Chapter Seventy-Six: Madness

Yue Qi dashed into the camp, only to find it utterly empty, save for the shattered walls—more than one section had been destroyed.

“Is this… Is the power of mutant zombies really so great?” Yue Qi stared at the devastation. He could believe the zombies had scaled the walls, but to demolish them outright seemed beyond their ability…

“No, that can’t be it! It must have been Second Brother and the others fighting to the death!” An idea struck him abruptly. He recalled giving many scrolls to Yue Er, and with Yue San’s leadership, the camp wouldn’t have fallen as easily as everyone feared.

“That means—they might still be alive! There’s a chance, they must still be alive!” Filled with excitement, Yue Qi shouted, already forgetting all that Xin Zi had warned him, and rushed deeper into the camp.

Yet the further he went, the more horrifying the scene became. The ground was slick with mingled black and red blood, and bodies lay with gaping holes in their skulls. Those were the simple ones—the worst were the relatively intact corpses whose faces were frozen in terror, a look that filled Yue Qi with despair.

“Second Brother, Third Brother… Where are you?!” Yue Qi cried out anxiously. He saw many bodies along the way, but none were his kin, save for two who had left Yue Village with him.

“Please, let them be safe…” His anxiety grew as he neared the edge of the camp, but still, there was no sign of Yue Er or the others…

“No, it can’t be… Where did they go?” Yue Qi crouched by a small stream, beside which lay two corpses; the water ran red with their blood. He was certain the carnage couldn’t have been wrought by a single zombie, nor a handful, not even a dozen.

Smoke billowed thickly from burning buildings, stinging his eyes to tears, but he paid no mind. He searched his once-proud camp without restraint, hoping his family had hidden somewhere, praying for a miracle.

“They’re not here—where could they be?” His thoughts tangled. “If the zombies really got inside, Second Brother and the rest would have fled, but they’re not here…”

Suddenly, a realization struck him.

“Of course! If there’s no way through inside, they must have run outside! And the breaches in the walls—they must have been made by Second Brother using the scrolls!” Yue Qi’s eyes brightened, and he hurried out without delay.

Outside the camp, the ground was similarly strewn with bodies, most left uncleared from before. By now, they had become bleached bones, green-headed flies buzzing about.

“Which way did they go?” Yue Qi stood uncertain, unable to choose a direction. If only Xin Zi were here, he’d surely know where they went…

“Xin Zi!” Yue Qi remembered that Xin Zi and his group were waiting for him. He hadn’t found any zombies in the camp, so he had at least half-completed his mission. He needed to return and report all he had seen.

After much difficulty, he returned to where he’d parted ways. Bai Lian was already waiting anxiously atop the hill, clearly annoyed at his delay. But when she saw him, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Yue Qi recounted everything to Xin Zi, including his own deductions.

“So, if you didn’t find them in the camp, where could they have gone?” Xin Zi mused, head bowed. “Take me to see for myself. If your theory holds, the zombie attack must have been recent…”

“I think so too. Most of the blood on the corpses is fresh—somewhat cool, but not dry!” Yue Qi grew excited; if this were true, the likelihood his family survived was much greater.

They all went to the place where Yue Qi had left. Xin Zi instructed Yue Yunsheng and Bai Lian to keep watch, for the mutant zombies could appear at any moment.

“These two big holes! The Earth Command spell could have made these!” Yue Qi pointed to the breaches in the wall, speaking to Xin Zi.

“Yes, it looks like they really escaped…” Xin Zi considered, then said, “If I’m not mistaken, they would have headed toward Qingzhou. They wouldn’t know how the zombies grew so strong, so their only thought would be to seek help in Qingzhou!”

“Qingzhou?!” Yue Qi realized this was highly likely. If zombies had suddenly attacked, Yue San wouldn’t have had time to ponder why they were so powerful…

“So, as we travel, we need to watch for places people could hide. Based on your account, these zombies are much faster than ordinary men, so your family must have looked for places to conceal themselves,” Xin Zi advised.

“Understood!” Yue Qi nodded, now admiring Xin Zi not only for his intellect but for his thoroughness.

They followed the road toward Qingzhou, checking every house along the way, but found nothing, not even signs of struggle.

They passed the inn where Yue Qi had once hidden. Bai Lian glanced shyly at him, remembering the cellar where she’d given herself to him for the first time.

Seeing Yue Qi’s indifference, Bai Lian felt a pang of disappointment. She walked a few steps toward the inn, wanting to see if it still matched her memories.

Yue Qi noticed but didn’t stop her. With no clues found, he was growing despondent.

Just then, Bai Lian cried out in alarm—a zombie had finally appeared!

“Lian’er, get out of the way!” Yue Qi shouted, sprinting toward Bai Lian.

The zombie reached her, but Bai Lian would not simply wait for death. Ignoring Yue Qi’s warning, she drew her sword and lunged at the creature.

This zombie wasn’t as formidable as the mutant ones Yue Qi had encountered before, but it was at least at the level of a lesser mutant, which reassured him—Bai Lian should be safe.

Indeed, just as Yue Qi expected, Bai Lian’s sword pierced the zombie’s shoulder. Sensing danger from the weapon, it retreated two steps, warily watching Bai Lian, and did not attack.

“All right, Lian’er, leave it to me!” Yue Qi quickly arrived, wrapping an arm around her waist and frowning.

“Brother Qi, let me handle this!” To his surprise, Bai Lian refused and insisted on fighting herself.

Yue Qi looked at her in astonishment, but her eyes blazed with determination. He understood then—she wanted to test the evolved zombies’ strength, since the mutants were too dangerous; this one was perfect as a trial.

Bai Lian quickly dispatched the zombie, facing no danger, though Xin Zi broke out in a cold sweat watching her. It was his first time seeing her fight, and he was stunned that this seemingly delicate woman possessed such strength.

“Let’s go inside and look!” Yue Qi recalled mentioning the inn’s cellar to Yue Er; perhaps his family had truly hidden there.

But stepping through the door, a pungent stench of blood assaulted him! Yue Qi’s heart raced. The inn had never been clean, but there had never been such a smell. Now, with this, it could only mean…

Yue Qi dared not think further, and entered the main hall. The bodies scattered on the floor met his eyes at once.

“Sixth Sister!!” Yue Qi rushed madly to one of the corpses—it was none other than his Sixth Sister.

“Sixth Sister?!” Yunsheng was shocked, hurrying to Yue Qi’s side. The body’s flesh was torn, but the head remained intact, and the face was unmistakably Yue Liu.

“Sixth Sister!!” Yue Qi was nearly hysterical, clutching her head, eyes brimming with tears that would not fall.

“Brother Yue, don’t despair—quick, search for other family members. Someone might still be alive!” Xin Zi’s heart ached at the sight, and he urged Yue Qi onward.

“Right!” Yue Qi was jolted back, and quickly stood up.

He searched every corner of the inn, including the backyard, but refused to give up hope—the cellar was his last chance.

The cellar was pitch dark. As Yue Qi entered and lit a torch, he heard several zombies howling!

Their cries were feverish, but to Yue Qi, they sounded like death knells.

“Hold on!” he urged himself silently, motioning the others to retreat.

The deeper he went, the louder the zombies’ howls grew. He could bear it no longer and sped down the stairs. Passing the first flight, a corpse on the ground drew his attention.

“Is that… Yue Liang?” Yue Qi shone his torch on the head—there was no doubt; it was Yue Liang.

“Damn!” Yue Qi’s heart clenched. Now, his family being trapped in the cellar was almost certain. At this thought, he cast two Wind Command spells and dashed deeper inside.

But as he passed the iron door, the sight stunned him: several bodies lay on the floor, and zombies hunched over them, feasting.

“Ah!!” Yue Qi roared in fury—the corpses were all his kin!

In the next moment, Yue Qi went mad, his mind awash with crimson.