AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 52

 

Chapter 52

Could It Be That Feng Yimo Liked Him?

Sensing the steady beat of a heart from behind, feeling the subtly cooler temperature against his back, Ji Yanqing’s habitually alert body gradually relaxed, his consciousness blurring at the edges.

Sleep claimed him swiftly.

“Ji Yanqing…” The sound pulled him back from the depths of sleep, his eyes snapping open.

Xia Shen Shu was already in the truck.

Ji Yanqing glanced back at Feng Yimo still nestled behind him in the blankets, then sat up.

Leaving the warmth of the covers, the frigid air enveloped him, instantly sharpening his senses.

He turned to Xia Shen Shu. “What’s wrong?”

“We’ve got company.” Xia Shen Shu’s gaze flickered towards Feng Yimo in the blankets, a strange expression clouding his face.

“Company?” Ji Yanqing’s still sluggish brain stumbled for a moment before engaging. “Other people?”

“Another survivor group.”

Ji Yanqing scrambled to his feet, moving past the others stirring awake and towards the back of the truck. He peered out.

To the left of Huang Rongyue’s camp, deeper into the woods, a convoy of at least a dozen vehicles was pulling up, clearly intending to camp there as well.

The convoy was divided into two main sections: five massive, ten-meter long trucks for hauling supplies, and eight smaller vans designed for passenger transport.

Several vehicles were already parked, and figures in black overcoats and vests were alighting. They were numerous, numbering three or four hundred, most armed with guns.

This group was distinctly different from their own.

Months of flight and resource scarcity had left Ji Yanqing’s people looking gaunt and weary, even though their recent access to food and rest had improved their condition considerably.

These newcomers, while bearing the same world-weariness in their eyes, radiated a palpable strength. They were clearly better fed, their bodies more robust.

This group had been established for a long time; only that could explain their current state of physical well-being.

“What are they playing at…” Li Pingsen grumbled, disgruntled.

Survivor groups generally maintained a safe distance from each other. They had arrived first, yet this group was simply rolling in without a word, an unspoken affront.

Xia Chen scoffed. “Playing at? They don’t even see us. They couldn’t care less if we’re happy about it.”

Xia Chen’s words were blunt, but hit the mark. That was the reality of the situation.

Hearing Xia Chen’s harsh assessment, the expressions of Lan Zi and the others who had gathered near Ji Yanqing soured.

“It’s him…”

Ji Yanqing turned to Hei Long. “You know them?”

Hei Long was just getting to his feet, pulling on his overcoat. He spoke in a low voice, “It’s that guy I told you about, the super-soldier type… ”

“‘Split Sky,’ led by a Captain Li Xiao. Ex-military, supposedly. Notorious for being ruthless. Their group’s pushing four hundred, one of the biggest two or three around here.”

Ji Yanqing’s gaze fixed on the newcomers’ camp. In just a few moments, all three or four hundred had disembarked. A particularly burly man was barking orders, directing the camp setup. That must be Li Xiao.

His physique was powerfully built, muscles corded and defined. A palpable aggression radiated from his eyes. He certainly looked capable of violence, capable of killing.

He was sharp. Sensing eyes on him, he abruptly looked up, his gaze locking onto Ji Yanqing.

Caught in his gaze, several of Ji Yanqing’s people instinctively averted their eyes. Li Xiao exuded an aura of raw, untamed ferocity, like a wild animal.

Brutish, savage, unreasonable – eye contact felt like courting death.

Ji Yanqing held his gaze steady.

Their eyes met, a silent appraisal passing between them. Ji Yanqing gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. Li Xiao, in response, simply dismissed him, his gaze sweeping over Ji Yanqing’s group.

Sensing the man’s blatant arrogance, Xia Shen Shu grinned, a wolfish edge to his smile.

Catching sight of Xia Shen Shu standing beside Ji Yanqing, Li Xiao visibly paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Xia Shen Shu cheerfully waved at him.

Ji Yanqing turned to Xia Shen Shu, a question in his eyes. “You know him?”

Xia Shen Shu shook his head. “Nope.”

Ji Yanqing was skeptical. Li Xiao’s reaction had suggested recognition of Xia Shen Shu.

Xia Shen Shu rarely spoke of his past. If they ever broached the topic, he’d deftly change the subject. However, after spending time together, they’d all come to suspect he had a military background.

This encounter seemed to confirm those suspicions.

Yet, that only deepened Ji Yanqing’s confusion. If it was just military service, why the secrecy?

Ji Yanqing glanced back at Li Xiao. He had already looked away.

“What now?” Lan Zi asked, her voice tight with suppressed tension.

“Sleep,” Ji Yanqing decided, glancing at the heavy snow falling outside. “We leave at first light.”

As they traveled further north, the weather grew increasingly severe. Though it was barely past eight in the evening, snow had been falling steadily for almost an hour.

The road was already blanketed in white, the landscape blurring into a featureless monochrome. They could barely distinguish road from field.

The others, hearing his decision, retreated to their respective vehicles.

Li Xiao’s group, having parked, began unpacking supplies for their evening meal. The extreme cold prompted them to fire up a smokeless stove inside one of the trucks to boil water, a picture of ease and self-assurance. They clearly disregarded both Ji Yanqing’s and Huang Rongyue’s groups entirely.

Ji Yanqing shot a glance towards Huang Rongyue’s camp. She remained passive, choosing silence.

In this lawless world, power dictated everything.

Their group outnumbered both Ji Yanqing’s and Huang Rongyue’s combined. Their arsenal of firearms far exceeded their own, giving them every reason to look down on them.

Ji Yanqing checked on the few people on night watch. They were all alert, their vigilance heightened.

Ji Yanqing returned to his truck.

Inside, Ji An and Ji Le were awake, blinking sleepily, their small heads drooping and rising. Being abruptly roused from deep sleep had left them groggy.

“Go back to sleep. It’s alright,” Ji Yanqing murmured, gently tucking them back into their blankets.

The night chill was biting. Even for the short time they’d been awake, their warm cheeks had become icy to the touch.

Ji An and Ji Le lay facing each other. Ji Yanqing helped readjust their blankets.

Once they were settled, he turned to Feng Yimo.

Feng Yimo was staring out of the window.

Ji Yanqing followed his gaze. A small group of men, armed, were heading towards them, maybe a dozen strong, their approach aggressive.

They were Li Xiao’s men.

Instinctively, Ji Yanqing reached for his axe, his hand falling empty. He remembered again – it was broken.

He stood and moved back to the truck’s rear.

From his own truck, Xia Shen Shu and, from the other two, Lan Zi and Li Pingsen, guns in hand, had already emerged and were moving towards him.

Moments later, when the approaching group halted before Ji Yanqing, over forty of his own people, weapons raised, stood behind him.

“Problem?” Li Pingsen demanded, barely suppressing his anger.

Their encounters with other survivor groups were still limited, but they were already feeling the sting of open disrespect.

The leader of the newcomers, a man in his thirties wearing a bulletproof vest, ignored Li Pingsen entirely, his gaze fixing on Ji Yanqing. “You the leader?”

Li Pingsen and the others instinctively closed ranks around Ji Yanqing.

“Something you need?” Ji Yanqing asked, meeting the man’s gaze directly.

The man’s eyes flicked to Lu Qing without a moment of doubt. “Our boss wants to have a word with him.”

The moment the man’s gaze locked onto Lu Qing, Ji Yanqing’s brow furrowed. His unease solidified into a grim premonition. They had recognized Lu Qing.

“It’s late. He’s tired,” Ji Yanqing stated firmly.

The man offered a mirthless smile. “I’m not asking for your opinion. I’m just telling you.”

“Didn’t your boss teach you any manners?” Xia Shen Shu interjected, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. “Speaking nonsense can leave you with a rotten mouth.”

The man ignored Xia Shen Shu, turning to Lu Qing. “Doctor Lu, what do you say?”

Hearing the word ‘doctor’, Ji Yanqing’s bad feeling intensified. His suspicions were confirmed. They were after Lu Qing because of his medical skills.

“Alright,” Lu Qing agreed, nodding.

Ji Yanqing protested. “I’m coming too.”

“Not necessary. He’s not coming back,” the man stated flatly.

Ji Yanqing’s brows snapped together. “What do you mean?”

Li Xiao was making a blatant play to poach Lu Qing.

“What I mean –” the man began, raising his gun.

In the blink of an eye, Feng Yimo’s long blade flashed, pressing against the man’s throat. The razor-sharp edge sliced skin, hot blood welling up and trickling down in the freezing night.

Feeling the stark contrast of icy steel and burning blood against his neck, a flicker of fear crossed the man’s eyes. He instinctively stumbled back.

Feng Yimo’s dark gaze was glacial, as if he was looking at a corpse.

As the man retreated, his comrades finally reacted, raising their own weapons.

In the distance, alerted by the commotion, nearly two hundred more armed men from Li Xiao’s group leveled their guns, a forest of black barrels all pointed at Ji Yanqing’s people.

Simultaneously, Xia Shen Shu and Ji Yanqing’s group raised their own guns.

Guns raised, fury simmered in the eyes of Li Pingsen and the others. But beneath the rage was a deeper bitterness. Li Xiao’s force outnumbered them three to one. Their firepower was four, maybe five times greater.

The stark disparity hung heavy in the frigid air, the silence punctuated only by the wind and falling snow, as Ji Yanqing’s people gritted their teeth.

They were forced to flee from Corpse Kings, to cower before Awakened Zombies. Were they destined to be similarly bullied and crushed by other humans?

Two armies stood poised, tension stretched taut as a bowstring.

Caught between them, facing gun barrels from both sides, Huang Rongyue’s group looked ashen.

“I’ll go pack my things,” Lu Qing announced, his voice surprisingly light.

He turned and started towards one of the trucks.

“Lu Qing!” Ji Yanqing called out, stopping him.

Li Xiao’s men had the numbers, the firepower, but they weren’t entirely without hope. If they could reach the city, even Li Xiao’s superior forces couldn’t completely ignore the zombies within.

Lu Qing turned back, meeting Ji Yanqing’s gaze. “This is where we part ways. I’ve enjoyed travelling with you, but we’re not the same kind of people.”

He glanced indifferently at Xia Shen Shu and the others who were watching him, then turned towards Li Xiao’s group. “Let’s go.”

The leader, touching the blood on his neck, gave Feng Yimo a cold smirk, then turned and led Lu Qing back towards their camp.

“Should I kill them all?” Feng Yimo’s voice was as devoid of emotion as a weather report.

Ji Yanqing remained silent.

Feng Yimo took a step towards the opposing group.

“Ji Yanqing…” Lan Zi began hesitantly. This wasn’t the time for rash action. They were outmatched, that was a brutal fact.

Ji Yanqing reached out and stopped Feng Yimo, gripping his arm.

Across the clearing, Lu Qing entered Li Xiao’s camp, and was escorted to Li Xiao.

Li Xiao was perched on a crate. He glanced briefly at Ji Yanqing’s group, then turned to Lu Qing, engaging him in conversation.

After a brief exchange, Lu Qing, looking pleased, climbed into one of the supply trucks within Li Xiao’s convoy.

Moments later, Lu Qing emerged, seeming very satisfied with whatever he had seen inside the truck.

Lu Qing’s satisfaction mirrored Li Xiao’s.

Visibly pleased, Li Xiao stood, and led Lu Qing into a tent that had just been erected, ordering someone to fetch hot water for him.

Lu Qing followed him into the tent, never once looking back.

Watching Lu Qing’s retreating back disappear, the faces of Ji Yanqing’s entire group turned ashen.

Feng Yimo, sensing the change in atmosphere, looked down.

Ji An and Ji Le immediately averted their gazes, shrinking behind Ji Yanqing.

They sensed Feng Yimo’s anger, and it resonated with their own. A white-hot rage surged through them, a visceral impulse to charge forward and slaughter every last one of those interlopers.

For a fleeting moment, they even caught a whiff of the tantalizing scent of blood.

The sensation was unsettling.

“Back to the trucks. Sleep,” Ji Yanqing commanded, his voice strained, barely containing his fury.

Those caught in the grip of resentment and rage were momentarily stunned, then turned to Ji Yanqing.

Seeing his uncharacteristically grim face, no one dared speak.

Everyone but the night watch returned to the trucks.

Once inside, Ji Yanqing hadn’t even turned around when he was surrounded. Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, Li Pingsen, Hei Long – they were all there.

Turning to face them, Ji Yanqing took a deep breath.

“What’s the plan?” Xia Shen Shu cut straight to the chase, wasting no words.

They knew Ji Yanqing wouldn’t let this slide.

Lan Zi and the others remained silent, their eyes fixed on Ji Yanqing, waiting for his lead.

“Fight them head-on? We’d get wiped out,” Ji Yanqing admitted, the words grating in his throat.

He’d always wanted guns, a well-armed team, but that had been mostly about survival. Now, he realized, merely surviving wasn’t enough.

Silence hung heavy in the air. Everyone felt the same simmering frustration as Ji Yanqing.

They’d always known that humans could be just as dangerous as zombies, but this was the first time they’d felt the bitter reality of it so acutely.

Ji Yanqing quickly thought through their options. “Everyone pack a bag. Then get some sleep. At three in the morning, we move. We hit them when they least expect it, grab Lu Qing, and head straight into the city.”

“Leave the trucks,” he continued, his voice hardening. “Take only what we can carry. The rest stays.”

Supplies could be replenished, but lives, once lost, were gone forever.

Lan Zi, Li Pingsen, and the others nodded in agreement. The rest of the group echoed their assent.

“But… Lu Qing left willingly,” someone interjected.

All eyes turned to Xia Chen.

Under their collective gaze, Xia Chen faltered, his face reddening slightly. “What I mean is… Lu Qing might not have wanted to stay with us anyway. He did say…”

He trailed off, then, before anyone could respond, hurried on, “And we’ve still got a lot of unarmed people in the group. If a fight breaks out, they’ll be the first to suffer. Risking dozens of lives for just one… is it really worth it? Lu Qing’s capable, he’ll be fine wherever he is. They’ll treat him well, he’s valuable to them.”

“Even if Lu Qing wanted to leave,” Ji Yanqing retorted, his voice steel-edged, brooking no argument, “he should have told us directly, freely. Not like this.”

Lu Qing was capable, resourceful. With his medical skills alone, he could build his own survivor group if he wanted. But this wasn’t how things should be.

As for Xia Chen’s question of value, of lives weighed against each other, Ji Yanqing refused to frame it that way.

He wasn’t doing this just because it was Lu Qing. If it were anyone in their group, even Xia Chen himself, he’d do the same.

Xia Chen opened his mouth to protest further, but seeing the unyielding resolve in Ji Yanqing’s eyes, he swallowed his words.

The plan set, the group subtly disembarked in small waves, spreading the word to the others waiting anxiously for instructions.

No one had believed Ji Yanqing’s earlier order to simply go to sleep.

Their supplies remained in the trucks. With nothing to unload, they could quietly pack their bags inside, unseen.

Backpacks loaded, everyone settled down, feigning sleep, conserving energy for the coming confrontation.

Once they made their move, once they entered the city, even if Li Xiao hesitated to open fire for fear of attracting zombies, he certainly wouldn’t let them off the hook. It was going to be a war of attrition.

All preparations made, Ji Yanqing lay down as well, but sleep remained elusive.

He’d been so focused on building a safe haven, on defenses against zombies, but now he realized his greatest threat might not be the undead.

The most formidable obstacle to his dream of a sanctuary might well be humanity itself.

Sleep refused to come.

In the darkness, Feng Yimo watched Ji Yanqing, his gaze unwavering.

“Why didn’t you let me kill them?”

Ji Yanqing met Feng Yimo’s intense stare, a sigh escaping his lips. “They’re almost four hundred strong. You’re not a Corpse King. You can’t take them all on single-handedly.”

“…I could.”

Ji Yanqing was momentarily speechless. “...Have you… killed people before?”

Feng Yimo seemed to hold human life in such utter disregard.

Feng Yimo remained silent.

“I haven’t,” Ji Yanqing whispered, his voice barely audible.

Under the blanket, he placed his hand in Feng Yimo’s, letting him feel the tremor in his fingertips.

Come the dawn attack, he wouldn’t hesitate, wouldn’t show mercy. But killing humans was different. It felt different from putting down zombies.

Feng Yimo felt the faint tremor in Ji Yanqing’s fingers within his grasp. He tightened his grip, his large hand enveloping Ji Yanqing’s, as if to shield it, protect it. “If you command it, I will kill the entire world for you.”

Ji Yanqing looked at him, meeting Feng Yimo’s earnest, almost plaintive gaze. He couldn’t help but smile, a soft curve to his lips.

Was Feng Yimo… in love with him?

Otherwise, what man would say such things, such words that sounded so much like a love confession, to another man?

But someone as detached from the world as Feng Yimo… did he even truly understand the meaning of love?

In the darkness, Ji Yanqing was still savoring the warmth spreading from the back of his hand when a faint sound broke the stillness – someone was opening the truck door.

After the tense standoff, Ji Yanqing instantly tensed, his senses on high alert.

The door swung inward, and a large backpack was thrown inside.

The truck was packed with sleeping people, especially near the door. The backpack was heavy, laden with contents. Whoever was putting it in had to practically throw it, the bag landing squarely on someone’s stomach, sending their head and feet flying upwards.

It took Ji Yanqing a moment to recognize the figure scrambling in. “Lu Qing?”

Ji Yanqing sat up abruptly. Wasn’t Lu Qing with the other group now?

Hearing his voice, Lu Qing, who was struggling to haul himself into the truck, glanced up at Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing confirmed that it was indeed Lu Qing clambering back in. He quickly moved forward. “What are you…”

“Run,” Lu Qing gasped.

“What?”

“We gotta go. Now.”

“Is that Lu Qing?” In the brief flurry of movement, the others in the truck, previously asleep, were all sitting up, blinking sleepily.

Recognition dawned, and expressions of stunned surprise rippled across their faces.

Lu Qing grabbed the backpack he’d just thrown in, unzipping it to reveal a jumble of small medicine bottles in plastic bags. “Cheapskates,” he muttered, disgust lacing his voice. “A group that big, and this is all they’ve got.”

Listening to Lu Qing’s disdainful tone, staring at the meager contents of the bag, Ji Yanqing was momentarily speechless. “You… why did you come back?”

“Didn’t you say you’d get me a mini-fridge?” Lu Qing looked up, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Was Ji Yanqing trying to back out of their deal?

Ji Yanqing was momentarily dumbstruck. He had promised Lu Qing a fridge, but he’d also made it clear it was a future project.

“We need to move. Now. Otherwise it’ll be too late,” Lu Qing urged, fiddling with the bag of medications, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips despite his urgent words. Meager as the haul was, he seemed pleased with it.

Ji Yanqing inhaled deeply, forcing himself to ignore the nagging question of what exactly Lu Qing had done to get back. He immediately turned to the others in the truck.

The occupants of the truck reacted instantly. A few slipped out silently to alert the others in the neighboring trucks.

Ji Yanqing moved to the doorway, peering out at Li Xiao’s camp, where everyone except the night watch seemed to be asleep. Then he glanced at his own group’s perimeter, where their watch was still posted, acting as if nothing was amiss.

Huang Rongyue’s camp was similarly quiet, with only a few sentries on duty.

Lu Qing must have circled back through the dense woods, unseen by either group’s patrols.

“Keep watch,” Ji Yanqing murmured to their sentries.

They nodded at once.

In those brief moments, Lan Zi and Li Pingsen, roused from sleep in the other two trucks, were swiftly and silently approaching Ji Yanqing’s truck, climbing aboard.

“You…” Lan Zi, despite having already heard that Lu Qing had returned, was still visibly surprised to see him.

“Not bad, kid,” Li Pingsen clapped Lu Qing on the shoulder. “We were just about to go rescue you, and yet you pull off your own escape.”

“Run first, talk later!” Lu Qing urged, his face tight with urgency. “Ji Yanqing?”

Ji Yanqing remained in the doorway, his gaze fixed on Li Xiao’s camp.

Xia Shen Shu came up beside him, following his line of sight towards Li Xiao’s vehicles.

“What is it?” Xia Shen Shu asked.

“We’re out of time if we don’t move now,” Lu Qing stressed.

“Get everyone up. We’re moving out. Now,” Ji Yanqing decided, pausing briefly. “Wake Huang Rongyue’s group, too.”

Xia Shen Shu blinked, confused. It wasn’t as if they and Huang Rongyue’s group were that close, to warrant involving them in their escape.

“Li Xiao’s trucks… the keys are still in the ignition, I think,” Ji Yanqing murmured, glancing back at his bewildered group.

Hearing Ji Yanqing’s words, realization dawned in their eyes. Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place. Xia Shen Shu, who never shied away from trouble, grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Heh…”

Lan Zi and Li Pingsen exchanged complicated looks with Ji Yanqing. Ji Yanqing, when he truly went off the rails, was even more unhinged than Xia Shen Shu or Lu Qing.

“Are you insane?” Xia Chen’s face paled. “If we actually do this, we’ll make them our mortal enemies. They’ll hunt us to the ends of the earth.”

“They weren’t going to let us go anyway,” Ji Yanqing countered, glancing at Li Pingsen.

Li Pingsen nodded, understanding. He immediately hopped out of the truck to wake Huang Rongyue’s group.

Seeing Li Pingsen approach Huang Rongyue’s camp, Li Xiao’s night watch took little notice. The combined forces of Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue’s groups barely amounted to half of their own.

Moments later, Huang Rongyue and her second-in-command followed Li Pingsen back to Ji Yanqing’s truck.

Climbing inside, Huang Rongyue’s eyes widened in surprise as she saw Lu Qing. A flicker of astonishment crossed her face.

“We’re about to make a run for it. We’re planning to take their supply trucks with us. You in?” Ji Yanqing cut to the chase, knowing Huang Rongyue was sharp.

They were too few to outrun Li Xiao’s pursuit alone. They needed allies. Besides, if they made their escape, leaving Huang Rongyue’s group behind, Li Xiao might take his anger out on them.

“Are you out of your mind?” Huang Rongyue exclaimed, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. “Do you even know who Li Xiao is? He’s vindictive and ruthless. If you do this, he will never forgive you.”

“You get one-third of his supplies,” Ji Yanqing offered.

Huang Rongyue was silent for a moment, considering. Her second-in-command, who had accompanied her, spoke up. “Why just one-third?”

If they were partnering up on this, shouldn’t it be a fifty-fifty split?

“Or would you rather stay and take the blame?” Xia Shen Shu shot back, his smile sharp.

The second-in-command fell silent, swallowing his protest.

In those few tense moments, Huang Rongyue had made her decision. “How do we pull this off? Their sentries are still awake.”

Even if Li Xiao’s team didn’t take them seriously, his sentires wouldn’t stand idly by if they tried to get near their vehicles.

Ji Yanqing had been pondering the same problem.

The truck fell silent, thoughts racing. Then, Feng Yimo, without a word, drew his blade and stepped out of the truck.

Ji Yanqing watched him go.

Feng Yimo walked directly into the woods, heading towards the sentry posts.

Li Xiao’s group had some sleeping in vehicles, others in large tents pitched at the edge of the woods. The sentries were stationed in small lean-tos between the vehicle convoy and the tents.

Li Pingsen and Huang Rongyue exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of Feng Yimo’s plan. Just as they were about to ask, Ji Yanqing spoke again, his voice low but clear. “Go get your people. Get them in the trucks. Now.”

Huang Rongyue was about to voice her concern about the sentries when one of Li Xiao’s night watchmen abruptly collapsed.

The fall was so sudden it startled not only Huang Rongyue, but even Li Xiao’s own men.

Before the remaining sentries could react, the stones in Feng Yimo’s hand were already hurtling towards their heads.

The stones whistled through the air. Before the sentries could even register the sound, they too crumpled to the ground.

Feng Yimo’s throws were imbued with raw power, fueled by personal animosity.

The thick snow muffled their falls, and the howling wind masked any sound. No one noticed.

Huang Rongyue stared in stunned disbelief at Feng Yimo, a shadowy figure melting back into the trees. She didn’t have time to dwell on who or what Feng Yimo truly was. She had to move. Every second counted. She turned and raced back to her group.

Knowing what needed to be done, everyone moved with lightning speed.

In under five minutes, both Ji Yanqing’s and Huang Rongyue’s people were crammed into Ji Yanqing’s trucks.

Simultaneously, the drivers selected from both groups stealthily approached Li Xiao’s supply trucks.

Silently slipping into the cabs, they peered out the windows, watching Ji Yanqing for a signal.

Ji Yanqing glanced back at his own drivers with a raised hand. Seeing they were ready, he gave the prearranged signal.

The instant his hand dropped, the roar of nine engines shattered the night’s stillness.

Trucks lurched forward, tearing through the snow-covered ground, veering towards the highway they vaguely remembered.

The snow hampered their speed. The ground beneath the snow was treacherous, the trucks bucking violently, tires spinning, threatening to lose traction. But the open grassland around them was clear of obstacles. Within seconds, they’d covered several hundred meters.

As the trucks roared to life, hearts hammered in chests, adrenaline surging, blood rushing to their heads, making them lightheaded.

All eyes were glued to Li Xiao’s camp.

When they’d driven about two hundred meters, someone in Li Xiao’s camp finally reacted. Figures began leaping out of trucks, blinking sleepily.

Seeing their supply trucks being stolen, panic erupted. Grabbing weapons, Li Xiao’s men started to give chase, stumbling through the snow after the disappearing trucks.

At the same time, Li Xiao himself emerged unsteadily from a large tent pitched nearby.

Several others lurched out after him, all swaying on their feet, disoriented, as if drunk.

Seeing the fleeing supply trucks, Li Xiao’s face contorted in rage. He lunged forward, trying to run, but his legs seemed to betray him, and he staggered, almost falling.

Someone reached out to steady him, but Li Xiao, in a blind fury, shoved the helping hand away. The gesture only further unbalanced him, nearly sending him sprawling.

“Bang!” Desperate, someone in Li Xiao’s group fired a shot.

The gunshot ripped through the night, deafening, an earsplitting thunderclap in the stillness. The sound reverberated, reaching not only Ji Yanqing’s group, but echoing across the silent city in the distance, jolting it awake.

Hearing the shot, others nearby yelled in protest, trying to restrain the impulsive gunman.

“What did you do to them?” Lan Zi asked Lu Qing, her voice a mix of awe and apprehension.

“Why didn’t you just kill them all?” Xia Shen Shu added, a hint of regret in his voice.

Lu Qing blinked, tilting his head. “But they are dead.”

Hearing Lu Qing’s matter-of-fact reply, everyone in the truck fell silent. Even Xia Shen Shu was momentarily taken aback.

“That’s why I told you to run, so hurry! Soon it’ll –” Lu Qing started to explain, but his words were cut short by a cataclysmic explosion that erupted from Li Xiao’s camp.

The force of the blast hit them like a physical shockwave, eardrums ringing, hearts slamming against ribs, each beat a painful throb.

Amidst the ringing in their ears, everyone turned, faces grim, towards the source of the monstrous sound.

Li Xiao’s large tent, pitched beside the woods, had been utterly annihilated, debris flying in all directions, flames leaping into the night sky.

Ji Yanqing’s breath caught in his throat. Lu Qing could make bombs?

When had he found the time?

Ji Yanqing was momentarily overwhelmed, he didn't know whether he should be surprised at the explosion itself, or that Lu Qing could make explosives, or if he should be worried about how many dangerous items Lu Qing might be carrying?

Ji Yanqing turned to Lu Qing, his eyes narrowed.

Inside the truck, Lu Qing was already rummaging through his overstuffed backpack, completely unfazed by the chaos he’d unleashed.

Xia Shen Shu and the others, ears still ringing, turned back as well.

Watching Lu Qing happily pulling items from his bag, counting them, their faces twisted in a mixture of disbelief and unease.

They’d all witnessed Lu Qing’s unsettling composure in the face of zombies, his almost clinical detachment. They’d pegged him as an eccentric, perhaps slightly obsessive, researcher. But now, a chilling thought surfaced: hadn’t they heard whispers about other survivor groups meeting their ends at Lu Qing’s hands?

A sudden, unsettling realization dawned on Ji Yanqing. Maybe getting Lu Qing that mini-fridge wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Let’s put it at the top of the list.

“Really?” Hearing about his imminent refrigerator, Lu Qing’s face lit up, a childlike delight in his eyes.

“Yeah.” Ji Yanqing paused, then added, a note of caution creeping into his voice, “Next time you make something… interesting, like, say, bombs… maybe give me a heads up first?”

Lu Qing blinked, then nodded. “Okay.”

Humming to himself, Lu Qing resumed sorting through his bag of medications.

Then, he looked up at Ji Yanqing again, his expression earnest. “I like you. That’s why I came back. I want to stay with you.”

Ji Yanqing was taken aback. An unfamiliar warmth bloomed in his chest. He understood what Lu Qing meant by “like.” And that understanding touched him deeply. “Yeah,” he murmured, a soft smile gracing his lips. “Thank you.”

He paused, then added, wanting to clear up any misunderstanding. “We were actually planning to come back for you at three in the morning, then head straight into the city.” He didn’t want Lu Qing to think they’d abandoned him.

“I know,” Lu Qing nodded, a serene certainty in his eyes. “I knew you’d come for me.”

Listening to Lu Qing’s quiet, unwavering confidence, Xia Shen Shu and the others, still reeling from the explosion, exchanged uneasy glances.

They knew it too. That was why they followed Ji Yanqing.

Even Feng Yimo’s perpetually impassive face betrayed a flicker of surprise.

Standing apart, as always, a rare expression of bewilderment softened his features.

Lu Qing… liked Ji Yanqing?

As they spoke, the trucks had sped far away, back onto the highway.

The snow was so thick, they could no longer see the road itself. Navigating by road signs and vague memory, they pushed onward, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and Li Xiao’s wrath.

They drove for over an hour, until the heavy snow made traction impossible. Finally, they found a secluded spot and pulled over.

The snow was falling heavier than ever, a blinding whiteout, the wind howling. The tracks of their escape were quickly being erased, swallowed by the blizzard.

No one slept that night. They waited for dawn, for the snow to ease enough to travel again. Then they would leave, as quickly as possible.

They inventoried their stolen bounty.

Li Xiao’s group, befitting a force of nearly four hundred, was remarkably well-supplied. And it was all high-quality gear.

Rice, flour, cooking oil, and a dozen or so containers of clean water were just the start. They also found several boxes of military-grade hardtack and canned meat – enough to feed their entire group, plus Huang Rongyue’s, for well over ten days.

Especially the canned meat. Just looking at the labels, mouths watered, throats tightened in anticipation.

Beyond food, they’d also hit a jackpot of combat equipment.

Military binoculars, a portable generator, a laptop, several cell phones, an unknown piece of tech, a dozen new bulletproof vests, over fifty new rifles, and almost fifteen hundred rounds of ammunition.

The guns and bullets were meticulously packed, likely intended for trade at the upcoming gathering.

For a large group like Li Xiao’s, guns were no longer enough. Their needs had evolved.

Even after factoring in Huang Rongyue’s one-third share, the remaining spoils were substantial.

Looking over the haul, smiles finally broke out on their faces. But the elation was tempered by a heightened sense of vigilance, constantly scanning the surroundings for any sign of pursuit.

Li Xiao wouldn’t let this go easily. Not with this much lost.

As dawn broke, around seven in the morning, the snow on the ground hadn’t fully melted, but they hit the road again, pushing further away.

Around eight or nine, as the sun gained strength and the snow finally began to recede, they found a section of highway, smashed through the guardrail, and merged onto the smoother surface.

They drove onward, switching highways several times, weaving a convoluted path until they reached the outermost edge of a long sprawl of cityscapes.

Around five in the evening, as dusk began to settle, the convoy pulled over at a highway exit some distance from the city limits.

Everyone stretched their stiff limbs, then quickly set about dividing the loot.

Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue had already agreed on the split. Things were swiftly unloaded, then re-loaded onto their respective vehicles.

Huang Rongyue’s group took three of Li Xiao’s trucks. Ji Yanqing’s group claimed one of the remaining two. Their own vehicle pool was expanding, mirroring their growing stockpile of supplies.

“Captain Ji.” Once everything was loaded, Li Pingsen handed Ji Yanqing a manifest, a detailed inventory of their current supplies.

Bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, Ji Yanqing stood on the highway, gazing towards the sprawling city in the distance.

They were at the city’s edge. The buildings immediately ahead weren’t particularly tall or impressive, but the city stretched vast and sprawling, a dense, overlapping tapestry of structures that disappeared into the hazy horizon.

Ji Yanqing took the inventory list, scanned it, then tucked it away.

They’d secured a generous supply of rice, flour, canned goods, nearly forty rifles, and close to a thousand rounds of ammunition.

Food stores aside, the forty rifles and thousand rounds alone were enough to send a thrill of excitement through everyone.

Ji Yanqing turned to his group, who were finishing up their tasks.

Knowing they now had new guns, many looked at Ji Yanqing with anticipation.

Forty new rifles meant forty more people in their group would soon be armed.

The unarmed were excited at the prospect of finally carrying a weapon. Even those already armed couldn’t suppress their smiles.

Their group numbered one hundred and thirty. Before, only about fifty were armed. Now, with the addition of these forty-plus rifles, over ninety would have guns.

Nearly everyone in their group armed – almost one gun per person.

Such a distribution was likely unparalleled among survivor groups.

Knowing everyone was eager, Ji Yanqing didn’t prolong the anticipation. He immediately started distributing the rifles within the group.

With so many new guns, almost everyone in the group – except for the very old, the very young, and the chronically ill, about thirty in total – received a rifle.

Grasping their new weapons, feeling the reassuring weight in their hands, smiles blossomed across faces on the highway.

“We should be a good distance from Li Xiao by now,” Ji Yanqing cautioned, “but it’s still best to be careful.”

They’d driven for over a day. The distance was significant, but caution was always wise.

“Got it.”

“Captain Ji, should we add a couple more people to the night watch tonight?”

“Hold your horses. You haven’t even gotten your hands warm on that rifle yet, and you’re already itching for duty?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Hahaha…”

“Captain Ji, if we get more guns later, can I apply for an upgrade?”

Ji Yanqing turned to Su Luo, who had spoken.

Su Luo, along with Li Pingsen and Xia Chen, was among the first three in the group to be armed. He was still just a boy, thirteen or fourteen, so Ji Yanqing had initially given him a handgun.

“Sure,” Ji Yanqing nodded. “Conditions permitting, of course.”

“Alright!”

“What about the smaller teams?” Li Pingsen prompted, reminding him of the earlier issue.

Remembering Xia Shen Shu’s suggestion, Ji Yanqing glanced at his group assembled on the highway.

When Xia Shen Shu proposed dividing the group into smaller teams, it was because guns were scarce, so each team was only allocated a dozen or so people. But now, with almost everyone armed, the previous team structure was no longer optimal.

Ji Yanqing was considering whether to reorganize everyone into three larger teams or create a few more smaller ones, when Huang Rongyue’s people came running towards them from the direction of her group.

“Captain Ji, people coming!”

Hearing “people coming,” the smiles instantly vanished. Everyone who had a gun snapped into alert, weapons raised.

“Li Xiao’s group?” Ji Yanqing’s own smile faded.

“No,” Huang Rongyue’s scout pointed towards the city.

Ji Yanqing immediately turned in that direction.

What had been an empty cityscape edge just moments before was now swarming with a large group of four hundred-plus people, streaming out of the city towards them.

As they ran, they glanced back frequently, their movements rapid but organized. They were clearly fleeing the city, but not in a chaotic panic.

Almost simultaneously with their spotting the approaching group, the other group noticed them. Many in their ranks turned to stare in their direction.

“Engage?” Huang Rongyue’s scout asked.

Ji Yanqing considered for a moment, then shook his head. “No.”

Though this group wasn’t Li Xiao’s, they were still large, their intentions unknown.

Huang Rongyue approached, clearly thinking along the same lines. “Should we move out now?”

“Yeah.” Ji Yanqing turned to his group. “Everyone, back in the trucks.”

After their run-in with Li Xiao, Ji Yanqing wanted no further contact with larger survivor groups. Against such numbers, they were too vulnerable.

Everyone moved quickly.

“They’re coming this way,” Xia Shen Shu announced.

Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue turned back to look.

Sure enough, the group pouring out of the city was heading straight towards them, their pace rapid, closing the distance quickly.

Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue exchanged a look, both frowning.

They were clearly aiming to make contact. If they simply jumped into the trucks and sped off now, it would certainly leave a bad impression.

“Unarmed personnel, get in the trucks first,” Ji Yanqing ordered.

Huang Rongyue gave similar instructions to her group. “Injured personnel, board first. Everyone else, weapons ready. We pull out immediately if things go south.”

The unarmed and injured from both groups scrambled into the trucks. Drivers slid into their seats, ready to go.

As they finished preparing, the approaching group had closed in, reaching five hundred meters.

As they neared, their pace slowed.

They veered towards the highway exit, and a figure stepped forward from their ranks – a young man who seemed to be their leader.

He was the antithesis of Li Xiao.

Not heavily built, but slender and tall, his features were strikingly handsome, framed by long hair. Yet, there was nothing effeminate about him. He projected an aura of gentle composure.

“Where’s Li Xiao’s group?” The young man’s first words caused Ji Yanqing and his group to frown instinctively.

The young man’s gaze swept over Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue, then he smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, Li Xiao and I aren’t exactly best friends. We just know each other, so I can’t help being curious.”

As he spoke, his eyes flicked to the five supply trucks emblazoned with Li Xiao’s group insignia, “Split Sky,” parked behind Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue’s vehicles.

Understanding dawned. Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue exchanged glances.

“What’s happening?” Ji Yanqing asked, sidestepping the Li Xiao issue.

“Corpse Kings fighting in the city,” the young man replied, glancing back towards the city.

Ji Yanqing’s group followed his gaze, peering towards the distant skyline. They were a good distance away, but not too far.

From their vantage point, they couldn’t see deep into the city, couldn’t witness the Corpse King clash the young man mentioned.

“Qin Yue,” the long-haired young man introduced himself to Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing met his eyes. “Ji Yanqing.”

The young man nodded.

Exchanging names among survivor groups was usually a sign of goodwill, a prelude to cooperation. Ji Yanqing wasn’t sure what this Qin Yue was after, but he wasn’t looking to start a fight either, not right now.

“Bold move, taking those,” Qin Yue remarked, glancing at the stolen trucks still bearing Li Xiao’s group’s markings.

Ji Yanqing remained silent, not wanting to elaborate on the Li Xiao incident.

Ji Yanqing looked towards Li Pingsen.

Li Pingsen pointed urgently towards the highway behind them, his face grim.

Ji Yanqing followed his gesture.

Qin Yue and Huang Rongyue also turned to look.

Qin Yue’s eyes widened slightly, but Huang Rongyue’s face went ashen.

On the horizon, speeding towards them down the highway, were seven or eight vehicles. Li Xiao’s convoy.

Huang Rongyue’s jaw clenched. She looked at Ji Yanqing, a silent plea for direction: What now?

Qin Yue, after a moment of surprised recognition, seemed to grasp the situation. He turned to Ji Yanqing, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

Ji Yanqing, his face impassive, turned back from the approaching vehicles. He didn’t order his group to flee. Instead, he addressed Qin Yue. “How bad is your relationship with Li Xiao?”

“Boss…” Huang Rongyue’s second-in-command tugged at her sleeve, his face pale, voice tight with panic.

Li Xiao’s vehicles were closing fast, rapidly shrinking the distance between them. Any moment now, it would be too late to escape.

Huang Rongyue’s gaze darted to the rapidly approaching Li Xiao, his vehicles now clearly visible, then back to Ji Yanqing, her hand tightening on her rifle.

Ji Yanqing stood as still as a statue, unmoved.

Qin Yue considered Ji Yanqing’s question, then replied, “We’re the two biggest groups around here. Rivals, I guess. But it’s not like we’re at war or anything.”

Ji Yanqing nodded slowly.

Almost as he did, Li Xiao’s convoy screeched to a halt beside them.

Over a hundred men, faces grim, weapons raised, spilled out of the vehicles, bristling with hostility.

Li Xiao, leading the charge, his eyes bloodshot with fury, his face contorted by the lingering pain from the explosion, looked like a wounded lion, enraged and ready to pounce.

Facing such a furious onslaught, Li Pingsen and the others visibly paled. Beads of sweat broke out on foreheads.

Ji Yanqing calmly glanced at the storm of aggression bearing down on him, then continued his conversation with Qin Yue, as if nothing was amiss. “So, I guess that makes you the biggest group around now.”

The moment Ji Yanqing’s words were spoken, everyone present – Li Pingsen’s group, Huang Rongyue’s, Qin Yue’s, even Li Xiao’s enraged men charging towards them – froze, momentarily stunned.

The tense atmosphere on the highway shifted abruptly, becoming surreal.

Li Xiao’s men faltered in their tracks, their murderous intent faltering.

They turned to look at Qin Yue’s group. Seeing them, a wave of realization washed over them, their faces contorting.

Qin Yue’s group was mostly gathered in the open space before the highway, their attention fixed on the city skyline behind them, only occasionally glancing at their leader, Qin Yue.

Their scattered group easily numbered over four hundred.

Qin Yue’s group alone outnumbered the combined forces of Ji Yanqing, Huang Rongyue, and Li Xiao, who barely totaled four hundred between them.

Li Xiao’s group had started at nearly four hundred strong, but the explosion had taken its toll. Casualties and injuries had reduced their ranks to barely two hundred now.qq: Wtf Lu Qing, what did you build????

Li Xiao, accustomed to being the leader of a “major force,” blinded by rage and lacking clear-headed thought, finally registered Ji Yanqing’s words, and the implications therein.

Reality crashing down, the bloodlust drained from his face, leaving it a sickly, mottled purple. His focus shifted instantly, locking onto Qin Yue.

Seeing this sudden shift in the dynamic, Li Pingsen’s group and Huang Rongyue’s people also caught on, their gazes shifting to Qin Yue.

For a frozen moment, everyone present, save for Feng Yimo who stood silently by Ji Yanqing’s side, stared at Qin Yue.

“Haha…” Under the weight of hundreds of eyes, Qin Yue chuckled, turning to Ji Yanqing, continuing their previous conversation as if nothing had interrupted them. “Looks like it.”

“Congratulations,” Ji Yanqing offered, his tone dry.

“Thank you,” Qin Yue replied, matching his dry tone.

Listening to their unhurried, almost polite exchange, Huang Rongyue, one of the four group leaders present, couldn’t help but twitch her lips.

Traveling with Ji Yanqing’s group, she’d long realized that several individuals in his team were not to be trifled with. She’d often wondered what had drawn someone like Xia Shen Shu, Lu Qing, and Feng Yimo to Ji Yanqing’s side.

Now, she began to understand. Maybe Ji Yanqing himself was the most dangerous of them all.

Beside her, listening to Ji Yanqing and Qin Yue’s nonchalant banter, Li Xiao’s lips also twitched violently. He was burning with the urge to tear Ji Yanqing limb from limb, but for now, he was forced to hold back.

“Boss!” Someone from Qin Yue’s group called out.

Simultaneously, Ji Yanqing, Huang Rongyue, Li Xiao, and Qin Yue turned towards the voice.

Seeing the speaker was from Qin Yue’s ranks, Ji Yanqing, Huang Rongyue, and Li Xiao suppressed their unspoken questions.

“What is it?” Qin Yue asked, smiling.

The man, suddenly under the scrutiny of four leaders, faltered, then answered, “They’re… they’re coming this way. I can hear them.”

Qin Yue immediately turned back towards the city skyline.

Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue’s groups followed suit, peering into the distance.

Li Xiao, still out of the loop, unaware of the Corpse King brawl in the city, also turned to look.

Silence descended.

It stretched for two heartbeats, then, a faint, guttural roar reached their ears.

Ji Yanqing glanced at the man from Qin Yue’s group who had spoken. His hearing was incredibly sharp. They hadn’t heard anything, only he had.

“Bad news,” the man continued, his eyes widening as he looked back at Qin Yue. “Sounds like they’re headed –” His warning was abruptly drowned out by a thunderous crash emanating from the city.

In the brief moments he’d been speaking, a colossal figure, covered in short grey-brown fur, with a long, slender tail – a monstrous, monkey-like creature towering nearly four stories high – had smashed through buildings along its path, hurtling towards the city’s edge.

It moved with incredible speed, covering hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye, bursting out of the city limits, onto the highway approach.

Simultaneously, a slightly shorter, but equally massive black beast emerged from the city, hot on its heels.

Trailing close behind the black beast, the badger-like Corpse King followed.

“Scree!” The monkey King shrieked, a furious roar, flinging its long tail behind it, aiming a devastating blow at the black beast’s head.

The black beast sprang sideways, narrowly evading the attack.

The black beast was fast, dodging the direct impact. But the monkey King’s tail whipped through the air with such speed and force that even the near miss still generated a razor-sharp wind shear, slicing a tuft of fur from the black beast’s face.

Feeling its fur being shorn, a flash of painful memory ignited in the black beast’s eyes. It erupted in unrestrained fury, its intelligent eyes blazing with icy, murderous intent.

The raw killing intent radiated outwards, palpable, suffocating, pressing down on every living thing within a several-mile radius, making breath catch in throats, minds reel.

“Awoo!” With a deafening roar, the black beast launched itself at the monkey King.

Its razor-sharp claws tore through the monkey King’s hide, through skin tougher than bulletproof vests, sinking deep into flesh, unleashing a gush of greenish blood.

Agonizing pain, and the chilling premonition of death, washed over the monkey King. It shrieked again, a sound of pure terror and agony, “Raahh! Screeech!”

The black beast showed no mercy. Jaws gaping, it lunged for the monkey King’s throat.

The monkey King scrambled sideways, twisting away, narrowly avoiding the fatal bite, scrambling to its feet, and once again bolting forward.

The black beast accelerated again, closing in on the monkey King.

Its fangs, sharp enough to pierce steel, would soon find their mark, severing the monkey King’s spine, ending its life. Driven by this certainty, the black beast’s killing intent intensified, surging outwards in an unstoppable wave.

It was seconds from overtaking the fleeing monkey King when, abruptly, its violently pounding heart was seized in an invisible fist, stopping dead.

Ahead, in the chaotic mass of humans scrambling to escape, Ji Yanqing was scooping up Ji An and Ji Le, preparing to flee.

Facing the three Corpse Kings that had materialized before them with no warning, everyone – Li Xiao’s group, Qin Yue’s group, and Huang Rongyue’s – dissolved into utter panic.

They had all heard tales of Corpse King battles, but always at a safe distance. Now, the monstrous Kings were practically upon them, looming over them on the highway.

As impending doom loomed, hearts leaping into throats, the suffocating, viscous killing intent abruptly vanished. And with it, the black beast King’s forward momentum ceased.

It froze mid-stride, digging up a mound of dirt as inertia carried it forward a few more steps.

Just as it seemed about to plow into the panicked crowd, about to trample Ji Yanqing underfoot, it suddenly slammed its paws into the ground. Digging in, the giant wolfish beast skid to a halt, then, with a convulsive shudder, leapt straight up, reaching several meters into the air!

It had recognized Ji Yanqing.

Without even glancing to see if Feng Yimo was nearby, the beast King reacted like a terrified cat, fur on end, landing and tucking its tail between its legs, then spinning around and bolting.

It fled with astonishing speed, all four paws churning, but even that wasn’t fast enough. It pushed itself harder, sprinting away, desperate to escape.

In a heartbeat, it reached the edge of the city, diving back into the labyrinth of buildings. Its heart, as if just now remembering to beat, finally started to pump, hammering in its chest as adrenaline surged. It accelerated, breaking into a full-out sprint.

At the same moment, a searing heat engulfed its body, as if it had spontaneously combusted.

The breakthrough was happening.

It had been scared into evolving!

As its heart raced, blood pounding, a dark shape flashed past it – the badger King.

It glanced over, recognizing its compatriot.

The badger King was also fleeing at top speed, as if something monstrous was snapping at its heels.

“They…” The fleeing humans, gradually regaining their composure, began to stop, staring in stunned disbelief at the two Corpse Kings retreating in chaotic disarray.

Minds blank, many instinctively turned to Ji Yanqing.

Those two Corpse Kings…

Had Ji Yanqing just… scared them away?

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qq note ey look im alive. life, taxes, hackings, account suspensions (gimme my twitter account back elon!!!111), and learning to knit + crochet happened (I will make myself a yarn army of cute animals and no one can stop me, except my wallet when I run out of yarn). I have chapters to post, I'll be scheduling a ton, patreon gets em first, blah blah blah. hope everyone's year is grEeeeAAAAttt so far ;w;