Chapter 38

Chapter 38

001.

Feng Yimo, who had shrunk into a tiny dot about to vanish in the forest, suddenly reappeared for an instant before running back.

Seeing the approaching figure, Xia Shenshu heaved a heavy sigh of relief while his lips couldn't help but twitch. "Didn't you notice that the direction was a bit off?"

The returning Feng Yimo looked on with cold and blank eyes.

Xia Shenshu's lips twitched again. He gave up; it was a miracle that Feng Yimo had survived this long.

"Stay close to me." Xia Shenshu tightened his grip on the gun in his hand. After speaking, he quickly added, "Ji Yanqing is over here."

Feng Yimo, who was about to rush forward, paused for a moment before choosing to follow.

Lan Zi had already disappeared into the forest ahead. Xia Shenshu glanced back at the others and then led Feng Yimo and Ji Le quickly towards the direction Lan Zi had left in.

In just a moment, the two of them vanished into the forest.

Watching their figures disappear, the group left behind exchanged glances.

"…Should we go?" Li Pingsen murmured.

"Are you crazy?" Xia Chen asked with a pale face.

"Do you want to go back to die?" Xia Chen raised his voice, as if trying to convince Li Pingsen, or perhaps himself.

Just now, they were fleeing in panic. His heart was still pounding wildly in his chest. To go back now?

They had barely escaped a disaster. Going back now would be no different from seeking death.

Li Pingsen's lips moved. His gaze swept over the faces of the people around him. In the darkness, everyone's faces were pale, and they were all looking in the direction Xia Shenshu and the others had left.

Li Pingsen's lips trembled. He tried to say something, but no words came out.

After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and turned to follow Xia Shenshu.

Seeing Li Pingsen turn back, the silent group stirred. Everyone looked at each other.

It was unclear who took the first step, followed by the second person, then the third. Soon, most of the team began moving with Li Pingsen, determined to find Ji Yanqing.

As the main group started to move, Xia Chen, whose face was pale and heart pounding, looked at the dark forest ahead, filled with countless dangers. A muscle in his face twitched, but in the next moment, he still stepped forward to catch up.

"Are you all crazy?" The man from Xue Gang's team, who had been kicked by Xia Shenshu and held a gun, saw the group actually heading back. His expression turned uglier, and he couldn't help but curse. "What's wrong with you all!"

No one responded to him. Li Pingsen and the group only clenched their teeth and moved forward slowly with pale faces.

There were only two guns left in their group: one in Xia Chen's hands and one in Su Luo's, who was younger. Su Luo's was a handgun.

Apart from them, the others at most had machetes or homemade spears in their hands.

With such an array, if they encountered the awakened zombies chasing them earlier or another creature in the mountains, they would surely die.

Fully aware of this, the group heading back couldn't help but feel their legs trembling. Their hearts hung high, and their steps were cautious. Everyone walked on eggshells.

They clenched their teeth and moved forward for nearly five or six minutes, covering only about a hundred meters.

"Crunch…"

Someone stepped on dry leaves, making a faint sound in the silent darkness.

That sound was like thunder out of the blue. The group, already at the limit of their nerves, immediately turned to look back.

Facing those pale faces, the person who stepped on the leaves revealed an expression as if they were about to cry.

Seeing that face, the throats of those who looked back slid. They became even more vigilant and fearful, their hair standing on end, and their spines shivering with cold.

Everyone was afraid, but no one said they wanted to go back. Even though they were terrified, and their limbs were shaking, they still continued forward with gritted teeth.

Ji Yanqing was a good person.

Although the time they had spent with Ji Yanqing might not have been very long, they had all clearly realized this point.

In such a large environment, people like Xue Gang were the mainstream.

Even if they were in Xue Gang's position, they couldn't guarantee they could do better than him. They might even be worse.

When there was no danger, they couldn't even guarantee they were good people. How much more so when the team faced danger and needed to turn back to attract the attention of the awakened zombies to give others a chance to escape.

They knew what kind of people they were and were also very clear about the kind of people their teammates were. That was why they clung tightly to Ji Yanqing.

Because they all knew that apart from Ji Yanqing, no one would be willing to turn back and lend a helping hand when they were in danger.

In the darkness, Li Pingsen, who was walking at the front, swallowed hard, the sound loud enough to startle himself.

Li Pingsen was adjusting his rapid breathing when a faint noise came from not far ahead. He immediately felt his scalp tingle as he looked in the direction of the sound.

Those behind him had also heard the noise and looked over in alarm.

Xia Shenshu turned back. Seeing Li Pingsen and the group catching up, he was genuinely surprised.

After his surprise, he raised an eyebrow. He instantly guessed the reason Li Pingsen and the others had followed, but he didn't say anything.

Recognizing Xia Shenshu and seeing Lan Zi and Feng Yimo, who was carrying Ji Le, around him, Li Pingsen and the group couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Everyone quickly approached, intending to follow Xia Shenshu and the others.

In the forest, Ji Yanqing rushed towards the direction where he had left Ji'an.

It took him some time to finally return to that area. As he approached, he immediately lightened his steps and searched in the darkness.

The woods were pitch black; he didn't see another roaring creature or Ji'an.

Ji Yanqing quickly ran from behind one large tree to another. Just as he was about to run towards another tree, he saw a small figure running in the darkness from afar.

That figure was short and thin. The clothes on his small body were slightly too big, making his movements appear clumsy.

Ji Yanqing recognized Ji'an at first glance, and his heart leaped into his throat.

He rushed out from behind the tree and towards Ji'an. Without waiting for Ji'an to speak, he scooped him up into his arms and ran towards a nearby tree.

After hiding again, Ji Yanqing looked around to ensure safety before turning to Ji'an, whose mouth he had covered. "Didn't I tell you to find the others?"

Ji Yanqing was somewhat angry that Ji'an hadn't listened.

Ji'an had already recognized Ji Yanqing. With tears on his face, his short little arms tightly wrapped around Ji Yanqing's neck. He held on so tightly that he almost choked Ji Yanqing.

Feeling the force on his neck, Ji Yanqing swallowed back his reprimand.

Leaving Ji'an in the forest had been his mistake.

Ji'an and Ji Le had always acted maturely, often making him forget that they were only three years old.

At that moment, he had only thought about creating an opportunity to escape; otherwise, they would all die here. But he had forgotten how scared Ji'an must have been when suddenly left alone in the unfamiliar, dark woods and facing such danger.

Ji Yanqing hugged Ji'an tightly and gently patted his back.

"Sorry..." Ji'an pouted, trying hard to keep his voice down. He knew he hadn't listened, which made Ji Yanqing worry.

Hearing the small, tearful apology, Ji Yanqing's anger instantly dissolved into guilt.

As Ji Yanqing prepared to apologize, he faintly heard a subtle sound.

Ji Yanqing immediately became fully alert and picked up the gun beside his feet.

"Ji Yanqing?" A weak, tentative voice came from the darkness not far away, like a mosquito's buzz.

The voice was blurred by the darkness and distance, but Ji Yanqing still recognized its owner: Lan Zi.

With one hand holding the axe and Ji'an, and the other holding the gun, Ji Yanqing quickly headed in that direction.

Running over a hundred meters, Ji Yanqing saw Feng Yimo and the group behind a tree ahead, and he sighed with relief. His gaze shifted, and he was momentarily stunned when he saw Li Pingsen and his group behind Xia Shenshu and the others.

He wasn't surprised that Feng Yimo, Xia Shenshu, and Lan Zi had come back to look for him, but the fact that Li Pingsen and his group of thirty or so people had all returned was unexpected.

"Daddy..." Ji Le, who had been quiet the whole time while being carried by Feng Yimo, couldn't hold back any longer upon seeing Ji Yanqing. He had been more worried and afraid than anyone else when Ji Yanqing disappeared.

Ji Yanqing handed the gun back to Li Pingsen and touched Ji Le's cheek, wiping away his tears. "Don't cry."

"That thing over there is..." Xia Shenshu had been paying attention to their right side since earlier.

Ji Yanqing looked in that direction.

On the snow about fifteen to sixteen meters to their right, the snow had been displaced, revealing the dark yellow soil beneath. It looked as if a large animal had struggled there for a long time.

Given its size, it was likely the awakened zombie.

Seeing the wide marks, the group, who had just relaxed due to their successful reunion, felt their hair stand on end once again, as if they were in an icy cellar.

"Did you see another Zombie King in the woods?" Ji Yanqing looked at Ji'an in his arms. Ji'an had come from this direction to find him.

Ji'an immediately shook his head. His watery eyes showed a hint of unease. He hadn't seen another Zombie King. Was there another Zombie King in these woods?

Feng Yimo's dark eyes silently gazed at Ji'an. While Ji'an hadn't seen it, he had.

"Ji Yanqing." Lan Zi spoke, her tone stiff and laced with obvious anger.

Ji Yanqing looked over.

"Do you know how worried and scared I was when I found out you went back? That was an awakened zombie, an entity on the verge of evolving into a Zombie King. Do you know you could have died!" Lan Zi tried to lower her voice, but the anger in her tone didn't diminish.

"If something happened to you—" Lan Zi wanted to say more, but she swallowed her words.

She understood that Ji Yanqing's independent action was largely because they couldn't help much.

In that situation, even if Ji Yanqing had told them beforehand, they would have likely only tried to stop him and then watched from a distance.

Lan Zi fell silent, feeling frustrated. Ji Yanqing was taken aback for a moment but then started laughing.

Lan Zi was worried about him.

Lan Zi was fierce, like an older sister.

Ji Yanqing's face was naturally beautiful, with clean features, a high nose bridge, and lips as soft as jelly, topped with fluffy hair. Even when he wasn't smiling, people couldn't help but sneak glances at him.

Now, as he laughed without restraint in the darkness, his quiet and warm smile left the group of thirty or so people speechless.

Xia Shenshu also smiled, his face beaming, but there was no warmth in his eyes. He hadn't planned to say anything at this moment, but since Lan Zi had brought it up, the confrontation had to continue.

Xia Shenshu sternly said, "We are now a team, a large team. We should face challenges together, not let someone bear the burden alone."

Xia Shenshu looked around. "And don't forget, you're the captain of this Survival Team. Anyone in this Survival Team can die, except for you. If you die, the Survival Team will fall apart."

Hearing Xia Shenshu's words, Li Pingsen's lips twitched. They didn't want to die either, but Xia Shenshu was right about one thing.

If Ji Yanqing died, their team would indeed disband.

If anyone other than Ji Yanqing had gotten separated today, they wouldn't have risked coming back to find them.

Today, if it were anyone else, that person wouldn't have possibly tried to attract the awakened zombie's attention either. "Sorry." Ji Yanqing took a deep breath. At that moment, he hadn't thought much and didn't have time to think much. Feng Yimo's gaze was deep as he joined in the criticism, "Follow me closely later and don't run around." Everyone was taken aback, and in the next moment, they all looked at Feng Yimo. Seeing Feng Yimo's serious and cold features in the darkness, everyone fell silent. The solemn atmosphere of the criticism meeting suddenly dissipated, replaced by silence. What was Feng Yimo thinking to have the courage to say these words? Sensing everyone's silence, Feng Yimo was confused. Was there a problem? Ji Yanqing rubbed his forehead. "Let's go. We need to leave this place." As Ji Yanqing spoke, he immediately led everyone in the direction they had fled earlier, trying to get as far away from this area as possible. They didn't know what had happened in these mountains or where the thing that should be the Zombie King had gone after. They also didn't know if the escaped awakened zombie would return. Every second they lingered in these mountains, they became more dangerous. Collecting their thoughts, the group moved quickly again. In just seven or eight minutes, they had run quite a distance. After moving through the forest for nearly ten minutes, they saw a group of people in the darkness ahead. It was the twenty-odd survivors from Xue Gang's team. After Li Pingsen's group left, they immediately headed in the opposite direction. Hearing the commotion, the group turned around and saw Ji Yanqing's group. Seeing that Li Pingsen and Ji Yanqing had successfully reunited, most of the people in their team wore expressions of surprise. Most of them didn't think Li Pingsen and the others would still be alive when they returned. Ji Yanqing ignored the group and led the others forward quickly. The three survivors from Xue Gang's team who still had guns exchanged glances. The man who had been kicked by Xia Shenshu made the decision and led the way. "Let's go." The group approached quickly and followed behind Ji Yanqing's team. Ji Yanqing glanced back but didn't pay attention. Their priority was to leave this area first. This mountain range was long, connecting to the mountains near the county. They had been running in the direction away from the county and had already covered a considerable distance. After the group gathered, they ran forward again. After two or three hours, they reached the end of the mountain range. Looking down from a high vantage point, the dark wasteland was dotted with large and small bushes like tumors everywhere. The bushes were the territory of the awakened zombie. If possible, they didn't want to step into them again, but now they had no choice but to face the challenge head-on. After determining their direction, Ji Yanqing led everyone down the mountain and back into the wasteland with gritted teeth. Returning to the wasteland, their route deviated completely from the railway tracks. Instead of leading everyone on a detour to find the tracks, Ji Yanqing led them in a parallel path to the tracks. By the time they came down from the mountain, the sky was already faintly brightening. After entering the wasteland and running for another two hours, the sky was fully lit. After running for four to five hours in a row, everyone's speed gradually slowed down, especially the group from Xue Gang's team who had been chased by the awakened zombie for several days. Many of them lagged behind the others by twenty to thirty meters. Ji Yanqing glanced at his own team and was considering finding a place for everyone to rest temporarily when Feng Yimo, running to his left, looked towards the bushes on the right. Following his line of sight, Ji Yanqing initially only saw clusters of bushes. But after running another twenty to thirty meters, he spotted a familiar, massive figure hiding behind a narrow gap. The awakened zombie was just over a hundred meters to their right. At that moment, it was hugging its tail tightly and crouching on the ground, curled up into a round ball. It seemed to be emitting fearful whimpers from its throat. After coming down from the mountains, it had also chosen to flee in the direction away from the mountain range. They were running in the same direction. Ji Yanqing's breathing paused instantly, and his rapidly beating heart due to the intense running felt as if it was being tightly gripped by someone, unable to beat any longer. Ji Yanqing immediately turned to look at the others, who had yet to notice the awakened zombie. He quickly turned back and made warning gestures to those behind him. The exhausted group, barely having the strength to breathe, saw the gesture and their footsteps faltered. In the next moment, they hurriedly turned their heads to look around. Ji'an, who was being carried by Ji Yanqing, had already seen the awakened zombie. His Adam's apple involuntarily slid as he swallowed saliva. The awakened zombie looked fierce, but it tasted so good... Recalling the sweet juice he had tasted when he bit its tail, Ji'an secretly glanced at Ji Yanqing and then touched the pocket of his outer jacket. Inside the pocket was the scale he had plucked from the awakened zombie's tail. The scale wasn't as tasty as the juice, but it was still fragrant and crispy. Thinking about the sweet taste of the juice and the fragrant, crispy texture of the scale, Ji'an's Adam's apple couldn't help but slide again. If he had known, he should have plucked more scales just now. "Mmm?" The awakened zombie, with its tail tip bald and a clear tooth mark on it, was vaguely aware of something as it tried to hide itself between two bushes. It was half a head taller than the bush bugs, and as soon as it moved, Xia Shenshu and the others running behind Ji Yanqing immediately noticed its presence. In that instant, everyone's hearts pounded fiercely. In the next moment, everyone quickly found nearby bushes to hide in. "Mmm..." The awakened zombie scanned its surroundings. Not daring to stay in one place, it rushed off towards an even greater distance, trying to escape. Ji Yanqing and the others, whose hearts were already pounding in their throats, heard the sound of its escape and cautiously peeked out from behind the bushes. Seeing its rapidly fleeing back, the group exchanged bewildered glances. Ji Yanqing turned to look at the mountains, and the others did the same.

Seeing the mountain top that still cast a faint shadow in the distance, everyone shivered.

What was there in that mountain?

What could possibly scare an awakened zombie on the verge of becoming a Zombie King to such an extent?

Having narrowly escaped, no one had any thoughts of resting this time. They all emptied their minds and tried to stride forward as quickly as they could, attempting to get as far away from this wasteland as possible.

However, this wasteland was much larger than they had anticipated.

After leaving the mountains, they ran for a long time in a single direction, until the weather became unbearably hot. Yet, they still hadn't managed to escape the wasteland.

As the hottest part of the day approached, their skin started to ache just from standing under the sun. Ji Yanqing had no choice but to order everyone to find a place to rest.

The campsite they found was a long corridor formed by two large clusters of shrubs. The branches above provided good cover for the ground below. Although the space was narrow, it was much better than being exposed to the scorching sun.

Once inside the corridor, everyone collapsed onto the ground without any regard for their appearance, panting heavily.

The external heat combined with the burning sensation within their bodies made them feel like they were in a sauna. The heat wasn't just uncomfortable; it was painful.

After catching his breath, Ji Yanqing looked at Xue Gang's group of about ten people who were sitting alone.

Upon meeting again, Xue Gang's group now consisted of around twenty-two people. Six had died in the mountain, including Xue Gang and the bald man, leaving only sixteen of them. Three of them had guns, while the other thirteen were ordinary members.

"What do you plan to do?" Ji Yanqing asked proactively.

Being questioned, those dozen or so people, who had been on the run and lacked water and food for a long time, all turned to look at Ji Yanqing.

Their state and complexion were terrible, as if they were on the brink of death.

Their lifeless gazes swept across Ji Yanqing's face, but none of them spoke.

Their extreme exhaustion prevented them from thinking, and Xue Gang's sudden death left them with no clear direction.

During the time they spent following Xue Gang, they had ceased to be considered human. They were merely laborers obtained by Xue Gang at a low cost. They had felt anger and hatred before, but what good did it do them?

Without Xue Gang's group, they might not even have access to the meager amounts of food and water they received. Their chances of survival would be even slimmer.

They had become numb long ago.

Now that Xue Gang was dead, they were free, but they also had nothing left.

"Do you want to join my team?" Ji Yanqing got straight to the point, as expanding their group was the original purpose of their journey here.

Hearing Ji Yanqing's deliberately lowered voice, which was icy yet still carried a hint of warmth, the dozen people were taken aback.

The first to react was the man who had been kicked by Xia Shenshu. "Your team?"

His gaze swept over the faces of the group beside Ji Yanqing, revealing a calculating expression in his eyes.

Ji Yanqing didn't answer him but instead quietly looked at the other thirteen ordinary members.

Under Ji Yanqing's gaze, the brains of those thirteen blank-minded individuals gradually started working. After a moment of eye contact with Ji Yanqing, they turned to look at Li Pingsen and the others beside him.

They knew that Ji Yanqing was acquainted with Li Pingsen and the others. Ji Yanqing had previously traveled with Xue Gang's group, while Li Pingsen and the others had once been part of Xue Gang's team.

"Okay," said the man who had been kicked by Xia Shenshu.

Ji Yanqing looked at him.

The man smiled at Ji Yanqing. "We'll join."

The other two men with guns glanced at him, somewhat unhappy with his assumption of leadership after Xue Gang's death. However, they didn't say anything, as they truly had no other options.

As for the other thirteen ordinary members around them, they were even less worth their concern.

Ji Yanqing's gaze swept over the other thirteen faces. Not hearing any objections, he extended his hand towards the man who had spoken. "Guns."

The smile on the man's face froze instantly as he looked at Ji Yanqing's pale palm. "What do you mean?"

"Since it's my team, I naturally decide the distribution of all resources within the team," Ji Yanqing said assertively. "If you're unwilling, you can leave right now."

Listening to Ji Yanqing's strong words and seeing his outstretched hand, the man's face darkened rapidly.

The faces of the two men beside him were also extremely unpleasant.

In Xue Gang's team, they had always been close to Xue Gang, occupying a higher position than all the other ordinary members. They were the ones in power.

They knew how the ordinary members of Xue Gang's team viewed them. If given the chance, those people would definitely try to kill them.

The reason they were still alive was because they had guns.

Everyone in Ji Yanqing's team was from Xue Gang's team. If they really handed over their guns to Ji Yanqing, the others wouldn't let them off easily.

"Have you decided?" Ji Yanqing withdrew his hand, clearly indicating his intention to dismiss them.

He could accept the ordinary members of Xue Gang's team, but if given a choice, he really didn't want these three. He was eager to expand his team, but that didn't mean he would accept anyone and everyone.

He wasn't that kind-hearted.

"Sigh..." One of the men with guns exhaled deeply. Leaning against the shrub behind him, he looked up at the cloudless blue sky above.

Two seconds later, his face pale, he threw his gun at Ji Yanqing's feet.

Ji Yanqing looked at him.

The man smiled, but his smile was more painful than tears.

The two people beside him looked at him in disbelief. Didn't he know what awaited him without the gun? The man smiled. "Sorry." It was unclear whether his apology was directed at the two men with guns or the others from Xue Gang's team in the corridor. Ji Yanqing asked, "What's your name?" "Mo Xian, the 'leisure' from 'stealing half a day of leisure from life.'" His parents named him this, hoping that his life would be one of ease and comfort, but fate had other plans. He had once wanted to be a principled person, but merely surviving had left him exhausted. Ji Yanqing nodded and set the gun aside. Ji Yanqing didn't say anything about not holding grudges. If you dared to do something, you should be prepared to face the consequences. And if Mo Xian dared to put down the gun, then Ji Yanqing believed he could survive without it. Though the price might be heavy. Seeing Mo Xian hand over the gun, the other man and the one who had been kicked by Xia Shenshu exchanged a glance, their expressions wavering. Xue Gang was now dead, their previous Survival Team no longer existed, and they were low on bullets, food, and water. The man who had been kicked by Xia Shenshu had a sullen expression, lost in thought. "We'll join," said the thirteen ordinary team members beside them, as their expressions changed. They had no other choice. Li Pingsen's daring return to find Ji Yanqing had left an impression on them. Although they didn't have much of a relationship with Li Pingsen's group, they had all been part of the same Survival Team. They believed that if the one who had gone missing had been Xue Gang, even if someone held a gun to Li Pingsen's head, they wouldn't have returned. But after Ji Yanqing went missing, Li Pingsen and the others turned back. Ji Yanqing nodded. At the same time, Ji Yanqing looked at Li Pingsen. "Get some water and food to distribute." After a night and morning of turmoil, they were exhausted, and everyone's throats were parched. Hearing this, Li Pingsen and his group quickly turned around and opened their backpacks. As food and water were continuously taken out and placed on the ground, Mo Xian and the others couldn't help but swallow. They hadn't eaten for a long time, especially lacking water, their throats were dry and painful, and their eyes were fixed on the water. Li Pingsen quickly received a portion of food and water from Xia Shenshu, who was in charge of distributing it, and turned to hand it to one of the thirteen who had just joined, standing beside him. Seeing the food and water offered to him, the man rubbed his dirty hands on his clothes before eagerly accepting it. Holding the food and water, his Adam's apple moved as he felt the pain in his throat. Urgently, he took the items to share with the twelve others around him. Li Pingsen noticed and reminded him, "That's one person's portion." The twelve people who had gathered to share and the one holding the food were taken aback. Everyone turned to look at Li Pingsen. Under their gaze, Li Pingsen straightened his back. He spoke again, making sure everyone could hear, "This is one person's portion." As he spoke, he took another portion of food from Xia Shenshu and handed it over. Li Pingsen passed the food to the second person, watching the astonished expression on their face. His heart, previously filled with exhaustion and fear, was now filled with a sense of satisfaction and weight. Unable to resist, he added, "In our team, we don't follow Xue Gang's ways. When there's food, we eat together; when there isn't, we go hungry and thirsty together." Hearing this, Li Pingsen couldn't help but look back at the others, meeting their slightly straightened backs and calm smiles. Suddenly, he understood the heavy yet satisfying feeling in his chest. It was pride. Although it was amusing, he truly felt proud at that moment. This was their team, Ji Yanqing's team, different from Xue Gang's. Li Pingsen took the third and fourth portions of food from Xia Shenshu and passed them to the third and fourth individuals. There were thirteen people in total, and each received their own portion of food and water. When the fourteenth portion was handed to him, Li Pingsen looked at Mo Xian across from him. He hesitated for a moment but still personally handed it over. Some things happened, and he couldn't treat Mo Xian the same as the others. But as he had said, their team, Ji Yanqing's team, didn't follow Xue Gang's ways. "Th... thank you..." Mo Xian was dazed as he stared at the food and water in his hands, unable to come back to his senses for a while. "Pretending," sneered the man who had been kicked by Xia Shenshu, his Adam's apple moving. Li Pingsen glanced at him, having no interest in engaging with him. The others felt the same way, ignoring him completely. The man beside him, still holding a gun, stared intently at the food and water in the hands of the others. He hesitated but ultimately couldn't bear to give up his gun. After everyone received their portion of food, they started eating and drinking. The amount of food and water they received wasn't enough to satisfy their hunger and thirst, especially after a night and morning of exhaustion and deprivation. Yet, it was enough for them. Ji Yanqing paid little attention to the distribution of food. His focus was on Ji'an and Ji Le.

He hadn't noticed it before, but as they were about to eat, he saw a streak of blackish-green smudge on the corner of Ji'an's mouth. It looked like he had eaten something and didn't clean his mouth properly. Ji Yanqing tried wiping it off with his finger, but it had dried on his face. He had to take a piece of paper, dampen it with some water, and carefully remove the stain. "Don't eat things randomly; it'll hurt your stomach," Ji Yanqing reminded him after throwing away the paper. Ji'an and Ji Le were so well-behaved that he often forgot they were only three years old—ages when, in the past, children would still need their parents to chase them around to feed them. Ji'an licked his lips, his gaze following the paper Ji Yanqing had discarded. The food Ji Yanqing gave him was the only thing he could eat apart from water, although every day, Ji Yanqing and Ji Le would watch him, making sure he ate something. Yet, the feeling of hunger only grew stronger, sometimes leaving him so famished that his limbs felt weak. He had been resisting the thought, but now he clearly realized why he couldn't eat and why he still felt hungry even after eating—it was because these weren't the things he should be eating. He was turning into a little zombie. Zombies didn't eat human food; they ate other zombies and humans. Ji'an shifted his gaze from the paper and looked at Ji Yanqing. He didn't want to eat humans because he knew Ji Yanqing would definitely dislike him for it, and he didn't want to be disliked by Ji Yanqing. So he had made up his mind: From now on, he would only eat zombies. He wanted to be a good zombie. Images of the zombies' pale, rotten, and ugly faces flashed through his mind, causing his brows to furrow slightly. He decided he would only eat the good-looking zombies. If he became ugly too, Ji Yanqing would surely dislike him even more. "Eat quickly." After finishing his own meal, Ji Yanqing noticed that Ji'an hadn't touched his food. Worried, he urged him to start eating. Ji'an obediently nodded and took a small bite of the biscuit in front of him, the sweet aroma of cream filling his nostrils. He swallowed, but not because of the biscuit. His thoughts were consumed by the awakened zombie from earlier. He reached into his pocket, where he kept the scales. "Brother..." As Ji'an was thinking about the awakened zombie, Ji Le, who had finished eating, came over and snuggled close to him. Ji'an looked over. Ji Le leaned his head against Ji'an's cheek and sniffed, his Adam's apple moving involuntarily. His voice was soft and tender. "It smells so nice..." Ji'an paused mid-bite, and his slightly flushed cheeks turned pale. "Brother..." Ji Le sat next to Ji'an, his long lashes fluttering as he spoke in a soft and endearing tone. He knew each of them only had one portion of food, and he shouldn't take Ji'an's share, but Ji'an smelled so good... Ji'an glanced at the biscuit in his hand and offered it to Ji Le's pink lips. Ji Le took a small bite, but as soon as he tasted the sweet biscuit, his brows furrowed slightly. It wasn't this. The pleasant scent coming from Ji'an wasn't from this. Ji'an's expression darkened. He glanced at Ji Yanqing, who was drinking water and not paying attention to them. Carefully, he reached into his pocket and took out a scale from the tail of the awakened zombie. He clenched his fist around it and quickly waved it under Ji Le's nose. Ji Le's eyes, wet and bright, immediately lit up. This was it. "Brother..." Ji Le hugged Ji'an's arm and cooed softly. Hearing the weak words and feeling the grip on his hand, Ji'an's mind went blank, and his limbs turned icy cold, as if submerged in winter's icy waters. If Ji Le found the scent appealing, did that mean he was turning into a little zombie too? Ji'an turned around and hugged Ji Le tightly. "Brother?" Ji Le, attracted by the pleasant scent, was suddenly embraced and froze. This sudden hug jolted him back to reality, reminding him that he had shamelessly tried to eat Ji'an's food. His innocent, fair face flushed red. Each of them only had one portion of food. How could he be so selfish? If he ate Ji'an's food, what would Ji'an eat? Ji'an would go hungry. "I'm not hungry. I just wanted to smell it. I didn't want to eat it..." Ji Le knew how bad he had been, and his ears turned red with shame. "Don't tell Dad." Ji'an covered Ji Le's mouth, which was hurriedly trying to explain. Ji Le, unable to speak with his mouth covered, looked at Ji'an anxiously. He was afraid that Ji'an would be angry with him and think he was bad. If Ji'an disliked him... Just the thought of it made Ji Le's heart ache. If Ji Yanqing was the best dad in the world, then Ji'an was the best brother. If Ji'an disliked him, he would definitely cry. "I'll give you some tonight." Ji'an cautiously glanced at Ji Yanqing and whispered into Ji Le's ear, "Dad is very busy and tired. He leads the team and takes care of us. We can't let him worry any more." Ji Le knew that Ji Yanqing worked hard. Although he didn't fully understand what Ji'an meant, he obediently nodded. Ji'an released Ji Le's mouth, stroked his head, and hugged him, rubbing his cheek against Ji Le's. His face was filled with seriousness and sorrow. Even if they both turned into little zombies, he would still take good care of Ji Le. When Ji Yanqing finished drinking and turned around, he saw the two little ones cuddling. His heart softened, and he gently ruffled their heads. "Let's take a nap." The heat was so intense that it blurred their minds. Whether they slept or not didn't matter much. Falling asleep would actually be more comfortable.

After settling the two kids beside him, Ji Yanqing didn't lie down; he stayed awake to watch over the group.

Most of them were exhausted from last night's poor sleep and the continuous fleeing, especially the dozen or so people who had been with Xue Gang. After eating, they quickly fell into a deep slumber.

Once everyone was asleep, only Ji Yanqing and Feng Yimo remained awake.

In the silence, Ji Yanqing looked at Feng Yimo sitting across from him: his smooth straight black hair, high nose bridge, and thin lips. Feng Yimo was completely different from the weary people around him, almost out of place in this world.

Feng Yimo was resting his eyes, but Ji Yanqing knew he was still awake.

Sensing the gaze, Feng Yimo's long, slightly curled eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes.

Before Feng Yimo could look over, Ji Yanqing shifted his gaze to the two sleeping children beside him.

Without looking up, Ji Yanqing knew that Feng Yimo was watching him.

Something fell from above, landing on Ji Yanqing's lap—it was a small pack of cookies.

Ji Yanqing looked across, meeting Feng Yimo's dark, deep gaze.

Ignoring it, Ji Yanqing continued to look down at Ji'an and Ji Le beside him.

Two seconds later, more food descended from above.

Ji Yanqing caught it before it landed, then lifted his eyes to meet the man trying to feed him. He began to wonder if he had fed Feng Yimo too much for him to have so much food left over.

Ji Yanqing didn't let everyone sleep until their fill. After the hottest part of the day passed, he immediately woke everyone up.

The surroundings were too dangerous; they needed to get away as soon as possible.

After two hours of sleep, everyone felt much better. Though not yet at their best, their pace was faster than before.

Moving in a straight line, they ran and stopped throughout the afternoon, until the sun set and they saw a field of flowers in the distance.

At the sight of the flower field, everyone couldn't help but sigh in relief. Seeing the flower field meant they had escaped the wasteland and the territory of the awakened zombies. It also meant they had survived another ordeal.

They had deviated from their original route, but not by much.

Under the sunset, everyone gazed at the distant flower field.

The flower field wasn't wild; although many of the plants had grown onto the edges of the fields and roads after months of unchecked growth, the square layout indicated that it was likely cultivated by humans. The flowers in the field were probably lavender.

The purple spikes swayed in the cool evening breeze. If one ignored their post-mutation height, which was close to human size, the vast expanse of purple could be described as breathtakingly beautiful, like a fairyland.

The lavender was likely grown by farmers in the nearby village for essential oil extraction. Such cultivation usually covered large areas, encompassing all the farmland around the village.

"Should we detour?" Xia Shenshu asked, looking at Ji Yanqing.

Having experienced the issues with rice and the mountains, they no longer underestimated any mutated plants, especially those covering such a large area.

Fortunately, when they discovered the lavender field, it was still quite far away. Otherwise, if there was a problem with the lavender, they would have been unable to escape.

"Detour to the side, then find a place to camp and rest," said Ji Yanqing.

Everyone was already exhausted, each step causing excruciating pain. If lying down wouldn't mean certain death, they would have collapsed on the ground long ago.

Hearing that they could soon rest, everyone's spirits lifted, and they cheered.

Their bodies, which had been tightly strung, suddenly relaxed, leaving several people nearly stumbling and falling.

"Let's go," Ji Yanqing led the way to the left.

Turning back, Ji Yanqing met a familiar figure head-on. This person bore a striking resemblance to him, but with a clear aura of anger and gloom in his features.

"Dad..." Ji Yanqing's pupils suddenly contracted, and his once agile limbs became heavy as lead. He felt as if he were trapped in an icy dungeon.

Seeing the man approaching with a grim expression, Ji Yanqing instinctively tried to move backward, but realized he couldn't move at all.

"Run..." Ji Yanqing vaguely understood, wanting to warn the others, but he found himself unable to speak.

They hadn't smelled anything, and they were still far from the flower field. However, it was uncertain whether the mutated lavender field even emitted a scent.

They might have unknowingly entered its range before seeing the flower field, falling victim to its effects before they even realized.

Before collapsing, Ji Yanqing instinctively looked toward Ji'an and Ji Le, who were close to Feng Yimo. He needed to remind Feng Yimo to take Ji'an and Ji Le and run...

"Huh, this small town looks like my hometown..." Lan Zi started to say before collapsing to the side.

As she fell, a series of thuds echoed—out of their group of about forty, fewer than five were still standing.

"Damn it, cover your mouths and noses—the flowers are the problem..." Xia Shenshu started to fall to the side when a figure quickly ran towards him. Instinctively, he reached out, and the person caught Ji Yanqing, who was about to collapse beside him.

Xia Shenshu, who hadn't lost consciousness, maintained a face-down position, unable to move but fully aware.

From his angle, he could see Feng Yimo carefully cradling Ji Yanqing in his arms after catching him.

Taking in the scene, Xia Shenshu's unresponsive facial muscles twitched. With over forty people down, Feng Yimo had only supported Ji Yanqing. Could he show a little more team spirit?

This behavior would surely get him ambushed!