Chapter 7 - Mouse Killing Cat

Speak of the devil! Ji Yun shouted from outside saying that he wanted to ask him something.

Wu Ye opened the door, went out, and seeing Ji Yun alone, he asked "What do you want?"

Whether it was for fear of Wang He's threat or his own will, Ji Yun wanted to find out Wu Ye's situation. When Wu Ye opened the door, Ji Yun caught a glimpse of a man lying inside despite the thick curtain and poor lighting. However, why hasn't this man moved for the past two days? If what Wu Ye said was true, could it be that the man went out and got hurt? And, what on earth was that smell in their room? It smelled worse than a zombie!

Could it be that the man inside had transformed into a zombie just like Wang Jian? He remembered that the man did not seem to be tied up. Wu Ye was huddled in the same room everyday, and if the man really turned into a zombie, then Wu Ye would have been gnawed to bits already.

Does this really mean that the man was hiding from them because he had been badly wounded?

No matter how much Ji Yun speculated, he could only make a gamble now or else, he would die.

"We've run out of salt. Can we exchange some rice with you? Wang He came up with this excuse for him so that he could come out and talk with Wu Ye.

The kitchen was very 'clean'. For the past two days, except for boiling water, Wu Ye had not visited the kitchen to cook. In the ground floor of this house, except for Wu Ye's room, all the rooms are just heaps of mess with no functional supply. Wang He wanted to know where Wu Ye hid his supplies so he purposefully sent Ji Yun to exchange salt with Wu Ye. If he actually hid them inside the room, Ji Yun could take a peek and find out the situation inside when Wu Ye comes out.

Wang He's excessive suspicion just gave Wu Ye the perfect chance to delay matters.

Wu Ye knew that Ji Yun was testing him, so he couldn't show him any hint of timidity. Any hint of fear could mean grave danger for him. So, he acted impatient and said, "Why are you troublesome? Wait here." Damn it! Fortunately, he had a small bag of salt in his pocket. Otherwise, he would have to purchase it again through system credit and add more to his debt.

When he entered the room, Wu Ye tried to seek help from the system using his brain waves. "System, ah, could you help me impersonate this man to say a few words, please?"

The system was silent for a long time before giving a cold answer. [A level 1 nucleus crystal.]

Shit, that's ruthless!

Second young master Wu's eyes showed a glint of fierceness as he agreed. "Deal!"

[T/N: Wu Ye is the second son of a well-to-do family, surnamed Wu.]"Brother, they want to exchange rice for salt." Wu Ye took out the salt bag from the climbing backpack and pretended to talk to his 'brother'.

"Hn, change it." The voice was cold and sounded a little like the voice of the man that day.

"How much do you think is enough?" Wu Ye couldn't accept using his only level 1 crystal nucleus just for those three words the system uttered, so he asked again.

"…whatever." The system cherished its words like gold, and Wu Ye couldn't help but grit his teeth.

After the short 'conversation', Wu Ye slightly opened the door and threw the salt bag to Ji Yun. "I don't want rice. I want canned pork." Since Wu Ye couldn't cook and there was no food to go with the rice, might as well ask for canned pork. Besides, it's better to eat nutrients than consumer porridge that was more water than rice. In the first place, it didn't appease hunger at all.

"But we only have one can." Ji Yun said with a troubled voice. However, when he heard the voice of the man inside, he became even more determined to cooperate with Wu Ye.

To this, Wu Ye overbearingly answered, "One can is one can."

"Then, wait a minute. I'll get back to you right away." Ji Yun said, stuffing a small note into Wu Ye's hand before turning to the kitchen.

Wu Ye opened the note which says, 'Beware of Wang He.'

Did Ji Yun really want to work with him, or was he just testing him in Wang He's stead?

Thoughts raced in Wu Ye's mind as he put the note away quietly. Using the rain water, he drew a big question mark on the dry ground under the eaves. When Ji Yun came out, he saw the question mark and immediate understood. He thanked Wu Ye with a loud voice, while on the ground, he wrote, 'Cooperation.'

Wu Ye drew another question mark while saying, "You're welcome."

Still communicating silently, Ji Yun asked out loud if he could thank Qin Wuhua in person. As he asked, he shook his head at Wu Ye then wrote, 'He is an evolved person.'

Wu Ye was shocked. He suspected Qin Wuhua might be awakening some special powers, but the system kept mum about it that he tossed his suspicions aside. He did not expect that there were really special powers in this world. No. Now is not the time to sigh. If Wang He possessed special powers, he had no chance of winning. Ji Yun offering him to cooperate was most probably because he had misunderstood that his 'brother' was also an evolved person, and also had a special power.

What now?

[ System, can you help me kill him directly? ] The second young master's eyes were dark and filled with evil thoughts.

[…No.]

[Can you give me poison on credit? I'll kill him.]Wu Ye's two eyes gave off a sinister light.

[…No.]

[This can't be done, that can't be done. Why are you so useless? If my little life is over, what can you ask for?]The second young master of Wu's family fury was filled to the brim after getting rejected twice.

How could it be blamed when its remaining energy was not enough to make poison? There's no use complaining about it being useless, stupid host!

Static sound was heard and the system pretended to be dead once again.

Ji Yun wanted to cooperate because of his 'brother'. But his 'brother' is just a cheap trick. On the other hand, Ji Yun himself is cautious. He won't lose the falcon until he sees the hare*. He needs to see Qin Wuhua face-to-face to hash out a plan because he certainly couldn't do it with a 'child'. The two of them failed to reach an agreement at the moment. Instead, they decided that Ji Yun would help them stall Wang He, while Wu Ye and his 'brother' would help him kill Wang He.

[T/N: Chinese idiom meaning "one doesn't act without some incentive]

Night fell as Wu Ye took out a tube of nutrient he previously bought on credit, ate a few mouthfuls, and fed the rest to Qin Wuhua. He didn't want to touch the canned pork at the moment as he feared that Wang He would make a move tonight. His fears kept him awake even when lying next to Qin Wuhua. Every time he hears the floor creak, he would reflexively prick up his ears and anxiously hold his bow and arrow, completely lacking of any sense of security.

The rain poured heavier and louder. Wu Ye felt even more sure that Wang He would do something tonight.

Ji Yun wasn't the type of guy to silently wait for his death. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived up to this day. Although Wang He did not say anything, he shared Wu Ye's thoughts and their intuition told them that Wang He is highly likely to act tonight.

The reason is simple. Heavy rains could tamper with zombie's sense of hearing and smell. The zombies could definitely notice loud noise once the rain stopped. No one could survive without a car, and their care lacks petrol. Wang He's chances for survival will be less likely to happen if he didn't act tonight.

Also, the 'master' who had been silent all these time suddenly has spoken. If he had been silent because of an injury, hearing him speak now only meant that he has almost fully recovered. If Wang He wanted to do something, it would be foolish to do it later. He would definitely choose tonight to act.

Once Wang He succeeded in getting the supplies he wanted, he, Ji Yun would surely be the next one in line to be sacrificed to his knife.

When dinner was over, Ji Yun began thinking about the countermeasures he could do.

An hour before midnight, Wang He got up and went downstairs. As soon as he reached the stairs, Ji Yun opened his eyes and slipped into the next room with a knife. He carefully made several slice marks on the rope that bound Wang Jian and loosened the knots on his feet and hands. Wang He feared that Wang Jian's grunts would alert the 'master' downstairs after he had completely transformed into a zombie. So, he destroyed Wang Jian's throat, saving Ji Yun some extra effort.

Afterwards, Ji Yun hid his precious field knife in his boots, quietly tied a large chain to his waist, and stuffed two light sticks in his trouser pocket. He pretended that he was awakened by Wang He and ran downstairs to the toilet as if in a daze.

"Boss, are you okay? I'm going to take a dump. I can't hold it anymore," Ji Yun screamed outside the toilet while covering his stomach. His voice was loud enough to attract people's attention.

Wang He cursed and shook his little brother, pulled his pants, and stepped out calmly. "Hurry up, don't dilly-dally for long, and don't bother this grandfather while I sleep."

Ji Yun rushed into the toilet eagerly, closed the door and said, "Don't worry boss. 10 minutes, I would take 10 minutes at most."

"So troublesome." Wang He knew that Ji Yun had constipation problems, and often took a long time squatting in a pit. "Do it fast."

"Well boss…" Ji Yun did not say anything more when a loud long 'poof' came out from inside the toilet. Wang He curled his mouth as he tossed his doubts away. Ji Yun held his breath until he head Wang He go upstairs. Once he heard his retreating steps, he quietly crept out of the toilet like a cat. Once he reached Wu Ye's room, he scratched the wooden door quietly with his fingers.

Wu Ye had been listening to the movements outside with his alert ears. When he heard the gentle scraping sound, he knew it must have been Ji Yun. He did not want to alert Wang he so Wu Ye went to the door and opened it carefully. Ji Yun used the light stick he brought, he mouthed 'Go' and made a gesture.

If they wanted to escape, they must use something to hinder Wang He's movement. Wu Ye was shocked for a moment before he understood Ji Yun's plan.

Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier? This is like forcing us to dance with the zombies!

It's now harder to hide his situation, so Wu Ye opened the door to expose the situation to Ji Yun.

Qin Wuhua only wore a pair of pants that was cut into half-pull. His wounds are all healed and only a few scars were left on his body. His eyes were closed and his breathing slow. Ji Yun was shocked to find no injuries at all. He could not help himself from cursing his mother! It turns out, Wu Ye's 'brother' was not injured but was in the process of awakening his power.

What can he do now?

Leaving these two men behind, he would give him 80% chance of escaping. But how could a monk run away from the temple?* As long as Wang He lives, he would sooner or later find him at the survivor base and settle accounts with him. Without backing, money, power, and strength, his plan to take his teacher to another base was simply wishful thinking.

T/N: The idiom "the monk can run away, but the temple won't run away with him" meant that escaping a situation now does not save one from suffering future consequences. Even if Ji Yun could escape from Wang He now, he would still need to pick up his dependent in the base where Wang He could actually track him down.

Ji Yun was hesitant. He did not wish to see the silent despair in Wu Ye's eyes should he choose to abandon them. His heart ached with the thought and could not help but remember how his mother blocked the zombies with her flesh and blood just to let him escape.

F*ck, fine. He'd gamble. If he could escape tonight's situation and wait for Wu Ye's brother to awaken his power, he could get his favor. This deal did not sound too bad.

Ji Yun at Wu Ye and went inside. He held Qi Wuhua's shoulder with one hand. Wu Ye immediately understood what Ji Yun wanted to do. He picked up his climbing backpack and help Ji Yun to hold Qin Wuhua's body up. Together, they quietly walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, Wang He lied on the bed with his eyes closed. He was lost in his thoughts of what he would do with Wu Ye after he had gotten rid of the people in his group. He was going to have a good time playing with Wu Ye. F*ck, just look how fine and supple his body is! That face was more enchanting than those young masters and ladies under Mr. Luo's care. After he got tired of playing with him, he would sell him to Mr. Luo. Surely, Wu Ye would get him a lot of crystal nuclei.

The more he thought about it, the hotter he became. He turned his back to the door frame that has lost its door, and was lost in his imagination that he failed to notice a shadow rushing into the room.

"Ah–" Wang He's pitiful screams could be heard from upstairs.

Shocked, Ji Yun quickly opened the iron bolt of the courtyard gate. Once they were out, he immediately tied the gate with the thick chain and locked it with a big lock.

"Come on!" Ji Yun urged knowing that once an evolved person got infected by zombies, their abilities would be stronger, and their transformation faster. Hearing the miserable cries of Wang He, Ji Yun knew that his plan worked.

"I know a place nearby where we can hide. This way!" Before the heavy rainfall started, Wu Ye had searched every nearby farmhouse around the area. Some of them had large cellars with hidden entrances, which could easily fit three big men. Now, they only hoped that Wang Jian and the gate could delay Wang He just a little longer.

Wang He was careless that Wang Jian was able to bit him on the neck without struggle. He reached for the gun that was strapped on his body, pointed it at Wang Jian's forehead, and shot him with no hesitation. Wang Jian's head exploded in an instant. He furiously kicked his brother's body away while covering his bloody neck. His eyes were filled with poison as he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Ji Yun, Ji Yun! You dare to betray this daddy? This daddy will drag you to hell with him, even if he dies!"

Ji Yun heard the gunshot and knew Wang Jian was shot. He did not expect that Wang He still had bullets in his gun cache!

"How far is it? Wang He has a gun in his hand. He will soon catch up to us." Ji Yun's heart had fallen to his throat.

"Right ahead." Even when Wu Yu had become much stronger than before, he still could not move quickly when running for his life under this rainstorm while dragging a man taller and heavier than him.

Soon, there were two more shots fired from the farm house. Wu Ye knew that Wang He must have broken the chain and the lock on the gate.

"Brother Ji, run away! Anyway, thank you for today."

"Don't talk nonsense. Come on, we still have a chance. If Wang He catches up to us, I will try my best to stall him, Find a way to take your brother as far as possible. If you happen to escape, please do me a favor. Go to Lan Cheng base and help me take care of an old man named Li Jianguo." Ji Yun isn't sure whether Wu Ye and his brother could escape. All he knew was that Wang will definitely not let him go. He had no way to live. That's why he had decided to stall for time for Wu Ye and his brother to survive

Wu Ye's eyes were hot. He clenched his teeth and held back his tears. "I won't leave you behind."

After being infected again by the D-Virus, an evolved person's ability could be greatly improved and quickly activated. They had only spoken two sentences to each other when Wang He appeared in front of them like a ghost, laughing ferociously. "Going somewhere? Both of you are not going anywhere tonight!"

After this, Wang He's hand blazed with fire and run forward with a grim smile. "You are all going to die!"

Wang he was so fast that Wu Ye could not avoid it, so Wu Ye could only close his eyes in despair.

At this critical moment, a sudden thunderclap burst in their ears, and Wu Ye's heart jumped violently. The pain he anticipated did not come. As Wu Yu slowly opened his eyes and say that under the pale green light, there lay a hunk of human-shaped coal lying on the ground. Surprisingly, it was Wang He who was just running towards them just seconds before.

Second young master Wu regained his vigor and said, "Serves you right to be struck by lightning, you sissy! It's payback time!"