As the Golden Crow sank in the west, the battle on Fengming Mountain finally concluded.
With the assistance of Zeng Yilong and his group, the remaining zombies posed no significant threat. They became disoriented in the heavy rain and dispersed, losing their direction.
The rain still fell from the sky, though its intensity had lessened considerably, barely qualifying as heavy rain.
Lin Yuan gazed at the multitude of corpses scattered across the mountain, troubled by how to deal with them.
"Brother Lin Yuan, what are you thinking about? The zombies have retreated, what else is there to ponder? Come and eat. Sister-in-law killed six chickens and two geese today. If you don't come soon, there will be none left," Zeng Yilong said, sucking on a chicken wing, saving the best parts for the female team members and the children.
They also had plenty to eat. Two wild boars, startled by the mountain fire, had run into them, and Jiang Ziqi and the others were roasting them over a fire.
"It's nothing, Brother Zeng. You all eat. I was just wondering how to handle these corpses. We can't possibly burn them all, can we?"
"Brother Lin Yuan, actually, we don't need to worry about them. Before, when we killed zombies, we would clear the bodies to prevent them from becoming nourishment for other zombies. Now that the zombies attacked us, these corpses can be left here as fertilizer. If any zombies come to scavenge, we just kill them," Cao Xueqin emerged from another side, holding a chicken leg and speaking between bites. She had been the star of the show today, with at least a thousand zombies falling to her gun. By the end of the fighting, her right arm was so exhausted she could barely lift it, and she was eating with her left hand, her arm in a sling. Her kill count was comparable to Mu Qingtian's.
Lin Yuan pondered with his chin resting on his hand and agreed with Cao Xueqin's assessment. He decided to leave the bodies as they were.
"Sister Xueqin is right. Let these corpses remain here as fertilizer. I will lead a team to patrol regularly."
He then waved his hand, intending to clap Zeng Yilong on the shoulder, but found his own arm too weak to do so. Even his exceptional recovery abilities hadn't fully restored him. This was to be expected, as the intensity of the final battle had been immense. Lin Yuan had barely rested, only managing a brief respite when the rocket launchers were deployed. They shared a helpless smile.
"Well, we're all half-crippled. Let's go eat. I'm really craving my mom's chicken soup."
Of course, no chicken soup had been prepared, only roasted chicken. Jiang Ziqi was in charge of the roasting. Only she and Lin Yuan's mother felt relatively energetic. Lin Yuan's mother had primarily used the rocket launcher, firing fewer rounds, so the strain on her arms and shoulders was manageable. Jiang Ziqi's exhaustion was limited to her tentacles; she was not only unable to attack but was also tired from absorbing the corpses. Apart from that, she was perfectly fine, able to carry and run.
The other team members were lying around in disarray, able to move only their left hands, and their legs were also sluggish. They had been squatting for too long, and their legs had gone numb.
Lin Yuan, however, was still able to sit and was discussing the day's events with Zeng Yilong and his companions.
"Brother Zeng, how did you break through the blockade of zombies from Bailong County?"
The number of zombies in Bailong County was no less than that in Qingshe County; the safety zone's report estimated around 200,000.
Zeng Yilong trembled slightly as he took a sip of tea, then replied with a wry smile, "Break through the encirclement? The zombies that intercepted us from Bailong County were less than 10,000. The rest must have scattered in various directions. Especially when the thunder struck, you wouldn't believe it – the zombies from Bailong County scattered like frightened birds, fleeing in all directions, hahahahaha."
Lin Yuan nodded with lingering fear. Fortunately, heaven had been kind and unleashed such powerful thunder. Otherwise, if the zombies from Bailong County had arrived and joined forces with Zeng Yilong's group, it would have been a difficult situation.
"That 10,000 zombies is still a lot. How did you deal with them?"
"We were almost at your location when we encountered the zombie horde coming over the mountains. We had no choice but to retreat and lure the zombies to Linshui Jue Lu, where we first met after arriving. I gave it a name. The zombies are brainless, they just kept rushing forward. With a little luring, they all jumped into the river, splash, splash, splash. Who knows how many broke their necks," Zeng Yilong said with a light tone, but recalling that scene still made his legs tremble. It was inevitable; with so many zombies rushing forward in a stampede, anyone would be terrified.
Of course, Lin Yuan's group wasn't afraid; they had witnessed such a scene in the industrial park. They were desensitized.
Speaking of this, Zeng Yilong and Cao Xueqin were both curious: how did Lin Yuan's group manage to hold back a horde of 100,000 zombies?
In response to their questions, Lin Yuan remained silent. Wu Tian, who had already recovered some strength, spoke up, "Actually, it all depended on heaven's favor and the support from the safety zone..."
After Wu Tian finished his account, Zeng Yilong and his group were left with their mouths agape and eyes wide as saucers. "Isn't this more exciting than our story?"
"I didn't expect the final fire attack and the heavy rain to coordinate so perfectly. It seems we really had the timing, the geographical advantage, and the human support, hahahahaha," Zeng Yilong remarked. Cao Xueqin nodded in agreement.
Lin Yuan smiled and waved his hand, "Actually, the most important factor was our own proactive effort, actively seeking aid, analyzing the situation carefully, and the team's tacit cooperation. Combined with your assistance, that's how we resolved this crisis. Enough talk, the wild boars are roasted and seasoned to perfection, guaranteed to be juicy. Let's eat, let's eat!!!"
By this time, Lin Yuan had fully recovered his strength. He, along with Wu Tian, went to distribute the meat. The zombies and scattered flesh fragments in the camp had already been cleaned up by the children themselves. Having participated in less combat, their stamina recovered the fastest. They were now assisting Wang Yixin.
Seeing Lin Yuan and the others emerge, Liu Ziyi, who was roasting the wild boar under the thatched shed, suddenly stood up and waved energetically.
"Brother Lin Yuan! Sister Wu Tian! You've rested well!! Come quickly and eat the meat. Both wild boars are roasted!"
"Hahaha, coming right up!"
The aroma of the roasted meat irresistibly wafted into their nostrils, and their stomachs rumbled like thunder. Picking up a piece of sizzling, oily roasted meat, blowing on it to cool it down, Lin Yuan took a bite. The skin was crispy, and the meat was tender. Wild boar, compared to domestic pigs, had richer muscle fibers and a good balance of fat and lean meat. The proportion of lean meat was higher, making it neither dry nor greasy. Coupled with the seasoning that made even shoe soles delicious, applied repeatedly, the gamey odor was gone. In short, it was a thoroughly satisfying meal!
Subsequently, the rest of the team members also gradually recovered their strength. They all squeezed under the thatched shed, singing and eating meat, enjoying themselves immensely.
After eating their fill and chatting for a while, Zeng Yilong, still worried about his home, declined Lin Yuan's repeated invitations and led his team back. The hour was late, and Lin Yuan was naturally concerned. They still had sufficient rifle ammunition, which should be enough for an escort mission.
On the way, Zeng Yilong deliberately walked at the back of the convoy with Lin Yuan, asking the question that concerned him most: "Brother Lin Yuan, what did the safety zone say? When will the rescue arrive?"
"Given the current situation, if zombie cluster activities continue in China, the rescue might be delayed by about half a month. It should arrive after the Lantern Festival. If this is an isolated incident in our area and not indicative of a wider problem, it should arrive a day or two before the Spring Festival. Honestly, I can't say for sure." Lin Yuan shrugged. He had no way of knowing; the future was uncertain.