Another Evolution

Fortunately, Qi Xing had a habit of carrying important items with him.

Jiang Zhaosu watched him gather some dead branches and leaves, pile them up, thread the fish onto a slender twig, and place it on top. Then, he pulled a lighter from who-knows-what pocket and lit the branches. In this way, he built a simple barbecue grill and proceeded to make delicious grilled fish.

"You're quite the gourmet."

"Setting fire to the mountains will land you in jail."

Jiang Zhaosu couldn't help but complain in her heart.

The longer she spent with Qi Xing, the more Jiang Zhaosu suspected his identity.

At the very least, judging by his skillful car-prying and fish-gutting techniques, Qi Xing was definitely not the pampered young master she had initially imagined, someone whose hands had never touched manual labor.

Jiang Zhaosu only regretted not having studied that novel more carefully back then.

She used to read novels at night and forget them as soon as she finished, barely remembering any of the plot.

The only information she currently had was that she and Qi Xing were the villainous antagonists in this novel, destined to be cannon fodder that fed experience points to the protagonist group, not even minor bosses.

Who would want to know such useless information!

Jiang Zhaosu roared in anger in her heart, but could only do so internally.

After becoming a zombie, her facial muscles were incredibly stiff. Complex expressions like being furious were difficult for her to make. She could only open and close her mouth soundlessly, cursing under her breath.

Because of her Thunderous Rage, the water surface bubbled with a string of pops.

The water's buoyancy meant that when Jiang Zhaosu submerged herself in it, the discomfort in her neck was greatly reduced.

Since she wasn't afraid of the cold anymore, Jiang Zhaosu submerged half of her head in the stream, leaving only her pair of dark, round eyes visible as she gazed at Qi Xing on the bank.

Hearing the bubbling sound from her direction, Qi Xing, who was grilling fish, thought she was drowning. He looked over at her, just in time to meet Jiang Zhaosu's sneaky, observant gaze.

Seeing Jiang Zhaosu staying in the water, Qi Xing asked with amusement, "Is it fun in the water, Fugui?"

After the apocalypse, much of the water source was polluted by acid rain, leading to an extreme scarcity of water.

This water was rare and clear, and Qi Xing became interested as well.

He walked to the stream, scooped up some water with his hand, and splashed it towards Jiang Zhaosu.

"Aow!"

Jiang Zhaosu yelped in displeasure as the stream water splashed into her eyes. She kicked her short legs and retreated to a spot farther from Qi Xing.

Qi Xing chuckled, took off his jacket and shirt, and also entered the water.

His movements were much more agile than Jiang Zhaosu's. He quickly caught more fish, threw a few onto the bank to be grilled, and gave the rest to Jiang Zhaosu to fill her stomach.

Jiang Zhaosu didn't need to be particular about whether her food was cooked or raw, nor did she need to prepare it like a human. She devoured a fish in a few bites.

After wolfing down the flesh and blood, the hunger in Jiang Zhaosu's stomach finally lessened. Her body began to feel warm, and the injuries on her head and neck showed faint signs of healing.

However, for a zombie, the nutritional value of fish was far lower than that of humans.

Jiang Zhaosu's wounds healed slowly, only repairing the most severe injury on her neck, preventing her head from wobbling precariously like a stone on a cliff.

After filling her stomach, Jiang Zhaosu had nothing else to do, so she continued to soak in the water, watching Qi Xing, who was on the bank grilling his dinner.

Besides catching fish, Qi Xing had also removed his bandages in the water and briefly washed his body in the stream.

The forest was dim, and Qi Xing's skin was fair. Under the campfire's glow, his beautiful, naked upper body was like a piece of smooth, lustrous jade. Any slight imperfection would be particularly noticeable.

Therefore, Jiang Zhaosu clearly saw that in just two days, the gunshot wound on Qi Xing's shoulder had almost healed. The place that had been bleeding profusely now only had a flesh-colored scar the size of a fingernail.

It was estimated that this flesh-colored scar would disappear before long.

As expected, an Ability User's body was much more resilient than that of an un-evolved common person.

Envy! Jealousy!

Jiang Zhaosu wished she had such incredible recovery abilities.

Even though she had just eaten, seeing such a prime piece of "meat" right before her eyes made Jiang Zhaosu drool with desire.

Qi Xing on the bank was facing Jiang Zhaosu, sitting on the ground.

Seeing Jiang Zhaosu still tilting her head, staring at him like a crooked sapling, Qi Xing thought for a moment and beckoned her over.

"Fugui, come here for a moment."

What for?

Jiang Zhaosu's eyes darted around, unwilling to go.

She was afraid that if she went over, she wouldn't be able to resist baring her fangs and taking a bite out of Qi Xing.

"I have something good for you."

Seeing her reluctance to approach, Qi Xing turned and fumbled in his jacket pocket. After a moment, he pulled something out again and opened his palm towards Jiang Zhaosu.

"Look what this is."

Lying in Qi Xing's fair and broad palm were more than a dozen small pebbles, each about the size of a rice grain.

These pebbles were crystal clear, emitting a faint yellow glow from their surface.

They were Crystal Cores!

After consuming the Crystal Core of that Mutated Species and regaining the use of her legs, Jiang Zhaosu truly realized how precious these things were.

Qi Xing, such a stingy miser who would even pluck the feathers off a goose in passing, was actually willing to give her Crystal Cores?

Jiang Zhaosu's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. She immediately scrambled ashore and ran towards Qi Xing.

Qi Xing was quite true to his word with her.

When Jiang Zhaosu arrived, Qi Xing took her hand and pulled her to sit beside him. Then, he poured all the Crystal Cores in his hand into her open palms.

"Eat these, and your injuries should heal."

Although each of these Crystal Cores was small, their sheer quantity made up for it. Combined, they were even slightly larger than the Crystal Core of the Mutated Species Jiang Zhaosu had eaten.

Suddenly possessing such a large fortune, Jiang Zhaosu carefully cupped the Crystal Cores in both hands. She couldn't help but flash a smile at Qi Xing, her face practically screaming "Whoever feeds me is my mother."

Qi Xing, however, enjoyed seeing her foolishly materialistic expression. Naive yet cruel, it felt amusing to him.

How many people in this world weren't materialistic?

He didn't mind Jiang Zhaosu being both foolish and wicked at all.

As long as he could keep giving her what she wanted, Jiang Zhaosu would continue to be the way he liked her.

Wasn't that good enough?

Looking at Jiang Zhaosu, who had shaken off her gloom and was gazing at him with sparkling eyes, Qi Xing felt that if this little zombie had a tail, it would probably be wagging like a propeller right now.

To gain pleasure, some sacrifices were inevitable.

Qi Xing's voice held a hint of a smile as he said to Jiang Zhaosu, "Eat them."

With his permission, Jiang Zhaosu immediately picked up a Crystal Core from her hand and popped it into her mouth.

The Crystal Core slid down her throat, transforming into a warm surge of energy that swirled within her body.

After eating four or five, the wounds on Jiang Zhaosu's head and neck were completely healed.

Crystal Cores were fast-acting, but they also had side effects.

Upon eating the fifth one, Jiang Zhaosu felt a spasm in her stomach, accompanied by a burning sensation.

She had experienced the same symptom in her stomach after eating the Mutated Species' Crystal Core last time.

Perhaps because the Crystal Cores she had consumed this time were smaller, Jiang Zhaosu quickly overcame the burning pain. However, what followed was an even more unbearable hunger.

The seven or eight fish she had just eaten seemed to have vanished into thin air in her stomach. Jiang Zhaosu felt so hungry her back was pressed against her stomach. Qi Xing, in front of her, looked like a plump, juicy goose.

"Hungry..."

Jiang Zhaosu pressed her hands against her shriveled stomach, her eyes lighting up with a bloody glow. She stared intently at Qi Xing, her voice hoarse and strained as she voiced her demand, "Want... to... eat..."