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墨書 Inktalez
Song Jiu skillfully turned the tables, causing Song Yao to pause, her face paling as she struggled to find her words.
“I knew something was off. You two insisted on waiting another day without explaining why,” Song Jiu said, wearing a knowing expression, and added mysteriously, “What’s really going on?”
Song Yao exchanged a glance with Luci, both filled with helplessness and sighs, shaking their heads as if unsure how to explain.
“Ming Ge doesn’t want to keep running around anymore.” Song Jiu raised an eyebrow, trying to empathize, and nodded lightly. “That’s understandable; everyone will get it.”
“Stop guessing,” Song Yao whispered with a sigh, her mind drifting back to the brief and chaotic conversation in the pitch-black shop that night.
“I won’t guess, but you need to clarify things for me,” Song Jiu pouted, her gaze drifting over to the military pot before landing on Jiao Ziqian, who were cozily together by the wall. The more she looked, the more envious and regretful she felt.
“Ming Ge has his own choices; we can’t force him,” Song Yao deliberated for a moment and, encouraged by Luci, revealed the truth. “Ming Ge was injured. In that situation, he really couldn’t be saved. But you know, Qixi and I could give him blood; keeping him alive wouldn’t be a problem.”
“And then?”
“Ming Ge refused. Qixi softened and agreed.” A half-smile graced Song Yao’s face as she murmured, “But he forgot that I can be quite tough.”
“So you shot him first to prevent Ming Ge from committing suicide?” From Song Yao’s words, it was almost certain that the lighthouse-like man hadn’t died; he simply hadn’t returned with Song Yao and Luci. Regardless, hearing news of Ming Junwei’s survival was always a joy. With her mood lifting, she began to chatter away.
Song Yao shot her a glare, her cheeks slightly flushed as if embarrassed by her actions. She stammered, “I forcibly gave him blood.”
“Wait…” Song Jiu was taken aback, staring blankly at Luci, who returned a confirming look.
“I was frantic at that time,” Song Yao recalled with some annoyance. “I understand him; sometimes death is indeed a relief. But understanding or not, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”
"Then what happened?"
"There’s nothing more to say. I can’t do anything about your brother-in-law’s situation, but Ming Ge is right in front of me, and I cannot just watch him die," Song Yao said, biting her lip softly. "I told him everyone would be waiting at the temple. He still has the right to choose, and no matter what he decides, I will respect it."
"So, Ming Ge..."
"Yes, he made his choice and didn’t come. I’m disappointed, but I also understand." Song Yao lifted her face, a familiar stubbornness and hope shining in her eyes as she said lightly, "Actually, I was selfish in that moment, but who can blame me for being a woman? Perhaps Brother Ming wanted to see us off from a distance; such a farewell is fine too. At least I didn’t leave him alone in the dark."
Song Jiu had nothing to say. He could sense that Song Yao and Luci had already freed themselves from their sorrow. Letting things take their course was good, but their approach was something he found both understandable and hard to grasp.
"Oh right, I left a note at the temple. If he changes his mind, he should be able to catch up with us," Song Yao said with a mischievous wink. Luci smiled as well. Though they said this, both understood that leaving a message was merely self-comfort.
With Zombie blood on his side, given Ming Junwei's abilities, surviving shouldn’t be too difficult. A single person could maneuver more easily than a large group, without many concerns. Moreover, Roundabout had piles of supplies. Based on what the two women knew about him, Ming Junwei wouldn’t be so disheartened as to take his own life; the worst outcome would be him clutching a jar of wine as a lonely guardian through the long night.
The three fell silent for a moment. Song Jiu finally sorted through the events leading up to this point—somewhat confused yet somewhat relieved—before letting out a long sigh. No matter what happened, as long as they were alive, that was enough.
"Alright, I've said everything I needed to say; let’s talk about the current matters." Song Yao shook her head, casting aside her tangled thoughts and speaking seriously. "These people are our support on the road ahead. The team ultimately needs a leader; with Ming Ge gone, neither Qixi nor I can do much more. You’re a man; you need to shoulder this responsibility."
"That’s quite a heavy hat you’re putting on me," Song Jiu said with a bitter smile. At this point, if he couldn’t understand what Song Yao was saying, it would truly be foolish of him. Talk of burdens and leadership was merely his sister's kind words; everyone could see that since Dream Fan's death, Song Jiu—the initially spirited young leader—had become much more subdued. On the surface, he still ate and drank normally and smiled often, but internally, the fading of his fighting spirit was the real wound.
Jin Bo was indeed their comrade through thick and thin; however, they had been apart for many years now. Jin Bo was also in charge now and had many issues to consider; he couldn’t act impulsively like in the past when they would just grab knives and charge ahead. This reunion should have been a joyous occasion but instead felt like a heavy blow. How to proceed from here remained uncertain; both emotionally and logically, it wouldn’t be fair to place all the pressure on Jin Bo.
Song Yao wanted to help her brother regain his spirit. They had already chosen a path with no turning back; only by banding together could they hope to achieve their distant goal. The prerequisite for all this was having a trustworthy person to take the lead. Just like in the past when they faced Zombies, Luzhan, and Gaoyang, with Ming Junwei at the helm, they could ensure that every aspect was unbreakable and filled with confidence. Now, they needed someone like Ming Junwei, and Song Jiu and Wu Wentao were undoubtedly the best candidates. Between the two, Song Jiu naturally garnered more votes.
"I understand," Song Jiu said after careful consideration, accepting her sister's wishes without hesitation. Thinking of their fallen companions and looking at those still alive, the sense of confusion within her gradually dissipated. The road ahead was long, and there was much to be done.
An hour later, the team set out.
The group sent to search for vehicles returned with no good news. They had already moved far from the city, now situated at the urban-rural fringe where vehicles were scarce, and most of what remained were agricultural tricycles. These weren't too bad; they consumed little fuel and were faster than walking. The only drawback was their loud noise—driving one of these felt like inviting trouble.
The journey was silent and monotonous.
Luo Yu took the lead as a scout, guiding a few young people at the front of the group along a rural road leading to a county town. There were no mountains or forests around; it was flat as far as the eye could see, with desolate fields and quiet grasslands on either side. It felt as if only their group of Living Persons was traversing this land. The Zombies they encountered were few; the massive explosion in the city had not reached this area. Compared to the desolation of the city, the countryside exuded an ancient tranquility.
Fang Fei and Song Yao studied the map to chart their route but were uncertain about whether to enter the city. Traveling on foot left them with two choices: either stop in a city along the way or venture outside into potentially wild or barren lands. Regardless of which path they chose, there were unavoidable risks lurking ahead.
Song Yao called Yuan An for assistance; she and Huihui had previously wandered outside the city and had some understanding of the surrounding wilderness. However, Wu Wentao's suggestion to enter the city was outright rejected by everyone because this rogue showed no concern for protecting most people.
"They're all burdens," Wu Wentao said nonchalantly. "You can discuss it however you want; it's best to listen to me. If you don't want to, that's fine." He stood by the roadside for a while, enjoying the scenery until he saw Song Jiu approaching. He smirked and said, "You shouldn't have brought those non-combatants along."
"What else could we do?" After spending some time together, Song Jiu had a general understanding of his temperament. She smiled slightly and replied, "There's always a difference between mercenaries and Survivor groups; you need to get used to it."
"Getting used to it means you're not far from death," Wu Wentao scoffed, pointing toward the faint outline of a small town in the distance. "No matter how big or small a city is, if you're careful, you'll always find resources we need. Look at our group—nearly forty people—with half being non-combatants. In a camp, that would be fine, but now we need to move quickly through dangerous territory; they're just consuming resources without any use."
Song Jiu nodded in agreement but remained silent.
Wu Wentao fell silent after speaking. He understood this principle, and Song Jiu surely did too. As for Song Yao and the others, they were not foolish either. But it was of no use; the biggest difference between these people and him was that they still retained some seemingly unnecessary humanity.
"So, please help out and try to keep these dozens of people alive a little longer." Song Jiu exhaled slowly, glancing at the logistics personnel resting behind him, and said in a low voice, "Get used to each other; you need to get accustomed to having the weak around you, and likewise, they need to adapt to keeping pace with the strong."
"You make it sound easy." Wu Wentao scoffed, knowing that his input would be mostly futile. He shook his head and said, "In any case, I can only guarantee the safety of Dr. Zhong and Huihui; as for the others, you can handle it."
"Understood." Song Jiu nodded in agreement. He knew that if conditions allowed, Wu Wentao wouldn't truly neglect the others—after all, Jin Bo was someone he had carried out from underground.
"By the way, let me give you a heads-up." Wu Wentao thought of something else, stroking his stubble. "On the road ahead, we might encounter other Survivors. No matter what happens, we absolutely cannot let it affect our progress. Understood?"
"Got it." Song Jiu replied affirmatively.
Wu Wentao's gaze held a hint of distrust as he glanced at Song Yao and the others studying the map behind them. "You can be ruthless; I believe that. But what about your sister and the others?"
"Right now, I call the shots." Song Jiu grinned widely.
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