CHAPTER 263: 9.9

Ling Zhuang smiled softly. "Then I’ll have to trouble you to stay by my side and continue protecting me."

Jiang Jiamian forced a smile. "No problem, no problem."

Hidden problems in the original owner’s body?

He hadn’t felt anything wrong.

Besides, he’d cleansed the body with spiritual water, so whatever Ling Zhuang was hinting at might no longer exist.

Still, better to believe it than not.

Of course, it wasn’t that Ling Zhuang’s words truly threatened him.

The truth was, he’d come here for Ling Zhuang in the first place. He had no intention of leaving. He didn’t even need an excuse to stay, so why would he run?

Ling Zhuang seemed to sense his thoughts. His voice was low, wrapped in that cold, faintly rotten air of the darkness, "You’re wondering why you’ve never noticed any problems before, and you think I’m just trying to scare you."

Jiang Jiamian didn’t deny it. He glanced back at him.

Ling Zhuang smiled calmly, "That’s because the problem didn’t exist before. It just started."

Jiang Jiamian’s pupils shrank. He suddenly remembered the other man’s slow, oddly deliberate hug from earlier. "What did you do to me!?"

Ling Zhuang blinked innocently, "Nothing. Just... left something on you so you won’t run off like last time. If you did, you’d only be running toward a dead end."

Jiang Jiamian’s face froze, then he sneered, "Did I say I was going to run?"

"You didn’t say it." Ling Zhuang replied, tilting his head slightly. "But you did last time."

Jiang Jiamian: "..."

What about the most basic trust between people?

Ling Zhuang’s smile turned bright. "This dead end isn’t like if you were human and I killed you, turning you into a zombie. This is worse. Reduced to ash, to slag. You wouldn’t be foolish enough to run from me, would you?"

Jiang Jiamian’s face twitched with restrained anger, but he forced a chuckle. "No, of course not."

He hadn’t planned to leave, but being forced to stay was infuriating. There’s a big difference between doing something willingly and being made to do it, even if it’s the same thing.

Ling Zhuang caught his wrist. "Let’s go back. Otherwise, those idiots, ah, those people, will be upset."

Even if Jiang Jiamian had just solved their biggest problem, it wouldn’t matter. In the apocalypse, gratitude fades fast, true colors show at the slightest imbalance.

Hadn’t he already set up the perfect stage to watch them reveal themselves?

A faint chill seeped into his wrist from Ling Zhuang’s grip, a coldness no less than that of a zombie king.

Jiang Jiamian’s eyes widened. He turned sharply toward Ling Zhuang.

A thought struck him. But he couldn’t be sure.

After all, the original plot hadn’t mentioned anything like this when Ling Zhuang was exposed and defeated. For now, it would remain a guess.

When they returned to the first floor lobby of the mall, only a handful of zombies remained.

The fighters were exhausted, movements sluggish, if not for Jiang Jiamian killing the second-level zombie and taking away Ling Zhuang, things might have ended badly.

Seeing them come back, the team visibly relaxed. Their fatigue seemed to lift, though perhaps it was just pride forcing them to move faster in front of someone like Jiang Jiamian. In moments, the last zombies were cleared.

"Professor Ling, are you okay?"

Xiao Jinfeng’s shirt was torn at the shoulder, but thanks to thick winter fabric, it was just a rip, not a zombie scratch.

Ling Zhuang smiled faintly. "I’m fine. Thanks to Jiang Jiamian for protecting me and clearing the zombies chasing us."

"That’s good." Xiao Jinfeng nodded toward Jiang Jiamian, hiding the slight irritation he felt at Chen Ran’s growing enthusiasm for the man. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome." Jiang Jiamian smiled.

Interesting.

This Xiao Jinfeng must be grinding his teeth right now.

In the original story, even Chen Ran’s friendly approach to others made him uneasy. Now, with someone stronger than the whole squad combined, that pressure must be suffocating.

Would Chen Ran’s feelings still put Xiao Jinfeng in the spotlight like before?

Behind Xiao Jinfeng, Chen Ran kept his head down, guilt written across his face.

He’d been useless again, needing protection.

He thought that with a second chance at life, he could handle the apocalypse. But even with his space ability, he still relied on others. The spiritual trees and fruits he cultivated helped strengthen him, but without offensive abilities, he was still vulnerable.

His gaze drifted to Jiang Jiamian.

Why was this man, also with space abilities, so overwhelmingly strong?

And wasn’t his space inferior to Chen Ran’s jade pendant? Yet he had other abilities too. Poison. Martial skill.

Dual abilities were rare, even in his last life and usually awakened months after the apocalypse began.

Xiao Jinfeng, for example, had only gained his second power after falling into a coma two months in. At the time, everyone thought he’d been bitten and almost killed him.

But Jiang Jiamian already had two powers now. And that martial ability? Inhuman.

What had happened to him in the last life that he’d disappeared so early?

Sensing Chen Ran’s gaze, Jiang Jiamian looked over and smiled politely. "What’s wrong?"

"Huh?" Chen Ran blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "Nothing. I just think you’re very capable. It’s not good to be alone... do you have plans for the A City base?"

Recruitment attempt? Jiang Jiamian raised an eyebrow, glancing at Xiao Jinfeng. Sure enough, the man’s face stiffened.

Chen Ran’s words instantly soured the mood for the rest of the squad.

"What happens at the base can be decided later." Ling Zhuang cut in smoothly before Xiao Jinfeng could reply. "Why rush?"

"Professor Ling is right." Chen Ran nodded.

Xue Fang smirked, "He’s so strong, he won’t stick with us. At the base, he’ll probably join a better team or make his own. Don’t let him be wronged!"

"Enough." Xiao Jinfeng’s frown deepened. "We’ll discuss it later. For now, let’s rest. We’ll split into pairs and take turns keeping watch."

"Rest?" Xue Fang glanced into the mall’s depths. "Didn’t we come here to..."

His eyes slid toward Jiang Jiamian, voice sharpening. "You said you’d already cleared this place? Seems like you’ve been keeping the good stuff for yourself."

"Xue Fang!" Xiao Jinfeng snapped. "First come, first served. He didn’t know we were coming. Why should he leave it for you?"

Jiang Jiamian leaned against the wall, saying nothing. He could tell Xiao Jinfeng also had his doubts, but was too polite to voice them. Everyone here probably did. But facts were facts, he had helped them.

As for Xue Fang... a loud-mouthed fool.

He didn’t even notice that in that moment, his gaze, calm, indifferent, mirrored Ling Zhuang’s beside him, a quiet mockery glinting in both pairs of eyes.