Chapter 96: The Cat Horde and the Zombie in a Wedding Dress

(from ""Restarting the Farm at the End of the World"")

After moving forward for quite a while, there wasn’t a single living person on the road—and, oddly enough, she barely saw any zombies either.

It made sense that there were no survivors; after all, who knew how long it had been since the apocalypse? Anyone who could run or escape had probably already left. But the lack of zombies was strange.

Especially since, upon closer inspection, Bian Changxi noticed that several zombies bore fresh wounds—beheaded, hands chopped off—clearly inflicted just this morning, and obviously by human hands. Her heart tightened a little.

Could there still be people here?

Looking more closely, she saw that the injuries were caused by blunt force, sharp weapons, and even showed signs of burning.

Suddenly, a voice called out from a distance: “Hey—!” She stood up, but didn’t see anyone; the voice wasn’t far away.

If there were people, she might be able to get some information. Cautiously, Bian Changxi moved toward the source of the sound.

On the way, she passed a hotel. She glanced at it: the place was huge, over ten stories tall, lavishly decorated. The five golden characters “Wuzhou Grand Hotel” gleamed blindingly in the sunlight. Yet inside, the lobby was a scene of bloody chaos. A staircase wound upward, crystal ornaments glittered eerily, casting a cold, sinister light.

Bian Changxi paused, her expression turning serious. She lowered her footsteps and moved away from the hotel, extending her senses as she went.

Her ability relied on plants, which weren’t much use in this concrete jungle—nothing like the grasslands. She could only vaguely sense something inside the hotel, something powerful and chilling, as if a pair of sharp eyes were watching her from the shadows.

It felt almost like being haunted. Anyone with a weaker heart would have panicked and fled, but Bian Changxi knew: in the apocalypse, some zombies had strange attributes, powerful abilities, or unique tricks that could give people this kind of feeling.

But that wasn’t the scariest thing. The truly terrifying ones were those powerful beings you couldn’t sense at all.

Suddenly, she sensed something hiding in the greenery in front of the hotel. She looked over and caught a glimpse of two blood-red eyes. The next moment—whoosh!—a black shadow leapt out, sprinted a few steps, then sprang at her with lightning speed.

It was a black beast, but its four paws and head were white. Its eyes were blood-red and ferocious, and as it swiped its claws, sharp, hooked blades flashed.

Bian Changxi didn’t dare let it get close. With a flick of her left hand, she whipped out a vine coated in ice, slashing down hard.

The creature reacted quickly, twisting midair. The vine, which should have struck its head, landed on its shoulder and back instead. With a smack, it hit the ground, but rolled and sprang up again. Its left foreleg was clearly broken, and it limped back a couple of steps, growling menacingly at Bian Changxi.

“A mutant cat?”

Pointed ears, long whiskers, fur bristling all over—plus that yowl—Bian Changxi recognized it as a mutated cat, though it was now almost as tall as an adult’s knee.

Its forehead and body were covered in tumor-like lumps; the vine had burst one open, and rotten flesh dangled out, making it look even more vicious and grotesque.

Bian Changxi took a step forward. The cat shrank back, clearly scared by the blow, but didn’t flee with its tail between its legs. Instead, it seemed to be waiting for something.

Suddenly, ripples of energy spread through the air like water. Bian Changxi snapped her head up, staring at the hotel. Was this… summoning?

Moments later, mutant cats emerged from all directions—big and small, black and white—surrounding Bian Changxi. They growled and hissed, bodies low to the ground, fur and ears bristling, baring their fangs, eyes full of bloodlust, as if they wanted to tear her apart.

A quick count: at least a dozen. Even Bian Changxi was startled. Getting tangled up with these ferocious beasts—she’d be lucky to escape with her life.

She glanced around. Not daring to wait for the circle to close, she charged at the injured cat, wrapped it up with her vine, and flung it at another cat. Taking advantage of the opening, she dashed for the bus stop across the street, grabbed the edge of the shelter, and vaulted up. Two cats chased her like shadows; at the last moment, one bit her pant leg, another grabbed her back, and both followed her up.

She steadied herself in a crouch, immediately slashing with her tangdao, knocking the cat off her leg. The one on her back lunged for her shoulder; she slapped its gaping jaws with her left hand, stabbing a wooden spike into its mouth. The cat tumbled onto the roof, then slid to the ground.

The rest of the cats swarmed below, leaping up with terrifying ferocity. Bian Changxi’s eye twitched. They were just cats—did they have to be so savage?

She drew her pistol—bang, bang, bang—one shot per cat, but it still wasn’t enough. One lunged straight at her; she rolled aside just in time as another used a fallen object as a springboard and landed beside her, slashing her sleeve to ribbons. She kicked it off, then drew her tangdao and sliced the attacking cat in half, the blade cutting right through the shelter roof.

Bian Changxi didn’t dare relax for a second, nerves taut as she fought off the relentless onslaught. She fled from the ground to the roof, then was forced back down again. Finally, fed up, she started running while binding the cats up with her vines—thankfully, the vines were now much tougher, or she’d have been shredded by those claws and fangs.

But the tougher vines were less flexible, more like plastic tubing than rope. A petite white cat managed to wriggle out of the loop and bolted in the opposite direction. Bian Changxi looked over and saw someone coming down the hotel stairs.

The newcomer was dressed in a white wedding gown, long hair tangled and hanging over her face and chest, completely obscuring her features. One foot was bare, the other dragged a high heel by its strap. Her gait was stiff, her two grayish-blue, scarred arms stretched out in front of her, nails black and long, slowly emerging from the shadows.

Bian Changxi suddenly felt her teeth ache.

She glanced up at the sky—the sun was still shining, but wasn’t this straight out of a horror movie?

With the appearance of the wedding-dress zombie, that chilling aura intensified. Bian Changxi realized this was the presence she’d sensed in the hotel. The little white cat ran over, circling the zombie’s legs affectionately. The zombie didn’t react, just stood in the doorway, lifting her face slightly. Beneath the tangled hair, her red lips seemed to curl into a smile.

Bian Changxi shivered. Could she not be so creepy? The surviving mutant cats grew restless, as if being summoned. Even the ones she’d tied up started bouncing around; she could barely keep them under control and had to finish them off with a bullet each.

“Aaah—!” The wedding-dress zombie shrieked in fury, waving her arms, nails scraping the glass with a grating sound. Bian Changxi sensed animals approaching rapidly from afar. She realized that this zombie, who could summon mutant beasts, was the source—if she didn’t deal with it, the beasts would keep coming.

She decisively pulled out a large-caliber rifle, aimed, and was about to fire when, out of the corner of her eye, a shadow suddenly appeared in midair beside her head. Startled, she swung the gun up. The figure yelled, “Don’t shoot!”—barely getting the words out before crashing down on top of her. Bian Changxi instinctively lowered her gun, and the person knocked her over.

Luckily, she reacted quickly, grabbing his clothes as she fell, kicking him over her head. She landed in a crouch, gun trained on him, alert.

The man tumbled, his spine aching, but scrambled up, adjusting his yellow hard hat. “I mean no harm, really! I just wanted to stop you from shooting. I only just learned to teleport, and I overshot—ended up in the air.”

Teleport? Bian Changxi thought back—yes, that was teleportation. But his excuse was suspect. “Who are you? Why stop me from shooting? Can’t this zombie be killed?”

“Of course not! If you dare kill her, I’ll kill you first!” an angry, sullen voice snapped from behind. A young man rushed over, anxiously glancing at the wedding-dress zombie in the hotel, then glaring fiercely at Bian Changxi. “There’s so much space—why’d you have to come here? You trespass on someone else’s territory and then act all righteous about killing the owner. You people always think you’re so justified!”

Bian Changxi was baffled by the accusations, but two things were clear: first, the zombie must have been someone these two knew in life, and they were protecting her; second, they were blaming her.

Ha! She’d already sensed danger and was trying to avoid it, but the cat attacked her first. Was she not supposed to fight back? Besides, in this world, it’s kill or be killed—zombies kill people, people kill zombies. Since when was there some “territory” rule or peaceful coexistence? What nonsense! If anyone should be angry, it was her!

She was about to retort when the teleporter quickly interjected, “Old Six, what’s gotten into you? She was just defending herself. Not everyone is going to protect Xiao Ai like you do.” He turned to Bian Changxi, rubbing his hands apologetically. “Don’t mind him, he wasn’t always like this. It’s just… that zombie… uh, she’s his…”

Old Six glared, cutting him off. Bian Changxi’s expression softened a little. Watching friends or family turn into zombies—neither dead nor alive, wandering in misery—was a torment no one wanted. For those with deep feelings, it was a pain that ate away at the soul.

She looked at Old Six. His thin, gaunt frame was almost skeletal, his filthy clothes hanging off him like a sack. With his stubbly beard and hair like a bird’s nest, he looked like a refugee. But judging by his height, bearing, and still-handsome features, he must have been a sharp, energetic young man not long ago.

Thank you to Feng Zhong Xin Sheng for the Peach Blossom Fan! Thanks to Singing Song for the Peace Charm! Thanks to Shui Bolishuo for the Peace Charm! Thanks to Baobao Zi for the Peace Charm! You guys are too generous!

Thanks to Qiqiao Yezi for a pink ticket! Thanks to 3 Da Xiao for a pink ticket! Thanks to Shazimingzidouyouliao for a pink ticket! Thanks to Dreamy Danube for two pink tickets!

Yesterday must have been my lucky day—so many of you gave tickets and rewards, I was absolutely dazzled! Hugs and kisses to each of you!

I have an exam in the morning and was too tired last night, so I only managed a bit of the second update. I’ll keep writing after lunch, but today’s update might be a bit later than usual—please be gentle with me~~"