TL: Moonlit

Fang Shenlong turned back to his temporary teammates and said, “Now that Yue County Base is out of food, it’s up to you whether you stay or leave. We won’t force anyone.”

Someone asked Fang Shenlong and Miao Bo about their plans, and Miao Bo straightforwardly stated that he would leave Yue County Base.

As expected, these non-conventional members of Yue County Base were willing to follow them and leave. Regardless of where they went, as long as they had food to eat and could survive, they were willing to go. Some timid and loyal members of the base refused to leave and cursed Fang Shenlong and Miao Bo as traitors. Fang Shenlong and Miao Bo paid no attention to them, as everyone knew how the base treated them.

The sounds of battle could be heard in the distance, with over two thousand people from Yue County Base approaching. Their eyes were bloodshot, and they were especially fierce when killing zombies, overturning Wen Qingling’s impression of them as cowards.

People indeed need to be pushed to their limits. Look, as soon as their food was taken away, they no longer cowered and weren’t afraid of the zombies outside. They bravely stepped forward, shouting to reclaim their food. They were filled with passion and vitality. That’s how living people should be.

Wen Qingling waved his hand and said, “Release the captives.”

Ji Rong was taken aback. He was ready to start fighting as instructed by the boss, so why were they releasing the captives instead of killing them?

Ji Rong doubted whether he misheard, “Release them?”

Wen Qingling’s tone carried a deep meaning, “Of course, we have to. We took their food, but we can’t just exterminate them completely. We have to give them a chance to struggle. We’re all good-hearted people. Otherwise, what’s the difference between us and the people from Yue County Base?”

Ji Rong: “…”

Everyone: “…”

They all felt that his words carried a strong sense of ambiguity.

Wen Qingling jumped onto the roof of a car, preparing to command the battle. “Captives and the loyal survivors of Yue County Base, it’s time for you to dash for your lives. If you run too slow, be careful of becoming zombie food.”

Everyone: “…”

Terrified!

The loyal individuals who were just cursing now expressed some regret. They regretted it deeply. If they could start over, they would never join the damn Yue County Base!

The horde of zombies blocking the way parted, creating a path for the survivors of Yue County Base. It was a smooth and unobstructed path. As long as they ran past the encircled zombies, they would survive.

Wen Qingling said, “We are kind-hearted people. Don’t blame me for not giving you a chance to live. You have only 10 seconds.”

Wen Qingling wouldn’t actively control the zombie horde to attack them, but he also wouldn’t suppress the zombies’ instinct to feed.The four captives cursed Wen Qingling for being heartless and disregarding human life. Wen Qingling told them that the real heartless individuals were still behind them. The treatment the four captives would receive wasn’t ordinary zombie pursuit but rather a baptism of “Grotesque.”

If they wanted to harm others, they had to be prepared to be harmed.

“Run,” a casual remark, and everyone started running at full speed.

The remaining people silently counted. They were still unfamiliar with Wen Qingling and didn’t understand his way of handling things. Looking at the densely packed zombies on both sides of the road, their scalps went numb, and their nerves tightened. This wasn’t a path to survival; it was likely a path to death.

When everyone was on edge, a white figure suddenly rushed out. Wrapped in a bedsheet, it carried a strong aura of blood and charged into the fleeing crowd. Despite being small in size and injured, this person’s running speed was no less than anyone else’s.

“This kid…” Ji Rong wanted to chase after him but was stopped by Wen Qingling. “Let him run.”

Fang Zhen had realized that the grim reaper was approaching. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he wouldn’t give up. He had to escape; he had to run faster than everyone else. He didn’t want to die, and he couldn’t die here. He had experienced so much; how could he possibly die here? He hadn’t yet taken down Yue County Base for his uncle, and he hadn’t reached the highest position. He was unwilling and couldn’t just die like this!

True to Wen Qingling’s words, after 10 seconds, he withdrew his control over the zombie horde, allowing them to freely hunt. It was their freedom and their nature.

The originally orderly zombie horde suddenly scattered like loose sand, instinctively pursuing the scent of humans.

The survivors, running frantically, weren’t engulfed by the zombie horde. At that moment when the horde loosened, they saw the supernatural individuals from the base standing outside the horde. They saw hope, and they knew they were saved!

As Fang Zhen ran and shouted, “Uncle! Uncle, I’m here!”

Sun Shijie, who was beside Niu Liangguo, immediately transformed his hands into wooden cages, and his own ability turned into bullets. He fired at the approaching zombies, clearing the obstacles in Fang Zhen’s path.

The rescuers were within reach, and Fang Zhen felt some relief. However, he didn’t stop running. Suddenly, screams came from behind, the ground shook, and a black shadow enveloped Fang Zhen’s path. Fang Zhen heard his uncle’s shout, his body covered in cold sweat. He knew danger was approaching, but he couldn’t avoid it. The nauseating stench spread in the air, and when Fang Zhen turned back, he couldn’t see the attacker’s appearance. His field of vision was only darkness.

He heard his uncle’s angry roar, the screams around him, and… the sound of his own flesh being chewed.

Wen Qingling had been watching coldly all along, observing as Fang Zhen had his head bitten off by the sudden appearance of the “Grotesque”. No matter how fast he ran, he couldn’t outrun the “Grotesque”. While there were more living people to share the attention of the zombies, the smell of blood stimulated the ferocity of the zombies even more.

Sun Shijie watched helplessly as his only relative died right in front of him. It was so close, his nephew could have been saved. Sun Shijie went mad and shouted as he rushed forward, “Kill with me! Kill all these intruders!”

Seeing the “Grotesque” about to pounce into the crowd, Niu Liangguo, the leader, finally used his ability. His body suddenly grew taller, and the surface of his skin turned into rock. In the blink of an eye, a more than two-meter-tall rock man appeared before everyone’s eyes. He was incredibly strong, with a sturdy and solid body that tore through his clothes. Filled with anger, he charged forward and punched the approaching “Grotesque” that was about to bite off a head.

His voice was deep and heavy as he extended his rocky arm forward, pointing ahead. “Kill with me! Kill all the intruders and reclaim the food!”

“Kill, kill, kill!” The people from Yue County Base were filled with a burst of energy. They fought against the zombies around them while roaring forward, aiming to directly crush their way through and push towards Wen Qingling.

Wen Qingling raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected that Yue County Base would have such hidden talents. In addition to Fang Zhen’s complete transformation into a water person, there was also a full-body rock man. They were truly impressive.

The rock man was extremely fierce. Reliant on his tough and strong exterior, he wasn’t afraid of the zombies’ bites. Without evading or avoiding, he charged forward furiously, sending all the zombies in his way flying. He was like a raging bull, leading the charge at the forefront of everyone, heading towards Wen Qingling and the others. The sound of the zombies’ bites kept ringing out, and the hard rock crushed countless teeth.The people who chose to follow Fang Shenlong and Miao Bo were filled with fear. They had heard about the strength of the leader before but hadn’t had a chance to witness it since they had been staying at the base. They didn’t expect to witness the former leader’s power in such a situation.

Wen Qingling stood on top of the off-road vehicle, watching as the people from Yue County Base charged forward recklessly. He suddenly turned around and said, “Chang Boheng.”

Chang Boheng was already in combat mode, ready to charge into battle at any moment. “I’m here.”

Wen Qingling pointed at the big guy charging at the front. “Can you handle this person?”

Chang Boheng looked at the fiercely powerful rock man, and a flame of battle ignited in his eyes. “Leave it to me!”

Chang Boheng reached out his hand, causing all the nearby abandoned vehicles to disintegrate. The metallic elements flew towards Chang Boheng like a galaxy, gradually forming a thick metal shield, while another metal spear appeared in his other hand. Without hesitation, Chang Boheng threw the metal spear toward the rock man’s head. Wen Qingling didn’t know that Chang Boheng was actually an ability user of the metal element. “Chang Boheng, Yue County Base is yours. Can you handle it?”

Chang Boheng looked fiercely at Wen Qingling, his eyes filled with blazing determination. “I can handle it! I can handle anything!”

The trusted subordinates who came with Chang Boheng understood Wen Qingling’s intention. They excitedly howled and followed Chang Boheng, charging forward. If Yue County Base could be brought under the control of Xiang County Base, it would become the largest base near Ling City. How could such a great opportunity not make people excited?

Fang Shenlong and Miao Bo exchanged a glance, and Miao Bo quietly told Fang Shenlong about Wen Qingling’s suggestion to go to Xiang County Base. Fang Shenlong hesitated, showing signs of indecision.

The rock man dodged the attack of the metal spear by tilting his head. Chang Boheng reached out his hand again, causing the elementalized metal spear stuck in the ground to return to his hand. It solidified once more into a metal spear.

Chang Boheng was also quite tough. With a height of over 1.8 meters, he fiercely slammed the metal shield into the rock man. Due to the difference in height and strength, Chang Boheng slid backward, but only a few meters. It felt as if there were nails under his feet, keeping him firmly in place. The rock man couldn’t push him any further.

The rock man let out a roar, and his fist, like a stone, smashed toward Chang Boheng’s head. Chang Boheng raised the metal shield to block it, causing the shield to buzz from the impact. Chang Boheng almost lost his grip. This monstrous strength was truly frightening!

The metal spear stabbed fiercely at the rock man’s abdomen, but the rock surface was too hard. With a “ding” sound, it failed to pierce through. When the rock man’s fist came crashing down again, Chang Boheng agilely evaded, and the metal shield struck the rock man’s back heavily.

No matter how strong the rock man was, he stumbled from the strike, caught off guard. In a surprise move, he countered with a hook punch, but once again, it was blocked by Chang Boheng’s metal shield. The two of them engaged in a fierce back-and-forth battle.

The area around them became a vacuum zone, as all the survivors and zombies kept their distance from the intense fight. This was a battle that ordinary people and ordinary zombies couldn’t participate in.

Xiao Hen appeared beside Wen Qingling and made a neutral comment, “Chang Boheng may not have the height, strength, and defense of the rock man, but his speed and combat skills surpass him. He must have trained extensively.”

Wen Qingling also noticed the advantages and disadvantages of the two fighters. “One has been fighting zombies all year round, while the other has been enjoying life in the base all day. The rock man has already lost in terms of honing his skills.”

No matter how powerful his ability was, it was useless if he couldn’t master it proficiently.

Xiao Hen asked, “Do you want to strengthen Xiang County Base?”

Wen Qingling pondered and replied, “Don’t you think the wilderness from Xiang County to the South City is perfect for cultivation?”

Xiao Hen smiled, “Not just that area, all the wilderness outside Ling City is suitable for cultivation.”

Relying solely on existing resources was not a long-term solution. Previously, they had no choice but to cultivate on a small scale within the base due to a lack of seeds. But now, with so many seeds available, it would be a waste not to engage in large-scale cultivation. As for ensuring the personal safety of the cultivators, it didn’t need much consideration. As long as they were approved by Wen Qingling, they would naturally receive his protection.

Wen Qingling asked, “Should I handle the situation at Yue County Base, or will you go?”

Xiao Hen responded, “I’ll go. You stay here.”

Xiao Hen took Ji Rong, He Lin, and Shi Chong with him. Only the four of them would go to conquer Yue County Base, which still had around eight or nine thousand people.