Plans

Lu Heng leaned against the wall, his gaze slowly sweeping over the people in front of him.

Their faces were weary, but their eyes held a sense of relief at surviving a disaster. These people were neither his relatives nor his companions, but they had helped him when he was in the most danger.

He remembered the life-saving grace.

Lu Heng was not an ungrateful person. His life was valuable, so he knew all too well that he couldn't renege on his debts. Although these people were safe for the time being, the outside world was becoming more dangerous every day, and without sufficient strength, they would be devoured sooner or later.

He had to find a way for them to survive.

Thinking of this, Lu Heng suddenly remembered the woman's Corpse-Control Ring.

The ring had been lying quietly in his Wristband Space, dark and inconspicuous, but Lu Heng knew its value. Corpse-Control Ring, capable of binding special Zombie and turning them into his own combat power. For these ordinary people in front of him, this thing was more useful than any food.

With a thought, the Corpse-Control Ring emerged from his Wristband and was held between his fingers.

Lu Heng casually tossed the Corpse-Control Ring to Song Yunzhong.

"Here, take this."

Song Yunzhong subconsciously reached out and caught it, then looked down and frowned slightly.

"What is this?"

"The Corpse-Control Ring," Lu Heng said calmly, "That woman's thing. With it, you can find special Zombie and bind them to you. Then, those Zombie will obey your commands."

Song Yunzhong's fingers tightened slightly, and his eyes changed.

He wasn't stupid; he understood what Lu Heng meant. With the Corpse-Control Ring, they were no longer ordinary people at the mercy of others, but had the means to protect themselves.

"You... give this to us?" Song Yunzhong looked up at Lu Heng, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

"Hmm." Lu Heng nodded. "I'll help you find a suitable special Zombie, and you can bind it to the zombie using Corpse-Control Ring. With it, you'll be better able to survive."

Song Yunzhong was silent for a moment, then held the Corpse-Control Ring in his palm and said softly, "Thanks."

Lu Heng didn't say much.

Actually, he had originally considered handing over the Bone Demon. The Bone Demon was far more powerful than the ordinary special Zombie that the Corpse-Control Ring could bind to. If these people could control the Bone Demon, their chances of survival would increase significantly.

But Lu Heng reconsidered and rejected the idea.

The Corpse-Control Ring is only a Black Iron Tier item, and its control limit is limited. A being of the Bone Demon's level is simply beyond the Corpse-Control Ring's ability to suppress. Forcing Song Yunzhong to bind with the Bone Demon will only result in one thing— the Corpse-Control Ring will shatter, the Bone Demon will backfire, and Song Yunzhong will die on the spot.

That's not repaying a debt of gratitude; that's harming people.

Lu Heng wouldn't do such a thing.

He turned and walked to the corner, taking out bag after bag of food from his Wristband and piling them on the ground.

Meat, dry rations, a few packets of compressed biscuits, and some loose drinking water. Lu Heng deliberately left more meat, because he knew these people hadn't had anything decent to eat in a long time.

"You can eat these first," Lu Heng said. "Use them sparingly; they'll last two or three days."

Song Yunzhong looked at the food piled on the ground, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded.

Lu Heng was thinking that he would come back in a few days and bring back a few more bags of flour. Flour could be stored for longer and was more filling than these loose food items.

Supplies can be replenished gradually.

But there was one bottom line that Lu Heng was very clear about.

He wasn't sure if he could get these people to his Shelter. But the Shelter was his last resort, his foundation for survival in this apocalypse. The risk would increase exponentially if too many people knew the Shelter's location.

Looking at the people in front of him, Lu Heng could only silently apologize in his heart.

Supplies can be given, and kindness can be repaid, but people cannot be taken away.

This is his bottom line.

Lu Heng stretched his body, assessing his condition. His limbs were still a little sore, and his internal strength hadn't fully recovered, but it was much better than before. Although it was a bit of a struggle, he should be fine as long as it wasn't too dangerous.

The matter of the Bone Demon cannot be delayed any longer.

He has to find the Bone Demon.

"I'm about to leave," Lu Heng said, looking at Song Yunzhong.

Song Yunzhong's brows immediately furrowed.

"Now?"

"Hmm."

"You haven't fully recovered yet." Song Yunzhong looked at him, his tone clearly worried. "You were even swaying a bit while standing just now; it's too much for you to go out now. Why don't you rest a bit longer and wait until you're feeling better before you go."

Lu Heng shook his head. "The matter of the Bone Demon cannot be delayed. The longer it's put off, the more troublesome it becomes. Once it fully matures, it will be even more difficult to deal with."

Song Yunzhong remained silent for a while, then sighed.

"You don't have to carry everything yourself," he said in a low voice. "If anything happens, you can tell us. Even if we can't be of much help, at least we can keep an eye on things for you. If you go out alone and something happens, you won't even have anyone to help you."

Lu Heng glanced at him.

Song Yunzhong's gaze was serious, not like he was just being polite.

But Lu Heng did not give a direct answer.

"Just take care of yourselves first," he said. "I'll figure out the rest."

Song Yunzhong opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to persuade him further, but seeing Lu Heng's expression, he ultimately swallowed his words.

He hadn't known Lu Heng for very long, but he had already figured it out—once this person made a decision, nothing anyone else said mattered.

"Since that's the case, I won't keep you any longer," Song Yunzhong said, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Take care of yourself."

After a pause, Song Yunzhong added, "By the way, we observed a Zombie in that area those few days. It's still there, as if it's waiting for you."

Lu Heng paused slightly.

"Where?"

"It's in the same direction as before, it hasn't moved." Song Yunzhong pointed out the window, "We've seen it from afar several times, it's always stayed in that area, like it's guarding something."

Lu Heng breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

fine.

He thought he'd have to search the whole city himself, but the Zombie was waiting in the same spot all along, saving him a lot of trouble.

"I understand." Lu Heng nodded.

He turned and walked toward the door, his steps neither fast nor slow. No one spoke behind him; only the sound of his footsteps echoed in the empty room.

Lu Heng pushed open the door, and a putrid smell hit him as soon as he entered. The street was eerily quiet; most of the Zombie that had been wandering around had been cleared away, leaving only a few mangled corpses lying by the roadside.

He took a few steps, then suddenly remembered something and turned back.

Song Yunzhong stood at the door, looking at him.

"Although most of the Zombie and that woman on this street have been dealt with, use the supplies I just left behind sparingly; they should last for two or three days," Lu Heng said. "I'll come back tomorrow or the day after. By then, I should be better recovered and can take you to find special Zombie. Bind your Corpse-Control Ring to it; that way, the surrounding area will be absolutely safe. As long as it's not a very strong Zombie horde, you don't need to be afraid."

Song Yunzhong nodded. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of things here."

Lu Heng didn't say anything more.

He turned and walked along the dilapidated street. The sky in the distance was gray, the sunlight was blocked by thick clouds, leaving only a dim light shining on the ruins.

The Bone Demon was waiting for him.

And he was waiting for the Bone Demon.