Chapter 34: A Strategic Gift

After swiftly and satisfyingly dispatching a dozen or so zombies, I swung my blade downwards. With a practiced flick, I sent the lingering black blood and gore scattering into the air.

Wiping the blade clean on the clothes of a fallen zombie beneath my foot, I then re-sheathed the knife at my hip.

During the fight, I had aimed to cleave directly through their skulls. This allowed me to clearly see if a crystal core was present inside.

It was a habit I’d developed before my rebirth, a method to save both time and effort. It meant I wouldn’t have to laboriously pry open zombie heads later.

However, my luck was clearly lacking this time. Out of a dozen zombies, not a single crystal core had appeared.

Only after securing my blade did I finally have a moment to check on Li Fenghua.

Turning to face him, I saw him still standing rooted to the spot, eyes tightly shut. His solemn expression made me want to laugh.

He looked like a frightened chick, a stark contrast to the arrogant, domineering figure he would become in the apocalypse.

“Alright, open your eyes,” I said.

After my brief amusement, I remembered the task at hand. I quickly walked over to Li Fenghua and patted his shoulder.

The moment my words finished, Li Fenghua’s eyes snapped open. Upon seeing the dozens of zombies sprawled haphazardly across the ground, he looked up at me, his gaze filled with awe.

“What incredible skill, young one!”

“You flatter me,” I replied modestly. “I merely trained a bit with my family when I was young. But tell me, Uncle, how did you end up in this state?”

Though I spoke humbly, I swiftly steered the conversation to the main point. I wanted to understand what had led Li Fenghua to such a predicament.

“My family and I came here for a road trip during the holidays,” Li Fenghua began. “We never expected the mysterious virus to erupt so suddenly, turning the world into this man-eat-man nightmare. To be safe, after the outbreak, we immediately found a factory to hide in, hoping to wait for the virus to subside before leaving…”

As he spoke, Li Fenghua’s previously sorrowful eyes abruptly shifted. They filled with an intense hatred.

His tightly clenched fists and the way his lips were pressed together indicated his profound distress.

“But while we were hiding, a group of people arrived,” he continued, his voice strained. “They not only took over our refuge but also seized my wife and son… After that, I was thrown out and forced to join them in scavenging for supplies. I haven’t been back since yesterday.”

When Li Fenghua mentioned his wife and son, his eyes reddened. He swallowed hard, holding back tears to finish his tale.

“What do you plan to do next?” I asked.

“I’m going back to save my wife, young one. You don’t need to come with me. My wife and son, I, Li Fenghua, will rescue them with my own strength!”

Only then, seeing Li Fenghua’s firm, unyielding expression, did a hint of his future domineering persona as a weapons dealer emerge.

While having such resolve was admirable, one also had to consider their capabilities.

With Li Fenghua’s current defenseless physique, he wouldn’t even make it to his destination, let alone rescue his family. He would likely be devoured by zombies on the way.

I was about to open my mouth and try to dissuade him. However, seeing the determined look on Li Fenghua’s face, I swallowed my words.

Even though Li Fenghua insisted on going alone, I felt compelled to help him to the best of my abilities now.

It would be a tremendous waste for such a capable individual to perish at the very beginning of the apocalypse.

I drew the blade from my hip once more, letting its tip scrape against the ground.

With a grating metallic screech, I dragged the knife as I approached the two other men, who were huddled fearfully to the side.

My previous display of carnage had clearly instilled terror in them.

Now, their faces held no trace of contempt, only profound fear.

As I drew closer, they recoiled continuously, backing up until they were pressed against the corner of the wall, with nowhere left to retreat.

I stood before them, blade in hand. With a casual flick of my wrist, the tip of my knife plunged directly into the crotch area of one man’s trousers.

“G-g-great master, spare us!”

“We won’t dare again, please let us go!”

The two men were sensible enough; seeing my grim expression, they immediately began to beg for mercy, tears and snot streaming down their faces.

Had I not been clutching the knife so tightly, they probably would have clung to my clothes, wailing loudly.

“Hand over everything you have on you,” I commanded.

Ignoring their pleas, I stared at them impassively, demanding their possessions.

“Hand over what? We don’t have— Ah! Yes, yes, I’ll give it to you right away!”

Before the man could finish his sentence, I raised my knife again. Then, with a vicious thrust, I plunged it into his thigh.

The moment the blade pierced his flesh, he let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

Immediately, his right hand darted into his jacket, pulling out a pistol.

I snatched the gun from him, gripping it firmly in my hand.

The cold, familiar feel of the firearm in my hand brought a wave of nostalgia.

However, this was no time for distraction! Once the gun was in my possession, I ignored the two men, turning with my knife and walking towards Li Fenghua.

Why did I know they had a gun? It was because these two hadn’t been afraid of me initially. They clearly possessed immense confidence in their ability to eliminate me.

To be so arrogant, even with a long blade strapped to my waist, suggested they had a weapon far superior to a knife.

After much thought, only a firearm, a hot weapon, could inspire such absolute self-assurance.

Reaching Li Fenghua’s side, I extended my hand, offering him both the gun and the knife.

Li Fenghua paused, surprised, making no move to take them. He simply stared at me with a bewildered, questioning gaze, unsure of my intent.

“Take these,” I urged. “Though I can’t accompany you to rescue your family, consider this a small token of my support.”

“This… how can I accept?” he protested. “It’s so dangerous out there, you need weapons to defend yourself too…”

“It’s fine,” I reassured him. “My home isn’t far from here, and we run a martial arts school, so we have plenty of weapons. Just take them, no more excuses.”

I offered Li Fenghua a small smile, then firmly pressed the weapons into his hands.

Seeing the look of profound gratitude on Li Fenghua’s face, I knew my objective had been achieved.