Chapter 9: Other Normal Humans?
The air outside was somewhat chilly. Despite the black fog surrounding everything, there was no strange smell. In fact, it felt cleaner than before, as though the city had become clearer after all the industries stopped and the crowds left.
Xu Zhi sniffed the mist lightly. There was no distinct odor, but she found herself wanting to inhale more. When she controlled the urge to breathe faster, slowing down her breathing, Xu Zhi could feel her throat tightening, as if she had become addicted to something and hadn’t yet been satisfied. It was a little uncomfortable until she took a few deep breaths, which eased the feeling, as if something her body had been lacking had been replenished, and the feeling of rebellion subsided.
This was so strange, even eerie. Xu Zhi’s mind was racing, wondering if breathing too much mist would make her lose her sanity faster. But there was nothing she could do. She had already stepped into the mist, and inhaling it was inevitable. Besides, compared to that, her throat had been on the verge of suffocating if she didn’t breathe deeply.
At this point, Xu Zhi could only pay more attention to any changes happening to her body, rather than regret not holding back.
The street was eerily quiet. The only sounds were from Yi crawling on the ground and occasionally hissing. Even though it was still early morning and the streetlights hadn’t turned on, Xu Zhi could vaguely see the surroundings. If it weren’t for the black mist, she felt she could see more clearly.
Was it moonlight filtering through the mist?
But sunlight during the day couldn’t fully penetrate the thick black fog, so why would the moonlight be able to?
Xu Zhi didn’t dwell on this for too long. After years of self-learning, she had learned to put aside questions she couldn’t solve for now.
The streets in the early morning were quieter than expected. Xu Zhi had walked for about ten minutes without encountering any danger. This was a bit unexpected. It seemed that there were no monsters in this area that could stay awake at midnight.
From her previous home to the old residential area behind the Bell and Drum Tower, it would take about thirty minutes. She had already had her dog familiar observe the area yesterday. There was a house that seemed to be occupied by a single woman, and when the owner evacuated, she had left in a hurry without closing the door. Xu Zhi planned to temporarily “borrow” that place.
As for the lack of keys, it didn’t matter—she wouldn’t be going out anyway.
The people who left the city would never return. Later, she could send Yi to look for other suitable places in the old neighborhood, but for now, she would settle in that place.
While deep in thought, Xu Zhi continued walking. As she passed a corner, Yi suddenly, like a black lightning bolt, raised its head and opened its massive mouth to bite a wild dog that had been lying in ambush in the dark.
The whole process was silent. Neither Yi nor the wild dog, which was instantly killed, made much noise. Xu Zhi could only vaguely see the wild dog’s paws, which seemed sturdier than those of an average dog, before Yi swallowed it whole.
Yi’s enormous body swelled for a moment after swallowing the prey, but in the next second, it returned to its previous form, continuing to stay alert as if the whole event was just a normal, insignificant episode.
Seeing this, Xu Zhi realized that the obedient, pet-like snake in front of her was actually an excellent hunter.
Her tension, which had been high since leaving the apartment, finally eased a little. She had to admit that this scene gave her some sense of security.
Her combat ability wasn’t any better than that wild dog’s. If Yi hadn’t listened to her and decided to devour her, it wouldn’t have been difficult. She had relaxed her guard because Yi had shown from the beginning that it was obedient and close to her. But now, there was some genuine affection in that closeness.
The rest of the journey went smoothly. She was guided by Yi and arrived at the old residential area without encountering any further surprises.
Xu Zhi couldn’t guarantee the safety of this residential area. To be honest, there probably wasn’t any absolutely safe place in this city. The only reason she chose this place was that her dog familiar had been here, so she decided to settle here temporarily.
When they entered the building where the room was located, Xu Zhi stopped because it was an old building without an elevator, so Yi would need to carry her wheelchair up.
Just as she stopped, she heard faint sounds in the corridor, like someone deliberately trying to muffle their footsteps as they descended the stairs.
She had already prepared herself to encounter monsters here, and she even planned to let her familiars clear out the nearby area once she settled in. However, what she didn’t expect was to meet a seemingly normal woman on the first day she arrived.
The woman had just come downstairs. As they reached the corner, they ran into Xu Zhi, who had not yet gotten out of her wheelchair.
The fog inside the building was not as thick as outside, and some light filtered through from somewhere, allowing Xu Zhi to make out the woman standing on the stairs. She was tall, around 1.75 meters, with a high ponytail and wearing sportswear, looking like a university student. As soon as she saw Xu Zhi, she stopped, becoming alert and raising a knife she had in her hand.
Her eyes were normal, not black, and her expression was the typical caution and suspicion one would have when encountering a stranger, especially when she saw Yi’s sudden display of fear and tension.
Even so, Xu Zhi didn’t let her guard down.
Xu Zhi could guess that the woman was probably feeling a mix of emotions. After all, the combination of a girl in a wheelchair and a giant snake was pretty strange.
For a moment, the corridor fell into silence. Xu Zhi didn’t move, and Yi simply hissed and stared at the woman upstairs. When Yi wasn’t facing Xu Zhi, it exuded the pressure of a cold-blooded beast, which made the woman on the stairs hesitate to act. The two of them stood there in a delicate standoff, neither speaking.
Finally, Xu Zhi took the initiative and gently moved her wheelchair back, making room. She then spoke to Yi: “Come here, don’t scare her.”
Only then did the air around them start to flow again.
Yi obediently moved the suitcase next to Xu Zhi, using its body to shield her, acting like a loyal guard.
Xu Zhi wasn’t trying to do anything else, but just wanted to test the woman’s reaction.
When the woman heard Xu Zhi speak, her gaze shifted to her, and when she saw how obedient Yi was, she couldn’t help but show a mix of surprise and curiosity. But she quickly masked her expression, standing still with some hesitation. In the end, for reasons unknown, she made up her mind, nodded slightly to Xu Zhi as a gesture of thanks, and then, with a tense aura, started walking toward her.
She was leaving.
Xu Zhi’s gaze landed on the knife in the woman’s hand. It wasn’t a regular knife; it had an old, stylish look to it. Xu Zhi had seen it on TV before—this was a Tang sword. Since the woman was holding it as a weapon, it must be sharpened, but where had she gotten such a restricted weapon?
Xu Zhi realized that she wasn’t too nervous. In fact, she felt surprisingly confident as she watched the woman pass by, her expression tense but controlled.
She could even sense the woman’s wariness toward her and Yi. There was no doubt this was a normal human.
Xu Zhi’s curiosity was piqued. So, besides her, there were others who could resist the mist’s influence on the mind. What do these people have in common?
Why was she still here? What was she about to do?
Did she know any other normal humans?
Thinking this, Xu Zhi spoke up just as the woman was about to leave the corridor: “Hey.”
The quiet corridor suddenly echoed with Xu Zhi’s slightly hoarse, soft voice. The woman’s back stiffened, and Xu Zhi could even feel a hint of murderous intent from her rigid posture, as though she would strike at any moment.
Xu Zhi smiled: “Sister, don’t be nervous. I just want to ask, do you live here?”
The woman turned to look at her but didn’t answer the question.
For some reason, Xu Zhi was reminded of how just a few days ago, she was still the “little pity” who was too afraid to speak when someone knocked on her door. The scene now was quite similar.
Thinking of this, Xu Zhi couldn’t help but laugh, and she smiled as she spoke again: “I just moved here, and I’m not familiar with the area. If we’re neighbors, maybe we could exchange some information?”
“You know, it’s not really safe right now, so it’s good to know a bit more.”
After saying that, Xu Zhi was surprised by how good her social skills seemed to be?
The woman paused for two or three seconds in silence, then nodded and asked cautiously, “Okay, where do you live? I’ll come back in two hours. Should I look for you after?”
So cautious, she wouldn’t even tell her where she lived.
Xu Zhi maintained her pleasant demeanor but said something that made the woman’s expression change slightly.
“Why don’t you tell me where you live, sister? After all, you see my situation—it’s dangerous to just tell others where I live.”
Her tone was pitiful, but with Yi obediently lying at her feet, the scene became a little eerie.
The woman couldn’t refuse anymore and told her that she lived in the room on the left side of the third floor.
With this answer, Xu Zhi smiled and said, “See you later.”
The woman stiffly nodded, replied with a “see you later,” and left without looking back.
After she left, Xu Zhi sat silently for a while, reflecting on her actions. This was the first time she had acted entirely on her own desires, saying whatever came to mind. It felt surprisingly good, even though it was Yi who had the power, not her. It could be considered taking advantage of the situation, but Xu Zhi found she liked this feeling. She started to reflect, wondering if the mist had affected her, making her more arrogant, or if she was just a natural troublemaker.
Regardless of which, today wasn’t enough. If she could threaten this woman today, tomorrow she might not be able to make others bow down to her. She needed more powerful family members and to improve her own strength.
As for whether the woman would run off, Xu Zhi didn’t care. Even without her, there would be other normal humans. She would encounter them sooner or later.
