Chapter 258: Liang Ziyu
Chapter 258: Liang Ziyu
When Doll is three months old, Anran’s team — resembling a group on a pilgrimage to the West for Buddhist scriptures — finally makes it onto the highway. On their way to northern Hubei, they encounter other survivors.
Judging by appearances, neither side looks much better than the other. Everyone is covered in dirt, as if they haven’t bathed since birth, and the stench is unavoidable.
The other group consists of two men and two women. They seem capable and well-equipped, but neither side makes any attempt to initiate conversation.
The two vehicles continue down the highway for some time, one following the other, until they come across a small group of zombies blocking the road. Both groups stop their cars to deal with the threat.
Since there are other survivors present, Anran decides to rest. She returns to the car for a nap while Yun Tao drives.
When the distant sound of zombie roars reaches her ears, Anran is already awake. Without opening her eyes, she says to Yun Tao, "I'll go. You stay with Doll."
Yun Tao nods, glances back at Doll sleeping in the car seat, and notes that Little Mint and Hengheng are still fast asleep.
Anran yawns, gets out of the car, draws the saber from her waist, and walks into the group of zombies like an ordinary woman stepping into her daily routine.
From the car, Yun Tao silently watches Anran’s fluid, graceful movements. His brow furrows slightly.
This woman is still a woman... No matter how much Anran practices, she remains too soft and lacks strength.
By contrast, one of the women from the other team is clearly a power user, while the other seems naturally strong — perhaps also a power user, though it’s hard to tell. That woman’s fighting style isn’t refined, but she’s efficient, easily finishing off the zombies that have slipped past the others.
Anran’s skills are far superior in technique, yet her strikes still lack the raw force that comes naturally to some. After all, she’s Yun Tao’s disciple — her methods can’t be compared to the self-taught, brute-force approach of others.
This group of first-stage zombies is likely chasing survivors heading north and has simply been left behind, crossing paths with Anran’s group by chance. With four power users in the other team, the situation is easily brought under control.
Seeing that everything is settled, a man from the other group approaches Yun Tao’s car. He appears to be around thirty years old, sporting a small goatee and wearing a mountain biker outfit.
He knocks on Yun Tao’s window.
Yun Tao rolls down the window, glances at the man, and asks, “What’s up?”
“Hello, my name’s Liang Ziyu,” the man greets cheerfully, leaning his elbow on the window frame. “Are you heading to northern Hubei too?”
“Yeah,” Yun Tao replies. “Seems like just about everyone’s going to northern Hubei now. Not many people aren’t.”
Yun Tao extends his hand and shakes Liang Ziyu’s.
It’s a simple, casual introduction. Liang Ziyu seems easy-going, exchanges a few words, then returns to his vehicle without much fuss.
Once the zombies are cleared, Anran collects the crystal cores, returns to the car, and climbs inside. Watching the other vehicle pull away in the dim morning light, she asks Yun Tao, “What do you think of that team?”
“Nothing unusual for now,” Yun Tao says, stepping on the accelerator to follow the car ahead. “They seem well-behaved. All four of them are power users, and they’re not causing trouble. We’ll keep following them for now — we’re not afraid of danger.”