Seeing the other party's silence for a long time, Ding Teng's expression darkened, and he said coldly, "What, are you unwilling?"
Qi Pengju felt as if he were being stared at by a poisonous snake, his hair standing on end. He feared that if he dared to utter a "no," he would face the other party's furious onslaught.
Gritting his teeth, Qi Pengju said, "Mr. Ding, you are the dignified Zombie Emperor, while our Duijiang City is entirely populated by humans. It would be inappropriate for you to be the city lord."
Ding Teng narrowed his eyes and said casually, "I'm not discussing this with you; I am commanding."
"Surrender or die, the choice is yours."
As the words fell, an overwhelming killing intent enveloped Qi Pengju and the others. Large beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads. The weaker evolved beings, under the pressure of this aura, collapsed to the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
"If Qin Shilei were here, could he withstand this Zombie Emperor?"
"Although Qin Shilei also coveted the position of city lord, he wasn't as overbearing as this Corpse Emperor, who is trying to seize it by force."
"This is terrible. Will this Corpse Emperor really intend to keep us like livestock? It would be better to let Qin Shilei be the city lord then."
"Where has this guy named Qin gone? Did he run away when he saw things were going south?"
A myriad of thoughts raced through the minds of the crowd. However, Ding Teng did not give them any more time for fanciful thinking. With a flash, he appeared beside Qi Pengju and, before the latter could react, grabbed him by the neck.
Qi Pengju immediately felt his breath catch, yet he dared not move. The icy sensation on his neck left him with no doubt that if the other party were to squeeze, their sharp and hardened claws would instantly sever his head. At this moment, he felt death was so close. Involuntarily, he thought, "If only Qin Shilei could appear here."
"Death or surrender?" Ding Teng's cold voice echoed again.
"Cough, cough, I concede." Qi Pengju ultimately lacked the courage to refuse.
Ding Teng scanned the crowd and said threateningly, "Do any of you have any objections?"
Everyone felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, their blood seeming to freeze. Seeing Ding Teng's impatience, someone finally buckled under the pressure and spoke first, "Since the former city lord has agreed to abdicate, we naturally have no objections."
The remaining people also spoke in hushed tones, "We have no objections." Those who had survived this long were not fools. Even if they harbored other intentions, they could only keep them hidden for now, waiting for an opportunity to escape the control of this Zombie Emperor.
"Open the city gates," Ding Teng commanded, releasing Qi Pengju's neck.
The expressions of the people changed again. Was it time to let the zombies outside flood into Duijiang City for a rampage? Seeing Qi Pengju hesitate, Ding Teng raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. Qi Pengju felt the killing intent from before pressing down on him, making it difficult to breathe. Trembling, he said, "Open... open the city gates."
The city gates slowly creaked open, and everyone's hearts sank to the bottom.
"Roar!" With a roar from Ding Teng, dozens of Silver Peak zombies from outside the city charged forward, escorting a child riding on the back of a white tiger towards the city gates.
"Return to the City Lord's Mansion." Ding Teng put on a pair of sunglasses and walked down from the city wall.
"Dad, can we go find other kids to play with now?" Ding Wenle leaped from the white tiger's back and into Ding Teng's arms, asking happily.
"Mm, someone will play with you shortly." Ding Teng fondly pinched his son's cheek. He then turned to Qi Pengju and the others, saying, "He will be your Young City Lord. Protect him well. If he even loses a single hair, everyone in Duijiang City will pay with their lives."
Qi Pengju and the others were stunned. This Corpse Emperor, having turned into a zombie, surprisingly retained human emotions and cared for his son? While they were dazed, they quickly responded, "We will absolutely protect the Young City Lord well." One had to bow their head when under another's roof. Not to mention this Zombie Emperor, even those dozens of Silver Peak zombies could wreak havoc in Duijiang City. With complex emotions, the crowd followed Ding Teng back to the City Lord's Mansion.
Ding Wenle was already playing with several children of similar age in the backyard. Four Silver Peak zombies stood guard at each corner of the backyard, while the remaining zombies were scattered around the City Lord's Mansion. Fortunately, these zombies were intelligent, and with Ding Teng's suppression, they did not attack people indiscriminately, allowing them to perform their guard duties. Ding Teng sat in the City Lord's seat, his chin resting on his hand as he pondered his next move. Qi Pengju and the others stood below anxiously, occasionally stealing glances at the newly appointed Zombie Emperor.
"Swoosh!" Suddenly, a clear eagle cry echoed from outside. The eyes of Qi Pengju and the others flashed with a glimmer of hope. This cry was like a divine sound, filling them with infinite hope. Half a day ago, they had desperately wished for Qin Shilei to leave Duijiang City; now, they longed to hear this cry that signaled Qin Shilei's return.
Ding Teng frowned and, with a flash, exited the City Lord's Mansion. Before leaving, he did not forget to utter, "If my son suffers even the slightest harm, all of Duijiang City will be buried with him."
Upon emerging from the City Lord's Mansion, Ding Teng discovered that seven or eight of his subordinates had already been killed by the approaching figure.
"Stop!" he shouted angrily, charging rapidly towards Qin Shilei. Qin Shilei turned and blocked him with a sword. Only then did he have time to size up his opponent.
"Zombie Emperor?" Judging by the other party's claws, Qin Shilei believed him to be a zombie. However, his demeanor and movements were nothing like those of a typical zombie. The surrounding zombies, seeing their Corpse Emperor emerge, immediately surrounded them, preparing to attack Qin Shilei.
"Good, you've arrived!" Extinction Thunder! The most potent and yang lightning descended from the heavens, instantly incinerating the surrounding zombies into ashes. Ding Teng, the Zombie Emperor, withstood the heavenly thunder and rapidly charged towards Qin Shilei. His sharp claws raked across, producing a shrill and piercing sound. Several deep scratches appeared on the armor around Qin Shilei's neck. So fast, and such powerful attacks. Qin Shilei halted the Extinction Thunder he was casting and retreated rapidly, evading the barrage of attacks.
Name: Zombie Emperor
Introduction: A born ruler, possessing absolute dominion over ordinary zombies. Golden Peak, proficient in earth elemental abilities, with extremely strong self-healing capabilities. Weakness: Fears extreme yang power.
"Not bad!" Ding Teng said disdainfully, "Are you interested in becoming a subordinate of me, the Zombie Emperor? When I conquer the world, I will appoint you as the Grand Administrator of the Blue Star, letting you manage hundreds of billions of humans for me."