AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Is It Too Late To Run Now?
---
“Help… me…” Ji Yanqing had clutched at Feng Yimo’s clothes and cried for a long time, until he had no tears left, until his voice was raw, until he was utterly spent. He didn’t know when he had fallen asleep.
When he awoke, the sound of Feng Yimo softly calling his name still echoed in his ears.
As a Corpse King, Feng Yimo possessed formidable healing abilities and immense stamina, yet he was remarkably clumsy when it came to coaxing someone. Aside from repeatedly promising to help, all he could do was say his name, over and over again, as if the mere act of speaking it could banish all fear and sorrow.
Ji Yanqing didn’t mind his awkward attempts at consolation.
When he finally pulled away from Feng Yimo’s embrace, Feng Yimo woke up instantly. Ji Yanqing avoided his gaze. Even knowing that Feng Yimo held special feelings for him, the act of breaking down and crying in someone’s arms was still deeply embarrassing.
Snow was still falling, and the sky was a hazy, dark gray. Only a few guards were on watch in the camp. Ji Yanqing took a walk around the perimeter. They had brought over thirty vehicles when they moved the camp, and Xia Shen Shu’s group, who had arrived earlier, had brought more than a dozen. Sunward now had the largest convoy at the gathering, with nearly fifty vehicles in total.
It took him some time to circle the camp, his boots sinking into the thick snow with each step. It was enough time for him to calm down.
A little later, Ji An and Ji Le woke up. Ji Yanqing sat with them on the steps of the bus, holding them. The two little ones were even more affectionate than before and had become masters of coaxing. After waking, they sat on either side of his lap, drowsy and content, unwilling to leave his embrace for a long while.
Once fully awake, they eagerly ran to the campfire to see if there was any bok choy for breakfast. They had no interest in human food, with the singular exception of that one mutated vegetable, which had become their obsession.
Breakfast was simple: a bit of rice mixed with some compressed biscuits. No bok choy.
After circling the campfire with outstretched necks, the two little ones returned, utterly dejected.
After they ate, Ji Yanqing let them play in the camp while he made his way to the high ground at the edge of the pit. The snow had stopped, and the entire world—the pit, the earthen village at its center, the ring of vehicles and tents—was blanketed in a fluffy, immaculate white. The golden morning sun spilled over the landscape, dusting the rooftops and vehicles in a layer of gold.
The pit looked as beautiful and pristine as a fairytale once more.
Ji Yanqing found a large rock at the edge and sat down. He hadn’t been there long when Feng Yimo, clad in a long dark trench coat and carrying his longsword, began walking toward him, leaving a trail of footprints in the pristine snow. The snow was deep, and it took him a while to reach Ji Yanqing’s side. He stopped and looked out over the vista.
“Thank you for last night,” Ji Yanqing said, his voice soft.
Feng Yimo turned to look at him. The morning wind had tousled Ji Yanqing's hair, and the white snow made his fair skin look even paler, which in turn made his slightly swollen eyes appear all the redder. He looked like a little rabbit that had lost its carrot.
Feng Yimo said nothing.
Ji Yanqing glanced at him. Seeing his face, he was about to look away. Feng Yimo was the same as always, his expression betraying neither a smile nor any complex emotion. Ji Yanqing felt a sense of relief. Feng Yimo’s personality was so detached; he seemed to care for nothing in this world. Perhaps that was why he had been able to break down so easily in front of him. He knew he wouldn’t be mocked. It was the same reason he had always confided in him about his dream of a paradise.
“You don’t want them to die?” Feng Yimo’s voice was cool.
Ji Yanqing looked at him, meeting his faintly puzzled eyes. He was struck by the realization that what was so obvious to others was incomprehensible to Feng Yimo.
“Were you happier before, or are you happier now?” Ji Yanqing asked. “I mean, before you met us, and after.”
“Now,” Feng Yimo answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Since meeting Ji Yanqing, he had often felt worry and heartache, but overall, he was much happier now than before. When Ji Yanqing had run from him in fear, when he had seen him cry last night, his own heart had felt as if it had been stabbed a thousand times. But the joy of simply being able to stand and talk with him like this was just as profound.
A smile touched Ji Yanqing’s lips. He looked down from the high ground toward the Sunward camp. Ji An and Ji Le had spotted them and were now trying to climb up the slope. Their legs were too short; they would stumble and fall every two steps, and they had quickly become little walking snow cubs.
“This whole time,” Ji Yanqing said, “although I’ve met many bad people and faced many terrible things, even betrayal, the responses I’ve received have been overwhelmingly positive…”
He had saved Xia Shen Shu and the others, and when he disappeared, they had searched for him like madmen. He had found Ji An and Ji Le and treasured them, and now these two little treasures, these thrice-evolved Corpse Kings feared by all, wanted to protect him. He had pulled Feng Yimo into his group, and now he too was a Corpse King who said he would protect him, who said he was special. Gu Wenmo, Bai Haoxuan, and the others, too. They might not be as outstanding as Xia Shen Shu and the other founding members, but they were willing to follow him, and their hearts were in the right place.
He had saved the bearded man, and now Sunward had a powerful ally.
“Meeting them, being with them… it makes me happy. That’s why I want them to live,” Ji Yanqing said. “And I’m happy I met you, too.” He looked at Feng Yimo. Some things, he knew, Feng Yimo would never understand unless he said them out loud.
At his words, Feng Yimo was momentarily stunned. The next instant, bathed in the morning sun, an irrepressible smile bloomed on his face.
He was smiling.
Feng Yimo was usually expressionless. Besides his default blankness, his most common expressions were a frown and a look of confusion. Ji Yanqing had rarely seen him smile. This was only the second time he could remember. The smile was faint and fleeting, but it told Ji Yanqing everything. It told him how happy he was to hear those words.
Seeing him like that, Ji Yanqing’s ears grew warm. He suddenly felt flustered, a little embarrassed. His heart felt as if it had been plunged into a vat of boiling, syrupy-sweet water—scalding hot, almost unable to beat. He didn’t dislike the feeling. He couldn’t help but smile too.
He felt an urgent need to do something, so he stood up, walked a few steps down the slope, and scooped up Ji An and Ji Le, who had finally made it to the top. “Come on, let’s go back.”
After moving heaven and earth to climb to the top of the pit, Ji An and Ji Le stared at him with wide, incredulous eyes. We have to go back already?
Seeing their expressions, the smile on Ji Yanqing’s face grew wider.
“Dad.”
“Hmm?”
“You look so happy.”
***
Trekking back through the heavy snow, Ji Yanqing set the two little ones down and carefully brushed the snow off them. They had fallen so many times that their coats were filled with snow.
“There.” He dusted them off until they were clean.
“Are we going to the market?” Ji An looked at him expectantly. He had promised to take them again yesterday. They were fascinated by such crowded places. Even without any snack stalls, just walking around the market was a treat for them.
Ji Yanqing was about to agree—he wanted to look around again himself—when he looked up and saw Xia Shen Shu and the other team leaders walking toward him. Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, Li Pingsen, Mo Xian, Hei Long, Bai Haoxuan, and Lu Qing—all of them were there. Their faces were serious and resolute. They clearly wanted to continue last night’s conversation about the Corpse Kings.
The lightness of Ji Yanqing’s eyes sobered. He pinched the boys’ cheeks. “We might have to go a little later.”
Ji An and Ji Le looked from him to the approaching group, their little mouths becoming little duck beaks. But they didn’t cry or throw a tantrum. They had always been sensible cubs.
Ji Yanqing waited for them to approach, then took the lead back to the high ground at the edge of the pit. Other people from the survival teams would occasionally come to the edge to look around, but for the most part, it was deserted, a good place to talk.
He stopped at the top, made sure no one was around, and then turned to face them, waiting for their verdict. If they couldn’t accept it, he would respect their decision and leave with Feng Yimo and the boys.
The team leaders, who had clearly already discussed the matter among themselves, exchanged glances and then looked at Ji Yanqing, Feng Yimo, and the two children. Seeing them again, their expressions were still complex. They had all heard rumors of intelligence-type, thrice-evolved Corpse Kings that could take human form, but they were just rumors. They had never encountered one. And for someone they knew to suddenly turn into one was another matter entirely.
On the other hand, Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le were Corpse Kings who had silently infiltrated their team. If they had ill intentions, their entire survival team would have likely become either their food or their minions long ago.
Ji Yanqing said nothing, waiting silently.
“We’re all happy that you’re back,” Lan Zi started, speaking for the group.
Ji Yanqing looked at her, waiting for the inevitable “but.”
In the time he had been gone, she had changed noticeably. When she had first picked up a sniper rifle, she had been thin and weak from a lack of food and rest. But now, her arms and legs were strong, radiating a sense of power. Even without a rifle, in a one-on-one fight, there were probably fewer than ten people in Bai Haoxuan’s entire two-hundred-person team who could beat her. Ji Yanqing was happy to see this change in her.
“But—” Lan Zi took a deep breath. “But we hope that next time, you’ll tell us directly and discuss things with us, instead of just leaving.” Her face was stern. “This isn’t just your survival team; it’s ours. It belongs to all of us, and we all work together to keep it going.”
“It’s true that you’re our Captain, but that doesn’t mean you have to carry everything on your own. Have you ever thought about what we would do if you had really died?”
Lan Zi gave a bitter smile. “Sunward would have definitely fallen apart.” She wasn’t just talking about herself. Xia Shen Shu and Lu Qing were both strong-willed and opinionated. Without Ji Yanqing, the two of them could never have coexisted in the same team. Li Pingsen, Hei Long, and Mo Xian would have had to either leave with their own people or choose a side. If things had gotten too ugly, they might have even become enemies.
Hearing her words, Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. The crisp morning air stung his lungs, but it also felt like a release.
“Ji Yanqing, don’t ever do that again,” Lan Zi said, her eyes turning red. Last night, when they learned that his first thought after discovering the Corpse Kings was to take the danger away by himself, they had all felt a bitter ache in their hearts. It was true that he had taken care of them more than anyone else, but they didn’t just want to be protected by him. They wanted to share his burdens.
In his own words, this team didn’t belong to any single person; it belonged to all of them. And the one person this team could not afford to lose, the core that held it all together, was him.
“Okay,” Ji Yanqing agreed, his heart burning with a fierce warmth.
“How about you just let me punch you?” Xia Shen Shu said with a grin. The thought that if it had been any other Corpse King, Ji Yanqing might have died somewhere they would never have known, filled him with a simmering rage.
Ji Yanqing shot him a look. “You can’t win against me.”
Xia Shen Shu was speechless.
Hearing his deadpan reply, the others couldn’t help but laugh.
“Haha,” Li Pingsen chuckled.
“I support you,” Mo Xian said.
“Go on! It’s not about winning, it’s about making a point!” Hei Long urged.
“Stop messing around,” Lan Zi said.
“Haha…” Bai Haoxuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Leaving aside Feng Yimo, the Corpse King, Ji Yanqing was without a doubt the best fighter in their entire team. No, even if you included everyone at the gathering, you probably couldn’t find a second monster like him. If Xia Shen Shu tried to fight him, he’d be lucky if he wasn’t the one pinned to the ground.
“I heard you killed a thrice-evolved Corpse King called Lou Ye. Where’s the body?” Lu Qing’s attention was completely elsewhere.
Ji Yanqing felt a headache start to form as he caught Lu Qing’s intense gaze.
That was ages ago. Where was he supposed to find a body for him now?
---
“You said last night you want to build a paradise?” Xia Shen Shu shifted the topic. As he spoke, he shot a dark look at Feng Yimo, who was standing behind Ji Yanqing. Looks like I’ll never get the chance to stuff Feng Yimo into a sack in this lifetime…
Feng Yimo felt the gaze and looked over, meeting Xia Shen Shu’s inexplicably regretful eyes with confusion.
“Yes.” Speaking of the paradise, the smile vanished from Ji Yanqing’s face. “I’m sure you’ve all sensed it. The situation is becoming more and more tense, not just between survival teams, but between the Corpse Kings as well.”
The smiles vanished from the others’ faces as well, and they all nodded. They had noticed the growing tension between teams, but they had been so consumed with finding Ji Yanqing that they hadn’t had time to think about it.
“The first wave of Awakened Zombies have basically all evolved into Corpse Kings by now,” Ji Yanqing continued. “The war between them is about to begin, and the resources in the cities are nearly gone. We don’t have much time. We have to start preparing as soon as possible.”
He laid out his thoughts. “The first thing we need to decide is the location…”
Building a paradise wasn’t as simple as finding a place to hole up. For long-term development, there were countless factors to consider. Even when considering a location, they had to think about the surrounding resources, terrain, climate, water sources, soil quality, and how to deal with waste of all kinds.
Once the paradise was established, their operational model would shift. The main force would remain stationary, with only small squads sent out for supply runs or specific missions. If the location was too remote, too far from the cities, the cost in time and fuel for each run would increase. The location and terrain of the paradise itself would directly impact the construction of their future defenses.
Furthermore, the climate and soil quality would determine not only the hardships they would face but also their ability to develop agriculture. Extreme heat or cold were unsuitable for survival, and if the soil wasn’t right for farming or related industries, they wouldn’t be able to put down roots and sustain themselves. The supplies in the cities wouldn’t replenish themselves; in fact, they were nearly exhausted already. They had to create sustainable resources, and fast.
The importance of water was self-evident. And beyond that, they had to consider waste management. With over eight hundred people, they could no longer be careless about sanitation. Their medical resources were limited. If poor hygiene led to an outbreak of plague or disease, it wouldn’t be surprising if their entire team was wiped out.
“…I think our priorities should be agriculture and water resources. We have to survive first before we can consider anything else.” By the time Ji Yanqing had laid out all his thoughts, his throat was dry.
Hearing his words, seeing how thoroughly he had considered every angle, the group fell into a thoughtful silence.
After two minutes, Bai Haoxuan spoke up hesitantly. “…Aren’t we being a bit too hasty?”
He quickly explained, “I’m not against building a paradise. I know how difficult it is to move a large team like ours. But rushing into it could do more harm than good.” He wasn’t questioning Ji Yanqing, but this was a massive undertaking, one that would determine the future, and even the survival, of their entire team.
“Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue have already chosen their locations and have begun preparations,” Ji Yanqing said.
The names were still unfamiliar to Bai Haoxuan, but Lan Zi and the others reacted with surprise. They hadn’t heard a whisper of this. When had they…
Ji Yanqing glanced around. They were too far from the camp to go back for the map. Instead, he walked over to a patch of untouched snow, crouched down, and began to draw. Relying on his memory, he sketched out the map he had seen at the Equator camp, marking the locations Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue had chosen for their bases.
“Equator’s territory is to the left, Cradle’s is above, and the other teams are to the upper right. The only territory left for us is this small patch. Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue have chosen spots on the left and right.”
In the small remaining area, it was as if they had made a pact, each claiming half.
Seeing the map, seeing the locations they had chosen, Lan Zi and the others frowned. Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue hadn’t left any room for them. By moving first, they had put Sunward in a very passive position. If they made a move now, they would antagonize at least one of them.
“Even if we managed to set up camp on the border between them, the resources in this entire area are definitely not enough to sustain three survival teams,” Ji Yanqing said, looking up at the group gathered around him.
Seeing their expressions shift, he continued, “Building a paradise requires a huge amount of time, energy, and resources. Once they start, they will immediately begin consolidating all nearby supplies into their own settlements. There won’t be much left in the cities by then.”
“If we wait for them to finish before we start, the cities will be completely empty. Food, water, gasoline, medicine—none of the essential supplies will be left.”
Hearing his analysis, Bai Haoxuan, who had been hesitant just a moment before, was speechless. The faces of Xia Shen Shu and the others turned as black as charcoal. If things really turned out that way, they were finished. Building a paradise took time. Even if they started farming immediately, it would take at least a month for the crops to grow. During that time, they would have to rely on supplies from the cities. The amount of food and water needed to sustain over eight hundred people for a month was no small number. If the nearby cities were picked clean, they would likely starve to death before they could get established.
Seeing that they all understood the urgency of the situation, Ji Yanqing sighed and continued, “In the beginning, our three teams can develop on our own, but conflicts will arise soon enough. With too many mouths and not enough food, there’s only one path forward for survival. Coexistence is not an option.”
Hearing this, Xia Shen Shu and the others exchanged complex looks. Qin Yue aside, they had always been on good terms with Huang Rongyue. Even after Ji Yanqing disappeared, they had maintained contact. And now, they would have to kill her and her people just to survive?
Ji Yanqing hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell them about the impending Corpse King war as well. “There’s more…” Lan Zi was right. Sunward wasn’t his team alone. And now, they were all crucial team leaders. They had the right to participate in decisions about Sunward’s future.
“Have you heard of the Devil’s City? Equator and Cradle are right next to us, but they haven’t expanded in our direction because we are backed right up against a Corpse King’s sphere of influence…”
As simply and clearly as he could, Ji Yanqing recounted everything he had learned from Tong Yue: the Devil’s City, Death, the territorial disputes, and the coming war that would span the entire map. By the time he finished, his mouth was bone dry, but he paid it no mind. What was far more bitter was the suffocating despair the news itself brought.
“I had guessed there would be a great war, but I thought it would be a series of localized conflicts. Powerful Corpse Kings would emerge in various regions, and then they would gather to fight it out, with one emerging as the ultimate victor.”
“A war like that, while terrifying, could be avoided as long as the battles weren’t simultaneous. There would still be some hope.”
“But now, Death is gone. The north and west have become unclaimed lands. The Corpse Kings who already have their own territories will never let another take those lands. They will all converge there. And to get there, the Corpse Kings from the Devil’s City behind us will have to pass right through our area…”
“I don’t know how many Corpse Kings are in the Devil’s City, but since it’s called a ‘city,’ I doubt it’s just one or two hundred…”
He didn’t need to say any more. He just watched them, waiting. As he expected, their faces looked as if they had been frozen in a blizzard overnight, turning a ghastly, dark blue.
No one spoke. They just stared at the map in the snow, trying to process the news. It took them a long time to even begin to digest it, and by then, they were on the verge of tears. The information was too heavy, too hopeless. The despair felt tangible, a thick, viscous weight that enveloped them all, making it impossible to breathe.
They struggled to deal with a single Corpse King. A whole city of them…
They had just been telling him to share his burdens, to discuss things with them. Now, they wished he had said nothing. They would rather know nothing, rather die in ignorance.
“…How about… we just find a place to hide?” Hei Long, ever the joker, tried to smile, but it came out looking worse than a grimace.
“Where is there to hide? Even if we went to a primeval forest or deep into the mountains, who’s to say the Corpse Kings wouldn’t go there? And the forests are full of mutated plants, just as dangerous. Besides, with no food, how would we survive?” Mo Xian countered.
“Then what do you suggest we do?” Hei Long shot back, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like he wanted to punch Mo Xian, as if beating him into silence would somehow produce a solution.
Mo Xian said nothing.
A muscle twitched in Bai Haoxuan’s cheek.
Li Pingsen’s remaining eye was already bloodshot from staring at the map.
Xia Shen Shu, who was usually all smiles, was now grim-faced.
Lan Zi wanted to stop Hei Long, but she felt utterly powerless.
“I’ll go kill them.” A cold voice broke the silence.
Everyone turned to look at Feng Yimo. Ji Yanqing did too.
Meeting his face, his eyes full of earnest resolve, the group was momentarily stunned.
Ji Yanqing was at a loss. He’ll go kill them? How? That’s a whole city of Corpse Kings.
Seeing his disbelief, Feng Yimo turned to leave. He would go kill them right now.
Ji Yanqing rubbed the bridge of his nose. He’s going to kill the Corpse Kings of the Devil’s City, so why is he walking toward the center of the pit? Will he even make it back? No, before that, can he even find the Devil’s City?
He seriously doubted that if Feng Yimo left now, he would ever find the Devil’s City in this lifetime.
“Come back.”
Feng Yimo lowered his raised leg, then returned to Ji Yanqing’s side obediently.
---
Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. Ignoring the still-aggrieved looking Feng Yimo, he looked at Xia Shen Shu and the others. “In any case, we have to establish the paradise before things get to that point. As for the Corpse Kings… we have no way to deal with them immediately, so let’s not think about it for now.”
He looked at Feng Yimo, his expression a complex mix of frustration and helplessness. What he wanted wasn’t just for Feng Yimo to help kill a few Corpse Kings, but for humanity to find a way to fight back against them. If it were just one, he believed Feng Yimo and the others could handle it. But what if two came at once? Or twenty? Could Feng Yimo guarantee that he could kill all of them before anyone in their team died? And while he was busy doing that, were they supposed to just sit on the ground and wait to be saved?
To survive in the long run, they had to rely on themselves.
No one spoke. Everyone was silent.
Lan Zi took a deep breath. While all the men—Xia Shen Shu, Li Pingsen, Mo Xian, Hei Long, Bai Haoxuan—were silent, she spoke up. “Instead of sitting here moaning, we should get moving.”
At her words, everyone looked at her. Her face was also pale, but her voice was strong, as if she were completely unaffected. Seeing her like this, Xia Shen Shu and the others were surprised.
Lan Zi read their surprise and smiled. “Aren’t we already used to it?” she said. “That endless, ever-looming despair.” She looked at Ji Yanqing. Before he had led them to hunt Awakened Zombies, before they had seen any hope of survival, they had lived every day like this. They never knew when their next meal would be, never knew when they would be bitten by a zombie. Back then, every moment had left them felt suffocated under the weight of constantly approaching death.
“And besides, Ji Yanqing is back now,” Lan Zi said, a smile gracing her lips. A scar ran down the entire left side of her face - noticeable now in the snow reflected sunlight- a fearsome mark, but her smile was warm and reassuring, lending a light, cheerful quality to her voice.
That cheerfulness was a stark contrast to the heavy despair in everyone’s hearts. Hearing her words, feeling that lightness, Xia Shen Shu and the others all turned to look at Ji Yanqing.
The moment they saw his face, it was as if they had broken through the surface of the deep sea. They could suddenly breathe again.
That’s right. They had found him. He was with them now.
“It’s not a big problem,” Xia Shen Shu said, a relieved smile on his face.
“Whew…” Li Pingsen let out a long breath.
“Boss, don’t you ever just disappear on us like that again. My stomach still hurts,” Hei Long grumbled.
Mo Xian and Bai Haoxuan exchanged a look. Their foreheads were beaded with sweat, but now, there were smiles on their faces. They weren’t ignorant of the situation, but they had a strange, inexplicable confidence. As long as Ji Yanqing was here, it wasn’t time to despair. When the time came, he would surely come up with some crazy idea and lead them to fight their way out.
After all, this was Ji Yanqing.
“Let’s focus on the paradise for now,” Lan Zi said.
“Those two bastards didn’t even tell us they were making their own preparations,” Xia Shen Shu said, a smile on his face but none in his eyes. He was clearly not happy about Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue getting a head start.
“What did you expect? For them to come and tell you, ‘Hey, we’re starting to develop our own permanent bases, don’t fall behind!’?” Li Pingsen said, his rough voice laced with amusement.
“They probably thought we wouldn’t be this quick,” Mo Xian pointed out. “After all, we were busy searching the world for a certain someone just a couple of days ago.”
Hei Long shot a dark look at Ji Yanqing.
Bai Haoxuan scratched his head. He didn’t feel like he could contribute much to the topic of searching for Ji Yanqing, but after spending time with them, he was beginning to understand. Even without being part of Sunward, if Ji Yanqing had been lost, he probably would have searched for him too. Ji Yanqing was different. He was different from all of them.
Faced with their reproachful, aggrieved stares, seeing the smiles on their faces, Ji Yanqing was taken aback. He didn’t understand how they could act as if nothing was wrong… Weren’t they afraid at all? Did they really trust him that much?
“Theoretically, it’s possible to create a weapon that’s effective against Corpse Kings,” Lu Qing, who had been silent until now, suddenly said.
At his words, everyone on the hilltop froze. The next moment, they all turned to look at him. The hope was faint, but his words were like a tiny spark, reigniting the hearts that had been consumed by despair. Especially for Ji Yanqing. His limbs, which had felt so heavy since last night, were now filled with strength. What he feared most wasn’t hardship or despair, but the absence of hope. As long as there was even a sliver of hope, he could grit his teeth and fight for it.
Under their intense gaze, Lu Qing was unfazed. He looked directly at Ji Yanqing. “Based on my research on the road and back in the town, I’ve identified two or three compounds that are effective against Corpse Kings. Many of the mutated things in this new world are just as ferocious as zombies. If you need it, I can try to make something.” He paused, then added, “I’ll need some equipment though.”
Hearing this, Ji Yanqing, who had been squatting on the ground, quickly stood up. He looked at Lu Qing, his face devoid of a smile, replaced by a grim seriousness. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve only tested it on their corpses and blood. I can only say that it’s effective, but I won’t know to what extent until I’ve made it,” Lu Qing said, stealing a glance at Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le.
Ji Yanqing held his breath, thinking for a moment. “How long will it take?”
“As little as ten days or so, if I’m fast. But it will also need to be tested after it’s made,” Lu Qing said, glancing at the three Corpse Kings again.
“Make it. Corpse Kings are hard to catch, but I’ll go capture an Awakened Zombie for you,” Ji Yanqing said.
Hearing this, the corners of Xia Shen Shu’s and the others’ mouths twitched violently. For a moment, they were dazed. Ji Yanqing’s tone was as casual as if he were saying he was going to catch a chicken for tonight’s dinner.
Li Pingsen rubbed the bridge of his nose. Although they had hunted a Corpse King before, Awakened Zombies were still terrifying creatures to them. The idea of catching one for Lu Qing to experiment on was something they had never even dared to imagine. But catching a normal zombie and feeding it until it became an Awakened like Lu Qing had done before... They better find an Awakened zombie before Lu Qing suggested it.
Lu Qing looked at Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le with some disappointment, but the thought of having an Awakened Zombie to study soon made him ecstatic again.
“You…” Ji Yanqing started, but hesitated.
“This is my survival team too,” Lu Qing said, looking at him. He knew what Ji Yanqing wanted to say.
This kind of technology was something any survival team would kill for. If Lu Qing were to announce it at the gathering, even teams like Equator and Cradle would immediately come knocking, ready to treat him like a king. Never mind an Awakened Zombie; they would probably risk capturing a Corpse King for him if he asked. Unlike the others in their team, Lu Qing had many options.
“I’m not leaving Sunward,” Lu Qing said, looking at them all. “This is our team, and that means it’s my team too.”
Hearing his straightforward words, a smile touched their lips. Hei Long punched him lightly on the shoulder, his face beaming so brightly that the dragon tattoo on his head scrunched up into a dancing caterpillar. Li Pingsen also patted his shoulder.
“I can start development as soon as possible, but I’ll need a team,” Lu Qing said.
Ji Yanqing immediately looked at Bai Haoxuan.
“Our squad has a nurse. I’ll introduce you to her later,” Bai Haoxuan said at once.
Lu Qing agreed.
“If that’s not enough, you can pick two more people from the team,” Ji Yanqing said, thinking. “You all should compile a list of your team members and their general skills. We might need to reorganize the squads.”
“Once we’ve decided on a location for the paradise, you’ll each need to lead your own squads out to find supplies. Those who can fight will be in the combat units. Those who can’t will stay at the camp and help with construction.” He paused, then added, “Also, make a list of the talented people in your squads, see what skills they have. We might be able to use them.”
Building a paradise was a complex undertaking, with countless tasks big and small. They had to use every resource to its fullest.
The team leaders all noted this down seriously.
“Later, give me a list of your team’s supplies as well. I need to see what else we need to trade for. If we have everything, we’ll leave the gathering early,” Ji Yanqing said. “We now in a race against time.”
They all nodded again.
Ji Yanqing led the way back to the camp. “Before we leave, I might need to meet with Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue again, see if I can get any more information from them. By the way, what was that I heard about them nearly fighting?”
As they walked down from the edge of the pit, the faces of Lan Zi and the others darkened, as if they had tasted something foul.
“Xia Chen is still alive,” Li Pingsen said.
---
Ji Yanqing’s footsteps faltered.
“He didn’t go back after he tricked you into the mall,” Li Pingsen said. “We thought he might have joined Li Xiao’s team in return for… but he didn’t. He just took weapons and supplies from them.”
“He has his own survival team now, not many, just a hundred or two hundred people. It’s called Midsummer.”
Ji Yanqing’s lips parted. He remembered that name. The team that had approached Wu Shangyou to ambush Hei Long’s unit was called Midsummer. He looked at Hei Long, and his dark expression confirmed his suspicion. For a moment, he didn’t know what to feel.
“We didn’t know at first,” Li Pingsen continued. “It was only after the incident with Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue that we found out it was him.”
“After the Li Xiao incident, Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue stayed in contact. One time, Qin Yue found a food factory. He spent several days preparing to raid it, but when they got inside, it had already been cleaned out just a few days before.”
“At first, Qin Yue didn’t think much of it. A few days later, he found some people in the city who told him that the team that had beaten them to it was Huang Rongyue’s.”
Ji Yanqing frowned, already guessing what had happened.
“Qin Yue didn’t believe it at first, but those people didn’t outright say it was Huang Rongyue’s team. They gave him a lot of details, like a female leader, a stealthy approach, the team’s icon, things like that.”
“Qin Yue went to confront Huang Rongyue. Of course, she denied it, but she did know that his team was going to the food factory, so the two of them quickly started fighting.”
Ji Yanqing looked at him. “And you?”
“We happened to be nearby. When we heard the gunshots, we went to check it out. We were shocked to see it was their two teams, so we asked what was going on.”
“We knew both of their teams fairly well and immediately sensed something was wrong. We questioned the people Qin Yue had found, and Xia Shen Shu got the truth out of them,” Li Pingsen said, glancing at Xia Shen Shu.
Xia Shen Shu grinned.
Ji Yanqing didn’t need to ask. He knew that Xia Shen Shu must have put them through the wringer.
“That’s when we found out that Xia Chen was still alive and had his own team,” Li Pingsen said. They had suspected he had done something to Ji Yanqing, but they had no proof, and since he had disappeared, there was nothing they could do. After this incident, they had been keeping an eye on Midsummer’s movements, but Xia Chen knew they would be after him and had been keeping a low profile. He hadn’t even come to the gathering.
“It doesn’t matter. As long as he’s alive, we’ll run into him eventually,” Xia Shen Shu said, his bright smile a stark contrast to his dark eyes.
Li Pingsen sneered. Xia Chen had better hope he could hide for the rest of his life.
After a pause, he added with a hint of resignation, “After you disappeared, Huang Rongyue left us a lot of supplies before she left, and even some ammunition. Knowing there would be a tough fight ahead, we also traded with Qin Yue for some bullets. He gave us a fair price.”
Ji Yanqing was speechless.
Lan Zi and the others also had complex, helpless expressions. Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue had been good to them. Were they really going to have to kill them?
As they talked, they had made their way back down to the Sunward camp. Once there, Ji Yanqing gave them a few more instructions, telling them to tally their people and supplies as quickly as possible, and then sent someone to invite Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue to a meeting. He wanted to see them one more time before they left, because the next time they met, it would likely be a fight to the death.
The people he sent soon returned.
Both Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue had declined his invitation.
Ji Yanqing, who had been thinking about what to say to them, was stunned. After a moment, he felt a sense of helplessness. They probably already knew that a battle between their three teams was inevitable. Neither of them were the type to enjoy killing. In fact, they were both decent, loyal people. But you couldn’t eat decency. Even if they didn’t want to fight, they had to think about the survival of the hundreds who relied on them.
With the invitations declined, Ji Yanqing suddenly had a lot of free time. He thought for a moment, then decided to take Feng Yimo, Ji An, and Ji Le to the gathering. If they were leaving tomorrow, they wouldn’t have another chance to let the two little ones play.
Ji An and Ji Le were very excited to go back.
Leaving the camp and entering the earthen village, the crowd of people swelled dramatically. The two little ones, who had been craning their necks in curiosity, now grew nervous. They clung to Ji Yanqing’s pant legs like two little koalas, refusing to let go.
Seeing them so nervous yet so curious, Ji Yanqing felt a mix of helplessness and heartache. At their age, they should have been the most boisterous. But they were terrified of strangers. The tall, unfamiliar adults were a terrifying sight for them, reminding them of Xue Gang and the beatings. Even though they were Corpse Kings now, that fear still lingered.
“Come on.” Ji Yanqing stopped and scooped Ji Le up under his arms.
Suddenly lifted off the ground, Ji Le looked at him, puzzled.
Ji Yanqing looked at Feng Yimo, and before the man could react, he lifted Ji Le onto his shoulders.
“Hold on to his head,” he told Ji Le, while also grabbing Feng Yimo’s hand and placing it on Ji Le’s leg. “Don’t let him fall. I’ll be heartbroken if he gets hurt.”
Then, he bent down and lifted Ji An onto his own shoulders. He held onto his legs, feeling his small hands anxiously gripping his forehead. He smiled. “Look, you’re taller than all of them. You two are the tallest people at the gathering now.”
Ji An instinctively looked around. Seeing the curious faces looking up at him, he grew nervous. But then he realized that everyone was shorter than him now. The oppressive feeling was gone, replaced by a sense of novelty. An excited smile spread across his face.
“Dad…”
“Let’s go, time to walk around,” Ji Yanqing said, walking forward with Ji An on his shoulders.
Ji Le looked timidly at the top of Feng Yimo’s head. He looked at Ji Yanqing, wanting to get down.
“Hold on tight,” Feng Yimo’s cold voice came. He began to walk slowly, following Ji Yanqing. Like Ji Le, this was a first for him too.
Carried along, Ji Le looked at Ji An with envy, but his envy didn’t last long. His attention was soon captured by the faces of the people who kept looking up at him.
There were very few children left in the apocalypse, and even fewer who could come to a gathering with a large team. To be carried on an adult’s shoulders while walking around was a sight almost unseen, apart from them. All along the way, they attracted many curious gazes.
By the time they had walked through the entire village, the two little ones were flushed with excitement, their eyes shimmering with joy.
“Did you have fun?” Ji Yanqing asked.
“Yes,” Ji An nodded.
Ji Yanqing looked at Ji Le on Feng Yimo’s shoulders. “Did you have fun?”
Ji Le, his eyes wet with excitement, nodded vigorously.
“Want to go around again?” Ji Yanqing looked up at Ji An.
“Really?”
“Haha…”
After another round, the two little ones had forgotten all their fear. They sat up high, pointing here and there, wanting to see everything, directing Ji Yanqing and Feng Yimo all over the place.
There were no snacks or toys in the shops, only guns, ammunition, and medicine. The two little ones weren’t interested in any of that. What they were interested in was the feeling of everyone being together, walking around in a place full of such life and activity. They had been less than three years old when the virus broke out. Their few memories still held fragments of the time before, but most of their memories were of pain and despair. The atmosphere of everyone gathered together, talking and laughing, was a novelty to them.
After walking around again and again, five times in total, Ji Yanqing was starting to get tired, but the two little ones had finally had their fill.
“Can we come back again later?” Ji An asked, turning Ji Yanqing’s head to make him look up.
“Sure.”
“When will we come back?”
“Next time.”
Ji Le vaguely sensed something was off but didn’t dwell on it. He was just happy they could come back.
As they talked, the four of them returned to the camp.
Many people were busy, unloading and inventorying all the supplies. When they saw Ji Yanqing return, many of the newer members looked at him. Xia Shen Shu’s group had searched for him like madmen, and as soon as they found him, before he had even warmed his seat, he was already making them prepare to build some paradise. That was one thing, but what they couldn’t understand was why the team leaders were so enthusiastic about it. Their usually smart and calm leaders seemed to be under a spell when it came to this… guy, not seeing any problem with their behavior at all.
The newer members were confused, and while the original members and Gu Wenmo’s group were also a bit puzzled, they worked diligently. They didn’t know why he was in such a hurry, but he must have his reasons.
Ji Yanqing would never lead them astray.
---
The efficiency of Xia Shen Shu’s group was impressive. In a single afternoon, they had inventoried the contents of all forty-plus, nearly fifty, vehicles.
Ji Yanqing took the list and quickly reviewed it. During the few days they had been at the gathering, they had already traded for a considerable amount of medicine. Combined with the weapons Hei Long had brought back from the military base, Sunward’s reserves of both were now quite substantial. In contrast, their daily necessities were running low. All their food combined would last them five or six days at most. While they could trade for more at the gathering, using valuable weapons and medicine to get food was a poor exchange.
After scanning the entire list and getting a clear picture of their situation, Ji Yanqing announced his decision. “We’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”
No one objected. The team leaders all turned to inform their squads, telling them to prepare for an early departure.
Later that evening, after the snow had started to fall again, Ji Yanqing paid another visit to the Equator camp. He found the Tong brothers and informed them of Sunward’s plans, taking the opportunity to ask some questions about preparing for a settlement. The brothers held nothing back, sharing numerous important details and points to watch out for. Ji Yanqing had already thought of most of it, but he had missed several key details. With their input, he now felt fully prepared.
Beyond the topic of the paradise, Ji Yanqing also tentatively asked about the rumors he’d heard of Equator having a weapon that was effective against Corpse Kings. On this, the brothers were more reserved, but they did admit that they had indeed found something that had an effect. According to Tong Yue, it was likely that many survival teams had similar ideas. But having an idea, putting it into action, and achieving results were three entirely different things. After all, even if you knew what was effective, it didn’t mean you could turn it into a usable weapon. That required technology—technology that was nearly impossible to come by.
After his talk with the brothers, Ji Yanqing returned to his own camp. By then, it was quiet, the snowy landscape illuminated only by the faint glow of the night. Everyone had already turned in, and soon he followed suit.
The next day, as soon as the sky lightened, everyone was up. After a quick breakfast, at the urging of the team leaders, the group reluctantly began to pack the last of their things. It wasn’t that they objected to leaving early; they were simply reluctant to let go of this peaceful, beautiful moment. Beyond the pit, the cruel apocalypse awaited.
Sunward had the largest convoy at the gathering, and the sounds of their packing quickly spread, attracting curious onlookers. Even Zhang Yang came over to see what was happening. While their two teams weren’t yet allies, having more friends meant having more options, a reality that was especially true for his Sharp Knife team.
Around nine o’clock, when the snow had melted enough for the vehicles to move, everyone from Sunward had been boarded. The convoy began to move, heading out of the pit.
The area around the pit was a flat grassland, washed clean by the melted snow, with glistening droplets clinging to the tips of the green blades. The massive convoy of nearly fifty vehicles moved like a great dragon, winding its way across the plain.
At the head of this dragon, in one of the large trucks, sat Ji Yanqing, Feng Yimo, Ji An, Ji Le, the black beast, and Sunward’s six squad leaders—Xia Shen Shu, Lan Zi, Li Pingsen, Mo Xian, Hei Long, and Bai Haoxuan—along with Lu Qing. They were all gathered together, discussing their next steps and the choice of a location for their paradise.
“…Our current food supply will last about four or five days. After we leave this area, our priority is to find a place to stop and restock, then we move on as fast as possible,” Ji Yanqing said.
No one had any objections. They all stared grimly at the map spread out on the table before them. After finding a large map similar to Equator’s, Ji Yanqing had marked the locations of all the survival team bases from memory.
In the north and most of the west, survival teams came and went quickly. On Equator’s map, several locations had been marked and then crossed out. Competition was fierce in those regions, while other areas had mostly stabilized—especially the area around their three teams: Sunward, Huang Rongyue’s Banyan, and Qin Yue’s Green Moon.
Cradle and Equator were currently the most stable and powerful teams, so those areas were out of the question. There seemed to be an opening near Qin Yue’s territory to the east, but several teams were already fighting fiercely there. Making a move in that direction would mean confronting all of them at once.
“The only place left for us to choose is the area between Huang Rongyue’s and Qin Yue’s teams. If we cross the border, neither of them will likely agree,” Lan Zi sighed.
“They might even team up to take us out first,” Hei Long pointed out.
“They probably won’t, for now. Their own settlements aren’t finished yet, so they’re likely busy gathering supplies and don’t have time to deal with us,” Xia Shen Shu said with a smile. “If they dare to come after us, we’ll just circle around and take over their paradise. It’ll save us the trouble.”
The corner of Lan Zi’s mouth twitched, but his idea was actually effective. The possibility of such a move would likely serve as a deterrent, keeping them from acting recklessly.
“The space between their two teams is just this area,” Mo Xian said, circling the region on the map with a pencil.
Bai Haoxuan leaned in for a closer look. The area was long, spanning several provinces, but building a paradise wasn’t as simple as just picking a spot and settling down. There was a lot to consider.
“Priority should be near a water source,” Li Pingsen said. “And it has to be a usable one.”
“We should try to find flowing water. It’s more likely to be safe,” Lan Zi said, a headache forming.
The group fell silent, all studying the maps in their hands. Besides the large main map, they also had several smaller, more detailed maps that covered the region. They each took a pencil and began to circle the areas with flowing water.
There weren’t many. Only three in total.
“This river is a tributary of the canal,” Mo Xian said, placing his map on the table.
The others immediately gathered around to look. The canal water was usable.
Ji Yanqing remembered. Before he left, they hadn’t managed to get one. “Did you get a water purifier?”
“We did,” Xia Shen Shu nodded. “But after that, going back to the canal to transport water became a problem.”
Ji Yanqing was speechless. They had left the vicinity of the canal when they were being chased by Li Xiao.
“This place looks good,” Lan Zi said, having already studied the location Mo Xian had found.
Hearing this, Xia Shen Shu quickly looked again.
“Try to choose a small town,” Ji Yanqing reminded them. “That way, once we clear out the zombies, we’ll have ready-made houses, infrastructure, and a sewage system. We can move in directly.”
“There’s no town here. The towns are all downstream or upstream,” Mo Xian said with a grimace. Downstream was Huang Rongyue’s territory, and upstream was Qin Yue’s. After a pause, he added, “There is a county seat nearby, but it’s some distance from the water source.”
Ji Yanqing looked. “How far?”
“At least two kilometers”
He frowned. That was too far. Even if they used a pump, the distance would be a huge hassle, and they would have to figure out how to lay the water pipes. Worse, if the pipeline was ever cut off, their paradise would be without water.
“What about here?” Hei Long placed his map on the table, showing them the location he had chosen.
Ji Yanqing looked over. The place Hei Long had picked had both water and a town, but it was not far from a city—a large city at that. He immediately ruled it out. He looked back at Mo Xian’s choice. “This area is all flat land. We could clear it for farming.”
The others turned to look.
Lan Zi suddenly remembered. “Besides the bok choy, we found something else that might be edible.” Before Ji Yanqing could ask, she explained, “After you disappeared, we camped near that city. We didn’t have enough food, so Lu Qing started propagating the bok choy. When we went into one of the cities to dig up more roots, we found that someone had been harvesting another type of vegetable from the fields.”
“That thing has unknown compounds in it. The bok choy also has unknown compounds, but they’re different. I can’t be sure it’s safe to eat,” Lu Qing said, his interest in choosing a location clearly waning. He had been staring at the black beast the entire time, trying to pluck some of its fur. The beast had already glared at him several times.
Ji Yanqing looked at him. “You can grow the bok choy?”
Lu Qing’s hand, which had been stealthily reaching for the beast, was deterred by another glare. “It’s simple. Anyone can learn.”
Ji Yanqing nodded, but he didn’t feel happy.
Lu Qing voiced his unspoken concern. “The growth cycle for that bok choy is about twenty days to a month. If we want to feed everyone in the paradise with it, we’ll need to plant at least five mu亩 (mǔ): A traditional Chinese unit of area. Five mu is roughly 0.82 acres or 0.33 hectares.” of it. Under ideal conditions, one plant can be divided into four or five, but it would still take over half a year to plant five mu.
“And that’s not even considering the later stages of watering, fertilizing, and tending,” Lu Qing continued. “Just clearing five mu of land is difficult enough. With Xia Shen Shu and the others having to go out on supply runs, the people left at the paradise won’t be enough.”
“Clearing is just loosening the soil?” Feng Yimo, who had been listening quietly, suddenly asked.
Everyone in the truck turned to look at him. His question was so basic it was hard to answer, but then they remembered he was a Corpse King, and it made sense.
“Something like that,” Ji Yanqing said. “In the beginning, you have to dig deep, clear out the rocks and weeds.”
“Can a Corpse King do it?”
Ji Yanqing was taken aback. “What?”
“You said ‘Farming requires tilling the land.’”
Ji Yanqing was even more confused. “…Theoretically, yes.”
Feng Yimo’s face was serious. “Is land tilled by a Corpse King acceptable?”
At his words, everyone in the truck, including Ji Yanqing, froze.
“…It should be… right?” Ji Yanqing said, stunned.
“I’ll go catch some Corpse Kings to till for you,” Feng Yimo said. He had promised to help. “Those things are everywhere.”
Hearing his words, his sudden enthusiasm, the faces of everyone in the truck became a colorful spectacle. An image involuntarily formed in their minds: a horde of massive, beast-form Corpse Kings diligently plowing a field.
The image was so horrifying that the already colorful faces of Xia Shen Shu and the others twisted into grotesque masks.
The corner of the black beast’s mouth twitched in despair. It suddenly had the urge to shout at its fellow Corpse Kings: Run!
----
There are a lot of things I am personally thankful for, ranging from having all my limbs and apendages in working order, still having my job (knock on wood), and having the privledge to be able to sit and stare at my ceiling when I'm in a low mood. There's still a lot I could do better, ranging from dependability, routines, and actually working towards my goals in art and writing, but as long as I'm alive, I can take that all at my own pace. Whenever things seem dark, just watch bodycam videos and financial audit and think about how *not fucked* your life is! May your Thanksgiving be delicious, and may your goals be achievable.
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