Surviving the Game as a Zombie - Chapter 35

Before Tang Yu could ask about Zhou Zhou’s intentions, Mrs. Li’s arm was suddenly yanked. Someone had taken advantage of the chaos to break into Tang Yu’s protective circle.

Their defense was breached, forcing Tang Yu to abandon Huang Qianqian and turn back to protect Mrs. Li.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhou pulled Huang Qianqian into her arms and swiftly moved to Song Lengzhu’s side. Seeing that Zhou Zhou had snatched one of the medicine catalysts, some players gave up on attacking Tang Yu and turned their attention to Zhou Zhou and Song Lengzhu instead.

The fight for the catalysts was not over; the players wouldn’t give up just because of a temporary setback.

Song Lengzhu had not intended to join the battle so soon. She had planned to wait until the dust settled before making her move to snatch a target. But now, Zhou Zhou’s action of siding with her had dragged her into the muddy waters prematurely.

She and Zhou Zhou were merely business associates, but to outsiders, they clearly looked like they were on the same side.

Without a word, someone raised a knife and swung it at Song Lengzhu. Her expression darkened. She took a step back, raised her gun, and unceremoniously pulled the trigger, aiming for the attacker’s forehead.

The bullet accurately embedded itself in the attacker’s forehead, leaving a bloody hole. Without pausing, she fired another burst at the others who were closing in.

The sound of gunfire was drowned out by the chaotic din of battle. Everyone was too busy fending for themselves.

On the stone slabs by the ancient well, dozens of player corpses had already fallen. Some were killed by Tang Yu’s group, but most were casualties of players fighting amongst themselves.

In addition, there were some zombies that had died right after turning.

Bl00d seeped through the cracks in the stone slabs, staining the exposed banyan tree roots a dark red.

The villagers who had originally come to watch the commotion had long since hidden in the nearby alleyways. As the battle escalated, their expressions grew grave, terrified by the outsiders’ firearms.

They desperately hoped Mrs. Li would be captured quickly and made into the medicine catalyst, so this chaotic war would end.

Tang Yu could clearly feel the strain. Her body was gradually failing to keep up with her mind’s commands. The prolonged stalemate had severely drained her stamina. As for Jin Ye and Xiao Li, it was even worse; for their unenhanced bodies to last seven or eight minutes was already a remarkable feat.

Even though Zhou Zhou had diverted some of the players’ firepower, they were still hopelessly outnumbered. The three of them were gradually forced back against a residential building, their backs against the cold tiles, completely surrounded.

Even if she activated her invisibility skill, Tang Yu’s physical body would have a hard time slipping away.

In the chaos, an unknown blade struck Mrs. Li’s thigh. She stumbled, nearly falling, and leaned against the wall, breaking out in a cold sweat from the pain.

The wound wasn’t fatal and hadn’t hit a major artery, but a normal person’s tolerance for pain was far lower than a player’s. A deep gash from a sharp weapon was enough to rob Mrs. Li of her ability to flee.

They had nowhere left to retreat.

Tang Yu glanced back at Mrs. Li, who waved her hand to signal she was fine, afraid of holding Tang Yu back. Tang Yu looked away, her expression fierce as she stared down the approaching enemies.

A player seized the opportunity and charged forward.

“…They’re after me. Why don’t you all just run?” Seeing that her protectors were about to be overwhelmed, Mrs. Li finally couldn’t help but urge Tang Yu to escape.

The three of them were already injured. The bloodstains didn’t show on their black jackets, but the numerous cuts on their clothes were visible. Mrs. Li knew the pain they were enduring was ten, even a hundred times greater than her own.

It wasn’t worth it. Mrs. Li felt it wasn’t worth them getting hurt for an ordinary person like her.

Tang Yu gave a bitter smile at her words. They hadn’t expected this mission to be so desperate, but having come this far, it was too late to abandon Mrs. Li.

She finally understood. A server-wide mission really would turn into a battle royale.

The attacking players were too numerous. Tang Yu’s trio finally couldn’t hold them off. Amidst the chaos, someone snatched Mrs. Li away. Tang Yu was attacked before she could protect her, forcing her to use her knife to ensure her own safety first.

Mrs. Li had been taken.

But the contest wasn’t over. A portion of the players went to attack the person who had grabbed Mrs. Li.

Having failed their mission, Tang Yu’s group was not out of danger. They were still under attack. Weaker players who weren’t competing for Mrs. Li were instead focused on killing Tang Yu and Jin Ye. After all, killing zombies awarded points, and every little bit counted.

Tang Yu cursed under her breath, swinging her knife with all her remaining strength. Compared to them, these players, lost in a frenzied scramble, were more like terrifying zombies.

Just as Tang Yu was fully engaged with the enemy, an iron chain appeared from nowhere and bound her tightly, snaring Jin Ye and Xiao Li along with her. The three of them were tied up securely.

Tang Yu turned her head to see the now-visible Xiao Qi, and the twins holding the other end of the chain.

Tang Yu had little strength left and hadn’t noticed Xiao Qi’s sneak attack. Now, the three of them were bound in a row, their arms completely restricted. Facing the muzzles of other players’ guns, they had no way to dodge.

To prevent Tang Yu from activating her invisibility skill, Xiao Qi also grabbed the back of her collar firmly. Even if Tang Yu turned invisible, Xiao Qi would still have control over her movements.

The nearby players certainly wouldn’t miss such a perfect opportunity to attack. Two or three had already raised their guns, aiming for the top of Tang Yu’s head.

Tang Yu was at her wit’s end. She quickly bent over, attempting to dodge the incoming attack.

As she moved, several gunshots rang out in succession.

Yet, the pain of being shot never came. Tang Yu straightened up and saw that the players who had been about to fire were all dead, shot down.

Someone had intervened.

The corpses on the ground all had bullet holes in their foreheads. Tang Yu looked back and saw that the one who had saved her was her nemesis—Song Lengzhu.

And standing behind Song Lengzhu was Zhou Zhou, holding Huang Qianqian.

Tang Yu: ? What in the world is going on?

Song Lengzhu glanced at Tang Yu and smiled. “Caught you.”

She raised her hand and dealt with a few players who had rushed over to snatch Huang Qianqian, then instructed Xiao Qi and the twins, “Guard them well. Don’t let them die so easily.”

Tang Yu’s group was escorted over to Zhou Zhou’s side. Song Lengzhu stood at the forefront, observing the situation with Mrs. Li. She didn’t make another move, simply watching and taking in the entire scene.

The battle for Mrs. Li had not yet subsided, but a closer look revealed that the contenders were beginning to lose steam. In the span of ten minutes, the situation on the battlefield had changed again and again.

In Zhou Zhou’s arms, Huang Qianqian cried nonstop. She struggled to break free from Zhou Zhou’s embrace to save her mother, but a child’s strength was too weak. Compounded by her congenital malnutrition, her small arms and legs were powerless.

Xiao Li finally had a chance to question Zhou Zhou. She demanded angrily, “Why did you grab the child? Are you going to turn her into a medicine catalyst?”

Zhou Zhou glanced at Xiao Li. “That’s not part of my mission.”

“Then why did you grab her?” Xiao Li paused, as if a thought had struck her. She realized, “You’re with that Song woman! You’re going to hand Qianqian over to Song Lengzhu?”

At these words, everyone’s gaze fell upon Zhou Zhou.

Tang Yu’s expression was complicated. Xiao Li’s guess was not without reason. Although Zhou Zhou claimed she and Song Lengzhu weren’t partners, they might have struck some private deal. Trading Huang Qianqian to Song Lengzhu for resources was something Zhou Zhou was capable of.

Song Lengzhu also glanced at Zhou Zhou, curious as to what answer she would give.

Under the scrutiny of so many people, Zhou Zhou maintained her gentle smile. She didn’t answer, simply letting the silence hang.

Tang Yu cursed inwardly. Jin Ye was right; in some ways, this woman was truly formidable.

After a long wait with no answer from Zhou Zhou, the group turned their attention back to the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, Mrs. Li had been snatched by yet another player.

Tang Yu was furious. Blades had no eyes. A helpless middle-aged woman at the center of the vortex was completely unable to protect herself. The players only knew they had to keep her alive, yet they were ruthless in their pushing and shoving. New wounds were clearly visible on Mrs. Li’s body.

Unable to bear it any longer, Tang Yu took a step forward, only to be yanked back by Xiao Qi.

This movement caught Song Lengzhu’s attention. She looked at Tang Yu strangely. “Aren’t you players? Why are you so concerned about an NPC?”

Tang Yu just stared at her, not answering.

Song Lengzhu’s brow smoothed. “You don’t seem to talk.” She turned to ask Xiao Li instead.

Xiao Li was taken aback. She hadn’t really cared much for NPCs either, but over the course of this mission, she had come to realize that NPCs were just like them—living, breathing people who could run, jump, and feel emotions.

It’s hard to view a being with self-awareness as a mere object.

Xiao Li pursed her lips and didn’t answer. She didn’t feel like talking to Song Lengzhu.

It was Zhou Zhou who slowly picked up the thread of conversation. “Probably because they see NPCs as people.”

Song Lengzhu raised an eyebrow at that.

Zhou Zhou continued, “Many players see NPCs as just a string of data, so they feel no psychological burden when killing them for missions. Over time, everyone’s concept of life becomes blurred. But players forget that the other party is also a person, and they themselves are just data. Essentially, there’s no difference between players and NPCs. In comparison, the NPCs are the ones who most deserve to survive in this world, although they aren’t all good people either.”

Tang Yu turned to look at Zhou Zhou, surprised that she could say such a thing. But on second thought, it all made sense. Zhou Zhou had been friendly to Huang Qianqian from the start and didn’t seem to have harmed any NPCs. She treated NPCs far more selflessly than she treated humans.

“So, you’re here to save people?” Song Lengzhu understood Zhou Zhou’s words, and her gaze toward her grew complicated. “This little girl, you don’t plan to hand her over to me?”

Xiao Qi muttered, “How can that be? We helped her kill a lot of players, and it turns out she was just using us as a shield!”

Zhou Zhou put on her signature gentle smile, neither confirming nor denying.

Song Lengzhu’s expression was unreadable as she seemed lost in thought. She withdrew her gaze and glanced toward the large banyan tree.

Mrs. Li had somehow been captured by Lan Lin again. Now that she was back in Lan Lin’s hands, it would be very difficult for anyone else to take her.

After another ten minutes or so, the other players finally accepted their fate, dragging their exhausted bodies out of the contest.

Lan Lin, holding Mrs. Li, walked up to Song Lengzhu. She glanced at the crying Huang Qianqian behind Song Lengzhu and smiled. “You caught one, I caught one. That fits our cooperation agreement. What do you say, shall we do it now?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the bald man dragged a rotting corpse over from somewhere. The swollen body emitted a foul stench, but its face was still relatively intact, looking as if it had been dead for less than a day.

Seeing that the melee had finally ended and the medicine-making ceremony was about to begin, the villagers who had been hiding far away now gathered around again.

Song Lengzhu looked back at Zhou Zhou. She didn’t try to snatch Huang Qianqian by force, as she wasn’t certain she would succeed. So she said nothing, just watched quietly, waiting for Zhou Zhou to make her choice.

After a while, someone in the crowd began to mutter, “They’ve got the people, why aren’t they starting the mission?”

A villager also urged, “Yeah, hurry up and do it. With the medicine, our village will be saved.” They showed a chilling indifference to the life and death of their fellow villager, even a hint of excitement.

Tang Yu snarled at these villagers, and Xiao Li also burst out angrily, “You bunch of garbage spectators.”

Zhou Zhou, holding Huang Qianqian, showed no sign of letting go. She chuckled and said to the villagers, “Don’t be hasty. Do you really think this medicine can save you?”

“Why not! This is what Godly Granny Huang said.”

Zhou Zhou looked at Song Lengzhu. “Do you all think so too?”

Song Lengzhu didn’t answer, but Lan Lin interjected, “Who cares if it works or not? The game mission tells us to do it this way, so we do it. As long as we get the points, that’s all that matters.”

“This method of making medicine looks more like poisoning,” someone blurted out, and the air fell silent for a moment.

Zhou Zhou didn’t deny it. “It is poisoning. Whatever this virus is, this process will contaminate the water source. Anyone who drinks the water will be one hundred percent infected.”

A trace of fear appeared on the villagers’ faces. A woman said in a low voice, “See, I’ve long felt that what Godly Granny Huang said was a lie.”

Amidst the murmurs, a man shouted, “Nonsense from outsiders! We don’t believe it. Godly Granny Huang said this can cure the strange disease. We only believe Godly Granny Huang.”

His words pulled the villagers’ attention back, and a chorus of agreement rose from the crowd. The faint voices of doubt among the villagers were instantly suppressed.

“Godly Granny Huang’s magic is boundless. She saved several lives before. How can you say she’s a liar?”

“Exactly. If you don’t believe in her power, you’ll be abandoned by the gods and won’t live long.”

Xiao Li cut them off. “Gods my ass. Have you ever seen a god that you can just talk like that?”

“I have!” an old villager retorted forcefully, his tone even a bit proud. “My wife injured her leg and became paralyzed after it healed. She was bedridden. She was cured by praying daily at Godly Granny Huang’s residence. We didn’t even have to go to the hospital. If that’s not a god, what is!”

His words immediately drew agreement from other villagers. Those who had received favors from Godly Granny Huang were eager to defend her reputation.

Hearing this, Zhou Zhou thought, this is bad. She patiently asked the old villager, “Your wife was bedridden, so how did she get to Godly Granny Huang’s place?”

“I helped her there. We walked slowly for half an hour each way, every single day.”

Xiao Li was furious. “Isn’t that just physical therapy? She could have been cured by walking anywhere else, not just to Godly Granny Huang’s place.”

The old villager looked terrified. “You don’t believe in gods! You’ll go to hell!”

Seeing the villagers so deluded, the players exchanged complicated glances. They didn’t believe in gods and ghosts and knew perfectly well that Zhou Zhou and Xiao Li were right, but not a single player stepped up to support Zhou Zhou.

Tang Yu looked at the villagers before her, feeling a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton.

This group of villagers was terminally ill, beyond saving.

Zhou Zhou looked at the villagers and changed the subject, asking, “What grudge did Mrs. Li and her daughter have with Godly Granny Huang?”

The villagers glanced at each other, and someone answered, “No grudge at all.”

Xiao Li was confused. “Then what does this have to do with the mother and daughter? Couldn’t you just throw the rotting corpse into the well to contaminate the water source? Wouldn’t that also become the life-saving medicine you’re talking about? I think this Godly Granny just wanted to settle a personal score!”

A villager responded loudly, “Don’t talk nonsense! Godly Granny Huang’s magic is boundless. She doesn’t need to do such things.”

“If she’s so powerful, why did she kick the bucket herself?”

“It was Mrs. Li and her daughter who caused it!”

Xiao Li pursed her lips and fell silent. These people were impossible to communicate with. Their minds had been completely brainwashed by Godly Granny Huang. It was unclear if they were deceiving themselves or others, but they were no longer capable of listening to reason.

However, not all the villagers were so fanatical. Those standing at the back were clearly not followers of Godly Granny Huang. They were men and women, gathered in small groups, and they didn’t speak up in her defense.

One middle-aged woman said, “If you’re talking about a grudge, it might be because Mrs. Li’s husband believed in the gods, and Mrs. Li stopped him once or twice from offering incense money. Because of that, Godly Granny Huang even went to their grocery store to cause a scene.”

Another woman added, “That can’t be it, right? To fabricate that Mrs. Li is a medicine catalyst over such a small thing?”

A villager immediately retorted, “It’s not fabricated, it’s the will of the gods.”

The two women shrank back sullenly and said no more.

Zhou Zhou’s lips tightened. She wouldn’t be surprised if Godly Granny Huang’s curse stemmed from such a petty matter. She had never believed that humans were inherently good; a tiny bit of malice could ferment and expand until it was enough to destroy a person.

So, Godly Granny Huang had intentionally wanted to harm them.

She just hadn’t expected that so many believers would buy into the nonsense about pure yin and pure yang.

To fight a virus, what should be effective are antibodies, not the bl00d of people with pure yin and pure yang constitutions.

Zhou Zhou glanced at the leather case at her feet. The glass jar inside contained the liquid she had prepared according to the formula, a concoction that had not yet undergone any clinical testing.

Zhou Zhou thought, they might have misunderstood the meaning of “life-saving medicine.”