Chapter 67 Encountering Zombies on the Way

The convoy slowly drove into the abandoned industrial zone, and the surrounding air instantly congealed into a heavy sense of oppression, as if every rustling wind signaled a lurking crisis. The deserted factory buildings stood like ghosts, their windows torn into irregular cracks by shattered glass, trapping the darkness like a dense web of spider silk. The walls were covered in dark brown bloodstains, dried like layers of cracked, withered bark, emitting a sickening, putrid stench.

Beneath their feet, withered yellow weeds stubbornly pierced through the cracked ground, entwining with rusted steel bars and silently recounting the erosion of time. Occasionally, a few stray crows swept past overhead, their harsh cries fading into the distance and leaving a profound silence that echoed in everyone's ears like the low growl of a giant beast.

The rusted iron sheets by the roadside hung precariously, finally sliding to the ground with a sharp clatter, kicking up a few specks of dust in the friction—striking like an alarm bell in everyone's heart: danger was close at hand.

"Slow down, keep a sharp eye on your surroundings," Jiang Qiyu's voice came through the walkie-talkie, calm and majestic.

The convoy's speed dropped rapidly, the tires crunching lightly against the gravel on the ground, as if speaking of caution and restraint in their operation. The drivers skillfully operated the steering wheels, widening the distance between vehicles to a safe margin, while the convoy moved like a beast pulling back its claws, ready at any moment to meet whatever unexpected danger lurked in the gloomy ruins.

However, before the convoy could completely clear the area, an uncoordinated low roar erupted from the abandoned warehouse by the roadside.

"Something's coming!" Shi Chao pointed forward, his gaze as sharp as a knife, yet his voice maintained its customary calmness.

A horde of zombies suddenly swarmed out, their movements bizarre and swift, their eye sockets sunken, and their bloodshot eyeballs devoid of any human nature. Jiang Qiyu quickly gave the order: "Stop the convoy! Those in the back rows take guard, those in the front dismount and engage!"

The team members jumped out of the vehicles with tense expressions, drawing their respective weapons. Lu Yao stood by Jiang Qiyu's side instantly, veins twitching slightly on his forehead, like a blade ready for action at any second. "Don't leave my line of sight," he said, his gaze as deep as a dark pool, carrying a trace of hidden dissatisfaction.

"Got it, stop nagging." Jiang Qiyu lowered her posture, while Jiang Fengmian beside her nimbly drew her chainsaw gun to guard her back. "Sis, don't forget what I taught you last time: either chop the head or slash the tendons, don't waste your energy."

Before she could even finish her sentence, the first zombie had already rushed forward. Lu Yao swung his blade backward in a casual, effortless strike, and the zombie's head split open like a sliced watermelon in a bloody and tragic fashion. With a horizontal sweep of his kick, he sent the corpse flying backward and chuckled softly, "Really boring."

Jiang Qiyu frowned. "Save your stamina, we have a long way to go."

The horde of zombies surged forward, and the stench of decay filled the air. Jiang Qiyu held her breath, scanning her surroundings with sharp eyes, her Tang sword reflecting the light. A zombie lunged at her; she sidestepped quickly, the blade slicing across its neck, and a head tumbled to the ground.

Behind her, Lu Yao moved with ferocious speed, his long saber flashing through the air and claiming a zombie's life with every strike. He wove through the undead like the God of Death.

"Left!" Lu Yao barked. Jiang Qiyu spun around and slashed at the zombie on her left. The blade struck its shoulder with the sound of cracking bone. The zombie shrieked, refusing to fall, and lunged at her instead.

Lu Yao appeared by her side in an instant, his saber sweeping horizontally to cut the creature cleanly in half.

"Thanks," Jiang Qiyu said, continuing her fight against the horde.

"Be careful," Lu Yao murmured.

Working in tandem, they covered each other and carved a path through the monsters. Jiang Qiyu's saber technique was fierce, Lu Yao's footwork ethereal, and together they divided the horde.

The battle dragged on for a long time, yet the number of zombies showed no sign of decreasing. Jiang Qiyu's stamina was gradually draining, her movements slowing down.

"This won't do; we'll be worn down to death at this rate," Jiang Qiyu panted, speaking to Lu Yao.

Lu Yao nodded, scanning the surroundings before pointing at a discarded oil tanker not far away. "Let's head there!"

Fighting and retreating step by step, the two reached the oil tanker. Lu Yao carved a slit into the metal with his dagger, and the pungent smell of gasoline filled the air.

"Fall back!" Lu Yao tossed his lighter toward the tanker.

The tanker exploded, pillars of fire shooting into the sky and consuming the surrounding zombies.

Jiang Qiyu and Lu Yao stood at a distance, watching the roaring flames.

"Let's go," Lu Yao said, turning to Jiang Qiyu. "We need to reunite with the others."

Jiang Qiyu nodded, and the two walked back toward the convoy, leaving behind the charred wreckage of the zombies and the blazing fire.

The battle had concluded swiftly. Lu Yao was like a bloodthirsty Asura, every strike of his blade excruciatingly precise, almost possessing a bizarre aesthetic beauty. As he slaughtered, he never forgot to glance back at Jiang Qiyu to ensure she was safe. Jiang Fengmian was no less impressive; her strength-type superpower was fully displayed in this battle, effortlessly tossing a three-meter-tall zombie flying into the distance.

"I can handle things on my own, don't interfere," Jiang Fengmian said, narrowing her eyes as she gave Lu Yao a flat look tinged with a subtle warning.

"Oh, are all doctors this good at fighting?" Lu Yao raised an eyebrow, casually finishing off a stray zombie that had slipped past. His tone was innocent and harmless, but his face clearly telegraphed that she was getting on his nerves.

"If you have a problem, bite me back," Jiang Fengmian sneered. The chainsaw gun on her shoulder emitted a ferocious tearing sound, instantly cutting a zombie lunging at Jiang Qiyu completely in half at the waist.

The battle ended faster than anticipated, leaving behind a chaotic mess of corpses and the nauseating stench of scorched rotting flesh. Jiang Qiyu instructed the team members to take a casualty count, and after confirming everything was normal, she strode back to the vehicles.

"Everyone is fine, and our equipment is intact," Jiang Qiyu reported briefly, her gaze sweeping over the group. "This was just the opening act. The road ahead will only get worse."

Lu Yao flicked the blade in his hand casually, sending blood droplets flying like splashed ink. He pouted. "If I'd known it would be this troublesome, wouldn't it have been better to just stay in our territory? Why run out here looking for trouble?"

"You can go back," Jiang Qiyu shot him a cold, indifferent glance without a shred of mercy.

"Forget it, I'm your exclusive umbrella; how could I abandon my post so easily?" Lu Yao flashed a bright, toothy grin, though his eyes were more cunning than his laughter. "With me around, you feel a bit more at ease, right?"

The convoy moved slowly along the potholed road, its speed barely faster than a snail. On both sides of the road, dense swarms of zombies surged forward like a tidal wave, letting out blood-curdling screeches, flailing their rotting limbs, and madly throwing themselves at the vehicles.

On top of a vehicle, Jiang Qiyu held a pair of binoculars, observing the surrounding terrain. Her face was solemn, her brows locked in a deep frown. The number of zombies far exceeded their estimates, and they came in a wide variety—not just ordinary zombies, but lightning-fast mutated ones and massive giant zombies as well.

The convoy struggled forward at a snail's pace on the ruined highway, the heavy stench of gasoline mingling with the nauseating smell of decay, grating on everyone's nerves. The road conditions were atrocious, littered with abandoned vehicles and architectural debris scattered across the wilderness like the bones of giant beasts. The drivers carefully manipulated their steering wheels, terrified of blowing a tire or plunging into a deep pothole.

Every single step forward was exceptionally difficult; the tires crunched over gravel and shards of glass, producing a teeth-grunting friction sound. On both sides of the road lay endless hordes of zombies, surging like a black tide and letting out hair-raising shrieks. Some zombies even clawed at the vehicle bodies, trying to climb onto the roofs, their sharp fingernails scraping against the metal plating to produce piercing screeches.

To clear these "hitchhiking" zombies, the team members had to take turns climbing onto the roofs and knocking them down one by one with their weapons. This undoubtedly increased the difficulty and danger of their advance.

The sky gradually darkened, and visibility dropped lower and lower. The headlights offered limited illumination, only managing to pierce a short distance ahead. An unknown terror enveloped everyone, the oppressive atmosphere suffocating.

"We can't keep going like this; we must find a safe place to spend the night before dark," Jiang Qiyu said in a low, firm voice.

"But there's no suitable place to make camp around here, there are zombies everywhere," a team member said worriedly.

"Keep driving forward, we have to get out of this ghost place as soon as possible," Jiang Qiyu ordered decisively.

The convoy finally located a slightly open area backed by a small hill. The surroundings were relatively empty and easy to defend. Jiang Qiyu decisively commanded the vehicles to stop and set up camp. The team members sprang into action immediately.

The guard unit quickly surrounded the campsite with simple traps and alarms, using wire and empty tin cans salvaged from the vehicles to construct a temporary defensive line. Other team members unloaded supplies and began pitching tents. Lu Yao squatted nearby talking nonsense, occasionally tossing out a joke, yet his hands never slowed down; he nimbly secured a tent pole and stood waiting by the next anchor point, directing operations with surprising competence.

"Move faster!" Jiang Qiyu inspected the perimeter, and seeing that the progress was barely satisfactory, her tone sharpened. "Once it gets completely dark, doing anything will become a huge hassle."

On the other side, the food detail had already started a fire. Several tightly bundled dry branches caught a tiny flame, gradually driving back the cold darkness with warmth. An iron pot was set over the hearth, holding a simple, quick meal—canned meat stew. The bubbling sound accompanied by waves of rich aroma drifted through the air.

Lu Yao sniffed, wrinkling his nose as he squeezed up beside Jiang Qiyu. "Sis, only canned food and compressed biscuits? Are we really living this rough?"

Jiang Qiyu glanced at him without a word, walking straight toward the fire. She retrieved a basket of fresh vegetables and a plump, freshly caught fish from her spatial storage, gently placing them on the ground. The surrounding people instantly widened their eyes, their gazes glued to the ingredients as if unable to look away.

"This is..." The team member in charge of cooking froze in shock.

"You've all worked hard traveling today, let's improve our meals," Jiang Qiyu said coolly, efficiently and neatly beginning to process the ingredients.

Lu Yao's eyes lit up as he immediately stepped forward to help. "Sis, you're amazing."

With a flurry of knife-work, the vegetables were chopped neatly, and the fish was cleaned and dropped into the pot. Hot oil sizzled at the bottom, instantly releasing a fragrant aroma that overwhelmed everyone's fatigue and tension. The team members gathered around the fire, the sound of continuous swallowing echoing through the camp.

"Hurry up, I haven't smelled anything like this in ages!" a team member urged impatiently.

As the lid was lifted, the rich aroma of fish soup and crisp vegetables filled everyone's senses. The fragrant stew was ladled into each person's bowl. Blowing on the steam, they cautiously took a bite, instantly letting out sighs of satisfaction.

"Goodness, this is practically heaven!" a burly man shouted excitedly, scooping greedily with his spoon.

Lu Yao eagerly picked up a piece of fish meat with his chopsticks, placing it into Jiang Qiyu's bowl while looking at her with wide, eager eyes. "Sis, try this, it's so good!" He looked like a wagging puppy, anticipating praise from its master.

Jiang Qiyu shot him a glance and silently ate the fish.

Lu Yao immediately brightened up, proudly picking up a piece of vegetable like a child offering a treasure. "This is delicious too! I picked it specially, it's super tender!"

Jiang Qiyu gave him a helpless look. "I can pick food for myself."

The corners of his eyes and brows were curved with a smile, looking like a puppy that had stolen candy, obediently retracting his hand while continuing to steal glances at Jiang Qiyu.

The scene felt strangely familiar.

In her past life, on the way to the base, crushed by family and burdened by responsibility, she had been exhausted both physically and mentally.

The atmosphere of the camp eased significantly thanks to this lavish dinner, blowing away all exhaustion and tension. After everyone finished eating to their heart's content, they finally drifted off to sleep soundly inside their tents. Meanwhile, deep in the night, Jiang Qiyu stood at the edge of the camp, quietly gazing into the distance where the zombie horde surged, her brows tinged with lingering coldness. She knew that their good luck today was merely a brief respite.

Jiang Fengmian glared with burning eyes at Lu Yao, who was busy buzzing around nearby. The sight of him laughing and chatting in a low voice with Jiang Qiyu made her eyes sting with irritation. She frowned deeply, raising a hand to swat away a small insect trying to crawl up her pant leg, while letting out a silent internal scoff. She knew exactly what game this man was playing; acting like an eager dog hovering around her sister all day made his impure motives painfully obvious.

Just as she was muttering complaints to herself, a low snarl reached her ears. Jiang Fengmian snapped her head around to find a zombie staggering toward their camp. Its dark red eyes looked terrifyingly eerie in the dark night, its claws viciously grasping at the empty air as a series of guttural growls rattled in its throat.

"A zombie!" someone screamed in alarm.

The camp instantly exploded into chaos. The leisurely atmosphere vanished completely in an instant, and everyone scrambled frantically in search of weapons and cover. Jiang Qiyu reacted swiftly, roaring at the crowd, "Don't panic! Everyone take your positions! Bring the food into the tents, put out the fire!"

However, Jiang Fengmian didn't wait for further instructions. She swiftly hoisted the single-barreled shotgun she carried with her, nimbly loaded a round, and stepped forward in a swift stride. She aimed the muzzle squarely at the approaching zombie, her gaze as cold and piercing as ice.

"Fengmian!" Jiang Qiyu called out, trying to stop her.

"Shut up, don't move!" Jiang Fengmian barked without turning her head, her voice low, hoarse, and brimming with intimidation. Her gaze never wavered for a fraction of a second as she locked firmly onto her target.