hoon

As Bai Zemin looked at the skill scroll in his hands, he thought of one person.

Luo Cheng.

Luo Cheng was Luo Ning's big brother, but he simply didn't have the courage to face the zombies for fear of becoming one of them or perhaps for fear of their grotesque appearances. If the problem was the first reason, then with the skill Scaled Lizard Transformation that problem would practically disappear completely. Although the skill only lasted for fifteen minutes, during those fifteen minutes normal zombies would not be able to break through his defenses.

However, Bai Zemin soon discarded the idea of giving this skill to him.

Although Bai Zemin really appreciated Luo Ning very much and did not want to see the girl sad, Luo Cheng was not worthy of receiving such a good skill as he did not have the courage to fight to the death in close combat.

Although the First Order Scaly Lizard Transformation level 2 skill was not of Bai Zemin's interest, a powerful warrior could be formed if they received this skill or could boost the power of an already formed warrior to new heights.

The problem was that except for Zhong De, this type of skill just didn't seem to suit anyone he knew as it went against the style of combat developed and planned by them.

In the end, Bai Zemin decided to save the skill for now and decide what to do with it later.

Bai Zemin approached the wounded soldiers and began to help them. The rest of them also did the same and applied some simple treatments while Kang Lan used her two daily healings on a soldier who was on the verge of death after losing too much blood.

Seeing that even the most powerful leaders helped them to heal and somehow cared for them, the soldiers' hearts were greatly moved. In this world where death awaited around the corner and a person's life was worth less than a gallon of fuel, the action of Bai Zemin and the rest indirectly won the loyalty of these men.

If they used to fight just to live better, now they would also fight for these kinds of leaders... Because without them, their future would definitely not be so good in comparison.

Moreover, the strength that Bai Zemin demonstrated had shaken many people present. Many had even stopped seeing him as a human being and began to see him as the emissary that God sent to save mankind from catastrophe.

Soon, several vehicles arrived on the scene and some people with some medical knowledge began to do what they could to care for the wounded while another group of people began to load the bodies of the murdered soldiers onto a truck.Make sure to bury them all properly. Also, if these soldiers had young children or elderly parents, or a wife from before the apocalypse, be sure to let them know that the government will support them and they don't need to worry about food or having a roof over their heads." Bai Zemin instructed earnestly.

The middle-aged man in charge of this kind of work nodded and asked respectfully, "Understood. As for the corpses of the enemies..."

"Just set them on fire and scatter their ashes to the wind until there is no trace of their existence left, just like always." Bai Zemin waved his hand and responded indifferently. He couldn't care less about the bodies of those who were his enemies. Why in the world would he bother to give them a proper burial.

The middle-aged man nodded respectfully and backed away to begin work.

Soon, another larger group of people composed of about two hundred survivors arrived and began to move the debris and clear the road once again.

Since Bai Zemin took over the village, with the help of clever minds like Wu Yijun, the now named Beginning Village became something similar to an anthill where each person had an important role to play and everyone worked together for the greater good; in search of a warmer and less gloomy future.

Although, unlike the ants where everyone worked and there were no slackers, in the village there were slackers; however, even those slackers had a role to play in there. Those who were frustrated could simply beat them when they were too stressed and as long as they did not kill anyone, rape, or the injuries were not serious, they would not be punished.

Since certain people were good for nothing, they at least had to play a role if they wanted to keep eating the increasingly scarce food they all worked hard to obtain. If they were dissatisfied, Bai Zemin would be more than willing to let them go to their fate; they would not be able to live even an hour after leaving the safe area of the village.

...

Inside an intact building that was not the target of the large-scale attack launched by Bai Zemin, a small group of people had congregated.

Sitting on a couple of sofas surrounding a small glass table, Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Wu Yijun, Luo Ning, Nangong Yi, and Nangong Lingxin drank a cup of tea.

People like Cai Jingyi, Kang Lan, Fu Xuefeng, and the others were carrying out supervisions and different tasks that required a lot of care. Therefore, only these seven people were here.

"Satisfied?" Bai Zemin asked with a faint smile on his face as he looked at Nangong Lingxin and Nangong Yi.

The way the two Nangong siblings looked at Bai Zemin now was completely different compared to how they looked at him in the conference room when they first met him. But this was also completely natural since so much had happened in such a short time.

Previously, Nangong Yi and Nangong Lingxin respected Bai Zemin only because he was the leader of the establishment and that was all. After all, neither of them had seen what he was really capable of and while they knew that as a leader Bai Zemin must be someone powerful, the extent of his strength was what really interested them.

Now that they finally witnessed the young man's power before them, Nangong Yi and Nangong Lingxin dared not show the slightest disrespect. Both of them sat with their backs straight and every time they drank their tea, they did so with extreme care as if they were afraid of making any awkward sounds.

"Satisfied." Nangong Yi nodded earnestly and cautiously.

"Extremely satisfied." Nangong Lingxin followed after her brother.

Previously she was very proud of herself as she was not only beautiful but also a strong and capable woman. However, after seeing Dai Yun's miserable fate, she finally realized that the young man in front of her had the power to do whatever he pleased whenever he pleased.It was only after seeing the approximately five hundred blood spears falling from the sky and turning everything within a kilometer into a wasteland of death that Nangong Lingxin finally understood why even an arrogant, proud, beautiful, and terrifyingly powerful woman like Shangguan Bing Xue, was willing to listen to the young man in front of him.

Bai Zemin's power was simply colossal. His hand-to-hand combat power was overwhelming to the point that even someone like Wang Zedong in his dragon form was pulverized with a single punch from him. As if that wasn't enough, he also had frightening magical attacks and mana to back up such attacks; he was like a natural war machine and perfect in every way.

Moreover, from what Nangong Lingxing and Nangong Yi had seen during the four days they were in the village and from what they had come to hear from other people, the young man in front of them did not abuse of his power and even respected those who deserved it. Even the lowest worker was not mistreated by him.

But what made Nangong Lingxin hold Bai Zemin in high esteem was that even in the face of Dai Yun's temptation his expression and heart remained undisturbed. She had seen dozens of men fall for Dai Yun in the past, so seeing a young man who should be full of lustful hormones act so calmly was a great surprise to her.

"My brother and I are willing to help you." Nangong Lingxin didn't hesitate for a second this time. She solemnly proclaimed, "We will help you become the King of China and establish a new dynasty."

Nangong Yi said nothing, just nodded.

Why not do it? Bai Zemin did not lose himself in the pleasures of ruling, he did not mistreat anyone, he was not a savage slaughterer, he distributed goods according to each person's contribution and status, he did not force himself on any woman no matter how beautiful she was, and many other things more. But most importantly; he possessed the power to carry out what he wanted to do!

Bai Zemin was not like a naive child daydreaming. He actually had the strength to crush everything in his path and break a whole new path for himself!

Nangong Lingxin and Nangong Yi were smart people. They both knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and were not willing to let it pass them by. Although they might fail, at this moment neither of them believed that anyone could end the life of the twenty-year-old man in front of them.

Just thinking about being part of the initial team of founders of a new dynasty and all the privileges they would receive as well as the countless honors the future held for them, the two Nangong siblings were for the first time since the apocalypse descended on Earth excited about the future.

Victory or defeat. There were no ties.

Big or small. There was no midpoint.

Make it big or go home!

"Great." Bai Zemin nodded in satisfaction and the smile on his face grew slightly.

With the addition of Nangong Lingxin and her Energy Barrier skill, many things in the future would be easier for him.

After taking a sip of tea, Bai Zemin put down the small cup on the glass table in front of him and his expression turned serious as a slight aura brimming with murderous intent filtered out of his body.

"Let's talk about this northern camp." He announced in a cold voice.

Even in the past Bai Zemin was not someone who liked to take it easy when someone bit him, not to mention someone bit him twice. Although he wasn't hurt in any way, he didn't like the idea of being attacked while he was just defending.

Therefore, he decided not only to swallow everything that the northern camp had acquired; but also to wipe out all those who dared to kill his people.

On one of the main roads in Rulin Subdistrict, a normal-looking jeep was traveling at a moderate speed. The sun's rays were quite strong considering that the day had just begun and the smell of fresh morning air was traveling everywhere thanks to the immensity of the forests that Yanqing District possessed.

Such a sight would be completely normal and no one would think anything was strange about it. However, anyone with a little perspicacity would notice several irregularities.

Being one of the main roads of a sub-district, it would be normal for many vehicles to travel the length and breadth of it and even some traffic congestion would be nothing unusual. However, the jeep was the only moving vehicle while many other ones had been moved to the side of the road to allow passage.

The sun's rays, while powerful, were far too faint considering that at this time of year this part of China was supposed to be enjoying a hot summer.

The smell of the cool morning air that was traveling everywhere actually had a slightly strange smell in it and if one were to appreciate it more carefully one would notice that the smell was actually the smell of blood.

Sitting in the passenger seat of the jeep, Bai Zemin had a casual look on his face as he looked out the window of the vehicle. Although he had the appearance of a bored person, his body was prepared for any kind of enemy attack because although the outside view was calm, in reality he knew that it was all fake; in this world, such a thing as calm was a luxury that could no longer be enjoyed in its entirety.

A day had passed since the Beginning Village had been attacked by Wang Zedong, Dai Yun, and several dozen armed men in police uniforms.

This morning, just as the first ray of light peeked over the horizon, this jeep set off in a northerly direction in search not only of simple revenge but also to eliminate future headaches as well as to swallow the other side's forces.

If anyone else could read Bai Zemin's thoughts they would probably scoff at him or perhaps think he was simply daydreaming.

Attacking a camp protected by hundreds of armed men and with about two hundred soul evolvers? Sure, no problem.

But... With a single normal-looking jeep? It was nothing more than a children's fantasy... No, even children wouldn't have such a fantasy, and only a mentally disordered person would.

Bai Zemin turned his face slightly to look to his side and then glanced at the rearview mirror.

Nangong Yi, a level 23 soul evolver with a powerful active First Order skill that made him basically immune to a large amount of bullets and granted him monstrous Strength was the driver at the moment.

In the back of the jeep, two gorgeous and charming women rode silently.

One of these women was Nangong Lingxin, a level 23 soul evolver with an active defensive barrier-type skill capable of blocking all kinds of attacks and with another skill that increased her Agility for a short period of time. She was currently sleeping since the night before she had not been able to rest well after everything that happened during the day.

As for the other woman; she was currently looking out the window at her side with her head replete with long silver hair resting gently against the glass. Her blue eyes were dimly reflected in the jeep's window and seemed to shine with countless clear lights at the same time.She was naturally Shangguan Bing Xue. At this moment she had reached level 39 with many powerful skills in her arsenal. Her power was undeniable and Bai Zemin had already seen what she was capable of.

This group of four were the only ones who were going to go deep into the northern camp and when they had a clearer idea of the situation, they would launch a surprise attack.

Bai Zemin's lips curved slightly into a cold smile. With this kind of alignment, it was more than enough to finish off the other party; he was so confident.

Besides...Bai Zemin's eyes glittered chillingly as he recalled the things whose size had currently been shrunk to a mere five centimeters and hidden in a small corner of the jeep's back.

Shangguan Bing Xue's armor and sword, two pieces of armor, and two normal swords for the Nangong siblings since Bai Zemin didn't know about them back then, and of course, the Rank 2 armor and the greatsword of his own.

Bai Zemin really had to commend Shangguan Bing Xue for her foresight. Had it not been for the modifications that a large number of vehicles underwent, it would currently be impossible for his Blaze Scale Greatsword to be loaded onto a normal transport considering its weight.

Every three hours, the four of them swapped turns to drive to keep themselves in good physical condition. Considering that there were four of them, each person could rest for a full nine hours because except for some normal zombies and a few that had mutated into a stranger species of zombie such as Strength Zombie and others, there were no problems worth mentioning.

* * *

Two days later.

With Tinyuan Town and Linqi Town acting as borders, a large camp several kilometers long had been set up after the two main police stations of both towns eliminated the surrounding threats.

After building a safe zone by themselves, Kang Rong and Lu Yan, the two chiefs of both police stations did not stop and making use of the ammunition accumulated over many years of peace began to slowly but surely spread out. Thanks to the continued support of the government in the past, the two men had a good amount of firearms that, although somewhat obsolete, were more than enough to deal with zombies or normal mutated monsters.

With over six hundred armed troops combined, the camp managed to find plenty of supplies. However, the burden the two bosses were feeling was also very great. After all, feeding over three thousand people was no simple matter.

After about two days of riding during which they had to stop several times to remove some troublesome obstacles from the road, Bai Zemin's group had finally traveled about 700 kilometers.

Such a distance could have been covered in a single day in the past. However, with the current state of the roads and the appearance of monsters, accomplishing such a thing was just an impossible fantasy to fulfill.

"So this is the north camp." Bai Zemin muttered to himself as he gazed into the distance from the top of a huge tree.

In the past, the Rulin Subdistrict was known to be incredibly attractive for tourism and thus possessed several well-maintained walls and buildings. Even now it was still an attractive sight to the eyes.

Bai Zemin saw walls about two meters high in the distance and couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. These kinds of walls might not be very tall, but their defense against zombies and some weak mutated beasts was indisputable. It was much better to the wooden walls that the Beginning Village had erected even if the height was about four times higher.

After observing for a moment, Bai Zemin returned to the vehicle and instructed Nangong Yi to continue forward.

"Stop!" Bai Zemin's group had just arrived at the gates of the place when a group of six heavily armed soldiers immediately rushed over and yelled.

Nangong Yi looked at Bai Zemin first and seeing him nodding began to gradually slow down the vehicle until it finally came to a complete stop a short distance from the entrance.

The grgroup of four got out of the jeep one by one. They all looked at the soldiers calmly; three men and three women.

Although the men got a little heated after seeing the body of Nangong Lingxin and Shangguan Bing Xue as well as their beautiful faces, they could do nothing as the three women approached and made sure the two of them were not carrying weapons.

The three male soldiers also confiscated Bai Zemin and Nangong Yi roughly and carelessly.

The soldiers even searched the vehicle but could not find anything suspicious in sight.

Immediately after the soldiers made sure there were no concealed weapons, a man and a woman approached from inside a building next to the entrance, and judging from the formal clothes they were wearing they were probably part of the government.

The woman about 37-38 years old approached Bai Zemin and said, "My colleague and I are responsible for receiving the survivors. My name is Mei Lin. You can take your personal belongings and enter the survivors' camp. If you wish to keep your vehicle, it is no problem. However, you need to pay a fee of half a kilogram of rice per day to be allowed to park inside or you can sell it for the value of five kilograms of white rice right here."

While there were many vehicles on the road, 80% of them had been crashed and needed to be repaired to varying degrees. In addition, the jeep in which Bai Zemin and his group were driving was an all-terrain vehicle so it was good for the forest as well as the city. Hence Mei Lin's offer.

Of course, Bai Zemin had no interest in selling the jeep. After all, inside the trunk were stored armor and weapons whose value was priceless considering that they could save anyone's life.