C10 This Place Was Not Suitable to Stay for too Long

After a brief silence, the gunshots ceased.

Chu Yue remained crouched in the corner.

Hearing the quiet, Ho Lan considered joining Chu Yue, but he signaled for her to stay put for the moment.

Having been through so much, Ho Lan had become accustomed to following Chu Yue's lead.

She stayed put, silent in her corner.

Sometime later, several people ascended the stairwell.

To Chu Yue's surprise, it was Zhang Zuosi's Cold Night Team.

The Cold Night Team excelled at stealth and ambushes, as they had been specifically trained by Zhang Zuosi for assassination.

Their mission was to verify whether Chu Yue was dead or alive; failure to do so would earn them a reprimand upon their return.

"If it weren't for you being a Sacrificer, able to ensure our survival, we wouldn't bother aligning ourselves with you," one team member grumbled under his breath.

"Enough talk, we simply lack the skill!" another whispered.

"Exactly, keep it down. Walls have ears, you know."

"What's the matter, can't speak now?"

The conversation ended there, as no one else engaged.

Clearly, they were not in agreement with Zhang Zuosi's methods; they must have endured their fair share of his scolding and mockery!

Armed with guns, they reached Chu Yue's floor.

While they searched for Chu Yue's body, he seized the moment and plunged his knife into one of them.

A blade entered white and emerged red.

Before the remaining two could recover from their shock, he swiftly dispatched another.

The assailants were dead before they could even identify their attacker.

Afterward, Chu Yue pressed the knife against the neck of the one who had earlier complained about Zhang Zuosi.

"Where is Chu Yao?" he demanded icily.

The man was momentarily stunned. When Chu Yue repeated the question, he finally found his voice, though it was shaky.

"I have no idea."

"We were only ordered to come and kill you…"

"We had just arrived, and then you all showed up. That's when we started shooting."

Thud!

"I truly don't know where Chu Yao is, I swear it on the heavens."

With that, he fell to his knees and swore to the sky.

Chu Yue thought cynically, "If oaths to the heavens were binding, there would be no liars in this world."

After some time, Chu Yue regained his composure and considered the situation. Zhang Zuosi definitely knew my sister's whereabouts; he was aware that she was my Achilles' heel and would surely use her name to blackmail me. That would make things much easier for me!

With that, Chu Yue eliminated him without hesitation.

At that moment, Ho Lan began her litany of complaints.

"He already said he didn't know anything; why did you have to kill him? You're utterly devoid of humanity."

"Be quiet!"

Chu Yue snapped, then added, "I'm going to look for my sister elsewhere. Whether you come along is your choice."

"But remember one thing."

"If you're coming with me, you have to obey me. No more incessant nagging like a preachy monk."

"If you don't comply, I'll toss you to the zombies. I doubt they'd turn you down."

Hearing this, Ho Lan wilted in fear.

Chuxue, who had appeared at some point, spoke up irritably.

"I'm so tired of her constant chatter."

"Why not just leave her here and the two of us go?"

"No, no, no, please!"

"I'll stop nagging, isn't that enough?"

"Being left here is no different than being handed over to the zombies."

"I promise I'll behave this time!"

"Fine, I'll trust you one last time," Chu Yue conceded reluctantly.

Although Chu Yao wasn't at this school, given the circumstances, she was likely safe for now.

Zhang Zuosi wouldn't be foolish enough to kill a valuable hostage.

With this thought, a weight lifted from Chu Yue's shoulders. Still, it was imperative to find Yao soon. Not knowing her exact situation while she wasn't with him was a constant source of anxiety.

Sometimes, Chu Yue couldn't help but feel remorseful.

He reproached himself for not having confirmed his sister's safety sooner, thinking that it would have spared him all this trouble.

With a heavy sigh, he expressed his frustration.

Ho Lan, witnessing his distress, wanted to offer words of comfort but was at a loss for what to say, so she too let out a sigh.

As they descended the stairs, it was a relief that going down was easier than climbing up. However, in this post-apocalyptic world, the stairwell was teeming with Zombies; and despite the ease, descending over ten floors was still quite taxing, especially for Ho Lan who found it agonizing.

Just as she was about to speak, she caught Chu Yue's expression and swallowed her words.

The number of Zombies was noticeably lower on the way down since they had eliminated some on their way up. Nonetheless, it took a considerable effort to reach the ground floor.

Once downstairs, Ho Lan leaned on the railing to catch her breath, utterly exhausted. Chu Yue, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the exertion, typical of a Sacrificer.

Though they had made it down, the number of Zombies below far exceeded those above. Chu Yue's brow furrowed. He could easily make it out on his own, but he had Ho Lan to consider.

"Stay close to me, and don't wander off. If anything happens, I'm not responsible," he stated icily before heading straight for the school's exit.

Chu Yue's blade claimed the life of any Zombie that came within five steps of him. By the end, the air was thick with the stench of blood, overwhelming even for someone like Chu Yue who was accustomed to such an environment. It was akin to a smoker stepping into a train's smoking compartment for the first time – an experience many would rather avoid.

After they broke free from the school, Chu Yue was drenched in blood, resembling an Asura emerging from the depths of hell. Ho Lan, though fearful, was preoccupied with retching against a tree, unable to spare a glance at Chu Yue.

When she finally regained some composure and turned around, she was startled. Mistaking Chu Yue for a Zombie, she let out a terrified scream.

"Keep screaming, and I'll strip you naked," Chu Yue snapped, visibly annoyed. Even someone as sturdy as him felt the weariness.

He was worried her screams would attract more Zombies. Besides, they hadn't eaten anything since the ordeal began, and their stomachs were audibly protesting.

"Is there anywhere nearby to get food?" he asked.

"There's a convenience store, but I'm not sure if there's any food left," Ho Lan replied.

"Hmm …"

"Alright!"

"Where were you planning to find food before Lee Ye captured you?"

"There's a supermarket outside the school, but it's swarming with Zombies. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be the only survivor."

Ho Lan's heart sank with sorrow as she pondered her situation, a reminder of her own grief. Chu Yue, at a loss for words, could only sigh in resignation.

"Alright, let's head to that supermarket and find something to eat, so we don't starve," he decided.

Motivated by hunger, they promptly set out, their craving for food driving them forward. Each of them, thinking of sustenance, instinctively licked their parched lips.

Ho Lan took the lead, guiding them to the familiar supermarket. Money had lost its value in these times.

They approached the supermarket with caution, each step deliberate and wary.

Chu Yue knew he had to be extra careful, unfamiliar as he was with the area. A rash move could lead to an encounter with a Mutated Zombie or an Infection Beast in its Devouring Period. While he could handle it with his Mutation Ability, he was reluctant to do so, not wanting to overburden Miss Xue. He reserved his powers for only the most dire circumstances.

He glanced at his backpack and then at the zombies inside the supermarket. Ho Lan, too, noticed the zombies, her gaze lingering on one in particular. Her heart was heavy with countless emotions. That zombie was her former boyfriend, and among the others was the one that had bitten him.

She bit down on her teeth in frustration, drawing blood from her gums. Her pain was palpable.

Chu Yue caught a glimpse of Ho Lan's expression and empathized with her anguish. The heartbreak of seeing a loved one become a zombie was something he understood all too well—his own fiancée had suffered the same fate.

He reached out to pat Ho Lan's shoulder, wanting to offer comfort, but found himself at a loss for words. He remained silent.

Ho Lan seemed to anticipate his intentions and gathered her strength, responding with a resolute look.

Then, suddenly, Chuxue peeked out from the backpack and murmured softly, "I'm so hungry!"

Chu Yue and Ho Lan exchanged a helpless smile, understanding the urgency of their quest for food.

Chu Yue and Ho Lan shared a resigned smile. Their primary goal was to scavenge for food, not to reflect on their circumstances.

"Hu!" Chu Yue, with his backpack slung over his shoulder, led Ho Lan into the supermarket. As they approached the entrance, something felt off, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. 'Am I being overly cautious?' he wondered. Shaking off the feeling, he pushed open the supermarket door.

"Creak."

The sound caught the attention of all the Zombies inside. They glanced towards the door and, after a moment's pause, charged in their direction. Chu Yue didn't consider these Zombies a threat. With swift and decisive strikes, he dispatched them effortlessly.

Ho Lan, though slightly hesitant, didn't dwell on it much. An ex is an ex, after all. There's a saying: out with the old, in with the new. Was Ho Lan being open-minded or fickle-hearted? Mulling over this, she quickly grabbed a bag and filled it with instant noodles, bread, and other ready-to-eat items from the shelves.

Meanwhile, Chu Yue kept a vigilant eye on the door, as if expecting a monster to burst through at any moment. When Ho Lan felt she had gathered enough, she joined Chu Yue's side.

"We shouldn't linger here; it feels like something big is about to go down," Chu Yue remarked.

Ho Lan, not overthinking it, simply hummed in agreement and continued packing items into her backpack.

Chuxue, famished, grabbed a loaf of bread, tore open the packaging, and began eating immediately. Ho Lan was nearly finished with her own meal. Despite her maturity, Chuxue was still just a child. This thought filled Chu Yue with a mix of emotions.

"..."

A sudden jolt of anxiety intensified within him. "We need to get out of here, now!" he yelled to Ho Lan.

With a puzzled look, Ho Lan had no choice but to follow Chu Yue's lead. She crammed a piece of bread into her mouth and dashed outside, with Chu Yue close behind.

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