Chapter 73 - 66: Passerby

Chapter 73: Chapter 66: Passerby

Considering the potential risks posed by the slain wolf pack, the unexpected Agile Zombie, and the bodies of the dead survivors, Xu Mo knew he couldn’t just leave them exposed in the snow and ice.

The safest way to deal with these bodies was cremation.

He gathered some discarded wood and dry kindling from nearby. Then, Xu Mo carried the remains of the six dead survivors, one by one, onto the pyre.

Looking at the mangled bodies, their faces frozen in terror, Xu Mo felt little stir within him. In the apocalypse, death was the norm. All he could do was grant them a final dignity. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Since you’re all dead, I don’t suppose you’ll mind squeezing together," Xu Mo muttered to himself, tossing the corpse of the Agile Zombie onto the pyre as well. In his eyes, whether they were friend or foe in life, in death they were nothing more than empty shells, all destined to become ash.

He doused the pile with accelerant, took a few steps back, and threw a lit piece of wood onto it.

WHOOSH—

The flames instantly surged, greedily licking at the wood and the remains. Thick smoke, mixed with an indescribable smell, billowed into the sky. The orange-red glow of the fire was particularly striking against the inky-black backdrop of the Eternal Night, like a solitary lighthouse or a silent farewell ceremony.

Xu Mo stood quietly by the pyre, watching the dancing flames to ensure everything would be completely incinerated. However, just as the fire grew stronger, his preternatural perception caught the flicker of moving lights in the distance.

It wasn’t a fixed light source, but several moving beams from flashlights, sweeping and scanning in his direction. They seemed to be getting closer.

Xu Mo’s gaze sharpened instantly. He switched off his own high-powered flashlight, retreated several steps, and quickly melted into the shadows behind the pyre, his right hand already resting on the grip of the gun at his waist.

Xu Mo frowned, carefully observing the handful of approaching lights. There were only five or six of them. He didn’t know if these people were with the group that had just perished. He also wasn’t sure if they were drawn by the towering fire or if their original destination had been Cyan Pine Ridge Town all along.

However, one thing made Xu Mo relax his guard slightly: the people kept their flashlights on, making no effort to hide or turn them off.

In the Eternal Night, approaching stealthily with lights off was the most threatening kind of behavior. Keeping their lights on suggested, to some extent, that they had no immediate intention of attacking. They might just be coming to investigate.

After a moment’s thought, Xu Mo decided not to avoid the encounter. He would have to deal with other survivors eventually to gather information about the outside world; hiding forever wasn’t a sustainable plan. As long as they showed no hostility, Xu Mo was willing to have a limited conversation.

He slowly stepped out of the shadows but maintained a safe distance, making sure to keep his body out of the direct beam of their flashlights.

A few minutes later, the owners of the six lights finally walked into the area illuminated by the fire. It was a group of six people: four men and two women. Their clothing was generally old and thick. They wore faded windbreakers or down jackets, all covered in stains and signs of wear. Each of them carried a bulging, heavy-looking backpack, which evidently contained all their worldly possessions.

They were all armed. Some held machetes, others sharpened rebar. Only the leader, a tall woman, held an old shotgun. Her other hand gripped a flashlight, its beam shifting warily between Xu Mo and the burning pyre.

When they got a clear look at the shocking bloodstains sprayed across the snow—not yet fully covered—and saw the fully-equipped, calm-faced Xu Mo, the expressions of all six changed. Their eyes instantly filled with suspicion, vigilance, and an unmistakable hint of fear.

The scene before them, and the man himself, screamed that a fierce battle had just taken place here. And clearly, this lone man had been the victor.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the crackling of the fire breaking the silence. The silence lasted for more than ten seconds before the woman with the shotgun, who appeared to be their leader, finally spoke first. Her voice was slightly hoarse. Her gaze swept over the roaring pyre before settling on Xu Mo. "Friend," she said, "did a few people run this way just now? Are they... all gone?" Her question was direct, tinged with a final sliver of hope, yet it was as if she already knew the answer.

Xu Mo met her gaze and nodded calmly, confirming the grim truth in a few simple words. "Six of them, plus the very fast zombie that was chasing them. They’re all in the fire now." His tone was devoid of emotion, as if he were stating the most ordinary of facts.

Hearing Xu Mo’s affirmative answer, the last trace of color drained from the six survivors’ faces. Their expressions showed a complex mix of grief, lingering fear, and a strange sense of relief.

The lead woman took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. The fear in her eyes as she looked at Xu Mo remained, but now it was mixed with a hint of gratitude. "Thank you... thank you for giving them peace. And thank you for taking care of that zombie for us." She paused, as if gathering her words, then explained with a bitter expression, "We were all together. There were twelve of us originally. A day ago, we ran into that... thing on the road. It was too fast. We couldn’t shake it. To let the rest of us escape, those six volunteered to stay behind and lead it away..."

Her explanation was brief, but Xu Mo could already imagine the desperate scene. A small team of survivors, targeted by an Agile Zombie, hopelessly outmatched in speed and strength. The decision to sacrifice some to save the rest was not uncommon in the apocalypse. He couldn’t judge whether their decision was right or wrong. In an era where human lives were as cheap as dirt, the simple act of staying alive took every ounce of strength. Every choice came with a heavy price.

Xu Mo offered no opinion, simply grunting "Mm" in acknowledgment.

Seeing that Xu Mo wasn’t going to press the issue, the lead woman breathed a sigh of relief. She had no desire to relive the memory of that difficult choice. She changed the subject. "Friend, have you been here long? Do you know which road toward Jiang City is safer? Or have you seen any convoys pass by recently?"

Xu Mo pointed in the direction where he had previously seen a convoy pass. "If you’re heading to Jiang City, you can go that way. Convoys have been passing through from time to time recently. If you follow the road, you’ll have a good chance of running into one. You might be able to catch a ride." It was no trouble for him to share what he knew.

Hearing this, the six survivors’ faces visibly brightened. For survivors traveling on foot, encountering a convoy meant speed, safety, and conserving energy—it was undoubtedly fantastic news.

"That’s great! Thank you!" the lead woman said sincerely. She hesitated, her eyes glancing over Xu Mo’s high-quality gear and his composed demeanor, before tentatively extending an invitation. "Friend, would you... like to travel with us? There’s safety in numbers."

Xu Mo shook his head with almost no hesitation, his tone calm but firm. "No, I have things to take care of for now."

The woman didn’t seem surprised by the blunt refusal. A lone wanderer as obviously capable as Xu Mo usually had their own plans and reasons. She nodded. "Well... alright then. Thanks again. We won’t disturb you any longer. I wish you the best."

"Mm, you too. Be careful," Xu Mo replied.

After their conversation with Xu Mo, the six survivors didn’t linger. They changed course, heading down the road he had pointed out, and trudged off into the distant darkness. Their flashlight beams grew fainter and fainter, eventually swallowed by the eternal inkiness.

Xu Mo remained where he was, waiting until the light from their flashlights had completely vanished. Only then did he turn his gaze back to the still-burning fire, the dancing flames reflecting on his impassive face.

The brief encounter was over. The information gained was limited, but it gave Xu Mo a more direct glimpse into the state of other survivor groups out in the world. Struggle, sacrifice, difficult choices, and a sliver of hope for finding a settlement.

He turned, no longer watching the dying flames, and headed back toward his shelter.