526 The Trick to Avoid the Undead (1/2)
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
”Use this to cleanse the poison away, but without a Healer, it's not possible for his legs to recover,” the old man sitting on a wooden stool and smoking a cigar told them.
Wang Tong handed him an automatic lighter and a Chunghwa cigar, but the old man shook his head. The villagers were neither stubborn nor behind in technology, but they had to rely on the traditional lifestyle to maintain the serenity of the village.
The old man told the group that there was no empty hut for them. They had no choice but to stay in a shed for the night.
They were all soldiers who had endured tough training, hence the shed was very comfortable as long as they didn't have to worry about the Undead.
”We'll talk in the day. Just a reminder, don't simply run off anywhere, especially leaving the village. I'll tell the chief that you're here...” the old man said, before leaving the group.
The soldiers laid down on the slightly damp ground of the shed. They were too worn out to chat with one another. They spread out their clothes on the ground and went to sleep.
Most of them had gotten used to witnessing blood and death. It was a close call tonight, but it did not stop them from falling asleep.
Everyone fell asleep without appointing anyone to stand guard.
Zhang Xiaohou woke up a few times throughout the night because of the cold. The first time he woke up, the moon was still high up in the sky. The second time, the moon was slightly slanted. The third time, his surroundings were in complete darkness, so quiet that it was kind of scary, yet his fatigue immediately dragged him back into a deep sleep.
When his eyes next sprang open, it was already daytime.
---
”Come over here you son of a bitch, who told you to wash your feet in the upstream, I'll skin you alive!”
”Going to do the laundry? Let me tag along, my husband is lazy, but somehow he's very active at changing his clothes.”
The beating of a gong woke the group up. As they opened their eyes, they could see kids running around, women busy with their chores and old folks taking a stroll around the village...
The village was deadly quiet last night, but it was rather lively in the day, just like an ordinary village.
When everyone woke up, some of the kids with runny noses gathered around the shed and observed the soldiers like they were foreigners.
”You're all awake, head to the village hall. The chief wants to see you,” The old man who was standing guard last night seemed fairly energetic still. He brought the group to eat breakfast before going to the village hall.
The hall was not big. It had a small front yard, with a huge pond filled with clear water. The bottom of the pond had lots of pebbles. If one were to take a closer look, they would discover red letters engraved on the surface of the pebbles, which looked like names.
”In our village, either the youngsters or old folks, those who are leaving would write their names on the pebbles and throw them into the pond. It prevents them from turning into those things outside,” explained the old man indifferently.
They arrived at the village hall after they crossed the yard.
A few old men sat on the wooden chairs with carefree looks. None of them seem afraid, despite living among the Undead.
A middle-aged man was seated in the leading position. His forehead was filled with wrinkles. He looked rather old, even with his smile. Even his good skincare was unable to hide his age.