Chapter 36: Mourning the Zombie

Chapter 36: Mourning the Zombie

Muzhilin could trade for a bottle of white liquor!

Xie Shuyao couldn't make the decision and simply shook her head.

Chu Chuan shot Yang Yan a glance.

"You can follow, but I won't protect you nor take responsibility for anything that happens to you."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yan nodded repeatedly.

"That's perfect! I'll protect myself well!" As long as he could stay by this man's side, nothing would be a problem!

The others hurriedly spoke up, wanting to follow as well. Chu Chuan, with an unreadable expression, completely ignored them.

Uncertain of Chu Chuan's intentions, they cautiously followed behind him. Fortunately, Chu Chuan didn't chase them away, which relieved their anxiety.

Before leaving the hospital, Chu Chuan wanted to consume the evolved zombie. Thus, he asked Xie Shuyao to wait on the first floor while he crushed a golden-shelled pearl and swiftly left.

Despite its promotion, the zombie still lacked clear reasoning, but it was more capable than others in assessing danger. Sensing Chu Chuan's presence, it hurriedly hid, yet ultimately failed to escape capture.

Chu Chuan looked at the zombie before him, who was howling and wearing a white lab coat, likely a doctor. There were no bite or scratch marks on its body, indicating it had transformed due to the poisonous mist.

He placed his hand on the zombie's head. As a black aura was absorbed, the zombie gradually stopped its mindless flailing and howling. Gradually, the blue veins on its face receded, and the terrifying blue capillaries beneath the skin returned to their natural, hidden state.

Life slowly returned to her entire face.

In Chu Chuan's palm, the gathered black aura condensed into a transparent crystal.

"Oh... I... How..."

The woman, now conscious, looked around in confusion. How did she end up here? What were those horrifying creatures surrounding her?

Chu Chuan held the crystal nucleus, crushing it for absorption.

Realization dawned upon her, and the blood that had returned to her face drained away instantly. Clutching her mouth, she felt her stomach churning.

Monstrosity! She's turned into a monster!

She had intended to reach for Chu Chuan's arm but, under his disapproving glance, she awkwardly retracted her hand.

"Uh... Hello, my name is Jiang Qiuyue..."

"Shut up!"

After absorbing the crystal core, Chu Chuan sensed his consciousness becoming muddled. He knew it was due to excessive absorption of the toxic fog. Thus, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

Jiang Qiuyue stared at his retreating figure for half a second, wanting to follow but hesitated, considering the current situation. After two seconds of contemplation, she dashed into the nearest medical supply room.

Within a dozen seconds, she scavenged through the room and emerged with a large bag of medicines. She hurried to catch up with Chu Chuan.

Chu Chuan returned to the first floor and left the hospital with Xie Shuyao. It was time for him to find Muzhilin.

Yang Yan watched the woman who had accompanied Chu Chuan back, his face filled with displeasure as if he had been betrayed.

Who was this person? Why did she come back with Chu Chuan? Could she be Chu Chuan's girlfriend?

No, no! This person looks almost thirty; there's no way they're associated with Chu Chuan.

...

"Second Brother, do you know where Bro Muzhilin lives?"

Chu Chuan shook his head and then dialed Zhong Yi's number. Unfortunately, it showed as switched off. Frowning, he was interrupted by Jiang Qiuyue, who approached them carrying a bag of medicine and medical supplies.

"Are you here at the hospital looking for someone? I'm in charge of the inpatient department; I should know."

Chu Chuan looked at her.

"Have you heard of Muzhilin?"

"Muzhilin..."

Jiang Qiuyue pondered for a moment.

"I recall now. He was a family member of a patient. Tall and handsome, his mother was admitted to the ward at short notice. At that time, the hospital was full, but they specially arranged a VIP room for him. That's why he left quite an impression on me. But he discharged himself in mid-August."

"Where does he live?"

"I heard his mom mention that he was at a hotel, but when they left the hospital, they switched to another one nearby. It's called... the Tingenjoy Hotel!"

"Tingenjoy Hotel."

Chu Chuan nodded, waved his hand to summon an SUV, and let her in after Shuyao. They then drove towards the Tingenjoy Hotel with Xie Shuyao.

Although Yang Yan and the other four were amazed by Chu Chuan's vehicle, they knew there wouldn't be space for them. Thus, they found a car, killed the groaning zombie inside, and followed Chu Chuan's SUV.

During the journey, half of Chu Chuan's face was covered in black patterns. His dark eyes lacked any white, with only a red glint in the center, resembling a zombie's eyes.

Xie Shuyao, seated in the passenger seat, was startled but didn't dare to disturb her brother, who seemed to be in a rush.

---

At the Tingenjoy Hotel.

"Mum! Dad! You can't do this! Big Brother hasn't fully turned into a zombie yet! He'll be fine! I have a Cooling Charm! He won't turn into a zombie!"

Mu Shiqi watched as her father dragged her elder brother away, bound and gagged. She rushed forward to intervene, only to be slapped down by her father onto the ground.

"You good-for-nothing! You have no say in this! He's my son, I can do whatever I want with him!!"

Her father roared in a fit of rage, his face twisted in an unhealthy frenzy. His alcohol cravings had kicked in, but they were out of stock. He had even replaced all the food that Muzhilin had prepared inside the house with alcohol, which he had now finished drinking.

Her mother also tried to intervene.

"No, you can't! This is Lin'er! My darling, my precious one! We can't trade him! We can't! Let Shiqi go! She's going to get married anyway! Send her instead! Lin'er can't handle it! Lin'er can't!"

"Useless trash, get out of my way!"

With a kick, Mu Father sent Mu Mother sprawling.

"Oh... my back..." Mu Mother fell onto the floor, clutching her waist and wiping away tears.

Mu Shiqi clearly heard a cracking sound when her mother hit the ground. Normally, she would have rushed to check on her mother without hesitation, but now, her heart was numb.

They shouldn't have come back. It might have been better to turn into zombies alongside her brother. Without her brother, what was this place? A home? This family had long been shattered!

Mu Shiqi's gaze turned fierce. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, picked up the broken bottle from the ground, and approached her father step by step. Before he could react, she smashed the bottle onto his head with a resounding "Bang!"

"Die already!!"

Mu Shiqi roared in anger.

"Crash—" The bottle shattered, and Mu Father's face filled with shock. In the next second, blood spewed from his head like a fountain.

Mu Mother screamed, "Shiqi! What are you doing?! Do you want to kill your father?!"

"Shut up! You cowardly woman!"

Mu Shiqi bellowed at her mother before pointing the shattered bottle at her fallen father.

"You think you're so capable, huh? Get up then!! You're just a useless brute who only knows how to bully people at home! Your eldest brother feeds you, shelters you! What else do you want?! Others can't even afford food, and you still demand alcohol! You even trade your brother for it!!"

Mu Father, holding his bleeding head, gradually regained his senses and trembling, pointed at Mu Shiqi. "You...you hit your parents! An unfilial daughter! I'll call the police! I'll call the police!"

"Call the police! Do you even know what's happening outside?" Mu Shiqi sneered, advancing with the bottle in hand. "Dad, even if my brother and I owed you in our past lives, we've paid it back. Farewell."

"Mu Shiqi!"

Observing Mu Shiqi advancing step by step towards him, Father Mu finally realized that she didn't intend to assault him but to kill him!

Trembling, he propped himself up and continuously retreated backward.

"What are you doing?! Murder is against the law!"

Mu Shiqi remained silent, her eyes filled with murderous intent. Reaching Father Mu, she raised her hand.

"Dad, I've wanted to do this for a long time. How dare you hinder Big Brother? He's so outstanding, yet it's all because of you! Die!"

With a fierce swing, Mu Shiqi's wrist descended. Amidst Father Mu's strangled scream, Mother Mu suddenly rushed forward and embraced her waist.

"Qier, it's all my fault. Don't argue with your father. He's your dad! Your dad! How could you lay a hand on your own father?"

"Get away!"

Struggling to break free from Mother Mu, Mu Shiqi was caught off guard when Father Mu abruptly leaped up, picked up a shard of glass from the ground, and swung it at her.

Trapped in her mother's embrace, Mu Shiqi couldn't dodge, only able to turn her head slightly. Still, the sharp glass grazed her throat.

Her father had also turned deadly towards her.

As warm blood trickled down, Mu Shiqi's body stiffened. Her mother saw the blood on her neck and abruptly released her grip, muttering in panic.

"No... No... Don't blame me... Don't blame me... I didn't mean it..."

Reaching up to cover her neck, Mu Shiqi still couldn't stem the flow of blood between her fingers. She turned to look at her mother with an expression of profound sorrow.

"Mom... I... "

She and her brother had stayed in this family for their mother. Their mother always said that without them, she wouldn't have been able to endure. She also mentioned that she was waiting for them to succeed so they could take her away to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

But when her elder brother got into university in the capital and brought her from their hometown, she insisted on bringing their father along, saying that as husband and wife, it wasn't right for her to enjoy the good life alone.

This time, her brother risked his life to send her back, hoping she could be with their mother. On the way, he told her that if necessary, they should take their mother and leave together.

But now...

How could someone... be so despicable?

"Bam!"

Seeing that Mu Shiqi had lost her aggression, her father kicked her two meters away.

He clutched his injured head, gritted his teeth, and walked over to Mu Shiqi, kicking her head with all his might without any concern for her life.

"Filthy wretch! I should have flushed you down the toilet when I had the chance! You ungrateful thing! How dare you lay a hand on me?!"

Mu Shiqi's breaths grew weaker. Gazing at the half-zombified Zhilin, she gradually closed her eyes.

Big Brother, we can't save anyone. From the start, we should have focused on protecting ourselves.

We couldn't save Mother.

Her suffering wasn't our fault, not our fault... and certainly not your fault...

"Aoohh—!"

Without the Coolness Charm, Muzhilin's transformation accelerated. His skin rapidly turned from bloody red to a sickly pale white, and his pupils gradually became veiled by a layer of white film.

Upon hearing his roar, Father Mu cursed under his breath and carelessly threw the shattered glass shard at Muzhilin, leaving a bloody trail on his face. He then continued to push him out of the house.

The neighbor had said it.

Muzhilin could be exchanged for a bottle of white liquor!

Mother Mu sat dazed on the ground, lifting her head only when she heard Muzhilin's cries. Her eyes were swollen with tears, and her lips trembled as she spoke, "Lin'er, don't hate your father. He has no choice. Don't hate us..."

Father Mu scoffed at her words.

"He's my son! I brought him into this world and raised him! Whatever I tell him to do, he should do it! He thinks getting into university means he can escape me? No way! Two ungrateful brats! A bottle of liquor is worth more than both of you!"

He spoke as if it was entirely reasonable, showing no guilt for trading his own son for alcohol.

...

When Chu Chuan arrived, he witnessed the transaction – or rather, the altercation – between the two.

The neighbor, upon witnessing Muzhilin's transformation into a zombie, refused to proceed with the deal, but Father Mu wouldn't have it. He insisted that since they had brought the person, he must be given the alcohol, thus sparking a conflict between them.

Chu Chuan narrowed his eyes.

"Second Brother, this iron gate won't budge."

Between the stairway and their floor stood a locked iron door. Xie Shuyao attempted to unlock it but failed. Helplessly, she looked up at her older brother for assistance.

Silent, Chu Chuan stepped forward and kicked the door with a thunderous crash. The metal bars, under the force of his kick, crumbled into pieces.

Those who had followed Chu Chuan were once again stunned by his prowess.

This man was terrifying!

Jiang Qiuyue wore a look of astonishment. Gazing at Chu Chuan's profile, she felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen his face before in the hospital ward, though the memory eluded her at the moment.

Over on their side, Father Mu and the neighbor heard the commotion and turned to look. They saw Chu Chuan and his group approaching, stepping over the fallen iron gate.

Father Mu noticed that there were several people in the group, with Chu Chuan, their leader, exuding an intimidating presence. His eyes held a zombie-like glint, and his face was adorned with "tattoos." The arrogance on Father Mu's face dissipated slightly.

He shrunk his neck, a hint of fear appearing on his face. "Who are you?"

As Xie Shuyao approached, she was the first to witness a gruesome scene inside a room - a person lay on the ground amid a pool of blood!

Startled, she hurriedly bypassed Mu Father and Mu Mother to inspect the person on the floor, only to realize it was none other than Mu Shiqi! She reached out to check the girl's breath.

She was still alive!

"Who are you? This is my room!"

Muzhilin's father had intended to stop Xie Shuyao, but he was too weak from excessive blood loss to muster the strength. Thus, he could only let her pass by.

He glared at Chu Chuan discontentedly.

"What do you think you're doing? This is my family business! Even if you call the police, it won't do you any good! It's only natural for a father to discipline his child!"

Muzhilin's father shouted with his neck stiff, perhaps due to guilt. Without Chu Chuan saying a word, he divulged everything on his own.

Chu Chuan didn't spare Muzhilin's father a glance; his eyes remained fixed on the tightly wrapped Muzhilin from beginning to end.

With a furrowed brow, he approached, only to be intercepted by Muzhilin's father, whose face was etched with deep displeasure. Even if Muzhilin had turned into a zombie, he was still his son!

"If you want it, bring something to trade!"

Chu Chuan glanced at the greed in the man's eyes and, with a wave of his hand, a bottle of alcohol materialized in his grasp.

Muzhilin's father's eyes lit up at the sight. It was a bottle of Moutai in a ceramic jar!

"Give... Give it to me!"

Tongue-tied with desire, the man lunged at Chu Chuan, attempting to snatch the bottle.

Seeing his eagerness, Chu Chuan struck swiftly, smashing the bottle down onto the man's already bloodied head. A loud "crash" echoed through the corridor, adding new wounds to the man's already battered scalp.

The air was now perfumed with the scent of alcohol.

The middle-aged man who had been arguing with Muzhilin's father panicked at Chu Chuan's decisive action and immediately waved his hands in distress.

"I have nothing to do with it. I was just joking about trading wine for his son's company for a day. His... His daughter's situation has nothing to do with me. I overheard it from the next room. He did it himself, and now his son is a zombie. I don't want him anymore!"

With that, he attempted to rush into his own house. However, in the instant he turned around, a wind blade sliced through the air, severing his head with a sharp "crack!" Bright red blood splattered out, some of it landing on Father Mu's face.

Father Mu's pupils dilated, and his legs turned to jelly. The others trembled in terror.

He... He killed someone!!

Chu Chuan took two steps forward, looking down at Mother and Father Mu, who were cowering on the ground, shivering. From his space, he retrieved two small loaves of bread, the kind sold loose by weight. He tossed them at the couple's faces before his gaze returned to Muzhilin.

"I want him."

Intimidated by Chu Chuan's overpowering presence, neither Father nor Mother Mu dared to speak, only nodding frantically. Father Mu was a bully who feared the strong, while Mother Mu was naturally weak. In front of Chu Chuan, they dared not even breathe loudly.

The people behind Chu Chuan stared in astonishment at the person he had pointed at. Wasn't this a zombie?

Why would the big boss want a zombie?!

Has the world gone mad?

Yang Yan gazed at the zombified Muzhilin with intense hostility in his eyes.

He glanced at Chu Chuan, who had an ardently glowing look, entirely distinct from how he looked at others.

This man is a formidable rival!

Jiang Qiuyue was stunned, as she recalled when she had encountered Chu Chuan before.

Around June, their hospital had its first case of spontaneous combustion. Chu Chuan was at the hospital then, trying to sell his Cooling Talismans to Boss Yi.

Upon receiving the report, she went to investigate.

No wonder he was so capable – he was the one who drew the Cooling Talismans! According to their hospital director, this person possessed remarkable skills; it seemed she wasn't destined to die just yet! How fortunate!

Chu Chuan moved swiftly, taking Muzhilin with him. Meanwhile, Mu Shiqi was carried away by Xie Shuyao.

The group came and went hastily, leaving behind only the pungent scent of blood and the aroma of soy sauce from the wine.

Muzhilin's father curled up on the ground, clutching his head, only letting out a sporadic wail of pain once the intruder was gone.

Muzhilin's mother watched her son's retreating figure until he was out of sight. Then, like a robot, she crawled to her husband's side, numbly fetching a towel to staunch the bleeding.

"Whore! You hurt me!"

Amidst the silence that followed his curses, Muzhilin's father's voice echoed in the room. His mother bore it all with a sense of familiarity. Before dawn, this place would sink into an abyss.

...

"Author's Note"