Chapter 56: Redirecting the Disaster
Zhou Lan was dead, killed by a Qin family expert who then took her head. The other Qin family experts, looking at Zhou Lan's body, felt a chill and regarded Qin Jun's back with deep reverence.
“The Qin family does not need useless people!”
This statement was like a mark, deeply engraved in their hearts. The death of Xu Chao didn't evoke much emotion in them. After all, Xu Chao was too weak; anyone could easily crush him. Such a weakling deserved to be killed.
Zhou Lan, however, was different. If Xu Chao represented a lack of willpower, then Zhou Lan was the embodiment of temptation. Qin Jun killed Zhou Lan to use her as a warning, to eliminate the source of temptation.
Zhou Lan's death was far more shocking to them than Xu Chao's. Many began to reflect inwardly. They were strong under the Qin family's banner, enjoying absolute resources, including women.
Many had numerous women. Although they weren't as indulgent as Xu Chao, nightly debauchery was common.
Now, they resolved not to continue their past indulgent ways. If they gradually became like Xu Chao, they might be eliminated by the Qin family.
Many Evolvers aspired to join the Qin family in Dongdu, and their positions were highly coveted.
Seeing the respectful expressions of his subordinates, Qin Jun nodded in satisfaction. He had killed Zhou Lan to warn his subordinates and also because she was Xu Chao's woman.Though Zhou Lan had been forced to be with Xu Chao, feelings could have developed over time. Qin Jun could have taken her under his wing and tested loyalty her, but there was no need.
Zhou Lan was just an ordinary person with no real value. Innocent or not, Qin Jun chose to eliminate any potential threat. The instinct to root out all dangers was ingrained in the Qin family's blood.
Looking at the two corpses, Qin Jun remained expressionless. Now that Xu Chao's matter was resolved, it was time to deal with the evolving Zombie King.
Qin Jun had been waiting to break through to level 3 for a long time…
…
In the heart of Donghua City, the former bustling commercial district was now the area with the highest concentration of zombies. The streets were packed with zombies, a sight that would make anyone's scalp tingle.
A rough estimate suggested there were nearly a hundred thousand zombies here, a terrifying number. While ordinary zombies were easy to prey for Evolvers, even the strongest could only handle a few hundred at a time before their energy ran out.
Curiously, a forest had appeared in the city center after the apocalypse reshaped the earth.
Nearly a hundred thousand zombies didn't dare to approach it, creating an eerie vacuum around the forest.
Inside, a terrifying aura was brewing, casting a shadow over the area and chilling anyone who sensed it. This was the Zombie King's territory.
…
“Zombies are also evolving...” An Evolver murmured, gazing at the distant zombie horde.
After the apocalypse, humans awakened talents and became Evolvers, but this didn't change their vulnerable position against zombies.
The rarity of Evolvers was one reason; another was that zombies were also evolving. Among the horde, a few zombie leaders had emerged, larger and stronger than the others.
Qin Jun, leading his Evolvers and the strongmen of Donghua City, observed this scene from the city center's outskirts.
His eyes narrowed as he sensed the dangerous aura from the forest's depths, feeling a hint of apprehension. The Zombie King was one of the most dangerous creatures of the early apocalypse.
Seeing the vast zombie horde, he knew they needed to be dealt with first to enter the forest.
Otherwise, these nearly hundred thousand zombies would be a massive headache, capable of grinding down any Evolvers. Even if the Qin family's army retreated intact, they would be too exhausted to hunt the Zombie King.
Qin Jun noticed that the city center's streets were blocked with barricades. These didn't completely stop the zombies but hindered most of them.
These barricades were set up by Blood Bear, who personally transformed to distract the zombies while his men set up the obstacles.
Blood Bear then fought his way out, losing several Evolvers in the process.
Blood Bear had ambitions to rebuild Donghua City and make it his territory. While brutal to the shelter's ordinary people, he did some practical things, like blocking the city center and clearing zombies from the outer areas.
Some shelters were even established in remote parts of the city…
Qin Jun called over a Donghua City Evolver and asked, “Which areas still have shelters?”
The man replied, “There are a few shelters in the southern Yingcheng District. Blood Bear didn't have time to annex them as they had few Evolvers.”
Qin Jun nodded and ordered, “Destroy the southern barricades and lead the zombies to those shelters.”
He spoke calmly, as if discussing dinner plans, but his words shocked the Donghua City Evolvers. Leading so many zombies to those shelters would mean certain death for the people there, turning them into zombie food.
Moreover, once the zombies were freed from the city center, Donghua City would again be overrun, nullifying their previous efforts. Reclaiming Donghua City would become a distant dream. The local Evolvers would lose their base.