Chapter Twenty-Two: Second Evolution

Although Ma Yi was more formidable than J-type and S-type zombies of the same rank, he still differed from those creatures. He lacked the knuckle spikes or bone claws that Tie Zhu grew himself, nor did he possess the sharp talons of S-type zombies. As for P-type zombies, Ma Yi hadn’t discovered any ability to spit acidic projectiles. He was, for now, a fusion of J-type and S-type zombies, though his appearance leaned more toward the J-type.

Ru Hua finally settled down. Whether from exhaustion or for some other reason, she simply lay motionless against Ma Yi’s leg.

“Are you convinced now?” Ma Yi probed, his confidence still tinged with uncertainty despite his increased strength.

Ru Hua lifted her head. Her silver, icy eyes brimmed with grievance, tears welling up as she looked at Ma Yi, leaving him unsure how to continue.

“Uh…” Ma Yi awkwardly met her gaze. Aside from her tentacle-like hair and tail, Ru Hua was genuinely beautiful—her features bore a touch of Western elegance, with a high nose bridge and lips neither too thin nor too full. Her eyes curved delightfully when she smiled, like a mischievous girl who’d stolen a sweet. Now, she looked at him with tearful pleading, as if even after becoming a zombie, she retained a woman’s penchant for tears when wronged.

Seeing Ru Hua’s pitiful appearance, Ma Yi abruptly forgot his own suffering, the times he’d been threatened and abused. Instead, he felt a strange surge of sympathy.

“So, will you tell me honestly: are you convinced? Will you behave?” Ma Yi’s actions softened, his tone growing gentler.

Ru Hua nodded with tears in her eyes. Whether she could defeat Ma Yi was beside the point; during this time, Ma Yi had visited her every day, and he’d taken root deep within her heart. Her grievances were only a ploy to keep Ma Yi by her side. Now, he had become indispensable to her existence.

“I want to play!” Ru Hua, released by Ma Yi, looked up at him pitifully, her hands wrapped around his waist, her long silver lashes fluttering.

“Hm? Well, it’s not the first time.” Ma Yi glanced down at her and sighed. What did he have to fear—he was a zombie now, after all. Ru Hua had shed her former menacing aura, transformed into a lively anime heroine.

Ultimately, Ma Yi decided to take Ru Hua with him. All the zombies and survivors in this village had likely been dealt with by her; even the mutant beasts were nearly wiped out. He couldn’t leave such a fantastical beauty here alone, forgetting how resistant and unwilling he’d been at first.

Before leaving, Ma Yi asked Ru Hua for more of that fragrant meat, but she told him there was none left. That meat wasn’t found in every animal—only those with leader traits had it. Ru Hua herself had evolved by consuming a mutant pig with such meat.

Ma Yi was resigned, though it made sense. If all animals had that meat, he could simply collect it and evolve beyond the reach of any other zombies or humans, soaring ahead.

During his conversation with Ru Hua, Ma Yi finally learned the purpose of the tentacles on her head. They could emit fixed low-frequency waves to communicate with zombies, forcibly controlling all those within range, and could detect the presence of mutant beast leaders, enabling rapid growth.

Queen of Zombies? Ma Yi had always suspected Ru Hua was no ordinary creature, and now he realized she was even less so. The tentacles acted like network base stations, sending and receiving signals, allowing communication and spiritual control over zombies. He’d truly stumbled upon a treasure.

At Ma Yi’s request, Ru Hua now only consumed mutant beasts and would not harm humans—at least, none close to Ma Yi. Ru Hua felt little about this; as long as she could stay with Ma Yi, she was content.

Tie Zhu looked at Ru Hua in astonishment. Both were silver-tier beings, but Tie Zhu’s gaze was tinged with fear, his body tense, just as Ma Yi had been when he first met Ru Hua. Only after Ma Yi assured him she was an ally did Tie Zhu relax a little, though he still kept a wary distance of at least ten meters.

Ru Hua was housed in a building next to the residence, separated by a street and a few meters of greenery. Ma Yi initially feared she might act against Liu Wen and her sister if she saw their closeness to him, but Ru Hua assured him she would never harm them without his consent, which eased his worries.

Ma Yi wasn’t concerned about Ru Hua’s sustenance—her speed surpassed even his, likely rivaling an S2 zombie. Though he had yet to encounter an S2, he suspected it would be similar. She could easily forage, and even collect beast king meat for him—a true windfall.

Liu Wen’s family was astonished when they saw Ma Yi’s transformation into silver. When Tie Zhu had changed color, everyone was amazed, though Tie Zhu forbade anyone from approaching him. Now, Ma Yi was silver too, but he was docile, allowing Liu Wen and Liu Xue to examine him.

“Brother-in-law, have you been acting mysterious all this time just to turn silver?” Liu Xue touched Ma Yi’s arm, feeling the metallic coolness. It was soft, though, and when she pinched him hard with her nails, Ma Yi didn’t react at all—her newly manicured nails broke instead.

“Not exactly; that’s only part of the reason.” Ma Yi lied without batting an eye. He couldn’t admit he’d been forced into early mornings and late nights.

“Brother-in-law, you look like that Silver Surfer from the movies now!” Liu Xue chattered.

“There’s no harm to your body, is there?” That was Liu Wen’s first concern, always attentive to Ma Yi’s well-being.

“It’s fine. This seems to be the second stage of evolution. My strength and speed have nearly doubled.” Ma Yi smiled, though a hint of pain lingered. His height difference with Liu Wen was growing—would he one day become a towering monster dozens of meters tall?

“What’s wrong?” Liu Wen stood beside him. Though she was nearly 1.8 meters tall, if Ma Yi stood up, she would only reach his thigh; he was now four meters high.

“I’m just worried that if I keep growing, how are we ever going to consummate our marriage?” Ma Yi said with a grimace.

“You rascal, my sister’s right here!” Liu Wen punched him lightly.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Liu Xue rolled her eyes. Everyone knew Ma Yi and Liu Wen hadn’t yet crossed that line, much to Ma Yi’s chagrin. Liu Wen had confessed to her sister, and Liu Xue had told their mother, so the whole family was aware.

“All of me is yours, always,” Liu Wen said, hugging Ma Yi’s arm, which was thicker than her waist.

“Mm, all right.” Ma Yi nodded. Because of his size, he could only wear ragged shorts like the Hulk in movies. To avoid embarrassment, Liu Wen had taken up sewing, and though her work was clumsy, the oversized shorts covered Ma Yi’s modesty.

“By the way, I made friends with a new type of zombie. I brought her back—she’s next door. Be careful not to get too close to her.” Ma Yi remembered Ru Hua and warned them.

“A new type of zombie? Got it.” Liu Wen paused but, as always, was understanding and never pressed for details.

“Brother-in-law, what does the new zombie look like?” Liu Xue’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“She’s a female zombie, very fast. She can communicate with other zombies, control ordinary ones, and even Tie Zhu might not be able to defeat her.”

“A woman?” Liu Xue’s eyes scrutinized Ma Yi. Perhaps she hadn’t absorbed much else, but anything involving another woman was keenly noted. Her gaze carried a sharpness rare for her age.

Liu Wen hadn’t thought much of it, but after hearing Liu Xue repeat it, she frowned slightly—being an adult, she understood more than her sister.

Seeing Liu Xue act as though her husband had been unfaithful, Ma Yi tapped her head and said, “Why are you more nervous than your sister? Yes, she’s female—a zombie queen.”

“Men really are pigs. Hmph, you’re definitely not innocent with that zombie woman.” Liu Xue shook her head, brushed Ma Yi’s hand away, and led her sister off, casting him a disdainful glance.

“See? You’re not proactive, and now a zombie has won him over. Just look at brother-in-law—you can tell that zombie queen must be a beauty.” Liu Xue ignored Liu Wen’s flushed cheeks, lecturing her like a seasoned elder, as if she were an expert in matters of romance, oblivious to the mismatched proportions between her sister and brother-in-law.

“You’re just a child—why do you always have such nonsense on your mind?” Liu Wen tried to scold her, but over the past half month, she’d noticed that Ma Yi’s gaze wasn’t as fervent as before. She felt she was now more beautiful than ever—her figure was beyond devilish, her looks so stunning she sometimes admired herself.

Yet Ma Yi seemed to have lost interest in her. He’d vanish after breakfast, only returning before dark. She had no idea that Ma Yi spent his days as a virtual slave, tormented by the zombie queen. If not for his feelings for her, he’d have resolved to perish with Ru Hua.

“Hmph, sis, you’re too reserved. If you want to be with him, you should give him some sweetness—don’t always keep your distance. Even as an observer, I can feel the gap between you two.” Liu Xue looked at her sister in a daze, disappointed.

“Honestly, where did you learn all this nonsense?” Liu Wen was half amused, half convinced.

“TV, novels say so—and from Mom.” Liu Xue spoke with conviction, even bringing their mother into the conversation.

“Oh, so that’s why your grades dropped—you’re always watching this nonsense. How could Mom tell you these things and not me?” Liu Wen reached for her sister’s armpit, and the two tumbled onto the bed in a playful scuffle.

“Really! Ask her if you don’t believe me,” Liu Xue pleaded while defending herself.