AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 68

 Chapter 68

I Want To Bite You All Over.

---

Ji Yanqing’s breath hitched. Before he could say anything, Ji An and Ji Le clung to him.

“No.”

“No, Dad has to sleep with us!”

They eyed Feng Yimo with suspicion. If Feng Yimo wanted a dad to sleep with, he could go find his own. Ji Yanqing was their dad.

Sensing their tension, Ji Yanqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He ruffled their hair. “Alright, I’ll sleep with you.”

Reassured by his promise, Ji An and Ji Le finally relaxed, but they still refused to let go, gripping his clothes tightly, terrified he would sneak away again.

Ji Yanqing hugged the two little ones. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

As he stood up, carrying them, he remembered the other guards in the tent and glanced over at them. The group was casually staring into the distance, continuing their watch.

Ji Yanqing carried the boys back to the vehicle. There were mats on the floor, so they didn’t need to fold the quilts to sleep. Ji An and Ji Le dove straight into Ji Yanqing’s bedding, snuggling up on either side of him.

Just as the three of them had settled in, Feng Yimo also got into the vehicle. In the darkness, he stood beside Ji Yanqing, looking left and right. Finding no opportunity to slip into Ji Yanqing’s quilt, he clutched his longsword and sat down pitifully in a corner.

When Ji Yanqing saw his dejected, puppy-dog eyes shimmering in the dark, an irrepressible smile curved his lips.

He slept soundly.

The next day, Ji Yanqing woke half an hour earlier than usual. Snow was still drifting down from the sky. He didn’t get up right away, choosing instead to lie in the warmth of his quilt. Ji An and Ji Le were like two little furnaces, and being sandwiched between them was incredibly cozy. The warmth inside the quilt stood in stark contrast to the cold outside, making Ji Yanqing forget the horrors of the apocalypse. He was even tempted to sleep in.

A little later, when the heavy snow stopped and the roads were passable, they had a simple breakfast before the convoy set off once more.

Knowing they would reach Sunward’s camp around noon, not only Ji Yanqing, but Bai Haoxuan’s entire group began to feel a nervous tension. The same was true for Hei Long. His mind was filled with visions of Xia Shen Shu’s group seeing him bring Ji Yanqing back. The anticipation was exhilarating, and he had already started plotting a grand surprise.

“Wait, you should hide in the car first. Then, when I say the secret phrase, you suddenly jump out… No, that’s not creative enough…”

“How about you sneak in and scare them? No, no.”

Hei Long’s head was buzzing with mischievous ideas. The members of his Swift Dragon unit, like the square-faced man, watched him with twitching lips. This couldn’t be their Boss. He must have been replaced, maybe parasitized by some mutated plant.

At first, Ji Yanqing had the patience to listen to Hei Long’s schemes, but as noon approached and they drew closer to the city ahead, his mind began to wander.

As the vehicle emerged from a forest and a familiar mountain range came into view, Ji Yanqing sat up straight. Unlike his earlier illusion, this was indeed the same mountain range where they had camped before.

Ji Yanqing took a deep, steadying breath, but his heart began to race uncontrollably.

Seeing his reaction, Hei Long also looked out the window. After a whole morning of boisterous planning, the sight of the familiar mountains quieted him.

Ji Yanqing found this strange and looked at him, puzzled.

After looking at the mountains to the left of the vehicle, Hei Long turned his gaze to the right. They were on the highway now—the same highway where Li Xiao had caught up with them. To the left were rolling mountains that stretched all the way to the edge of the city ahead. To the right was the city itself—the city where Ji Yanqing had discovered that Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le were Corpse Kings.

Ji Yanqing instinctively looked toward the city.

It was exactly as he remembered: towering skyscrapers faintly visible in the distance, rows of abandoned residential buildings with their doors wide open, and streets clogged with derelict vehicles and trash. The entire city was like a vast cemetery, its tall buildings like tombstones, and the very air seemed to be saturated with the stench of death.

As he stared at the familiar scene, lost in thought, a commotion rippled through the vehicle, and he saw a massive corpse hanging from a tall building in the distance.

It was a creature that resembled an antelope but had sharp fangs and a vicious maw. Its body was two or three stories high, with horns like spears, and its limbs were not hooved but ended in sharp, deadly claws. The area around its neck was a mess of wounds, and a dark, greenish fluid covered its entire body. It had been dead for a long time. The frequent shifts between extreme heat and extreme cold had caused its corpse to rapidly deteriorate.

It looked like a mummy, its flesh rotted away, the skin hanging loosely from its frame.

The shriveled, decaying corpse, combined with the city’s inherent aura of death, created a truly shocking scene that made many in Bai Haoxuan’s group hold their breath.

The corpse was terrifying and repulsive, but what shocked them most wasn’t the dead Corpse King, but the crooked, painted words on the high-rise building behind it.

“WE’RE STILL HERE.”

The yellow painted letters were crooked, each one two meters tall, the largest of all the messages. That had to be Xia Shen Shu. Ji Yanqing could almost see him dangling from a rope, grin manic as he held a spray can in one hand.

“Come back soon. We’re all waiting for you.” That must be Lan Zi.

“Boss, when are you coming back?” That was definitely Hei Long.

“Captain, we’ll find you for sure.” That had to be Li Pingsen.

“We’re not like that bastard. We like you very much, Captain.”

“We miss you.”

“Captain, please come back soon.”

“We’re going to the next city. If you come back, you can find us there.”

“We’re still here.”

“We’re back. Captain, when are you coming back?”

“Captain.”

“I want a bigger fridge.”

“Captain…”

…

Crooked words in various colors of paint covered several nearby buildings. The corpse and the graffiti made it impossible for anyone passing by the city to miss any of it.

Seeing the words on the walls, seeing the Corpse King’s body, everyone from Bai Haoxuan’s team looked at Ji Yanqing. They had known that Sunward was looking for their captain, but only now did they truly understand the depth of their obsession. It wasn’t just a few empty words; they had put each desperate hope into action. They were determined to find Ji Yanqing, even if he had turned into a zombie. To find him, they had even dared to kill a Corpse King.

In the vehicle, the square-faced man and his group also looked at Ji Yanqing. They had joined Sunward later and had seen the corpse and the messages countless times, to the point where they had almost become accustomed to it. They had grown numb. Many of them no longer believed they would ever find Ji Yanqing.

Only the original members of Sunward had never given up. They searched the nearby cities again and again, leaving messages every time they left and returned. At first, they had only written on the building where the Corpse King hung, but eventually, the entire building ran out of space for all the things they wanted to say.

Looking at those words, a sour feeling gradually overwhelmed Ji Yanqing, so intense that his throat ached. He was no longer a child. Crying with a runny nose and tear-streaked face was ugly and unsightly.

Seeing Ji Yanqing’s reddened eyes, the previously elated Hei Long couldn’t help but sneakily wipe away a tear.

“Captain, we’re here…” the driver up front announced.

Everyone in the vehicle looked out the window. Their attention had been so focused on the Corpse King and Ji Yanqing that they hadn’t noticed the convoy had reached the mountain range at the edge of the city.

At the driver’s announcement, the convoy of more than a dozen vehicles drove into a valley on the side of the mountain range facing away from the city, and entered a large encampment.

The camp was huge. The teams of Qin Yue, Li Xiao, and Huang Rongyue were no longer in the area; only Sunward remained. As their numbers grew, their camp had expanded from the small patch of land between Li Xiao’s and Qin Yue’s former territories into a vast area. They had not only taken over the previous territories but had also expanded outward in a large circle.

A row of a dozen large tents was set up against the mountain, each filled with supplies, as well as tables, chairs, and bedding they had salvaged from the city. In front of the camp, a large fire shelter had been built where they usually cooked. It also provided a source of heat at night. A dozen or so vehicles were parked in the innermost part of the camp, loaded with moisture-sensitive supplies, weapons, and ammunition.

As they approached, sentries in the mountains had already spotted them. Seeing that it was Hei Long’s convoy, the people guarding the camp didn’t stop them from entering.

After the vehicles were parked in an orderly fashion next to the others in the camp, the square-faced man and his group quickly got out. Many of the Sunward members in the camp gathered around them, and in a moment, the group was a boisterous, happy crowd.

Bai Haoxuan’s people also got out. It was their first time here. They all gathered around Bai Haoxuan, standing off to one side, waiting for Hei Long to introduce them.

In the vehicle, Hei Long threw a large coat over Ji Yanqing’s head. After inspecting his work and confirming that Ji Yanqing was unrecognizable, he got out of the car, his face beaming with excitement.

Ji Yanqing took the coat off his head. He was about to put it down, but after a moment’s thought, he put it back on. He glanced at Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le, who had stayed in the car with him. Sensing his nervousness, the two cubs had become tense as well, standing on their tiptoes to peek out the window.

Outside the car, Hei Long immediately bellowed, “Where’s Xia Shen Shu and the others? Get them over here! I brought back a real treasure.”

Hearing his cheerful shout, many in the camp looked at him in surprise. In their memory, Hei Long had always been a serious, stoic man.

“Where are they? Where are they?” After his first shout yielded no results, Hei Long impatiently yelled again. He grabbed a person nearby. “Where are they?”

“Squad Leader Xia and the others already left two days ago,” the man said.

The smile on Hei Long’s face froze.

“You were supposed to be back four days ago. Squad Leader Xia and the others waited as long as they could, so they went ahead. He told us to tell you to catch up as soon as you got back,” the man explained.

The excitement on Hei Long’s face was extinguished, replaced by a twisted expression.

“…Then who’s in charge now?” Hei Long glanced at the car where Ji Yanqing was waiting, finally managing to choke out the words.

“Squad Leader Mo. He’s in the vegetable garden on the back mountain, watering the plants.”

“Go get him.”

The man gave the drastically changed Hei Long a suspicious look before quickly running off toward the mountain.

Hearing the conversation from the car, Ji Yanqing took the coat off his head and got out.

Returning to the camp, Ji Yanqing looked around. The number of people was indeed smaller than he had expected, far from seven or eight hundred.

Knowing that Xia Shen Shu and the others weren’t here, Ji Yanqing felt a pang of disappointment, but it was followed by a sense of relief. He wasn’t sure how to face them. He had his reasons for leaving, but his sudden departure had undoubtedly caused them a great deal of hardship.

In that moment, Ji Yanqing even began to feel a little afraid. If they knew the real reason he had left, knew that he had brought Feng Yimo and the two boys back with him, what if they couldn’t accept their identities as Corpse Kings…

“Hei Long.” Mo Xian came running down the mountain from the woods and called out to Hei Long, who was standing by the fire shelter. He had heard Hei Long’s shout from the mountain. It had been a long time since Ji Yanqing disappeared that Hei Long had shouted like that. It made him even more curious about what kind of treasure could make Hei Long so happy. Had he brought back a tank?

“What treas—”

Mo Xian’s words caught in his throat. His gaze fell on the person standing next to Hei Long.

Seeing that face, recognizing Ji Yanqing, the muscles in Mo Xian’s face twitched visibly. His face and eyes instantly turned red.

Unlike Hei Long’s loud sobs, Mo Xian just stared at Ji Yanqing, his face flushed and his eyes wide. There were tears in his eyes, but he held them back with more restraint.

Seeing Mo Xian like this, Ji Yanqing’s racing heart stopped.

“…” Mo Xian’s lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.

“Long time no see,” Ji Yanqing said, taking the initiative.

Hearing that familiar voice, Mo Xian’s already red eyes grew even redder, becoming bloodshot. He took a deep, shuddering breath and turned away. He didn’t want anyone to see him in such a state. They weren’t children anymore.

“You’re…”

Hearing Hei Long’s shouts, many of the remaining Sunward members returned to the camp. When they saw Ji Yanqing standing next to Hei Long and Mo Xian, a dozen or so people who were scattered throughout the group all showed looks of astonishment.

They were the original members of Ji Yanqing’s team.

---

Ji Yanqing looked at the familiar faces, his voice turning raspy. “Yeah.”

Hearing his voice, confirming it was really him, the stunned group could no longer hold back. Many eyes suddenly reddened.

One of them rushed forward and threw his arms around him. “Captain…”

Seeing this, hearing the sob in his voice, the others who had been holding back their emotions swarmed forward, enveloping Ji Yanqing in a group hug, their voices choked with tears.

“We thought…”

“I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Where did you go? Why didn’t you come back?”

“Do you have any idea how long we’ve been looking for you…?”

“We’ve searched this whole area. We searched every single place, everywhere…”

“Captain…”

…

“I know,” Ji Yanqing said, patting the shoulder of the person who had embraced him. He knew. He knew everything.

Mo Xian, who had finally regained his composure, turned back. Seeing Ji Yanqing surrounded, seeing the red-rimmed eyes of the men around him, the tears he had forced back broke through his defenses. He quickly wiped them away.

Ever since Ji Yanqing disappeared, they had been searching for him everywhere. They had scoured every place they could think of, searching the same areas over and over again. They searched relentlessly, everywhere, until they were on the verge of despair. Until even finding him among a group of undead would have seemed like a god-sent gift. They had all been holding their breath, afraid that if they exhaled, Ji Yanqing would truly be ... gone.

Eventually, finding Ji Yanqing had become an obsession etched into their very souls. It was only in this moment that all their anxiety finally subsided.

Ji Yanqing was alive. He was back.

He had come back alive.

Mo Xian quickly wiped the tears from his face and cleared his throat. “Alright, alright, stop crowding him. You’re going to suffocate him. If you do- Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi will kill you…”

Hearing his words, some of the men clutching Ji Yanqing let out a small laugh and slowly backed away. They were reluctant to let go, having only just found him, but they had so many questions.

What had happened that day?

Why did he disappear? Why did he leave?

Why didn’t he come back to find them?

Where had he been all this time?

They had so many questions, they didn’t even know where to begin.

Released from the tight embrace, Ji Yanqing could finally breathe freely, but the bitter ache in his chest remained. He took several deep breaths, finally managing to suppress the burning sensation in his eyes.

He spoke, his voice unavoidably hoarse. “I’ll explain everything when we find Xia Shen Shu and the others. I have something I need to tell all of you then.” He paused, looking at the pairs of red eyes before him, and added, “I’ll make everything clear.”

Hearing his words, knowing they would get an explanation, the group gradually recovered from their initial shock, and smiles began to spread across their faces.

As they smiled, Hei Long wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes and turned to the newer members of Sunward. “This is our captain, Ji Yanqing.”

Hearing Hei Long’s announcement and seeing the reactions of Mo Xian and the others, the rest of the camp had already guessed his identity. Now, hearing the official introduction, those who had never seen Ji Yanqing before all turned to look at him. They sized him up, and seeing that he was completely different from what they had imagined, many of them looked bewildered.

After introducing Ji Yanqing, Hei Long turned to the anxious and uneasy group led by Bai Haoxuan. Against the members of Sunward, Bai Haoxuan’s group was visibly weaker. Sunward was a large team of six or seven hundred people, with far better supplies and coordination than Bai Haoxuan’s team. Although they had been searching for Ji Yanqing for some time, they had also managed to rest and recover. In contrast, Bai Haoxuan’s group, who had just been fleeing for their lives from a Corpse King, were all sallow and gaunt, their spirits low.

“They’ll be joining our team from now on…” Hei Long gave a brief account of their situation.

Sunward had stopped recruiting new members for some time, but most of their own people had joined after hearing of Sunward’s reputation. They were no strangers to this kind of situation, and soon, some of them took the initiative to show Bai Haoxuan’s group around the camp and help them settle in.

With Bai Haoxuan’s group taken care of, Mo Xian and Hei Long, having composed themselves, approached Ji Yanqing.

“What’s the situation now?” Ji Yanqing asked, looking at the two new squad leaders.

Hei Long and Mo Xian exchanged a glance.

“After you disappeared, we started looking for you everywhere,” Hei Long began. “But our team was too small, and the search was too difficult, so Lan Zi suggested we expand the team.”

“We’ve taken in several survival teams. Excluding Bai Haoxuan’s group, we now have nearly seven hundred people. With them, we’ll be over eight hundred and fifty.”

“With so many people, three squad leaders weren’t enough, so we created two more squads to allow for separate operations.”

“I had experience leading a team, so I became a squad leader first. Mo Xian was chosen later by the others when the team grew larger,” Hei Long said, glancing at Mo Xian.

Xue Gang had divided his team into two groups: a core group of armed members, and the rest, who were treated as less than human. They did the hardest, most dangerous work, yet had to give up what they found to support Xue Gang’s group. Mo Xian had been one of those who were supported.

Hei Long continued, “After the team grew, we split up for operations. One squad would stay behind to rest, one would be responsible for foraging for food nearby, and the other three would search for you.” He glanced at the mountains behind the camp. “We’ve also planted some vegetables in the mountains back there.”

“Vegetables?” Ji Yanqing was slightly surprised. The vast majority of their supplies came from scavenging in the cities; they had no means of self-production.

“It’s that bok choy from before,” Hei Long explained. “Lu Qing did it. He used the roots to propagate them and managed to grow a whole patch.”

Ji Yanqing remembered the small vegetable patch Lu Qing’s group had by the canal in that town. He nodded. “What about Xia Shen Shu and the others? What are the plans for the gathering?”

“According to the original plan, I was supposed to raid the military base and bring back supplies. Then, Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, and Li Pingsen would lead a team to the gathering with the goods.”

“They had three objectives for the gathering this time. One was to look for you. The second was to trade for medicine, since we’ve been using up our medical supplies very quickly while searching for you. The third was to get a general sense of the current situation between the survival teams.”

“We’ve come into contact with quite a few teams recently and have a better understanding of the situation outside. The survival conditions are getting tougher. Many teams have already started forming alliances. We discussed it before, and if necessary, we need to establish relationships with other teams as soon as possible, or things will get very difficult later on.”

Hei Long looked at Ji Yanqing with complex emotions.

Ji Yanqing had told them long ago, back when he was about to lead them to hunt Awakened Zombies, that the survival conditions would only get more difficult. At the time, they had been shocked, but hadn’t really taken it seriously. It wasn’t that they underestimated him or the apocalypse; it was just that they were struggling to even stay alive back then and didn’t have the time or energy to think so far ahead.

Looking back now, Ji Yanqing had been incredibly prescient.

Leading them to hunt Awakened Zombies wasn’t just about giving them hope. He had foreseen that things would turn out this way long ago, which had given them a mental advantage and allowed them to react earlier than others to the increasingly tense situation.

Ji Yanqing nodded, relieved that Xia Shen Shu and the others had also sensed the growing tension. At the same time, he couldn’t help but smile wryly. Even if they had left Sunward, Xia Shen Shu and the others would undoubtedly become prominent figures in their own right. Keeping them in Sunward as mere squad leaders was almost a waste of their talents.

“Captain, what do we do now?” Mo Xian asked. Their main objective had been to find Ji Yanqing. Now that he had been found, they were without a purpose.

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. “We’ll go after Xia Shen Shu.”

Mo Xian nodded. He had expected as much.

“Not just me. You’ll go too. Everyone will go.”

Mo Xian and Hei Long exchanged a stunned look.

“We’ll take everything we can carry and leave for good,” Ji Yanqing said, surveying the camp. This place was special to him and to them, but it wasn’t suitable for a long-term settlement.

“But…” Hei Long was at a loss for words. Where would a team of their size go? Moving a group of over eight hundred people was a massive undertaking.

“Once we find Xia Shen Shu and the others, we’ll immediately find a place to build our paradise,” Ji Yanqing said.

Mo Xian and Hei Long looked at each other again, even more astonished.

“Paradise…” Mo Xian didn’t know how to react. This wasn’t the first time they had heard those words from Ji Yanqing. At first, they had thought it was a joke, a dream. Later, when they realized he was serious, they had felt conflicted but still believed it was impossible. After he disappeared, they hadn’t given it another thought. Now, he was back, and the first thing he wanted to do was lead them to build a paradise…

Hei Long’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

Mo Xian’s face was a canvas of complex emotions and surprise.

“We can’t keep roaming around like we used to. Building a paradise is a necessity. The dynamic between zombies and humans is bound to change soon, and we have to establish our paradise before that happens,” Ji Yanqing said.

Alliances were no longer enough. They were likely at a critical juncture now, a dividing line. Those who could establish a settlement before everything changed would have a better chance of survival. Those who failed to react in time would likely…

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath, forcing himself not to dwell on it. That world was too desperate, too cruel. He couldn’t save everyone in the world; he could only save those around him.

“Pack up. We leave this afternoon,” Ji Yanqing said.

If it weren’t for the situation with Feng Yimo and the boys, he might have already started preparations with Xia Shen Shu and the others. They were already falling behind Equator.

Hei Long and Mo Xian exchanged a look, and both took a deep breath.

Ji Yanqing’s decision shocked them, but it also gave them a sense of déjà vu. It was just like before, when he would occasionally make sudden, crazy decisions that caught them completely off guard.

Feeling that familiar mix of anxiety and excitement, Hei Long and Mo Xian smiled in silent understanding. They didn’t know what was going through his mind. To them, the idea of returning only to immediately lead them to build a paradise seemed absurd. But this was Ji Yanqing. This was their captain.

They had developed a blind faith in him, and time and time again, he had proven them right.

They were going to build a paradise.

Hearing the sudden order to leave, to pack up the entire camp, the members of Sunward were clearly divided into two groups. Those who had originally followed Ji Yanqing, after a moment of stunned silence, immediately began to pack. The newer members stood around in a daze, looking at each other, completely bewildered.

---

“Stop standing around like idiots,” Hei Long urged.

“How much gasoline do we have left?” Mo Xian asked.

Seeing that neither Hei Long nor Mo Xian seemed to be joking, the stunned crowd slowly began to move. As they worked, many of them kept glancing at Ji Yanqing.

This Captain of theirs… was baffling.

Xia Shen Shu’s group had been living here for nearly two months, and the camp was packed with supplies. Suddenly having to pack everything up, the group toiled for five or six hours and still wasn’t finished.

As the sun began to set, the temperature dropped, and snow began to fall, Ji Yanqing had to abandon the idea of leaving that day. He let everyone rest in the camp for one more night.

That night, as the snow fell, the group gathered around the fire shelter at the front of the camp, eating dinner and drinking hot water. They had cleared out most of the zombies in the nearby city, and with the mountains providing cover, it was relatively safe to have a fire for a short time on a snowy night.

Sitting by the fire, Ji Yanqing felt the cold wind on his face and watched the flickering flames. He held a bowl of slightly-too-hot bok choy and vermicelli, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over him. The simple meal reminded him of the past, as did the feeling of being able to see a bright light at night. Since the outbreak, they had rarely dared to light a fire after dark.

“Don’t we still have some alcohol?” Hei Long was in a state of euphoria, chattering non-stop throughout dinner, making a racket.

The newer members of Sunward had never seen this side of him and stared as if they were seeing a ghost. Several of them almost sprayed the noodles they were eating out of their noses.

“I think so, but Squad Leader Xia and the others…”

“Go get it. If they ask, just say the zombies drank it,” Hei Long said enthusiastically.

Hearing this, a few of the bolder, more alcohol-inclined members scurried off to the vehicles to search. They quickly found what they were looking for: five or six boxes of beer, white wine, and red wine, all mixed together and wrapped in foam paper.

Seeing the alcohol, Hei Long’s face lit up, and he immediately had them distribute it. There were so many people in their team that even with several boxes, each person only got a few sips. Even so, smiles bloomed on their faces, illuminated by the firelight.

“Boss, you want some…?” Hei Long was so excited that after just two sips, his face was flushed red, and he was already a little drunk. He was so happy, it felt like the joy would carry over into his dreams.

“No, thanks.” Ji Yanqing handed his share to him.

Hei Long took the alcohol with a goofy grin and went off to find someone to drink and chat with. The rest of Sunward had never seen him like this and were all as quiet as mice, afraid to speak. So, Hei Long went to find Bai Haoxuan. Bai Haoxuan hadn’t seen Hei Long’s previous ferocity and wasn’t afraid of him. The two quickly hit it off.

Ji Yanqing watched all of this, a warmth filling his chest. He turned to look at Ji An and Ji Le, who were beside him, diligently trying to pick up bok choy with their chopsticks. For some reason, they had taken a particular liking to this mutated vegetable.

As he watched the two little ones engrossed in their meal, he felt a gaze on him. He looked up and saw Mo Xian.

Mo Xian stood nervously not far from the fire, holding his drink. He had been watching Ji Yanqing for a while, looking like he had something to say but lacked the courage to say it.

When Ji Yanqing looked at him, Mo Xian paused, then downed his drink in one gulp and walked over with the air of a man preparing for a final stand.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Yanqing was confused. Mo Xian looked like he was about to pick a fight.

As he got closer, the imposing Mo Xian seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. “It was only because we needed to split up that I was made acting Squad Leader…”

Hearing his voice grow softer and softer, Ji Yanqing quickly understood.

“I think it was a good choice,” Ji Yanqing interrupted.

Mo Xian’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“When I gave you the gun before, I had already decided to give you another chance. And I trust the judgment of Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi,” Ji Yanqing said softly. As he spoke, he glanced at the few men from Xue Gang’s former team who were now laughing and joking with Hei Long. They were all in Mo Xian’s squad. He had heard them call him ‘Squad Leader’ earlier. Since they had already forgiven him and were willing to call him that, what right did he have to hold a grudge?

When Ji Yanqing looked back at Mo Xian, two streams of tears were running down his face. Mo Xian tried to smile, but couldn’t. He wiped away the tears. He had a million things he wanted to say, but in the end, they all distilled into a single sentence. “…It’s so good to have you back.”

He had made a mistake. He had seized a momentary opportunity and chosen to give up, to not correct his path. When he was ostracized, he hadn’t felt anger, only a bitter acceptance. He deserved it. Just when he thought his life would be like this forever, Ji Yanqing had given him another chance, a chance to start over.

To others, Ji Yanqing might have just shown them the hope of survival. But to him, Ji Yanqing had given him back his life.

Ji Yanqing gave the rest of the bok choy in his bowl to Ji An and Ji Le, who were still completely absorbed in their meal. He stood up, walked over to Mo Xian, and gently patted his shoulder.

After comforting him, Ji Yanqing stood for a long time, watching the lively camp before finally looking away. He confirmed with both of them that they could leave early the next morning, then went to find Ji An and Ji Le.

Equator had already started preparations for their paradise, and they certainly weren’t the only ones. Qin Yue was probably starting to prepare as well. They had no more time to waste.

Thinking about the paradise, Ji Yanqing returned to the vehicle. It was only after he sat down that he realized something was wrong.

A space for one person had been left in the innermost corner of the vehicle. Ji An and Ji Le lay sprawled haphazardly to the left of the empty space, and Feng Yimo was on the right. Usually, the boys slept on either side of him.

“What’s…” Ji Yanqing started to ask, but when he met the two pairs of teary, wronged eyes, he understood.

A subordinate cannot refuse their creator.

Realizing what had happened, Ji Yanqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Was this how Feng Yimo was using the relationship between a Corpse King and his subordinates?

“Don’t bully them,” Ji Yanqing said, looking at Feng Yimo.

Lying on the floor, Feng Yimo closed his eyes, determined to pretend he was already asleep.

Ji Yanqing was at a loss.

He lay down in the empty space and gently kissed Ji An’s and Ji Le’s foreheads. “Go to sleep.”

Squeezed onto one side, unable to flank him as usual, Ji An and Ji Le shot a wronged look at Feng Yimo before obediently closing their eyes. The two little ones were full and fell into a deep, even sleep not long after lying down.

Seeing them asleep, Ji Yanqing covered them with the quilt, stroked their cheeks, and then lay down himself.

The moment he settled down, he felt a cold, dark gaze in the darkness.

He looked over.

Feng Yimo stared at him wordlessly, his eyes filled with a sourness and jealousy he himself didn’t even realize was there.

Ji Yanqing was good to everyone.

Back at the camp, he had let that group of people hug him, and he had spoken so gently to Mo Xian…

Seeing Feng Yimo remain silent, Ji Yanqing felt a sudden urge to chat. He had always enjoyed talking to Feng Yimo; he felt that he was different from others. No matter what he said, Feng Yimo wouldn’t laugh at him. He turned on his side to face him. “I want to build a paradise.”

“Hmph,” Feng Yimo replied sourly.

“A home. A home for everyone.”

“Hmph.”

Ji Yanqing blinked. Feng Yimo must be mute today. All he could say was ‘hmph.’

Ji Yanqing decided not to talk to him anymore. He closed his eyes to sleep. They had to leave early tomorrow; they needed to get to the gathering as quickly as possible. It was only a few days away. If they were fast, they might still make it. If they were slow, they would miss it.

In the darkness, Ji Yanqing felt something warm on his face. His eyes snapped open to see a face just inches from his own. It was Feng Yimo.

Ji Yanqing instinctively held his breath.

Almost at the same moment, he felt a soft touch at the corner of his mouth, a gentle suction. Feng Yimo was kissing him.

Ji Yanqing’s heart began to race uncontrollably. He felt as if he had been plunged into boiling water, the blood in his veins starting to simmer.

Feng Yimo’s movements were light, making Ji Yanqing’s heart tingle. He placed a hand on Feng Yimo’s chest. What is he doing? There are so many people in the car.

Before he could push, his hand was caught. Feng Yimo pressed Ji Yanqing’s hand against his own chest. Beneath the firm, hot muscle, something was pounding.

Feeling that heat, feeling that pounding rhythm, Ji Yanqing’s own palm grew hot. He tried to pull his hand away.

“I want to bite every inch of you,” Feng Yimo whispered, his voice low and raspy, tinged with a hint of grievance and anger, audible only to the two of them.

The moment he had seen Ji Yanqing being hugged by others, the dormant killing intent inside him had erupted. In that instant, he had wanted to slaughter everyone in the camp. Ji Yanqing was his, and his alone.

What made him even angrier was that Ji Yanqing had been so gentle with that man named Mo Xian…

Ji Yanqing was his, and his alone.

But Ji Yanqing didn’t know.

“Mmm… Dad…” Ji An mumbled in his sleep, checking that Ji Yanqing was still there.

“I’m here,” Ji Yanqing quickly replied, turning to look at him. Since he had abandoned them twice, Ji An had become anxious at night.

Ji Yanqing stroked his face. Seeing his furrowed brow relax as he drifted back to sleep, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He had barely exhaled when a strong, possessive arm wrapped around his body, pulling him tightly into an embrace.

Feng Yimo’s voice was full of grievance and confusion. “Ji Yanqing, what’s wrong with me?”

Lying with his back to Feng Yimo, feeling his solid body behind him, feeling his hot breath on his ear, Ji Yanqing’s lips curled into an irrepressible smile.

----

The next morning, the camp was bustling with activity at dawn. After a quick breakfast, everyone harvested the bok choy from the back mountain, loaded it onto the vehicles along with the rest of their supplies, and set off for Wu City, the site of the gathering.

They drove a convoy of thirty vehicles. Mo Xian’s team, which had remained at the camp, numbered nearly one hundred and fifty people. Combined with Hei Long’s and Bai Haoxuan’s groups, the convoy totaled around five hundred. In addition, there were many supplies that Xia Shen Shu’s group had salvaged from other places.

More people and more supplies naturally required more vehicles. This once again made Ji Yanqing acutely aware of how terrifyingly high a large team’s consumption rate was. They had filled two entire vehicles with just gasoline.

Moving with such a massive convoy, they still had to spend an extra day on the road to replenish supplies; they didn’t have enough food to last the ten-day journey. Before returning to the Sunward camp, Ji Yanqing had been closer to Wu City, only a five or six-day drive away. But from Sunward’s base, the journey to Wu City took nearly twelve or thirteen days.

Eleven days later, they arrived at Wu City.

Wu City was an old town, or more accurately, it was once an open-pit mine. The mining operation had lasted for nearly a decade, and over time, human settlements had sprung up around it. After the mine was depleted and the miners left, some of the villagers remained.

Equator had chosen the center of the mining area as the gathering place. From a distance, it looked like a giant meteor crater, with the ground sinking downwards. The area had once been barren, with nothing but exposed rock and soil. But after the virus outbreak, the plants had mutated, and now the ground was covered in a carpet of low-lying green grass. The entire pit looked like a giant green bowl. The low, earthen houses in the long-abandoned village at the center were also overgrown with green vegetation, giving the whole place a fairytale-like atmosphere.

When Ji Yanqing’s group arrived, a fan-shaped formation of vehicle convoys spread out from the small, desolate village at the center of the pit. People were moving about everywhere, both in the convoys and in the central village. The main site of the gathering was in the village, so it was very lively. As they reached the edge of the pit, they could already hear sounds of laughter and merriment.

Hearing the noise, seeing the people milling about, a sense of softness appeared in the eyes of Ji Yanqing’s group. They were so used to the sight of corpses and zombies that a gathering of living humans felt like a return to the world before the outbreak.

“Over there.” At the edge of the pit, Hei Long’s sharp eyes immediately spotted their own convoy.

The other Sunward members all looked in that direction, confirming that it was indeed Xia Shen Shu’s team. They got back in their vehicles and quickly headed over.

Many people in the pit noticed their large convoy and turned to look, adding to the bustling atmosphere of the gathering. Hearing the clamor of human voices, many in the vehicle looked outside. Ji Yanqing, too, was somewhat distracted.

The nervousness of seeing Xia Shen Shu and the others again washed over him, accompanied by a wave of anxiety and apprehension. The feeling was even stronger than before, so strong that he didn’t know where to put his hands, which were still clutching his axe. His palms grew hot.

The convoy drove straight toward Xia Shen Shu’s camp, stopping after just a few minutes. As soon as the vehicles stopped, the people in the convoy got out, curiously looking at the other teams nearby and at the gathering ahead.

Ji Yanqing didn’t get out. This time, it wasn’t a surprise orchestrated by Hei Long, but his own hesitation. He didn’t know how to face Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, Li Pingsen, and Lu Qing. He sat on the bus, waiting. The windows were covered with sunshades to block the direct sunlight, so people outside couldn’t see in, and those inside couldn’t see out. This gave him a brief sense of security, but also made him more nervous.

Amid the clamor outside, Ji Yanqing heard a familiar voice. It was one of the men who had been in his team before.

“How did you guys get here? And with such a huge entourage…” The man looked in astonishment at the convoy of some thirty vehicles. Did Hei Long and the others bring the entire camp? Are they insane?

“They are…” The man noticed Bai Haoxuan’s group standing nearby. They had stopped recruiting. Where did Hei Long and Mo Xian find so many new people?

“Never mind that. Where are Xia Shen Shu and the others?” Hei Long’s voice was filled with excitement.

“Squad Leader Xia is arguing with another survival team.”

“Huh?” Hei Long was taken aback.

“Arguing?” Mo Xian was also clearly stunned.

“That team was dishonest. We agreed to trade bullets for disinfectant, but they shorted us on the amount. Each bottle was only half full. When we went to get the rest, they denied it.”

Sitting in the vehicle, so nervous his limbs felt weak, Ji Yanqing was dumbfounded. How could Xia Shen Shu and the others fall for a trick like that?

“Did we lose a lot?” Mo Xian’s tone was sharp. Any supplies were precious now.

“Our team leaders are currently extorting—I mean, negotiating compensation,” the man said with a grin.

Hearing his words, hearing the amusement in his voice, Ji Yanqing shook his head with a helpless smile. How could he have thought Xia Shen Shu would be swindled? Xia Shen Shu must have noticed the problem right away. Knowing his personality, he had probably pretended to be fooled on purpose, just so they could turn around and fleece the other party.

Imagining Xia Shen Shu and the others blackmailing their opponents, an irrepressible smile curved Ji Yanqing’s lips, and his heart began to pound. The mix of impatience and anxiety made him unable to sit still.

“Go get them, quickly! Tell them I brought back a real treasure!” Knowing Xia Shen Shu’s group was fine, Hei Long, with a dark look on his face, urged the man on.

“A real treasure?” The man looked at the convoy behind Hei Long. He was skeptical. He couldn’t imagine what kind of treasure would be worth bringing the entire camp for. And if they had brought the whole camp, what would they do when they went back?

“Go, quickly,” Hei Long insisted.

“What treasure?” Li Pingsen’s voice came from the front of the convoy. His voice was deeper and more resonant than Xia Shen Shu’s.

Ji Yanqing recognized it instantly.

Seeing Li Pingsen, Hei Long’s face lit up with joy. He was so excited he almost jumped. “Guess.”

Li Pingsen gave Hei Long a look and started to walk around him to check the vehicle himself.

There was no way Hei Long would let him spoil the surprise. He quickly pulled him back. “Wait, not everyone’s here yet.” Thinking about the scene to come, Hei Long burst out laughing.

It wasn’t just him. Mo Xian and the others who had been with Ji Yanqing before also had mysterious, brilliant smiles on their faces. They couldn’t wait for that moment. No matter how hard Xia Shen Shu and the others thought, they would never guess that they had brought back Ji Yanqing—the captain they had been obsessively, frantically searching for.

“Hurry up and get them,” Hei Long urged again and again.

Seeing Hei Long’s excited and smug expression, Li Pingsen grew even more curious. He tilted his head, trying to peer into the vehicle, but Hei Long pulled him back again.

Unable to see, Li Pingsen looked at the others, trying to get an answer from Mo Xian. But when his gaze met Mo Xian’s, he saw that even Mo Xian, who usually didn’t get involved in such antics, was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Li Pingsen’s curiosity grew, gnawing at him.

“How did you guys get here?” Xia Shen Shu’s voice, higher than Li Pingsen’s, rang out, filled with surprise and confusion. They had expected Hei Long, but why was Mo Xian here too? And with so many new faces.

“Hei Long said he brought a real treasure,” Li Pingsen said before Hei Long could speak.

“A treasure? What treasure?” Lan Zi’s voice, melodious and distinct from the men’s, was full of puzzlement.

“Guess. I’ll give you three chances…” Hei Long’s face was flushed with excitement.

Li Pingsen looked at Hei Long. “So mysterious. What are you—”

Before Hei Long could react, Li Pingsen darted past him toward the vehicle he was guarding. He quickly reached the door, opened it, stepped onto the bus, and looked inside.

As he raised his head and saw Ji Yanqing sitting right there, the words on the tip of his tongue died. His mind went completely blank.

Startled by Li Pingsen’s sudden move, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi both looked toward the vehicle. From their angle, they couldn’t see inside, only Li Pingsen’s suddenly rigid back.

Seeing him freeze, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi exchanged a look, both raising their eyebrows. What’s going on?

“Li Pingsen,” Ji Yanqing said. He looked uneasily at the man before him, who was now missing an eye. The other eye was red, and tears were streaming down his face.

Li Pingsen had changed so much that Ji Yanqing almost didn’t recognize him. His face was more haggard, etched with a new ferocity. Unlike before, he had clearly killed people now and no longer feared killing.

He was missing an eye.

Hearing Ji Yanqing’s familiar voice, Li Pingsen’s lips trembled, and tears streamed down his cheeks.

Seeing Li Pingsen frozen as if someone had hit a pause button, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi were still confused when they heard that familiar voice. In an instant, the smiles vanished from their faces, and their hearts began to pound. The acceleration was so abrupt that their minds went momentarily blank from a lack of blood, and their faces turned deathly pale.

One after the other, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi rushed toward the bus door. Reaching the entrance, Xia Shen Shu grabbed the motionless Li Pingsen and pulled him aside, then quickly looked inside.

His gaze fell upon Ji Yanqing, sitting in the seat opposite the door. Xia Shen Shu’s pupils constricted violently, and the hand gripping the doorframe trembled visibly. He stared at Ji Yanqing’s face, his mouth opening and closing, but he couldn’t form a single sound.

Lan Zi’s eyes had already blurred with tears before she even reached the door. Wiping them away, she peered into the vehicle, desperate to see the figure from her memories.

Seeing Ji Yanqing, she pushed aside the stunned Xia Shen Shu and hurried onto the bus. She threw her arms around the rising Ji Yanqing and burst into tears. “Waaaah…”

She thought she would never see him again… She thought he was dead.

“Waaaah…”

Ji Yanqing gently patted her back and looked out at Xia Shen Shu and Li Pingsen, who were standing outside with red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes, glaring at him.

“Long time no see.”

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words from qq Happy Halloween! Hope everyone had a wonderful spooky (and best) month. The patreon is updated to chapter 74 (as of when I'm setting up this post lol), and I'm aiming to schedule the chapters so that they're regularly posted... lol.... May your turkey month start joyfully! I'm dreaming of duck... no literally, I hope I can make duck this year xD