Chapter Twenty-Four: Chaos

Chapter Twenty-Four

With no way forward or back, the only option left was to climb the cliff.

Yang Hao, Mo Chen, and several scouts compared the digital map on the tablet with the actual terrain, determined to find the fastest route.

Mei, bored, sat aside listening to their discussion, thinking that this time, she probably wouldn’t be able to search for that item after all. But perhaps it was for the best—if that thing truly was at the roots of the Devil Vine and she took it, the plant would surely wither and die soon after. That would easily draw attention from those with ulterior motives. It was better to come back alone another time.

“Is that the snake?” Ye Jingxuan suddenly asked, momentarily startling Mei before she realized what he meant. He was looking at the white thing coiled around her wrist like a bracelet. She hesitated, then nodded.

Back when Ling Xiao, the little snake, was about to hatch, it had likely absorbed some of his mental energy too, which was why he could perceive Ling Xiao’s spiritual communication as speech.

“Ling Xiao is sleeping now. When it wakes up, you can play with it,” she said, figuring that since Ling Xiao grew close to her after feeding on her mental energy, it would surely be friendly with Ye Jingxuan as well.

“Ling Xiao?” he asked, slightly puzzled.

“It’s the snake’s name,” Mei explained. “Not a name I gave—it told me itself.”

“Oh.” Ye Jingxuan replied, then fell silent again, unsure what else to say. He wasn’t a talkative person and had little experience with idle chatter. He settled into silence and resumed focusing on his abilities.

Seeing him return to training, Mei found herself respecting him more. He truly never forgot to improve his strength, no matter the circumstance. Such a mindset was admirable—if his talent was sufficient, becoming a rare strongman was only a matter of time.

She too had once gone through a period of relentless self-training, constantly fleeing from slavers and her own kind. Every ounce of strength meant a greater chance to escape. If she wanted to live without shame, she could do nothing but run—run for her life.

Perhaps it was from watching him that she recalled memories she had long since buried deep inside. Mei felt a certain kinship with Ye Jingxuan, as if they were of the same kind.

Tilting her head to study his profile as he trained, his face was dirty, his features almost unrecognizable, yet his focused expression lent him a unique charm.

“No wonder they say a man is most attractive when he’s focused. I never believed it before, but now I see it’s true,” Mei murmured to herself.

Though Ye Jingxuan’s attention was mostly on his powers, he still heard her. His movements paused, and a faint awkwardness flickered across his face. Being watched with such pure admiration, even someone like Ye Jingxuan—used to all kinds of gazes—couldn’t help but be affected. He looked up to meet her clear, direct eyes and suddenly felt a bit helpless.

“Do you need something?”

“No, not at all. Brother Ye, just keep training, don’t mind me!” Mei shook her head. She was only looking, after all—surely that was fine?

Since arriving in this world, aside from Mo Chen, only Ye Jingxuan matched her tastes. Before, they weren’t well acquainted, and he seemed ill-tempered, so she hadn’t dared to stare at him. Now, after sharing hardship, what harm could there be in looking?

Seeing she wasn’t going to look away, Ye Jingxuan had no choice but to pretend not to notice. Luckily, her gaze wasn’t annoying; otherwise, he couldn’t have stayed so calm.

Before long, the others finalized the route, and everyone got up to move toward the chosen spot.

The climb site Yang Hao and his team selected was about two kilometers from their current location. It took some time, but they finally arrived. The cliff here wasn’t the steepest or easiest to climb, but the top was the closest point to the valley entrance, with the best path forward. Other climbing spots were either too far from the valley mouth or had treacherous paths, so this was the best compromise.

Yet, even though this wasn’t the steepest part, the three to four hundred meter height was a serious challenge for most untrained people to climb unaided.

Yang Hao dispatched two agile soldiers, who tied sturdy ropes around their waists and used military daggers as makeshift pitons to ascend along separate paths. Both men, though they nearly fell a few times, managed to reach the top safely. They secured the ropes and gave the signal below.

Yang Hao divided the group into two teams, letting the stronger members go first so they could help pull up others if needed.

“How’s your right arm? Do you want me to carry you up?” Mo Chen assessed the cliff’s height and his own strength, then looked at Mei.

Mei widened her eyes in disbelief. “Are you sure you can? Don’t drop me halfway up!”

Mo Chen flicked her forehead, unbothered. “Never ask a man if he’s up to the task. I’ll tie us together—if we fall, we fall together.”

“Alright then, I’ll trust you!” Mei rubbed her sore forehead and agreed. If he was willing, she was happy to let him carry her—no need to reveal more of her own strength. If things got dangerous, she still had her own tricks; she wouldn’t let anything truly happen to them.

Up ahead, Ye Jingxuan heard their exchange. After a pause, he stepped behind them, with Yang Hao following suit.

Guessing Ye Jingxuan wouldn’t explain, Mei looked at Yang Hao in confusion.

“We’ll go after you two. If there’s any trouble, we’ll be close enough to help,” Yang Hao said with a bright smile.

If anything really went wrong, their help would probably just get them all dragged down, Mei thought privately. Still, she appreciated the gesture. She flashed a radiant smile. “Thank you, Brother Ye, Brother Yang!”

With espers and mutants being much stronger than ordinary people, and the rest all well-trained, plus the ropes for support, everyone made the climb with excitement but no real danger.

Soon it was Mo Chen and Mei’s turn. With Ye Jingxuan and Yang Hao’s help, Mo Chen tied Mei securely to his back.

“How are you so light? Do you even weigh eighty pounds?” Mo Chen was surprised as soon as she leaned onto him. He’d never carried anyone else before, but she was so light he’d worried for nothing.

“A girl’s weight is top secret—I can’t tell you!” Mei teased, tugging his ear to hurry him along and brush off the question.

For now, her weight wasn’t much different from an ordinary human’s. As her two bodies continued to merge, she would only become lighter—“light as a swallow” seemed a term made for her. But she had no intention of sharing this secret. She doubted there’d be many chances to carry people around in the future anyway.

Mo Chen carried her up about thirty meters before Ye Jingxuan followed, then Yang Hao. The two men kept a close eye on the pair, ready to help if needed. But Mo Chen climbed steadily, and with Mei’s lightness, the ascent was smooth and safe.

As soon as they reached the top, someone reached out to haul them over the edge and untied Mei from Mo Chen’s back.

“Thanks for your hard work, Chen!” Mei crouched beside him with a cheerful grin as he panted, sweat streaming down his face.

Mo Chen just shook his head, saying nothing.

Soon, Ye Jingxuan and Yang Hao made it up as well. The last few weaker members were hauled up by the group, taking turns.

Everyone rested before setting off again.

Back at the base, news of their predicament had already been reported. With the military’s highest commander missing, those who had long harbored ambitions began to lean toward the Huang family. Aside from the officers who had already defected, those seeking to curry favor now needed to show their sincerity—which meant handing over weapons, ammunition, and supplies.

But those in charge of such resources were all loyal to Yang Hao. Even if he was dead, they would never surrender their charge to others.

Overnight, the military split into two factions. Though they hadn’t yet torn off all pretenses, the atmosphere was thick with gunpowder.

Military unrest made the entire base tense. With not enough soldiers to maintain order, chaos erupted. Arson, murder, robbery, and **—all the negative emotions that had built up from the zombie threat and the base’s harsh treatment exploded in that instant.

Everyone feared for their lives. Those without any strength could only cower indoors, praying disaster would pass them by.

Qu Wenyuan curled in the corner of her bedroom, listening to the fighting and looting outside, tears streaming down her face. Only now did she truly grasp the horror of the apocalypse—a world with no law, no morality, where the darkness and distortion in human nature ran rampant, unchecked.

She no longer felt smug about knowing the story’s plot, no longer cared about stealing treasures or snatching the heroine’s opportunities. At that moment, all she wanted was to go home—to her plain, even impoverished family, where at least it was safe.

Suddenly, someone began kicking at the door. Qu Wenyuan clapped a hand over her mouth, terrified that even the slightest sound would bring those people in—then she would be truly doomed.

Just the evening before, she had witnessed a plain-looking woman being publicly assaulted by several men.

The thought that she could suffer the same fate nearly drove her mad. She missed Ye Jingxuan and Lin Shaojie desperately—at least they could have protected her from such horrors.

In the dead of night, when Yang Hao and his group finally returned to the base, what greeted them was no longer the orderly place they remembered. Everywhere they looked was devastation.

Human beings hadn’t died at the hands of zombies, but had destroyed themselves by their own hands.