Surviving the Game as a Zombie - Chapter 52

The Old Blind Man rode on the white monkey’s back, letting it lead the way. He sighed one moment and laughed heartily the next, leaving everyone to wonder what he was thinking.

Zhou Zhou spoke up, asking, “Where did the twenty-something people who came looking for you before go?”

“They’re probably still blocking my door, refusing to leave. But let them. We’ll see what’s tougher, their flesh or a tiger’s teeth.”

Remembering the Old Blind Man had mentioned a tiger before, Zhou Zhou asked him, “You train tigers, too?”

“Of course, I train everything. Back in my interstellar days, I even…” At this point, the Old Blind Man abruptly cut himself off and waved his hand. “Forget it, forget it. A true hero doesn’t boast about past glories.”

As they talked, the towering trees around them suddenly gave way to a bamboo forest. A small path appeared in the center of the grove, and the white monkey led them onto it.

Tang Yu noticed that the bamboo stalks were still quite young, not like a natural forest. The Old Blind Man had probably planted them here.

The path twisted and turned, and the white monkey led them in a circle through the bamboo. Tang Yu soon realized they had returned to their starting point. The Old Blind Man said nothing as the white monkey led them on another loop, leaving everyone disoriented.

Zhou Zhou asked, “Are we backtracking?”

“Oh, no rush. This path needs a few detours,” the Old Blind Man said, waving his hand with a smug look on his face.

The group fell silent. So, this forest held a secret. But Chen Deming’s group of over twenty people had managed to reach the Old Blind Man’s doorstep without a guide, which meant there must be an expert among them.

Before long, the path ahead finally opened up into a clearing that had clearly been cultivated by human hands. The ground was planted with some unknown vegetation. Tang Yu and the others didn’t recognize them, but Zhou Zhou did. They were plants that emitted a scent capable of stimulating hormone secretion in animals.

Beyond the clearing stood a bamboo house with a small courtyard. A large tiger with a white forehead, yellow fur, and black stripes lay on the ground in front of the yard, facing the bamboo forest. It let out a deafening roar.

The tiger’s roar erupted like a clap of thunder, freezing everyone in place. A sense of awe washed over them, and for a moment, they forgot to move.

Tang Yu took a deep breath and glanced at the Old Blind Man. This guy was a reclusive master, his strength unfathomable. If he could train tigers, wouldn’t all the insects, birds, fish, and beasts in these mountains be at his command? Why would he come down the mountain with only a white monkey, only to be captured by her?

After careful thought, Tang Yu concluded that she could never have killed him. If they had made any further move on the boat, it was uncertain who would have ended up dead. But why did the Old Blind Man show himself to them and agree to help find someone? Tang Yu couldn’t figure it out. He was truly a strange old man.

The Old Blind Man twitched his nose, sniffing the air, and immediately let out a cry of surprise. “How come those people are gone? Did they get scared off?”

The group looked up. The clearing was silent; there was no sign of Chen Deming. The Old Blind Man immediately dismounted the monkey and walked toward the tiger, communicating with it in some unknown way.

A moment later, he sighed heavily. “Ah, that bunch slipped away. They even stole some of my Duzhu Grass. Which one of you kids has good eyes? Help me see if the grass is gone.”

Everyone was stunned again. How did he get that information? Could he actually speak with animals?

Zhou Zhou looked toward the clearing and quickly identified the Duzhu Grass the Old Blind Man mentioned. It was a shrub-like plant about half a meter tall that had a hallucinogenic effect on canids, similar to how catnip affects felines. At that moment, the leaves and branches of three Duzhu Grass plants had been haphazardly stripped, as if someone had picked them in a hurry.

It seemed someone in Chen Deming’s group was knowledgeable about herbs and had a backup plan. When they failed to find the Old Blind Man, they resorted to other means and had already headed for the great tomb.

Jin Ye said anxiously, “What do we do? We didn’t find Chen Deming. Where are we going to find Xiao Li?”

Tang Yu patted Jin Ye’s shoulder, unsure how to comfort her. She was just as anxious. She had thought they were about to see their companion, but now it seemed like a wasted trip.

The Old Blind Man waved his hand. “Forget it. It’s good that they’re gone.” He stared ahead, using his hearing to orient himself like a sighted person, and walked accurately toward the bamboo house.

After a few steps, he heard no footsteps behind him and turned back to ask, “Aren’t you looking for a little girl? Aren’t you coming?”

Hearing this, Tang Yu and Jin Ye were both startled. What? Was Xiao Li in the bamboo house? Had the Old Blind Man rescued her?

The group exchanged glances and hurried to follow.

The bamboo house had three rooms, all simply furnished. Aside from bamboo beds, there was no other furniture, likely to make it easier for the Old Blind Man to move around without bumping into things.

The Old Blind Man had them stand in the main hall. “Wait here. You say you’re that little girl’s family, so I have to confirm with her first. Don’t you dare sneak in. If you do, I’ll skin you.”

Tang Yu’s group stood there obediently, not daring to make a move. After all, with a huge tiger lying outside, they were genuinely afraid to act rashly.

Song Lengzhu’s team didn’t enter the house. They always maintained a certain distance from Tang Yu’s team and were now waiting in the courtyard, observing the surroundings.

The Old Blind Man walked into the room on the left and lowered the curtain over the doorway. Tang Yu could only hear some mumbling from inside, as if the Old Blind Man was speaking in a low voice to someone.

Jin Ye’s confusion deepened. If they could talk, it meant Xiao Li was conscious. Why hadn’t she sent a message in the camp group chat?

Just as she was wondering, the Old Blind Man’s voice came from the room. “Hey, you who are looking for someone, make a sound so the little girl can identify you.”

Jin Ye quickly called out, “Xiao Li!”

She had only managed a gurgle, but she was sure Xiao Li would recognize her voice.

But after a long moment, the Old Blind Man said, somewhat angrily, “You’re liars. She doesn’t recognize that sound at all.”

The group was stunned, their budding hopes instantly dashed. The light in Jin Ye’s eyes dimmed. “We’ve been together for so long, it’s impossible for Xiao Li not to recognize my voice. The person inside isn’t who we’re looking for.” She clenched her fists, her lips pressed into a thin line, and said no more.

But then, Fu Mengqing muttered, “If it’s not Xiao Li… could it be… could it be Xingyue?”

The more she thought about it, the more she felt her guess was right. Eager for confirmation, she hurriedly called out, “Xingyue! Is that you, Xingyue?”

After Fu Mengqing became a zombie, her ally relationship with her sister had been severed. It was possible that Xingyue was still alive and conscious but had no way to contact her.

A rustling sound came from within the room. Just as everyone’s hopes were about to be dashed again, a clear and pleasant female voice called out, “Sister?” The tone was filled with uncertainty.

Tang Yu had been about to lead her people away to chase after Chen Deming. When she heard the response, her eyes and the others’ widened in an instant.

They had actually found her!

They had all assumed the person the Old Blind Man was referring to was Xiao Li, since Chen Deming, who had abducted Xiao Li, had been here. Xingyue’s fall had been in another direction, so they hadn’t even dared to consider it.

But as luck would have it, their coincidence had paid off. One of the two huge weights on their minds had finally been lifted. It also made sense now why the Old Blind Man had asked for voice identification—Xingyue couldn’t see.

The curtain was lifted, revealing a pretty girl who bore a seven or eight-tenths resemblance to Fu Mengqing.

This was the first time Tang Yu had seen Fu Xingyue. The young girl’s eyes were tightly shut, and a shocking old scar ran across them, marring her otherwise lovely face. Tang Yu sucked in a cold breath. The wound had been deliberately inflicted, a cut that went straight through her eyelids and damaged her eyeballs. The pain must have been excruciating when it happened.

Xingyue stopped at the curtain, not daring to step forward. She recognized Fu Mengqing’s voice, but she couldn’t understand a single word her sister was saying. Instead, it sounded like the whimpers of a zombie.

Tears welled up in Fu Mengqing’s eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let out a single whimper. As the older sister, she rarely showed vulnerability in front of her younger sibling, especially in the apocalypse. Xingyue was naive and had the disposition of a child, so Fu Mengqing was used to suppressing her emotions to keep her sister from worrying.

Fu Mengqing took two steps forward, reaching out to embrace her sister, but then hesitated, afraid she might scratch Xingyue.

Zhou Zhou, the only one who could still speak, provided a timely explanation. “Your sister has become a zombie.”

“What?” A flicker of panic crossed Xingyue’s face, and she instinctively wanted to back away, but she felt the gesture was inappropriate and forced herself to stop.

“Don’t be afraid,” Zhou Zhou said. “She’s still a conscious player. She won’t hurt you. It’s just that you two can’t communicate right now.”

Xingyue pulled back her retreating foot. She could sense someone in front of her. After a moment’s pause, Xingyue asked, “Can I hug her then?”

Though she asked, she didn’t wait for Zhou Zhou’s reply before opening her arms and embracing Fu Mengqing. The young girl was half a head shorter than her sister. She buried her head in Fu Mengqing’s neck, and soon, soft sobs could be heard. “Sister, where did you go?”

It sounded like both a question and a complaint.

Watching from the side, Tang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Finding Xingyue meant they no longer had to split their forces.

After the sisters’ reunion, Xingyue recounted her experience. She had waited in the cave for a long time, but Fu Mengqing never returned. Believing her sister was in danger, she grew more and more worried and left the cave by herself. But then she encountered some unknown animal that screeched at her from the tree branches above, terrifying her. In her panicked flight, she tripped, hit her head on a rock, and lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was in this house.

Zhou Zhou asked in confusion, “You didn’t fall off a cliff?”

The Old Blind Man chimed in from the side. “Oh, she fell. The place where she fainted was right by the cliff’s edge. The grass was slippery and the ground was wet, so she just rolled right off. My white monkey caught her, otherwise she would have ended up at the bottom of the cliff. If she’d hit the bottom while unconscious, she’d have been long gone.”

Zhou Zhou gave the Old Blind Man a suspicious look. “The animal she mentioned… it wasn’t one of your monkeys, was it?”

The Old Blind Man gave two awkward, dry laughs. “My monkeys usually roam free. I don’t know what they get up to.”

Everyone cast a suspicious gaze at the Old Blind Man.

Tang Yu said in the group chat, “Zhou Zhou, ask our little sister if she’s willing to become a zombie. We can take her with us.” Tang Yu didn’t treat her like a stranger, immediately calling Xingyue “little sister.”

Zhou Zhou relayed Tang Yu’s words. Of course, Xingyue had no objections. As long as she could be with her sister, she didn’t care what she became.

But the Old Blind Man was unwilling. “She can become a zombie, but you can’t take her away.”

The group was puzzled. Zhou Zhou asked, “Why?”

“She already became my apprentice this morning. It’s not easy for me to find a young person with whom I share a similarity. This girl’s mind is pure, like a blank sheet of paper, which makes it easiest to communicate with the spirits of all things. She’s my disciple now. You can’t just take my disciple away.”

Everyone was rendered speechless, unsure how to react.

Zhou Zhou said, “So that’s why you were so hesitant to tell us the girl’s whereabouts at first? You were afraid we’d take her from you?”

“That’s right. But since you said you were this child’s family, I couldn’t very well refuse to lead the way. I’ve had more than my fill of the pain of losing loved ones. So I thought I’d just let you see each other and confirm you’re both safe. As for her, just let her stay. I guarantee I’ll teach her a skill for self-preservation, and no one will dare bully her again.”

Fu Mengqing pursed her lips, lost in thought for a moment. She didn’t dare entrust her sister to a stranger, but the Old Blind Man’s words had struck a chord. As the older sister, she couldn’t protect her younger sister at all times. Only when her sister became strong herself could she avoid being bullied.

Seeing that no one had responded, the Old Blind Man said, “You can rest a hundred percent assured. If you want to see her, she can just ride a monkey back. Your camp isn’t far from…”

Tang Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly reached out to cover the Old Blind Man’s mouth. The old man actually knew where their camp was and had almost exposed it.

After stopping the Old Blind Man from continuing, Tang Yu quickly craned her neck to look at Song Lengzhu in the courtyard. Fortunately, she was far away, currently examining the patch of plants, and hadn’t heard the old man’s words.

The Old Blind Man pried Tang Yu’s hand away, not angry at all. He just said, “Oh, so I’m not supposed to say? Then why build it in such a conspicuous place? My monkeys have been there several times.”

Zhou Zhou smiled. “You find it conspicuous because you’re familiar with these mountains. We can’t guard against you, but let’s agree you won’t cause any trouble for our camp.”

The Old Blind Man waved his hand. “A small matter. As long as you don’t threaten me, I have no interest in meddling in you players’ affairs. Besides, after getting to know you, I’ve taken a liking to you little zombies. I won’t harm you.”

“Thank you for that,” Zhou Zhou said politely.

During their conversation, Fu Mengqing was tracing words on Xingyue’s palm: “Do you want to stay?”

Xingyue smiled sweetly. “I do!” She held Fu Mengqing’s hand and continued, “Once I learn my master’s skills, I can protect you.”

The brighter she smiled, the more hideous and terrifying the prominent scar above her eyes appeared. A pang of sadness struck everyone’s heart, and they felt deeply uncomfortable.

The Fu sisters hadn’t said much about their past, but everyone had their suspicions. The more beautiful a woman was, the more threats she was likely to face in the apocalypse. Without corresponding abilities, life would be very difficult.

Hearing her sister’s words, Fu Mengqing’s eyes reddened again. She held Xingyue’s hand and, after a long pause, managed an “Mm,” affirming her sister’s choice.

Tang Yu couldn’t quite stand such a tragic atmosphere. She clapped her hands together, breaking everyone’s train of thought, and said, “Alright, how about this? Since our little sister is going to become an apprentice, let’s not turn her into a zombie for now. However, I’ll add her to our camp’s group chat. That way, she’ll be one of us, and you all can communicate anytime.”

Her consideration was thorough, but she also had a hidden motive: if Xingyue became a member of “A Close and Loving Family,” then her master, the Old Blind Man, would, by extension, be connected to them. With his abilities, the Old Blind Man would be a powerful external ally if anything were to happen to the camp in the future.

Tang Yu’s proposal was approved by everyone, and the matter was settled. The group discussed the search for Xiao Li for a while longer and finally decided that the Fu sisters would stay at the bamboo house. With a tiger for company, no one would dare approach. Tang Yu, Jin Ye, Li Chengjian, and Zhou Zhou would continue on to track down Chen Deming.

As for the Old Blind Man, since he had promised Song Lengzhu he would find the ancient tomb, he would presumably be heading in the same direction. It wouldn’t hurt to have him as a companion.

However, Tang Yu was still wary of Song Lengzhu. Their two teams absolutely could not get too close.

Ever since Huang Village, a delicate balance had formed between the two teams. Song Lengzhu no longer attacked on sight, and Tang Yu had given up on actively provoking her. After all, she had tried and truly couldn’t beat her.

But this balance was limited to not fighting to the death when they met. They were still on guard against each other. Tang Yu was certain that the slightest spark could destroy this balance, and the two teams would once again fight to the bitter end.

Yet, as fate would have it, their paths kept crossing. Tang Yu resentfully muttered Song Lengzhu’s name, praying for her swift journey to paradise.

With the matter settled, the group headed out. In the courtyard, Song Lengzhu was somewhat puzzled when she saw that Xiao Li was not with Tang Yu’s team, but Tang Yu had no intention of explaining.

Whatever, Song Lengzhu thought, impassively retracting her gaze and walking over to the Old Blind Man. “Old Senior, can we set off now?”

“What’s with the ‘Old Senior’? Just call me Old Blind Man. That’s my name,” the Old Blind Man said, stroking his graying beard, looking every bit the part of a reclusive master.

Everyone understood perfectly well that the Old Blind Man didn’t want to reveal his name, so they didn’t press the issue.

The Old Blind Man added, “I’ll only take you to the entrance of the great tomb. Anything that happens inside the tomb has nothing to do with this old fellow, understand?”

Song Lengzhu agreed.

Tang Yu didn’t mind. Their goal was to find Chen Deming’s group. If they could rescue Xiao Li before they entered the tomb, they wouldn’t have to set foot in that unlucky place at all.

The Old Blind Man went to the clearing to pick a few things and put them in a cloth bag at his waist. His coarse linen tunic and black cloth shoes looked somewhat worn, a stark contrast to the other players’ attire.

Before leaving, the Old Blind Man patted the tiger by the door. “Xiao Hu, watch the house well, okay? Keep an eye on the people inside and don’t let any strangers get close.”

Xiao Hu let out a low growl and nuzzled the Old Blind Man’s palm like a big cat.

Tang Yu watched, dumbfounded. Using a ferocious beast just to guard the house—that was too cool!

No, she decided, once Xingyue finished her training, she had to get a tiger for their camp. A pack of wolves would be fine too.