Word count: 1725

The four of them were in the same car as Lu Tianjin and Xu Shengfei.

Xu Shengfei started to speak. “South City was not like this in the past. The zombies would eat people, but they were all scattered around the place. As long as we did not head deeper into the city and stayed at its fringes while gathering supplies or hunting mutant animals, it would remain very safe.”

“However, in this past month, everything changed. We’re unable to enter South City anymore. The moment we step foot in, we would be chased by zombies.”

Ji Rong asked, “What happened this month?”

Xu Shengfei sighed and pretended to be sad.

“It’s my fault. A month ago, our base went to South City to search for supplies and encountered a group of zombies. My cousin was bitten by a zombie in order to save me. He led the group of zombies away and we escaped, leaving him behind.”

Lu Tianjin looked at her, astounded by her ability to invert black and white1Invert right and wrong. In this case referring to how she pretended they were good guys who had no other choice.

Xu Shengfei continued, “On the evening three days later, my cousin returned to us suddenly. His clothes were covered in blood, which came from zombie bite wounds. He wanted to sneak into the base. The moment he set his eyes on me, he tried to kill me. Tianjin and the others from the base fought against him in order to protect me.”

“He fled all the way to South City and never came back out again. However, within the span of this one month, everything in South City has changed.”

He Lin clarified, “So what you mean is, your cousin came back after turning into a zombie?”

Xu Shengfei affirmed, “Yes.”

Ji Rong continued, “After turning into a zombie, he will lose his human consciousness. How was he able to come back?”

Xu Shengfei smiled bitterly and said, “Maybe he still had consciousness, it’s hard to say. Or it could also be hatred towards us for not saving him. Have you guys ever seen zombies with intact bodies who behave just like humans? Apart from their inability to speak, they’re the same as any other human.”

Xiao Hen was listening to the conversation all this while and finally spoke, “How can you be sure that he is a zombie, and not a human?”

Xu Shengfei strongly affirmed, “He was bitten by a zombie, we saw it with our own eyes.”

Xiao Hen replied, “Being bitten does not necessarily mean he became a zombie.”

Xu Shengfei was stunned. “Are you joking?”

Xiao Hen said, “People with antibodies have already appeared. They were bitten by zombies but were not infected. They first appeared a month ago.”

Xu Shengfei was shocked. “How is that possible?!”

Lu Tianjin couldn’t believe it. With a trembling voice, he asked, “You…you mean, Qingling has antibodies and would not be infected, so there’s a possibility that he’s not a zombie, but rather a human?”

“There’s such a possibility.”

Lu Tianjin confirmed once more. “Are you sure the information is true?”

This time, it was He Lin who replied. “You know of the Ling City base, right? The person who has the antibodies is someone from Ling City base.”

Lu Tianjin no longer made any sound. He clenched his fists tightly, an ugly expression on his face.As for Xu Shengfei… Even if she did not believe it, she could not let Wen Qingling be a human. He needed to be a zombie!

Xu Shengfei spoke defensively, “Impossible. He must be a zombie, his behavior is very strange.”

Ji Rong sneered. “Didn’t you just say that he’s no different from a human being, outside of his lack of speech? Not speaking doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t speak. What if he just doesn’t wish to speak after seeing you?”

Xu Shengfei’s face changed.

She could only see that they were soldiers, but had no idea what type of soldiers they were. How could her mouth full of lies successfully deceive the four of them?

Xu Shengfei was still struggling. “I’m sure he’s not human. He must be a zombie, and the changes in South City must be related to him. Sooner or later, he will bring a group of zombies over to siege our base…”

“Shut your mouth!” Lu Tianjin gritted his teeth, looking at her with a strange expression in his eyes.

They would not have besieged Wen Qingling if not for her explicitly saying that he was a zombie. If they had not besieged him and caused him to harden his heart, he would not have refused to return! If they had not treated Wen Qingling the way they did, Luo Fengjue2Wen Qingling’s old teammate who did not betray him. Was about to become zombie food but WQL saved him (Ch.3-4) would not have left, nor would he have died in South City!

The cause of all this was this woman!

***

They arrived at the base. Moments after the car stopped, Lu Tianjin took the lead in opening the door and alighting. He quickly walked a few steps, then stopped again.

With red eyes, he looked at Xiao Hen and the four who were alighting the car.

“What she said is not what actually happened…”

“Tianjin!” Xu Shengfei stopped him.

Lu Tianjin did not spare her a single glance.

“Wen Qingling is indeed her cousin, but she is heartless and ruthless. When she was in danger, she pushed Qingling, who was desperately protecting her group3Just a reminder, Lu Tianjin was not present when Wen Qingling was pushed, he only knew of what had happened after bitch cousin returned to the base (Ch.1), into the horde of zombies. Qingling led the zombies away to protect them, but they simply fled back to the base!”

“Qingling returned and wanted to kill her. She kept shouting that Qingling was a zombie and wanted the others in the base and me to kill him. I hesitated at that time. The others were already besieging Qingling. In the end, I also joined in…”

Lu Tianjin choked out, “I have been good brothers with Wen Qingling and Luo Fengjue for two years. Regardless of how many times the base was destroyed, we’ve supported each other and made it through. Qingling has saved me many times, yet I easily believed this woman instead, taking action against him.”

“Due to my unwillingness to take revenge for Qingling, Fengjue and I parted ways. Yet he was plotted against by this woman and died in South City…”

Lu Tianjin was filled with bitter remorse. “Qingling hasn’t appeared again after escaping to South City. Until now, I still do not know whether he is alive or dead.”

Xu Shengfei was angered. “Who did I do all of this for?! Didn’t I do all of this for you, for this base?! If he brought a horde of zombies back, all of us would die!”

Lu Tianjin laughed miserably. “Xu Shengfei, you are terrifying. When you first met Qingling, you were a gentle and considerate elder sister4They’re technically cousins, but it’s pretty common to just call older female cousins “elder sister”, especially when it comes to distant cousins to him. For Qingling’s sake, the other people in the base would always give your family the first pick when it comes to resources. Whatever’s left after would be left to the rest of us.”

“Qingling sincerely thought of you as an elder sister. He would call your parents aunt and uncle. Yet this is how you repay him?”

Gritting her teeth, Xu Shengfei spat out, “I am also an ability user, I am strong as well. I don’t need his protection! He has wood-type abilities and I have plant-type abilities, there’s barely any difference! What he can do, I can do as well! But have you guys ever regarded me seriously? I will never be of importance to the base when he’s there!”Lu Tianjin came to a realisation. “So this is the reason why you hate him?”

Xu Shengfei said fiercely, “Of course there’s more than that!”

Lu Tianjin waved his hand. “Xu Shengfei, take your parents and leave the base immediately. We can’t afford to let you, this big Buddha5Referring to the way she views herself as important, as if she’s a god who deserves everyone’s respect, stay.”

Someone tried to persuade him against it. “Leader, Qingling is already gone. If she leaves as well, then our food…”

“Scram! Get out of here immediately! I’ll give you half an hour. If you exceed that by one second, I’ll kill your whole family!” Lu Tianjin had already hardened his resolve.

Xu Shengfei saw that he was suppressing killing intent and knew that he would really take action. She hurriedly rushed into the base to look for her parents in order to bring them away from the base.

Ji Rong couldn’t understand. “Shouldn’t such a person be killed directly? You’re still letting her go?”

Lu Tianjin clenched his fists, signalling that he couldn’t do it.

Ji Rong realised what was going on. With Lu Tianjin being so conflicted, there were only two possibilities: he either liked Xu Shengfei, or he had slept with her.

Ji Rong tutted.

“I suddenly feel like Wen Qingling and Luo Fengjue are both very pitiful. Their good brother is together with the woman who caused their deaths. For the base, the two of them worked like livestock, yet one of them ended up dying and the other ended up being hunted by the whole base. It’s truly too tragic.”

Lu Tianjin’s eyes reddened. How could he have been so foolish, causing them three brothers to end up like this?

Xiao Hen didn’t plan to spend the night at the base. After using 10 ordinary crystal nuclei to exchange for a car, he headed back to South City.

Various hints suggested that the Wen Qingling they were talking about was the person they had met in South City.

He had no companions, seeking to survive alone in South City. He came out to treat He Lin’s injuries, then headed back in. Was this due to fear of being hunted and killed by the people of South City? Or was there another reason?

TN: Xu Shengfei’s face, meet my palm? Pity we didn’t get to see Wen Qingling at all in this chapter though :c

<del>Btw do check out The Villainous Shizun Is As Beautiful As A Flower if shizun/cultivation/transmigration novels are your thing ( •̀ ω •́ )✧</del>1

Invert right and wrong. In this case referring to how she pretended they were good guys who had no other choice2Wen Qingling’s old teammate who did not betray him. Was about to become zombie food but WQL saved him (Ch.3-4)3Just a reminder, Lu Tianjin was not present when Wen Qingling was pushed, he only knew of what had happened after bitch cousin returned to the base (Ch.1)4They’re technically cousins, but it’s pretty common to just call older female cousins “elder sister”, especially when it comes to distant cousins5Referring to the way she views herself as important, as if she’s a god who deserves everyone’s respect