Chapter 40: The Survivors of Densewood Town

"Today was really something. Not a single zombie attacked us while we were gathering supplies, and Peach has returned to my side," Dong Iron Hammer laughed heartily, then turned his enthusiastic gaze toward Du Yun and her companions, especially the three who looked like formidable fighters.

"I wonder if any of you are interested in joining us. We must be the last survivors in town, and we've got enough food stored to last at least seven more days," Dong Iron Hammer said, his face clearly showing a sense of pride.

Du Yun silently surveyed the survivors crowded inside the house. Besides their own group, the rest amounted to just twenty-two people; counting Peach's brother guarding the door, that made twenty-three in total. Yet those who had turned into zombies and were trapped in the mountains by them numbered in the tens of thousands. The rate of zombification was staggeringly high.

What could have caused people to become zombies at such an alarming rate? The thought flashed through Du Yun's mind, but she shook her head, dismissing it. Even if she knew the cause, what difference would it make? Survival was what mattered now.

"We're just here to bring Peach back. Now that she's home, we should be on our way. We won't trouble you any further," said Skinny Monkey, their liaison, stepping forward. The leader sat off to the side, expressionless, absently rubbing the hoe in his hands with a look of impatience.

"Leaving? You want to leave? Where would you go? The whole town is crawling with zombies. It's hard enough to sneak around nearby for a bit of food—where else could you possibly go?" A man in his forties, balding and slouched in the corner, spoke despondently, leaning crookedly against the wall, his demeanor thoroughly dejected.

"Exactly—we lose a few people every day just trying to find food."

"It's dangerous enough here. If you go out, wouldn't it be even worse?"

The remaining survivors echoed these sentiments, their faces showing fear, despair, or bewilderment. Their clothes were torn and dirty, and their spirits seemed utterly depleted.

Du Yun looked at them, feeling a pang in her heart, wanting to say something. Before she could speak, Peach's crisp voice rang out. "There are hardly any zombies outside now. It's easy to leave. We walked right in."

"What? How could that be? There are thousands of zombies out there!" The alluring woman standing behind Dong Iron Hammer exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement, hands waving frantically, her expression almost frightening.

"Yes, that's right! Hongmei's husband was caught and eaten by zombies when he went out—we saw it with our own eyes," said a portly aunt nearby, waving the shovel she always clutched, visibly still shaken.

"Exactly. Every day, someone gets surrounded and killed by zombies," the balding, dejected man chimed in, clearly unconvinced by Peach's words.

"We walked straight inside!" Peach stared intently at the woman called Hongmei, her tone sharp as a cannonball, all the while pulling Dong Iron Hammer closer to her, warily keeping him away from Hongmei.

"Is this true?" Dong Iron Hammer initially dismissed Peach's words as childish nonsense, but recalling how he hadn't seen any zombies when he rushed out earlier, he suddenly stared wide-eyed at the leader, seeking confirmation.

"Yes," the leader nodded, brow furrowed with impatience. With over twenty people crammed into the small room, safety might have been assured, but the air was nearly unbearable.

"Wonderful!" A cheer erupted from the crowd. Some immediately tried to get up and run outside, only to be held back, everyone chattering excitedly.

Du Yun felt exactly as the leader did; as the crowd grew more animated, the oppressive heat and stench became almost tangible, washing over her like a wave. She felt dizzy, furrowing her brow and stepping back, ending up beside the leader.

"Come here," the leader pulled Du Yun behind him, holding her slender hand. Feeling her docile presence at his side, the corners of his lips curved ever so slightly, but seeing the excitement among the survivors, his brows knitted again.

"Let's go," he said, taking Du Yun's hand and heading out the door. Skinny Monkey played his role as diplomat, politely bidding farewell to Dong Iron Hammer and the others.

"What? You're leaving already?" Dong Iron Hammer was desperate to recruit these newcomers. His group numbered over twenty, but only half could stand up to zombies, and after their losses, capable hands were dwindling. Seeing Du Yun's group—three men who looked like fighters, and a beautiful girl—he sincerely wanted them to stay. With three more strong arms, his group's chances would improve dramatically.

But he hadn't expected they would refuse outright. Alarmed, he hurried after Skinny Monkey, dragging Peach with him. "Don't leave! Let's talk this over—you could be our second-in-command!"

"Boss Dong, we have other things to do. The zombies in town have all been herded into the mountain with the white rocks. For now, they're trapped, but who knows if it's truly safe? You'd best make preparations," Skinny Monkey replied with a polite, distant smile.

He had only intended to exchange a few words and take his leave, but seeing Peach, he kindly offered a warning. After all, no one knew how strong the zombies really were, or how long the mountain would hold them. Better to plan ahead.

"What? The zombies aren't dead?" Dong Iron Hammer grew tense at the news, glanced at the departing leader, then back at the house, gritted his teeth, and turned to shout to the crowd.

The survivors erupted into chaos, some excited, some fearful, their voices overlapping as they discussed and moved about.

But Du Yun could no longer make out their words. She followed the leader through the small door onto the deserted street, listened to the wailing wind, and began searching for food.

"We're leaving this mountain and heading for the city. Stay with me," the leader said, never letting go of Du Yun's hand. His voice was low and resolute, his expression stern, and out of sight of others, the tips of his ears turned quietly red.