What a "Father" Looks Like

The three bedraggled survivors were still shaken, but the battle was already over.

More than two hundred zombies had been wiped out. Fast! Precise! Ruthless! Clean and environmentally friendly, too!

Afterward, Huang Qian took the opportunity to quietly gather one ability-user zombie's crystal core and two ordinary zombies' crystal cores with her vines, then handed them to Cheng Jing.

They had encountered other groups of humans along the way, but none of them had been collecting zombie crystal cores as they did.

According to Jiang Nian, only a minority of zombies had crystal cores for now. Ability-user zombies always had them, while ordinary zombies might or might not.

Most people therefore didn't know zombie crystal cores existed yet, much less deliberately collect them.

Only after some time had passed, when most ability users advanced and formed crystal cores of their own, would they discover that zombies did the same.

Their team knew because Cheng Jing had obtained two when he dealt with Xiao Ya's parents.

Jiang Nian had also told everyone:

Ability-user zombies were infected ability users, and their crystal cores were in the dantian in the lower abdomen. Ordinary zombies' crystal cores were in their heads, formed only after ordinary people turned into zombies and evolved. Their skulls had to be cracked open to retrieve them.

They had tested it along the way, and it was indeed true. As for how their "living ancestor" knew, no one asked.

Everyone understood that Jiang Nian had secrets, but they all tacitly agreed not to pry.

"..."

"We're saved. Thank you..."

The older man came forward to thank them, and the two young people supporting him bowed gratefully as well.

"You're welcome. We had to pass through here anyway. Even without you, it would've been no trouble."

After saying that, Lu Ningzhou casually asked about their situation.

The three were family: the father, Li Kaiyun; his son, Li Liang, a sophomore in college; and his daughter, Li Shuhui, a freshman.

Originally, their family of four had set out for the base with a neighboring family of three. They hadn't expected to run into an ability-user zombie, and in the end, only the three of them remained.

Zhao Lei glanced around and noticed Cheng Jing checking the time. Taking the hint, he swept out a long arm.

"All right, problem solved. Let's move out."

The frightened girl hurriedly spoke up.

"You're so strong. Could you take us with you? You're going to the base too, aren't you?"

She looked anxiously at Zhao Lei and Huang Qian after speaking.

"..."

Li Liang didn't chime in when his sister spoke. Instead, he glanced at their father.

No one answered or agreed. Huang Qian and Zhao Lei instinctively looked at Cheng Jing. In times like these, too much sympathy could easily get you killed.

Even Jiang Nian, easygoing as he was, had turned down without hesitation everyone who wanted to travel with them along the way.

Li Kaiyun realized Cheng Jing was the one calling the shots and immediately approached him.

"We have a car. We just need to follow behind you. We won't use any of your supplies."

Seeing Cheng Jing's expression soften, he added:

"I understand that nobody has it easy these days. As long as we don't run into anything like what happened today, we won't cause you any trouble."

Cheng Jing wasn't coldhearted either. Since the man was considerate, he was willing to be accommodating. Looking at the earnest old father before him, he replied:

"Wait a moment..."

He had just taken out his phone to call Jiang Nian in the car and explain the situation when he looked up and saw him walking over, holding Xiao Ya's hand. He put his phone away again.

Seeing the surprise on Li Kaiyun's face, Tang Yi offered a helpful reminder from the side.

"We call the shots when it comes to fighting, but Brother Nian makes the other decisions."

"All... all right, thank you."

Although Li Kaiyun was surprised, he promptly brought his son and daughter over and told Jiang Nian about their situation, repeating what he had just said.

Jiang Nian nodded and asked calmly:

"We're going to South City Base. Where are you headed?"

They had already passed L Base. Farther along this main road, the only nearby bases were K Base and South City Base.

"What a coincidence. We're going to South City Base too. My nephew is a soldier stationed there."

Li Kaiyun answered, a little excited. He looked at his two pale-faced children and added:

"We thought South City Base was rather far away, so we set out early. We never expected this to happen..."

"Oh..."

Jiang Nian understood. After exchanging a glance with Cheng Jing and his teammates, he nodded.

"All right. Since you're going to South City Base too, let's travel together."

He wasn't opposed to taking people along, but they had to be useful to them as well as avoid holding them back.

For example, it was good to have an acquaintance at the base they were headed to.

Favors were supposed to be reciprocated. Otherwise, it was just taking advantage.

That was also why, although they had helped quite a few people along the way, they had only done what was convenient and hadn't gone out of their way to care for anyone.

Once they were sure they could protect themselves, a small favor made little difference. Of course, the other party had to be considerate and decent.

Anyone who tried to win their protection by playing up their misery, acting pitiful, and morally blackmailing them could dream on!

Li Kaiyun thanked Jiang Nian and got the car ready. After checking it, he buried the neighboring family with his son and daughter.

Afterward, the three discussed it and came over to Cheng Jing. Through the car window, Li Kaiyun asked:

"We'd like to take my wife to the base. Sorry to trouble you, but could you help... cremate her?"

Li Kaiyun's voice choked on the last word, and his son's eyes reddened too. The two of them managed to hold themselves together somewhat, but Li Shuhui was already leaning on her brother's shoulder, sobbing her heart out.

Cheng Jing didn't refuse. He got out of the car and went with them.

Jiang Nian felt heavyhearted, and Xiao Ya's eyes had already reddened. Tragedy was everywhere, and when it struck, it could catch people completely off guard.

Cheng Jing controlled the temperature of the fire just right. When he was done, he walked aside so they could let out their emotions.

The atmosphere grew heavy, with only the sound of the biting wind and muffled sobs.

Only after placing his wife's ashes in an ordinary box and putting it away did Li Kaiyun dig some food out of the car and call his children over to sit down and eat. Even if they had no appetite, they had to force a little down. They had spent a lot of energy, and once they set out, it wouldn't be easy to stop whenever they wanted while following others.

Their supplies, however, had originally been divided among three cars, and more than half were now gone.

To make them last until they reached the base, they rationed their food as much as possible. The three of them shared one packet of instant noodles, while the seasoning was mixed with water and divided among bottles to drink on the road.

Jiang Nian had been watching them all along, particularly Li Kaiyun's treatment of his children.

When he saw that Li Kaiyun had left himself only a thumb-sized piece of the noodle block, Jiang Nian took three self-heating boxed meals, some snacks and bread, and some wound dressings and liquid medicine from the car and walked over.

"Once we set out, we won't stop until evening. You definitely won't be able to manage like this. Eat. Consider it a gift for our first meeting, since fate brought us together on the road. Once you've eaten your fill, treat your wounds."

"Thank you. We'll remember this. When we reach the base, we'll definitely pay you back twice over..."

Li Kaiyun didn't stand on ceremony. He accepted the things and handed them to his children, his eyes reddening again.

"Uncle Li, I hope you don't mind me calling you that. Just as you said, nobody has it easy these days, but if we're traveling together, we should help each other. So don't overthink it... You don't have to pay us back for these."

Looking at the tall man, Jiang Nian suddenly felt a pang of sadness for no apparent reason. Li Kaiyun had hard, sharp features and looked like a strong-willed man.

Yet this stranger made the idea of a father's love suddenly become clear in his heart:

So this is a father. No matter how cold and forceful he looks, he'll shield his children behind him without hesitation in a moment of danger...

A real father wouldn't reject his own child, no matter when, right?

He alone had been rejected by his father before he was even born.

His eyes stung a little. After casually chatting with Li Liang and Li Shuhui for a few more moments, Jiang Nian returned to the car.

It was true that he valued the Li family's connections at the base, and it was equally true that he admired Li Kaiyun.