Qin Yue and Shen Dongming bid farewell at the city gate. Once again, he refused Shen Dongming’s invitation. He registered with Li Ming and entered the city. Although Shen Dongming felt regretful, he did not force the matter. He returned with Professor Yang’s group. Yao Xiaoyue naturally wanted to follow Qin Yue, but he treated her as if she were invisible throughout the journey, and together with Li Ming, they left without looking back.

Yao Xiaoyue stamped her foot in frustration and could only quietly follow behind Qin Yue. What surprised her even more was that the safe area was organized and orderly. Along the way, several small squares were filled with people practicing martial arts skills in neat rows. Camouflaged military personnel were personally instructing them, and groups of people were doing endurance runs in the playground. Even children were practicing with wooden sticks.

Among these people, there were not only men but also women, ranging from five or six years old to fifty or sixty.

Yao Xiaoyue was deeply shocked and asked a woman, “Are all these people with supernatural abilities?”

The woman shook her head and said, “How is that possible? Although our safe zone has tens of thousands of people, only about one in ten has supernatural abilities. They receive separate training from coaches. These are just ordinary people. With zombies running rampant outside, General Shen is afraid that ordinary people like us won’t have the ability to protect ourselves. So he sent people to teach us self-defense and zombie-fighting techniques. Society is in chaos now. Although we don’t have supernatural abilities, we have strength and determination. We will also work hard to defend our homeland! Are you new here?”

“Yes, I just arrived today… It’s different here from outside.”

“Don’t be discouraged. As long as we unite, we can get through this apocalypse.”

Yao Xiaoyue remained silent for a long time after hearing this.

This was vastly different from the Longfei Base in her previous life. Back then, everything was in chaos, and the birth and strength of supernatural abilities left ordinary people with no place to stand. They were not highly regarded, and apart from selling their labor or serving as bait, they had no other use. Fighting against zombies, coping with erratic weather, and dealing with shortages of supplies had already consumed the majority of people’s energy. Who had the time to teach ordinary people how to strengthen themselves?

This lifetime seemed to be full of so many differences.

At the very least, the legendary leader of the Jiang District head from the previous life didn’t exist, or was it possible that she, like her, had experienced rebirth? And Jiang Nian, since she knew in advance how to cultivate supernatural abilities, was probably reborn as well.

When the opportunity arose, she would definitely meet with the legendary leader of the Jiang District head.

Not only did Yao Xiaoyue see this, but Qin Yue, Li Ming, and the others also saw it. Although they didn’t know how things were in the previous life, they had witnessed many things in this life. On their journey north, they encountered several survivor bases and even witnessed scenes of cannibalism. Some people, after becoming stronger, engaged in all sorts of evil deeds and no longer regarded others as human. Those deemed useless were discarded, and women were subjected to heinous acts.

This time on their journey north, in addition to bringing back Professor Yang’s family, Shen Dongming also brought back some survivors and small groups of individuals with supernatural abilities.

After witnessing so much human suffering, suddenly seeing so many people uniting and working hard was bound to bring joy and touch the heart. It was as if they had found hope in the midst of hell. The people brought back to the safe area by Shen Dongming were so excited that they cried and laughed, saying they were saved!

Such a situation was probably unexpected, even for Shen Dongming and Shen Dongxue, who were siblings. Their expressions were extremely excited. How could such a situation not be a good thing? Of course, it was the best thing. In fact, when the apocalypse arrived, the scariest thing was not the zombies, not the zombie animals, not even the drastic changes in mutated animals and environmental conditions. The scariest thing was human nature—the loss of morality.

As long as they stayed united, why couldn’t they find a place to survive in the apocalypse? Why couldn’t they rebuild their homes?

Shen Dongming said, “I didn’t expect Uncle to manage the safe zone so well.”

“Yes,” Shen Dongxue rubbed his red eyes. “Actually, things are pretty good now. While supernatural abilities are powerful, ordinary people also have their strengths. Working together is the best way to combat the apocalypse.”

As they drove through the streets, the flourishing scene lifted their spirits.

After learning about Shen Dongming and his group’s identity, a soldier who had volunteered to guide them explained, “Initially, it was just a small-scale effort to teach people martial arts. During the second outbreak of the apocalypse, General Shen sent a few people to protect the leader of the Jiang District head. She noticed that many ordinary people were relying on brute force and fighting zombies. Some users of supernatural abilities, while having their abilities, were not proficient. So, they helped teach these people martial arts. They didn’t expect that it would become a non-stop practice. They do morning and evening runs and practice martial arts during the day. Once they get skilled, they join teams to clear out zombies…”

Now, the world has entered an era of martial training for everyone, and people of all ages know how to wield weapons and fight.

Hearing all this along the way, Shen Dongming, Shen Dongxue, and their group became even more moved. Even Professor Yang commented, “This leader of the Jiang District head is a person with a strong sense of national righteousness.”

Meanwhile, Qin Yue was asking around to find out where the Happiness Community was. Practically everyone in the safe zone knew about the Happiness Community. Just asking someone would reveal that it was right at the center of the safe zone. They also heard numerous things about the leader of the Jiang District head, such as her seemingly irresistible fat pig and her incredibly capable little black cat named Wang Cai, which could crush zombie heads with a single swipe. Occasionally, it brought back a fish from outside the safe zone, crossed the streets, and took it to the leader of the Jiang District head to eat. Many people envied this.

Li Ming was quite surprised. “Can mutated animals be tamed?”

On their way north, they collected food along the route and sometimes encountered mutated animals. However, those animals were powerful and dangerous, and they attacked not only zombies but also humans. No one would think of keeping such dangerous mutated animals around, except for true experts. It was likely that no one dared to keep mutated animals nearby.

Qin Yue said, “Let’s go take a look.”

When they arrived, Jiang Nian had just left, and there was an emergency. Several men covered in blood hurried over, shouting, “Leader Jiang, is Leader Jiang here?”

A few children in the yard, wielding wooden sticks, said, “The leader is in her office! We’ll take you there!”

The children ran ahead, leading the men to find Jiang Nian. She was resting today, and at this time, she would usually be participating in the zombie-clearing teams. When she heard someone calling for her, she came out and saw several bloodied and injured men. She asked, “What happened?”

One of them replied urgently, “While we were clearing zombies today, we stumbled upon a pet store with around a dozen zombie cats and dogs. With our numbers, we could have handled it, but a few zombie dogs seemed to have mutated. They’re not only fast, but they also breathe fire! We lost quite a few teammates…”

Over a hundred people had gone, but their team was scattered. They managed to escape, but many people were forced into a shop. There was no immediate danger to their lives, but if they weren’t rescued, it would be difficult for them to survive. After escaping, they first informed the military for assistance and also came to find Jiang Nian. She was not only powerful but also their pillar of strength.

Jiang Nian realized that this was a serious matter. If these zombie cats and dogs were not dealt with, it could become a major problem for expanding the safe zone. When they became powerful, it might pose a safety threat to the safe zone.

Jiang Nian said, “I’ll go take a look.”

She called Wang Cai and set off, with Shen Ran following her. Shen Ran caught up with her and said, “Sister Jiang, please be careful.”

Jiang Nian acknowledged him with a nod and patted his head. By the time she arrived, Jiang Yuan had already joined the team. The eighteen-year-old young man was now dressed in military green, and though his face still appeared youthful, he had a determined and resolute look about him, strong and unyielding as a pine tree.

He saw Jiang Nian and gave her a discreet nod.

Captain Li of Jiang Yuan’s team already knew Jiang Nian and greeted her warmly, addressing her as “Leader.” Jiang Nian’s brow twitched slightly, as being the leader of a safe zone was quite prestigious, but being a community leader was a different matter.

“Captain Li, have you figured out what to do?”

Captain Li replied, “First, we need to ensure the safety of the people inside. Initiating a head-on confrontation will put us at a disadvantage, no matter what. So, we’re planning to send out a speed-based supernatural ability user to lure the zombie cats and dogs outside with some raw meat into traps we’ve set, and then capture them all at once!”

It was a good plan, but due to the urban location, nobody knew where the dangers might be hidden. They couldn’t risk a method that might attract more zombies, causing more harm than good. However, these were extraordinary times. Luring the zombie cats and dogs away and rescuing the people was the best option.

Currently, they are hiding on one side of a high-rise building. Lowering their heads, they could see zombies and zombie cats and dogs roaming the streets. They were even crazily banging against walls and iron gates.

Jiang Nian said, “I’ll go with you.”

Captain Li immediately saluted, and the soldiers behind him also looked more serious, saluting as well. After the salute, they followed Captain Li’s orders and began to plan their operation.

Jiang Nian and Wang Cai followed the plan.

When Qin Yue and his group arrived, Jiang Nian had just left, and they learned about the situation from the mouths of a few children inside the community. Qin Yue was well aware of the danger posed by zombie animals, especially with some having developed supernatural abilities, making them even more formidable. Without a second thought, he found someone who was tending to injuries and asked to be taken to the scene. When the person heard he was going to help, they naturally didn’t refuse.

By the time Qin Yue and his group arrived, the people trapped in the store had all been evacuated to the safety zone, where they were being treated by waiting doctors and nurses. On the other side, the dozen or so zombie cats and dogs had been lured to a nearby square. An earth-based supernatural ability user stomped the ground, creating a large pit in the square and causing many of the zombie cats and dogs to fall in. However, they were oblivious to the danger and were fighting and clamoring for pieces of raw meat. Water-based, lightning-based, and fire-based supernatural ability users took turns to attack. When water combined with lightning, their power became even greater. Afterwards, it was the fire-based attacks. Ordinary zombies had already fallen, but three mutated zombie dogs with fire-based abilities, two mutated zombie cats with speed-based abilities, and one Level 2 zombie remained standing. At this point, they began howling and attacking the people nearby.

This situation rendered Jiang Nian’s large wooden stick useless, and she resorted to her last resort—the other treasure from the System Store, a large black machete!

Jiang Yuan also held a wooden stick with flames wrapping around it, intensifying his strikes. The other supernatural ability users also used their abilities to the fullest.

Jiang Nian had a healing supernatural ability, so whether it was the zombie dogs with fire-based abilities or the zombie cats with speed-based abilities, any that came close to her were swiftly cut down. However, these evolved zombies had not only become physically stronger but also had their bones hardened. They managed to withstand her first strike, but after that, they didn’t dare approach her anymore, as if they feared something. They began attacking the people around them.

At that moment, the pressure on the others increased. Seeing Captain Li about to lose his head to a zombie cat, Wang Cai jumped up, meowed, and swiped its paw to directly cut off one of the zombie cat’s front legs.

“Meow~!”

Good boy!

When Qin Yue and his group arrived, they witnessed the scene: some zombies were chasing the soldiers, while Jiang Nian and the black cat were chasing the zombies. Despite her petite figure, she carried a large machete and wielded it with great strength, looking like a female warrior. The combination of Jiang Nian and the cat quickly brought down the Level 2 zombie.

Soon, the zombie cats and dogs were at a disadvantage and started to run away. Qin Yue’s sudden appearance further boosted their spirits and left them amazed. This man had shown up and delivered a powerful lightning strike as soon as he appeared. The zombie cat that had been bothering them for a while was casually dealt with. If he went all out, wouldn’t he be even more formidable? Moreover, he appeared out of thin air. Could it be that he was a dual-ability user?

This wasn’t enough to amaze anyone; after all, Jiang Nian was a triple-ability user!

Qin Yue’s appearance greatly relieved the pressure on them, and they cooperated to quickly kill off the zombie cats and dogs.

Qin Yue teleported again and was now in front of Jiang Nian.

He was dressed in black, covered in dust, with stubble on his chin that hadn’t been dealt with yet. He looked dirty but was surprisingly handsome.

With a stern face, he smiled gently and said, “Jiang Nian, long time no see.”

Jiang Nian also smiled and said, “Indeed, it’s been a while.”

Qin Yue extended his hand and gently patted Jiang Nian’s head, his gaze warm.

Jiang Nian restrained herself but couldn’t help saying, “Qin Yue, you looked really handsome just now!”

Qin Yue was taken aback for a moment, then cleared his throat and moved his ears. “Well…”