Chapter Seven: The Survivor

Though the so-called small cottage in the east was mentioned, it still required a fair amount of walking. By the time the two caught sight of the cottage’s outline, the sun had already sunk below the western hills, and even the last rays were about to be devoured by the approaching night.

“Are there no zombies around here?” Bai Lian asked offhandedly. The surroundings were utterly quiet, and their footsteps light; had she not spoken, even the sound of their breathing would have been audible.

“There shouldn’t be any…” Yue Qi pondered, stopping to say, “But we should still be careful. If any villagers happened to be out hunting… But what threat could a single ordinary zombie pose to us?” With that, he cast a sidelong glance at Bai Lian.

The conversation between them was no longer as formal or distant as it had been when they first met. Bai Lian, though cold in demeanor, was not without humor. It was Yue Qi, with his relentless mischief, who always found delight in teasing her, especially when she blushed and faltered helplessly.

“Get lost! Lead the way!” Bai Lian kicked Yue Qi without ceremony. Her younger brother was becoming increasingly unruly; she wondered how she’d failed to notice his true character when they first met, now he was always making fun of her. “But it’s not so bad—otherwise, how dull would it be?” At that thought, her cheeks flushed, but her heart was sweet with affection, though at dusk, Yue Qi could hardly see it.

Having been kicked by this beautiful senior, Yue Qi obediently led the way. By now, the moon hung in the sky, and the cottage revealed itself fully to their eyes.

“Wait here, I’ll go in and check first!” Yue Qi surveyed the area—indeed, no zombies in sight, but he moved a large stone for Bai Lian to hide behind, so he could check the cottage for any lurking zombies with peace of mind.

The door was merely ajar, not locked. After all, villagers often came here, and with no other villages nearby, everyone trusted the things left inside. The door opened inward, so even if a zombie were inside, it wouldn’t be able to get out easily—unless some disturbance outside prompted it to break through.

Yue Qi circled the cottage. No lights inside, pitch black, and silent—nothing seemed amiss.

“Knock, knock, knock…” The cottage was not particularly sturdy. At the far end from the door, Yue Qi tapped lightly, and as expected, nothing stirred within. If there were zombies, they would have crashed out by now.

Feeling reassured, Yue Qi was about to call Bai Lian from behind the stone when suddenly, a faint sound issued from within!

It was subtle, like a needle dropping in absolute silence. Normally, with a wall between, an ordinary person wouldn’t hear it, but cultivators’ senses far surpassed those of humans, even outstripping zombies.

Yue Qi heard it distinctly. He could only be certain there were no zombies, though perhaps it was only a mouse or some small creature.

“Could it be a survivor?” The thought flashed through his mind. Considering the likelihood, it was high—most people from Yue Family Village knew of this place. After the mutation, the village became uninhabitable, so any survivors would have slipped out, but the nearest market was two days and nights away, making this deserted cottage an ideal refuge.

“There’s nowhere else to go tonight, so we’ll have to stay here. If there are survivors, they’re likely familiar faces…” With this in mind, Yue Qi decided to go in.

He quietly pushed open the door; its old, battered wood creaked from neglect. Moonlight now spilled through the open doorway, softening the darkness within.

But as his second foot crossed the threshold, a sudden gust struck the back of his head. Startled, Yue Qi realized the attacker was likely a survivor. Unexpectedly, the survivor had hidden so well he hadn’t noticed him on entry.

Yet, thought aside, Yue Qi’s reflexes were quick. Sensing the ambush, he dodged left and spun around, just as the assailant’s blade missed its mark.

“Ah! Stay away, stay away! You filthy things, get out!” The attacker, furious at his failed surprise, shouted without regard for attracting zombies, then swung his knife wildly at Yue Qi.

The blade, left in the cottage, was rusty and blunt—not fit for hunting, but sharp enough to inflict a deep wound on a person, possibly even cripple a hand with enough force.

“Hmph!” Seeing his opponent showing no mercy, Yue Qi, no saint himself, took advantage of the wild swing and kicked the man square in the chest, sending him flying out the door.

The man, landing hard, still tried to rush back, but Yue Qi, unrelenting, kicked him over again, stating coldly, “Stop being stupid. I’m human too!”

Hearing this, the man finally paused, studying Yue Qi, though with the moon behind him, he couldn’t make out his face.

“You’re a survivor too? Wait, how did you end up here—are you from Yue Family Village?” The man stammered, fixing his gaze on Yue Qi.

Bai Lian, not far off, watched the scene unfold. She was about to approach when Yue Qi signaled with a nod that he was fine, so she stayed and observed.

“Whether I’m from Yue Family Village is none of your concern. Just tell me your name, and what’s happened in the village?” Yue Qi, glancing at the man, found him vaguely familiar, though the dim light made it hard to see clearly.

“My name is Yue Yunsheng. Yue Family Village now…”

“What?! Yue Yunsheng? You’re Yunsheng?!” Yue Qi exclaimed, quickly kneeling to help the man up.

“Yes, I’m Yue Yunsheng. Who are you, how—” Yunsheng peered closely at Yue Qi’s face, though the darkness made it hard to discern. Yet the figure and outline matched the person in his mind. Eyes wide, he gasped, “Ah Qi?! Is that you?! You’ve returned, thank goodness!”

“Yunsheng, are you all right? Sorry about earlier…” Yue Qi apologized, noting the dirt and two footprints on Yunsheng’s clothes—clearly from his own kicks.

Yue Yunsheng was one of Yue Qi’s few true friends, and had never bullied him since childhood.

They lived nearby, both families poor, but through mutual support, they managed. Yunsheng’s family was a bit better off and often helped Yue Qi’s family, so the two had been close since they were young.

“Haha! What’s there to apologize for? If I’d known it was you, a few more kicks would’ve been worth it!” Yunsheng, thrilled, gave Yue Qi a bear hug and clung to his arm, chattering non-stop.

“All right, you rascal, let’s talk inside. If zombies come, we’re in trouble out here,” Yue Qi laughed, waving Bai Lian over and addressing Yunsheng.

“Zombies—you mean those creatures? Yes, that’s the perfect term, they’re nothing but walking corpses…” Yunsheng shuddered, clearly traumatized by the experience.

Bai Lian joined them, having already sensed the depth of their relationship. She knew there would be time to learn more, so she stood quietly by Yue Qi’s side.

“Ah?! And who is this? Your girlfriend? No, in your immortal terms, your Dao companion?” Yunsheng stared at Bai Lian, eyes nearly popping—none of the village girls compared, nor even the tavern owner’s daughter from town could match her beauty.

“What immortals? Why are we being so formal?” Yue Qi laughed, patting Yunsheng’s head. Being half a head taller, it was an easy gesture.

“But she’s not my Dao companion…” Yue Qi said, smiling at Bai Lian. “This is my senior, an elder of our sect—a peerless genius!”

Bai Lian blushed at the praise, then pinched his arm in secret.

“A senior? So young? She must be formidable! Then Yue Family Village is saved!” Yunsheng’s eyes brightened, as if he already saw the day everyone was rescued.

Yue Qi and Bai Lian exchanged a bitter smile, saying nothing. Yunsheng noticed the change in their mood, grew anxious, and, sensing something was wrong, hurried into the cottage.

“Sigh…” Yue Qi sighed. The Qinghe Sword Sect was destroyed—where would the power to save ordinary people come from? Likely, even the Sanqing Sect was no better off. If they couldn’t save themselves, how could they save others?

Thinking this, Yue Qi shook his head, ushered Bai Lian inside, scanned the surroundings once more, and, confirming no zombies were near, slipped into the cottage and quietly closed the door…