AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 75

 Chapter 75

“I caught some Corpse Kings for you.”

---

Hearing his words, spoken without a hint of jest, and seeing the earnest look on his face, the six other people in the room displayed faces of surprise, solemnity, and hesitation.

“They won’t agree…” Li Pingsen said.

“Even if they did, one Devil’s City only has ten or twenty cities to loot. Not enough to support that many people…” Mo Xian added with a wry smile.

Ji Yanqing looked at the map. “There isn’t just one Devil’s City.” In fact, there were many places they didn’t dare venture into, like the massive cities with populations in the tens of millions. Those places had long since formed their own unique ecosystems. They were, in effect, smaller Devil’s Cities, and they contained far more large supermarkets and supplies than anywhere else.

“But…” Lan Zi still found it impossible. Half the danger in this apocalypse came from Corpse Kings, the other half from humans. Zombies were terrifying, but in some ways, humans were even more so. They could never be united. They would always put their own interests first. Even if you managed to gather all the survivors, the result would inevitably be fragmentation. They might even kill each other off in the infighting. And fighting Corpse Kings was a life-or-death matter that required absolute trust and cooperation, with no room for error.

“You need to calm down…” Xia Shen Shu said. He had always supported Ji Yanqing, but this time, he simply couldn’t.

“Then let’s make a bet,” Ji Yanqing said, his gaze sweeping over the six of them.

No one spoke. They just looked at him with complex expressions, as if they were looking at a madman.

“Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue,” he said. “We’ll try to persuade them first. If they refuse, even if just one of them refuses, I’ll give up on this immediately. But if they both agree, then we will immediately go to persuade Equator and Cradle, and send invitations to every other survival team in the area.”

A dead silence filled the tent.

Feeling that deathly quiet, seeing the complex, pitying looks on their faces, Ji Yanqing had the surreal sensation that the formless despair he felt was coalescing into a thick, viscous liquid, threatening to swallow him whole. He felt constricted, unable to breathe, unable to even lift his limbs.

“What, are you all too scared to even take a gamble?” he asked, a humorless smile on his face. His cold gaze swept over them like a blade. Faced with a city of Corpse Kings, with a war that would span the entire map, he could think of no other viable option than to unite everyone, to proactively strike and destroy them one by one. This was their only path to survival.

He had never imagined that the first obstacle he would face wasn’t a lack of weapons or strength, but the fact that no one believed they could do it. Not even the people closest to him. The feeling of being bound grew stronger, the illusion of being dragged into the deep sea. He struggled, fought with all his might, but he couldn’t break the surface. There were even hands in the water, pulling at his feet, dragging him down.

Lan Zi’s bloodless lips moved. The first time, no sound came out. On the second try, a voice, so hoarse it was barely recognizable, emerged. “I’ll go find Huang Rongyue…” Because they were both women, she had a decent relationship with her. But honestly, she thought the chances were slim.

Being looked at by Ji Yanqing with that faintly disappointed gaze felt like a heavy blow to Xia Shen Shu’s chest, stealing his breath. He had always thought of himself as someone like Xue Gang, someone who didn’t really care about others, not even the people in this tent with whom he had faced death. But somewhere along the line, he had started to become someone he didn’t recognize.

When Ji Yanqing had disappeared, he had led them to kill Li Xiao’s group, risking everything, and then searched for him like a madman.

When he returned, he was happier than anyone. He had given up his position as acting team leader without a second thought.

Xia Shen Shu took a deep breath. “If you think this is necessary, then I’ll give it a try…” He stopped thinking and left the decision entirely to Ji Yanqing. He looked at the others, who were staring at him and Lan Zi in astonishment, and gave a smiling shrug. “It’s not like we have anything to lose… and maybe we can steal some stuff from their cities on the way back.”

Hearing his flippant remark, the still-shocked Hei Long and the others had dark looks on their faces. They exchanged a glance, and in that moment, they saw the same wry smile in each other’s eyes. They understood now. Ji Yanqing had truly gone mad, Xia Shen Shu had never been sane, and Lan Zi, who usually seemed so calm and rational, had long since been driven mad by the two of them.

Knowing that at least Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi were willing to try, Ji Yanqing let out a long breath. His constricted heart slowly began to beat again. After a moment’s thought, he spoke again. “When you find them, don’t hide anything…” He explained his entire plan in as much detail as possible so they could convey his meaning.

The reason they were so helpless against the Corpse Kings, against this apocalypse, was largely because they were too weak. A survival team of eight hundred was considered one of the largest, but what was that against an army of monsters? Back when the virus first broke out, there were more people, but they had no weapons, and many of the mutated plants hadn’t appeared yet. Now, it was different. They knew for a fact that there were mutated plants that could directly affect Corpse Kings. They had hope now, even if that hope was like a flickering candle, so faint a single breeze could extinguish it.

The Devil’s City had at least a few hundred Corpse Kings. If it was just them, even if they managed to kill five or ten, the remaining hundreds would be no less insurmountable to the other survival teams. Divided, they would all die. United, they might just have a fighting chance.

He spoke for a long time, about the Corpse Kings, about humanity. By the time he had said everything he wanted to say, his throat was raw and burning. Opposite him, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi were frowning, carefully committing his words to memory. There was a constant look of surprise on their faces. The more they heard, the more astonished they were, and that astonishment gradually gave way to a deep solemnity. They still couldn’t believe he could unite all of humanity, but they also had to admit that his idea might be the only viable path forward, as idealistic as it was…

After he had said everything he could, he told them to get some rest and set out early the next morning. Sunward was situated between Huang Rongyue’s and Qin Yue’s bases. Even traveling in a straight line without stopping for supplies, it would take at least six or seven days to reach their camps, a half-month round trip.

Watching them leave, Ji Yanqing, before it got completely dark, went to find Lu Qing.

He was still lying on the ground, completely immobile except for his eyes.

The next day, as soon as it was light, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi prepared their convoys. To ensure speed, they packed enough food, water, and gasoline for the entire round trip. Knowing the purpose of their journey, everyone in the camp was listless, full of unspoken doubts. None of them believed that Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue would agree.

Ji Yanqing ignored their skepticism. Before they left, he gave them each a small test tube filled with flower paste, wrapped in layers of plastic wrap and tinfoil. Lu Qing had prepared it overnight, after he could finally move again. The sample was small and the effect weak, but it was enough to demonstrate the flower’s power.

With all preparations complete, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi looked at him, their expressions full of unspoken words. In the end, they said nothing and silently departed.

Watching them disappear into the snow, Ji Yanqing turned to the group watching him from behind. Including the four remaining squad leaders, nearly eight hundred people were staring at him with pale faces, as if wondering why they had chosen a madman as their captain.

Ji Yanqing redeployed Li Pingsen and the others. Mo Xian’s squad, which had several injured members, would stay behind to help with construction. Li Pingsen, Hei Long, and Bai Haoxuan would continue to search for supplies in the nearby cities. It was dangerous—they might run into Huang Rongyue’s or Qin Yue’s people—but they couldn’t just submit themselves to starving to death.

After they had left, Ji Yanqing took Mo Xian and everyone else who could move back into the city. They cleared the zombies from the buildings around the complex he had chosen as their base to prevent any surprise attacks after they moved in. They went through the city, gathering all the supplies from the large supermarkets, food stores, and markets, and inventoried them with their own. The situation was slightly better than they had expected, probably because the county was remote and hadn’t been visited by many people. Even so, all the food combined would only last them eleven or twelve days.

After that, they spent time scouting the city and the surrounding area. They set up a generator, a transformer, a battery, and a water pump by the river, and managed to get running water to the city. Because the power was limited and the distance was so great, the flow was very weak by the time it reached them, but it was still better than constantly running back and forth.

With water, the second phase of the cleanup began. They cleared out four of the apartment buildings in the complex. The county wasn’t huge, but it could hold over a hundred thousand people. For their eight hundred, it was a massive place. If they wanted, they could each have their own building. But just cleaning the rooms would take a huge amount of time, and it would be difficult to manage. The city wasn’t completely free of zombies. If they were too spread out, no one would notice if something went wrong. They were living in a collective now, with food and supplies distributed centrally. It was better to stay together.

Ji Yanqing finally decided on four people per apartment. That way, one floor could house eight people. The buildings were all six stories tall, with five apartments per building. They only needed to clear four of them for now.

With the decision made, everyone got to work. They cleaned every room in the four buildings, not just the dust, but more importantly, the zombie fluids, bloodstains, and trash. It was a long and time-consuming task. It took over two hundred people an entire day to finish.

After cleaning the living quarters, they also cleaned the lanes, flowerbeds, and main gate of the complex, making sure there were no zombie remains or trash left. They dragged all the cars out of the complex and dumped them at the edge of the mountains, far from the city. They chose two of the drier, better-ventilated underground garages and converted them into warehouses.

In addition to all this, they also set up a separate research lab for Lu Qing. The things he was working on were too specialized and dangerous. Ji Yanqing chose a location farther inside the county, away from the complex. It was a large, high-end jewelry store, two storefronts combined into one, spacious and well-lit. The glass was specially made, and the doors and windows were reinforced with manual anti-theft, anti-intrusion measures that could be locked.

Once the location was chosen and everything inside was cleared out, they helped him move in some tables and chairs. Knowing he was about to have his own lab, the first thing Lu Qing asked for was a large, double-door refrigerator. He had wanted more professional equipment, but the county only had an elementary and a middle school, and no research-related companies.

---

After Ji Yanqing promised Lu Qing he would do his best to find all the equipment he needed, he was in the middle of directing the move from the mountains into the complex when one of the lookouts ran over. “Captain, they’re back!”

Hearing this, Ji Yanqing’s heart leaped. For a second, he thought Feng Yimo had returned on his own, but he quickly realized that couldn’t be it. Feng Yimo was just one person; the lookout had said “they.”

He had been gone for nearly half a month now. Ji Yanqing had searched relentlessly, scouring the entire county, the surrounding mountains, and even the area beyond, but he had found no trace of him. He had asked Ji An and Ji Le several times, and each time, they pointed in unison toward the Devil’s City. He was worried, but helpless. He could only give up after confirming that Feng Yimo wasn’t injured and, in fact, seemed quite happy. The long search had only strengthened his resolve to never let Feng Yimo out of his sight again.

“Who’s back?” he asked, quickly regaining his composure. He put down the list he was filling out. “If it’s Hei Long’s team, have them drive directly here to unload.” During this time, Li Pingsen and the others had been constantly going out for supplies. Most of the resources in the surrounding area had been scavenged, so their efficiency was low, but they had still managed to bring some things back.

“No, it’s Team Leader Xia and Team Leader Lan,” the messenger said, his voice full of excitement.

Hearing their names, Ji Yanqing’s heart slammed against his ribs. He dropped the pen and paper and hurried toward the edge of the city. By the time he reached the main road, their two convoys were already being guided toward the county. The camp had been in the mountains when they left. The convoy had changed; several new trucks had been added, likely for transporting supplies.

A few minutes later, the two convoys stopped in the vegetable field outside the county, the ground now covered in tire tracks. The doors opened, and people began to get out. Ji Yanqing’s sharp eyes immediately spotted Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi in the crowd. He strode toward them. “Why did you come back together?”

Hearing his voice, they both looked over and approached. They had been gone for some time, and a clear exhaustion was etched on their faces. They had returned earlier than expected; they must have been traveling at top speed.

“We ran into each other on the road, so we just came back together,” Lan Zi explained.

Ji Yanqing nodded, taking a deep breath. His heart was racing uncontrollably. The rushing blood made his limbs feel weak, and his mood grew heavy with tension. “How did it go? What did they say?”

Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi exchanged a look. There were no smiles on their faces, only a grave and complex expression.

Seeing their faces, the heart that had been lodged in Ji Yanqing’s throat slowly sank, plunging into an icy abyss. He took a deep breath, a bitter taste in his mouth. I was too naive…

“Huang Rongyue said we can talk,” Lan Zi’s pleasant voice came.

Ji Yanqing froze. The heart that had just sunk into the abyss began to pound furiously. Blood rushed to his head, and his face visibly flushed. He looked at her. “She agreed?”

“Yes,” she said, her expression growing more complex.

He immediately turned to Xia Shen Shu. There was no smile on his face. He wanted to smile, but in that moment, he couldn’t. “Qin Yue also said … that he’s open to discussing things...”

Surprise and ecstatic joy flooded Ji Yanqing’s face.

Seeing him like this, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi exchanged another look. He was surprised, but they were even more so. From the very beginning, they had never believed that Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue would agree. They had thought the idea was absurd, laughable. But things had taken a completely unexpected turn.

“Huang Rongyue is here,” Lan Zi said, her voice dry. She no longer knew how to express the complex feelings in her heart.

Ji Yanqing’s head whipped around. “She’s…?”

“Long time no see.” A familiar voice came from the side.

He immediately looked toward the sound. Huang Rongyue hadn’t changed much. Her short hair was still neat and capable, and her expression held the same veiled weariness and pain that everyone carried. Behind her stood over fifty of her people.

“You… why are you here?” It wasn’t that he was unwelcoming, but this was Sunward’s territory. Wasn’t she afraid he would have other ideas? She was the leader of the Banyan survival team.

At his question, she instinctively glanced at Lan Zi. Clearly, Lan Zi had asked her the same thing. Being asked again, she gave a wry smile and answered without hesitation, “Would you do anything to me?”

“No,” he said.

She smiled. If it had been anyone else, she would never have believed them so easily. But this was Ji Yanqing. She believed his word.

“I brought someone back too,” Xia Shen Shu interjected, pointing to the side.

Ji Yanqing followed his finger and soon found Qin Yue’s group, standing off to one side. He had long hair and an ever gentle, approachable smile. He had brought over sixty people with him.

“Been a while,” Qin Yue said.

Ji Yanqing nodded in acknowledgment. As his head moved, his heart grew heavy and hot. Feeling the heat in his chest made him excited, nervous, and it settled the part of him that had still been wavering. It made the whole thing feel more real, more possible, and it gave him the confidence to look forward.

“I’ll arrange a place for you to rest for the night. Let’s discuss tommorow?” he asked, seeking their opinion.

Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue, who had already met on the road, exchanged a look. “No, if you have time, let’s talk now. We want to get back as soon as possible. We can’t leave our homes empty for too long.”

Qin Yue smiled in agreement.

Ji Yanqing nodded and immediately led them toward the complex. He took them to a tea shop on the ground floor of one of the apartment buildings. It had been decorated in a classical style, and the bogu shelves for displaying tea and the redwood tea table in the center must have been worth a fortune. But such things were only meaningful before the outbreak. To them now, it was just a nice-looking set of furniture. The shop had been cleaned and was relatively tidy.

He took a moment to boil a pot of water and pour them some tea.

“Nice complex,” Huang Rongyue said, sitting down.

“Thank you.”

“What exactly is your plan?” Qin Yue asked directly as he sat opposite her. At his question, a serious look crossed her face. They had both come here without prior discussion, and for the same reason: to hear exactly what Ji Yanqing had in mind. They had agreed to talk, but that meant nothing. A partnership wasn’t something settled with a few words, especially not one that concerned the very survival of their teams.

Ji Yanqing had already guessed their purpose and wasn’t surprised. On the contrary, he saw it as an opportunity. A face-to-face conversation was far more effective than sending messages back and forth.

He thought for a moment, then got straight to the point. “Have you seen the things I had them bring you?”

At his words, their expressions became quite colorful. Especially Qin Yue’s. The smile on his face froze.

Seeing their reactions, Ji Yanqing immediately guessed what must have happened, and the main reason they were here.

“We’ve already tested it,” he said. “That stuff is indeed effective against second-stage Corpse Kings. The effect is very fast, just a few seconds if the dose is sufficient. And that’s without direct contact, just from inhaling it.”

“Second-stage Corpse Kings?” Qin Yue was surprised. He had only heard that it was effective against Corpse Kings in general. Ordinary ones and second-stage ones were two different things. Huang Rongyue’s face was also full of surprise.

“My team is working on a way to turn it into a projectile, like a bullet,” Ji Yanqing said.

They both sat up straighter.

“Most Corpse Kings have very tough skin, but they’re not completely invulnerable. Concentrated fire on a single point can still injure them,” he continued. “As long as they’re injured, as long as we can inject the agent into the wound before they can heal, we can make them lose control of their bodies. Even if it’s only for ten seconds, that changes everything. It gives us a chance to kill them.”

Their expressions shifted rapidly. They were sometimes thoughtful, sometimes frowning. A few seconds later, when they looked up again, their faces were filled with an ecstatic joy.

“If you can really produce that agent, then it might actually be possible…” Huang Rongyue mused.

Ji Yanqing’s gaze swept over them. He paused, then laid all his cards on the table. “We don’t currently have any high-powered weapons.” A Corpse King was massive. Even if they managed to knock one down, cutting through its thick neck would take ages even with a chainsaw, and their bones were incredibly hard. The best method was still to serious heavy weaponry, the ones with high-intensity killing power.

They both understood what he meant and exchanged another look. After a moment’s hesitation, Huang Rongyue spoke first. “We know of something that is very effective against Corpse Kings.” She didn’t go into detail, but the meaning was clear. She was willing to cooperate.

Ji Yanqing and Huang Rongyue both looked at Qin Yue.

He thought for a moment. “We haven’t mastered anything that directly affects Corpse Kings, but I know of something that can accelerate the healing of human wounds.” He paused, then added, “Even a through-and-through gunshot wound, as long as it’s not fatal, can heal within five days. But the side effects are significant. Long-term use leads to cellular decay and death.I like this drawback ngl. Forcing extreme healing means wearing out the stability/ life of cells…”

Both Ji Yanqing’s and Huang Rongyue’s eyes lit up. They had known Qin Yue for some time, but they had never heard that he possessed such a thing. A substance that could rapidly heal human wounds was a great treasure. If word got out, every survivor would be flocking to him.

Ji Yanqing wanted to ask more, but he forced himself to hold back. The fact that Qin Yue was willing to share this information was a sufficient show of good faith.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, then looked at them again. Unlike before, there was now a light in their eyes. The plan still seemed insane, but maybe, just maybe, it could work.

---

Ji Yanqing paused, then spoke again. “I want to bring in Equator and Cradle as well. And not just them. If possible, I want to rally as many people as we can. The more, the better.”

Huang Rongyue was taken aback. “Equator and Cradle?”

“They won’t agree, will they?” Qin Yue asked, his surprise giving way to skepticism. Equator and Cradle were two of the largest and most powerful teams out there. “Large” didn’t just refer to their numbers; their preparations for their own settlements and the strength of their individual members were far superior to most others.

“No, Equator will agree,” Ji Yanqing said with confidence.

“How can you be so sure?” Huang Rongyue raised an eyebrow. She knew he had been in close contact with them; Equator had chosen him over her and Qin Yue, which was precisely why they had been forced to preemptively clear out all the resources in Sunward’s territory. He already had a powerful ally, while they had nothing. They had to do something.

Ji Yanqing’s gaze swept over their faces. Speaking of the Devil’s City, their expressions were grim, but there was no despair in their eyes. They both had their own sources of information, but they clearly didn’t know about the continent-spanning war. Their desire to cooperate stemmed purely from the immediate threat at their backs, from the ever-present sense of encroaching death.

“They say Death is dead,” Ji Yanqing said.

“Death?” Qin Yue was surprised, then confused. Why is he bringing this up now? Huang Rongyue was equally bewildered.

Seeing their blank expressions, Ji Yanqing was even more certain they didn’t know. He explained the situation as concisely and clearly as he could. “Once Death is gone, the west and north…” As he spoke, he watched their faces shift from grimness to shock, from unease and suspicion to ashen despair. They were close to the Devil’s City. If a war truly broke out, none of them could escape.

“Equator will agree,” he repeated, “because they understand this kind of despair all too well.” Tong Yue’s mind was sharp, which only made his despair deeper. While other teams were still celebrating finding supplies, he was already lying awake at night, tormented by what he knew.

Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue were silent. As they emerged from the initial shock, their faces grew even paler.

“I’m not as sure about Cradle,” Ji Yanqing continued, “but if they’ve managed to grow their team to that size, they must have their own sources. They’ve likely sensed that something is wrong.” Small teams didn’t want to die, and large teams wanted to die even less. To have gotten this far, they had surely endured and sacrificed far more than any smaller group. After surviving so much, how could they be willing to die at the very end?

“If the Devil’s City can be called a ‘city of Corpse Kings,’ it must have more than just a few dozen. I’d estimate at least two hundred,” Ji Yanqing said. “Against that number, even with a weapon that works, a little over a thousand of us won’t be able to fight our way in. We need more bullets, more weapons, and more people. Especially people and weapons. As many as possible.”

Huang Rongyue rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to pull herself out of the heavy despair his words had plunged her into. “…How many people do you want?”

“I want to call on everyone we can.”

Qin Yue also rubbed his nose. “Forget Equator for a moment. The other teams won’t buy it… Only we would believe you. How many other teams do you think will? And even if they do, it doesn’t mean they’ll be willing to cooperate.”

“We have to try,” Ji Yanqing said. “This is the only way I can think of. Do either of you have a better idea?”

They were silent, still reeling from the inescapable despair.

“If we don’t try, we won’t even have a chance,” he added.

They remained silent. They had too much to sort through.

Ji Yanqing didn’t rush them. He refilled their cups and waited. When he had first learned of this, it had taken him days to recover. That night, he had even broken down and cried in Feng Yimo’s arms.

Thinking of him, a flicker of anxiety crossed his mind. Feng Yimo was a Corpse King, but that didn’t mean he was absolutely safe.

The silence stretched on, long enough for the water in the kettle to grow cold, long enough for the night to fully descend. Just as the room was becoming too dark to see, they finally stirred.

Huang Rongyue spoke first, her voice heavy. “We, Banyan, are in.” As the words left her mouth, she gave a bitter smile. They had no other choice.

After her, Qin Yue also spoke. “We, Green Moon, are also willing to cooperate.” His smile was gone, replaced by a wry, bitter one. After hours of deliberation, they had to admit that his plan was indeed their only option. They still didn’t believe he could rally everyone, but they had no other choice.

Getting their confirmation, Ji Yanqing let out a long breath. Unlike their overwhelming despair, he, who had been living in it for some time, felt as if he had finally broken through the surface of the sea, finally able to breathe. He saw hope in the midst of despair, even if it was just a faint, flickering spark. It filled him with an inexhaustible energy. It made him feel alive again.

He wasn’t afraid of a slim hope. He was only afraid of having no hope at all.

“I’ll have someone contact Equator, Cradle, and another team I know as soon as possible. You should do the same with your contacts. Whether they can come or not, let’s notify them first,” he said.

Huang Rongyue nodded.

Qin Yue agreed. “Alright.”

Huang Rongyue then added, “About Death, I heard something else. They say several of his core, high-ranking Corpse Kings are searching everywhere for their king. They’re Corpse Kings that Death had struck down but who didn’t fully die. They’ve seen him. He has a human-form, a man, and his weapon is a longsword.”

“I’ve heard that too,” Qin Yue said. “And I heard they found traces of him in the south not long ago. I don’t know if it’s true.”

Humanoid, a man, a longsword. The moment he heard those keywords, Ji Yanqing’s heart slammed against his ribs. An image of Feng Yimo’s face instantly flashed in his mind.

Feng Yimo is Death?

The thought made his heart race even faster. All the blood in his body rushed to his head. His mind began to buzz, his palms scalding hot.

“What’s wrong?” Huang Rongyue noticed his strange reaction.

“…Nothing,” he said, shaking his head.

“If Death’s faction has really reached the south, the Devil’s City won’t just sit back and wait,” Qin Yue said. “In the worst-case scenario, they might not go to the west or north. They might just start the fight right here in the south.”

Huang Rongyue rubbed her nose again. Before coming here, they had been planning how to develop their paradise. Now, she felt completely drained. Even if they built up their paradise, what was the point? Once the war started, everything they had worked so hard for might not be enough to withstand the rampage of a single Corpse King.

“Move your teams here,” Ji Yanqing said.

Huang Rongyue was stunned.

Qin Yue raised an eyebrow.

“Since we’re cooperating,” he continued, “we need to discuss a concrete plan as soon as possible. Our weapons and ammunition must be centrally allocated. The same goes for our people.” He paused. “And the things you mentioned, the ones that are effective against Corpse Kings and humans, we need to start developing them immediately. Once everything is ready, we have to move on to the testing phase.”

“If we all stay in our separate locations, it will take at least half a month just to send messages back and forth. By the time we’re ready, the war will probably be over.”

He didn’t wait for them to react. “Since we’ve decided to do this, we need to send people to scout the Devil’s City. We don’t need to know everything, but we at least need to know how many Corpse Kings are in there.”

They didn’t object. On the point of communication alone, they had no counter-argument.

Seeing that they had no objections, he added, “Besides, our paradise is running low on supplies.”

Hearing this, Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue, who had been deep in thought, both had dark looks on their faces. They turned to him in unison. After all this talk of the Devil’s City and cooperation, was his real goal just to get their supplies?

Ji Yanqing gave an embarrassed, sheepish smile. “…You guys took them all.”

Seeing his awkward, guilty expression, they were at a loss. They shook their heads, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He wasn’t that kind of person. If he were, they wouldn’t be sitting here. If he were that kind of person, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi would never have been allowed into their settlements in the first place.

“Let’s go eat.” As he spoke, he decided to drop the sensitive topic for now. He reminded them, “You should move over as soon as possible. I’ll have Equator do the same.”

He led the way out of the tea shop. Looking up at the dark, snowy sky, feeling the cold wind on his face, he took a deep breath. “We have to gather everyone within half a month… and begin combat trials within twenty days.”

---

Huang Rongyue took a deep breath. The conversation, though only a few hours long, had been packed with so much information that her head was spinning. She needed the cold air to clear it. Qin Yue wasn’t any better of a state.

After dinner, they both turned in early. The next morning, they met in the tea shop again to discuss the practicalities of housing after the move. Around seven, once the snow had completely melted, they led their respective convoys away. They hadn’t brought many people, and with their supplies, two vehicles each were enough.

Watching them leave, Ji Yanqing turned to Xia Shen Shu and the others. He had been so busy talking with their guests yesterday that he hadn’t had much time to interact with his own team. They had been on edge since the day before, waiting. An afternoon and a night had passed, and now they were all so tense their faces were tinged blue.

“They agreed,” Ji Yanqing said.

The quiet morning was silent, but in the eyes of the silent group, there was only shock and bewilderment. They had been so tense precisely because they thought it was impossible. And now, he was telling them it had worked.

It worked? They’re really going to cooperate? We’re really going to the Devil’s City?

“They’re moving their paradises here. If they’re fast, they should be here in about ten days. Everyone should get ready,” he said.

Hearing this, the group, still stunned, was stunned anew. For a moment, they thought they had misheard.

“They’re… moving here?” Lan Zi didn’t know what expression to make.

“They’re too far away. If we don’t move them here, it would take days just to send a message if something happened,” he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lan Zi was speechless. It did seem to make sense, but there was something strangely off about it.

“…They both agreed to move here, to our location?” Xia Shen Shu’s tone was incredibly complex.

Ji Yanqing froze, then finally understood his meaning, which made him freeze again. Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue had their own paradises, homes they had worked hard to build. This wasn’t a simple matter of moving here now and moving back later. During their discussion, it had never even occurred to him that Sunward could move to their locations. Neither of them had brought it up. It had all just naturally unfolded this way.

He looked at them, completely baffled.

Lan Zi shook her head, a helpless smile appearing in her complex gaze.

Ji Yanqing grew even more confused.

Nearby, Bai Haoxuan, who had just returned with supplies the day before, understood perfectly what they were smiling about, and it filled him with his own complex emotions. Ji Yanqing had a certain charisma, an ability to make people follow his lead without them even realizing it, and without them resenting it. In his eyes, he had always been a magical person.

“Alright,” Ji Yanqing said, feeling a little uncomfortable under their stares. “I’ll have to trouble you two to make a trip to Equator and Cradle. We need to rally more people as soon as possible.”

The smiles on their faces gradually faded, replaced by their earlier complexity. They truly hadn’t believed he could persuade Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue. The fact that they had been willing to come here was already a shock. And now, they had decided to move… Feeling the astonishment and disbelief, Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi exchanged a look, seeing the same familiar resignation in each other’s eyes.

Their captain always had a way of leaving them at a loss. He always had a way of leading them out of desperate situations. When they had first learned of the continent-spanning war, they had felt that when the time came, he would surely have a plan. They had believed it, but there had been a measure of self-comfort in that belief. They all knew how desperate the situation was. A little while ago, when he had suddenly told them he was going to form a human alliance and attack the Devil’s City, they had all thought he was insane.

And now, he was telling them the grand alliance was a success, and Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue would be moving in within a few days…

“Whew.” Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi each took a deep breath.

“I’ll have Lu Qing prepare some more flower paste for you to take. Be careful at Cradle. After Tong Yue and the others agree, make sure to have them contact their own people,” he said. “And Sharp Knife…” He paused, momentarily stumped. Zhang Yang’s team didn’t have a base; they roamed around just like Sunward used to. It was the survival model for most teams, which meant he had no idea where to find them.

“We’ll leave information about the alliance and our location on major roads and landmarks along the way,” Xia Shen Shu said. He was good at this. His previous graffiti spree was a major reason for Sunward’s current fame.

Ji Yanqing nodded. “Then let’s do that…”

After going over all the details he could think of, he didn’t delay. He took them to find Lu Qing. When they arrived, Lu Qing was controlling his uncooperative limbs, walking out with the jerky movements of a marionette. He was wearing a diving suit under a protective suit and had an oxygen tank on his back, but even so, he couldn’t stay inside for more than fifteen minutes at a time and had to come out for air periodically.

Ji Yanqing explained his purpose. Knowing he wanted to take more flower paste, Lu Qing’s already barely controllable face twisted as if someone were trying to rip out his heart. Ji Yanqing, who knew his ways, immediately promised to get him more flowers as soon as possible and told him about the two items Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue possessed. Whether they would hand them over was still unknown, but Lu Qing didn’t need to know that.

Sure enough, upon hearing about more good things, Lu Qing’s brain was completely consumed by excitement, and subsequently devoid of any reason. A few minutes later, Ji Yanqing had five or six tightly wrapped bottles of flower paste. As he handed them to Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi, they couldn’t help but exchange a look. He was getting better and better at handling Lu Qing…

With the items in hand, the two of them, who had only had a single night’s rest, immediately packed up and departed.

Ji Yanqing stood at the edge of the county and watched them leave, not turning away until their convoy had completely disappeared over the horizon. He called everyone over to continue clearing the county. They had only cleared enough space for their own eight hundred people. With so many more coming, they had to clear as much space as possible. Besides, he had to take this opportunity to think through the details of the coming cooperation. How to divide the teams, how to maximize the use of their weapons, and what to do with Lu Qing’s research and the items from their new allies… Everyone had their own teams, with their own distinct personalities and even rivalries. Just coordinating everyone would be a challenge.

With these thoughts, he picked up his axe and was about to pry open a door when a lookout ran over. “Captain, he’s back!”

“Did they forget something?” He wracked his brain. Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi had taken everything they needed.

“Not the squad leaders. It’s Feng Yimo.”

Ji Yanqing froze. The next instant, he was sprinting downstairs. He ran toward the edge of the county, his heart pounding faster and faster with every step. By the time he reached the complex gate, his heart was a thunderous drum, the sound so loud it made him see red.

Where the hell did he run off to without a word? Does he have any idea how worried I’ve been?

He burst out of the county and saw the familiar figure at the entrance in the distance. He really wanted to charge over and plant his axe in that face.

Feng Yimo, who had been gone for half a month, hadn’t changed much. His hair was waist-length, his longsword was in hand, and his handsome, cold face was expressionless.

“Feng Yimo!” Ji Yanqing’s voice was laced with killing intent.

Hearing his voice, Feng Yimo, who was being led toward the county, immediately looked over and started walking toward him. After two steps, seeing his murderous expression, he stopped. Why?

“Feng Yimo!” Ji Yanqing gripped the handle of his axe, his eyes turning red.

“Hmm?” Feng Yimo was at a loss.

“You…” Ji Yanqing got closer, staring at his face. He really wanted to kill him, especially after meeting those confused eyes. “Where did you run off to without a word? Do you know I’ve been looking everywhere for you? Do you know you make people worry? I’ve turned this entire county, this entire mountain range, upside down looking for you.”

The string of questions left him breathless, a bitter-sour feeling rising in his throat. Feng Yimo didn’t understand any of it. Even if he could like someone, he still wasn’t human. He couldn’t be expected to understand all his emotions.

“You’re… angry?” Feng Yimo was conflicted. He panicked when he saw Ji Yanqing angry, but for some reason, he also felt happy. He didn’t want to make him sad, and he didn’t want to be secretly happy that he had made him sad, but he couldn’t suppress the feeling.

Ji Yanqing was silent. The sour feeling in his chest spread. For a moment, he even began to think that his belief that Feng Yimo liked him was just his own delusion.

“I’m sorry.” Feng Yimo raised a hand, his fingertips gently tracing the red corner of Ji Yanqing’s eye. His voice was light, helpless. “I caught some Corpse Kings for you.” He held out the rope in his hand. “To dig for you.” He looked down at the Corpse Kings at his feet and tugged at the rope, urging them to start digging and make Ji Yanqing happy.

At his feet, the black beast, a rope around its neck, looked listless. Beside it, the badger-like one >Funnily enough, badgers are known as good diggers… (why did I say ‘Funnily Enough? Idk either), which had been forced to eat countless evolved Corpse King bodies and had directly broken through to the next stage, was in a daze. And next to them, the Lord of the Devil’s City, who had been captured and roped simply because it was particularly good at burrowing, was on the verge of tears.

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