Section Seven: Reasoning and Frightening

Page (1/3)

Thank you to Leng Yufei Fei for a five-star review, becoming the first reader with fan value for this book. Applause~^_^~
Thank you to Pure Fox Pear for a five-star review, becoming the second reader with fan value for this book. Applause again~
———

Although the sharpened chopstick had broken, Qi Xi didn't feel any regret; he believed that if he had brought a brick, it would surely be much more effective than the chopstick, so its loss was inconsequential.

The group ran all the way, occasionally encountering zombies that suddenly sprang out, but these were solitary ones. In their desperate sprint, the zombies couldn't keep up and were easily avoided, so the threat was minimal. However, human endurance has its limits; running would rapidly deplete their strength, slowing them down eventually, so reaching their destination quickly was essential.

The small county town wasn't very large, nor was this street particularly long. Running at full speed, Qi Xi and the six others soon arrived at the abandoned building. The choice of this place wasn't just for its hiding potential or the trees offering a back escape, but also because it was uninhabited, secluded, and thus rarely frequented by zombies. There was no need to guard against zombies bursting out at any moment. In a state of high tension, prolonging it could easily lead to mental breakdown; only by finding a safe place to rest could they replenish themselves, restore their strength, and continue surviving.

Panting heavily, the group approached the abandoned building. Li Feidao, at the front, raised his axe and struck the lock on the door. With a crisp metallic clang, the chain securing the entrance was split open.

However, the axe suffered a chipped blade from the forceful blow, and Li Feidao's hand was stung by the recoil, but this was no time for complaints. Gritting his teeth, he endured the pain, pushed open the door, and everyone streamed inside.

The door was closed and barred. The group collectively exhaled in relief, unable to restrain their heavy breathing. Especially the three women and the overweight Nan Housheng, who gasped for air, sweating profusely, and collapsed to the ground like puddles of mud.

Qi Xi was fine, not feeling fatigued, thanks to his strong endurance. His status bar even evaluated him as “an outstanding individual among ordinary people,” and such praise was not unfounded.

“This place isn’t safe. Let’s head upstairs,” Qi Xi surveyed the surroundings. Everything in the room had been taken away, leaving nothing behind, so there was nothing to barricade the door. If many zombies gathered outside, they could easily break in, putting everyone in danger.

“Agreed,” Li Feidao nodded in approval.

Hearing this, everyone moved deeper inside, opening and closing doors as they went. After a brief search, they found the staircase, ascended, and located a relatively concealed room, entering together.

Once inside, they collapsed onto the floor, all feeling the pangs of hunger and thirst, gathering to eat and drink.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Qi Xi and Xigua didn’t rush to eat, as their bodies reeked horribly, and having just crossed over, there was a lot of information to process.

Beside him, Li Feidao, after repeatedly fighting zombies, was in a similar state, his body splattered with brain matter and emitting a foul stench.

“Rest here for a bit. Stay alert, and keep your voices down. Be careful not to let the zombies hear you; there might be some nearby, and if they sense humans, they’ll swarm in. But as long as we’re not seen or heard by them, they shouldn’t have the wit to guess we’re here,” Li Feidao advised the group.

After speaking, Li Feidao grabbed a towel and a bottle of water from a convenience bag and headed toward the door: “I’m going to wash off this zombie brain matter.”

“I’ll go too.” Having exploded a zombie’s head with a chopstick, Qi Xi was also covered in zombie brain matter, burning painfully and reeking so badly he had no appetite.

“Xigua, you should come as well,” Qi Xi said to Xi Hongchen beside him.

Xi Hongchen was lost in thought, apparently recalling memories from his previous life.

Hearing Qi Xi’s invitation, Xigua was startled, unexpectedly shook his head, and refused, “I have something to do. You go ahead.”

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

“Remember to wash up later,” Qi Xi didn’t press further; everyone has their own secrets, and that’s especially true for a transmigrator. Who doesn’t have enough stories to fill several novels?

“Got it,” Xi Hongchen nodded.

Qi Xi followed Li Feidao out, while Xigua also left, disappearing around the corner.

Inside the room, only the overweight Nan Housheng and the three women remained, exchanging awkward glances. The atmosphere grew tense.

Suddenly, Xiao Fengyu remembered something, walked over to Qi Xi’s convenience bag, opened it, and found two cans of Red Bull among the food. It really was him! Staring at the two cans, Xiao Fengyu’s eyes filled with gratitude.

……

Li Feidao found the restroom and was surprised to discover the tap still worked.

“What luck!” Li Feidao exclaimed involuntarily. With a working tap, he wouldn’t have to waste a whole bottle of water.

However, he didn’t stop to consider why the tap was left here and still functional, or why the restroom still had towels, soap, toothbrushes, and other daily necessities.

Qi Xi, however, noticed this detail, scanning the daily items and forming a suspicion: someone was still living in this abandoned building. Whether that someone was alive or a zombie was yet to be determined.

If it was a living person, it would be easy enough to join forces; if it was a zombie, they’d have to be vigilant against a potential attack from the shadows.

The thought made Qi Xi’s expression darken.

Li Feidao quickly washed off the brain matter, soaking himself in the process. Luckily, it was summer, so he’d dry off soon. Turning to see Qi Xi staring at the daily items, Li Feidao, slow as he might be, began to catch on.

“Someone’s here?”

Qi Xi nodded, “Someone is still living here. Whether they’re human or zombie, and how many zombies, remains to be seen.”

Li Feidao felt his scalp tingling with unease. The unknown is always the most frightening. Coming to this remote, abandoned building, he hadn’t expected there to be zombies lurking.

“What rotten luck,” Li Feidao spat, hefting his axe.

“As expected,” Qi Xi replied calmly.

“Oh? How so?” Li Feidao, now washing his hands and scrubbing himself clean, couldn’t help but ask.

“First, the location is excellent, not the sort of place people ignore. It’s secluded, but far from wilderness. With housing prices so high, an abandoned building in this county? That’s a joke. Second, if it’s truly abandoned, there must be a special reason, but it hasn’t been demolished after all this time, so something’s up. Someone must have prevented its demolition and taken up residence here,” Qi Xi explained, organizing his thoughts aloud.

Li Feidao had only asked out of curiosity, but Qi Xi’s answer was unexpectedly thorough, leaving him stunned—how could he have thought of so much? It was impressive.

But Qi Xi wasn’t finished—

“And, when we were searching for the restroom, I checked the back door. It was closed, from the inside, while the front was chained. This suggests the resident comes and goes through the back, and since the back door is closed, that person—or zombie—must still be inside the building.”

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

“There’s a point of doubt: why was the door locked? If someone lives here, whether protesting or squatting, they shouldn’t have locked the main door. And we can rule out the idea of someone secretly moving in, because behind the building are only woods and a lake. Before coming here, I observed the terrain from afar; getting out the back way would take a long, arduous route. So this lock wasn’t put on by the resident.”

“There must have been some dispute—one side insisted on locking the door, but the other didn’t resist, perhaps because they were too weak, unable to remove the lock. That person must be an old man or woman. Since we broke in and they still haven’t come out, maybe they’re slow to move, or perhaps already a zombie.”

“But if an old man or woman has turned into a zombie, the threat isn’t all that great…”

Having finished, Qi Xi completed his wash. Though there was still some lingering stench, it wasn’t as unbearable.

Li Feidao was dumbfounded by Qi Xi’s chain of reasoning. If Xigua were here, he’d probably shout in admiration, secretly thinking how Qi Xi was just as impressive as the expert from their previous life.

At that moment, Qi Xi thought of Xigua. Earlier, he’d invited Xigua to help wash off the filth. If there were no urgent matters, Xigua wouldn’t have refused, especially since Qi Xi was someone he revered. Yet he’d said, “I have something to do, you go ahead.” Qi Xi hadn’t given it much thought then—but now, looking back, Xigua’s business must be connected to the owner of the building. After all, Xigua had memories from his past life and must have come here before, knowing there were zombies and, given his skills, went ahead to deal with them.

“What a reckless fellow, not even consulting me.” Qi Xi frowned, but thinking further, with everyone together, it was hard to say more. If he aroused suspicion, it would be dangerous. With that, he let it go.

Li Feidao saw Qi Xi spaced out and quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Let’s get back.”

Qi Xi and Li Feidao retraced their steps. As they neared the door, Qi Xi, knowing Xigua had removed the threat, was much more relaxed. Out of nowhere, he joked, “If we open the door and find everyone has turned into zombies, we’re doomed.”

The words made Li Feidao’s heart skip. He drew closer, hearing no voices inside, and his anxiety spiked. Could Qi Xi’s joke be true? Impossible, surely.

Qi Xi was just making a casual remark, but seeing that Li Feidao was genuinely alarmed, he was at a loss for words. The world’s data system hadn’t detected any zombies, so naturally, the people inside hadn’t turned.

Without hesitation, Qi Xi stepped forward and pushed open the door.

Seeing everyone safe and sound, Li Feidao breathed a sigh of relief.

Qi Xi’s words had frightened him out of his wits.

Qi Xi strode in, ready to grab some water, while Li Feidao headed toward the door. The group looked at Li Feidao, their faces filled with shock and disbelief!

Li Feidao sensed the peculiarity in their expressions; they stared fixedly at his back, and he felt his hair stand on end. What was behind him?

Unable to resist, he spun around, his pupils contracting instantly. This—

Qidian welcomes readers to visit and enjoy the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works, all at Qidian Originals! Mobile users, please visit m for reading.

Page (3/3)