Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Ignoring the pain in their bodies, the group swiftly moved through the concrete jungle.

As the commotion created by the Corpse King grew louder, more and more zombies were drawn towards it.

Several times they narrowly avoided the zombies, once even colliding directly with them. Fortunately, Ji Yanqing reacted quickly, disposing of them before making any more noise.

They ran for nearly forty minutes until the buildings ahead became sparse and green vegetation, distinct from steel and concrete structures, came into view. Only then did they slow down.

The outskirts of the city lacked the prosperity of its center. The buildings were old, short, and narrow, and there were even stalls selling breakfast on the not-so-wide streets.

There were zombies on the streets, and quite a few of them.

The scout returned and silently pointed to a row of buildings on the left, where there were fewer zombies.

Ji Yanqing glanced at the zombies lingering on the street and led the group in that direction.

After crossing the street and reaching the buildings on the left, they continued forward, running over five hundred meters to the edge of the town. However, instead of leaving the city, Ji Yanqing found a place to hide nearby.

In an open garage where a car was being repaired, the group caught their breath while peering outside from the entrance.

To the left of the garage was a road, opposite which lay farmland that extended nearly two miles to the foot of a mountain range.

It had been over half a year since the virus outbreak, and the farmland, now uncultivated, was overrun with weeds, presenting a lush green expanse from afar.

This scene, which should have been brimming with vitality, now made one's scalp tingle. The rice plants, once familiar and essential for survival, now towered above humans, resembling corn.

The rice panicles, as thick as adult arms, had already sprouted branches and produced clusters of flowers with white powdery petals, even before ripening.

Between the rice plants lurked something extremely dangerous, evoking fear.

These were definitely not the rice plants they knew.

"I'll check nearby for another route," said a bald, burly man from the group, heading towards the road between the garage and the farmland.

The open space between the city and the mountains was entirely covered in farmland. Unless they could find a direct path from the city to the mountains, they would have to cross the farmland.

If possible, they didn't want to venture into the rice fields. Who knew what dangers lay within?

"Be careful," Ji Yanqing warned.

Watching the bald man leave, the group checked their wounds.

All of them had sustained injuries and had only managed to stop the bleeding earlier.

After quickly checking himself, Ji Yanqing examined Ji'an and another child.

Ji'an was obedient, allowing Ji Yanqing to gently touch his head and stomach.

The other child was nervous and immediately retreated when Ji Yanqing approached, but being placed in a backpack, he had nowhere to go. Seeing no escape, he tightly shut his eyes.

Relieved that both children were unharmed, Ji Yanqing sighed in relief.

Lan Zi was badly injured; her right arm was dislocated, and she was drenched in sweat with pale lips.

"Bear with it," Xia Shenshu said, grabbing Lan Zi's hand.

Without asking if Xia Shenshu knew how to set it, Lan Zi gritted her teeth and turned her head away. She had no other choice.

Xia Shenshu acted the moment Lan Zi turned her head.

He was indeed skilled, successfully resetting the arm, although Lan Zi curled up in pain on the ground.

"It's done," Xia Shenshu said, feeling a sense of accomplishment and a faint nostalgia.

Ji Yanqing looked at him, noting that Xia Shenshu didn't seem like a doctor. Doctors don't use guns.

In that moment, the bald man entered from the door.

Everyone looked at him.

The bald man shook his head. "There is a road at the entrance of the town, but it seems to be a national highway, and it's full of cars..."

When the apocalypse struck, the first reaction of the people in the city was to drive away. However, with so many people and vehicles, many were unable to leave the city and got stuck on the roads, turning highways and national roads into highly dangerous areas, second only to schools and hospitals.

"Tsk..." The bald man cursed.

"Which direction is the reservoir?" Ji Yanqing asked Xia Shenshu.

Xia Shenshu pointed towards the farmland.

Ji Yanqing frowned.

The field ridges between the farmland might be passable, but it wasn't much better than crossing the farmland directly.

"You're going to Shengfeng Reservoir?" The man whom Ji Yanqing had saved outside the school looked surprised.

"You know about it?" Xia Shenshu raised an eyebrow.

"I used to live in this city," the man said, his expression momentarily showing surprise, pain, resistance, and some indiscernible emotions.

He quickly regained his composure and continued, "I've been there before. I can guide you. The reservoir is deep, so there should still be water."

Ji Yanqing and Xia Shenshu exchanged a glance, remaining noncommittal.

Although they had rescued the man and allowed him to follow them all the way here, letting him join them was a different matter from simply saving him.

People like Sun Haifeng were never in short supply.

The man noticed their hesitation and also recognized Ji Yanqing, whose face beneath the goggles was stunningly beautiful, as the core of the group. He immediately addressed Ji Yanqing: "I've been to the reservoir area for barbecues with friends before. It's quite far from here, over two hours by car. If we walk, even on the road, it's easy to get lost without a guide."

"You'd better really know the way," said Ji Yanqing.

There wouldn't be much water left in the reservoir now, if any at all. In this situation, finding it would indeed be difficult, and they didn't have time to spare. It was almost one o'clock, and the hottest part of the day had passed. The air was no longer oppressively hot, but the moisture they had lost wasn't coming back. Their lips were chapped, and their throats burned with pain. At worst, they might not make it until noon the next day.

"Relax!" the man sighed in relief. "My name is Zhang Guxian."

Ji Yanqing glanced at him and took the lead in tucking up his pants and sleeves. "Try not to expose your skin."

After placing the younger child in a backpack and helping Ji'an with his pants and sleeves, Ji Yanqing led the way to the tall rice plants. Once everyone was ready, he led them into the fields.

The rice plants were so tall that they needed to look up to see the tops. The ground was dry and cracked, and the mutated plants had thick, finger-like roots that intertwined on the surface. The half-human-height leaves rustled against their clothes, and the panicles swayed with their movement, releasing pollen. The air was stagnant and stiflingly hot.

Everyone was on high alert, ready for anything that might jump out at them. They were so tense that beads of sweat formed on most of their foreheads. However, after walking nearly two miles through the entire field and entering the forest at the foot of the mountain, they encountered no danger.

Relieved, they exchanged glances and exhaled deeply.

"Keep going," Ji Yanqing urged, leading them up the mountain. They weren't far enough from the city yet.

No one spoke; they gritted their teeth and followed. The world had already collapsed, and many common-sense rules no longer applied. This was true for the forest as well. Despite being close to the city and not very lush, the forest had grown into a dense, thousand-year-old forest in just six months. The trees were massive, requiring several people to encircle them.

Many trees hadn't had the chance to grow fully before being consumed by their neighbors. From a distance, it seemed as though the devoured trees were screaming in agony, though this might have been their imagination.

The surroundings were quiet, and their nerves, which should have relaxed away from the city, only tightened further in the eerie environment. They pushed forward for another hour until their strength was completely drained, and even breathing became painful. Only then did Ji Yanqing suggest resting.

Hearing Ji Yanqing say "rest where we are," everyone collapsed to the ground like deflated balloons. No one spoke; the forest echoed with heavy breathing.

Ji'an, who had been carried by Xia Shenshu, ran to Ji Yanqing as soon as he was set down, seeking proximity to him. Xia Shenshu muttered something about "ingratitude" as he lay on the ground.

Ji Yanqing found a spot to sit and took the child out of his backpack. Then, he took out some dates and dried mushrooms he had found earlier and tossed them to Xia Shenshu to distribute.

Seeing food, Xia Shenshu quickly got up from the ground. Upon seeing the meager dates and dried mushrooms, he looked dispirited.

"Eat these," Ji Yanqing said, handing Xia Shenshu small bread rolls and two small packets of fish tofu that he had set aside for Ji'an and the others.

Ji'an looked at Ji Yanqing and accepted the fish tofu. The other child saw the small bread rolls and swallowed involuntarily but dared not reach out to take them.

Ji Yanqing didn't force it and simply placed the small bread roll and fish tofu meant for him on the ground.

"How long were you there?" Ji Yanqing asked Ji'an.

Ji'an, who had been holding the fish tofu in both hands, thought for a moment and held up five tiny fingers.

"Five days?" Ji Yanqing was slightly surprised.

"He doesn't know shit..." the bald man chuckled as he ate the dates. "He would have died of thirst after five days."

In such high temperatures, five days without water would be unbearable, even for a group of adults, let alone a three-year-old child.

"It's true..." Ji'an grew anxious. He could count and had reached a hundred.

The bald man looked at him.

Ji'an immediately became frightened and stopped talking, hiding behind Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing suddenly remembered the blood and hole on the other child's clothes, which he had changed under the cover of darkness while the others were unaware.

"What's your name?" Ji Yanqing asked the other child.

The child remained silent, looking at Ji Yanqing and the group fearfully.

"Why were you there?" Ji Yanqing asked again.

"My mom told me to wait for her there..." This time, the child spoke before Ji'an could, sounding hurried as he searched around.

Noticing that his mother wasn't there and that the place had become unfamiliar, his mouth quivered as if he was about to cry.

If he left, his mother wouldn't be able to find him when she returned.

Thinking about how his mother might not find him, tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks.

The bald man pursed his lips, having no patience with children, but he held his tongue. After all, the boy was just like Ji'an—only three years old yet too afraid to cry out loud even when sobbing.

"Have some food first. When you're full, I'll take you to find her," Ji Yanqing coaxed him gently.

The boy looked up at Ji Yanqing through teary eyes, crying even harder. He tried not to make a sound, his chest heaving as he sobbed, a sight that tugged at one's heartstrings.

"She's fine. You'll see her soon," Ji Yanqing said.

The boy clutched tightly at the T-shirt Ji Yanqing had put on him, his sobs growing more and more desperate. His tiny chest rose and fell rapidly, as if the sadness and injustice inside were about to overflow.

Ji Yanqing was at a loss, not understanding why the more he tried to comfort the boy, the harder he cried.

Just as Ji Yanqing was thinking of what else to say, a realization struck him. The reason the boy continued to cry might not be because he couldn't find his mother, but because he had already understood that he would never see her again.

He had realized that he had been abandoned.

Before they were found, he and Ji'an had been hiding in that building for several days. Though young, they had endured a long enough time to understand many things.

A bitter taste filled Ji Yanqing's throat.

He reached out and pulled the boy into his arms.

"Cry it out. This is the last time you cry," Ji Yanqing paused, "From now on, your name will be Ji Le."

Held tightly, feeling the warmth and reassurance of Ji Yanqing's arms around him, and hearing the words spoken right by his ear, the boy finally let out a wail.

In the silent forest, his heart-wrenching cries echoed for a moment.