AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Wasn’t Ji Yanqing too careless with these Corpse Kings?

---

Under the assault of the night and the blizzard, the great pit had lost its daytime fairytale quality, replaced by a raw and brutal ugliness, like a hideous scar where flesh had been gouged out.

Far from the central camp, on the edge of the pit where the wind and snow howled, Ji Yanqing’s group stood motionless in the darkness.

Staring at Ji Yanqing’s earnest face, Xia Shen Shu and the others, who had just fired off three consecutive “what’s,” nearly choked on their own breaths. A moment ago, they were thinking that even if Ji Yanqing told them there was a Corpse King in their team, they wouldn’t be surprised. In the span of a single breath, he had told them not only that there was a Corpse King, but that there were three of them.

Their minds went blank. They even forgot to breathe.

As they forgot to breathe, the blood seemed to slow in their veins, and a suffocating pain soon spread through their chests, making the world around them feel even more unreal.

A long time passed. Just as the wind had chilled their hands and feet to the bone, someone finally reacted.

“You…” Lan Zi tried to say something, but her brain simply wouldn’t function. It was the same for the others.

While Hei Long, Mo Xian, Bai Haoxuan, and Li Pingsen were still reeling, Xia Shen Shu had managed to recover, but his face was the complex mask of someone suspecting that Ji Yanqing had lost his mind.

Ignoring Lu Qing, Ji Yanqing bent down and picked up one of the small children clinging to his leg. He raised the little Corpse King with both hands, displaying him like Simba before his dumbstruck team members. “Ji An. Ji Le. Feng Yimo. They’re Corpse Kings.”

Ji An, who had been hiding safely behind Ji Yanqing’s leg, was suddenly lifted into the air. He looked utterly innocent, his small arms and legs dangling with Ji Yanqing’s movements.

As Ji Yanqing held him up, the group’s gaze was fixed on Ji An’s face. He was still thin, but he had grown quite a bit since Ji Yanqing had found him. Dressed in a heavy, oversized coat, with his short arms and legs, he looked like a kitten not yet grown into his fur. His bright eyes were wide and round, making one want to reach out and pinch his cheeks.

Seeing them staring at Ji An, lost in thought, Ji Yanqing put him back down and let him hide behind his leg again.

Ji An and Ji Le were both very anxious. They were not even three years old when the virus broke out. In the past half-year, they hadn’t learned much, but the fear of Corpse Kings was deeply ingrained in their souls. As former humans, they knew all too well the fear and disgust humans felt toward them.

“That day, after I followed Xia Chen into the city, he led me into that mall and locked me inside. Then he fired his gun to attract the zombies inside…” Ji Yanqing didn’t want to dwell on Xia Chen. He believed he had treated him well, never letting him lack for food or clothing, never treating him differently. Xia Chen had even been one of the first to follow him, one of the people he had trusted most.

“After they were alerted, all the zombies rushed toward us. There was even an Awakened Zombie in the mall. I thought I was going to die for sure. It was these three who saved me.”

“After I found out they were Corpse Kings, I decided not to return to the camp right away, because I was afraid… that they would hurt you…”

In the darkness, under the falling snow, only the sound of Ji Yanqing’s voice could be heard.

Although Feng Yimo already knew all of this, hearing it from Ji Yanqing’s own lips still caused a pang of discomfort in his chest. He would never hurt Ji Yanqing. He didn’t care about Xia Shen Shu and the others, but he cared about Ji Yanqing.

Hiding behind his legs, Ji An and Ji Le clutched the fabric of his pants. They no longer peeked at Xia Shen Shu and the others, their small heads bowed.

Noticing this, Ji Yanqing reached down and stroked their heads. He would not abandon them again.

The others remained silent. After the initial shock and blankness, their expressions gradually shifted to a shared look of dazed disbelief. As they slowly came back to their senses, they understood why Ji Yanqing had abandoned them, why he hadn’t dared to return. They realized he had no other choice, and a sense of relief washed over them.

But… Feng Yimo and the cubs were Corpse Kings?

How could they be Corpse Kings?

They had watched Ji Yanqing find Ji An and Ji Le. They had watched him rescue Feng Yimo later. How could all three of them have turned out to be Corpse Kings? And how could they have all ended up in their team?

Especially Ji An and Ji Le. They had watched the two little cubs transform from cautious, anxious children into cheerful ones. They could cry, laugh, and call Ji Yanqing ‘Dad.’ They even knew how to be sweet and cuddly. They were exactly like human children. How could they have suddenly become Corpse Kings?

“You… stop joking…” Li Pingsen’s limbs had gone numb. He didn’t find this funny at all. His remaining eye stared closely at Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le. Having only one eye didn’t change what he saw. They were clearly human!

“I’m not joking,” Ji Yanqing said.

Li Pingsen’s lips moved, his already pale face turning a ghastly white.

“But…” Mo Xian’s brain couldn’t process it.

“They’re clearly…” Bai Haoxuan started, looking at Feng Yimo. Meeting those dark eyes, colder than the wind and snow, the words died in his throat, and a chill crept into his heart. Apart from Ji Yanqing, Feng Yimo had never been close to anyone.

“But they…” Lan Zi looked at Ji An and Ji Le. Feng Yimo and the two boys hadn’t even joined their team at the same time. How could it be that all three of them were Corpse Kings, and had all coincidentally ended up in their team?

“Ji An and Ji Le … they actually died at that construction site. They were killed by Xue Gang,” Ji Yanqing said, pausing. “It was Feng Yimo who found them first. He turned them into his subordinates, and that’s how they came back to life.”

“When I found them, they were just beginning to reawaken.”

“Feng Yimo had been searching for them everywhere. Later, I pulled him into our group, and when he found Ji An and Ji Le with us, he decided to stay,” Ji Yanqing said with a wry smile.

No one spoke. The only sound was the howling of the wind in the snow.

Ji Yanqing spoke again. “Feng Yimo and the others are different from other Corpse Kings. They won’t hurt anyone in our survival team…” As the words left his mouth, a bitter taste filled his throat. He knew how ridiculous it sounded, as if he were saying that a lion had suddenly become vegetarian.

Since the outbreak, Corpse Kings had been like a giant dark cloud hanging over everyone’s heads. They were synonymous with death, pain, and despair—damned, unholy monsters that had crawled up from the depths of hell itself. If it hadn’t been Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le by his side, if someone else had said such a thing to him, he might have just swung his axe at them. He would have thought they were insane.

This made him nervous. What if Xia Shen Shu and the others couldn’t accept them…

“Is what you’re saying… all true?” Xia Shen Shu’s voice was distorted by the wind and snow, his tone unreadable.

“Yes.”

“Ji Yanqing, stop joking. You’re scaring me…” Lan Zi looked at Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le. Feng Yimo’s face was expressionless, his eyes cold and dark. Ji An and Ji Le were hiding behind Ji Yanqing, peeking out with only half their heads visible.

“I’m not joking,” Ji Yanqing repeated.

Lan Zi wanted to say more, but meeting his clear, dark eyes, she swallowed her words. Ji Yanqing was not the type to joke about Corpse Kings. And if this wasn’t the case, how could they explain why he had abandoned them and not returned, even though he was alive?

“I—” Lu Qing began.

“No,” Ji Yanqing cut him off before he could finish, then ignored him again.

Unlike the others, ever since he had heard that Feng Yimo and the boys were Corpse Kings, Lu Qing’s face had turned a deep, purplish-red. He stared at the three of them, his gaze darting back and forth, his excitement palpable, as if he had discovered a great treasure. A treasure so big and heavy he couldn’t carry it home, and the thought made him fidget with agitation.

Ji Yanqing could already picture Lu Qing asking Ji An for a stomach one day and Ji Le for an eye the next. Anyone else, maybe. But Ji An and Ji Le were his treasures. Even knowing they could regrow anything that wasn’t a fatal wound, he would never allow it.

“A finger would be fine…”

The corner of Ji Yanqing’s mouth twitched. He pulled Ji An and Ji Le further behind him. Lu Qing, you better stay away from my kids.

“How about a little blood, then?” Lu Qing conceded reluctantly.

Ji Yanqing’s face was blank. He was already considering whether he needed to find an iron cage to lock Lu Qing in. He was too dangerous.

Ignoring him, Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. “The second topic is about the paradise. I’m sure you’ve all sensed that the situation is becoming more and more tense.”

“There are more and more Awakened Zombies and Corpse Kings. Even thrice-evolved Corpse Kings now exist. The power dynamics between them are becoming clearer. There will definitely be large-scale battles soon, and Corpse Kings will be roaming everywhere.”

“Our team is too large now. Even without considering the danger from Corpse Kings, the resources in the cities are dwindling, and our consumption is outpacing our supply. We can no longer roam around with the entire team like we used to.”

“We must find a place to settle down as soon as possible, create sustainable resources, and find a way to defend against the Corpse Kings that could attack at any time.”

Ji Yanqing said everything in one breath, then looked at their faces, searching for a reaction.

But when he looked, he found they were still staring at Feng Yimo and the two boys, lost in thought.

They weren’t listening at all.

---

“Hair! Hair would be fine too!” Lu Qing’s face was a mask of conflict. This was his final concession. “They’re humanoid. Are they thrice-evolved Corpse Kings?”

Hearing Lu Qing’s voice, trembling with excitement, hearing the words “thrice-evolved Corpse Kings,” the already stunned Xia Shen Shu and the others looked even more grim and conflicted. As they gradually recovered from the initial shock, fear and tension began to creep into their expressions.

If what Ji Yanqing said was true, then standing before them were three monsters that could wipe out everyone at this gathering with a mere flick of a finger.

A series of loud swallows echoed in the silence. Those with guns clutched them tighter. The fact that they hadn’t aimed their weapons at Feng Yimo and the others was the absolute limit of their self-control.

Seeing their reactions, Ji Yanqing was at a loss. He knew the conversation couldn’t continue. The revelation that Feng Yimo and the others were Corpse Kings had hit them far harder than he had anticipated. They hadn’t even had time to get angry yet. He was afraid they would become so enraged that they would attack, and if word of this got out, the entire gathering would descend into madness.

“Don’t tell anyone about this.” Ji Yanqing paused, then added, “If you can’t accept it, just tell me. I can take them and leave.”

Ji An and Ji Le aside, Feng Yimo wasn’t a bad person. They might not be that important to Xia Shen Shu and the others, but to him, if it weren’t for Feng Yimo, he would never have met the boys. And he was very happy to have found them. The same went for Feng Yimo; he was glad to have met him.

No one spoke. A heavy silence hung over the high ground.

“Let’s go back,” Ji Yanqing said, leading the way down toward the camp. After taking two steps, he paused and looked back. Seeing that they had no intention of driving him away, he continued on. If they couldn’t accept it, he was ready to leave with Feng Yimo and the boys right now. They were important to him, but so were Xia Shen Shu and the others.

When they had left, the ground had been covered in only a thin layer of snow. By the time they returned, the grass was already bent low under its weight.

In the camp, some of the people who had finished eating were already preparing for bed. Less than half remained, sitting by the tents and the fire. There were no zombies in the entire pit. The sounds of laughter and merriment, combined with the flickering campfires, made it feel like a time before the virus. Many people cherished this feeling. In this cruel apocalypse, such moments were like a drug, addictive.

Hearing footsteps, the people by the tents and the fire looked up and saw Ji Yanqing’s group returning from the distance.

Ji Yanqing walked in front with Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le. Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, Li Pingsen, Mo Xian, Lu Qing, Hei Long, and Bai Haoxuan followed five or six paces behind. The group in front looked normal. The group behind, however, looked as if they had just suffered a massive shock. Their faces were pale, and they seemed dazed and listless. If it were just Lan Zi and the others, it would be one thing, but even Xia Shen Shu, who was never one to shy away from trouble, was quiet.

“What’s wrong with you all?”

“Did something happen?” Gu Ranran asked, concerned.

“Are you alright?”

“What is it, did you see a Corpse King?” Gu Wenmo asked, puzzled.

At his words, Xia Shen Shu’s group all turned in unison to look at him. Their faces were pale, their expressions dazed, their eyes bloodshot, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight. The synchronized movement made Gu Wenmo jump.

“…What’s with you guys? Did you really see a Corpse King?” Gu Wenmo fought the urge to turn and run.

Xia Shen Shu said nothing.

Lan Zi was silent.

Li Pingsen opened his mouth, then closed it again, remaining silent.

Mo Xian was still in a daze.

Of all of them, only Lu Qing was ecstatic, humming a little tune.

“Are you guys okay?” Gu Wenmo felt his skin crawl under their bloodshot stares. He edged a few steps away and placed the disposable plastic container in his hand in front of the black beast sleeping at the edge of the tent.

“Xiao Hei, time to eat,” Gu Wenmo said.

The black beast ignored him.

“Xiao Hei…” Gu Wenmo wanted to pat its head but didn’t dare. He had tried to reach out before, and the dog had shot him an incredibly cold look. For a moment, he had the distinct feeling that if he had dared to touch it, his hand would have been bitten off.

After a moment of silence, Gu Wenmo looked at Feng Yimo with a headache. Feng Yimo’s dog wasn’t eating. “Is it sick?”

Feng Yimo ignored him.

Seeing the black beast, Ji Yanqing suddenly remembered that it was also a Corpse King. He looked at Xia Shen Shu’s group. “Oh, right. It’s one too.”

They were stunned for a moment, then it dawned on them. Their heads swiveled in unison to look at the black dog. Their gazes fixed on it, and as they understood what Ji Yanqing’s “too” meant, they all felt a wave of nausea.

That black dog was also a Corpse King?

Only Corpse Kings that evolved toward strength took on a beast form. They had seen many beast-form Corpse Kings, but most of them had massive bodies, never the size of a large dog.

…That black dog was a thrice-evolved, strength-type Corpse King?

At this realization, Xia Shen Shu’s group all swallowed hard, their faces, already paler than the snow, turning a ghastly white. Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le were one thing; they had at least spent some time with them. Despite the shock and fear, there was a sense of familiarity.

But that black dog…

They swallowed again, on the verge of tears, and looked at Ji Yanqing with aggrieved expressions. Wasn’t he being a bit careless? They really wanted to remind him that it was better to be precise when it came to Corpse Kings. The difference between three and four was quite significant, and their hearts weren’t very strong.

But as the thought crossed their minds, none of them dared to speak up. They were afraid that if they did, Ji Yanqing would think for a moment and then find a fifth and sixth Corpse King in their camp. Feng Yimo and the others were already enough. If there were two more, they were afraid their hearts really wouldn’t be able to take it. They would just drop dead right here.

“Hmm?” Gu Wenmo looked at the suddenly agitated group, utterly baffled. Especially Hei Long and Bai Haoxuan. They looked from Ji Yanqing to the black dog, their faces alternating between red and white, their legs trembling as if they had just been reunited with their long-lost father.

Still confused, Gu Wenmo pushed the container in his hand closer to the black beast’s nose. “Eat.”

Seeing this, the hearts of Xia Shen Shu’s group leaped into their throats, and the corners of their mouths twitched.

The black beast ignored him, its eyes still closed in sleep.

Gu Wenmo sighed. He bravely reached out a finger to poke its paw.

Before his hand could get close, the beast’s eyes snapped open, and it glared at him coldly. If you really don’t want that hand, I can help you bite it off.

Gu Wenmo instinctively snatched his hand back. “I’m just telling you to eat. Why are you so fierce…” He felt a little wronged. This dog was too smart. It ignored everyone except Feng Yimo, Ji Yanqing, and the two boys. At first, the camp had been curious about the dog Ji Yanqing had brought back, but they had all been scared off. Now, everyone gave it a wide berth. And here he was, kind enough to bring it some food, and it was ungrateful.

Gu Wenmo pouted and walked away.

Seeing him leave, Xia Shen Shu’s group, their foreheads beaded with nervous sweat, let out a long breath. Gu Wenmo had no idea what he was messing with. If he knew…

They exchanged glances, looked from Ji Yanqing to the black dog, and then walked to a tent far away from the beast. They leaned against a vehicle and squatted down in a row. They clutched their guns, their faces pale, their eyes red, and said nothing. They looked as meek as a brood of newly hatched, yellow-fuzzed chicks. Every now and then, they would glance at Ji Yanqing, a hint of grievance in their expressions.

The rest of the camp, still awake, took in the scene, completely bewildered. What was wrong with their fierce team leaders?

The original members of Ji Yanqing’s team were not just bewildered, but also felt a sense of déjà vu. It had been a long time since Ji Yanqing disappeared that they had seen such an anxious look on the faces of their team leaders. It felt like they had gone back in time.

“Dad!” Seeing Gu Wenmo try to feed the black beast, Ji An remembered something and immediately turned and ran toward one of the buses.

Seeing him go, Ji Le was also reminded of something and quickly followed.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Yanqing followed, puzzled.

The steps of the bus weren’t very high, but with their short legs, Ji An and Ji Le were a bit clumsy. Still, they managed to climb up. Once inside, they hurried to where they usually slept, awkwardly pulled two disposable plastic containers from under their quilts, and then ran back to Ji Yanqing, holding the containers with both hands.

Standing before him, they held the containers up high, offering them to him.

“Dad, eat.”

“For you.”

Ji Yanqing looked and immediately recognized what it was. They had restocked once on the way to the gathering and had found some bok choy. They hadn’t finished it, so they had brought it with them. Bok choy didn’t keep long, so for dinner, they had secretly made porridge with it.

Ji Yanqing was about to tell them to eat it themselves—they weren’t short on food—but seeing their flushed little faces and expectant eyes, he took the containers.

“Thank you,” he said, stroking their heads. “I was just getting hungry.”

They had covered the containers and hidden them under the quilts to keep them warm, but the weather was too cold. The bok choy inside was already chilled, and the containers were cold to the touch. Even so, a wave of warmth spread through Ji Yanqing’s chest.

Ji An and Ji Le beamed, their eyes shimmering with happiness.

---

“Dad, hurry up and eat before it gets cold.”

“It won’t taste good if it’s cold.”

Ji Yanqing looked over, then went to grab a pair of disposable chopsticks. He combined the bok choy from both containers into one, poured in some hot water, and sat down on the steps of the bus to eat. Ji An and Ji Le stood guard on either side of him, watching him.

“Is it good?”

“Delicious,” Ji Yanqing said.

“I love bok choy too. It’s super, super yummy. I can eat a lot.”

“Want to try some?” Ji Yanqing turned his head.

Ji Le gulped, but shook his head with firm resolve. “I’m full. You eat, Dad.”

Listening to their conversation, watching their happy faces, the group of “chicks” sitting in a row felt a complex mix of emotions. Ji An and Ji Le were exactly as they remembered them. Having lived through hardship from such a young age, they had already learned to care for others, even though they were still so small.

As they were lost in thought, a group of people entered their camp. They were from Equator, all wearing identical hand ropes, a mark of their identity and a warning to others. Equator was now one of the most powerful survival teams.

Seeing them approach, some of the Sunward members went to meet them. After a brief exchange, they came over to Ji Yanqing.

“Captain, they said the leader of Equator would like you to come over for a chat.”

Ji Yanqing was momentarily surprised, but after a moment’s thought, he nodded. Although he didn’t know what Tong Yue was up to, Equator was one of the leading teams at the gathering. More contact with them wouldn’t hurt Sunward.

Ji Yanqing glanced at the group from Equator, finished the food in his bowl, and then turned to ruffle the hair of the two little ones, whose mouths were puckered in a pout. They had become particularly clingy.

“Be good. I promise to come back soon,” he said.

He picked up his axe and walked over. The men from Equator glanced at him, then at Feng Yimo and the several armed men who followed, but said nothing and led the way toward the Equator camp.

After walking some distance, seeing that the men from Equator had no intention of explaining, a hint of confusion crossed Ji Yanqing’s eyes.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the Equator camp. This time, he wasn’t taken to the village but into the camp itself. The Equator camp was much like Sunward’s. Fed and watered, some had already gone to bed, while others were gathered together, talking and resting. Such peaceful days were rare, even for Equator.

“This way.” The man in the lead knocked on the side of a large truck.

The door of the ten-meter-long truck opened from the inside. The person who opened it was the bearded man whose life Ji Yanqing had saved before, Tong Yue’s younger brother. Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall with a muscular build and a full beard, he had taken off his coat and was wearing a cartoon apron adorned with a pink fairy. He was holding a rag.

“Long time no see,” the bearded man said in a gentle voice that was completely at odds with his appearance.

Before Ji Yanqing could react, he stepped aside to let someone off the truck. Ji Yanqing’s gaze followed, and when he saw who it was, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

The person getting off the truck was an acquaintance: Huang Rongyue.

She clearly hadn’t expected to see him here either, and both of them froze for a moment.

“It’s good to see that you’re alright,” Huang Rongyue said, her relief palpable. After Ji Yanqing disappeared, Xia Shen Shu’s group had searched for him like madmen. Outsiders had only heard the rumors, but she had witnessed it firsthand.

“Thank you.”

“Shall we meet up alone sometime?”

“Alright.”

This was the Equator camp, not a suitable place for a long chat. After a brief exchange, Huang Rongyue left.

Watching her leave, Ji Yanqing turned his attention back to the bearded man. He had a rugged appearance but a gentle and considerate personality. He didn’t rush him, waiting quietly.

Seeing that Ji Yanqing was finished, he continued, “Juice or water?”

Ji Yanqing did his best to ignore the pink fairy on his apron and climbed into the truck. “Water is fine, thank you.”

Feng Yimo followed close behind, while the other Sunward members who had come along dutifully stood guard outside.

***

Tong Yue, dressed in a large, loose-fitting coat, sat at a table. With a large iron cup in one hand and a spoon in the other, he was eating something that looked like rice paste. He nodded as Ji Yanqing entered.

The bearded man went to get some water. The entire truck was clearly the two leaders’ bedroom. It was even equipped with a battery, powering something that could be used to boil water.

A moment later, he returned with a cup of warm water. “Have a seat.”

Ji Yanqing took the water and found a place to sit. After pouring the water, the bearded man picked up his rag and continued to wipe the table.

“You know Huang Rongyue?” Tong Yue asked, eating his meal nonchalantly as he spoke to Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing nodded. “We’ve met before.”

“Finish your food before you talk,” the bearded man reminded him.

At the reminder, Tong Yue pouted and then lifted the large cup to his lips, downing the contents.

Ji Yanqing took a sip of water and looked from Tong Yue to his brother. Tong Yue was short and had a cute face, while his brother was 1.9 meters of solid muscle. Standing together, the contrast was striking, like a big gray wolf and a little white rabbit. It was hard to believe they were brothers, and even harder to imagine that Tong Yue was the older one.

“Hah…. ” After finishing the paste in one go, Tong Yue let out a breath.

The bearded man, used to this, came over to take the cup and wash it.

“Where are you planning to build your base?” Tong Yue licked his lips and got straight to the point.

Ji Yanqing was taken aback.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it,” Tong Yue said. Before, he might have waited and observed, but after the meeting that evening, he was certain that Ji Yanqing, who was no fool, had already realized the situation.

Ji Yanqing studied him. He suddenly remembered what he had heard from Bai Haoxuan about the two brothers of Equator: one was a fighter, the other was the brains. Tong Yue was clearly the brains.

After a moment of thought, Ji Yanqing answered truthfully. “I’ve only just reunited with my team. I have a plan, but nothing else has been decided yet.” He also thought about Feng Yimo and the others. If Xia Shen Shu and the team unanimously decided they had to leave, he would respect their decision.

Tong Yue nodded. “You know Huang Rongyue. What about Qin Yue?”

“We’ve had contact with him too.”

“Have you spoken with them recently?” Tong Yue asked.

“No.” Ji Yanqing was growing more and more confused about what he was trying to do.

“The map.” Tong Yue glanced at Feng Yimo, who was standing behind Ji Yanqing, and then stood up.

The bearded man, who was tidying the table, finished wiping the last spot, put down the rag, wiped his hands, and then retrieved a rolled-up map from their bedside. He walked to the table.

The map was large, and there wasn’t enough space on the table. Tong Yue, being impatient, simply pushed everything on the table aside to make room.

Ji Yanqing, with quick reflexes, caught a box of tissues and a can of White Rabbit candy that were rolling toward the edge of the table and placed them back.

The bearded man came to the table and unrolled the map. As soon as it was spread out, Ji Yanqing’s attention was captured. It was no ordinary map. It was covered with various routes and symbols, clearly a carefully cultivated map from Equator’s own travels. For a small survival team, such a map might be of little use beyond helping them avoid some dangers. But for a large team, it was invaluable for understanding the situation in other areas, and even for gauging the strength and future plans of other teams. A map like this was not something one would show to others casually.

Ji Yanqing glanced at the two brothers.

Tong Yue took a couple of tissues to wipe his mouth while looking for something to weigh down the corners of the map. The bearded man helped him, while also clearing the things Tong Yue had pushed to the edge of the table to make more space. There was no sign of caution on either of their faces.

Their contrasting personalities made Ji Yanqing feel increasingly uncomfortable. The big, burly man was so gentle, while the small Tong Yue was so impatient. He felt as if the two of them had been born into the wrong bodies.

“This is the base,” Tong Yue said, pointing to a place marked with a red square on the map.

Seeing the landmark and hearing his words, Ji Yanqing’s breath caught. He quickly looked closer.

Equator’s map was large, not just in size but in the area it covered. It wasn’t a local map of various cities but a large-scale map of the country. There were more than a dozen icons like the one Tong Yue was pointing to. The icons were spread far apart, maintaining a considerable distance from each other. If they represented the locations of various survival team bases, then Equator already knew the locations of more than a dozen of them.

Ji Yanqing didn’t know what Tong Yue was up to, or why he was willing to share this information with him, but since he had the opportunity to learn it, he was not going to miss it.

---

Information like this was simply out of reach for ordinary survival teams, and the larger ones would never share it with outsiders. Every team was a competitor; the more others knew, the greater the disadvantage to oneself.

Tong Yue picked up a red pen, uncapped it, and marked two new locations near where Ji Yanqing’s team was situated. “Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue have been here before.”

Ji Yanqing’s eyes immediately darted to the two spots. Their bases were located in the lower right corner of the map, near the south, one to the left and one to the right. Seeing the two icons, a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind. Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue had indeed sensed the change and had already begun their preparations.

Beyond that, another headache began to form. He had originally thought that Sunward and Green Moon were the only two major teams in their area. He hadn’t expected Huang Rongyue’s team to grow so quickly. On one hand, he was happy for her, but on the other, he knew this was not a good thing.

The resources in any given area were finite and, for now, non-renewable. This meant that the more survival teams there were, the fiercer the competition would be. The situation was about to become tense. To survive, they had to establish their paradise before the worst of it arrived. As it stood, their region could barely support one large survival team. Three would be impossible.

When there wasn’t enough food to go around, and everyone wanted to live, there was only one path forward.

Ji Yanqing’s brow furrowed slightly. He hadn’t had much contact with Qin Yue, but Qin Yue had helped them out a great deal with the Li Xiao situation. As for Huang Rongyue, they could be considered friends after that.

“Do you know why Equator and Cradle haven’t expanded into your area?” Tong Yue suddenly asked.

According to the map, their location, along with Huang Rongyue’s and Qin Yue’s, was in the southernmost corner. Equator and Cradle were situated just above them. The two teams had already clashed over resources, and it had been a major conflict. Logically, since there was no dominant power in their region yet, Equator and Cradle should have prioritized expanding their territory southward. Yet, they had chosen not to.

Ji Yanqing’s mind raced. “...There’s something... here?” Equator and Cradle hadn’t refrained out of lack of desire, but out of inability. And that something could only be a Corpse King.

Realizing this, his already furrowed brow tightened. He couldn’t help but look again at the southernmost part of the map, where his team, Qin Yue’s, and Huang Rongyue’s were located. There was something here, and he didn’t know about it? They had always traveled from south to north, at one point reaching the river where Lu Qing had been settled. But they hadn’t crossed it, instead turning northwest. They had encountered many Corpse Kings along the way, but those were just ordinary ones.

Was there something else in the south?

“In the south is the Devil’s City,” Tong Yue said, tapping the map.

Ji Yanqing looked. He had never heard of this.

“They say the southernmost region is the territory of a Corpse King that evolved toward intelligence,” Tong Yue explained. “Any Corpse King that enters its domain must submit to its will. If they refuse, none ever return.”

“I’ve never seen this Corpse King, but many Awakened Zombies and other Corpse Kings are afraid to go there. This can’t be just a baseless rumor.”

“They say it has established a city in the far south, and its influence is constantly expanding outward. If this is true, you will eventually have to face it, because you are right on its doorstep.”

“It’s true,” Feng Yimo said suddenly. His voice was cold, and all three of them turned to look at him.

Tong Yue and his brother were skeptical, but Ji Yanqing believed him without a doubt. If Feng Yimo, a Corpse King himself, said so, then it must be true.

Ji Yanqing didn’t know how to react. They hadn’t even solved their problems with Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue, and now there was a Devil’s City? A sense of urgency gripped him, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed, like his chest no longer had enough space for it to beat.

Tong Yue fell silent, simply watching Ji Yanqing’s expression change.

The bearded man, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. “Death’s sphere of influence is wider than the rumors say. He has killed almost all the Corpse Kings in the entire north and most of the west. So, relatively speaking, the west and north are safer, but they are also the regions where the survival team dynamics change most frequently.”

As for the reason, Ji Yanqing could guess without him saying. Without the threat of Corpse Kings, the conflicts between humans came to the forefront. Half the danger in this apocalypse came from zombies, and the other half from humans themselves.

“There’s been no news of Death for a long time,” the bearded man continued. “Many people say he’s dead, so the west and north are no longer peaceful.” He paused. “We don’t know how many Corpse King factions there are, but if Death is really dead, then the other Corpse Kings will surely swarm to the north to fight for his territory.”

As he spoke, his finger moved across the map. Death’s territory was concentrated in the west and north, while the other Corpse Kings were mainly in the east and south, each occupying half the country, clearly divided. If the Corpse Kings from the east and south were to go north, they would have to cross the entire map. This meant that the battlefield would stretch across the entire country. No place would be safe.

And Ji Yanqing’s group, being closest to the south, would be the first to be swept up in the war.

The bearded man gave a wry smile. “If I could, I’d hope Death is still alive. I’d hope he’d just kill his way down and wipe out all the Corpse Kings in the east and south. At least then, humanity would have a sliver of hope for survival.”

Hearing his words, Ji Yanqing, who had forgotten to breathe at the thought of a war spanning the entire map, also couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Hope Death is still alive, hope he kills all the other Corpse Kings. It wasn’t the first time he had heard humans say such things.

But Death was also a Corpse King… If one day he truly became the king of all Corpse Kings, the king of this new world, would he still allow them, the humans, to continue their wretched existence?

“If you want to establish a foothold in the south, you have to move fast. You don’t have any more time to hesitate,” Tong Yue said, sitting back down.

Ji Yanqing looked at him. It took him a moment to calm himself down.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Ji Yanqing’s voice trembled slightly. In that moment, he almost wished he didn’t know any of it. He even felt that dying in ignorance would be a kind of happiness. He had guessed there would be a great war, that it would be dangerous, a matter of life and death, but he had never imagined it would be like this. A war that spanned the entire map. Even if they built a paradise, a base, could they really withstand the onslaught of countless Corpse Kings? They were exhausted and battered from fighting just one or two. What would they do against hundreds, thousands, all at once?

Suddenly, he couldn’t see any hope for humanity’s survival.

---

“Do you know why Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue came to me?” Tong Yue asked.

Ji Yanqing shook his head. He could no longer think.

“They want to form an alliance with Equator. That way, if you three have a conflict, Equator can intervene. They’re trying to strengthen themselves, to ensure their own survival,” Tong Yue said, seeing Ji Yanqing’s dazed expression. A bitter look crossed his own face. When he had first analyzed all of this, he too had been dejected for a long time. Even now, he hadn’t fully recovered from that despair. Everything he had done since was to convince himself that it was for survival, but in truth, he saw no hope at all.

“So?” Ji Yanqing had given up trying to think. He asked directly.

Tong Yue didn’t beat around the bush. “We’ve chosen you. We, Equator, want to form an alliance with you, Sunward.”

Before Ji Yanqing could ask, he continued, “Because you saved my brother, and because you’re not an idiot.”

“I heard about what happened when you saved my brother. To be able to step up in that situation proves you’re a decent person. An alliance with someone decent and intelligent is no loss for Equator.”

“We call it an alliance, but in this situation, there’s no one to enforce anything. To put it bluntly, we’re all just acting on our conscience. I don’t want to be in a situation where Equator is in danger, and I have to weigh how much I have in my pockets before I can even call for help.”

Ji Yanqing was silent.

Tong Yue stared into the distance, his eyes vacant. “In this world, the scum live better than decent people. To hell with it all.”

Ji Yanqing let out a long breath.

Tong Yue looked at him, his eyes red. “So, what do you say?”

After exhaling, Ji Yanqing took another deep breath, letting the frigid night air fill his lungs, feeling its coldness.

“We, Sunward, are willing to ally with Equator,” he said. “If any of our allies are in danger, Sunward will not stand by. We will do everything within our power to help.”

Hearing his firm reply, Tong Yue let out a long breath and slumped into his chair, drained of all energy.

The bearded man’s voice was still gentle, but his words were serious. “We can’t make promises about other teams, but for Sunward, if you call, Equator will answer.”

Ji Yanqing had already saved him once.

***

With the brother’s words echoing in his ears, his mind filled with the image of a battlefield stretching across the entire map, Ji Yanqing didn’t even know how he got back to the Sunward camp.

When he returned, most of the camp was already asleep, with only a few people on watch. Lu Qing was one of those still awake. After learning that Feng Yimo, Ji An, Ji Le, and even the black dog were Corpse Kings, he had been in a state of spiraling excitement. He couldn’t beat Feng Yimo, and Ji Yanqing guarded Ji An and Ji Le too closely, so he had focused all his attention on the black dog.

When Ji Yanqing got back, he saw Lu Qing in the darkness, hunched over, sneaking up on the sleeping beast, trying to pluck some of its fur. The moment he got close, the beast was instantly alert and shot him a cold glare. It tucked its fluffy tail under its belly. Death before dishonor! Especially the fur on the tip of its tail. That was its pride.

Having failed to get any fur, Lu Qing looked dejected.

Ji Yanqing saw this but couldn’t bring himself to smile. The news from Tong Yue was like a giant stone pressing on his chest, suppressing each breath, each thought, with its suffocating weight.

He went back to his vehicle. Ji An and Ji Le had been coaxed into their quilts, but their eyes were wide open. The moment they heard him, they looked over.

“Dad!”

Ji Yanqing got in, took off his coat, and lay down beside them. He hugged them, feeling their warmth, and the tightness in his chest, so constricting that it had felt like his heart couldn’t beat, eased slightly.

“Dad?” Ji An, in his embrace, touched his forehead, sensing something was wrong.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Ji Le, behind him, also looked up. Having lived in the apocalypse since they were small, they were more sensitive than ordinary children.

Ji Yanqing held them tighter. He didn’t want to talk.

“Are you in pain?” Ji An’s soft voice was full of anxiety.

“Dad?” Ji Le sat up, looking at him nervously.

“I’m not in pain. I just need your hugs,” Ji Yanqing whispered.

Hearing this, Ji An immediately wrapped his arms around his head, and Ji Le hugged him from behind. Feeling their warmth, feeling their embrace, Ji Yanqing took a deep breath, cherishing this fleeting moment of comfort.

He let them hold him for a while before smiling and lifting his head. He kissed both their cheeks. “Alright, I’m okay now. You two should sleep. It’s late.” After a pause, he added, “I’ll take you to the market tomorrow.” Ji An and Ji Le didn’t have many memories of crowded places and were very curious. They hadn’t had a chance to look around properly today and likely hadn’t had their fill yet.

“Really?”

“Then let’s go first thing in the morning!”

“Okay.” Ji Yanqing tucked them in and gently patted the quilt, lulling them to sleep. He never had to worry about them. They lay back down, closed their eyes obediently, and soon fell asleep, one after the other. With their flushed cheeks and small noses, they looked so peaceful.

The vehicle fell silent again, and the smile on Ji Yanqing’s face faded with the darkness.

Feng Yimo lay down behind him.

Lying down, Ji Yanqing closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but the moment he did, the events of the evening flooded his mind. Unable to sleep, he opened his eyes and turned over.

With his back to the two boys, he came face to face with a handsome, cold face. Feng Yimo had fallen asleep not long after lying down. Ji An and Ji Le’s sleeping faces were cute, but looking at Feng Yimo’s, Ji Yanqing felt a surge of anger. He couldn’t resist poking him in the stomach, maliciously waking him up.

I can’t sleep, so why should you?

Poked in the stomach, Feng Yimo opened his eyes and looked at him, slightly confused. Does he need something?

Meeting his confused gaze, Ji Yanqing suddenly grew even angrier. He poked him again, and again.

In the darkness, Feng Yimo watched, bewildered, as Ji Yanqing, bristling with anger, poked his stomach.

When he didn’t react, Ji Yanqing poked him again, this time with more force. He knew it would probably hurt. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he couldn’t stop.

Just as he reached out again, his hand was caught. Feng Yimo pressed it against his own stomach. Ji Yanqing struggled, but couldn’t pull his hand away. This only made him angrier, so angry that his eyes began to burn.

“What’s wrong?” Feng Yimo’s voice was very soft, barely audible, laced with a faint concern and tension.

A bitter-sour feeling quickly spread through Ji Yanqing’s throat. He frowned, the only way he could hold back the tears.

He didn’t know what to do anymore.

Ever since he had decided to protect himself instead of relying on others, he had worked hard to do just that. He had not only protected himself but Xia Shen Shu and the others as well. He had done a good job. He had saved many people and had shown them all the hope of survival.

But now, he couldn’t see any hope. He couldn’t see any hope for their survival. He didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t even handle five Corpse Kings at once. What would they do against an army of hundreds, thousands? Even if they built a paradise, a base, even if they all had rocket launchers, they couldn’t possibly withstand an army of that size.

They would all die. Everyone would die.

“Feng Yimo, help me… What do I do…?” Ji Yanqing turned his head away, not wanting him to see his tears. He didn’t know what to do. He could swing his axe, he could fire his gun, but how many could he kill on his own? He would kill himself through sheer exhaustion before he could kill them all. He didn’t want Xia Shen Shu and the others to die. He wanted all of them to live, but he was out of ideas.

Hearing the sob in his voice, knowing he was crying, Feng Yimo, whose eyes had just been drowsy, tensed up, his breath catching. In all the time he had known him, he had never seen Ji Yanqing cry. No matter what, not even when his hands were covered in wounds, not even when he had been on the verge of death, he had never seen him cry.

“Ji Yanqing…” At a loss, Feng Yimo instinctively pulled him into a tight embrace. He was panicking, reaching to clumsily wipe away Ji Yanqing’s tears even while holding him tightly in his arms. He tried to stop his tears this way, but it was useless. Ji Yanqing was still crying.

“Ji Yanqing…” Feng Yimo’s heart felt as if it were dissolving into acid. He had never felt this way before.

“Don’t cry.”

“Ji Yanqing?”

“Don’t cry.”

“Ji Yanqing.”

“Ji Yanqing…”

“They’re going to… die…” Ji Yanqing tried to control himself, but he was sobbing uncontrollably, burying his face in Feng Yimo’s chest.

Feng Yimo was about to ask who was going to die so he could go find them and forbid them from dying, but then he remembered what the two from Equator had said.

“You won’t die,” he said. From the moment Ji Yanqing had grabbed his hand that night, he had forbidden the world from not having him in it.

“…Help me…” Ji Yanqing clutched Feng Yimo tightly, not knowing how to release the suffocating pressure and anxiety in his heart. He just didn’t know what to do anymore.

“Okay, I’ll help you, I’ll help you…” Feng Yimo held him tighter. He would not allow anyone to make Ji Yanqing cry.

Whether it was Death or some Devil’s City, anything that dared made Ji Yanqing cry, would just have to die.

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