AFTCKCTCKATD - Chapter 76

 Chapter 76

He Trembled And Gently Sucked On Feng Yimo’s Lower Lip.

---

At Feng Yimo’s words, Ji Yanqing, whose heart had been aching a moment before, instinctively looked down at his feet. He saw three creatures, and his breath caught. Besides the familiar black beast, there was now a creature that looked like a badger but was covered in grayish-blue scales, somewhat like a pangolin—it looked familiar—and a large, snow-white rat with two tufts of pink fur in the tips of its ears. The black beast was the largest; the pangolin and the rat were only about the size of two basketballs.

Having experience with the black beast, he immediately guessed what they were, and his scalp tingled. For a moment, he even forgot to be angry with Feng Yimo. He took a step back, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Feng Yimo tugged on the rope. Seeing that none of the three were cooperating to cheer Ji Yanqing up, his brow furrowed slightly.

Nearby, Ji An, who had recognized the pangolin as the tasty badger-like Awakened Zombie from before, swallowed hard.

“Are these mutated creatures? Where did you get them?” the man who had guided Feng Yimo back asked. “That rat is pretty cute.” When he had first seen them, he too had been surprised, for a moment thinking they were Corpse Kings, but he had never seen any so small. The group had rarely seen mutated animals, but it wasn’t unheard of.

Hearing itself called a rat, the Lord of Devil’s City’s eyes turned red, and it glared venomously.

Feng Yimo’s dark eyes shot it a cold, icy look.

“Squeak…”

“Feisty little thing,” the man commented. He squatted down, intending to pet it, but then thought better of it. Who knew if it was venomous? It would be bad if he got bitten.

“I caught them,” Feng Yimo said, then paused, looking at the black beast. “It found them. I caught them while I was trying to catch it.”

The white rat immediately whipped its head around and glared at the two culprits beside it. If it weren’t for them leading that monster to its city… The badger-like one wasn’t paying it any attention; its muscles were tensed as it stared at Ji An, who had just whispered something to Ji Le, who was now also drooling at it. The black beast had no mind to deal with it either. It felt as if a giant, black pot had fallen from the sky and knocked it senseless.

Ji Yanqing’s gaze lingered on the three ropes in Feng Yimo’s hand. “…Keep an eye on them. Don’t let them run around.” If Xia Shen Shu and the others knew he had brought back two more Corpse Kings… He instinctively looked behind him and met Bai Haoxuan’s face, which looked on the verge of tears. Others might not know, but how could he not? Those were no mutated creatures. To be able to shrink to that size, they had to be at least thrice-evolved Corpse Kings.

Sensing his gaze, Bai Haoxuan looked at him pitifully. Including these two new ones, our paradise now has six thrice-evolved Corpse Kings. Are you two going to exercise any restraint at all? This is a human paradise. Isn’t it a bit much to be raising so many Corpse Kings?

Ji Yanqing looked away. He glanced at Feng Yimo, who was frowning at the three captives who refused to dig, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Seeing a crowd gathering, he quickly led him back to their new living quarters.

After the cleanup, they had all moved into the complex. Ji Yanqing lived in a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor of the first building, near the gate. It wasn’t particularly large, but it was enough.

Leading him inside, Ji Yanqing looked again at the three Corpse Kings he had brought in and couldn’t help but remind him, “Don’t let them cause any trouble.”

The black beast’s eyes were vacant, still in a state of shock. The pangolin, under the direct stares of Ji An and Ji Le, was trembling. I don’t taste good, really! The great Lord rat of the Devil’s City was listless, tears welling in its eyes.

With Feng Yimo back, Ji Yanqing finally breathed a sigh of relief. After another glance at the two new captives, he picked up his axe and went back to the other building to continue his work.

Later that evening, Li Pingsen returned from a supply run. He found Bai Haoxuan in a daze and, thinking something had happened, immediately asked what was wrong. Bai Haoxuan didn’t hide it and told him everything. Learning that their paradise now housed a total of six Corpse Kings, Li Pingsen was speechless for a long time. Later, when Bai Haoxuan remembered to tell him that Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue had agreed to the alliance, he was too stunned to even be surprised.

When Ji Yanqing arrived, Li Pingsen was still in a trance. He looked at the two of them, their dazed expressions identical, and didn’t have the heart to disturb them. He just had the men unload the truck. Li Pingsen hadn’t brought back many supplies, but he had found something good.

When the truck doors opened, Ji Yanqing was momentarily confused by the iron posts, until he saw the solar panels and light bulbs on top. Li Pingsen had somehow managed to acquire a batch of solar-powered streetlightsI keep buying solar powered lawn lights for when I get home from work… but I buy cheap ones so they die after a few weeks ;a; , now my yard looks like a solar light graveyard.. All their electricity currently came from gasoline-powered generators. Fuel was limited, and the generators produced a limited amount of power, so electricity was precious. Aside from Lu Qing’s lab and the water pump, they used as little as possible. Lights at night were an unheard-of luxury.

He had brought back ten of them. Ji Yanqing was just considering where best to install them when Lu Qing, who had somehow gotten wind of it, came rushing over. On the grounds that his lab had no lights at night, he took nine of them. The last one was only saved by Ji Yanqing’s strenuous objection.

Cleaned out, Ji Yanqing no longer had to worry about where to put them. He installed the single remaining light in a ground-floor unit, it was two apartments combined and now served as their cafeteria. They often worked late, and a light in the cafeteria would be convenient.

That night, when he returned to his room after dinner, Ji An and Ji Le were waiting at the door, craning their necks. Seeing him, they rushed over.

“Dad…”

“Dad.”

Hearing their soft, sweet voices, the fatigue of the day melted away. He put down his axe and picked them up.

“Dad,” Ji Le snuggled against him, his voice even softer than usual.

“What’s wrong?”

“Who do you like the most?” he asked.

Ji Yanqing paused. It was the first time he had ever heard such a question from him.

“I like you the most, Dad!” Ji Le quickly added.

Ji Yanqing had thought the two had been fighting again, but when he looked, Ji An was also being affectionate. “I like you the most too, Dad. We both like you the most.”

He was a little baffled, but still answered, “Of course, I like you two the most too.”

Getting his answer, they both let out a sigh of relief. Ji Yanqing was even more confused.

Carrying them into the living room and not seeing Feng Yimo, he asked, “Where is he?”

“Over there,” Ji Le pointed to the window.

Outside the window was the vegetable field. They hadn’t had time to deal with it yet. It was already dark and snowing, so what was he doing out there? Approaching the window, he soon spotted Feng Yimo in the snow.

Feng Yimo was earnestly teaching the three Corpse Kings how to dig.

The corner of Ji Yanqing’s mouth twitched violently. With one last look, he decisively turned away from the window, choosing ignorance.

Feng Yimo returned over an hour later. The moment he came back, Ji Yanqing understood the children’s strange behavior. In the dark room, on the bed, Ji An and Ji Le were on one side, facing off against Feng Yimo on the other. As his subordinates, they had once again been banished to the same side. They were puffed up with indignation, like two little pufferfish.

Ji Yanqing looked at him.

Feng Yimo, who had forced his way into the room and onto the bed, simply closed his eyes and refused to move.

“Dad…” The two little ones were deeply wronged. They just wanted to be next to him.

Ji Yanqing, amused, switched places with one of them to be beside them. The moment he lay down, Feng Yimo’s eyes opened. Ji Yanqing chuckled, quickly kissed them both, and coaxed them to sleep.

Over the next two days, Hei Long and Mo Xian returned. When they heard that Feng Yimo had brought back two more Corpse Kings, their faces, too complex for mere complexity, twisted in horror.

About ten days after their return, Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue arrived. It was noon. The moment the massive convoy was spotted, the lookouts ran to find Ji Yanqing and the other team leaders, who were busy clearing more areas of zombies.

By the time they reached the county entrance, over a hundred vehicles were already there, mostly large trucks, the rest being buses or long-distance coaches for carrying people. Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue, who had already gotten out, looked at him. Seeing his face, they exchanged a look of resignation. It was only on their way back that they had belatedly realized they had just agreed to move here. They had considered turning back to renegotiate, but had ultimately given up. Neither of them would likely be willing to move to the other’s paradise. Someone had to compromise.

After they arrived, Ji Yanqing immediately took them to two nearby, already-cleared complexes and let them choose one each. They had moved their entire settlements, bringing a huge amount of supplies, weapons, and other things. It took them two or three days to get settled.

The day after they had settled in, new guests arrived. They were a complete surprise to everyone, a survival team of over three hundred that none of them knew. Ji Yanqing learned that they had found their way here after seeing the messages left by Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi. The day after, Zhang Yang and another team Ji Yanqing didn’t recognize also arrived. They had been in the southern region and had also seen the messages.

But this was just the beginning. For the next week, people arrived in a steady stream. A week later, when he heard from the lookouts that Equator and Cradle had arrived, nearly twenty teams had already gathered in their city. Four had over three hundred members, seven had between one and three hundred, and the most numerous were the small teams of under a hundred, of which there were ten.

Including Sunward, the total population of the county had already surpassed four thousand, almost as lively as the previous gathering.

---

Crossing half the county, Ji Yanqing reached the cafeteria in their residential complex to find it already swarming with people, both inside and out. He squeezed through the crowd of onlookers, who had heard that Equator had arrived, and entered. The moment he stepped inside, his feet stopped.

It wasn’t just Equator and Cradle. The leaders of the other three large survival teams he had seen at the gathering, the ones with over seven hundred members, were also here. The Tong Yue brothers and the gruff-voiced man from Cradle hadn’t changed, but one of the other three leaders was clearly injured, and the other two looked exhausted. They hadn’t moved their entire paradises, but had each brought a contingent of their people. Their purpose was clear: to find out what was really going on.

Ji Yanqing’s heart leaped. If he could convince all of them to join, their alliance would instantly surpass ten thousand people. A number that would have been insignificant before the apocalypse—less than the population of a single college campus—was now enough to encompass the majority of survivors in their entire region.

“You’re here.” By the time he looked up again, he had regained his composure.

At the sound of his voice, everyone in the room turned to look. Nearly forty people were present. Every single team leader in the region was here. The atmosphere instantly grew tense. Everyone understood what was about to happen. Feeling the pressure, the crowd of onlookers outside held their breath. After a moment of silence, a low murmur of discussion began to ripple through them. Even at the gathering, they had never seen so many team leaders gathered in one place.

“Everyone, please be quiet,” Ji Yanqing said.

“It’s not your place to speak,” the gruff-voiced man from Cradle snapped. He had held a grudge against him since the gathering.

Ji Yanqing looked at him. Huang Rongyue, Qin Yue, and Tong Yue’s group also turned their gaze on him.

Under their collective stare, the man sneered and addressed the room. “Since everyone is here, let’s get straight to the point. If this is an alliance, it needs a leader.”

At his words, the already restless crowd outside grew even more agitated. The discussion spread like wildfire through the cafeteria and the entire complex. They had known this moment would come, but they hadn’t expected it so soon. This alliance couldn’t be leaderless, but leaving aside the smaller teams, there were eight major, evenly matched powers in this room. Two of them, Equator and Cradle, were mortal enemies. It was going to be a free-for-all. The alliance might even die before it had a chance to be born.

“I’m sure you all know us, Cradle,” the man said directly. “We have weapons, we have strategy. I believe the leader must be us.”

“Hah,” Tong Yue sneered, cutting him down. “If Cradle becomes the leader, then Equator will be the first to leave.”

“What did you say?” the man glared.

“Are you deaf, or just stupid?” Tong Yue mocked.

“What?” The man slammed his hand on the table.

Tong Yue glared right back, unyielding. He was small, but his presence was immense. The relationship between Equator and Cradle was even worse than it had been at the gathering.

“Alright, both of you, calm down…” the old man from one of the other large teams said, trying to mediate. But the two of them were locked in a standoff, with no intention of backing down.

Ji Yanqing surveyed the room. The twenty or thirty other team leaders were either frowning in thought or watching the show with interest. They had come, but that didn’t mean they had decided to join. They weren’t even sure this alliance could succeed.

He took a deep breath and said, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, “This alliance was initiated by Sunward. Know your place.”

At his words, the feuding duo both turned to look at him. Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue were stunned. They had seen the surprise in each other’s eyes. It was true that he had initiated it, but they had thought that, given his personality, he wouldn’t vie for this position. In a way, he was a “good person” to a fault. People like that usually had no interest in power.

The gruff-voiced man’s face turned black. Tong Yue, on the other hand, was delighted.

“Then what’s there to talk about?” the man from Cradle said, heading for the door.

Ji Yanqing, who was closest, simply stepped aside. “Anyone else who isn’t willing to join unless they’re the leader can leave now. I won’t stop you.”

Hearing his unhesitating words, Tong Yue, Huang Rongyue, and Qin Yue looked surprised again. On this matter, he was being remarkably forceful.

The man from Cradle stopped at the doorway, his face dark as he glared back at him.

Ji Yanqing ignored him and continued, “I invited you here to fight a city of Corpse Kings, not to vie for power. If you want to leave just because you can’t be the leader, then I think we can just dissolve this alliance right now. If we move forward like this, we’ll just be sending ourselves to our deaths. If you leave now, you might live for another month or two.”

The room fell silent. Even the people who had come for the show were no longer smiling.

He paused. “If we decide to cooperate, all of our supplies, weapons, and members must be reorganized and centrally allocated. All intelligence must be pooled.”

Many of them immediately frowned. Supplies and weapons were their lifeline. Their members were the foundation of their teams. If all that was taken away, they would have nothing left if something went wrong.

He didn’t wait for them to react. “Or would you rather fight on your own, and when danger comes, we just see who can run the fastest?”

The grumbling group fell silent again. Everyone in this room, even the leader of a team of a few dozen, had thought about an alliance. If they could unite all the survivors, if they could become a single force, they could do so much. Survival might even become simple… But they all knew it was impossible. The differences in team size, in member capabilities, in supplies—all of that was enough to make them give up before they even started, not to mention the conflicts over spoils and how to handle dangerous situations.

“Why did you come here?” he asked.

A dead silence filled the room. Everyone was frowning, thinking. They had known this alliance wouldn’t be easy, but they had come anyway. The journey had taken them at least a week, some even half a month. The cost in supplies was not small. They hadn’t come all this way just to watch a show. Deep down, however small, they all hoped this alliance could succeed.

“Then let’s vote,” an old voice broke the silence.

Everyone, including Ji Yanqing, turned to look. It was the old man from the gathering, the leader of one of the eight large teams.

Meeting their gaze, he said, “Let’s vote. A secret ballot. It’s the fairest way.”

The team leaders exchanged glances. The calculation that had been temporarily silenced by Ji Yanqing’s words now returned. It was indeed the best method, but it also made everyone uneasy. The result was unknown, uncontrollable. To entrust the lives of everyone in their teams to an unknown outcome…

“I agree,” Ji Yanqing said, taking a deep breath. He did want the position of leader; he didn’t want to entrust the lives of his people to someone else. But as the old man had said, it was the fairest way they could think of. And the team chosen by everyone would likely not be the worst outcome.

“…I agree too,” Qin Yue said, exhaling.

“Me too,” Huang Rongyue said. They all wanted to be the leader. In fact, there wasn’t a single leader in this room who didn’t. And it was precisely because everyone wanted it that the alliance was so hard to form.

“Then let’s vote…” Tong Yue said, his face shifting between green and white. “We’re not going to convince each other. We could talk until next year and not get a result.”

Seeing that five of the eight large teams had agreed, the smaller teams all voiced their agreement as well. They knew the position would almost certainly go to one of the eight. They were resentful, but they also knew their teams were too small to compete. So, rather than wait for the eight of them to fight it out, they preferred a method where they had a vote.

Ji Yanqing looked at the silent man from Cradle and the other two large team leaders. After a moment of grim thought, the other two agreed. The man from Cradle didn’t speak, but he also didn’t mention leaving again.

Seeing that everyone had agreed, the old man had someone go get a notebook and pens. Ji Yanqing took the opportunity to speak again. “I hope you all think this through before you vote. Any team that participates in this vote is, by default, agreeing to join the alliance and hand over their supplies and weapons for central allocation.”

The group, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, all frowned again. They were discussing the leader, why bring this up now?

“If none of you are planning to join, then what’s the point of the leader you vote for?” he asked.

Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue gave a wry smile. He was right, but his attitude was too aggressive, especially right before a vote. It wasn’t a good thing. Some who were on the fence might be scared off. Others might just blacklist him out of spite.

“The paper is here…” The person sent to get the supplies returned, placing a new notebook and a handful of pens on the table. But no one moved to take one. He looked around, confused, wondering what had happened in the few moments he was gone.

Ji Yanqing was the first to step forward. He tore a page from the notebook and took a pen. After him, the room was silent for nearly a minute. No one else moved.

He walked to the side, and by the time he had written his vote with his back to them and turned around, the room had finally stirred. The second person to step forward was Huang Rongyue. Her face was pale, and she was so nervous she dropped a pen. After her, Tong Yue, Qin Yue, and the old man who had proposed the vote all went up. After them, more people slowly came forward.

The entire process took nearly eight minutes. Just as the onlookers were getting leg cramps, the leaders of Equator, Cradle, and the other large teams finally made their move. After them, the remaining small team leaders also acted.

No one left. Everyone participated.

---

Five minutes later, every team leader in the room was tightly clutching the paper bearing their choice. The smiles and casual curiosity were gone, replaced by pale faces and a deep, anxious tension. This vote would directly determine their future, their very survival. The leaders were on edge, and so was the crowd outside, for it concerned their future as well.

“Shall I read the votes?” the old man asked.

No one objected. Their nerves were stretched to the breaking point, their pounding hearts and rushing blood creating a painful knot in their stomachs. The old man looked around, picked up a bowl, and began to collect the ballots.

With pale faces, the gathered leaders hesitantly placed their votes in the bowl. Several of them, the moment the paper left their fingers, had the urge to snatch it back, only barely restraining themselves. The collection took a full two minutes, which felt like an eternity. By the time the old man returned to his spot, everyone’s palms were slick with sweat.

“Then I’ll begin,” he said, glancing at the person who would help with the count, then at the pale faces staring at him. No one spoke. Many of them swallowed hard.

The old man pulled the first paper from the bowl. “Cradle.”

The gruff-voiced man, his own face pale, allowed a cold, self-assured smirk to cross his lips.

“Equator.”

The Tong Yue brothers’ faces were blank, unsurprised.

“Sunward.”

Ji Yanqing’s breath hitched.

“Sunward.”

“Sunward.”

“Sunward.”

…

Three minutes later, the count was finished. The man from Cradle’s face was black. The Tong Yue brothers didn’t look much better. In fact, none of the major team leaders looked pleased. Almost all of them had voted for themselves. But even so, of the remaining twenty-odd votes, Ji Yanqing had still secured nearly half.

With a total of nine votes, nearly half of the small teams present had voted for him. He had won by a landslide.

Faced with this result, the room was a sea of different expressions. All of the major leaders, except for Ji Yanqing, looked grim. Among the smaller team leaders, some broke into smiles, while others let out a long sigh of relief. The smiling ones were those who had voted for him. As for the others, while this wasn’t their ideal outcome, having him as the leader was far from the worst-case scenario.

To everyone’s surprise, the man from Cradle didn’t cause a scene. Many looked from Ji Yanqing to him, only to find him glaring at the small team leaders who were either smiling or sighing in relief. Everyone’s gaze followed his. Seeing their expressions, a bitter feeling settled in their hearts. Even if they were to vote again, the outcome would likely be the same.

Huang Rongyue covered her mouth, unsure how to articulate the complex emotions she felt. In truth, she had more or less expected this. Cradle and the other large teams might have come because of Equator, but ultimately, they were here because Ji Yanqing had convinced the Tong Yue brothers. As for the smaller teams, if any other team had sent out the call, it was unlikely even a third of them would have shown up. The reason wasn’t hard to guess. Everyone knew the story of Sunward losing their captain. The fact that Xia Shen Shu’s group had gone to such lengths for one person proved, at the very least, that Ji Yanqing was not a wicked man.

Compared to a powerful team, most people would rather follow a team with sentiment and righteousness, especially since Sunward was by no means weak.

“Then it’s settled?” the old man asked, letting out a long sigh.

No one in the room spoke. Seeing the major leaders remain silent, the smaller teams also held their peace.

“…I agree.” The one who broke the silence was Tong Yue. Everyone turned to look at him. His face was dark, his eyes red as he stared at Ji Yanqing, but even so, he had to admit that if he had to choose someone other than himself, it would absolutely be him.

“Me too,” Huang Rongyue said. He was her second choice as well.

“Agreed,” Qin Yue said.

“I agree as well.”

“Agreed…”

“Agreed.”

…

Amid the chorus of agreement, Ji Yanqing, whose palms were slick with sweat, took a deep, shuddering breath, filling his lungs with air. His heart, which had been so tense it had practically stopped, now began to pound furiously, the sound deafening.

“We must master a weapon capable of dealing with Corpse Kings as soon as possible. Everything else is secondary. Therefore, I propose we first pool all our information on mutated plants and establish a research and development department. If anyone has relevant information, I hope you will share it voluntarily,” he said.

The man from Cradle sneered. Even with the alliance formed, he didn’t believe everything would go smoothly. Getting so many people to open up and share their secrets? It would be faster to just lock them up and interrogate them.

Ji Yanqing ignored him and looked directly at Lu Qing, who was watching from the doorway. He strode to the center of the room, stood before the crowd staring at him, and offered an elegant, gentle smile.

The next moment, he held up a glass bottle wrapped in tinfoil and popped the cap.

Pop.

Hearing the sound, seeing him wave the bottle around, everyone in the room froze, on high alert.

The bottle was empty.

Seeing this, they were all baffled. Then, people began to react. The first were Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue. Their faces turned green, and without a word, they bolted for the door. They were fast, but they had only just reached the entrance when, before they could even push through the onlookers, their legs gave out and they collapsed.

“What’s—” The person who asked didn’t finish the question before they too went down.

Thump.

Thump.

Thud…

The several dozen people in the cafeteria, along with the few hundred onlookers in the complex, all collapsed without exception. They were strewn across the ground like discarded dolls, their faces frozen in a moment of panic. The scene was both extremely bizarre and incredibly comical.

Ji Yanqing, who had dashed out of the cafeteria before Lu Qing made his move, stood at a distance, covering his mouth and nose with a cloth before peeking back inside. In the center of the room, Lu Qing was lying on the ground, motionless, an ecstatic expression on his face. He didn’t mind being taken down along with everyone else. The chance to conduct this experiment made him incredibly happy. His smile was … unnerving, to say the least.

Ji Yanqing looked away from him to the crowd of people, all frantically rolling their eyes. This agent was the result of Lu Qing’s recent work. He was gradually learning to refine it, though the current version was still quite weak.

Covering his mouth, Ji Yanqing shouted from a distance, “This is something we at Sunward discovered. It can quickly make a person lose control of their body. It’s effective against both ordinary and thrice-evolved Corpse Kings.” Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue had already seen it, but most of the others hadn’t. He felt it was necessary for everyone to understand that they did, in fact, have a weapon that could deal with Corpse Kings.

The room was silent. The contorted figures on the ground stared at him from various angles. Some were angry, some were baffled, but most were just shocked. No one answered. He felt a little awkward. Was that a bit much?

He thought for a moment, then grabbed a few onlookers who had come to see what was happening, told them to guard the gate and let no one in, and then left.

He went outside the county. In the vegetable field, which had been thoroughly torn up, Feng Yimo was using his longsword to teach the black beast and the great rat how to dig. Ji An and Ji Le were sitting in the grass nearby. Ji Le was holding the scaly, badger-like Corpse King, and Ji An was stroking its scales. They seemed to like it very much, although the creature was frozen stiff with terror.

Seeing this harmonious scene, Ji Yanqing rubbed the bridge of his nose. He watched for a while, then went to find Xia Shen Shu and Lan Zi. They had returned with Tong Yue’s group and were resting. He asked them about the messages. Even if they had stopped in every city to write them, the effect should have been limited, yet they had attracted so many teams. Lan Zi was also puzzled, but Xia Shen Shu just grinned.

After leaving the paradise, he had found a city, raided a copy shop, and taken a copier and several hundred pounds of white paper. After finding a generator, he had spent the entire journey printing and tossing flyers from the vehicle, distributing nearly a million of them.

An hour later, Ji Yanqing returned to the complex. The group that had been taken down could now make simple movements and speak, though their tongues were still thick. He went back into the cafeteria. The moment he entered, the group of leaders, who were struggling to sit up, all glared at him. Many of them had murderous intent radiating from their eyes.

---

Ji Yanqing gave a slightly sheepish smile. “I just wanted you all to see it for yourselves.”

Huang Rongyue and Qin Yue, who had already seen it, shot him a dark look. They wanted to rip that smile right off his face.

“You should all move your bases here as soon as possible,” he reminded them.

They continued to glare at him.

“Ahem.” He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “In any case, you’ve all seen the effect. Like I said, this stuff works even on thrice-evolved Corpse Kings. So, what we need to do next is simple.” He looked at Tong Yue and the other major team leaders. “Huang Rongyue, you’ll be in charge of collecting supplies. Qin Yue, you’ll collect weapons. Equator, you’ll conduct a census and get a headcount. The other three teams will organize medical supplies, clear the remaining zombies from the county, and compile a list of personnel with R&D skills.”

After assigning their tasks, he turned to the gruff-voiced man from Cradle. “Your mission is to find two Corpse Kings in the nearby cities as soon as possible. Pinpoint their general location and status. The moment we can conduct an experiment, we’ll begin.” They had no time to wait, and morale was unstable. Only by producing results quickly could they get everyone to truly commit.

“And what about you?” the man asked, barely restraining the urge to punch him. He was still sitting on the floor, unable to get up.

“I want to have a face-to-face talk with every team leader,” Ji Yanqing said. “Besides pooling all our information, I need to understand each team as quickly as possible. We must reorganize the squads immediately. Once the census is complete, we’ll first remove those who can’t fight from the combat roster. Then, we’ll divide the remaining armed members into eight divisions. I will be the commander, and you will be the second-tier captains.”

Tong Yue and the others exchanged a look, slightly relieved. He wasn’t a fool. If he had tried to completely sideline them, they would never have agreed.

He looked at them. “Are you ready? Shall we talk now?”

Faced with his question, the group couldn’t help but feel a sense of resignation. An hour ago, they had been fighting over who would be the leader. Now, he was already putting his plans into action.

“Where do you want to talk?” Tong Yue asked, struggling to his feet while using the table for support.

“This way.” Ji Yanqing led him to the tea shop next door. Once inside, Tong Yue, his body still not fully under his control, glared at him. The last time they had met, Ji Yanqing had been the picture of despair. Now, not long after, he had orchestrated this grand spectacle. His initial good impression of him as an intelligent man had changed. He wasn’t just intelligent; he was insane!

“We have indeed mastered something that is effective against Corpse Kings. And we have people on our team who can manufacture firearms…” Tong Yue got straight to the point.

At his words, a flash of ecstatic joy crossed Ji Yanqing’s eyes. He had guessed that each of the major teams had their own trump cards, but he had never expected such a wonderful surprise from Tong Yue.

Their conversation lasted for nearly half an hour. By the end, besides learning about those two assets, he had also gained a certain understanding of Equator’s team. After him, he spoke with Huang Rongyue, Qin Yue, and the others…

The entire process took a considerable amount of time. By the time he had spoken with everyone, eight or nine hours had passed. It was already completely dark, and everyone in the county, save for the night watch, had gone to bed.

After seeing the last person out, Ji Yanqing sat alone in the tea shop, writing, compiling and organizing the information on each team.

The situation was much better than he had expected. Equator had people who could make guns. The old man was a retired professor of microbiology. Of the other two teams, one had control of an oil field, and the other was researching toxic mutated plants. What surprised him most was Cradle. They had mastered the cultivation of five or six types of edible mutated plants. The gruff-voiced leader had been one of the first to start preparing a paradise. He was ill-tempered and unpleasant, but he wasn’t an idiot. He had started collecting information on mutated plants long ago.

With those plants, as long as they could cultivate them on a large scale, as long as they could make them grow, they could at least ensure that they wouldn’t starve.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but think of Feng Yimo. For a moment, he seriously considered the possibility of having those Corpse Kings help till the land. No one knew if the mutated crops in the fields were poisonous, or how deep their roots went. Clearing the land would be a massive project.

Ji Yanqing took a map from a nearby cabinet and roughly divided the large open area around the county, marking the priority areas for land clearing. Then, he packed up his things and left.

It was late, and the county was silent except for the howling of the wind and snow. The snow on the ground was nearly ten centimeters deep, and his feet sank with every step. He walked halfway around the complex against the cold wind and returned to his building. He stamped the snow off his boots at the entrance before heading upstairs.

Opening the door as quietly as possible, he tiptoed inside. He passed through the entryway, crossed the living room—ignoring the three beasts curled up in a corner—and peeked into the open bedroom door.

Inside, on the bed, Ji An and Ji Le were asleep. They were huddled together under a small quilt, their hands clasped. Their brows were slightly furrowed, as if they were sad that he still wasn’t back.

Beside them, as Ji Yanqing looked over, he met a pair of dark eyes, as deep as an ancient well.

Feng Yimo was still awake, waiting for him.

Under that steady gaze, the accumulated fatigue of the day washed away. He went to the side, changed into a set of pajamas, and quickly got into bed. He didn’t climb into the middle, but lay down on the side closest to Feng Yimo. The moment he lay down, a quilt was draped over him. Feng Yimo remembered that he was human and felt the cold.

Ji Yanqing settled in, feeling the warmth of the quilt. He let out a breath, and his body, which had been shivering and tense from the cold, relaxed. As he moved, he saw Feng Yimo’s longsword placed by the bedside table.

“Feng Yimo.”

“Hmm?”

He turned on his side, moving closer to whisper, “Do you know Death?”

“No,” he answered without a thought.

Ji Yanqing was speechless.

Feng Yimo adjusted the quilt for him.

Wrapped up with only his head exposed, he asked again, “Have you been to the north?”

“No.”

Ji Yanqing studied him. They were lying very close, facing each other. He couldn’t see his features clearly in the darkness, but he could make out their shape. He could feel his breath.

“...Really?” he asked, skeptical.

“Really.” Feng Yimo was confused. Why would he lie to him?

Ji Yanqing stared into his eyes. There was no trace of deception. He let out a small breath, but halfway through, he suddenly realized. “Feng Yimo, do you know which way is north?”

Feng Yimo was even more confused, but he quickly pointed in the direction he thought was north.

Ji Yanqing, who was sensitive to the cold, stuck a finger out of the quilt and pressed it to his forehead.

“What is it?”

“Then… have you ever specifically hunted Corpse Kings?” he asked again.

“I’ve killed Corpse Kings, but I’ve never specifically hunted them.” Feng Yimo tucked the quilt in where his finger had created a draft, then added, “There are a lot of them outside. They just pop up from time to time.” He usually just cut down whatever was in his way.

Ji Yanqing was silent. It was true, it didn’t fit his personality to slaughter all the Corpse Kings in the north and west just for territory. He didn’t care about such things. And if he really was Death, the one most likely to become the king of all Corpse Kings, then those Corpse Kings were all doomed. Never mind establishing a new world order; they would probably spend 360 days a year searching the world for their perpetually lost king. Thinking about it, he even felt a little sorry for them.

As he was lost in thought, a light touch brushed against his eyelashes. He looked up.

Feng Yimo was watching him, all wrapped up with just his head sticking out. He thought he looked cute. Especially his fluttering eyelashes, like two small brushes, the tips of which were constantly brushing against his heart, making it itch.

Ji Yanqing blinked, his gaze falling to Feng Yimo’s lips. Only now did he realize how close they were, their faces almost touching. He could feel the slight tremble of his eyelashes, hear his breathing, which was slightly heavier than usual, and even feel the warmth of his face.

He remembered the feeling of Feng Yimo’s fingertips on his lips. His own lips instantly grew hot, and a tingling sensation shot up his spine.

He looked into his eyes. Feng Yimo’s eyes, usually so deep and dark they seemed cold and frightening, held no coldness when they looked at him. He was playing with a stray lock of his hair by his ear, his movements gentle, his gaze serious, as if he were handling a fragile treasure.

Ji Yanqing moved slightly closer.

Sensing the movement, Feng Yimo looked at him.

Ji Yanqing’s lips gently touched his. The moment their skin met, the cool, soft sensation felt like a feather brushing against the inside of his ear. A tingling that made his very soul tremble shot through him.

Holding his breath, Ji Yanqing trembled, gently taking Feng Yimo’s lower lip between his own.

He was just trying to figure out what to do next when, from under the quilt, Feng Yimo rolled over and pinned him down. His muscles were tense, like an enraged, frenzied beast poised to strike. His eyes, which should have been dark and cold, now shone with an animalistic light, as if he wanted to devour him whole.

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