Chapter 40: You Arrived Just in Time
At Maggie’s request, Glenn agreed to keep the secret. But as night fell, Glenn tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, haunted by the feeling that something was lurking behind him.
Unable to resist, he got up and quietly told Rick.
Shawn snorted coldly, chambered his pistol, and cursed, “Damn it, there are walkers this close to us! What are we waiting for? Let’s go wipe them out!”
“You…” Maggie stepped in front of Shawn. “They were our family once. You can’t do this.”
“Idiot, I won’t allow walkers so close by,” Shawn retorted sharply.
Ever since learning about Lori’s pregnancy, Shawn had become especially sensitive.
Maggie couldn’t stop Shawn and turned to Li Changsheng with pleading eyes.
Rick, too, waited for Li Changsheng to make a decision.
Li Changsheng grabbed Shawn and flung him back toward the group. “Shawn, are you only capable of acting like a fool, always charging in headlong?”
He’d known about the walkers in the barn for some time and had already checked—there was no one specially infected inside. As long as the doors were locked, the walkers wouldn’t be able to get out any time soon.
Pinned under Li Changsheng’s icy gaze, Shawn sobered up at once and muttered, “I was just thinking of everyone’s safety…”
Maggie was surprised to see Shawn calm down so easily. Her gaze toward Li Changsheng was filled with both gratitude and curiosity.
Li Changsheng ignored Shawn and said thoughtfully, “Since you’re all worried the barn walkers might get out, Shawn and Rick will take turns keeping watch tonight. At first light, we head for Civilization City. As for the walkers in the barn, I’ll deal with them tomorrow.”
...
Inevitably, the issue of the walkers in the barn reached Hershel.
In the middle of the night, Hershel got up alone, weighed down with sorrow, his daughters keeping him company.
Over on Rick’s side, many found it hard to sleep. Shawn, especially, pestered Li Changsheng again and again to help him keep watch, convinced that only Li Changsheng’s presence could reassure him.
It seemed the mutated walkers had truly terrified him.
Meanwhile, Beth and Maggie also kept seeking out Li Changsheng.
He was run ragged, shuttling back and forth, growing ever more exasperated.
The next morning.
Li Changsheng barely had time to wash his face before Hershel called him to the barn.
In front of the barn stood not only Hershel, but Rick, Shawn, and several others—most looking more like spectators to a show.
Li Changsheng paid them no mind.
When he arrived, Hershel’s expression was heavy. “Li, what should we do about them?”
Of course they should be dealt with.
Once they returned from Civilization City, they’d inevitably come back to harvest the crops from the farm. Keeping a crowd of walkers in the barn would only be asking for trouble.
Such were his thoughts, but seeing the sadness on Hershel, Maggie, and Beth’s faces, he couldn’t help but soften. He spoke gently, “Where I come from, we believe in laying the dead to rest. If it were me, I’d rather see my loved ones freed than watch their bodies twisted by the virus. Let them find peace sooner.”
Hershel nodded. He’d already come to terms with it at the bar, and dragging things out had only been self-deception.
He also realized that Li Changsheng had known about the barn walkers all along, and had chosen to keep silent out of respect for them.
Hershel looked at Li Changsheng with solemn gratitude. “Li, they’re already gone. I hope their souls can find rest. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Hearing this, Shawn and Glenn, weapons in hand, were itching for action.
After a restless night, Shawn—still irritable—dragged over Li Changsheng’s Gatling gun. “City Lord, what are we waiting for? Just mow them down.”
Maggie and Beth’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Li Changsheng shot Shawn a glare and snapped, “Easy for you to say when they aren’t your family. Try thinking how others feel.”
Shawn forced a laugh and muttered, “If my old man was in there, I’d give him a bullet too.”
Li Changsheng snorted, then turned to Beth and Maggie. “You two should go back. I’ll make sure your loved ones are given dignity.”
With that, he strode to the side of the barn, leapt lightly, hooked his hand on the window, and slipped inside.
He did have a penchant for entering through windows.
Inside the barn—
Since the tavern incident, Hershel had stopped feeding the walkers.
They were starving, and when they saw a living person, they lunged at him with ravenous hunger.
Unfortunately for them, the barn was divided by wooden racks into two layers, the middle open.
Li Changsheng stood atop the racks and summoned a javelin from his space.
He’d picked up the javelin on one of his earlier outings with Beth.
Thwack—thwack.
The javelin pierced walker after walker through the head. One by one, they fell.
It didn’t take long.
He methodically finished off every walker in the barn. After checking several times to make sure none remained, he finally relaxed.
Taking an axe, he split the barn doors, then slowly pushed them open.
Sunlight streamed onto his face, making him appear almost holy.
“Hershel, gather your people and lay them to rest,” Li Changsheng said, and shot Shawn a look. “Shawn, get some people together and help Hershel.”
Like I care to help that old man, Shawn thought. But under Li Changsheng’s intimidating gaze, he did as he was told, organizing the group and gathering tools to dig the graves.
Li Changsheng had gone easy this time; there was nothing gruesome about the scene.
Beth, fighting back tears, bade silent farewell to each familiar face among the dead.
At last she could hold back no longer. Tears welled and spilled down her cheeks as she threw herself into Li Changsheng’s arms.
“Thank you.”
He gently embraced her fragile form, breathing in the faint scent of youth. No dark thoughts crossed his mind; he simply patted her shoulder and quietly consoled her.
At some point, Glenn slipped over to Maggie. “Hey, Maggie, I…”
Maggie, eyes red, shot him a glare. “You promised to keep this a secret!” She was furious at his betrayal.
Glenn stammered, “I couldn’t do it! They were dangerous, weren’t they?”
Maggie glared. “With Li here, what danger could those walkers possibly pose?” She pushed Glenn away. “Don’t bother me again.”
“But Maggie, actually I…” he began, but before he could finish, he saw Maggie slip behind Li Changsheng and embrace him.
Feeling the two soft bodies pressed against his back, Li Changsheng was left bewildered. Beth glanced jealously at Maggie.
Then they heard Maggie’s bittersweet, stubborn voice: “Beth, I’m borrowing your boyfriend for a bit.”
Beth blushed and whispered, “Maggie, what are you saying? He’s not my boyfriend. I… I’m just borrowing his shoulder for a while. If you want, take it—I don’t mind…”
Glenn stared, his mouth agape, words dying on his lips.
“Wish you happiness,” he muttered before slinking away in defeat to join Shawn.
Shawn, too, noticed the scene, envy flashing in his eyes.
You could do that?
First Amy, now these two sisters—were Chinese men really this popular?
Damn.