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Li Xuanyuan coldly snorted, “You haven’t thought about this problem, have you?”\n
The implication is that Hou Ying intends to go away forever. He is afraid that they’ll stop him from leaving, so he pretends to be considerate of them.\n
Hou Ying smiled bitterly, and Gongsun Jing said sympathetically, “This is a difficult problem. Let’s work out a solution together.”\n
Li Xuanyuan, “Let’s wait until we have the strength.”\n
“I can’t wait.”\n</ins>\n\nOn this issue, Hou Ying will not give in.\n
Gongsun Jing stopped Li Xuanyuan, who was still talking.\n
She didn’t know the situation of Li Xuanyuan’s family because she had never heard him mention it. She also had relatives and a lover, so she understood Hou Ying’s urgency and suffering. It’s just that they are all far away in the imperial capital. It is a fantasy for Gongsun Jing to return to the imperial capital to reunite with them, so she dared not reveal it. She believed that they were patient because of this and tacitly did not mention sensitive family issues.\n
Hou Ying’s relatives are in Yecheng. It’s because they are so close that he doesn’t want to wait for a second.\n
“Let’s not talk about this. Lao Er, you and Xuanyuan will prepare to get an olfactory zombie back. We will discuss other things slowly.” Jiang Tao said, giving Qiao Daye a wink, the latter knowingly pulled away Li Xuanyuan, who had a stinking face.\n
Jiang Tao said to Hou Ying again, “Brother Hou, I think you can see that we really treat you as our companion, but if you want to leave, we can’t keep you selfishly. It’s just that the outside world is still unclear, it’s so risky for you to do this! Even if you can go back to Yecheng, even if there is a shelter there, there is no guarantee of safety. It’s the end of the world now. Among the survivors, the people with abilities and ordinary people are completely polarized, and many survivors’ social status has been changed suddenly. Even if we didn’t see it with our own eyes, we could imagine that the shelter must be in a mess.”\n
“I have to go back because I know there will be chaos!” Hou Ying said dejectedly. “If my nephew triggered an ability, even if it’s only hearing ability like me, he can still be mixed. But if he is just an ordinary person… it’s not just zombies that he has to deal with.”\n
They face zombies after the end of the world, but none of them are naive and innocent, how can it be smooth outside?\n
The doomsday is not an ivory tower. Will those who suddenly gain abilities and powers be those who just want to destroy zombies, with a hero complex and a sense of justice?\n
Most people are bound to suddenly become important because of their social status, they will become vain and ambitious, and their bad habits will get out of control. And the ordinary people are the objects of their first “little test” to enjoy the golden pie from heaven<sup>1</sup>, not the vicious cannibal zombies.\n</ins>\n\nIt is conceivable that ordinary people must rely on ability users to survive. And among the ability users, the weak are also dependent on the strong, and there must be a conflict of rights between the strong. In this kind of food chain relationship that big fish eat small fish and small fish eat shrimps, it will only be ordinary people who will suffer in the end. Every day, he is afraid that Wang Hehe will stand at the bottom of the food chain and be bullied, and may even lose his life…\n
At present, their team is facing a bottleneck and needs time to adjust and re-plan. In a short time, they can’t leave here, but Hou Ying doesn’t want to wait any longer.\n
Upon seeing this, Jiang Tao couldn’t persuade him to change his mind.\n
Liu Zhan, who spoke enthusiastically when discussing the killing of the metal ability zombie, but did not express any opinions on Hou Ying’s plan, said at this time, “Brother Hou has been waiting for two days, so he should want something from us, right? We are not smart people, but we know how to be grateful. If you need us to do something, don’t beat around the bush.” \n
Jiang Tao and Gongsun Jing obviously disapproved of Liu Zhan’s tone, but they did not stop him.\n
Hou Ying didn’t feel embarrassed when he saw him speak thoroughly. He did not choose to go before Qiao Daye and Li Xuanyuan’s recovery, of course, without a purpose.\n
“Yes, I want to ask one of you to accompany me to Yecheng. If you encounter violence there, you can protect me. There is also a helper to help me bring my nephew and friends over.”\n
When Qiao Daye and Li Xuanyuan are not healed, it is not only impractical but also suspected that they need to borrow their hands to repay their kindness. Hou Ying wanted a long-term cooperative relationship and did not want them to have any misunderstandings about his character.\n
Jiang Tao thought about it for a moment and asked, “You looking for Lao Er?”\n
With Qiao Daye’s speed ability and strength, he was the best candidate among them. Several people almost recognized this candidate when Hou Ying made a request. Unexpectedly, Hou Ying shook his head.\n</ins>\n\n“I want to borrow Li Xuanyuan.”\n
He explained, “If I can block the zombie’s sense of smell, the speed of travel must be very slow, so I can’t go with Qiao Daye. And Li Xuanyuan’s current ability can wrap himself up with others to prevent zombie attacks so that we can have a layer of protection on the way back and forth. I plan to ride the motorcycle in the parking lot. When I get there, I will find a way to bring my nephew and friends over.”\n
Li Xuanyuan’s wood ability is a defensive ability, but his personal strength is strong. To say the least, if they really have an accident in Yecheng, Li Xuanyuan can escape alone, so Hou Ying chooses him without any psychological burden.\n
Jiang Tao is still in a bit of a dilemma, but Liu Zhan happily said, “Xuanyuan is indeed suitable. Once we discuss it, and he agrees, it will be fine.”\n
Seeing that Gongsun Jing didn’t agree with his own ideas, Liu Zhan heartily laughed, but his words were not so sunny, “If you don’t return the favor, I’m not sure if you can feel at ease? This was originally the debt owed by Lao Er and Xuanyuan, now when they can repay, they will push back and make excuses. How can they get along with each other in the future? Is that right, Brother Hou?”\n
He asked as if asking for a reward, Hou Ying smiled and couldn’t refute it. After all, he was really the two’s savior.\n
Qiao Daye and Li Xuanyuan used to be masters at capturing people, but now Qiao Daye is faster and more flexible, so after targeting, he quickly brought back an olfactory zombie.\n
The olfactory zombie is locked in a room on the second floor of the hotel. Before untying the rope, they repeatedly confirmed whether Hou Ying is really ready. Hou Ying, with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, nodded heavily. Qiao Daye and Li Xuanyuan’s sniper position outside the room is ready, Jiang Tao and Liu Zhan are also waiting outside the balcony, once the situation changes, they will immediately rescue.\n
Hou Ying’s fear of zombies has become much lighter after these thrilling days, but he still feels hairy when facing the zombies so close alone. Seeing the zombie screaming furiously, he didn’t dare to come forward to test immediately but stuck to the wall first.\n
It was the first time he had observed a zombie so carefully. Unlike the zombies he first saw in Jianghai Service Area, this zombie seems to have sharp fangs, much like the vampire in people’s imagination. Although it is not as long as the zombie fangs in zombie movies<sup>2</sup>, it is so sharp that people have no doubt that it can easily pierce human skin, eat or make them become the same kind.\n
The zombie’s nails were dark and pointed, his face was blue, his mouth and nose were twisted. A pair of eyes is completely different from human beings. The pupils are red, and the white part of the eye is covered with a network of black silk. If you don’t look carefully, you can’t see the only little white inside.\n
He was a little curious about whether the sight of the zombie still existed, but he was totally unable to concentrate and think about it calmly.\n
After a stalemate for a while, Hou Ying confirmed that the olfactory zombie slowly wandering in the room had not found himself on the wall.\n
Hou Ying took a deep breath and knocked on the wall with a knife. As expected, the zombie “looked” at him. At this moment, Hou Ying was not scared anymore. At this moment, Hou Ying was not afraid. He knocked twice and saw the zombie move in his direction, but soon stopped.\n
Hou Ying’s eyes lit up.\n</ins>\n\nWhen he felt confident, he began to knock continuously. Looking at the zombie getting closer and closer, he instinctively held his breath. His backheels were sticking to the wall, and he stood stiff. After a while, the zombie, as he expected, avoided him and walked away.\n
He loosened his whole body, and his tight eyelids just blinked quickly after relaxing.\n
At this time, Hou Ying was not afraid, he took the initiative to move to the side of the olfactory zombie, circled the zombie and the other party ignored him, which made Hou Ying ecstatic!\n
Li Xuanyuan, who has been paying close attention to the situation all the time, is stunned by the situation. Liu Zhan on the balcony even suspected that there was something wrong with the Zombie’s sense of smell, opened the door, and the next second, the olfactory zombie who had treated Hou Ying as warm as a spring breeze was immediately wound up and lunged in his direction!\n
Liu Zhan doesn’t hide either, he activates his water ability to attack the zombie. The water as thick as a thumb hit the zombie, this was his first shot, but he quickly found in frustration that, as he expected, his attack did not cause damage to the zombie. Instead, the zombies rushed violently as if annoyed. Jiang Tao at the back quickly pulled him away, the fire poured out from the palm of his hand and set the zombie on fire, but the attack effect was not much better than that of Liu Zhan.\n
Although the zombie’s speed slowed down, he still stubbornly aimed for the two pieces of delicious raw meat. It was Li Xuanyuan who shot the zombie in the head and killed him.\n
Jiang Tao felt a deep sense of crisis because of his lower lethality than expected. Only after he made his move did he know how naive and stupid they had been to deal with the metal zombie by relying on their strength. Fortunately, Hou Ying stopped them.\n
That night, Jiang Tao and the others wrote a combat training plan based on their own situation, exchanged discussions with each other, and after supplementing them, using their strict training schedule in the army as a template, they worked out a tailor-made combat training plan for everyone.\n
Early the next morning, Hou Ying and Li Xuanyuan set off.\n
The two were light-packed and simple. Small oil barrels of 30 jin<sup>3</sup> each were hung on both sides of the motorcycle for emergency use. Except for the two packs of cigarettes that Hou Ying took especially, they only brought six people’s water and food for five days and some emergency medicines. In terms of weapons, Li Xuanyuan hid several knives, two guns, and countless bullets. Hou Ying, who could not use guns, only made do with one knife.\n</ins>\n\nSmall motorcycles are nimble in passing through the congested highway.\n
The sound of the vehicle inevitably attracted the zombies, and the motorcycle had no cover, so Li Xuanyuan wrapped them tightly with vines. Hou Ying, who has not been able to shuttle freely, sits in the back. He grasps Li Xuanyuan because of the rapid speed, and occasionally uses an iron rod to slam or push away the zombies in the way.\n
Fortunately, none of the zombies startled by the sound of the vehicle fell into a violent state and attacked them with abilities.\n
It can be seen that besides resisting the attack of zombies, vines also have the function of isolating human smell! And Liu Zhan’s conclusion from Hou Ying’s successful trial of the olfactory zombie is correct, compared with hearing, zombies rely on their sense of smell for predation!\n
There is no need to obey the speed limit traffic rules, usually driving for three hours, they get off the highway in just two hours.\n
The closer to the town of Yecheng, the fewer vehicles and zombies there are. This makes Hou Ying ecstatic because it means that his conjecture that there is a survivor alliance in Yecheng is true!\n
Hou Ying showed Li Xuanyuan the way. Instead of rushing into the city, they went around the ridge of the field and turned to an abandoned warehouse ten kilometers away from Yecheng.\n
Unexpectedly, there were only a few zombies wandering along the road, but not even a zombie was found in the warehouse. They leave their motorcycles and other things here and make their appearance a little bit haggard. Hou Ying only brought a pack of cigarettes and a wallet and walked towards Yecheng with Li Xuanyuan, who had a blade in his shoe sole.\n
Far away, in bright red, the words [Yecheng Survivor Refuge] came into view.\n\n
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Translator’s Notes:\n
<ol> It means a sudden/unexpected blessing or something along the line. So fun fact, I searched for the meaning of pie smashing cuz I forgot about the Chinese phrase and trying to remember and it, and oh boy, do I feel traumatized XD. Don’t search pie smashing, DON’T SEARCH IT!!Idk if it’s the correct translation or I’m just missing out on something, but it should be vampire fangs in vampire movies, right?? What do you think?The catty, kati or jin (commonly in China), symbol 斤, is a traditional Chinese unit of mass. Jin (Chinese)↔ 1.102312 lb.</ol>\nI’m getting stuck translating Chapter 21 and gosh do I feel so stressed rn. Maybe I have to take a break translating this book, for now (I still have 6 chapters ready to update so don’t worry). I have to finish my modules first so I can concentrate my mind on translating haha. \n\n\n\n