[Little host! Little host!!] 006’s anxious voice sounded in his mind, continuously calling Gu Rong.

Gu Rong snapped his eyes open. He found the snow had stopped, the morning sun was rising, and warm sunlight shone down, dispelling some of the chill.

Gu Rong blinked his eyes. He found he was still under the same bridge culvert from yesterday, but the clothes on his body were no longer the down jacket but had changed back to the dark blue hoodie little set.

The world was covered in white snow, and a thin layer of ice coated the ground. Gu Rong’s current attire seemed overly thin, but he didn’t feel cold at all.

[Little host!] 006’s voice sounded again in his mind.

Gu Rong replied dazedly: [006?]

006: [It’s me, little host!]

Gu Rong turned his head, and his entire self froze on the spot. He saw another version of himself huddled at the bottom of the bridge culvert, wearing the dirty down jacket, the brown little bear hat on his head, curled into a small ball, eyes closed, already stiffened like a sculpture, white frost even forming under his nose.

Gu Rong stared blankly at himself, momentarily confused, not knowing what had happened.

006’s voice also carried a trace of sadness: [Little host, are you okay?]

Gu Rong asked: [Why are there two Zaizais?]

006 said: [Little host, this is the Old World, the past timeline. What the little host experienced were all things that had already happened in the past.] Details might differ, but the destined outcome wouldn’t change.

But Gu Rong didn’t remember ever dying before. He remembered going out to find his Daddy and Mommy before, getting lost accidentally, and ending up under a bridge culvert. He had been in a deep sleep for a long time. When he woke up again, he had become a Little Zombie cub.

So that was it. He had starved and frozen to death, died on a cold, snowy night.

Seeing himself dead with his own eyes, Gu Rong felt strangely numb inside, just wondering: [Then Zaizai already died, how become Little Zombie?]

Just then, Gu Rong saw the little black cat appear in front of his other self. Immediately after, the little black cat transformed into a three-year-old cub dressed in wide robes and large sleeves. The three-year-old cub looked down, quietly observing the little dumpling on the ground for a long time.

Gu Rong stared blankly at this scene.

Lord Devil…? The little black cat was actually Lord Devil! So what he saw yesterday wasn’t an illusion; it really was Lord Devil.

Gu Rong stood at a moderate distance, watching his past self and Lu Li. In his final moments of life, there indeed had been a little black cat constantly following him, like a little follower. Although the little black cat was full of arrogance, its little cat face was always grumpy, completely unskilled at acting cute or fawning, it had accompanied Gu Rong through the final years of his life. Gu Rong always remembered this little black cat, but only now did he know the little black cat was Lu Li.

So he had met Lord Devil long ago.

Lu Li looked down at Gu Rong for quite a while, then cut His finger. A drop of bright red blood dripped from His fingertip, fed to the little cub who had stiffened into an ice sculpture.

Seeing this scene, Gu Rong’s eyes widened. Then, he saw his already dead self: the pale face regained its rosy vitality, and a scratch mark on his face healed instantly. His eyelashes trembled, as if about to open.

And just at this moment, Lu Li suddenly turned His head, looking directly at Gu Rong (the observer). Their eyes met. Gu Rong froze.

But only for a second. The next moment, Gu Rong felt like he was sucked forward by a strong force. A blinding white light flashed before his eyes, making him unable to open them.

When he opened his eyes again, Gu Rong found himself squatting on the ground, wearing the down jacket, his feet in the little cotton boots. He had returned to his past self’s body.

Gu Rong looked at his own small hands, calling out to 006 in his mind: [006?]

006 said: [Little host, 006 is here!]

Gu Rong asked: [How did Zaizai get back into own body again?]

006 said: [Because the little host’s wish all along has been to find Daddy, Mommy, and Grandpa Ming. Little host hasn’t seen your Grandpa Ming yet.]

Gu Rong asked: [Zaizai become Little Zombie now?]

006 said: [Yes. Little host drank Lord Devil’s blood and transformed into a Little Zombie.]

Ordinary zombies transform only after being infected with the zombie virus, but Gu Rong was different; he drank Lord Devil’s blood. This was also the reason why he differed from other zombies in various aspects. Other zombies were ugly and ferocious, lacking humanity.

But Gu Rong, whether in appearance or psychologically, was indistinguishable from a human cub. His finding human blood stinky was also due to this reason. Because he wasn’t an ordinary Little Zombie at all, he naturally couldn’t drink ordinary human blood.

Gu Rong was just about to climb up from the ground but found he couldn’t move. Just as he was wondering, a flurry of panicked footsteps approached. Someone ran over towards him.

“Let’s hide under the bridge first! WTF, these zombies run too fast! My lungs are about to explode!!”

Through the gap between the cardboard boxes, Gu Rong saw three middle-aged men covered in blood run over. Perhaps having just escaped a zombie chase, they looked wretched, their expressions unstable, panting heavily. The three casually collapsed onto the cardboard boxes, catching their breath.

Perhaps confirming it was safe for now, the three began chatting idly in rough voices.

“Damn it! Why don’t humans just die off completely? This half-dead, half-alive state now is too torturous!”

“This life of running east, west, displaced… I can’t take another day. When will it end?”

“The apocalypse is good too! Now rich or poor, noble or lowlife, everyone’s pulled down to the same level! Let me tell you, my heart finally feels balanced!”

“Grass your mother! You’re balanced! But I just finished paying off my damn mortgage!!”

“Sigh, the biggest problem now is food! The feeling of starving is too awful. Plenty of corpses around, but unfortunately, all bitten by zombies, all infected.”

Hitting the real sore spot, the three fell silent, sighing.

Just then, one man exclaimed and jumped up from the ground: “Hey, wo cao! What sound was that?”

The other two also instantly stood up from the discarded boxes, warily looking behind them.

The piled-up discarded boxes had partially collapsed, revealing the small cub huddled behind them. Gu Rong had tried to use the boxes for leverage to stand up earlier, accidentally knocking them over, which made a sound and alerted the three men.

Seeing Gu Rong, the three men paused. Then, their eyes quickly changed. The three exchanged a glance, the same thought visible in each other’s eyes. They hadn’t eaten anything for a long time.

Seeing an adorable, jade-like little cub, and being close to death themselves, their sympathy was barely stirred. Those corpses had been bitten by zombies, all infected. But the little cub before them was fresh and alive. Although looking dirty, undoubtedly a living person.

Gu Rong was now a Little Zombie cub and could keenly sense others’ goodwill and malice. He instantly sensed danger and the other party’s ill intent. Without thinking, he wanted to climb up, turn around, and run.

However, his body moved uncontrollably, as if governed by another force. It directly dove under a pile of discarded pipes, squeezing inside. The pipes were too narrow. Gu Rong could squeeze in, but the three adult men couldn’t.

They lay on their stomach on the ground, watching the cub hiding motionlessly deep inside the pipes. Angrily cursing, they kicked the pipes hard several times, but were helpless.

Gu Rong also noticed something was wrong, asking strangely: [Why Zaizai cannot control own body?]

006 said: [Now the little host is just inside your past self. But the body is still controlled by the past little host. The little host is merely in an observer’s stance.]

Gu Rong understood vaguely. But he remembered; he had indeed encountered these three men before. They wanted to eat him. Back then, he didn’t know he had become a Little Zombie. Encountering bad guys who wanted to eat him, his first reaction was to hide. Because he couldn’t outrun them, nor could he fight them.

The three men waited under the bridge for a long time. Having finally found food, they wouldn’t give up easily. Gu Rong, tiny as he was, just hid inside the pipes, absolutely refusing to come out. Coming out meant being eaten.

Hiding in the pipes from dawn until dusk, the three men finally gave up. Darkness concealed countless eyes; zombies could come at any time. They couldn’t waste any more time here. Perhaps this cub would starve to death without even needing to be dug out.

Long after the three men left, Gu Rong slept again.

Until chattering sounds echoed near his ear. Gu Rong opened his eyes and found a rat, about the same size as him, had crawled into the pipe and was approaching him.

Gu Rong naturally wasn’t afraid, nor did he think of hiding. But his body moved uncontrollably, starting to crawl deeper inside, avoiding the rat. Gu Rong couldn’t control his own body, feeling very unaccustomed.

That rat moved swiftly. Already adept at crawling, now mutated, it was as fast as lightning. In just the blink of an eye, it crawled behind Gu Rong and opened its mouth to bite the cub’s foot.

Gu Rong’s past self instinctively kicked his little foot back. The next second, the large rat was kicked flying like a cannonball, shot out of the pipe, flew out of the bridge culvert several hundred meters, and disappeared.

Large Rat: ??!

Gu Rong’s mouth formed an “O”. He looked incredulously at his own little foot.

After becoming a Little Zombie, he gained divine strength. This was his first time using it, and he couldn’t help but be shocked.

Gu Rong felt his own astonishment. Then he found himself getting onto all fours, crawling out of the pipe along the original path.

Crawling, crawling, crawling out. Gu Rong’s hands pressed onto a pair of feet. Above were legs, and a cane nearby.

“…”

Gu Rong’s movements paused. Slowly raising his head, he saw a stooped old man with white hair and beard, his face like wrinkled tree bark. The old man held a cane in one hand, and in the other, dangled the mutated rat Gu Rong had kicked flying earlier. The rat’s head was half missing, deader than dead.

The old man frowned, looking down at the little dumpling before him. Silent for a long moment, he finally spoke gruffly: “Where did this little cub come from? Shoo, shoo! Don’t block your grandpa here roasting a big rat meal.”

Gu Rong recognized him at a glance. This grumpy old man was precisely Grandpa Ming. But at this moment, it was their first meeting.

He wanted to call out “Grandpa Ming,” but couldn’t open his mouth since his body was controlled by his past self.

The old man finished speaking, paid Gu Rong no further attention, turned away, found an empty spot, used discarded boxes as firewood, and actually began preparing his big rat meal. The old man also had a bundle on his back. He took out half a bag of salt from the bundle, preparing to sprinkle it on the roasted rat later.

The old man completely ignored Gu Rong, as if he didn’t exist.

Gu Rong saw that the old grandpa wasn’t like the three bad uncles earlier, didn’t want to eat him, and didn’t even look at him. So he found a small corner, hugged his knees, and quietly curled into a small ball. Besides this bridge culvert, he had nowhere else to go. It was dark outside again. Even if he looked for another place, he had to wait until dawn.

Gu Rong was quiet and obedient, not making a sound, just watching the busy old grandpa roasting the rat with pleading eyes.

Throughout the process, the old man didn’t interact with Gu Rong. He roasted the rat himself, salted it, then started eating directly with his hands, eating with great relish.

Gu Rong’s stomach growled hungrily. Smelling the aroma of roasted meat drifting to his nose, his hunger intensified, stomach juices churning.

But having just been chased by three men, he now only dared to gaze eagerly, not daring to ask the old grandpa for food.

Grandpa didn’t eat him; that was already very good.

The old man ate one rat leg. The leg was plump and tender. After the mutation, it was even more delicious than chicken leg meat. Eating, eating, seeming to notice Gu Rong’s gaze, he turned his head, looking over at Gu Rong.

Gu Rong’s small, ash-covered face looked blankly timid. He met the old man’s gaze but didn’t dare speak.

The old man looked fierce. He stared back at Gu Rong for a moment, then tore off the other rat leg and threw it down in front of Gu Rong.

The rat leg landed about half a meter in front of Gu Rong. Gu Rong blinked his eyes, glanced at the rat leg, then hesitantly looked up at the old grandpa.

Is this for Zaizai to eat?

But the old man just threw the leg, offering no other indication. Gu Rong clasped his small hands together, wanting to eat but daring not to take it.

The old man scoffed coldly: “Can kick a mutated rat dead with one kick, yet your hand can’t even pick up a rat leg?”

Gu Rong paused, hearing the meaning in the old man’s words – the rat leg was indeed for him. No longer hesitating, nor minding the old man’s overly gruff manner, Gu Rong picked up the rat leg from the ground and started eating large mouthfuls.