Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Shen Xiuzhe and Wushuang Xue discussed their collaboration in the nearby open space, while Xu Fang, along with Ouyang Dong, captured Zhao Tian and others.

Lin An was also taken away by Shen Xiuzhe. So far, he remained dazed and confused, his presence seemingly inconsequential.

As if not noticing the fully armed person beside her, with even their eyes completely covered, Wushuang Xue directly addressed Shen Xiuzhe: "I know you're planning to leave Chuxi City soon. Could you take two more people with you?"

"Who?"

"Me and my granddaughter."

Shen Xiuzhe's eyebrows slightly raised: "Where do you intend to go?"

Wushuang Xue shrugged: "I don't know. Your destination seems to be Baize City. We might leave midway. Given the current state of Chuxi City, we'll probably look for a city with fewer zombies or one that still has hope."

Shen Xiuzhe calmly grabbed a small zombie trying to sneak away: "Since it's a collaboration, what's your stake in this?"

Wushuang Xue laughed heartily, her smile lines clear: "Both my granddaughter and I are people with special abilities. I've spent more time in the wilderness than you've been alive. Nowadays, the wilderness is different; many beasts and plants might have mutated, increasing the danger. I may be old, but I can still wield a knife and bring a wealth of experience."

Indeed, this was true. It was said that this explorer, Wushuang Xue, had traversed nearly half of the wilderness. Her experience couldn't just be described as vast; she was like a walking encyclopedia.

Shen Xiuzhe couldn't predict what would happen after they left Chuxi City. With her joining, their safety would greatly increase.

"Why choose us? If you wish to go to other cities, surely many would follow you."

Wushuang Xue shook her head, her eyes finally revealing a weariness seasoned by time: "If I were ten years younger, I'd have taken my granddaughter and left on my own. I'm seventy-six this year, and every function of my body is declining. I could die any day, but my granddaughter isn't of age yet. What would she do if I were gone? You might have forgotten, but a few months ago, you saved her life. Since then, I've been observing you, and I believe you can be trusted."

Shen Xiuzhe couldn't recall ever saving the other party's granddaughter.

But Wushuang Xue's sincerity was more than enough.

"I can take you with us, but I hope for mutual trust. After all, entrusting one's back to someone untrustworthy is a grave taboo for explorers."

Grasping the implicit meaning in his words, Wushuang Xue looked meaningfully at the zombie hidden behind Shen Xiuzhe: "That's precisely my thinking too."

After exchanging some information, when Shen Xiuzhe returned, Xu Fang had already beaten Zhao Tian to a pulp.

"Boss, this guy was manipulated. I knew he couldn't have had the guts to provoke us on his own. They even thought about kidnapping Lin An. They're really asking for trouble," Xu Fang fumed.

Shen Xiuzhe glanced at the small zombie hiding behind him and casually asked, "Instigated by Jiang Laixu?"

"Yes, him! Wait, how did you know, boss?"

"That fusion-type zombie must also be Jiang Laixu's handiwork."

Xu Fang was stunned, glancing at Lin An, whose clothes peeked out slightly: "Wasn't it attracted by him...?"

"I just heard from Wushuang Xue. That zombie was washed out of the apartment by water, and it was cut into very fine pieces. Usually, fusion-type zombies rely on their large size to hunt, squeezing themselves through narrow passages before reassembling. We haven't been at this base for even an hour. How could the zombie have passed through the base's defenses and everyone's sight unless it was already here before we arrived? It's likely man-made."

"Damn, what deep grudge do we have with him for him to target us like this?" Xu Fang couldn't understand.

Shen Xiuzhe didn't speak. He had long noticed something off about Jiang Laixu and had been investigating him, which was why Jiang was looking for a chance to eliminate him.

Jiang Laixu had always hidden behind others, leaving few traces. Now Shen Xiuzhe had figured it all out.

"Boss, that, about the collaboration Wushuang Xue mentioned earlier, what is it about?" Xu Fang couldn't help but ask.

"She wants to take her granddaughter and leave Chuxi City with us."

"Joining us?" Xu Fang was shocked but then thrilled. Having such a powerful figure with them would ensure Lin An’s safety even more.

"Yes, I'll deal with Jiang Laixu's matter first. You and Ouyang Dong take these people to the base's market for handling."

Shen Xiuzhe's instructions were brief, but Xu Fang understood immediately. After all, this wasn't his first rodeo.

"And what of Lin An?" Xu Fang asked tentatively, still troubled by the recent events. He had promised to protect Lin An, who nearly became a feast for the zombies. If not for Granny Wu and Ouyang Dong's intervention, he would never have been able to atone for the mishap, even if he died a hundred times.

"Taking him to the base market would draw too much attention. I will take him away first."

With Lin An in tow, Shen Xiuzhe departed, and Xiao Fu, the little dog, followed suit, staying close to its master.

Clutching at Shen Xiuzhe's clothes, Lin An stumbled along, visibly uncomfortable under the curious gazes of the few they encountered, far less than when they first arrived.

Lin An's social anxiety was severe; rendered speechless and stammering in front of others, his mind went blank in crowds, trembling and breaking into a sweat.

Now as a zombie, his mind was constantly blank, but his deep-seated social anxiety made him jittery under anyone's gaze.

Shen Xiuzhe deliberately chose cleaner paths and would glare coldly at anyone who stared at him or Lin An.

With formidable strength and a naturally intimidating demeanor, his contemptuous gaze would make anyone he looked at quickly avert their eyes or lower their head, not daring to meet his stare.

Once those people stopped looking their way, the little zombie stopped trembling.

After the recent kidnapping incident, Xiao Fu clung to its master, fearing getting lost.

Both the zombie and his dog appeared timid.

Shen Xiuzhe made his way to Jiang Laixu's residence. As the base's sole spatial abilities user, his allocated living quarters were among the best, not far from Shen Xiuzhe's own place.

Jiang Laixu resided on the ground floor of Teacher's Apartment No. 4, his balcony a lush garden with vibrant winter jasmine and elegant, serene daffodils—a stark contrast to the despair and numbness just a hundred meters away.

Shen Xiuzhe smirked ironically, a slight twitch of his finger setting the balcony's myriad plants ablaze.

Black smoke billowed as the tranquil scene was torn asunder by flames.

Jiang Laixu, standing in the living room, locked eyes with Shen Xiuzhe outside on the balcony, his demeanor still calm and serene amidst the swirling smoke.

Only when the flames had died, leaving black ash everywhere, did he take a few steps forward.

"Why burn my flowers? They never offended you."

"They were just an eyesore."

In comparison, Shen Xiuzhe seemed like a villain oppressing the hero, a slight curl of his lip and a sudden flash of malice in his eyes: "Surprised? Even the zombies couldn't kill me."

Jiang Laixu picked up a partially burnt flower, "I don’t understand what you’re saying. Though your ability is strong, you shouldn't bully people like this."

Shen Xiuzhe snorted coldly and got straight to the point, "The location of Chuxi City's food reserves is hidden, and almost everyone who knew about it turned into zombies. When I found the food storage in the first month of the apocalypse, it was already empty. During that time, you went out several times with your companions to scavenge for supplies, and on two occasions, only you and Long Yi returned."

Dawn City's agriculture was flourishing, and they even sold surplus grain to the nearest Mechanical City every year. The lord of Dawn City was a far-sighted and capable leader. He always replaced the reserve grain with fresh stock every year, and the amount stored was massive. Should any disaster strike Dawn City, this grain would suffice for a while.

"As the apocalypse dawned, most of the city's leaders and elite turned into zombies. The survivors were mired in agony and panic, lacking organization and leadership. Everyone was so terrified of the zombies that they refused to leave the base, leading to last year's crops rotting in the fields, unharvested."

By the time Shen Xiuzhe realized there might be a food crisis and went to check the reserves, he found the granaries empty.

At first, he had no suspicions about the other party, but just a month into the apocalypse, both the distant northern and southern granaries were empty. Jiang Lai Xu, who had frequently left in search of supplies during this month, returned twice with only Long Yi accompanying him.

Long Yi was a powerful psychic, and he had a great fondness for Jiang Laixu, almost always following his commands.

Shen Xiuzhe had inquired around and found out that on both occasions they had visited, it happened to be in the direction of the granaries. Moreover, only a space-based psychic could effortlessly empty the granaries without leaving a trace.

This raised Shen Xiuzhe's suspicions. Jiang Laixu was a rare space-based psychic, always protected by a group of people. Yet, only on the two trips towards the north and south granaries did everyone else end up dead.

During his investigation, Long Yi also died, reportedly to protect Jiang Laixu

At this point, Shen Xiuzhe was almost certain of his suspicions, but with all the witnesses dead, he couldn't order Jiang Laixu to reveal everything in his spatial domain. Jiang's popularity and reputation in the base were higher than Shen's, leading to a stalemate in the situation.

It was only just now, when he and Wu Shuangxue exchanged information, that things started to move. He told her about the meteorite, and she shared information about the space-based psychics. That's when he came looking for people.

Jiang Laixu's eyes lowered as he sighed, "Isn't death commonplace in this post-apocalyptic world? Everyone who leaves the base for supplies is prepared for the worst, just like me. Those two incidents you mentioned were mere coincidences, and I am deeply saddened by them."

"Oh? Really? I heard a rumor that if a space-based psychic is killed, the items in their space don't disappear. Instead, they materialize at the spot of death, like loot drops in a game."

Jiang Laixu looked up at Shen Xiuzhe and smiled, "I wouldn't know about that. After all, I'm the only space-based psychic in the base, and I've never died."

"How about we test that theory?" Shen Xiuzhe's eyes glinted murderously. Sensing the little zombie clutching his clothes tightly, seeming uneasy, Shen Xiuzhe softened his tone, turning to speak gently, "Lin An, I'll take you somewhere nearby for a while. We'll go home after dealing with him."

Just as he was about to take the small zombie to a distant place, Jiang Laixu suddenly spoke, "What did you call him? Lin An?"

Jiang Laixu, who had always maintained a calm composure, showed a trace of surprise at the mention of Lin An's name.

Shen Xiuzhe raised an eyebrow: "Oh? You know Lin An?"

"Just surprised to hear a familiar name. I had a friend named Lin An when I was young," Jiang Laixu replied with a faint smile, as if his previous surprise was just an illusion.

On the way here, the little zombified creature was clinging to his clothes with one hand, but now, despite the almost empty surroundings, Lin An gripped his clothes tightly with both hands, burying his face in his back.

Normally, it was only when he was slaying zombies that the cleanliness-obsessed little zombie would maintain this pose to avoid getting splattered with the foul blood.

So now, is Lin An hiding from Jiang Laixu?

Do they really know each other?

Shen Xiuzhe noticed that upon hearing the name Lin An, Jiang Laixu tried to appear calm and collected, but his breathing quickened, a clear sign that he cared deeply.

Both from the same city, it was possible they knew each other, but their reactions suggested a reunion of acquaintances rather than old friends.

Suddenly stepping aside, Shen Xiuzhe exposed the little zombie behind him, whose grip slipped from the edge of the clothes. Lin An looked at Shen Xiuzhe bewilderedly for a moment before quickly shifting to the side, continuing to hide himself.

Even though Lin An was fully geared and his eyes were obscured by bangs, Jiang Laixu recognized him at a glance.

"Lin An, you've turned into a zombie?" Jiang Laixu tried to hide his glee, but the schadenfreude in his tone was unmistakable.

"You don't seem like friends."

Jiang Laixu turned to Shen Xiuzhe and, suddenly changing demeanor from affable and serene, stared at him and demanded, "What are you doing with a zombie? Fancy his face? It's true, that face does have the power to entice."

The malice in his voice was straightforward and targeted squarely at Lin An.

Shen Xiuzhe's face darkened; he might tease Lin An occasionally, but it was always in jest. After days of companionship, he had taken Lin An under his wing, and he couldn't bear to see him bullied by others—not even verbally, for he was fiercely protective.

"What, jealous because you're not as good-looking?"

Dropping all pretense, Jiang Laixu was now venomous, the spite and resentment in his eyes almost spilling over.

"Am I wrong? If he's turned into a zombie, why haven't you killed him? Don't tell me you've already... I wasn't aware zombies were also... capable," Jiang Laixu's insinuations grew increasingly vile.

Tired of his foul words, Shen Xiuzhe activated his power, setting Jiang Laixu's clothes ablaze.

Interrupted by the surrounding flames, Jiang Laixu quickly shed his jacket and rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire, a pitiful sight.

"You're quite the talker, spewing nothing but trash. It's about time to take out the garbage, or else you might turn into waste yourself. Oh, but perhaps you were always just trash."

Watching Jiang Laixu's pathetic attempts to douse the flames, Shen Xiuzhe had come with the intention of killing him, observing him like a clown putting out the fire only to set his hair ablaze again.

Initially, he wanted to give Jiang Laixu a quick end by burning him to ashes, but after hearing so much garbage spewed, he thought it better to let the fire burn slowly.

Hair is highly flammable, and in an instant, the flames reached his scalp, but in the next second, the flames vanished as if snuffed out by an unseen force.

Jiang Laixu now bore no resemblance to his former handsome composure; he appeared crazed, his chest heaving wildly as he let out a laugh.

“Did you think I had no contingency plan? None of you will leave this place today,” he declared.

No sooner had he spoken than a dozen zombies materialized out of thin air in the open space surrounding the apartment complex.

They were all of a special type.

These spontaneously generated zombies floundered directionless at first, some seemingly dazed, but it wasn't long before they scented their prey.

Lin An, who particularly attracted these special zombies, became an unmistakable beacon, drawing their collective gaze.

Had this man filled his personal space with so many special-type zombies?

Perhaps even Jiang Laixu had not anticipated such an effective result; among the present company of just him and Shen Xiuzhe, the zombies seemed like reinforcements for him, charging towards Shen Xiuzhe's position.

A fierce blaze enveloped the nearby zombies, their howls echoing to the heavens.

Yet a few with keen reflexes leaped up at the moment the flames arose, their impressive jumping ability carrying them over the fire toward Lin An.

The other burning zombies, some activating their powers and others rolling on the ground, all attempted to break through the flames.

Reflected in Jiang Laixu's eyes, the light of the fire showed the zombies converging towards the two men in the center. Even with Shen Xiuzhe's formidable abilities, survival seemed impossible against the onslaught of so many special-type zombies.

Excitement and agitation shone in his eyes as he envisioned Shen Xiuzhe being devoured by the horde. As for Lin An, who could beguile everyone with just his looks, he too would receive his due from Jiang Laixu—a weakling disguised by beauty.

Why not treat him like in their childhood days, tossing him into a pile of refuse, locking him in a bathroom to kneel, his head crowned with a trash bin?

No, it wouldn’t do; Lin An was a zombie now, and such treatment would evoke no sensation, perhaps not even a cry when hit or cursed.

Gazing at Lin An still hiding behind Shen Xiuzhe, Jiang Laixu suddenly thought of those in the base who turned to flesh trade for survival. Sending Lin An there seemed an excellent idea; even as a zombie, his looks would likely remain appealing.

The only issue was that some might hesitate; it might even be necessary to offer them goods to take him.

Covered in soot, with his hair burnt away, Jiang Laixu reveled in thoughts of how to deal with Lin An, shaking with excitement, his hand clenching his other arm tightly.

As zombies broke through the flames, Shen Xiuzhe drew his knife, ready for what was to come.

The knife he wielded was not a casual manifestation of his power, but a blade custom-forged for the express purpose of slaying beasts during his days as an adventurer.

Narrow yet exceedingly sharp, the blade exuded an aura of chilling menace and lethal intent that could be felt from just a glance.

As the first mutated zombie lunged at him, he used a single stroke to cleave it vertically in twain.

The blade’s passage through the zombie’s body was as effortless as slicing through tofu.

Shen Xiuzhe observed the dark crimson blood on the blade and frowned; he rarely used this knife because it was all too easy to sully.

This was a knife forged from materials he had painstakingly gathered, crafted by the finest artisan in Baize City, and he cherished it greatly, constantly polishing it to perfection. Against the stench of zombies, he would typically fashion a metal blade on the fly for immediate use.

Anticipating his opponent might have contingencies, Shen Xiuzhe had brought the knife with him for this encounter with Jiang Laixu.

There was no time now for concern over the blade's cleanliness; Shen Xiuzhe multitasked, slicing down zombies that drew near while intensifying the flames to reduce the rest to ash.

For most, the special-type zombies were a nightmarish threat, but to Shen Xiuzhe, they were just a bit more troublesome, easily dispatched nonetheless.

Jiang Laixu could no longer smile; he watched expressionlessly as Shen Xiuzhe dispatched zombies with ease amidst the flames, then glanced at Lin An, securely protected, his nails digging into his arm.

Why did everyone focus on Lin An? Despite his cowardice and incompetence, was it just because of his good looks that even as a zombie, someone would shield him?

As the special-type zombies he had collected were slain one by one, Jiang Laixu turned to leave. He had thought to avoid the others, relying solely on the zombies to kill Shen Xiuzhe, but the latter proved more formidable than anticipated. Now, he had to quickly seek out those psychics he had curried favor with, promising them goods in exchange for their willingness to do anything.

Moreover, he had a good reputation in the base. Fleeing now in his current state and claiming Shen Xiuzhe wanted him dead would likely cause many to side with him.

Just two steps into his escape, various metals in the room detached and fused into a chain that bound one of Jiang Laixu's hands, the other end embedded in the wall.

“Did I say you could leave?” Shen Xiuzhe called out coldly, amidst his battle with the zombies.

Jiang Laixu, with his back to Shen Xiuzhe, made no reply but tried to remove the chain, which proved unyielding at both his wrist and the wall, impossible to dislodge, so he attempted to place the chain into his space.

His power was actually stronger than he had shown; his spatial ability had no upper limit, and he could now place objects into his space without physical contact.

Activating his ability, the chain disappeared in an instant.

Jiang Laixu let out a scornful laugh. How could such a trick hope to hold him?

“Where do you think you’re going?” The next second, a voice like a death knell sounded from behind.

Startled, Jiang Laixu turned around to find that Shen Xiuzhe had somehow appeared behind him.

Lin An was hoisted onto his shoulder, the uncomfortable little zombie struggled incessantly, but his strength was too meager to affect Shen Xiuzhe.

Looking outside, zombie limbs were strewn everywhere, the ground splattered with blackish-red blood while flames continued to blaze, consuming the quick and alert zombies completely by Shen Xiuzhe, leaving only the slower ones howling in agony amid the fire.

In less than ten minutes, Shen Xiuzhe had dealt with over a dozen special-type zombies.

Despite the considerable manpower exhausted in capturing these zombies, it seemed a trivial effort for him.

Compared to the psychics at the base, Shen Xiuzhe was overwhelmingly powerful, as if from another dimension.

"Why?" Jiang Laixu murmured.

Shen Xiuzhe set Lin An down, and the little zombie hurriedly hid behind him, quiet now though he had been struggling when being carried just moments before.

While pondering why the little zombie was averse to being carried, Shen Xiuzhe heard Jiang Laixu's question.

"What did you say?"

"Why, why protect him?" Jiang Laixu did not run nor plead, but stared persistently at Shen Xiuzhe.

How should he explain? Because this glutton had consumed a meteorite, thus needed protection?

Or because he was his lifesaver?

In the end, he only retorted, "None of your business."

Jiang Laixu stood there despondently, then suddenly raised his head and dashed towards Shen Xiuzhe and Lin An.

Only two meters separated them, Jiang Laixu reached out, seemingly wanting to touch them.

The sole flaw of the space-based psychic ability was that living beings could not survive within it.

Jiang Laixu had experimented; living people could be put inside but would die upon entry, and these living entities had to be touched by the palm to be activated.

If he could just touch Shen Xiuzhe, trap him in the space, he would win.

Shen Xiuzhe did not overlook the disturbance in the air, almost at the moment the other stretched out his hand, he guessed Jiang Laixu's intent.

A cold light flashed, and just as those hands were about to touch Shen Xiuzhe, the pale hands were instantly severed and fell to the ground.

Blood gushed from his wrist, and Jiang Laixu's agonized screams filled the room.

Writhing in agony, he knelt on the ground, gasping for air, only to realize that Shen Xiuzhe had pulled Lin An behind him to avoid the blood he spat out.

Disgusted, Jiang Laixu, teetering on the brink of collapse, clung to a shred of sanity: "Why... why don't you just kill me?"

"I was going to kill you, but since you know Lin An, I want to know about him."

Shen Xiuzhe had figured out the personality of this young zombie, yet knew nothing of his past. Eager to learn about the Lin An he once knew, he was curious about what kind of person Lin An had been and his experiences.

It was mere curiosity.

But to Jiang Laixu, Lin An seemed like an enemy. He had initially acted fine, but completely lost his composure upon seeing Lin An, suggesting he had nothing good to say about him.

"Hmph, fine, I'll tell you everything," Jiang Laixu endured the severe pain, trembling and sweating profusely. Knowing he couldn't escape, he managed a smile amidst his agony.

"Lin An and I grew up in the same orphanage. He was a loner, and no one wanted to be friends with him, except for me out of pity. But actually, Lin An was just a hypocrite. With his good looks, he was always the first choice whenever someone came to adopt, a great blessing for orphans like us. Yet, he was picky and refused all adopters. Do you know what those people said after being rejected? 'If the best one doesn't want us, then there's no point in considering the rest.' Ha! We were just backdrops, just rejects, all because we weren't as handsome as him?"

Shen Xiuzhe: "Doesn't Lin An have parents?"

He had seen in Lin An's house, the people in the photo frames were definitely Lin An's biological parents; he and his mother were almost carbon copies of each other.

"Yes, Lin An's inheritance from his biological parents was left to him, and he could claim it once he turned eighteen in the orphanage. Naturally, he had the luxury to be picky. What about us? Born without parents, even our only chance of adoption was ruined by him. How could I not hate him!"

Jiang Laixu's eyes reddened as he spoke these words, his eyes deep with resentment.

Shen Xiuzhe remained expressionless, not understanding Jiang Laixu's thought process: "That's it? You've held a grudge against him all this time because of what some irrelevant people said about you being rejects?"

If it were the younger Shen Xiuzhe, being called a reject might have resulted in a fistfight.

"Irrelevant? Those people could have been our future parents."

Shen Xiuzhe: "...Although I'm not involved, parents who call other children rejects are probably not great people. Not being adopted might have been a blessing in disguise."

But Jiang Laixu's twisted logic made him blame everything on Lin An.

Suddenly thinking of something, Shen Xiuzhe frowned and asked, "You must know about Lin An's fear of people and his obsession with cleanliness, right?"

Jiang Laixu chuckled

"Did you do this?" Shen Xiuzhe had always known that social anxiety and germophobia might be partly innate, but also largely shaped by experiences, and here lay the root cause.

"You truly are trash."

Shen Xiuzhe could probably guess Lin An's thoughts; because he remembered his biological parents, he refused to acknowledge others as his parents in the orphanage, which led to Jiang Laixu's revenge, perhaps along with others. After all, Jiang Laixu was capable of rallying a group of powerful psychics at the base to do his bidding, and it would take him no more than a few words to turn the orphanage children against Lin An.

So that’s why Lin An was so adept at bandaging wounds—was it because he was often injured as a child? And when Lin An was scared, he would crouch in a corner, covering his head with his hands, was it because he was frequently beaten?

And his germophobia and social anxiety...

Shen Xiuzhe clicked his tongue in irritation, the thought of turning Jiang Laixu to ash growing more insistent, but there was one last thing to do before that.

He pulled Lin An, who had been hiding behind him, to the front, and pressing on his shoulders, he said, "Lin An, hit him."

Lin An, shivering, tried to retreat, but was held firmly by the shoulders.

Hearing his name called by Shen Xiuzhe, the little zombie looked up blankly, locking eyes with Jiang Laixu, who was kneeling on the ground.

Lin An never looked people in the eye; he would lower his head whenever someone stared at him, never meeting their gaze. So even if he vaguely recognized Jiang Laixu’s voice, he instinctively hid.

Now facing him, Lin An's pupils constricted instantly, and he began to struggle, desperate to flee.

"Haha, look, after all these years, he’s still afraid of me, thinks he can hit me? He doesn’t have the guts," Jiang Laixu remarked, feeling his own pain lessen at the sight of the other's distress. Indeed, the best way to alleviate pain was to witness someone else's suffering.

Shen Xiuzhe held Lin An in place, not letting him move, and glanced at Jiang Laixu's derisive smile. He whispered in Lin An's ear, "Lin An, see that filth over there? It’s truly vile, the dirtiest thing you’ve ever seen. It must be cleaned up promptly, thrown into the trash, or it will contaminate the environment."

He spoke loud enough for Jiang Laixu to hear.

These past few days, Lin An seemed to be slowly recovering. Aside from his own name, he understood another word—filth.

Lin An slowly raised his head, not to Jiang Laixu's eyes this time, but to his body. His entire body was unclean, charred in places and covered in black dust, and this struck a chord with the little zombie.

So dirty.

Lin An extended a hand languidly, a small stream of water bursting from his fingertips, akin to a child's water pistol, spraying clear water onto Jiang Laixu in an attempt to wash him clean.

Shen Xiuzhe: ...Where’s the water spout? The washing machine?

Unbeknownst to him, Lin An had exhausted his psychic abilities earlier, which is why he could now only produce such a small amount of water.

It was not lethal, nor was it painful, but this tiny stream of water hitting his body was enough to visibly distress Jiang Laixu.

More agitated than when his hands were severed.

"How dare you! How dare you do this to me, I'll kill you!" Jiang Laixu attempted to rise, intent on killing Lin An, but in the next second, the world spun wildly around him.

Why were Lin An and Shen Xiuzhe's figures upside down?

There, in front of them, appeared to be his own body.

Why was there no head on the body…

Was he dead?

Psychics are tenacious in life; even beheaded instantly by Shen Xiuzhe, he didn't die at once, his head still pondering in midair if he was indeed dead.

However, it wasn't long before Jiang Laixu lost all consciousness.

Thoroughly dead.

As he was about to reduce the body to ashes, Shen Xiuzhe suddenly felt a sense of danger, a chill running down his spine.

He promptly scooped up the little zombie who was still spraying water at Jiang Laixu's body and leaped out from the balcony window.

Xiao Fu had been standing outside the balcony; when Shen Xiuzhe carried Lin An inside, he hadn’t taken the pet with him, leaving it to frantically jump about, trying to leap through the window.

Noticing Shen Xiuzhe exiting with his owner, Xiao Fu immediately attempted to bark in protest, only to be tucked under Shen Xiuzhe’s other arm as he ran off into the distance.

The suddenly airborne Xiao Fu: ?

The air around seemed to tremble, a sense of an impending storm urging Shen Xiuzhe to quicken his pace.

“Boom!”

With a loud bang, a black dot suddenly appeared in the sky, followed by a second, then a third, the descending black dots growing larger as they fell, revealing themselves as burlap sacks filled with items, only discernible as they neared the ground.

Like rain, countless sacks fell from the sky, landing on the ground.

The rooftops of the nearby Building No. 4, the teachers' apartments, were also covered with these sacks.

This bizarre spectacle drew the attention of many at the base, with people heading towards the site to discover what had fallen from the sky, while some reflexively retreated to their dwellings, fearing the falling objects could be zombies.

More and more sacks, along with various foodstuffs—bread, sausages, ham, instant foods, mineral water, biscuits, and so on—fell in boxes, as did various survival supplies, all tumbling from above.

A pristine truck plummeted from the sky, landing precisely on the roof of an apartment building. The terrifying weight and impact immediately collapsed the structure, reducing it to rubble.

Shen Xiuzhe had already made it to a safe distance; a moment's delay and they might have all been flattened.

"Isn't this too much? How vast was his space?" Shen Xiuzhe couldn't help but mutter to himself. After all, the supplies stored in Jiang Laixu's space had tumbled out after his death, now piled up like a mountain. Those numerous sacks must be the reserves the lord had saved for emergencies.

"What are these...?"

The head of the base rushed over upon hearing the commotion. As one of the few remaining high-ranking members of the early city, he'd been diligent as the person in charge, but without special abilities, his leadership was average, and his authority at the base might not have matched Jiang Laixu's.

Gazing at the scene before him, he was so shocked that his eyes widened, then he turned to look at Shen Xiuzhe nearby.

Shen Xiuzhe had just been in talks with him. Now, facing the elder's puzzled expression, he merely shrugged and said with a villainous smile, "I killed Jiang Laixu. These are all the supplies he had hoarded."

Supplies? All of it?

The elder ran forward tremblingly, ignoring the continuous fall of objects from above, and opened a sack.

Inside was grain, brimming with grain.

Were all the sacks filled with grain?

Looking at the mountain of supplies before him, the elder actually cried holding the grain in his hands.

Having survived the early days of the apocalypse, the weight of food shortages had been a daily burden since he became the head of the base. Their city used to be abundant with food, so why were people at the base going hungry?

He encouraged people to scavenge daily, but the returns were diminishing by the day.

Efforts were also made to get plant-based special ability users and ordinary people to farm, but these measures were merely a drop in the bucket.

Now he finally understood why the supplies were so scarce; they had been hoarded by Jiang Laixu.

Despite receiving the best treatment at the base and always being accompanied by strong special ability users when scavenging, his attitude towards Jiang Laixu was better than towards his own son, yet it was repaid with hoarding of the city's supplies. Such an immense quantity, Jiang Laixu wouldn't have been able to use it up in hundreds of years.

Too greedy, truly too greedy.

"Thank you, thank you," the elder thanked Shen Xiuzhe incoherently.

"No need, you better start tallying the supplies before it gets chaotic

The elder rose, his stooped silhouette a testament to his advanced years, in contrast to the spirited young man before him. Carrying a person over his left shoulder and a dog under his right arm, his grim expression oddly added a sense of humor to the scene.

"Shen Xiuzhe, I misplaced my trust. Now that I'm old, perhaps it's time for you to take over..."

"Stop there. I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm not from Chuxi City; I'm heading back to Baize City. Handle your own city's affairs; I'm just a stranger."

Shen Xiuzhe knew these old timers wanted to pass the buck and start sweet-talking the youth.

Without listening further, he turned and left with Lin An and the dog.

Meanwhile, Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong tied up the group with vines after Shen Xiuzhe left, bringing them to the base's market.

Calling it a market was a stretch as the goods were scant—after all, supplies were scarce, and most people just lingered there aimlessly.

Xu Fang chuckled as he brought the blindfolded and bound group to the most crowded spot.

"Come one, come all, see Zhao Tian the fire ability user! Those with grievances, now's your chance for payback. Don't miss out."

Ouyang Dong, looking at the enthusiastic bald man, asked speechlessly, "What are you doing?"

"You wouldn't know, being away from the base. Many ability users here bully others, killing at will. Most ordinary people can only suffer in silence. If they fall into our hands, we tie them up here for recognition. If someone's done too many bad deeds, and their behavior is beyond redemption, they're done for, we kill them. If there's no one to avenge and someone vouches, we let them go. But I know most of these like Zhao Tian; they're no good."

Sure enough, as soon as Xu Fang stood there, many people gathered around.

A man with a limp pointed shakily at Zhao Tian: "I want to take revenge on him."

"Here you go." Xu Fang handed over the rope-bound Zhao Tian to him.

The young man didn't take the rope; instead, he lunged at Zhao Tian, pummeling his face with his fists, slapping him, and biting him. Zhao Tian soon wailed for mercy, but the man with the limp didn't stop.

The scene was bloody, and Ouyang Dong turned his head, unable to watch.

Xu Fang kept hawking, and seeing Ouyang Dong's expression, he just shrugged: "Don't feel pity for Zhao Tian; this beating is nothing."

He pulled over a bystander to tell Ouyang Dong about Zhao Tian's deeds. After hearing the full story, Ouyang Dong, looking at the nearly breathless Zhao Tian, felt like throwing a few punches himself.

It turned out that the young man with the limp had his wife taken by force by Zhao Tian, and she died not long after. When he sought revenge, Zhao Tian broke his leg. And this was just one of many atrocities committed by Zhao Tian; there were more victims who didn't even have a chance to seek revenge, as he had eradicated them all.

"Spit! Such scum deserves to be burned by the boss," Ouyang Dong cursed angrily.

Xu Fang nodded in agreement, then quickly realized, "That's my boss."

Ouyang Dong: "Don't sweat the details. Calling out every day as I do, using your name directly feels a bit disrespectful."

Xu Fang had a very thick filter when it came to Shen Xiuzhe, and somehow what he said seemed to make sense.

"Fine by me. After all, I'll be the top lieutenant, and you'll be second in command."

"What about Lin An?"

"Him? He's the first lady."

"...You really have a sense of humor."

When the market's commotion settled, aside from a couple of ability users who were duped while not in their right minds, and three who hadn't really done any harm, the rest were pretty much dealt with.

As Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong were discussing where to wait for the boss, a sudden change in the sky put them on high alert.

"What's falling from the sky?"

"Don't know, but that direction seems to be where Jiang Laixu lived. Let's hurry over and check."

They hadn't reached the spot when they ran into Shen Xiuzhe.

"Boss, is everything taken care of?" Xu Fang immediately signaled with a wave of his hand.

"It's all settled. Let's go. We've gathered nearly all the supplies, and we'll leave Chuxi City tomorrow." Shen Xiuzhe put down the dog and continued forward, carrying Lin An.

Ouyang Dong was stunned. They were leaving tomorrow?

Xu Fang, knowing they would depart in a few days, walked beside Shen Xiuzhe with Xiao Fu, bombarding him with questions.

"Boss, if we're leaving, shouldn't we find a decent vehicle?"

"No need, we'll take my car when it's time."

"Your car? Boss, you have your own car? How come I didn't know?"

"I haven't driven it since the apocalypse. I bought it at a high price from Machinery City. It's safe and comfortable."

"Heh, I definitely need to see this car."

Ouyang Dong felt a bittersweet sense of loss. He had grown accustomed to the support of his teammates, like the bald man, and come tomorrow, he would be on his own again.

He still needed to find his father, who seemed to have vanished into some hidden corner of the world, without a trace for half a year.

It seemed it was time to say goodbye. Tomorrow, he would see them off one last time, a farewell to an acquaintance made. Oh, and he needed to catalyze some fruit for them to snack on during their journey.

Continuing in their modest vehicles, Shen Xiuzhe and company arrived at a secluded underground parking lot.

This was where Shen Xiuzhe’s car was parked.

When Xu Fang opened the garage door, they were greeted by the sight of a trailer-style RV.

Xu Fang, eyes sparkling, was shouting in excitement at the sight of the RV, almost climbing on it for a better look.

Ouyang Dong, on the other hand, pondered a critical question: "How are we going to navigate through the cliffs, glaciers, and forests on the way to Baize City in this?"

Shen Xiuzhe, looking at the RV, remarked, "I only planned to drive it to the next station. The road from Chuxi City to Machinery City is relatively manageable. After that, we would have had to abandon it, but that's no longer necessary."

Why not?

Not quite grasping Shen Xiuzhe’s point, Ouyang Dong scratched his belly in confusion, then was called over by an excited Xu Fang to explore the RV.