Eaten Ch.110

Chapter 110: Leaving Kuhuang (End of Volume 1)

“Leave?” Xie Chongyi showed a puzzled look.

“Mm—leave,” Wu Heng nodded.

The confusion on Xie Chongyi’s face deepened.

Wu Heng lowered his head and took a sip of water. “I’m not going to Jingzhou anymore.”

Xie Chongyi’s expression froze. He was best at turning displeasure into a half-smile to convey it to whoever stood before him, but at this moment even that smile was hard to muster.

“Why aren’t you going again?”

“Don’t feel like it.”

Wu Heng carried hedonism through to the very end. Earlier, Xie Chongyi had even taken some pride in the fact that Wu Heng always put his own pleasure first. Now, he couldn’t show too much dissatisfaction, because Wu Heng’s starting point hadn’t changed.

Wu Heng could choose him for the sake of physical pleasure; naturally, he could also abandon him for the sake of another kind of pleasure. Xie Chongyi was the result of a choice, not its cause.

If it were someone else sitting across from him, Xie Chongyi might still ask why they didn’t feel like it. But the person in front of him was Wu Heng—“don’t feel like it” was already a sufficient answer for Wu Heng.

“If you’re not going to Jingzhou, where are you planning to go?”

“Not sure yet. Probably west, or southwest.”

“Is Lin Mengzhi going with you?”

“And Wu Zhi. Shen Ping’an will probably come too.” Wu Heng paused after speaking. “And Doctor Chen—I want to take him with us. But we only have one doctor, so if—”

Xie Chongyi stepped forward. Forget doctors or not; he cut Wu Heng off. “Then what about me?”

Wu Heng looked up, confused and shocked.

From Wu Heng’s dilated pupils, Xie Chongyi saw his own shameless insistence. He had seen what others looked like standing in front of him, and so he knew that he was no different from any of those secret admirers waiting for a response.

In their eyes, even a single look from the other person could become a tsunami.

He had rejected the confessions of countless people before—not only classmates, but also adults from outside the school. What had begun as quiet self-satisfaction eventually turned into an everyday calm. When he was in a good mood, he would even help the rejected person down the steps.

So he thought it over—carefully—wondering whether he had ever been truly vicious to any of the people who had confessed to him, to the point that he was now suffering this near-humiliating retribution at Wu Heng’s hands.

Seeing that Wu Heng didn’t answer, Xie Chongyi smiled and repeated, “I’m asking—what about me?”

It was as if the world on the boy’s side was an entirely different, spring-bright place. He didn’t smile with the same displeasure Xie Chongyi did; every bit of his smile was genuine.

“Do you want to come with me?”

“You’re only thinking of taking me along now?”

Wu Heng answered honestly, “I thought about it at first, but I figured you wouldn’t go with me.”

“When did you think about it?”

“This morning, before dawn.” Wu Heng knew he wasn’t the same kind of person as Xie Chongyi; he was someone who had grown up out of swampy mire.

Even though Xie Chongyi’s childhood had also been full of dangers, they were dangers amid roses and thorns. He was surrounded by many people who loved him—parents, friends. At a moment like this, even if Xie Chongyi wanted to go with him, Wu Heng couldn’t understand it. Weren’t those people far more important than he was?

Xie Chongyi’s mood improved a little.

“Why do you think I wouldn’t go with you? What if I wanted to?”

Wu Heng didn’t really understand, but he was pleasantly surprised. “But going with me might mean hardship. Jingzhou is the most advantageous place for your future.”

“I don’t mind.” Xie Chongyi looked at Wu Heng for a while. Then he reined in his smile and said calmly, “But I still need to go to Jingzhou first, to clear up a few things.”

Wu Heng gave a soft “Mm.” “Then I’ll wait for you in Yaozhou.”

Xie Chongyi hadn’t expected Wu Heng to accompany him to Jingzhou, but hearing him say it so plainly still left him more disappointed than he had anticipated—more real, too.

Wu Heng had been observing Xie Chongyi all along. His sensitivity made it impossible for him to ignore the changes in Xie Chongyi’s mood. After traveling together for so long, Wu Heng had never seen Xie Chongyi’s emotions rise and fall as quickly and as visibly as they did today—the swings were on the scale of Mount Everest and the Mariana Trench.

“You said before that after the zombie tide was over, you had something to tell me. Can you say it now?” No one could predict when the zombie tide would truly end—but Wu Heng was about to set out on the road.

“It’s nothing important,” Xie Chongyi said, putting on an easygoing air. “I like you.”

“Ah…” Wu Heng let out a soft sound of surprise.

“What do you mean, ‘ah’?” Xie Chongyi’s palms were slick with sweat. The corner of his eye swept over the whitening daylight and the surging heat waves, and he blamed the weather for being too extreme.

Wu Heng wasn’t so ignorant as to not know what “I like you” meant. He just felt that something like this happening to him was somewhat unreasonable—and coming out of Xie Chongyi’s mouth made it even more bizarre.

“Class monitor, are you… really lacking in love?” Wu Heng looked at Xie Chongyi with a puzzled gaze.

For the first time, Xie Chongyi completely lost control of his expression. He stared at Wu Heng in disbelief.

“I suppose I am.” After a long while, Xie Chongyi lowered his eyes and said through clenched teeth, “But if you’re saying the same thing to me just because you think I lack love, then you can shut your mouth right now.”

Having said that, Xie Chongyi didn’t give Wu Heng any time to react. He turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing down the corridor.

Wu Heng blinked. He lowered his head and took a sip of water, a heavy, stifled feeling in his chest.

At that moment, X landed soundlessly on the boy’s shoulder, stretching out its neck. “Angry! Angry! Angry!”

—

Wu Heng didn’t have much to pack. He only changed into long sleeves and long pants to prevent sunburn, then went to say goodbye to everyone he’d spent time with.

If he hadn’t wanted to talk to Xie Chongyi once more, he wouldn’t even have bothered wasting time on farewells.

“You’re leaving?!” Dou Lu looked utterly worn. Her hair had been plastered into dirty braids with blood and grime. She simply couldn’t believe what she was hearing—why leave when things were fine? Hadn’t they agreed to go to Jingzhou together and make a name for themselves?

Xue Shen walked over. “Why?”

“The northern climate is too dry,” Wu Heng tossed out lightly, a reason no one really believed.

Xue Shen was left speechless.

“But it’s very dangerous to set out now. Outside the base there’s a zombie tide—I don’t even know how many kilometers it stretches. The weather hits fifty-plus degrees at the drop of a hat, and the ground temperature in the afternoon is even higher. Can Wu Zhi handle that?” Ying Liuquan said worriedly. “We’re safest when we’re all together, and Jingzhou’s infrastructure recovery is bound to be the fastest. Is there really anywhere better than Jingzhou?”

Wu Heng said nothing. Once he had made a decision, nothing could change it.

Lin Mengzhi spoke up. “It’s not like Jingzhou is necessarily the best place. Where there are lots of people, there’s trouble—don’t you know that, Teacher? We just want to wander around. That’s how we young people live. Stop worrying about it.”

Wu Zhi tugged on Wu Heng’s sleeve. “Anyway, I’m only staying with my brother.”

“When are you leaving?” Sheng Jiang’s voice came from behind. “I’ll have Xiao Xie see you to a safe area.”

“What do you mean?” Dou Lu asked.

“Spatial ability—teleportation and transfer. Having Xiao Xie send a few people more than ten kilometers away won’t be a problem,” Sheng Jiang said with a slight smile. “Take care on the road.”

“We haven’t even agreed to leave yet! What do you mean, ‘take care’?! Don’t meddle in our business!” Dou Lu was on the verge of tears. After saying that, she looked anxiously at Wu Heng. “Can’t you not go? Isn’t it good for us to stay together?”

Wu Heng looked at Dou Lu and extended an invitation as if recruiting troops. “You can come with me.”

Dou Lu’s sobbing cut off abruptly.

Leaving the others behind, Wu Heng took Lin Mengzhi and Wu Zhi with him.

As soon as they left, Dou Lu clutched her head in fury, pointing both hands at Ying Liuquan and Xue Shen. “Did you two b*lly him behind his back?!”

Ying Liuquan hunched his shoulders. “He could spin us like tops—how would we dare?”

Xue Shen seemed thoughtful. “Old Xie probably knows.”

Dou Lu caught the hint and had a sudden realization. “Then it was the class monitor b*llying him!”

Seeing how silly Dou Lu looked, Xue Shen twitched his mouth. No wonder Wu Heng wanted to leave this team.

Dou Lu didn’t notice Xue Shen’s expression. She pondered for a moment, then suddenly chased after them a few steps, shouting herself hoarse, “Lin Mengzhi, leader—if you leave, does that mean our group is going to disband?!”

Lin Mengzhi had already caught up with Wu Heng.

But he couldn’t help turning back again and again. “It would be great if everyone could come with us.”

Wu Heng said nothing. He just kept his head down and walked forward, and without looking back, boarded the shuttle bus inside the base.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. There was no doubt that Shen Ping’an would be leaving Kuhuang with Wu Heng; no one was surprised by that.

But when Doctor Chen also stated that he intended to leave with Wu Heng, Xue Shen stepped forward to try to keep him.

Night had already fallen. Wu Heng held a large kettle of water in his hands, with a handful of dried honeysuckle steeping inside.

At that moment, a ring of people stood before him—far more than just their original group. Many longtime residents of the Kuhuang base were there as well. None of them treated it as none of their business; they looked even more concerned than Wu Heng himself about who would leave and who would stay.

Wu Heng listened to the chaotic exchanges among the various parties. Who wanted to stay, and who truly meant to follow—there was nowhere for any of it to hide.

Xue Shen said, “Xue Qi’s leg—you made a promise about that at the beginning.”

Doctor Chen’s face was mostly rotted away, but he still had plenty of skin left, and it wasn’t thin either. “Treating illness, you see—no doctor can guarantee a hundred percent success. I may be leaving, but the promise still stands. When my medical abilities improve to the next level, you can come find me then. I’ll be the first to see you.”

“As for me, I’m definitely going with Wu Heng. I’m in pretty bad shape—especially with this heat. If I go to Jingzhou with you, I might rot into a puddle of water halfway there.”

Xue Shen could only agree. He couldn’t very well put a knife to a doctor’s throat—that wasn’t something he could do. He merely pressed Xue Qi’s shoulder discreetly, signaling him to rest assured.

“Where are you planning to go?” Dou Lu asked, still unwilling to part. She couldn’t persuade herself, nor could she accept the separation.

“Yaozhou first,” Shen Ping’an said.

“Yaozhou’s chili peppers are famous! After mutation, will they turn into an ultra-ultra-ultra-ultra-ultra-ultra-spicy version?”

“They’ll shoot chili seeds.”

“I remember that between here and Yaozhou there’s a stretch of primeval forest,” Liu Ning said, standing to the side with her arms folded as she analyzed the situation. “It used to be steep mountains. After the apocalypse, earthquakes created swamps and wetlands, and at the same time six rivers cut through it. The total area is close to five thousand square kilometers. If you detour, you’ll have to cross rivers—but mutated animals include aquatic creatures too, and you don’t have any means of river crossing. The journey is dangerous. If this is just for fun, I still hope you’ll think it over carefully.”

“Or change the destination,” Ying Liuquan suggested.

“All the bases are already taking shape. You can choose according to your needs—or go back to Hanzhou.”

Hanzhou was their hometown. Hearing that name, many people felt a tightness in their chests.

No matter how good Jingzhou or any other city might be, none could compare to home. Even though most people no longer had family there, they still had their native land—and the native land would always remain where it was.

Wu Dian leaned back against three large wooden crates stacked together and shook his head slightly. “Hanzhou is currently controlled by a group of ability-users centered on earth and wood types. Jingzhou has sent several messages, but Hanzhou never replied, so Jingzhou dispatched people to take over. Things over there are probably going to be chaotic for a while.”

“Why take over? As long as the base is run well, does it really matter who’s in charge?” Dou Lu propped her chin in her hand, curious.

“He’s playing emperor over there. That won’t do,” Sheng Jiang said.

“To avoid getting caught in the crossfire, it’s best not to return to Hanzhou for now,” Wu Dian said as he swept his gaze over the group. His tone was as steady as ever, without a trace of personal bias. “If you’re looking for a place to settle, Yaozhou really is a good choice. It used to be a land of fish and rice, the earthquake damage wasn’t as severe, and the base head is relatively easy to get along with.”

Picking up the thread, Sheng Jiang added, “Besides Yaozhou, Xuancheng, Beike Town, Chun Island, Lizhou, and several small bases around them are all pretty good too. They’ll be able to catch their breath—and I think they could all develop into tourism-oriented bases.”

Lin Mengzhi and Wu Zhi instinctively looked toward Wu Heng, their gazes forming a channel that pulled the Wu Heng hidden behind the crowd into the center of the arena.

Wu Heng refused softly, “Nothing’s decided yet. I’m planning to walk and see as I go.”

Sheng Jiang and Wu Dian exchanged a glance. The former gave a helpless look into the dark behind them, as if to say there was nothing he could do.

“Then… will you come to Jingzhou in the future?” Dou Lu asked nervously. “I can wait for you in Jingzhou.”

“I don’t know.” Wu Heng was clueless on all counts.

“When are you planning to set out?”

“In half an hour.” Wu Heng tossed out a time at random. The temperature dropped at night, making it more suitable for traveling than the daytime heat.

“Then—”

“Can I go with you?”

From within the crowd, someone who had been submerged and silent all this time suddenly spoke. Ruan Silian’s voice rang out. She felt many pairs of puzzled eyes land on her—among them, Dou Lu’s gaze shifted from confusion to shock, and finally to outright fury.

Yet Ruan Silian pressed on without hesitation. “Back when I was in school, my wish was to take a free, unrestrained trip after graduating high school. The state of the world now is different from before, but in some ways it’s even more exciting, isn’t it?”

“If you’re willing to take me along, I can keep doing what I used to do—cooking, laundry, carrying packs. I won’t drag you down.” Ruan Silian looked at Wu Heng as she spoke. She was one of the few who understood that Wu Heng’s word was the only one that counted. Any request made to anyone other than Wu Heng would ultimately land with him, and it was his response that mattered.

Wu Heng regarded the Ruan Silian stepping forward with a scrutinizing gaze. He wasn’t judging whether she was worth taking along, but rather pondering what kind of person she truly was—something far more worth thinking about than the fact that she was an ordinary person with no combat ability.

Months earlier, when heavy snow had sealed off the village, Wu Heng had already seen Ruan Silian’s morally gray nature: she would stop at nothing to survive.

But her choice now was baffling. Wouldn’t following the team heading for Jingzhou be safer, and more promising, than following him?

While Wu Heng was sizing her up, Dou Lu suddenly jumped out. Unlike her attitude toward Wu Heng and the others, she seemed to harbor a different kind of dependence and feeling toward Ruan Silian.

“What do you mean, Ruan Silian? You’re leaving and you didn’t even tell me? How can you do this?” As she spoke, Dou Lu moved to shove her, but Sheng Jiang grabbed her and pulled her back.

Ruan Silian stared at the ground. “Dou Lu, I can’t survive in a place like Jingzhou. And you wouldn’t be able to protect me there either.”

Her bluntness stunned the people around them, because it didn’t match the demeanor she usually presented.

She should have been like a white orchid or a narcissus—anything but stained with red. Desire was red, and desire was fulfilled with visible or invisible blood.

“I can!” Dou Lu shouted.

As if deliberately adding fuel to the fire at that very moment, Wu Heng agreed to Ruan Silian’s request. “All right. You can come with me.”

Dou Lu was on the verge of losing her mind.

“Then I’m going too.” Without hesitation, she flung aside the steel helmet issued by the base.

Ruan Silian looked at her. “No. You don’t need to follow us. You’ll have better prospects if you go to Jingzhou.” It was the first time she had spoken with such firmness.

At that moment, Dou Lu broke free from Sheng Jiang. She shoved Ruan Silian hard, then, with tear-blurred eyes, swept a look over Wu Heng and everyone else. “We should’ve sworn a blood oath months ago—traitors deserve to die without burial. I hate all of you!”

After she ran off, Lin Mengzhi, heavy-hearted, helped Ruan Silian up from the ground.

“There’s no banquet that doesn’t end,” Sheng Jiang shrugged, easing the mood. “Just remember to bring plenty of food and water—especially water. Without a water-type ability user, you’ll need to watch out for dehydration.”

As he finished speaking, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened. “Xiao Xie, come out and see them off.”

Behind the crowd were several rows of vehicles with their engines off. Xie Chongyi was stepping down from one of them, the door still open. He had been watching from there the whole time.

Wu Heng hadn’t seen him all day. At some point, Xie Chongyi had changed out of the base-issued clothes and into a brand-new black uniform that still bore crisp creases. The blue star insignia on his shoulder flickered with points of light from time to time.

The uniform was clearly tailored to fit, as if it had been made for Xie Chongyi long ago. It left nothing concealed, unreservedly highlighting every point of his natural advantage. He stood like a young pine that had already grown to maturity, rooted on a mountain peak—tall and handsome—radiating a crushing sense of pressure over everything around him.

Xie Chongyi walked up to Wu Heng. “Let’s go. I’ll see you off.”

The uniform he wore was the same as Sheng Jiang’s and Wu Dian’s. Noticing this, Wu Heng’s gaze darkened. “Class monitor, your clothes are really ugly.”

“Are they?” Xie Chongyi was in a foul mood. He stared straight at Wu Heng’s face; the pebbles at his feet trembled and floated into the air.

Space expanded from a small sphere into one several meters in diameter, yanking the few people who hadn’t had time to react straight into the teleportation orb.

With his other hand, Xie Chongyi drew Wu Heng into a hold by the shoulder.

“Goodbye.”

Wu Heng felt him embrace him. Just as he was about to lift his hand to return it, his body suddenly went light.

When he landed, he staggered a couple of steps, and Lin Mengzhi caught him.

From inside the spatial field, the world outside was filled with swaying, transparent ripples.

Xie Chongyi’s face, standing outside, became indistinct because of them.

Before Wu Heng could process the inexplicable pang of reluctance rising within him, the world spun before his eyes. At the same time, Lin Mengzhi’s voice rang out, shocked and delighted:

“Holy shit! A’Heng, there’s a flower bud growing on your head!!!”

<< _ >>