Chapter 241: Liberation
Chapter 241: Liberation
Yun Tao steps out of the car, moving quietly as he deals with the scattered zombies on the street. After making sure the area is clear, he enters the motel and carefully searches each room.
Anran’s, Little Mint’s, and Hengheng’s belongings are still there. There are no signs of struggle, no overturned furniture, no bloodstains.
Yun Tao lets out a breath.
They must have gone somewhere.
After scanning the area once more, he turns toward the construction site.
Inside, Anran has already taken control of the situation. The rats in the area are still reproducing, but the newborns are weak and easily dealt with. The plants barely have to absorb any energy before devouring them, leaving behind only tiny bones.
Once all the crystal cores are collected, Anran leads the children out of the construction site—only to run straight into Yun Tao.
Hengheng’s eyes light up the moment he sees him. Yun Tao steps forward, scoops the child into his arms, and stands up. His sharp gaze sweeps over Anran, checking for injuries.
"You okay?" he asks.
"It's fine. It’s all taken care of."
Anran smiles, looking relaxed and cheerful, as if the life-threatening battle she just fought never happened.
Yun Tao gives a small nod, saying nothing more. Holding Hengheng, he turns to lead Anran, Little Mint, and the others back to the motel.
As night falls, the last of the sun’s orange-red light filters through the green window lattices.
Yun Tao instructs Anran to reinforce the motel’s perimeter with a layer of plants—both to keep out zombies drawn by the scent of humans and to deter the rats that simply refuse to die.
Once that’s done, he lights a candle and places a cloth bag in front of Anran with a dull thud.
Inside are the zombie crystal cores they collected today.
Anran, seated at the table, is busy wiping down Doll’s neck and armpits with a damp cloth. Hearing the sound, she glances at the stained bag and frowns.
"What is this?" she asks, puzzled.
Yun Tao pulls out a chair and sits across from her. In the flickering candlelight, the strands of gray in his hair make him seem older than he is. He gestures toward the bag.
"Crystal cores. For you."
Anran stares at the bag, momentarily stunned.
She has been wondering what Yun Tao has been doing all day—could he really have spent all that time just picking up crystal cores?
Before she can ask, Yun Tao answers her unspoken question.
"I dug them all up. The corpses were just lying there on the roadside, rotting. No one wanted them, so I took the cores. I have no use for these things, so they’re yours."
Anran falls silent.
She doesn’t know if other ability users rely on crystal cores like she does, but Yun Tao doesn’t seem to need them at all. As long as he is fed, his strength remains. Even on an empty stomach, his power never wavers.
Then, Yun Tao reaches into his pocket and pulls out two more crystal cores.
These are different. Unlike the ones in the bag, these are small, ordinary, the lowest-grade kind—like tiny, diamond-like shards.
He stares at them for a long moment, his eyes flickering with hesitation and reluctance—
And finally— As if releasing a burden, he hands them to Anran.
"This one belonged to my wife. This one was Liu Yuan’s."
He points out which is which.
His voice is calm, but there is weight in his words.
Anran accepts them without a word, setting them carefully beside the cloth bag. Something flickers in her gaze. After a pause, she looks at him and asks softly, "Are you really okay with me using them?"
"Why not?" Yun Tao’s voice is light, almost indifferent. Tilting his head, he gazes out the window at the bright moon hanging in the night sky. "Let the past be the past."