overwhelming power so intense it felt as if it would burst. Yet it still prowled, restless, seeking the elusive key to take the next step.

It had even compared itself to the Corpse Kings it encountered before, like the one in the hospital. If there was one defining difference, it was this — that Corpse King had crossed paths with Feng Yimo. It evolved when it was on the brink of death, nearly slain by Feng Yimo’s hand.

The black beast’s golden, luminescent eyes dimmed with a flicker of emotion. It ignored a group of humans scrambling away from the city outskirts in desperation, their retreat pitiful. Instead, it pondered, head heavy with thoughts of risk and urgency.

But why was it yearning for a sense of crisis? A creature of its power, nearly at the level of a Corpse King, had little to fear from other ordinary Corpse Kings. So where would it go to summon this elusive feeling?

The black beast’s glowing eyes shifted to the distant mountain range where something primal stirred within. Beyond those mountains lay vast cities teeming with potential prey and challenges. Indeed, it could faintly sense the presence of other Corpse Kings in those cities.

A growl rolled from its throat in decision. With that, the black beast surged forward, leading the charge toward the mountains and beyond.

---

Meanwhile, on a moving vehicle heading toward their next destination, Ji Yanqing broke the subdued silence.

“Getting more bullets seems impossible for now,” Ji Yanqing remarked flatly. “Let’s focus on finding a generator and a water purifier first.”

The group inhaled deeply, pushing away the lingering fear the black Corpse King had left behind, before crowding around the map Ji Yanqing spread out before him.

Quickly, Ji Yanqing pinpointed their approximate location and marked it with a pen.

Following the route marked out on the map, it didn’t take long to spot the next closest town. By the looks of it on the map, it was about as big as the one they’d come across with Lu Qing not long ago—flourishing once, surely packed with resources. The town had small villages dotted around its perimeter, though those were a decent distance apart. What mattered most was the fact that the town was close. If all went well, they’d arrive before noon.

Ji Yanqing tapped his finger on the map over the town. “We’ll head here next.”

No one objected. The size of the town suggested it would hold ample resources—maybe not just the generator and water purifier they needed, but other valuable supplies too.

They had enough food to last roughly ten days, but no one in this world would ever say no to more.

With the plan set, Xia Shen Shu discussed the new route with their two drivers. The convoy lacked GPS and had to rely on landmarks and road signs, but with no traffic or regulations to hinder them, the occasional wrong turn wasn’t a disaster. It only meant burning more fuel.

Fuel was a constant concern, though. They’d definitely need to refill once they reached the town.

The new vehicles they had acquired were swifter than their previous one, and without speed limitations or much traffic to navigate through, they found themselves covering a lot of ground. Around two hours later, the distant sight of a few abandoned cars on the road came into view.

From what they gathered, these were vehicles left behind by people fleeing the town, likely ambushed on the way. The vehicles were empty—no passengers, and no zombies roaming nearby. Yet evidence littered the route: flattened grass on the roadside hinted at paths these vehicles had taken before their drivers abandoned them.

Beyond the scattered vehicles, a low mountain rose up, its peak just high enough to obscure the town’s buildings that lay behind it.

The trucks rolled to a stop on the mountainside, the team quickly scanning their surroundings for the best vantage points.

The group split up. Xia Shen Shu led a patrol through the forest at the mountain’s base and its vicinity, checking for zombie presence. Meanwhile, Li Pingsen and his squad of twenty took to the road, circling the mountain to scout the town itself.

Others took the moment to stretch and prepare after being cooped up. Though they’d only had two days of rest recently, the atmosphere had put everyone on high alert. Even so, physically, they were in decent shape.

Ji Yanqing brought Ji An and Ji Le out from the vehicle, stretching his legs as well. Though his injured leg no longer hindered his range of movement, bouts of pain still hung on. Thankfully, Lu Qing had scavenged more common medicine from a different town earlier, and with anti-inflammatory pills being less scarce again, Ji Yanqing had seen significant improvement.

He had barely started loosening up when Li Pingsen’s group suddenly rounded the mountain’s bend again, sprinting back toward them with urgency etched into every step.

The sight of their rushed return wiped any semblance of relaxation from the group. Those still stretching immediately became wary, some moving toward the cars in preparation to leave.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Yanqing called out, his voice sharp as his face tightened into a frown.

“An Awakened Zombie,” Li Pingsen replied between gulped breaths.

The group shifted to action, herding themselves into vehicles to retreat.

“What’s the situation exactly?” Ji Yanqing demanded as the urgency in his voice deepened.

Li Pingsen explained rapidly, “We hadn’t even reached the town when we spotted it—it’s perched up on a signal tower in the middle of the town.”

“Perched on the tower?” Ji Yanqing repeated with disbelief, an image starting to form in his mind, though it was a peculiar one.

Li Pingsen and the others, clearly having encountered this before, were at a loss for words.

“It was like a bat hanging there.”

“It seemed to be asleep.”

“We turned back as soon as we saw it.”

Ji Yanqing struggled to picture the scene. He lifted Ji An and Ji Le and placed them back in the truck, then grabbed his axe and headed towards the road at the foot of the mountain on the right, wanting to see for himself. Seeing Ji Yanqing approach, Lu Qing, who was fascinated by zombies, eagerly followed.

The road led to the town, with nothing but farmland in between. Going around the mountain would expose them to the town. Li Pingsen led the way into the forest at the foot of the mountain. Following the slope around the mountain, they reached the trees at the base. Ji Yanqing immediately spotted the signal tower Li Pingsen had mentioned.

The town was about the same size as the one Lu Qing had previously been in. On the right side, sloping downwards, was a large park. Part of the park connected to the mountain, while the area facing the town was mainly a square and the signal tower.

Atop the towering signal tower, which was five or six stories high, something slightly larger than a normal human was curled up, hanging like a sleeping bat. It still retained a human form but had clearly changed. It was twice the size of a normal human, its skin a pale, grayish-white.

Large patches of skin were missing from its head and back, revealing pale muscle tissue underneath. The sight alone was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

“It should have only recently Awakened,” Lu Qing said, his voice trembling with excitement. If not for Li Pingsen holding him back, he would have rushed out from behind the trees.

“Recently Awakened?” Ji Yanqing looked at him. He knew that zombies didn’t become powerful immediately after Awakening, but needed to constantly feed and evolve. How could Lu Qing be so sure?

“The Corpse King I trapped at the pier had just Awakened when I found it. I pinned it under a shipping container and recorded its entire evolution process,” Lu Qing said, his voice taking on a childlike excitement when talking about zombies. “As they feed, their bodies expand rapidly, becoming less human-like, and their strength and speed increase dramatically.”

“The one I captured took about three months to evolve from an Awakened to a Corpse King...” Lu Qing trailed off, lost in thought, his expression turning wistful and tender.

“Lu Qing,” Ji Yanqing reminded him.

“My data is still limited; many things are just my guesses. Their evolution is like transforming from a human into another species. The more they evolve, the closer they get to becoming a Corpse King, and the more their physical characteristics deviate from humans.”

After a pause, Lu Qing added, “At least, that’s the case for Corpse Kings that evolve towards strength.”

“I think Corpse Kings evolving towards strength are evolving from zombies into beasts, just a kind of beast we’ve never seen before.”

“I haven’t seen a Corpse King that evolves towards intelligence yet, but I think they might evolve towards a more human-like appearance...”

Lu Qing fell into deep thought again, his face flushed with excitement.

Hearing Lu Qing’s words, Ji Yanqing exchanged a complex look with Li Pingsen and the others.

“The Corpse King I encountered that was evolving towards intelligence still maintained a human form,” Ji Yanqing said.

Lu Qing looked up sharply.

“It was tall and obese, like a bloated, fat man.” Ji Yanqing’s first impression of that Corpse King was “fat,” but it was definitely in human form.

“Really?” Lu Qing was excited again, alternating between smiles and thoughtful frowns.

Ji Yanqing looked at the Awakened Zombie hanging from the signal tower. It shifted slightly, adjusting into a more comfortable position.

“How long has it been Awakened?” Ji Yanqing asked.

“Between half a month and a month,” Lu Qing replied absently.

“Are you sure?” Ji Yanqing pressed.

“The key isn’t time, but how many zombies and people it has consumed, and how far it has evolved. This one still mostly maintains a human form,” Lu Qing said.

Ji Yanqing fell into thought.

The Awakened Zombie in Zhang Guxian Village had been completely human.

The two Awakened Zombies in Lu Qing’s town had patchy fur.

The Awakened Zombies created by the hospital Corpse King were still vaguely human but resembled lizards.

The badger-like Awakened Zombie they encountered in the shrub-covered plains, the one closest to being a Corpse King, was no longer human-like at all, more akin to a wild animal.

He had noticed these differences before, but he hadn’t connected them. Each Awakened Zombie looked different, and each encounter had been during an escape.

Now, thanks to Lu Qing’s explanation, everything fell into place. If strength-oriented Awakened Zombies became more beast-like as they grew stronger, then the one hanging from the signal tower was indeed still in the early stages of its evolution.

Ji Yanqing looked at the Awakened Zombie again for a long time before finally turning away, leading Li Pingsen, the others, and Lu Qing back around the mountain.

When they returned, Xia Shen Shu and his group had already come back from their patrol. Everyone in the camp looked at Ji Yanqing, their eyes filled with anxiety and unease. They were desperate to leave.

“Ji Yanqing?” Li Pingsen prompted. They needed to get out of there as soon as possible, before the Awakened Zombie discovered them.

Ji Yanqing looked at the people who had already returned to the trucks, then at Li Pingsen and Xia Shen Shu. They all wanted to flee before the Awakened Zombie noticed them.

“Should we leave?” Xia Shen Shu asked.

Ji Yanqing looked at Li Pingsen. “Were there many zombies in the town?”

“Not many. I think a good portion of the population managed to escape when the outbreak hit. The town entrance wasn’t blocked,” someone behind Li Pingsen replied.

“Ji Yanqing?” Lan Zi also spoke up.

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. “We’re going into the town.”

The already anxious group froze, exchanging bewildered glances. They must have misheard.

“This is an opportunity.”

“An opportunity?” Li Pingsen didn’t know how to react.

Ji Yanqing ran his hand on the flat of his axe’s blade, eyes thoughtful. “A chance to hunt.”

Hearing his words, the already stunned group was even more confused.

Hunt? Hunt what? Hunt the Awakened Zombie? Was Ji Yanqing crazy?

“We can’t keep running forever. Zombies are Awakening every day. Awakened Zombies and Corpse Kings will become more common, eventually appearing everywhere, even in small villages.”

“At first, Corpse Kings were rare, usually only found in big cities. But it’s only been a few months since the outbreak, and we’ve already encountered several in just over a month.”

“Food in cities isn’t like crops in the fields; it won’t replenish itself. As time goes on, food and water will become scarcer.”

“At this rate, within six months, our situation will be even more dire. Small towns and even counties will be completely looted. Food will only be found in major city centers, controlled by Corpse Kings.”

“When that time comes, what will you do?”

Ji Yanqing’s gaze swept over the group.

“When that time comes, we’ll have two choices: kill each other for food, or hunt Awakened Zombies and Corpse Kings, taking food from the mouths of beasts.”

“It’s inevitable. We have no choice.”

He fell silent, watching the hundred or so people before him.

No one spoke. The entire mountain base was silent. No one even moved.

At first, they had been shocked, disapproving, and desperate to flee. But as Ji Yanqing spoke, their expressions turned grim.

They knew he was right.

Even without him saying it, they had all felt it to some extent.

Food was becoming harder to find, Awakened Zombies and Corpse Kings were becoming more common, and their lives were growing increasingly difficult. Eventually, they would all starve to death or be killed by zombies.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t struggled. They had fought tooth and nail, losing their humanity along the way, yet they were still alive. They were the ones who wanted to survive the most, who didn’t want to die like this. They were unwilling to accept that fate. That unwillingness was almost driving them to madness.

But…

Ji Yanqing made sense, but they were talking about an Awakened Zombie, a creature that could easily wipe out their entire group.

How could they possibly hunt such a monster?

“There will be casualties. It’s a pipe dream to think we can take on an Awakened Zombie unscathed. If we decide to do this, we have to be prepared for the possibility of everyone dying,” Ji Yanqing said.

Everyone remained silent.

Ji Yanqing’s gaze swept over them again. “We’ll vote tomorrow morning. If more than one-fifth of you are against it, I’ll drop the issue.”

Many people looked up at him.

“That Awakened Zombie is still weak. There aren’t many ordinary zombies in the town. This is a chance. We might not get another one like this,” Ji Yanqing said, then walked away to find a spot to set up camp.

Seeing him leave, the others, who had been eager to get back in the trucks and flee, exchanged glances again. They looked at the faces around them, faces pale with fear at the mere thought of an Awakened Zombie being so close, and then they all looked away.

Ji Yanqing chose a flat area at the foot of the mountain, on the side facing away from the town, and had the trucks driven into the forest. They set up a temporary camp there. After setting up camp, Xia Shen Shu, Li Pingsen, and Lan Zi established watchpoints in the mountains behind them, taking turns monitoring the Awakened Zombie in the town. The others took the opportunity to rest. The lively atmosphere of the past few days was gone, replaced by an unnerving silence.

They had arrived around nine in the morning. Just before ten, Ji Yanqing had food and water distributed.

The afternoon passed in the same tense silence.

That night, Ji Yanqing had food and water distributed early. After eating, everyone went to bed early.

In the truck, after Ji An and Ji Le lay down, Ji Yanqing was about to lie down himself when Feng Yimo spoke, his voice low and icy.

“You want to kill it?”

Ji Yanqing looked over. In the darkness, Feng Yimo’s eyes were dark and cold, like a winter night. His brow was slightly furrowed.

“I don’t just want to kill it. I want to learn how to hunt them. It’s the only way we can survive in this apocalypse,” Ji Yanqing said, lying down between Ji An and Ji Le.

Hearing his words, Ji An and Ji Le’s already pale faces turned even whiter. They knew Ji Yanqing disliked zombies, but his words that day had given them a deeper understanding of just how much he loathed them. He wanted to kill them all.

Everyone slept restlessly that night, haunted by the knowledge of the Awakened Zombie in the nearby town and Ji Yanqing’s words.

The next morning, almost everyone was awake before dawn.

The previous night, they had made camp under the trees in the forest. The ground was thinly layered with snow, and in places, dark brown tree roots protruded through, giving the area a deceptive sense of modest shelter. But it was still bitterly cold.

Ji Yanqing didn’t press for any complex decisions right away. Instead, he calmly instructed the group to take out and eat their breakfast.

Hands shaking in the cold, each person settled down in their individual spots to eat, unspoken tension thick in the frosty air. The group ate in near silence—no more than three people spoke during the entire meal. They ate slowly, savoring each bite despite their obvious anxiety, but with portions that were shrinking day by day, even slow chewing couldn’t extend their breakfast beyond ten sparse minutes.

When everyone was done, Ji Yanqing exhaled a breath of white mist, the warmth of his lungs dissipating into the icy morning. Pushing himself to his feet, he looked out at the group.

They sat near the vehicles in clusters of dozens, some on the car hoods, their breaths curling up into the air like tiny surrender flags. Over a hundred pairs of eyes turned to Ji Yanqing in unison—stark white faces, shadows of worry haunting their gazes.

Ji Yanqing took a deep, deliberate breath, filling his lungs with the biting cold air, then gave the command. “Those who agree to join the hunt, raise your hands.”

His voice carried over the snow-covered ground like the clang of steel, drawing immediate reactions—or rather, non-reactions. At his words, their faces turned even paler. A heavy silence followed as panic took a firmer hold among the crowd. No one moved.

No one so much as twitched. Not a single hand lifted.

Ji Yanqing scanned the rows of faces, some bloodshot from a sleepless night. Their fear was suffocating.

Then, breaking through the tension, Lan Zi took a hard, steady breath and raised her hand high above her head. The sound of her voice was firm, clear, and cutting through the cold like a blade. “I agree. I’ll go.”

She kept her head down, unwilling to meet anyone’s gaze. She ignored the thoughts that must have flooded the minds of her companions as they stared back at her. This wasn’t the first time she had heard Ji Yanqing say the words “hunt an Awakened Zombie.” The notion still unsettled her, but she’d had time to think about it this time.

He wasn’t wrong. Ji Yanqing never was when it came to survival.

Awakened Zombies weren’t just monsters—they were the grim reapers of this apocalyptic world. Hunting one wasn’t simply a risk; it was madness. Yet, logic dictated that only those who adapted, who grew stronger and braver, would continue to live. If they remained stagnant in fear, they’d be lucky to survive another few months, let alone make it to the bitter end.

Her hand stayed resolutely high in the air, her fingers trembling not from cold but from something deeper.

Ripples spread across the silence like a stone dropped into still water.

Across the firepit, Xia Shen Shu let out a lazy breath and raised his hand, matching Lan Zi with an almost mischievous nonchalance. With him were many who had been awake the entire night, their nerves fraying under the weight of uncertainty. Li Pingsen, his bloodshot eyes severe, clenched his jaw and raised his hand as well.

One hand followed another, as if each newly raised arm gave courage to the next set of shoulders. People began to move.

One. Two. Three. Ten. Twenty.

Before long, every single person, all of the hundred-plus members of the team, had raised their hands to the cold air. The forest became an eerie sight: thin figures trembling with exhaustion, tears threatening at the corners of many eyes, yet every hand refused to falter. Despite their pallid faces and trembling limbs, no one lowered their hand. Not one.

Ji Yanqing stood silently before them all, the only one on his feet. Taking in the powerful sight of so many standing with him in spirit despite their fear, he had to swallow hard and breathe deep again, letting the icy air anchor him. His chest was full with a warmth he couldn’t entirely suppress—pride, gratitude, and awe colliding chaotically within him.

“Then it’s decided,” Ji Yanqing declared, his voice aimed for calm neutrality but trembling faintly nonetheless, betraying some of the emotion he couldn’t smother in this moment.

Lan Zi was the first to let her hand drop, her resolute demeanor finally breaking into something softer. As she caught Ji Yanqing’s gaze, one full of suppressed emotion, she let out a short laugh that was somewhere between amusement and relief.

“It’s no big deal,” she said simply, with a smile cracking across her scarred face. “It’s just an Awakened Zombie. Haven’t we already killed one before?”

Her words hit the crowd like a wake-up call. Several heads turned sharply in her direction, disbelief flashing across their drawn features. Murmurs stirred amongst the group.

“Killed one before?”

“Seriously?”

“You’ve taken down… an Awakened Zombie?”

“Stop joking—those things aren’t—”

Their rising voices carried a mixture of incredulity and hope. Suddenly, a once-quiet clearing buzzed with scattered murmurs and even restrained banter. Lan Zi let them stew. She’d leave the story vague; the details didn’t matter as much as what it represented.

“She’s telling the truth,” Xia Shen Shu added, with a nod toward Ji Yanqing. “Ji Yanqing’s taken out two Awakened Zombies. One of them he even killed single-handedly. Li Pingsen’s team can confirm that.”

Eyes turned toward Li Pingsen and his people, who stood as witnesses. Unlike other sub-groups, they had followed Ji Yanqing longest. Nervously, a few nodded, voices rising to corroborate the claim.

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“I saw it too… wasn’t sure we’d survive that time.”

“He saved our lives.”

Each confirmation slowly shifted the air, cautious optimism replacing the prior suffocating dread. Even Lu Qing, ever the wildcard, seemed momentarily stunned as his eyes glimmered with unexpected admiration. Clearly excited, he looked as though he wanted to fling himself at Ji Yanqing in gratitude.

Ji Yanqing ignored him entirely, redirecting everyone’s focus. “Yes, I’ve done it before. But we can’t underestimate the risks,” he warned, his voice once again laced with calm authority. “We can hit these creatures over and over, even a hundred times, but one bite, one scratch, and it’s all over. Just one mistake is all it takes.”

The renewed chatter tapered back into silence. The reality of Ji Yanqing’s words settled like snow weighing down on brittle branches.

“But,” Lan Zi interjected, her steady voice carrying hope forward, “we’ve done it before. Haven’t we?”

Ji Yanqing’s lips pressed into a thin line at her statement, but when their gazes met, she held his, smiling faintly. He couldn’t argue back.

Li Pingsen cleared his throat to break the tension. “So, what’s the plan? We can’t just charge in blind.”

Ji Yanqing swept his gaze over the gathered crowd, assessing those listening intently with grim, focused expressions. “First, we get a solid understanding of the town’s geography and the Awakened Zombie’s movement patterns,” he began after a pause, his tone steady again.

“I’ll go take a look from higher ground,” Lan Zi volunteered. “I can map the layout and track its movements while observing from a safe vantage point.”

Ji Yanqing nodded in approval, watching her gather her squad and hastily pack up tools—pens, paper, anything to aid her reconnaissance mission.

As she disappeared into the trees with her small group, Xia Shen Shu and Li Pingsen inched closer to Ji Yanqing. This wasn’t like their usual trials, after all. This time, they weren’t cornered and forced to act out of desperation. This time, it was their initiative.

“Once we kill it, can I have the body?” Lu Qing asked, disturbing the atmosphere with his usual peculiar eagerness.

Ji Yanqing dismissed him outright, not even entertaining thoughts of Lu Qing’s odd proclivities. Instead, his mind turned sharply toward strategy again.

“That thing hasn’t been Awakened for long. Its skin shouldn’t be as tough as a Corpse King’s, so bullets might still work on it. But whether that’ll be enough to kill it…” Ji Yanqing frowned, leaving the thought hanging in mid-air.

“Bullets are finite,” Xia Shen Shu interjected, his tone serious for once. “And every shot counts.”

“Hit it with a car?” Xia Chen proposed.

Li Pingsen frowned, skeptical. “Unlikely to work. Even with people fleeing, the town roads are probably still clogged with abandoned vehicles and debris. We wouldn’t get enough speed.”

“You’ve never even seen the roads there yet. How do you know there’s no clear one?” Xia Chen shot back, forehead wrinkling in annoyance.

“We’ll know once Lan Zi returns,” Ji Yanqing interrupted. “If she finds a workable path, it’s worth considering.”

They nodded in reluctant agreement but continued brainstorming grimly.

“What about drugs?” Li Pingsen asked hopefully, directing the question toward Lu Qing.

“Zombies aren’t alive,” Xia Chen interrupted before Lu Qing could respond, voice skeptical. “What drug would even work on them?”

“You’d be surprised,” Lu Qing countered, his tone oddly casual. “Some drugs do affect them. For example, tranquilizers. I’ve tested fifty doses on an Awakened Zombie before, and it slowed it down for ten minutes.”

Fifty doses. That number hung in the air like a dare nobody wanted to accept.

“But,” Lu Qing added, shrugging, “even if we had that kind of stockpile, someone would need to get close enough to inject every dose into its body.”

That brought yet another round of silence. The absurdity of trying to casually jab a raging Awakened Zombie began to paint itself vividly in their minds.

“And that,” Lu Qing concluded, gesturing grandly, “is why teams get so obsessed with finding mutant plants with special properties. You never know what might actually help against zombies.”

Ji Yanqing shared a look with Xia Shen Shu, Li Pingsen, and the others. In a single glance, they all realized they were thinking the same thing.

“What?” Lu Qing blinked, puzzled.

Li Pingsen chuckled, albeit bitterly. “We passed through a field of flowers once. People dropped like they’d hit the pause button in real life—fully conscious but completely unable to move an inch. It was almost surreal.”

Excitement spread across Lu Qing’s face like wildfire. “You’ve found it? That field—where is it? Does it work on zombies?”

Embarrassed murmurs and chuckles passed through the gathered group.

Faced with this series of questions, Li Pingsen and his group couldn’t help but smile bitterly. At that time, they were only concerned about escaping.

“Yes,” came an icy voice from the side. Feng Yimo, who had been sitting quietly under a tree and seemingly uninterested in the conversation, finally spoke up. His frosty tone was unyielding. “It works.”

Eyes turned toward him, shocked.

“How do you know?” Ji Yanqing asked, looking over at him.

Feng Yimo looked away, his silence resolute. Whatever his story was, no one could force him to speak if he wasn’t willing.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? Do you remember where it was? How long does it take to get there?” Lu Qing asked urgently, his personality transforming when the topic turned to zombies.

Ji Yanqing rubbed his nose bridge and said, “We’ve also encountered plants that have a limited effect on zombies.”

Li Pingsen looked at Ji Yanqing, puzzled.

“Remember the mountain range we couldn’t get out of? There were many zombies that went in but never came out,” Ji Yanqing reminded him.

Li Pingsen and the others suddenly understood. They had been terrified by the sight of all the zombie corpses in those woods.

“A forest? Where is it?” Lu Qing asked, his excitement growing.

Before he could finish, Ji Yanqing cut him off. “It’s far from here. And you don’t have any equipment. What could you do even if we took you there?” Neither the flower field nor the forest could be simply collected in a bucket. To understand and utilize them, they would need to extract, refine, and experiment, which was impossible under their current conditions.

Lu Qing’s face twisted with frustration and heartache, but he eventually fell silent. Ji Yanqing was right.

Ji Yanqing looked at the dejected Lu Qing. “We can build you a dedicated lab later.”

Lu Qing’s spirits immediately soared.

“Once we’ve settled down, in our own paradise.”

To them, it was a pipe dream. Xia Shen Shu and the others wore complex expressions, but Lu Qing was already lost in a beautiful fantasy.

Ji Yanqing didn’t dwell on their skepticism and returned to the previous topic. “We have nothing now. We have to use the most primitive methods to hunt.”

Returning to the subject of hunting the Awakened Zombie, everyone’s faces turned serious again.

“That Awakened Zombie has the advantage in speed and strength. We have to find a way to stop it, or else all the bullets and attacks in the world will be useless,” Xia Shen Shu said.

“How about a trap?”

“How do we build one?”

A brief silence fell over the group. It was a good idea, but difficult to execute. Not only did they lack the knowledge and skills, but they also lacked time.

Awakened Zombies were different from ordinary zombies; they could think. Ordinary zombies could be tricked with a light bulb tied to a string. But an Awakened Zombie might realize something was amiss if it saw a car out of place on the road, and might even ambush them in the supermarket.

If they left any trace, they would be discovered immediately. They didn’t have time to build an elaborate trap.

“Maybe we could try using ropes to lasso it,” a soft voice suggested from the side.

Ji Yanqing and the others turned to look. They were surrounded by people, three layers deep, and the speaker was standing near the outer edge.

She was a young woman in her early twenties, quite short. She seemed uncomfortable in crowds, her face flushing red under their scrutiny. Her voice became even quieter, almost inaudible. “Like... like lassoing horses on TV, throwing the rope over...”

An image immediately formed in Ji Yanqing’s mind. He looked at Xia Shen Shu.

After a moment’s thought, Xia Shen Shu nodded. “It could work.” He paused, then added, “But that Awakened Zombie is likely stronger than us. It might break free.”

“I don’t think that’s a big problem. As long as we can get the rope on it, we can have more people pull,” Xia Chen suggested.

“We could also have multiple teams lasso it from different directions. If we can pull it from different sides...” Li Pingsen added.

Hearing Li Pingsen’s words, everyone’s eyes lit up.

“But what if it breaks free...”

Ji Yanqing looked over. It was Mo Xian.

Ji Yanqing thought for a moment. “It’s okay. As long as we create an opportunity, we can concentrate our fire.” It was impossible to completely restrain the Awakened Zombie, at least not with their current strength. They had to seize the moment.

“Does anyone have experience with lassoing?” Ji Yanqing asked, looking around.

The crowd looked at each other, but no one stepped forward. Ji Yanqing wasn’t surprised; it wasn’t a common skill.

“It’s okay. We can practice,” Xia Shen Shu said. He paused again. “Another problem is that the Awakened Zombie is probably good at climbing. If it gets to a high place, we’re screwed. So someone needs to lure it out, preferably to an area without buildings or trees.”

“I’ll do it,” Ji Yanqing said without hesitation.

No one was surprised, not even Xia Shen Shu. Ji Yanqing never pushed danger onto others. If he could do it himself, he would. He was also the most physically fit in their group.

“But I don’t know how long I can keep it occupied, and if it realizes our plan, it might run,” Ji Yanqing said. “We have to restrain it quickly, then go all out, a quick battle.”

While not as intelligent as humans, Awakened Zombies weren’t stupid. If they sensed a trap or realized they were outmatched, they might flee.

Everyone nodded.

“So that’s the plan?” Xia Shen Shu asked Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing thought for a moment, then nodded.

They had a plan, but no one was smiling. If the plan failed, if they ran out of bullets before killing the Awakened Zombie, they were dead.

Someone approached from outside the crowd. It was Lan Zi, returning from the mountain, holding a rough map she had drawn.

Ji Yanqing and the others moved to the front of the truck, letting Lan Zi place the map on the hood.

Lan Zi wasn’t a trained cartographer. Her map was simple, resembling an irregularly fried egg. It wasn’t pretty, but it showed all the important buildings and the general layout of the town.

The town was simple: a main street, the township government building, and the park with the Awakened Zombie. The main street was on the left side of the town, far from the park. The park was more like a circular concrete area at the foot of the mountain, with some fitness equipment and a small fountain, but no real recreational facilities.

There was also an open area in front of the township government building, not far from the park. The building itself was only two stories high, and the open area in front of it was far from the forest and relatively far from the surrounding buildings. It was the best place to engage.

After choosing the location, Ji Yanqing and the others quickly discussed a few more details, then dispersed to begin preparations.

Li Pingsen led a group to search the trucks for ropes.

Xia Shen Shu began selecting people for the teams. Their ammunition was too limited to be distributed among forty people. They decided to concentrate the bullets in the hands of twenty people, who would be responsible for shooting.

The rest would join the lassoing teams. They decided on three lassoing teams, each with twenty people. If they didn’t have enough, they would recruit from the ordinary members.

The ropes were quickly found, and the team members were selected.

After these basic preparations, they didn’t immediately rush into the town. Ji Yanqing’s leg wasn’t fully healed, and they needed to practice lassoing and coordinating. The Awakened Zombie was faster and stronger than them; without training, they would be a mess.

Three days later, on the morning of the fourth day, everyone in the camp was awake at dawn. No one looked sleepy; their eyes were filled with determination and seriousness.

They had considered every possibility and made all the preparations they could. Now it was time to put their plan to the test.

If they succeeded, they would broaden their path to survival, increasing their chances of living on.

If they failed…

After breakfast and a short rest, everyone stood up when Ji Yanqing did.

They removed their bulky coats, which offered little protection against an Awakened Zombie anyway. It was better to ensure they could move quickly.

The shooting team checked their clips and guns one last time.

The lassoing teams checked their ropes and the anti-slip cloths wrapped around their hands.

Ji Yanqing looked at Ji An and Ji Le, who were watching him with anxious eyes.

Knowing he was about to take a risk, their eyes were filled with worry.

Ji Yanqing crouched down and adjusted their oversized coats.

“...Do you really have to kill it?” Ji An asked in a small voice, looking down.

Ji Yanqing took Ji An’s small hand, feeling the bones beneath the skin, even though his cheeks were starting to fill out.

“Yes,” Ji Yanqing answered softly.

“But it feels pain too,” Ji An said, looking up at Ji Yanqing with teary eyes.

Beside him, Ji Le also looked sad.

Ji Yanqing was both amused and exasperated by their childish empathy. “If it finds us, it will attack without hesitation. That’s what zombies do.”

Ji An opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words to reply.

After a long moment, he said sadly, “What if I turn into a zombie?”

“You won’t.”

Ji An looked up at Ji Yanqing but said nothing.

Ji Yanqing sighed. This wasn’t the first time Ji An had asked him this. He knew they were scared. Everyone was scared, even the adults.

“Once someone is bitten, once they’re infected, they immediately turn into a zombie. Zombies have no reason... Once they turn, they become our enemy.”

He didn’t want Ji An and Ji Le to feel excessive sympathy for zombies.

Ji An suddenly looked up, his voice urgent. “Even if I turn into a zombie, I would never bite you, Daddy!”

“Me neither,” Ji Le said, on the verge of tears.

“Me neither,” Feng Yimo added.

Ji Yanqing looked up at Feng Yimo, meeting his deep, dark eyes. Feng Yimo was serious, and it seemed that he wasn’t happy.

Ji Yanqing was both amused and exasperated. Why was Feng Yimo acting up now?

He knelt on the snow, kissed Ji An and Ji Le’s increasingly chubby cheeks, and ruffled their hair. “I’ll be back soon.”

After comforting the two boys, Ji Yanqing stood up and turned to the others. “Let’s go.”

Everyone took a deep breath and started moving.

Ji Yanqing turned and walked towards the forest.

As he moved, Feng Yimo followed, turning his head to look at him.

Feng Yimo still wore that same unhappy expression, his dark eyes brooding. Ji Yanqing couldn’t help but chuckle. “Alright, should I kiss you too, then?”

Was Feng Yimo a child? Did he need to be appeased?

“Okay.”

Ji Yanqing looked at him.

Meeting Feng Yimo’s overly dark eyes, Ji Yanqing’s heart skipped a beat, a rush of heat spreading through his body.

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