On the way back, Chu Tian led the group at the front. He seemed rather quiet, as though he were constantly thinking about something.
Xiao Ziran hurried a few steps to catch up with him and lowered his voice. “After what happened today, I’m afraid we won’t be able to keep Xie Mingxuan’s identity as a zombie a secret any longer.”
With so many people witnessing everything today, the secret of Xie Mingxuan being a zombie—which had previously been known only to the upper ranks of Dawn Base—would be difficult to conceal. Besides the people from the security team, there had also been people from other places present.
Chu Tian glanced at Xiao Ziran and gently shook his head. “There were never any secrets that could remain hidden forever. We’ll deal with whatever comes our way.”
Xiao Ziran nodded. He had a feeling that Chu Tian still had more to say, but Chu Tian had already fallen silent. Given their current circumstances, it wasn’t convenient to press him, so Xiao Ziran let the matter drop.
Chu Tian had already memorized the route they had taken on their way in. Before long, everyone arrived at the clearing.
The seven people were still supposed to be tied up there.
However, when they went over to take a look, there were no living people left. In the place where the captives had been bound, only several blackened skeletons remained.
And the spot where Ji Yan’s corpse should have been lying was completely empty.
This made it even more certain that Ji Yan hadn’t actually died back then. He had faked his death!
“What exactly is Ji Yan? What kind of monster is he to have survived that?” The last trace of uncertainty in Xiao Ziran’s mind had now been dispelled. He finally voiced the question that had been troubling him for so long.
His body had been filled with Xiao Ziran’s vines, which had pierced his internal organs and blood vessels. How could anyone survive that?
Only now did Xiao Ziran finally understand the meaning behind the strange smile Ji Yan had worn when Xiao Ziran had announced that he would kill him using that very method.
He was certain that Ji Yan was human, not a zombie! But whether he had undergone some other kind of mutation was another matter.
“Indeed. What exactly is he? And why?” Chu Tian’s words sounded less like an answer and more like a mutter to himself.
He crouched down and began carefully examining the remains scattered across the ground.
“Ji Yan didn’t just survive. He also used the demonic vines still inside these people’s bodies to create even more vines, then came back to kill us.”
And that was how Su Muxu had managed to escape.
Chu Tian didn’t say the last part aloud.
“Two people are missing,” Quan Xiaoyu said calmly after counting the remains.
The reason he remembered the number so clearly and noticed the discrepancy so quickly was that there were no skeletons in the places where two familiar people should have been tied up.
Chu Tian looked in the direction of his voice. He, too, remembered where each person had been bound. With just one glance, he knew who was missing.
Chu Tian smiled faintly. “They really are hard to kill. No matter what, even Heaven itself refuses to take them.”
“Those two from Tianze Base?” Xiao Ziran realized it as well.
Chu Tian nodded slightly without saying anything more. In fact, he didn’t continue discussing Ji Yan, either.
“Let’s talk about it after we get back. The forest isn’t safe.”
With the departure of Su Muxu, the self-proclaimed “Mountain King,” the other strange creatures lurking in the area would probably begin returning one after another, drawn by the scent of prey. In the apocalypse, forests were among the most dangerous places of all.
And so, a group of physically and mentally exhausted people finally made it back to Restart Village before nightfall.
Chief Zhao had kept people stationed at the mountain entrance to monitor any activity, so when Xiao Ziran returned with his group, the chief quickly came out to welcome them.
They gathered once again in the same conference room they had used when they first arrived. Chief Zhao had thoughtfully prepared food for everyone.
However, none of the familiar faces from his own group had returned. He knew that his people had probably met with disaster.
Yet despite being hungry, the survivors had little appetite after everything they had experienced. They were especially repulsed by meat.
In the end, everyone drank only a little water.
Xiao Ziran gave Chief Zhao a general account of what had happened in the forest, leaving out Nizi’s story and omitting the more horrific details of their ordeal.
He also informed Chief Zhao that the reason they had previously been able to live peacefully in the village without being attacked by monsters or plants was that Su Muxu, the “Mountain King,” had been keeping the surrounding area under control.
Now that Su Muxu had left, monsters and mutated plants would become more common in the area. They might need to make preparations.
Even if they weren’t attacked by mutated beasts or plants, no one could guarantee that Su Muxu had fled far enough away or that he wouldn’t return. All of these possibilities warranted caution.
As for whether Chief Zhao would choose to relocate or take other measures after receiving this information, that was no longer Xiao Ziran’s concern.
After delivering his warning, Xiao Ziran took his own people and returned to Dawn Base that very night. The only ones who stayed behind were the two ability users from the other base, who intended to rest for a day or two.
Everyone was physically and mentally exhausted. Apart from Xiao Ziran and Quan Xiaoyu, Zuo Li’s team had also sustained varying degrees of injuries. They each returned to their own quarters to rest, so there was no need to elaborate further.
At that moment, in the room Chu Tian and Quan Xiaoyu shared, Chu Tian was sitting with his head lowered, carefully cleaning the wound on Quan Xiaoyu’s foot.
They had spent the past two days in a constant state of combat readiness, and Quan Xiaoyu’s knife wound—which had torn away a chunk of flesh—had never received proper treatment.
“It’s fine. We can ask Xiao Nan to take a look tomorrow morning,” Quan Xiaoyu said.
They had returned in the middle of the night. Although Li Nan’s room was right next door, he had moved to the training ground to stay with the children while Quan Xiaoyu was away. He probably didn’t even know that Chu Tian and the others had returned.
The wound wasn’t serious, so Quan Xiaoyu had no intention of disturbing a child in the middle of the night.
Lu Zhongxia wasn’t so lucky. As soon as Xiao Ziran returned, he was summoned to examine the injuries. At this hour, he was probably still rushing back and forth between Xiao Ziran and the injured security team members.
Chu Tian didn’t respond, nor did he stop what he was doing.
In truth, he wasn’t particularly skilled at treating wounds, but tonight he seemed unusually stubborn about doing it himself.
“What’s wrong?” Quan Xiaoyu asked worriedly, watching the head bobbing in front of him. “Is there something you want to tell me? You’ve been acting strangely all day.”
“Xiaoyu, I want to return to the capital.”
Chu Tian kept his head lowered, diligently cleaning the wound. His expression remained hidden from view.
Quan Xiaoyu’s expression changed slightly.
The day had finally come.
He was actually afraid of Chu Tian going home.
He knew how selfish that thought was, but he couldn’t bear the idea of parting from Chu Tian.
And this separation wouldn’t simply be a matter of distance.
Out here, at Dawn Base, he and Chu Tian were equals. They could fight side by side, support one another, and share whatever hardships came their way.
But what would happen once they reached the capital?
Although Chu Tian had never said anything outright, the many clues surrounding his background suggested that he came from no ordinary family.
Perhaps, once they arrived in the capital, Chu Tian would stand high above everyone else, while Quan Xiaoyu would remain just another ordinary person among the countless masses.
What was he supposed to do when social status came between them and threatened their love?
Would he end up dying miserably and helplessly from heartbreak, just as he had in his previous life?
Quan Xiaoyu remained silent for a long time. He didn’t know how to respond.
By then, Chu Tian had finished cleaning and rebandaging the wound, though his handiwork was rather clumsy.
He straightened up, sat down beside Quan Xiaoyu, and pulled him tightly into his arms.
“I know. I know what you’re afraid of. I understand, I really do.”
Chu Tian kissed his forehead.
“But, Xiaoyu, I have to go to the capital. I still have family there. I need to go back and see them. I need to tell them in person that I’m still alive! Forgive me for being selfish.”
Quan Xiaoyu parted his lips, wanting to say something, but Chu Tian raised a finger to stop him, gently pressing it against his lips.
“Don’t say anything yet. Let me finish.”
“Besides, I’m doing this for Dawn Base, too. On the surface, it looks as though we’re flourishing and developing wonderfully. But that’s only an illusion. How many other people like Su Muxu are out there, lurking where we can’t see them? How many others like Ji Yan? How did they come into existence? How powerful will they eventually become? We don’t know any of these things.”
“If Dawn is going to grow, if we want more people to survive, then what we currently have is nowhere near enough. Apart from our method of leveling up and what we know about crystal cores, what else do we have to offer?”
“We can’t even establish a proper scientific research institution, let alone restore normal communications. Are we really going to rely on all of Xiao Bai’s little inventions forever? Those are emergency solutions, not a way to develop for the future.”
This was the first time Chu Tian had revealed such a broad and profound understanding of the bigger picture. It was also the most clearly he had ever expressed it.
“The truth is, we have almost nothing. Even our information is pitifully limited. If things continue this way, then once other forces rise or the zombies grow even stronger, Dawn might simply cease to exist.”
“Dawn is supposed to be a place that gives others hope. That was our original purpose.”
“The capital has the best resources. Perhaps it will also have the answers we’re looking for. Even if we don’t find them there, the journey itself will allow us to gain a more realistic understanding of this world. It’s not as though we’re never coming back.”
After finishing, Chu Tian kissed Quan Xiaoyu’s forehead once more.
“Coming… back?” Quan Xiaoyu asked, looking confused.
Chu Tian smiled. “Yes, coming back! After all, Dawn is our home base, isn’t it?”
“I’m the youngest son in my family. I have two older brothers, so there’s no need for me to inherit the family business. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone all the way to S City to study in the first place.”
Of course, the truth was that his family hadn’t neglected him. Quite the opposite—his grandfather had always intended to groom him as the successor.
However, Chu Tian had no desire to create discord between himself and his brothers over the position. With his father’s support, he had deliberately distanced himself from the circles of power in the capital and gone to S City instead.
His grandfather had once flown into a terrible rage over the decision. However, the unlucky one who bore the brunt of that anger was Chu Tian’s father. Since Chu Tian was so far away, the old man’s fury couldn’t reach him.
After moving to S City, Chu Tian had also tried to avoid going home whenever possible, lest he get into another argument with his grandfather.
But the apocalypse had been going on for so long now. He wondered whether the old man was still safe.
A trace of regret welled up inside him. If only he had gone home to visit his grandfather more often back then. So what if he’d had to endure a few scoldings?
But now\…
There was no point dwelling on it.
This was the first time Chu Tian had voluntarily brought up his family, so Quan Xiaoyu naturally took his words seriously. Hearing him promise that he would return to Dawn also made him feel somewhat relieved.
He couldn’t help asking, “Then how long will you be gone this time?”
His eyes were filled with deep reluctance.
Chu Tian froze, then looked at him in surprise.
“I meant that I want you to come to the capital with me. You can meet my family while we’re there. Don’t you want to go?”
Quan Xiaoyu was stunned as well. His body stiffened for a moment.
It was precisely because he was afraid of facing Chu Tian’s family that he had been so anxious and conflicted.
He had originally thought that if Chu Tian was still willing to return to Dawn, he could simply wait for him here.
But now\…
Quan Xiaoyu struggled with his feelings for a long time, unable to find an answer.
“My family members aren’t difficult to get along with. Now that the apocalypse has happened, I believe they’ll be able to understand a lot of things. Of course, that excludes my grandfather.”
Thinking of that rigid, stubborn old man, Chu Tian couldn’t help feeling a headache coming on.
Nevertheless, he continued, “No matter what happens, I want you to trust me. I’ll handle everything properly. Don’t be afraid. Come with me, and we’ll face it together.”
“We’ve already faced death together. What else could we possibly be unable to confront?”
Chu Tian spoke with complete sincerity.
He didn’t try to convince Quan Xiaoyu by claiming that his family was exceptionally kind or easygoing. Instead, he simply asked Quan Xiaoyu to trust him—to believe that he would find a way to handle everything.
Quan Xiaoyu was deeply moved.
This was his Chu Tian, the person he had always trusted and relied upon.
Chu Tian was right. He had always been able to handle everything and had never broken his promises. Apart from the unexpected incident when he had gone missing, he had always remained steadfastly by Quan Xiaoyu’s side.
So why should Quan Xiaoyu’s confidence waver just because of Chu Tian’s family?
Why couldn’t he trust Chu Tian as he always had and bravely face whatever lay ahead together with him?
“Mm!”
Held in Chu Tian’s arms, Quan Xiaoyu nodded firmly, as though making a solemn vow.
Chu Tian smiled.
Yes, this was the person he loved. This was the person who trusted and depended on him.
How could he ever let him down?