Jiang Ye hurriedly got up and crawled out of the tent, only to see Bai Chen Zhu talking with Zhou Zhuo Hua.
Zhou Zhuo Hua glanced at him, her eyebrows furrowing as she feigned anger. “Did you properly apologize to people?”
Bai Chen Zhu looked at Jiang Ye with a half-smile and took the initiative to smooth things over. He called Tang Zhao over and gave the three of them a simple introduction. “This is a friend of mine, Tang Zhao. He’s an ability user. He’s been traveling with me now.”
Jiang Ye walked over. “Then let’s travel together.”
He glanced at Bai Chen Zhu’s arm draped over Tang Zhao’s shoulder. No matter how he looked at it, it was an eyesore.
Bai Chen Zhu raised an eyebrow, dashing his relief. “Little Tang, this time I’m going up the mountain with them to find the Zombie King. If you’re scared, you can go down the mountain first or find a place to wait for me. Once it’s over, I…”
“No way!” Tang Zhao immediately objected. “We agreed to go together. Bro, how can you go back on your word? I want to go up the mountain with you too!”
Bai Chen Zhu’s interrupted words stuck in his throat. He looked at Tang Zhao seriously. “But it might be very dangerous up there.”
“If it’s dangerous up there, then I need to go even more to protect Bro Bai!” Tang Zhao patted his chest.
“Tch.” Jiang Ye removed Bai Chen Zhu’s hand from Tang Zhao’s shoulder and pulled Tang Zhao over. “Kid, we’re not going up there to play.”
“You don’t look much older than me. If you can go, why can’t I?” Tang Zhao interrupted him doubtfully.
Jiang Ye itched with annoyance, clenching his fists. In the end, Zhou Zhuo Hua explained the stakes, letting Tang Zhao make his own decision. Tang Zhao still chose to go up the mountain.
Afterward, the group gave brief introductions and then dispersed to pack their things.
—
Tang Zhao didn’t have much stuff and finished packing early in the morning. He sneaked up to Bai Chen Zhu’s side and whispered, “Bro, I saw that Bai Tao you mentioned, so they’re your old friends, huh.”
Bai Chen Zhu nodded.
“Oh! So it’s like a team of ability users who help those in need and slay evil for the common folk! So cool!” Tang Zhao seemed to half-understand. He scratched his head. “But why are we looking for some fragment? If the Zombie King is dangerous, why not just kill it?”
Bai Chen Zhu wasn’t even sure if he’d leave after this or just settle down in some base. He had no right to decide Tang Zhao’s path.
So he didn’t explain much, just vaguely saying, “This zombie disturbance was very likely caused by that fragment, so in the end, we need to find that fragment…”
“And destroy it!” Tang Zhao got it.
Bai Chen Zhu had a headache. He said, “No, we can’t destroy it. Give it to Jiang Ye—that guy who looks unapproachable. He has a special way to handle it.”
Tang Zhao glanced back at Jiang Ye, who shot him a knife-like glare. He quickly turned away. Though tall and sturdy, with a handsome face, he said obediently, “Got it, I understand.”
“That big sister with glasses is a doctor. You can go to her if you get hurt.” Bai Chen Zhu continued the introductions. “That girl with the high ponytail is Bai Tao, about your age. Her superpower is pretty special. Stay away when she uses it.”
“Why?” Tang Zhao wondered, unable to resist sneaking a few extra glances at Bai Tao. He took an interest in the tall, slim girl—after all, he rarely saw girls his age with superpowers in Fuguang City.
“Is her superpower that powerful?”
Bai Tao directly traced the line of sight and looked over. She sized Tang Zhao up and down with curiosity. “Handsome, what are you looking at?”
Tang Zhao said straightforwardly, “Bro Bai said your superpower is super powerful and I should stay away. I don’t quite believe it.”
“Hah?” Bai Tao’s eyes widened slightly. “You don’t believe me?”
Her round face looked pure and innocent. She wore sporty clothes and had an old silver bracelet on her wrist—a typical first-love goddess vibe, just like the class flower in Tang Zhao’s class.
And flowers usually weren’t aggressive.
Tang Zhao’s confidence swelled instantly. Planning to show off his strength, he asked, “Are you super strong?”
Bai Tao chuckled twice, full of mischief. She didn’t answer his question but instead lifted her arm, misleadingly saying to Tang Zhao, “Wanna compare?”
With that skinny little arm, Tang Zhao quickly rolled up his sleeve, eager to try. “Sure!”
Bai Chen Zhu made a timeout gesture and swiftly backed away from the scene with a blank expression.
Sure enough, by the time they headed up the mountain, Tang Zhao looked half-dead.
His face was pale. He clutched his ears, shaking his head nonstop—tilting left, then right—but no matter what, a dull ache throbbed in his head.
Bai Chen Zhu walked side by side with Jiang Ye up front. Jiang Ye suddenly said, “So, did you notice?”
“You mean,” Bai Chen Zhu said calmly, “Bai Tao can control her power now.”
“No, no.” Jiang Ye shook his head. “You’ve been in Fuguang City for so long—have you seen a second mental system ability user like you?”
Bai Chen Zhu’s expression shifted slightly, but he didn’t reply.
Jiang Ye knew it all too well. “I’m not kidding you. One in a hundred miles, or even one in ten thousand wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Bai Tao’s power medium is her voice—the most common type. Mental system abilities always affect the brain through the five senses. But so far, I haven’t figured out how your ability spreads.”
The words left Bai Chen Zhu stunned. He’d never thought about it—after all, once superpowers appeared, where was there any science left?
Jiang Ye praised, “If it’s through the air, you’re terrifying.”
Bai Chen Zhu punched his shoulder. “Is that how you compliment someone?”
“Of course.” Jiang Ye grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer. Suddenly, he draped his arm over Bai Chen Zhu’s shoulder over the backpack.
“Tch.” Bai Chen Zhu found the backpack digging into him uncomfortably and struggled to slip out from under his arm, but Jiang Ye held him fast.
Jiang Ye was displeased. “What? You can be buddy-buddy with Tang Zhao, but not with me?”
“What nonsense are you on about?” Bai Chen Zhu felt helpless yet amused, like Jiang Ye was a kindergarten kid fighting over cookies.
Seeing Jiang Ye’s sour face, he stopped trying to pull away. He sighed. “Fine, fine, whatever. If you don’t mind the backpack digging in, neither do I.”
Tang Zhao walked along clutching his forehead, sniffing the wild mint Zhou Zhuo Hua had stuffed into his hand to refresh himself. He looked at the two up front in their awkward pose. “What are they doing, bro?”
Bai Tao came back holding two flowers Zhou Zhuo Hua had picked for her, beaming. She shrugged at his question. “You’ll get used to it. Our boss Jiang acts all weird around Bro Bai.”
“How weird?” Thinking of those ambiguous words he’d overheard, Tang Zhao felt a bit uneasy.
Before the apocalypse, a certain type of story was super popular. The girls in his class loved them, and he’d heard of them too. Sometimes when guys roughhoused, one sitting on another’s lap, the girls would squeal excitedly.
So was he overthinking it? Were Bro Bai and the others just messing around like thoughtless classmates?
Bai Tao couldn’t quite describe that odd vibe. She said vaguely, “Anyway, you’ll find out later.”
—
They set out a few hours late. By the time they neared the mountaintop, they already heard noisy sounds—footsteps, screams, all mixed together.
Bai Chen Zhu was about to turn and warn Tang Zhao when Jiang Ye pulled him aside to hide.
On the peak ahead, a terrifying number of zombies besieged Chen Hao and the others. Though Chen Hao’s group was a bit injured, none were missing. They grew fiercer, charging straight for the summit.
They even pulled out simple grenades. One went off, blasting countless zombies and leaving the ground pockmarked.
Grenades? Jiang Ye’s eyes lit up instantly.
Bai Chen Zhu knew from his expression that he’d set his sights on Chen Hao’s backpack. He had to pour cold water on him. “They can only bring two. Don’t get your hopes up.”
As the zombies dwindled, accompanied by a beastly low roar, a mutant appeared at the mountaintop. At its arrival, all the zombies retreated, cowering.
It panted heavily, striding down toward Chen Hao and the others like a king.
Bai Chen Zhu sucked in a cold breath. “You didn’t tell me the Zombie King wasn’t human!”
Jiang Ye said innocently, “I never said it was human either.”
The mutant was a massive cow, its bloodstained hide obscuring whether it had originally been black or yellow. Its left horn was broken.
Unlike a typical docile cow, its eyes were fierce, ears pinned back against its head. It pawed the ground restlessly, ready to charge at any moment.
Bai Chen Zhu sensed something off. The mental power emanating from this cow was enormous—far too much for an ordinary mutant.
Was this the Zombie King?
“Don’t stare.” Jiang Ye tugged Bai Chen Zhu. “The Zombie King’s been drawn out by Chen Hao and the others. Hurry to its lair and search for the thing.”
—
The cow had holed up in a stone cave. A long stone staircase led to the entrance, flanked by a rest pavilion. At the top, a crooked sign read: Fuguang City Karst Cave Scenic Area, 20 yuan per person.
Bai Chen Zhu straightened the sign and followed Jiang Ye into the cave.
Inside, dripping water trickled into stone pools amid milky-white walls and natural formations—untouched beauty that dazzled the eyes.
The air carried a chill, perfectly dispelling the summer heat. Tang Zhao exclaimed from behind, muttering, “This brute cow sure knows how to pick a spot.”
The karst cave stretched long, but the mutated cow only occupied the entrance hall-sized area. Right away, they saw scattered dry grass on the ground, remnants of food, all mingled into an intolerable stench.
The five immediately spread out to search.
Bai Chen Zhu took two steps and felt something wrong. He closed his eyes and sensed carefully. Amid the vast cave, the only mental threads came from them—no other presences.
“Something’s off,” Bai Chen Zhu said to the others. “The fragment probably isn’t here.”
At first, he hadn’t been sure, but after entering the cave, comparing sensations led him to the conclusion.
He voiced his guess. “It’s probably on that cow. I sensed the fragment’s aura on it.”
What had been mere bluffing to fool Chen Hao turned prophetic for Jiang Ye. The thing attracting zombies was indeed on the mutated cow. He stood silent, quickly thinking of a plan.
But where on a cow could something be hidden?
Bai Tao’s face changed abruptly. “You mean we have to fight that cow?!”
Everyone had seen how massive it was. They all fell silent.
Then Zhou Zhuo Hua looked around. “How about I see if I can drug its food?”
“As expected of Sister Zhuo Hua!” Bai Chen Zhu’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t thought of such a solution.
No matter how strong the zombie, it was still mere mortal flesh and blood. Even without pain, making its body uncontrollable and unable to stand was an effective method, right?
Zhou Zhuo Hua said to Bai Tao beside her, “Tao Tao, give me the flowers.”
Bai Tao still held the two flowers Zhou Zhuo Hua had dug up for her on the way. She looked at Zhou Zhuo Hua puzzled and hid them behind her back. “Why?”
The flowers were pretty—purple buds clustered at the tips, uniquely shaped. Zhou Zhuo Hua had dug them intending to dry them for medicine.
Bai Tao thought they were nice and had snatched them, reluctant to let go.
“That’s aconite—seals the throat at the sight of blood. You sure you wanna keep playing with it?” Zhou Zhuo Hua said gently, dropping the scary fact.
“You didn’t say so earlier!” Bai Tao jumped like she’d been shocked, hairs standing on end. She flung the flowers back at her in fright.
Zhou Zhuo Hua couldn’t help laughing. “Don’t worry, holding it like that is fine. Everyone, help crush its tubers and mix them into the food.”
The cow ate indiscriminately—grass and raw meat of all kinds.
Time was short. They could only stomach mixing the drug into water and tucking it into shredded meat before hiding deep in the cave to wait.
—
After some time, heavy hoofbeats echoed in the cave. The cow appeared, reeking of thick blood.
Its body bore blast craters and mottled wounds—impossible to tell if the blood was its own or others’. It shut its eyes and curled up on the ground as soon as it returned.
No one dared make a sound, lest they alert the mutant.
After a long while, the mutated cow opened its eyes and lumbered to the cave’s pool to gulp water.
After drinking, it flopped back down to rest.
Jiang Ye’s eyes lit up as he stared at the cow. Mischievously, he tugged at the end of Bai Chen Zhu’s hair and whispered via voice transmission, “Where?”
Bai Chen Zhu felt a stab of pain and stomped viciously on his foot. Jiang Ye grimaced silently.
Bai Chen Zhu raised an eyebrow at his clownish face, and a thought bubbled up uncontrollably in his mind.
A very wicked thought born of revenge.
‘If I tricked him right now…’
In the blink of an eye, Bai Chen Zhu recovered his rationality. He whispered back via voice transmission, “In its stomach.”
Jiang Ye nodded, believing it without a second thought.
Bai Chen Zhu’s eyes flickered. He couldn’t help glancing at Jiang Ye’s expression, but what he saw was the side of his face intently observing the mutated cow.
He clenched his fist, mocking his own despicable idea.
Bai Tao on the side couldn’t hold back her impatience. “Sister Zhuo Hua, how long will this take?”
Zhou Zhuo Hua said softly, “At least half an hour.”
Half an hour later, the mutated cow’s hooves began to twitch. It stood up, eyes bulging wide, limbs taut, tail pressed tight against its body. It lowed restlessly, pacing back and forth in the cave, even breaking into a run.
The group watched closely, waiting for the moment it ‘died’.
Unexpectedly, Chen Hao charged in from the cave entrance with a group of people. Seeing the zombie cow that had relentlessly pursued them now showing weakness, he burst out laughing. “Heaven helps me! Attack!”
The people behind him fell back into old habits and rushed forward to besiege the mutated cow.
“Idiots!” Jiang Ye couldn’t help cursing.
The aconite’s poison tormented the cow, but before death, the mutated cow would surely counterattack. Disturbing it now was no different from charging to their deaths.
