Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty

Shen Xiuzhe was originally watching the others kill zombies, but when Lin An approached and stood nearby, his gaze involuntarily drifted over.

With his head bowed, Lin An fidgeted despondently with his fingers, occasionally glancing up.

Wu Duo had just slain another zombie; Xu Fang buried the corpse in the earth while Ouyang Dong hung another upside down from a tree.

Everyone was so skilled, yet he alone dared not kill a zombie.

"Come here."

At the sound, Lin An saw Shen Xiuzhe beckoning to him.

Walking over slowly, Lin An stood obediently in front of him.

U Shuangxue, holding Xiao Fu, sat on a stump; at the call, she also looked over, but Xiao Fu’s gaze had never strayed from its master.

Shen Xiuzhe stood with his arms crossed, a casual stance but with a stern look in his eyes, watching the person before him.

Lin An stood dutifully across from him, feeling guilty and anxious for not daring to kill zombies, his head hung low.

It was a scene reminiscent of a school bully and a bullied child, their expressions and actions perfectly aligned.

U Shuangxue snickered.

"What's wrong?" Shen Xiuzhe, unable to see Lin An’s face, could only look at the crown of his head.

"I'm sorry."

Shen Xiuzhe’s brows furrowed slightly: "Why apologize?"

Lin An answered honestly: "I haven't... killed any zombies."

"So you haven’t killed any; neither have we, right?"

Lin An pursed his lips; the two of them had not slain zombies because they were leaving the opportunity to others—they had the ability to kill many, but he did not dare to kill, which was a completely different matter.

"We're companions. There's no need for apologies unless one does something that affects the entire team or burdens others. Besides, there are so few zombies that they're hardly enough to go around for the three of them; you probably wouldn't get a chance to kill one even if you wanted to."

With the improvement of Xu Fang and the others' abilities, they became more adept at killing zombies. These past days, the zombies had appeared in small groups, easy for the trio to handle, even allowing them to experiment with their powers.

Lin An nodded and subconsciously muttered another apology.

"You've done nothing to apologize for. From now on, you are forbidden from saying sorry, and moreover..."

Shen Xiuzhe suddenly lifted Lin An's chin, and as his beautiful crimson eyes met the other's gaze, it was as if they were scorched, quickly averting, flickering uncertainly, dodging and skittish, yet without the courage to resist, pitiful to the core.

"And why do you always keep your head down? Afraid of getting a stiff neck? Or do you find me frightening?"

U Shuangxue watched the two with a cheerful smile, her attention shifting from the trio engrossed in zombie slaying to Lin An and Shen Xiuzhe. The two stood about ten centimeters apart in height, one forced to look up with an innocent face, the other frowning and sounding displeased, unaware of how their posture suggested an intimacy.

Such is the essence of youth.

As she stroked the eager dog's head, Grandma Wu mused with a smile.

Xu Fang, after burying a zombie, glanced around and caught sight of this scene. From his perspective, it appeared as though the two had just kissed.

"What have I missed in the short time it took to kill a zombie?" Xu Fang muttered under his breath, then sidled toward where the leader stood while fending off an approaching zombie.

"I... haven't," Lin An's voice weakened, uncertain whether he was denying bowing his head or being scared.

Yet, facing Shen Xiuzhe up close, the overwhelming aura of the other was suffocating, truly breath-taking.

It wasn't as uncomfortable as when his social anxiety struck, but the presence was so overpowering that he struggled to adapt.

"Good, then. No more apologies for every little thing, and make eye contact when speaking to others. Can you do that?"

Shen Xiuzhe's tone gave Lin An the impression of being in front of a disciplinarian, prompting an immediate obedient nod.

"Mhm, there's no rush to kill zombies. Your ability is formidable; previously, it was only employed for cleanliness. Now, as you're recovering, think about how you can adapt it for combat. Many abilities have their limitations; my metal-based ability can't create metal from nothing, only alter and control it. Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong's abilities are similar. However, fire and water abilities can produce elements from nothing, and water abilities are even more versatile since everything in the world needs water."

Shen Xiuzhe released Lin An's chin, letting him delve into thought without further interruption.

As both an adventurer and an elemental user, Shen Xiuzhe was far more experienced than Lin An, so his advice was enlightening.

Now, Lin An was too engrossed in considering how to apply his water ability in combat to be despondent.

"Ah~" Xu Fang let out a disappointed sigh. He thought he was about to witness something interesting, but was this it?

Shen Xiuzhe abruptly turned to look at Xu Fang, not far away, his expression unamused, "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to kill zombies over there? Are they all dead? Why did you come here?"

Why did his tone change so abruptly from the gentleness with Brother An to this?

Xu Fang, feeling his leader was being hypocritical, trudged back to zombie slaying with a sense of injustice. Just as he turned around, a zombie nearly gnawed his face, prompting a cold sweat and a quick dispatch with his knife.

"Daydreaming about the excitement while killing zombies can lead to trouble," chided U Shuangxue, who was prepared to intervene if Xu Fang couldn't dodge in time. Fortunately, he managed to avoid the attack himself at the last moment.

No longer daring to be distracted, he went back to his task with a dejected air.

All that curiosity and he ended up getting scolded instead.

Just his luck.

U Shuangxue, with a mysterious smile, watched Shen Xiuzhe approach: "How did it feel to the touch?"

Shen Xiuzhe: "What?"

"Don't play dumb, you made your move, now own it."

Shen Xiuzhe: "Have you forgotten that Lin An covered himself with a layer of water? I merely touched the film, not him."

U Shuangxue, disappointed, looked at Shen Xiuzhe as if lamenting his naivety: "The boy is so innocent. Couldn't you apply a little more force? A water film breaks with a poke, doesn't it?"

Shen Xiuzhe: "..."

Being a person of integrity, Lin An, having promised to make eye contact when speaking, made an earnest attempt to do so with others.

The team was very supportive, treating him with kindness and patience, even when he faltered, which emboldened Lin An to try.

"Little An, I caught a wild pig today; it needs a good wash. Can you conjure some water with your ability?" Ouyang Dong asked, holding the vine-tied piglet that squealed as he smiled.

"Sure," Lin An replied softly, glancing quickly at Ouyang Dong.

After everyone had eaten, Lin An drifted to Xu Fang's side, hovering behind him like a lost soul.

As Xu Fang hummed a tune preparing to wash the pot, he turned to find Lin An hovering: "You gave me a fright, An-ge, what are you up to?"

"Do you... need water?" Lin An almost slipped out an apology again, forcing himself to meet Xu Fang's eyes. He managed a few seconds before the urge to look away overwhelmed him, but ultimately, he restrained himself and settled his gaze on Xu Fang's forehead.

That should count as making eye contact, he reasoned, even though it wasn't directly into the eyes.

"Yes, please, I was just about to wash the pot."

"Thanks, An-ge, you're a great help."

Lin An's lips slightly curled up, unable to contain his happiness, and he nodded towards Xu Fang: "You've also worked hard."

"Washing a pot isn't exactly strenuous," Xu Fang said, ever eloquent when it came to people he regarded highly. "It's not flattery, it's just what I truly believe. We all take turns, and if it weren't for you, we'd probably have turned into savages by now—or zombies from drinking stream water."

Lin An, though showered with praise for so many days, was still not immune to it.

"I want to... wash pots too," the somewhat elated little zombie expressed a desire to contribute more.

"No need, no need. You don't eat, so it's unreasonable to have you wash pots. You can take over when you're back to normal. Besides, cooking and washing pots all require water, you're already doing enough."

Lin An's gaze shifted from the other's shiny head back to his eyes. Xu Fang's appearance was not remarkable, and looking up at him gave off the impression of a trouble-seeking street ruffian, but his eyes were clear, candid, revealing whatever was on his mind.

So this is what it feels like to look at someone while talking.

Lin An seemed to remember why he always kept his head down, afraid to meet others' eyes.

Because the people he knew always harbored various negative emotions towards him—mockery, belittlement, jealousy, disdain. Just one glance at their eyes was enough to be pricked by their blatant malice, causing a deep ache in his chest.

Thus, he was like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, pretending that the malice was not directed at him as long as he did not see it.

Now he realized not everyone was like that.

At least, these people were not.

Although he still couldn't maintain eye contact while speaking, Lin An had a new revelation.

The tolerance in Granny Wu's eyes, Udo's calm composure, Ouyang Dong's amiable generosity, Xu Fang's straightforward enthusiasm, and Shen Xiuzi's serious focus.

Everyone's eyes showed different emotions, changing with their personality and the person they faced.

It turns out, by just lifting one's head, one could see a whole new world.

*

On the third day, they finally reached the city of Mulings.

The city walls, built from fired bricks and stone, had a large hole broken through, revealing the dense village houses inside.

The walls, nearly five meters tall and of an ancient design, now had a section collapsed. The fallen bricks and debris were scattered inside, as if smashed open by some creature from the outside.

Shen Xiuzi approached the wall and tested it with his hands, discovering that even in its dilapidated state, the wall's durability was not to be underestimated.

Entering through the collapsed section, they found most of the houses within were built of wood, with unique designs and cloth decorations hanging around. These cloths were embroidered with intricate patterns, now frayed and faded from exposure to the elements.

The vibrant colors had dulled to a muted, somber palette.

And the most abundant thing in Mulings City were the zombies.

The number of zombies here couldn't compare to the teeming masses in Chuxi City, a place infamous for its large population and terrifyingly numerous undead. Mulings City, with its smaller population and many zombies that had wandered off through the breaches in the walls to roam the forest, was more manageable.

They made their way in, slaying zombies and searching each house they came across.

The houses here had wooden doors, easily opened, but after checking numerous rooms, they found not a single soul.

Mulings City was even smaller than Mechanical City, the whole place resembling a large village.

But in this village, not a living person was to be found.

Only the zombies, drawn by the scent of the living, continued to converge upon them.