Chapter Eighty-One: The Calm Before the Battle

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The battles in the former region of Mount Kunlun, though lacking the rockets and missiles of modern warfare, were nonetheless terrifying in their intensity. Amidst the countless zombies, the noise was overwhelming—roars and howls echoed from all ranks, each one ferocious and mournful. Before such numbers, both humans and evolved beasts seemed pitifully small and weak.

"Is everyone ready?" The commander looked at the base where he had been entrenched for a year, his gaze filled with reluctance. Yet there was nothing he could do. The zombie horde had begun to advance. If he did not evacuate the humans in the base now, they would soon become fodder for zombies or evolved beasts; any further delay might mean it would be too late.

"Reporting, sir. Everything is prepared. All supplies and weapons we can carry are ready." A soldier stood before the commander. He had served here for over a decade; apart from his hometown, this place was his second home. His hometown likely no longer existed since the outbreak, and now even this second home had to be abandoned. Despite his unwillingness, there was no other choice—so long as one lived, there was hope, but death meant nothing remained.

"Let’s go." The commander took one last look at the base, sighed, and without a backward glance, climbed into the jeep.

Such migrations of bases occurred repeatedly in the face of the overwhelming zombie force. Wherever the zombies moved forward, bases large and small were forced to abandon the grounds they depended on, venturing into the hazardous world beyond.

As the most populous country in the world, the zombie outbreak transformed a vast number of people. Yet, since Ma Yi’s own transformation, the largest zombie tide he had witnessed was the million-strong wave moving toward the southern base. So, where did the billions of zombies go?

In the northwest, zombies battled fiercely, but in Ma Yi’s villa, Ma Yi lay on the floor, one arm around Ru Hua, the other around Liu Wen, sleeping soundly. The two women’s faces still bore the lingering blush of passion.

It seemed that, except for Ma Yi, the world continued its relentless course. He alone was the exception, able to sleep peacefully with beautiful women by his side, even as the apocalypse raged.

Ma Yi’s tranquility stemmed from his confidence in his own strength and the power of his subordinates. His two corps had grown immensely stronger in a short time; compared to when he recruited Erha, their might had more than doubled. Most impressive, nearly every zombie soldier now possessed basic martial arts and combat skills. Within their ranks, they could easily take on dozens of foes at the same level, and with high-level abilities like shockwaves, they could triumph over hundreds. This was why Ma Yi had chosen high-level zombies to form his corps.

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Ordinarily, Erha would not have been made a corps commander so soon after joining. Yet Ma Yi’s blood possessed a formidable power of control; he granted Erha this position out of absolute trust. Erha, understanding this, had never shown the slightest hint of disloyalty since joining Ma Yi’s forces. This was precisely what Ma Yi hoped for, and why he could sleep so soundly.

Should Erha harbor any malicious intent, Ma Yi would instantly detect every nuance and thought within Erha’s body through the blood that had fused with him. That drop of blood would immediately become Erha’s deadliest poison, capable of killing even the disaster-level Erha in an instant. Ma Yi’s blood control was terrifying; even if Erha were stronger than Ma Yi, a single wicked thought could render him paralyzed and dead in a heartbeat.

After a restful night, Ma Yi felt invigorated. Now, he was exercising atop the mountain. Given his current strength, he far surpassed the evolved beings who fought desperately for survival. Yet Ma Yi still rose early to train. Others saw this as diligence, but Ma Yi’s true reason would surprise anyone.

For now, he was powerful indeed, but after returning home, he found himself bored. He recalled an old colleague once saying that fitness and exercise were games for those with money and time. For those struggling on the edge of subsistence, working out was merely something to do when one had nothing better. If one didn’t toil ceaselessly to earn a living, one wouldn’t even have food, let alone time for exercise.

After the exhausting grind of work, people only wanted to rest so they could face another day. Out the door before dawn, home only after midnight—those living on the edge simply had no time for exercise.

Ma Yi now belonged to that category: well-fed, idle, unsure what to do with himself. He felt lost in the present, and clueless about the future. He didn’t know what lay ahead, nor whether he would remain so fortunate, always at the pinnacle of power. If one day a master appeared and defeated him, what would he do?

With his mind blank and directionless, Ma Yi could only strive to enjoy his current life—sweet days, lovely women, a mischievous sister-in-law. He was living the most comfortable existence in the apocalypse, free from conflict and unnecessary worries.

After his workout, Liu Wen and the others had prepared a sumptuous breakfast in the villa. Since the apocalypse, Liu Wen had created many dishes that were otherwise lost—soy milk and fried dough, steamed buns, dumplings, shaomai, and fire-baked bread. To Ma Yi, these were favorites. Though Liu Wen was credited with the recipes, Ma Yi knew his mother-in-law had played a crucial role, teaching Liu Wen most of her skills. Liu Wen then tailored the dishes to Ma Yi’s tastes.

If you asked Ma Yi whether he liked so many foods, the answer would be no. His virtue was that he was not picky; he found everything delicious, thanks to his hard life before. As an orphan, a full meal was a luxury, and he had no right to dislike anything or claim favorites. To him, all food was beloved—so long as he could eat his fill, nothing made him happier.

"Ah, no wonder brother-in-law is home—breakfast is so much more lavish today." Liu Xue came downstairs and saw the table laden with pastries, teasing her sister as she spoke.

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"Stop talking, just eat." Liu Wen shot her sister a glance, her annoyance barely diminishing her ethereal beauty, which only made Ma Yi’s appetite soar.

"All right, all right, I’ll talk less. Brother-in-law, look at your treatment at home! When it’s just us, unless big sis wants to experiment with new recipes, it’s always rice with one meat and one vegetable. Sister Ru Hua rarely eats with us, so just think of your poor sister-in-law—do help your wife out." Liu Xue playfully leaned on Ma Yi’s shoulder, complaining and winking at her sister.

"Xiao Xue, stop pestering your brother-in-law. You’re not a child anymore." Liu Guoliang looked at his younger daughter, helpless. Though frequent consumption of evolved beast meat had improved his health, he was still far behind his wife and daughters. Usually, he quietly ate his fill and retired to the study to read, enjoying a peaceful old age amid the apocalypse.

"Okay, I get it. Mom never says anything—just you, old man, always meddling." Liu Xue retorted, making everyone laugh.

"I’ll cook lunch myself and make you some dishes to make up for it," Ma Yi said helplessly. Liu Wen had often shared these domestic matters with him. He knew that when the sisters were home, they ate lightly, so the meals were simple, but never as sparse as Liu Xue claimed. Liu Wen always aimed for just enough, understanding well the need to save in the apocalypse.

"Yay, great!" Liu Xue’s sulky expression vanished, and she dashed to her favorite fire-baked bread, stuffing it into her mouth. Ma Yi had cooked at home before with good results; his philosophy was abundance—never afraid of leftovers, as he could always finish whatever was made.

Ru Hua, rarely, sat at the table today, nibbling at the breakfast. To her, these were trifles. When truly hungry, fresh evolved beast meat was the perfect blood meal, enough to sustain her for days. More importantly, she could extract the necessary nutrients from blood, whereas these soft pastries had little use. Only because Ma Yi was home did she sit quietly, eating a bit to linger near him.

Li Li, after living with the villa’s women, realized how easy they were to get along with. Though she had called Ma Yi "master" for some time, she was rarely needed to serve him. Lady Liu Wen always took care of Ma Yi herself, leaving Li Li, nominally a maid, with little to do.