Chapter Eleven: Preparing to Leave

“Hmph, easy for you to say. So how are you going to get us out of here, with all those things outside…” Yue Lei spoke to Yue Qi, his voice lacking conviction—after all, he was facing a cultivator.

“You can choose not to follow me, or you can ask everyone here who wants to stay. If you wish to remain, then stay—I won't force anyone!” Yue Qi snorted coldly. Yue Lei had already crossed the line earlier, not to mention his quarrel with Yue Qi’s second brother; just insulting his parents was enough to warrant death a hundred times over.

“You…” Yue Lei clearly valued survival more than pride, and he knew when to swallow his ego.

“Qi, did your sect only send you alone? Those things outside, while they may not threaten cultivators like you, their numbers are overwhelming. If you’re on your own…” The speaker was an elder. Yue Qi paused, recognizing the voice from earlier when he had eavesdropped outside. Gazing at the man, he saw a beard streaked with gray, but his spirit was vigorous.

“You… you’re Old Liang! I’m so glad you’re safe!” Yue Qi recognized him instantly. This old man was the only one in Yue Family Village who didn’t share the Yue surname, but had lived there since childhood. The elders said that Old Liang had been adopted by a couple in the village who couldn’t have children; they found him when he was nine, and he kept his name, so everyone just called him Little Liang.

As Little Liang grew old, he became known locally as Old Liang. He remained unmarried and had no children, so he treated all the village children, including Yue Qi, with great affection. Whenever he made something fun, he would share it with them, never caring about their families’ wealth or status—he simply liked them. Naturally, everyone liked him in return.

“Heh, Qi, you’ve grown up and still remember this old man…” Old Liang smiled, clearly pleased that Yue Qi recognized him. But then his expression shifted. “But Qi, you’ve seen what’s outside…”

Yue Qi understood what Old Liang meant and shook his head. “It’s not just Yue Family Village. The nearby Yang Family Village and even my own sect have all become like this.”

“What?!” At Yue Qi’s words, the room exploded into commotion. Even the usually composed village chief widened his eyes, unwilling to believe.

“I won’t hide the truth from you. That’s how it is—I escaped down the mountain…” Yue Qi recounted his flight from the Azure River Sword Sect, including what Bai Lian had told him…

“But don’t worry. There may still be hope. In Sichuan, there’s the Sanqing Sect, whose cultivators are far more powerful than my own. Perhaps they’ll have a solution…” Yue Qi spoke, giving the people hope for survival.

“So you’re saying you came alone? Aside from your uncle?” The village chief suddenly asked.

“Yes. So you all have two choices: follow me, which carries some risk—I can’t promise everyone will survive. Or stay here and try to save yourselves. I believe the food in the village will last you long enough, and as long as you have seeds, you could even work the courtyard outside and plant crops…” Yue Qi gestured outside.

“Heh, I’m an old man now, can’t keep up anymore. Let me stay and wait for death. If I leave, I might just drag you down…” To everyone’s surprise, Old Liang spoke up.

“Old Liang, you…” Yue Qi’s intention had been to show that staying was a dead end, but he hadn’t expected Old Liang to choose this.

“Go on, don’t worry about me. With everyone gone, I’ll have enough food for a few days…” Old Liang smiled, as if unconcerned with his own fate.

Yue Qi pondered, then broke into a smile. “Very well, since this is your decision, I won’t insist. You’re right—the world outside is indeed more dangerous. Later, I’ll clear away the corpses of those zombies outside so you can live more comfortably…”

“Qi, you’re thoughtful…” Old Liang nodded, his eyes full of warmth.

“Is there anyone else who wants to stay?” Yue Qi looked around and asked.

Indeed, Old Liang was the oldest here, and it made sense for him to stay. The others, like the village chief and Yue Qi’s parents, still had many years ahead of them—if they could escape.

But no one wanted to remain—not even Yue Lei, who had always clashed with Yue Qi’s second brother. Everyone was eager to leave this hellish place. Though there was enough food, it could only sustain one person for ten days or so; if more stayed, their deaths would come sooner.

“Are we leaving all the food here? Not taking any with us…” Someone spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention. It was a question they’d all considered, but since Yue Qi hadn’t addressed it, they’d stayed silent.

Yue Qi had pondered this too. If Old Liang wished for death, the reserves could feed the group for a few days; leaving it all behind would be a waste.

“Heh, since I’ve decided to stay, I’ll leave the food for you. Qi, I won’t make things difficult for you—take it all!” Old Liang said with a cheerful smile, but a trace of sorrow flickered in his eyes. Most of the survivors were of Yue Qi’s generation, whom he had watched grow up. Now, on the edge of life and death, they were so selfish.

“No, we can’t take all the food!” Yue Qi declared firmly. He knew if this wasn’t handled properly, he’d lose control of the group.

“Chief, how much food is left here?” Yue Qi abruptly asked.

“Ah…?” The chief was startled but answered honestly, “With this many people, plus potable water, if we ration carefully, it’ll last three days…”

“Three days…” Yue Qi’s eyes brightened. He hadn’t expected so much left.

“Here’s what we’ll do, Old Liang…” Yue Qi said, “We’ll divide the food equally. You get two—no, three shares. Is that alright?”

“Qi, really, there’s no need. I—”

“It’s settled. Old Liang, you’ll have three shares. The chief will handle the distribution. Anyone have objections?” Yue Qi spoke calmly, but his tone brooked no argument.

Old Liang smiled gratefully, his eyes reddening. Who would have thought, after a lifetime without children, that before his death, Yue Qi would treat him so kindly…

“The old man said he doesn’t want it, why insist on giving him more…” Yue Lei muttered discontentedly, clearly frustrated with nowhere to vent.

“So you disagree?” Yue Qi shot him a cold glance, and Yue Lei felt as if plunged into an icy pit, immobilized.

Yue Lei trembled all over, unable to reply until Yue Qi stepped back and the pressure eased.

“You can choose to stay. I’ll give you three shares of food. I’m under no obligation to take you with me—do as you see fit…” Yue Qi addressed Yue Lei, but his gaze swept over everyone present—except his own family.

“Enough, Yue Qi—he’s just thinking of everyone. The longer we stay, the greater the danger. Why don’t we divide the food now and prepare to leave?” The chief stepped in, giving Yue Lei a way out.

Yue Qi nodded. As the head of the village, the chief still commanded respect.

“Qi, do you have a plan? We can’t just charge ahead blindly, can we?” Yue Qi’s fourth sister spoke up.

“Don’t worry, Fourth Sister. I’m not foolish enough for that. Besides…” Yue Qi laughed at himself, “Even if I charged alone into that zombie horde, my chances would be slim…”

“But trust me—I promised Father, and I’ll get you all out safely!” Yue Qi smiled, confidence shining in his eyes.

“Mm!” Fourth Sister was moved, amazed that the little boy who once trailed behind her was now the backbone of their group.

“But Father and Mother…” Yue Qi looked at his two brothers and said, “Second Brother, you’re stronger—Mother is still unconscious, so she’s in your care. Third Brother, Father’s leg is injured and not very mobile. Once you recover, help him as much as you can when we escape. Is that alright?”

The second and third brothers nodded. It was a sensible plan; their parents needed care, and without help, progress would be slow.

“But Qi, once we get out, how will we treat their injuries? You tried before, but your magic didn’t work…” Second Brother scratched his head.

“It’s alright. Once we find a safe place, I’ll look for a solution. There’s no doctor in the village, but if possible, I’ll go to Azure River Town nearby and see what can be done…” Yue Qi replied.

Azure River Town was the closest town to Yue Family Village, but it took a day and night on foot to reach. Unless they went to market, villagers rarely traveled there…

“Alright, everyone rest for now. We’ll set out after noon!” Yue Qi sat cross-legged, savoring the last moment of peace before the battle.