Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Bam! Bam! Bam!" Before the startled group could comprehend what was happening, gunshots rang out in quick succession.

The beast's roar followed by gunfire—it was all too familiar.

Without waiting for Ji Yanqing to say anything, everyone moved with practiced ease.

Lan Zi grabbed her backpack and rushed to the rooftop to investigate, while the others quickly packed up their medicine, guns, and food.

As Ji Yanqing tied his axe to his back, he woke up Ji Le. Ji'an had already woken up, but Ji Le had been sleeping soundly. When roused, he appeared unusually exhausted.

"The creature is still at the foot of the mountain. Some people have been left behind, while others have entered the village. Those people have guns," Lan Zi reported as she came down from upstairs.

There was a distance between the foot of the mountain and the village, but it was far from enough. Once they were discovered by the monster, their fate would be sealed.

Their survival against that woman before was sheer luck; the zombified Qian Guoyun and Kang Haoyi had inexplicably prioritized attacking her. None of them believed they would have such fortune again if faced with a similar situation.

They had struggled even against the woman who had just awakened, and the beast at the foot of the mountain was a genuine Zombie King.

"Let's go!" After confirming that everyone had packed everything they could carry, Ji Yanqing led the way downstairs.

Descending the stairs and stepping outside, they turned a corner only to collide with several hurried figures.

Both Ji Yanqing's group and the newcomers were startled, reflexively raising their guns.

"A human?" The few on the other side were surprised. With the virus outbreak and zombies rampant, the probability of encountering a living person around a corner was akin to winning the lottery.

Ji Yanqing recovered first and led the way out of the village. "This way."

Xia Shenshu and the others followed without hesitation.

The remaining individuals looked to their leader, a man who frowned slightly, displeased with Ji Yanqing's initiative but ultimately chose to follow.

Ji Yanqing chose the direction away from the mountains and towards the highway.

The village was located to the right between the previous city and the next urban area, with the mountains further ahead. The beast was now at the foot of those mountains. If they didn't want to return to the previous city or the mountains near the reservoir, their only option was to head towards the highway.

Running along the dirt road out of the village and beyond the surrounding farmland, they continued for nearly an hour until everyone was panting heavily and drenched in sweat. It was then that Ji Yanqing stopped at the front.

There were no large mountains between the two cities, only rugged hills and wilderness stretching into the distance. Ji Yanqing selected a small hill about ten meters high, covered with weeds, and led the group to hide behind it.

The others followed suit upon seeing this.

Once hidden, everyone collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath after their frantic run.

Ji Yanqing glanced back from the edge of the hill, ensuring that the beast wasn't in sight. Satisfied, he turned to observe the group they had encountered in the village.

There were fifteen or so men, all robust and rugged. They seemed well-organized, wearing matching jackets and carrying identical backpacks, each holding a gun.

Their leader was a man in his thirties with an injured right arm. He had a short haircut, scars on his forehead and neck, and a fierce demeanor. Before the virus outbreak, he likely had a background in the underworld.

While Ji Yanqing observed them, the group also scrutinized him and his companions.

"How did you end up there?" the leader asked.

"We just came from the city behind us, looking for food," Xia Shenshu replied, avoiding mention of the awakened zombie. "What about you? What happened?"

"I'm Xue Gang, you can call me Brother Xue. I have a Survival Team in the city ahead. Yesterday, we suddenly encountered a Zombie King's attack and fled here," Xue Gang said, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces. When he noticed Ji'an and Ji Le hiding behind Ji Yanqing, he paused, his expression turning peculiar. "Who are they?"

Ji Yanqing glanced at Ji'an and Ji Le, who had been hiding behind him since the beginning. For some reason, they seemed very afraid of Xue Gang. "My sons."

Xue Gang was taken aback.

Ji'an and Ji Le were visibly startled as well. Their pale, frightened faces turned to look at Ji Yanqing in surprise.

"You don't look alike," Xue Gang exhaled deeply. For a moment, he felt strangely familiar with these two boys, almost thinking they were...

"Hmm." Ji Yanqing showed no intention of explaining further.

Xia Shenshu and the others looked at Ji Yanqing but also had no intention of revealing more.

"Do you have any water?" one of the men beside Xue Gang asked.

Xia Shenshu looked at Ji Yanqing, and after receiving a slight nod, he said, "We need bullets."

In this situation, any resources were extremely precious, especially water and food.

The man looked at Xue Gang, seeking his approval.

Throughout their escape, all their food and water had been depleted last night. Now, they were famished and weak.

They could endure a little longer without food, but they couldn't go without water. Their throats were parched, and their lips were cracked.

Xue Gang nodded.

Xia Shenshu glanced at Lan Zi, who found a bottle of water in her backpack and handed it over. In return, the other side produced ten bullets and threw them to Xia Shenshu.

The number of bullets was somewhat low, and Xia Shenshu was somewhat dissatisfied. In this environment, water was much more valuable than bullets.

The water was first given to Xue Gang, who drank a third of it in one gulp before passing it to the people behind him.

Four people stepped forward to share another third, leaving the final third for the remaining dozen or so people.

Ji Yanqing's brows furrowed slightly beneath his goggles.

"You mentioned having a Survival Team. How many people are in your team?" the bald man asked.

"Over four hundred. If we follow the highway, we should reach the city ahead before nightfall. We should head there. The rest of our team was scavenging nearby when we were attacked; it should still be possible to regroup with them now." Xue Gang said.

"Over four hundred? Can we join you?" The bald man's eyes lit up.

The larger the group, the safer they would be, even though this also brought its own dangers. It was still much better than being just a few people on their own.

Xue Gang's gaze swept over the guns in Ji Yanqing and the others' hands. "Welcome."

"Then we..." The bald man started to speak but suddenly remembered something. He looked at Ji Yanqing, who was the leader of their team.

Xue Gang raised an eyebrow and also looked at Ji Yanqing.

Ji Yanqing didn't seem old, had fair skin, and fluffy, soft hair. His face, although partially hidden under goggles, with his exposed jawline, nose, and lips, was captivating. Additionally, he was accompanied by two children. He didn't look like the leader of a group at all.

Ji Yanqing didn't continue the conversation but instead looked towards the direction of the highway. "Let's go. Before nightfall, we must get as far away as possible."

Ji Yanqing did not oppose going into the city. They had nowhere else to go right now, and entering the city was the best choice.

Hearing this, the bald man was taken aback and became anxious.

Xue Gang lowered his eyes slightly and didn't say anything. He got up.

Seeing this, the others followed suit and stood up.

Just as everyone was about to continue on their journey, a beast's roar suddenly came from behind. Everyone turned around to look, and the sound came from the village.

"Roar!"

The massive black figure raised its head and howled, trying to summon Feng Yimo.

It had caught Feng Yimo's scent in the village. It wasn't sure if that scent belonged to the person Feng Yimo was looking for, but it could very well be Feng Yimo himself. After all, it was Feng Yimo.

It had originally been with Feng Yimo, but after spending three days circling the previous city again and again, and seeing the city for the fifth time, it began to suspect whether Feng Yimo was truly cursed by that city. It then suggested, with some hesitation, that it lead the way.

Feng Yimo readily agreed.

With the responsibility to lead, it immediately ran full speed toward the next city. It reached the city in one swift sprint.

Upon entering the city, it let out a sigh of relief, only to turn around and find that Feng Yimo was no longer there.

Feng Yimo had run off with it, and yet, it had lost him.

In the wilderness, Ji Yanqing took a deep breath and led the way down from the hill. "Let's go."

He had only taken two steps when two small figures appeared on either side of him.

The two little ones looked up at him. Their originally fair ears and cheeks were now flushed red, and their dark eyes were moist. They resembled two anxious little kittens.

Before Ji Yanqing could ask, Ji'an, gathering his courage, spoke in a childlike voice. "Daddy."

Seeing this, Ji Le quickly chimed in softly, "Daddy."

Both little ones spoke with evident unease and nervousness, their long eyelashes fluttering anxiously. Ji Yanqing had just told them that they were his sons.

Ji Yanqing was taken aback for a moment. Then, the cold expression beneath his goggles softened, and he gently patted the heads of the two little ones. "Mm."

Not only were they not scolded, but they were also touched with gentleness. Ji'an and Ji Le's already flushed faces turned even redder, and so did their eyes.

They tried to pout and hold back their tears.

They knew that children with fathers were always protected by their fathers and never bullied. Only children without fathers were often beaten and bullied.

They didn't have a father before, but now they did.

After walking for a while with reddened eyes, Ji'an suddenly turned back. In a childlike but serious tone, he told Ji Yanqing, "I'll protect you too."

Without waiting for Ji Yanqing's reaction, he ran off.

Seeing this, Ji Le panicked, afraid of falling behind. He hurriedly ran to Ji Yanqing's side and told him, "I'll protect you too."

After saying this, Ji Le quickly ran away as well.

Walking behind them, Ji Yanqing watched the two little ones rub their eyes secretly. His heart felt both bitter and warm.

Despite their tiny size and slender fingers, they were already thinking about protecting him, and they were so earnest about it.

Ji Yanqing took a deep breath and looked ahead, keeping watch of their surroundings. In the distance, he saw a figure in the wilderness.

Ji Yanqing paused.

That figure was miles away from them, running in the direction away from the village. Its speed was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, it had covered quite a distance.

Ji Yanqing looked back at the village, which had erupted with another beast roar. Was that person also fleeing because they heard the beast's roar?

{Author's note:

Feng Yimo: ▼＿▼ This city is definitely cursed.}