Chapter Ninety-Six: Entering the City

Chen Yuanshan saw Yue Qi and the others, and naturally, they also noticed him. Yet, they showed no intention of opening the door. Yue Qi glanced anxiously at Xin Zi. Xin Zi, clearly seeing through Yue Qi’s thoughts, gave him a confident look and said, “Don’t worry. Once we clear all the zombies outside, they’ll open the door naturally.”

Seeing Yue Qi’s lingering doubt, Xin Zi felt a bit helpless. After all, it was his suggestion that brought them here. So he added, “There are people from our Hidden Sword Manor inside. If they still don’t open the door after we clear the zombies, those disciples will help us get in. Rest assured.”

Only then did Yue Qi breathe a sigh of relief, his gaze softening as he looked at Xin Zi. But before he could make a move, Xin Zi continued, “Still, let’s clear all the zombies outside first. That way, it’ll be a great gift for those inside. After all, when you enter someone else’s territory, you can’t just walk in empty-handed.”

Yue Qi nodded and scanned ahead. A few zombies had spotted them, but none showed signs of mutation. Walking over to Yang Zhenwu, Yue Qi said, “Brother Yang, I’ll take care of the zombies ahead. You all stay here for now.”

Yang Zhenwu nodded but looked puzzled. By rights, Yue Qi could have easily killed the zombies with a simple spell, so why insist on personally taking them down?

As he pondered this, Yang Zhenwu glanced up at the figures atop the city wall. Suddenly, clarity broke through his confusion, and he understood exactly what was on Yue Qi’s mind.

Indeed, Yue Qi had no intention of using his spiritual power. There were only about twenty ordinary, weakest-level zombies under the city wall. Though tricky, they were not impossible to handle.

“Hmph, want to see our strength? Fine, I’ll give you a little shock...” Yue Qi thought, casting a sharp glance at the man standing at the front on the city wall. His piercing gaze struck like lightning, penetrating the heart.

“Ugh!” Chen Yuanshan, standing at the front, suddenly grunted softly and stepped back two paces, staring incredulously at the base of the city tower.

“What’s wrong, Captain Chen?” The few men beside Chen Yuanshan, his comrades, looked at him with surprise, puzzled at what could have so startled him.

“Nothing...” Chen Yuanshan exhaled deeply and said to those nearby, “This survivor team is no ordinary group. The killing intent in their eyes is refined, and they must have slain countless zombies under their command.”

Hearing this, someone immediately took out an eagle-eye device to look below.

“Old Chen, are you talking about this young man? I don’t think so,” said an older man, putting down the eagle-eye and shaking his head at Chen Yuanshan.

“Don’t underestimate him because he’s young,” Chen Yuanshan shook his head. “My suggestion is this: if these people truly clear the zombies outside, we should welcome them in immediately. No more fussing.”

Chen Yuanshan’s words carried weight, and though many looked displeased, no one objected—they tacitly agreed.

Meanwhile, Yue Qi, standing below, had noticed the watchers on the wall. He had only used a slight bit of spiritual energy, yet the reaction from above was so intense, indicating they were no ordinary foes. But Yue Qi understood—surviving until now was proof of their strength.

If spiritual power was off-limits, did that mean Yue Qi couldn’t kill zombies? Of course not!

He picked up a few stones from the ground. Everyone else was unsure of his intent, but Qin Luo nodded thoughtfully, seeming to approve of Yue Qi’s plan. If spiritual power was forbidden, what about mental strength?

That was Yue Qi’s idea. Since those on the city wall could see the colorful spells, surely they wouldn’t notice a bit of mental energy. He only needed to target the zombies ahead and, using his arm strength, hurl stones that would easily pierce their skulls.

Everything was planned. The watchers on the wall saw only the young man below swinging his arm repeatedly, and zombies dropped one by one.

“How... how is he doing that?” Those who had doubted Chen Yuanshan’s judgment were now utterly convinced.

“Look closely at his hand. He has several black objects—probably stones,” Chen Yuanshan observed carefully.

“Stones? Stones can do that? Ridiculous!” Some still doubted. “Look, the young man is at least ten or twenty meters away, and each throw is a headshot. Such power and precision—Chen, I don’t think even you or I could manage that, let alone a kid!”

“That’s the problem—we can’t, but that doesn’t mean others can’t. There are many gifted and extraordinary people in this world. Maybe this young man has innate divine strength,” Chen Yuanshan retorted sharply.

All twenty-plus zombies were cleanly killed with headshots. The ground outside was already littered with zombie corpses, so adding a few dozen more made little difference. Still, the mental exertion drained Yue Qi greatly. But he had no choice—he had to maintain the facade. Revealing his true strength just to get the gates opened was out of the question.

“Quick! Order the city gate open!” Seeing Yue Qi dispatch over a dozen zombies in succession, Chen Yuanshan commanded his men. No one objected; they all wanted to see this remarkable young man.

What surprised Chen Yuanshan most wasn’t killing a few dozen zombies—if he had a bow, he could do the same—but rather the survivor group trailing Yue Qi. They showed no surprise and no intention of helping, as if they were certain their young comrade could handle all the zombies alone.

With a rumbling sound, the city gate swung open. The pile of zombie bodies at the entrance spilled inside. Meanwhile, the leaders atop the wall disappeared, seemingly descending to greet the newcomers.

Seeing this, Yue Qi smiled. His exhausting show had worked well. After all, any bluff that fools people is a good one.

Obviously, Yue Qi’s group saw the gate open and lost their composure. Some even cheered loudly; after all, an open gate signaled permission to enter.

Yet no one saw Xin Zi standing aside, releasing a deep breath and allowing a smile to cross his usually calm face.

A large group appeared at the gate, seemingly cleaning up the zombie corpses outside. Yue Qi found it odd—they had left the stinking bodies outside for so long, which would have been unbearable, yet only now did they send people to clear them.

Before long, a path was cleared, and several well-dressed men emerged. However, their eyes glowed strangely as they looked at Yue Qi, as if a gluttonous rogue had just spotted a stunning beauty stripped bare.

“Uh...” Yue Qi shivered. Earlier, he had told Yang Zhenwu to gather everyone from the camp. Now, over a hundred people had gathered behind him. Anyone unaware might think the two groups were about to fight.

“Brother,” the man who approached was indeed Chen Yuanshan. He glanced at the people behind Yue Qi and brightened. Although mostly old, weak, and women and children, some looked trained, almost equal to his own comrades.

“Hey? Isn’t this Captain Chen Yuanshan?” someone in Yue Qi’s group called out. Everyone turned to look. Beside Yang Zhenwu stood a scruffy man carrying a crossbow.

“You are...?” Chen Yuanshan seemed to recognize him but couldn’t recall exactly. After all, the past few months had been a living hell.

“Captain Chen, you’re forgetful! I’m Li Mengda, from the Crossbow Squad! A few months ago, you even drank with our leader!” the man named Li Mengda stepped forward, smiling.

“You? Li Mengda? Where’s your leader? Is the Crossbow Squad still intact?” Chen Yuanshan was surprised, immediately clasping Li Mengda’s shoulder.

“Don’t mention it. Only about a dozen of us escaped. Our leader turned into a zombie. After that, we went to nearby Changlong Town and teamed up with Brother Wu...” Li Mengda briefly recounted their ordeal, shaking his head. Watching his comrades die one by one was pure torment.

“But thankfully, we met Brother Yue here. His martial skill is superb. Thanks to him, we made it from Changlong Town to here. Otherwise, Captain Chen, you wouldn’t have seen us!” Li Mengda said gratefully, casting a thankful glance at Yue Qi.

“Haha! Good to have you back! Let’s go! We’re all friends now. Into the city we go!” Chen Yuanshan patted Li Mengda’s shoulder and called out to his men.

The gates were open, and their paths forward finally clear.