Chapter 112: A Chance Encounter

They had been traveling for days, and according to the map, they had likely crossed the border into Fengzhou. The pair made relatively good time, as they didn't need to forage for food along the way. They only checked the occasional small village not even marked on the map, but none contained survivors. There were one or two zombies, but Yue Qi dispatched them with ease.

"Where are we now? It shouldn't be much further, right? We've been walking for half a month..." Qin Luo pouted. She was covered in dust, and having not bathed for so long, even someone as indifferent to cleanliness as she was felt the strain.

"Bear with it a little longer. I suspect there are survivors in Fengzhou. If not, as long as the zombie population isn't too dense or there aren't many mutated ones, we can stay there for a while before moving on," Yue Qi said after some thought, as he too was starting to feel the fatigue of the long journey.

"I hope Fengzhou doesn't suffer a zombie siege like Changzhou City. That would be terrifying," Qin Luo mused.

"I doubt it..." Yue Qi suddenly recalled the man who had flown into the sky. To this day, he didn't know if that guy had been a cultivator or if all Leader-class zombies could fly, or if there was some other reason.

Thinking of that Leader-class zombie sent a chill through him. "Leader-class zombies shouldn't be that easy to produce. If it’s just an ordinary siege, we should be fine as long as the defenses hold."

"That's good then..." Qin Luo let out a sigh of relief. She suddenly thought of something and muttered, "It seems like every city we arrive at ends up being in danger..."

"That is true..." Yue Qi paused. It did seem to be the case, although since Qin Luo had joined him, they had only been to two places: Changlong Town and Changzhou.

"But you haven't been to those other places with us..." Yue Qi looked at her in confusion, voicing his thoughts.

"Uh, well, I heard about it from asking Yuqi and the others..." Qin Luo blushed, realizing it might have been improper to pry into their past.

"I see..." Yue Qi realized, though he didn't blame her. Upon reflection, it did seem that wherever he went, mysterious dangers followed.

"My grandfather used to talk about fortune-tellers mentioning 'Lone Stars of Nemesis.' Haha, Junior Brother, looking at you, you're no different from one!" Qin Luo laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Lone Star of Nemesis..." Yue Qi murmured, "Is my fate destined to be one of solitude?"

Seeing his expression darken, Qin Luo realized she had taken the joke too far. She said sheepishly, "I didn't mean it like that! Look, Junior Brother, you have me, and Sister Lian. And you're Grandfather's disciple; he cares about you a lot!"

"Hmm?!" Yue Qi had only been lost in thought; he hadn't expected her to go so deep. He smiled, about to reply, when a sharp scream cut through the air nearby!

"Someone's there!" Yue Qi stood up instantly. Beside him, Qin Luo closed her eyes, using her mental power to sense what was happening ahead.

"There are two mutated zombies surrounding a girl!" Qin Luo opened her eyes and pointed in a direction.

"Quick! Let's go see!" Yue Qi dashed off without hesitation. Qin Luo wasn't far behind; she extinguished the fire and chased after him.

When they reached the scene, Yue Qi was stunned. The girl was wielding a pair of swords, fending off two mutated zombies simultaneously. She was on the verge of defeat, yet she had held out for some time, which was what surprised him most.

Could an ordinary person survive against mutated zombies? That would surely require the skill of a top-tier martial artist of the age, given the zombies' monstrous physical stats. To see this girl holding her own was incredible.

Despite his admiration, Yue Qi didn't hesitate to intervene. The girl had spotted him, but after a single glance, she ignored him, seemingly believing he was incapable of helping—or worse, a liability.

"What a stubborn girl..." Yue Qi observed. Since she didn't want his help, he wouldn't force it, so he stood back and watched.

Mental power was truly useful. Yue Qi believed he had only scratched the surface—or perhaps not even that. Qin Luo had taught him that with clever application, one could mask their presence entirely.

Qin Luo caught up. Seeing Yue Qi standing there and masking them with his mental energy, she asked, "Why aren't you helping?"

"She looks down on us..." Yue Qi shook his head. Even though her skills were strong, she wasn't quite at the level to handle two mutated zombies. "Just watch. Keep your mental shielding up so the zombies don't detect us."

"Fine..." Qin Luo shrugged. Even though she was the senior, Yue Qi was in charge out here. If he decided not to help, she wouldn't rush in blindly.

Xue Hong was having a terrible day. It was her turn to scout for survivors. She had been with two companions, but they had turned on her. She had easily fought them off, but when she lowered her guard, one of them had used a bone-softening powder. She had held her breath, but still inhaled some. She had been forced to kill them both to survive.

After finding the antidote on their bodies, she had hidden in the brush to recover, only to be discovered by a mutated zombie. She had managed to dodge it, but then a second one appeared. Two mutated zombies were beyond her current capabilities, and in her weakened state, she had been cornered.

As she struggled, she caught sight of the man she had seen earlier. She hadn't wanted him to die, so she had ignored him, hoping he would leave. A flicker of disappointment crossed her heart. But then, she glanced back and saw the man hadn't left; he was standing there with a beautiful young girl, watching the fight with interest, showing no intention of helping.

"Is he an expert?" The thought crossed her mind, but that momentary distraction cost her. A zombie landed a blow on her chest.

Human defense was no match for a zombie's strength. She coughed up blood and collapsed, unable to rise.

"It seems she can't hold out anymore..." Yue Qi hadn't been cold enough to watch her die. "Puff! Puff!" Two streaks of sword energy cut through the air, forcing the zombies back.

"Sword energy?!" The girl was shocked. To be able to manifest sword energy at his age? Even her father couldn't do that!

Yue Qi didn't want to overplay his hand. With an outsider present, he wouldn't reveal his magic, but he knew that in the secular world, martial arts masters could manifest "sword energy." He hoped she would mistake him for one.

He surged forward, using his mental power to lock onto the two zombies. Their defense was formidable, but he knew their weak points. With a cold sneer, he charged straight at them.