Chapter 16: You’ve Come to Pick Me Up

As soon as they entered the room, the men with stern faces immediately grabbed weapons from the corners and without a word, struck at Ye Nan and the three women, aiming to catch them off guard.

Ye Nan had been wary of them all along. Seeing this, he swung the Thunder Sword continuously, blocking every attack and ensuring not a single scratch befell the three women.

The one called Monkey retreated a bit, his expression darkening as he cursed, “Damn, this guy’s a martial artist!”

The black-faced man snorted coldly, “So what if he’s a martial artist? We have him cornered in this room. What, you think he can just fly away?”

Another guard sneered, “Ladies, I advise you to surrender quietly to avoid trouble. There are five of us, all strong and tough. If we attack together—heh heh—you know what will happen.”

“Hmph! You bunch of scum think you can lay a hand on our man? You’re asking for death!” Li Siqi spat.

The black-faced man fixated on Li Siqi’s outrageously long legs, licking his lips with a wicked smile. “Pretty lady, those legs are something else. Honestly, I’ve never been with a woman this tall. Put on some heels and you’d be nearly six feet. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you later. Do you prefer gentle or rough?”

Monkey chimed in, “Boss, after you’re done, it’s my turn. This woman’s a little firecracker—the angrier she gets, the more excited I am... ah!”

Before he could finish, he let out a miserable scream.

Li Siqi had pulled the trigger and shot a crossbow bolt straight into his eye.

The black-faced man and the others were horrified. They had lured Ye Nan and the others into the room with a trap, then planned a sneak attack, but they had feared those hand crossbows. Yet now, they had still been caught off guard.

“Damn it, I’ll kill you!” the black-faced man snarled, swinging a steel pipe at Li Siqi.

At such close range, Li Siqi couldn’t continue using the crossbow and was flustered. Ye Nan raised the Thunder Sword and struck, cleaving the steel pipe in two. Then, with a powerful kick, he sent the black-faced man flying, crashing to the ground with a pained scream.

The three women weren’t surprised, but the guards’ eyes widened in disbelief. Was this even human strength? It was beyond monstrous.

“Ahhhh!!!” The black-faced man’s scream was piercing; Ye Nan’s kick had landed directly on his groin, instantly crippling him — he was castrated on the spot.

The remaining three guards tensed, their faces full of terror as they stared at Ye Nan.

“You were so arrogant just now. What now? Scared? Come on, fight me!” Ye Nan taunted, raising his hand to unleash a bolt of lightning that crackled over the black-faced man’s body, swiftly electrocuting him to death.

The three guards were panicked. First Monkey got shot in the eye, now the boss was incapacitated, and worst of all, their opponent seemed to wield some superpower controlling lightning. What chance did they have?

“Boss! Boss, I was wrong! Spare me, please! I was forced into this!” one guard knelt, pointing at the black-faced man’s corpse. “It was his idea. If I refused, he wouldn’t feed me. I’m a victim too!”

Ye Nan’s gaze turned icy. “Regretting it now? Isn’t it a bit late?”

Without hesitation, he unleashed another bolt of lightning, frying Monkey to death.

The remaining three guards nearly soiled themselves and fell to their knees, begging.

“Boss, we really were wrong. Please spare us this once.”

“We’ll do anything if you spare our lives.”

“Take all the food in the villa; from now on, you’re our big brother. If you say east, we won’t go west.”

Ye Nan stared coldly. “You know what would happen if you got your hands on me and my women. You still want to live? You’re dreaming.”

“Damn you, kid! I won’t forgive you, even if I die! Die!” one guard suddenly pulled out a fruit knife and stabbed fiercely at Ye Nan.

Ye Nan kicked the blade aside and swung the Thunder Sword, severing the man’s head. Blood pooled on the floor.

The other two guards turned pale with fright, kowtowing desperately. But Ye Nan didn’t relent—he used lightning to cripple both, destroying their limbs.

Turning to Yan Ruoliu and Li Siqi, Ye Nan said, “You two, finish them.”

“What? You want me to kill?” Li Siqi stepped back, frowning. “How can I do that?”

She had fought many zombies but never killed a human before.

Among the three women, only Gong Wanru had killed before—back at the convenience store when Zhang Dahu’s wife tried to push Li Siqi to the zombies, Gong Wanru had acted swiftly, stabbing the woman to save Li Siqi. That incident made Ye Nan view Gong Wanru in a new light.

Ye Nan said to Li Siqi, “If you don’t kill them now, do you expect them not to retaliate? If they violate you later, I won’t save you because that will be your own fault.”

This time, Ye Nan’s voice was unprecedentedly stern—no more joking around.

If Li Siqi couldn’t even kill, she couldn’t stay with them; she would only be a liability.

Compared to having a beauty, one’s own safety was far more important.

“I... I understand.” Li Siqi saw the sharpness in Ye Nan’s gaze. She gripped her long knife and readied herself, but before she could act, a guard let out a miserable scream.

“Ah!!!”

The scream was chilling.

It was Yan Ruoliu who had struck. Her face was expressionless as she said gravely, “Siqi, you must understand—this is the apocalypse. Society’s order has completely collapsed. It’s kill or be killed. If the enemy harbors ill intent, you must strike hard and root them out or you’ll be the one who dies.”

Li Siqi nodded and with a single stroke, killed the last guard.

Seeing the blade slice through flesh, she felt surprisingly relieved, as if a heavy burden had lifted. She had finally found courage.

Ye Nan smiled. “Good. Let’s search the villa thoroughly and leave quickly. We have a busy morning ahead.”

They rummaged through the villa and found some leftover food. Weapons were limited to a few steel pipes and iron rods. Though unimpressive, Ye Nan gathered them all into the Thunder Tower.

In another room, Ye Nan found a bound woman.

She was a beautiful woman with a full figure but covered in bruises and burn marks from cigarette butts. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes vacant—she had clearly been violated by the five guards.

As Ye Nan untied her, he asked Li Siqi, “If you had to kill those guards now, would you hesitate?”

Li Siqi shook her head, sighing as a pang of sorrow struck her heart.

The apocalypse was merciless; a woman’s heart could only bring her harm.

“These scumbags deserve more than a quick death. They should be tortured for days before being killed,” Li Siqi clenched her fists, hatred burning in her eyes, yet she felt sympathy for the woman before her.

The harsher the reality of the apocalypse, the more grateful she felt to have Ye Nan by her side. Otherwise, how could she survive?

The woman’s ropes were removed, but her vacant gaze remained. She was still trapped in her sorrow.

“We’re not bad people. You’re saved now,” Ye Nan said.

Her eyes brightened slightly, but then she gave a bitter smile and said hopelessly, “Kill me. Let me be free.”

Gong Wanru urged, “Those five beasts are dead. Your revenge is complete. You should choose to live bravely. Why give up?”

Li Siqi added, “There are supplies in the villa. We can even give you a knife. If you find the courage to fight the zombies, surviving won’t be so hard.”

“I was diagnosed with terminal cancer before the apocalypse,” the woman said. “There’s no cure. Given the circumstances, it’s better to end the pain than endure suffering.”

The four fell silent.

What she said was true. Even in peaceful times with the best medical technology, terminal cancer was hopeless. To die peacefully without pain was the best outcome.

Ye Nan didn’t argue further. He went outside, pulled some food from the Thunder Tower, and placed it before her. “Even if you’re to die, eat well first. Don’t starve.”

She looked up in surprise, then asked, “Did you kill those five beasts?”

Ye Nan nodded.

“Thank you. You’re a good person. I can’t repay you in this life, but if you don’t mind...” She looked at Ye Nan with a hint of nostalgia. “I was a great beauty in my youth. Many pursued me. But after marriage, it was unhappy.”

Ye Nan shook his head. “No need.”

She persisted, “I hated those five bastards. You helped me greatly. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a fountain. I want to repay you before I die, to clear my heart. Don’t let me leave with regret, please.”

Ye Nan shook his head again.

She lowered her head, looking at her bruises, sighing, “I know. You despise me.”

Suddenly, Gong Wanru said, “Ye Nan, I think you should agree. We’ll go outside to kill zombies and wait for you.”

She began walking out.

Yan Ruoliu followed.

Only Li Siqi remained, her face full of resentment.

Gong Wanru glanced back with a meaningful smile. “You’re young. You don’t understand.”

Li Siqi was curious. “Understand what?”

“That woman... I know her. We went to the same university. She once dated the campus heartthrob, who resembled Ye Nan somewhat. Later, she was forced into marriage by a wealthy, powerful old man. Her first love, devastated, committed suicide, leaving her with lifelong regret and guilt. What she’s doing now is not only to make up for her lost youth but to take revenge on that old man, so even in death, he’ll wear a cuckold’s crown.”

“I see. That old man is despicable, breaking them apart and causing the first love’s suicide. Such a man deserves the worst punishment,” Li Siqi said with hatred.

“Exactly,” Gong Wanru agreed.

Li Siqi turned back. “Ye Nan, when the time comes, you have to use some force. Make that old man’s death restless—I hate people like him.”

Ye Nan was speechless.

The woman sincerely thanked the three, “Thank you for lending me your men. They’re good people. I wish you happiness.”

The three women nodded silently and quickly left the room.

The woman bowed her head and devoured the food, regaining some strength. She stood, picked out a sexy, low-cut, red bodycon dress from the wardrobe, then went to the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water echoed.

When she emerged, Ye Nan was a little surprised. After bathing and changing into the red dress, she looked stunning beyond compare.

Her features were exquisite, with a devilish figure—curves in all the right places. She wore black stockings that added a hint of allure.

“So much like him,” the woman said, gazing at Ye Nan with a subtle stir of emotions.

“Like what?” Ye Nan asked.

“Like my first love,” she said mournfully.

“But I’m not him,” Ye Nan replied.

“At least for now, you are,” she said softly. “In my darkest moments, it was my first love who saved me. Now you’ve saved me too. In a way, your shadows overlap. My greatest regret was never fully giving myself to him, but now, before I die, I can make amends. That’s a blessing.”

Ye Nan asked, “What about the old man who forced you?”

“The apocalypse just began when he got bitten. He suffered terribly and turned into a zombie. Justice was served.”

Ye Nan sighed, “People shouldn’t do evil or they’ll be struck down by heaven’s thunder.”

“You’re right. Do more good deeds, and you’ll be rewarded. So don’t refuse or hesitate now. Let me serve you once, to fulfill my last wish.” The woman stepped closer, her form trembling but inviting.

Ye Nan had wanted to refuse, but then thought, granting her wish so she wouldn’t leave with regrets wasn’t a big deal.

His mindset shifted; he no longer resisted, his gaze burning hot.

Sensing his look, the woman smiled slyly, pointing to her chest. “How does it look? Compared to your woman?”

Ye Nan smiled and honestly said, “Impressive investment. Not bad.”

“I could even...” she extended her hands, cupping her ample breasts, eyes gleaming with innuendo. “My disgusting ex-husband never got to experience this.”

Ye Nan’s excitement surged. “Then I’ll have to give it a try.”

“Then I’ll satisfy you.” She knelt down.

...

Afterward, the woman lay on the bed, exhausted and flushed. A smile lingered on her face—no longer attached to this world.

“You really are like him. You made me feel as if I’m seeing my first love again,” she said.

“That’s good,” Ye Nan replied.

“Do it quickly. Don’t let me feel any pain,” she said softly, tears at her eyes. “You’re a good man and will be rewarded. I offer my life to wish you a lifetime of happiness and peace.”

“Thank you,” Ye Nan said. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” she whispered.

Ye Nan extended his hand, crackling with terrifying lightning. Placing it on her forehead, he suddenly released power.

She felt no pain as her life faded away.

In her final moments, she seemed to see a vast golden gate shining with holy light, surrounded by white feathers drifting down gently.

Was this heaven?

She looked closely and saw a radiant young man standing there—it was her first love, beckoning softly.

Her smile blossomed, radiant as spring blossoms.

Fading away, she crossed realms.

“My love, you... you’ve come to take me...”