A Time-Traveling Zombie Romance (GL) - Chapter 3

“Ouch~~” Xiaoyun, who was busy knitting, accidentally pricked her hand with a needle. Feeling uneasy, she put down her knitting and went looking for Xiaoqi.

Meanwhile, Xiaoqi was in serious trouble.

She and Yunxi were both frozen in fear. Blocking their path was a zombie. Its face was rotting in multiple places, clothes tattered, and its body exuded a foul stench that made one gag. Two long, bloodstained fangs protruded from its mouth, its eyes were red, and its long black nails added a horrifying touch that sent chills down the spine.

The zombie’s red eyes lit up when it saw Xiaoqi and Yunxi, as if it had found a delicious meal. Limping, it slowly approached them.

Xiaoqi woke up first. Seeing the zombie made her feel nauseous, and fear filled her entire being.

“Yunxi, run!” Xiaoqi grabbed Yunxi’s hand and dashed toward the exit.

Yunxi, waking up from Xiaoqi’s shouting, asked fearfully, “What… what is that monster?”

“A zombie,” Xiaoqi said simply, continuing to run.

The zombie didn’t panic as Xiaoqi and Yunxi ran. A terrifying smile curved its lips. “Ooooh~~” it howled in a hoarse voice. Suddenly, many zombies appeared around them—men, women, old, young. Some were missing arms or legs. They slowly surrounded Xiaoqi and Yunxi, emitting horrifying noises from their mouths.

“Xiaoqi, what do we do? The zombies are getting more and more!” Yunxi cried anxiously.

Xiaoqi frowned, thinking hard about how they could escape.

Suddenly, she saw a few wooden sticks on the ground. She picked one up for Yunxi and took one herself, continuing to pull Yunxi forward while hitting the zombies. But dozens of zombies quickly surrounded them. Xiaoqi and Yunxi swung their sticks at the approaching monsters, still trying to flee.

“Yunxi, keep going! We can see the light! The exit is just ahead!” Xiaoqi shouted.

“Ah~~!” Suddenly, they tripped over a large stone. Both scraped their knees badly, bl00d flowing freely. The zombies, smelling the bl00d, went even more berserk.

“Yunxi, come on, we have to run!” Xiaoqi gritted her teeth, helping Yunxi to her feet despite the pain.

“I can’t… my leg hurts so much, I can’t run,” Yunxi said, face contorted in pain.

“The exit is just ahead. If we get there, we’ll be safe. Come on, we’ll run together,” Xiaoqi said, pulling Yunxi forward.

But when they were less than ten meters from the exit, Xiaoqi could no longer bear the pain in her knees and collapsed.

“Xiaoqi! What’s wrong? Get up!” Yunxi panicked.

“You… go! Don’t worry about me, just go~~” Xiaoqi shouted, pushing Yunxi toward the exit.

“No, I can’t leave you! What will happen to you if I go?” Yunxi cried.

“Go! If we don’t, it’ll be too late. Run~~!” Xiaoqi yelled, cold sweat streaming down her forehead.

Yunxi covered her mouth, nodded through tears, and ran toward the exit.

Xiaoqi gritted her teeth and tried to stand. Suddenly, hands grabbed her feet, dragging her backward. She fell again.

The zombie they had first encountered lifted Xiaoqi, its eyes glinting with ferocity, and sank its long fangs into her neck. Xiaoqi felt her vision darken, as if her bl00d was slowly draining. She lost consciousness.

After a long time, someone seemed to be calling her. Xiaoqi struggled to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt like they were weighed down by tons of stone. After much effort, she finally glimpsed a faint light.

A blurry little girl appeared before her, gradually becoming clearer. Yunxi!?

“I… didn’t I die?” Xiaoqi thought.

“Yunxi, are you alright? Are you hurt?” Xiaoqi sat up urgently, asking about Yunxi.

Seeing Xiaoqi’s concern, Yunxi immediately burst into tears. “I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine… it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you to such a dangerous place. It’s all my fault,” Xiaoqi said, tears glistening in her eyes. Of course, she didn’t reveal that she had been bitten by a zombie—she didn’t want Yunxi to worry.

“It’s not your fault. If I weren’t so curious, you wouldn’t have had to stay behind to save me,” Yunxi shook her head quickly.

“How am I here?” Xiaoqi wondered. “I was just in that zombie’s hands…”

“When I got back, I immediately asked my master to rescue you. Seeing you collapsed alone, covered in bl00d, he brought you back,” Yunxi explained.

“Your master?”

“Yes, he’s outside preparing medicine. Wait here; I’ll call him,” Yunxi said and ran out.

Xiaoqi slowly looked around the room. It was made entirely of bamboo, including all furniture and equipment. Some herbs hung on the walls. She lifted the blanket and saw her knee wounds wrapped in clean white cloth.

Soon, a middle-aged man entered, smiling. Xiaoqi felt she recognized him—oh! That’s right, it’s him.

“You’re awake!” the man said.

“Yes,” Xiaoqi nodded.

“Xier, go fetch the medicine,” he instructed.

“Yes, Master,” Yunxi nodded and left the room. Xiaoqi was left alone with the middle-aged man.

“You’re a girl, right?” the man asked calmly.

Xiaoqi’s eyes widened. The man continued, “I know you want to ask how I knew. Actually, from the first moment I saw you, I knew you were a girl.”

Xiaoqi nodded silently.

“You’ve been infected with corpse poison, but it’s not ordinary—it’s the corpse poison of the Zombie King.”

“Master, please save me! Hiss…” Xiaoqi knelt before him, but pain in her knees made her gasp.

“Stand up first,” the man helped her, then continued: “Listen. I am a wandering martial artist, but I have some knowledge of medicinal techniques. I’ve traveled mountains and forests, where zombies sometimes appear. I’ve fought many. When a zombie bites someone, it passes a portion of its corpse poison into the victim. When the zombie is killed by a Taoist exorcist, the poison remains in the victim, turning them into a zombie over time. Your poison is from the Zombie King, who is far more powerful than normal zombies—tens or even hundreds of times stronger. Anyone infected with the Zombie King’s poison turns faster than ordinary victims. I didn’t know why the Zombie King appeared in this bamboo forest, but after seeing you, I realized. Do you know why?”

Xiaoqi shook her head.

“When I first saw you, I faintly saw a golden dragon-shaped mark on your forehead. Ordinary people cannot see it. Years ago, a highly skilled Taoist helped me open my third eye. I still hesitated to draw conclusions, but when I went to rescue you last night, the dragon mark on your forehead shone brightly. That’s when I knew you were the one…” the man explained slowly.

“Who?” Xiaoqi asked dizzily.

“You are…” The man suddenly realized something, covering his mouth. “Right, I can’t tell you everything, but I can reveal a little. You are the reincarnation of a deity. Which deity, I cannot reveal—that is a heavenly secret.”

Xiaoqi was exasperated. Reincarnation of a deity? I’m just a modern person! When did I become a deity?!

“Because you are a divine reincarnation, and you risked your life to save Xier, showing great courage, I will do my utmost to cure you of the corpse poison,” the man said.

Xiaoqi rolled her eyes. Wait… didn’t saving others mean I was already trying my best?