Chapter Twenty-Five: Journey to Qinghe Town

Qinghe Town was the largest settlement under the jurisdiction of Qingzhou, named so because it bordered the Qinghe Sword Sect. It was a common sight in town to see disciples from the Sword Sect coming down the mountain for supplies, and many people traveled here just to catch a glimpse of these otherworldly figures.

The town’s location was not particularly favorable, and yet, it was always bustling with people. The prosperity of life here, however, did not stem from any natural advantages, but rather from the thriving black market. Black markets could be found in many places, but few were like the one in Qinghe Town, where even rare elixirs and miraculous medicines from the Sword Sect would occasionally appear. As for how these treasures found their way here—take someone like Yue Qi, for instance, who, in need of money, would exchange these medicines for gold. Though such people were rare, they certainly existed, making these elixirs fetch astronomical prices.

At this moment, Yue Qi and Bai Lian were slowly making their way along the road to Qinghe Town. For reasons unknown, Yue Qi seemed different today; he did not initiate conversation with Bai Lian, instead keeping a certain distance as though he were avoiding something.

Of course, given Bai Lian’s temperament, she would never be the first to break the silence. Nevertheless, Yue Qi’s unusual behavior amused her, though she felt a faint sense of disappointment—what had gotten into him today that made him act so strangely?

The day before, on their last day at Yang Family Village, Yue Qi had finally finished constructing a barrier. In truth, it was nothing more than sharpened branches arranged on the ground, reinforced with debris piled behind, forming a modest enclosure with the group’s living area at its heart. Such obstacles were useless against humans—any determined survivor could easily break through—but for fending off zombies, whose intellect was minimal and who would charge straight at living people without heed for hazards, it was quite effective. Any zombie blundering into these spiked barricades would be at least half-crippled, if not killed outright.

But these concerns were not what made Yue Qi avoid speaking with Bai Lian. The real reason lay with a conversation he’d had the previous night with his third brother and fourth sister.

“Qi, I can’t help but feel there’s something odd about your relationship with your uncle-master,” Yue Third began, his tone brimming with gossip, clearly fishing for information.

“What’s odd about it? Isn’t it fine?” Yue Qi’s cheeks flushed slightly. He often teased his so-called uncle-master, but he’d never given it much thought. After all, that had been the dynamic between him and Bai Lian from the start, so he saw nothing amiss and quickly regained his composure.

“Tsk, tsk… You put on a convincing act, but even if you play dumb, your uncle-master’s gaze when she looks at you—it’s as soft as water. Do you really take us for blind?” Before Yue Qi could respond, his fourth sister appeared behind him, her smile half-mocking, half-knowing.

“What?!” Yue Qi was startled, his first thought disbelief. After all, Bai Lian had been at the Qinghe Sword Sect for so long; she had seen all manner of outstanding young men. Why would she fall for someone like him? Granted, he was talented and possessed spiritual power in this world, but someone with Bai Lian’s discerning eyes would hardly be swayed by such things—would she?

“Still pretending? You’re quite the actor, but if such a beautiful cultivator were to marry into our Yue family, it would bring honor to us all…” Before Yue Qi could gather his wits, his third brother leaned in, leering. “If she runs off with someone else, you’d better watch your back, Qi!”

“No… No way. I… I really don’t feel anything… Besides…” Yue Qi started to protest that he had no feelings for Bai Lian, but the words caught in his throat. How could he not feel anything for a girl as beautiful as Bai Lian? If not for the difference in their generations, she was only a little older than he was and quite strong in her own right. Even if she was a bit cold, how could he not be drawn to her? Otherwise, wouldn’t that make him… not quite right?

“What else? I don’t care if you’re pretending or not. I’m telling you now, as your fourth sister, no matter what, you have to bring Bai Lian home as your wife. If we lose such a lovely sister-in-law to someone else—hmph, Qi, you’d better watch yourself!” His fourth sister’s tone was fierce, but her eyes betrayed a hint of laughter.

In the end, Yue Qi had to surrender. He could verbally spar with Bai Lian or the honest Yun Sheng, but faced with his own siblings, he admitted defeat and hastily promised his fourth sister, if only to keep her from pestering him further.

This was why, on the road to Qinghe Town, Yue Qi kept stealing glances at Bai Lian, unable to shake the thought: Could Lian really like me? No way… could she really like me? Surely not…

A philosopher once said that among all the illusions in the world, the greatest is the mistaken belief that someone likes you. Now, our young Yue Qi was caught in that very illusion. As for whether Bai Lian truly liked him, he had no way of knowing.

“Hurry up! At this rate, when are we ever going to reach the town?” Bai Lian finally lost her patience and snapped at him. Yue Qi had been half-ignoring her the entire journey. Whenever she slowed down, so did he, making it awkward for her to walk at any pace.

“Ah? Oh! I’m coming!” They hadn’t encountered any zombies along the way, but Qinghe Town was still far off; it suddenly struck Yue Qi that he had been moving too slowly. He was on this journey to save his mother—what if a delay led to irreparable consequences?

Shaking off his thoughts, Yue Qi quickened his pace, ignoring the awkwardness between them as they strode side by side toward Qinghe Town. The discomfort, he realized, was probably only in his own mind; Bai Lian likely felt nothing at all.

It normally took a full day to walk from Yang Family Village to Qinghe Town, and that was assuming no obstacles along the way. Anticipating zombie attacks, Yue Qi and Bai Lian had set out early, yet even by noon, they’d barely covered half the distance.

“Yue Qi, look—is that it up ahead?” By now, night had fallen. Although they’d picked up the pace, their earlier delays meant they were still far from their destination.

“I think so… There’s a faint outline. We should be close. Should we slow down a bit?” Yue Qi sighed. He regretted coming with Bai Lian—who would have thought she, a girl, would be so tireless after such a long trek?

“No way! Don’t you see how dark it is? Zombies are even more dangerous at night!” Bai Lian flicked Yue Qi’s forehead, her tone brisk. With no one else around, she seemed more relaxed than usual.

“Ow! Come on, it’s dark whether we get there early or late—what’s the difference?” Yue Qi rubbed his forehead, grumbling helplessly.

“Hmph… I said hurry up, so hurry up! Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘A mountain seems close but is far for a running horse’? Move it!” Seizing the opportunity, Bai Lian flicked him again, leaving Yue Qi caught between laughter and tears.

Suddenly, as they hurried on, a zombie’s howl rang out from up ahead.

“Let’s check it out!” The two exchanged a glance and slipped into the cover of the trees to watch what was happening nearby.

Before them were two zombies, and not far away, five people. The group showed no fear at being spotted, each holding a weapon and clearly prepared to fight.

The zombies, heedless of danger, charged straight at the living. The leader of the group, clearly experienced, hefted his machete and rushed forward, warning his companions to be careful as he did.

What surprised Yue Qi was that the leader deliberately drew one zombie away, leaving the other to his four companions. This selfless act earned the man Yue Qi’s respect—such bravery, risking himself for his friends.

The man’s skill was evident; despite the failing light and facing a creature far stronger than himself, his movements were clean and efficient, always attacking while keeping himself safe. Before long, the zombie was soaked in its own blood.

Meanwhile, the other four fought their zombie together. Though their skills were inferior to the leader’s, their numbers tipped the balance, and soon the creature was on its last legs.

Just as Yue Qi thought the fight was nearly over, something unexpected happened. The leader, rather than dodging the zombie’s lunge, dashed forward himself. At the last moment, he twisted, slipping under the zombie’s arm, and, with a swift motion, brought his machete down on its head.

Like splitting a melon, the zombie’s skull cracked in two. The man immediately retreated, careful to avoid the splattering blood.

“Well done, boss!”

“You’re amazing, boss!”

With their leader having finished his battle, the other four quickly dispatched their own foe, hacking it to pieces. Aside from some lost stamina, they seemed none the worse for wear.

“Let’s go—time to head back! It’s already late!” The man called “boss” grinned, slung his machete over his shoulder, and led his group toward the town.