The Damned World

Mother Zhou gazed at Zhou Yan, her eyes brimming with love and concern.

Although she did not know exactly what Zhou Yan had sacrificed, the fact that he rarely returned home over the past few months and spent most of his time out in the world told her that his life must be incredibly difficult.

Mother Zhou possessed no great wisdom, but she understood that one must lose something to gain something.

In the past, just to put food on the table, Zhou Yan had to pull carts through wind and rain, exposed to the scorching sun and freezing downpours until layers of his skin had peeled away.

Now that their circumstances had improved so much, the price Zhou Yan paid must be even greater.

Therefore, Mother Zhou asked nothing, simply looking at her son with a heart full of ache.

"Second Brother, eat more." Zhou Li kept piling food into Zhou Yan's bowl.

She was better informed than Mother Zhou and knew a little more about the situation.

Yet, because of this, her heart ached all the more, though she felt utterly helpless.

This was the life of the impoverished; they had to seize every possible chance to turn their lives around, staking their very lives on the gamble.

Even if they failed ninety-nine times out of a hundred, as long as they succeeded once, it would attract countless others to fight for that sliver of hope.

Zhou Yan smiled, not feeling any hardship at all.

While this was indeed a life-or-death struggle, he cultivated not only for his family but even more so for himself.

He had already died once, though he felt nothing from it.

But since he had the opportunity to transcend life and death, he would strive with all his might, no matter how slim the hope.

Zhou Chuan and Zhou Jing were still young; they could not sense the tension and were simply happy to have their elder brother home.

Of course, they were also tempted by the table full of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and the two were currently gorging themselves.

Although the family's environment had improved since Zhou Yan began his cultivation, Mother Zhou was naturally frugal, and since this was all bought with Zhou Yan's life, she was even more reluctant to spend.

They had enough to eat and drink on a daily basis, but eating well was generally out of the question.

After Zhou Yan shared a few drinks with Ma Yan, he turned his gaze toward Zhou Chuan and Zhou Jing and suddenly said, "Mother, I want to send Third Brother and Little Sister to school."

At these words, Mother Zhou and Zhou Li were both taken aback.

"School..."

Mother Zhou looked at Zhou Chuan hesitantly and said, "Does our family have the means? Perhaps it would be better to let the third one learn a trade from Carpenter Ma; that way, he'll have a way to make a living in the future."

"No, let Third Brother and Little Sister go to school. I can afford the expenses," Zhou Yan said, shaking his head with a serious expression.

Mother Zhou had never been one to insist on her own way; seeing that Zhou Yan had made his decision, she said no more, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes relaxing slightly.

As a mother, she naturally hoped all her children would do well.

But she could not bring herself to exploit one child for the sake of another.

Now that Zhou Yan had made his decision, all she could do was give her unconditional support.

"Brother-in-law, please help me look into the arrangements. Choose a school with good teachers and a rigorous style," Zhou Yan said to Ma Yan.

Ma Yan nodded. "Small matter."

He was also very supportive of Zhou Yan's decision.

Only after truly entering society did one realize that the first step in class disparity lies in the womb, and the second step lies in the education received during childhood.

"Mm."

Suddenly, Zhou Yan's expression shifted, his face turning solemn.

The next moment, his Corpse Controlling puppet appeared outside the door.

Ma Yan noticed the change in Zhou Yan's expression and asked in a low voice, "What is it?"

Zhou Yan shook his head slightly. "Nothing, just feeling a bit dizzy. Mother, you all continue eating. Brother-in-law and I will go for a walk to sober up."

Mother Zhou noticed nothing amiss and immediately said, "Mm, you haven't had much to drink before. Should I go boil some hangover soup for you?"

"No need, I'm just a bit muddled. A walk will do," Zhou Yan refused.

He gave Ma Yan a look, and the two walked out of the room.

When Ma Yan saw the zombie standing motionless outside the door, he immediately knew something was wrong.

"Human or ghost?" Ma Yan asked in a deep voice.

As he spoke, his hand already reached for the C96 pistol at his waist.

This was a brand-new pistol, the grease on it not yet fully dried, unlike those second-hand goods with worn-out rifling.

For this, Ma Yan had spent a full ten silver dollars in bribes.

Though it was expensive, it had also come with two hundred extra rounds of ammunition.

"A ghost."

Zhou Yan's expression was calm. "The ghost energy is light; it's not a vengeful spirit. It's likely just some wandering souls."

Ma Yan finally relaxed.

He knew a thing or two about these things now; most wandering ghosts and stray spirits didn't possess much lethality, and some of the weaker ones were even easily harmed by the yang fire radiating from human bodies when they got too close.

In fact, they were even terrified of poultry like chickens and ducks.

Take the White Zombie, for instance: it was slow-moving and feared light, fire, water, livestock, and people.

If Zhou Yan hadn't been worried about Mother Zhou, he never would have come out.

In this day and age, there were too many people dying violent deaths, and consequently, the number of wandering ghosts and stray spirits was shockingly high.

Following the scent, Zhou Yan quickly arrived outside a house, his expression turning somber.

If he remembered correctly, this should be San Kuazi's home.

Ma Yan realized this as well, frowning slightly. "Did one of Old Qi and his wife die, or is it San Kuazi..."

"We'll know once we go inside."

Zhou Yan seemed to already have the answer in his heart, pushing the door open and walking straight in.

Inside the room, San Kuazi was passed out on the floor, while two people lay on the bed—Old Qi and his wife.

At this moment, the bodies of Old Qi and his wife were already cold.

Ma Yan stepped forward, checked them, and said, "Old Qi and his wife have been dead for several days. San Kuazi is lucky to still be hanging on by a thread. But it looks like he's been poisoned and starved for days; that last breath could vanish at any moment."

He took a deep breath and added, "It was suicide."

"Old Qi's spine is broken, and his wife..."

Zhou Yan's expression remained calm, but a ripple stirred within his heart.

Over the past three years, he had thought he could view this world with cold rationality, but every scene he witnessed continued to challenge his perception and the bottom line of his conscience.

"Brother-in-law, take San Kuazi to the clinic. Whether he lives or dies depends on his own fate," Zhou Yan said.

Ma Yan nodded slightly and quickly left with San Kuazi.

He hadn't forgotten what Zhou Yan said earlier about the presence of ghost energy here.

After Ma Yan left, Zhou Yan approached the bodies of Old Qi and his wife, flipped his palm, and three incense sticks appeared in his hand.

He lit the incense, bowed to the bodies, and planted them by the bedside.

"Since you have already passed on, leave this world that caused you such pain as soon as you can..."

"You don't need to worry about San Kuazi. If he's lucky, he'll follow you soon enough. If he's unlucky and remains in this world, I will look after him—at the very least, I won't let him starve to death before he comes of age..."