Chapter 85: Before Leaving Wushi

When Lin Mu opened his eyes again, he was met with Fu Jingmo’s gaze, just inches away.

“What’s wrong?”

Fu Jingmo hadn’t let go of the person in his arms, only relaxing once he sensed that Lin Mu’s wound was healing.

Lin Mu sat up and shook his head. “It’s fine, the wound’s healed.”

“Mm.”

Seeing that Lin Mu seemed to have something to say, Fu Jingmo patiently waited for him to speak.

After organizing the information he had just learned, Lin Mu kept his explanation brief.

“That was just a mutant zombie. The transparent crystal earlier was its energy core, and I need such energy cores.”

“Fu Jingmo, I think this is important. The energy storage sphere in my body and Xiao Yuan… the energy cores can fill the storage sphere.”

“Perhaps… there’s a big secret behind all of this.”

He didn’t say the even more outlandish thought that had crossed his mind—that perhaps all of this was connected to the apocalypse, and that the complexities behind it were beyond what he could grasp right now.

Fu Jingmo listened intently and then nodded. “The black box mentioned that there are mutant zombies in the mountain city north of Wushi, as well as in the area where Bai Ying is. On our way to Feng City, we’ll be passing through both places. If we get the chance, we’ll collect them.”

“Alright.”

The burning and clearing of the zombies continued, occasionally drawing a few stray zombies, which the mutants quickly dealt with.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual, the two decided to head back to the small courtyard for lunch.

Yu Hong would deliver some food every few days, so the fridge in the small courtyard was well-stocked. Lin Mu was in a good mood; his wound had healed, and he had at least made his stance clear with Fu Jingmo.

He took some meat out of the fridge and set it on the stove to stew. He Ze, with his dog-like nose, followed the scent and came in.

“Smells so good, Mumu,” he said, tilting his head and noticing Fu Jingmo on the sofa. “Huh? Brother Fu, did you two come back together?”

Upon hearing this, the person on the sofa raised an eyebrow. “Of course.”

“Oh ho ho, so are you two still sleeping in separate rooms tonight… Ow! Hot, hot, hot!”

A piece of braised pork was shoved into He Ze’s mouth, so hot that tears welled up in his eyes, but he couldn’t bear to spit it out. He chewed a few times and swallowed it whole.

Another door opened, and Shen Rangchen emerged with bedhead, his nose twitching.

“Rangchen, didn’t you sleep well?” 

Lin Mu glanced at him. Usually, Shen Rangchen was the most disciplined after Fu Jingmo and would wake up early.

“Mm, I was up last night making ink for the talismans, but I ran out of talisman paper. Now that the ink is ready, I have nowhere to draw.”

“Ah, well, when should we go out again to look for some?”

Shen Rangchen drank a glass of water and lazily nodded.

As if suddenly remembering something, He Ze chimed in, “Mumu, that talisman is really good. The other day, when you ran out, Chenchen slapped a protection talisman on your back.”

A protection talisman?

Lin Mu recalled that moment when he had tumbled into the truck bed, with a zombie that wasn’t quite dead, its foul-smelling mouth right near his shoulder, yet it hadn’t managed to bite him.

Realizing what had happened, Lin Mu’s expression softened with gratitude. “Thank you, Rangchen. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been bitten.”

“No need to thank me, we’re teammates.”

Feeling a bit moved, Lin Mu looked meaningfully at Fu Jingmo. “Yes, we’re teammates.”

His gaze carried a hint of challenge, as if to say, See? Rangchen understands better than you.

Fu Jingmo’s cold expression softened, and he shook his head helplessly. So petty.

They didn’t have to wait long—the opportunity to go out came that very afternoon.

Wen Tang personally came to their door, glancing at the group resting after their meal, the lingering scent of braised pork still in the air.

“Looks like you’re eating well,” Wen Tang remarked.

Her curvaceous figure was wrapped in a thin black tank top, both sexy and sharp.

He Ze nudged Shen Rangchen next to him. “Tsk tsk, Chenchen, if this lieutenant wasn’t so fierce, she’d be a real stunner!”

In response, Shen Rangchen rolled his eyes, completely uninterested.

Wen Tang walked over to Fu Jingmo. “Major, there are no more mutant zombies in Wushi now. Earlier, we found a few spots where weapons are hidden…”

The implication was clear—they could now retrieve the weapons. Fu Jingmo had already planned on this, as their stop in Wushi was mainly for resupplying.

Now that the mutant zombies in Wushi were dealt with, after stockpiling some weapons, the safe zone here would have the means to protect itself. Then, they would resume their journey, passing through the mountain city and continuing north.

“Alright, gather the team. We leave in half an hour.”

Fu Jingmo stood up from the sofa, sliding the dagger he had been toying with back into his boot sheath. He looked at Lin Mu, nodding toward him.

“Let’s go.”

“Hey, hey, Brother Fu, you two are both going? Take me with you!”

He Ze shot up from the sofa. Ever since his ability allowed him to shoot water arrows that could kill zombies, he’d been eager to find every opportunity to show off!

In the end, the four of them boarded a vehicle together, once again accompanying Yu Hong, and this time, Wen Tang joined them as well.

The weapon stash points were no more than secret armories and police stations.

Had it not been for the mutant zombies blocking the cross-river bridge earlier, these weapons would have already been recovered.

There were also a few secret firearm storage points in Wushi, and they had been given the locations and methods to access them from higher-ups. The journey went relatively smoothly.

Two SUVs and a truck were nearly filled to the brim.

Along the way, they also hit up a few large supermarkets, scavenging supplies. Lin Mu, of course, was always ready to pick up anything useful, sweeping it all into his personal space as long as it seemed practical.

Rice, flour, grains, and oil—he quietly snatched a few bags when no one was looking, and no one even noticed. He also collected basic seasonings.

In one supermarket, he discovered vegetable seeds—like those meant for children to play at growing vegetables—hidden among a pile of brightly colored small flower pots, along with a small packet of seeds.

Without paying much attention to what kind of vegetables the seeds were, Lin Mu tossed them into his space, along with several boxes of men’s underwear and warm clothing.

When they had left Yichang, it was late June. Now, it was already well into August, and soon it would be autumn, followed by winter. Warm clothing and supplies were essential.

Fu Jingmo, in sync with Lin Mu’s intentions, helped cover for him, directing others to move supplies in a different direction.

Lin Mu wasn’t worried. Mutated animals could be eaten, and the four of them didn’t need that much food. Plus, with his storage space, they could continue scavenging as they traveled north after leaving Wushi.

By the end of the afternoon, with Fu Jingmo leading the team, they had gathered a significant haul of firearms and supplies. They even managed to seize two more trucks along the way, bringing everything back with them.

What surprised Lin Mu was that Wen Tang’s ability turned out to be fire-based, making her the second elemental mutant he had encountered, aside from He Ze. Of course, Wen Tang’s power was much stronger than He Ze’s.

No wonder such a large safe zone was entrusted to her for management—she clearly had the strength for it.

On their way back, fully loaded, Shen Rangchen found several rolls of talisman paper in a small shop that dealt with red and white ceremonial goods.

The shop was tiny, with paper-folded gold ingots, copper coins, and elaborate paper mansions and luxury cars stacked on either side, clearly meant for burning as offerings to the deceased. The narrow shop only had enough space for one person to pass through.

Shen Rangchen walked in confidently, familiar with the place, and found the talisman paper tucked away in a wooden box under the counter. Noticing the curious looks from everyone else, he explained earnestly.

“The best talisman paper is always hidden like this!”

…

Because of the mutant zombies, the original cross-river bridge they had taken was now packed with zombies, so on their return trip, they opted for another bridge.

As the vehicle turned onto the bridge, Fu Jingmo gestured for Wen Tang to follow the planned route, while he had He Ze drive the car back to the first cross-river bridge they had taken on their first day.

The bridge was crowded with a mass of zombies, but since there was no need to save or protect anyone, crossing wasn’t too difficult for them.

He Ze drove, while Fu Jingmo, with his black blade, led the way. With a stomp on the gas pedal, the SUV roared onto the bridge.

Lin Mu raised his eyebrow, unsure why Fu Jingmo insisted on taking this route.

The abandoned vehicle they had left on the bridge was still in the same spot, now crawling with a few ragged zombies.

As the SUV passed by, Fu Jingmo suddenly yanked open the door and jumped out. With two swift kicks, he knocked the sunbathing zombies off the car, then reached through the shattered rear window and retrieved Lin Mu’s backpack.

He quickly leaped back onto the roof of the SUV, tapped the driver’s seat, and shouted to He Ze, “Go!”

Lying on top of the SUV, Fu Jingmo flipped through Lin Mu’s parents’ notebook, and a slight smile tugged at his lips.

The sunset cast its golden rays, and the sky was ablaze with fiery clouds.

A knock sounded on the car window, and Lin Mu rolled it down.

The freshly wiped, pristine leather notebook was tossed inside from the outside.

…