novelraw Chapter 66 Passerby
Chapter 66 Passerby
Given that the wolf pack had been dealt with and the potential risks posed by the suddenly appearing agile zombie and the corpses of the survivors, Xu Mo naturally wouldn't leave them exposed in this icy wasteland.
The safest way to dispose of these bodies is through cremation.
He collected some scrap wood and some dry kindling nearby, and then Xu Mo carried the bodies of the six survivors one by one onto the fuel pile.
Looking at those mutilated bodies, their faces frozen in terror, Xu Mo felt little emotion. In this apocalyptic world, death was the norm. All he could do was give them their final dignity, letting them return to dust.
"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Since you're all dead, I suppose you won't mind squeezing in a bit," Xu Mo muttered to himself, tossing the last agile zombie's corpse onto the woodpile. In his view, whether they were enemies or friends in life, after death they were nothing more than empty shells, destined to turn to ashes.
After pouring on the accelerant, Xu Mo stepped back a few paces and threw out a lit wooden stick.
"boom--"
Flames instantly erupted, greedily licking at the wood and remains. Thick smoke, mixed with an indescribable odor, shot into the sky, the orange-red flames standing out starkly against the backdrop of the pitch-black night, like a solitary lighthouse, or a silent farewell ceremony.
Xu Mo stood quietly by the fire, watching the leaping flames to ensure they completely incinerated everything. However, just as the flames grew stronger, his extraordinary senses detected a flickering light in the distance.
It wasn't a fixed light source, but a moving one; several flashlight beams were scanning and probing in his direction, and seemed to be gradually approaching.
Xu Mo's eyes sharpened instantly. He turned off his powerful flashlight and quickly retreated several steps, disappearing into the shadows behind the fire. At the same time, his right hand was already on the gun handle at his waist.
Xu Mo frowned, carefully observing the few approaching lights that were swaying. There were only five or six of them. He didn't know if these people were with the group that had just perished, nor was he sure if they were attracted by the towering flames, or if their original destination was Qingsongling Town.
However, one thing made Xu Mo relax his vigilance a little—these people's flashlights were always on, and they did not deliberately hide or turn them off.
In perpetual darkness, approaching stealthily with all light sources off is the most threatening action. The continued presence of light suggests, at least to some extent, that they don't intend to attack immediately, but may simply be scouting the situation.
After a moment's thought, Xu Mo decided not to avoid this contact. He would need to interact with more survivors and gather information about the outside world in the future; hiding was not a long-term solution. As long as the other party didn't show hostility, Xu Mo was willing to engage in limited communication.
He slowly emerged from the shadows, maintaining a safe distance and ensuring that his body was not exposed to the other person's flashlight beam.
A few minutes later, the owners of the six lights finally stepped into the area illuminated by the firelight. There were four men and two women, a total of six people. Their clothing was generally old and thick, with dark-colored windproof jackets or down jackets over them, covered with stains and signs of wear. Each of them carried a bulging, heavy-looking backpack, clearly carrying all their belongings.
These people were all carrying weapons, some were machetes, some were sharpened steel bars, only the tall woman leading them held an old hunting rifle in her hand; in her other hand she held a flashlight tightly, the beam of light moving warily back and forth between Xu Mo and the burning fire.
When they saw the large, shocking spray of blood on the snow-covered ground, not yet fully covered by snow, and Xu Mo, fully armed and calm, the six men's expressions changed. Their eyes instantly filled with surprise, vigilance, and a hint of barely concealed apprehension.
The scene before them and the man before them both indicated that a fierce battle had just taken place, and the result was clearly that the lone man had won.
The air seemed to freeze, with only the crackling of the flames breaking the silence. A dozen seconds passed before the woman holding the hunting rifle, who appeared to be the leader, finally spoke. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she glanced at the roaring fire before turning to Xu Mo: "Friend, didn't a few people run over here just now? Are they all gone?" Her question was direct, carrying a final glimmer of hope, as if she already knew the answer.
Xu Mo met her gaze and nodded calmly, confirming the cruel fact with concise language: "Six of them, plus the fast zombie that was chasing them earlier, are all in the fire now." His tone was devoid of emotion, as if he were stating something perfectly ordinary.
Upon hearing Xu Mo's affirmative answer, the last trace of color drained from the faces of the six people, revealing a complex mix of sadness, lingering fear, and a sense of relief.
The woman in charge took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Her eyes, still filled with apprehension as she looked at Xu Mo, held a hint of gratitude: "Thank you... thank you for helping them escape, and thank you for helping us deal with that zombie." She paused, seemingly organizing her thoughts, then explained bitterly, "We were together; there were originally twelve of us. A day ago, we encountered that monstrous thing on the road. It was too fast; we couldn't shake it off. To allow everyone to escape, the six of them volunteered to stay behind and draw it away..."
Her explanation was brief, but Xu Mo could already picture the desperate scene. A small team of survivors, targeted by an agile zombie, faced an overwhelming disadvantage in speed and combat power. Making the decision to sacrifice some to save the rest was not uncommon in the apocalypse. He couldn't judge whether the decision was right or wrong. In an era where human life was cheap, simply surviving was exhausting; every choice carried a heavy price.
Xu Mo did not comment on this, but simply hummed in agreement, indicating that he had heard it.
Seeing that Xu Mo didn't seem inclined to delve deeper, the woman in the lead breathed a sigh of relief; she really didn't want to relive that difficult decision. She then asked, "Friend, have you been here the whole time? Do you know which road is safest towards Jiangcheng? Or have you seen any other convoys pass by recently?"
Xu Mo pointed to the direction where he had previously observed convoys passing by. "If you're going to Jiangcheng, you can go that way. Convoys have been passing by quite often lately. If you follow the road, you're more likely to encounter one, and you might even be able to hitch a ride." He provided the information he knew; it was just a small favor for him.
Upon hearing the news, the six men visibly cheered. For these survivors of the hike, encountering a convoy meant faster speed, greater safety, and the ability to conserve energy—undoubtedly fantastic news.
"That's great! Thank you!" The leading woman thanked him sincerely. She hesitated for a moment, looked at Xu Mo's excellent equipment and calm demeanor, and tentatively extended an invitation: "Friend, would you like to come with us? It's good to have more people to help each other."
Xu Mo shook his head almost without hesitation, his tone calm but firm: "No, I have something to take care of for the time being."
The woman didn't seem surprised by the straightforward rejection. Lone wolves like Xu Mo, clearly powerful, usually have their own plans and considerations. She nodded: "Well... alright then. Thank you again. We won't bother you any longer. We wish you all the best."
"Okay, you guys be careful too," Xu Mo replied.
After their conversation with Xu Mo, the six survivors did not linger. They changed direction and headed towards the path Xu Mo had indicated, disappearing into the darkness in the distance with stumbling steps. The light from their flashlights gradually dimmed and was eventually swallowed by the eternal darkness.
Xu Mo stood there until he could no longer see the light from the six people's flashlights, then turned his gaze back to the still-burning flames, the flickering flames reflecting on his calm and expressionless face.
The brief contact ended, and while information was limited, it gave Xu Mo a more direct glimpse into the living conditions of the survivors outside: struggle, sacrifice, choices, and a hint of longing for their new home.
He turned away, no longer looking at the fading firelight, and walked toward his shelter.