Chapter 1: My Name is Wan Feng
“ROAR!!!”
A beast-like roar echoed, so loud that the birds in the trees scattered and fled.
Zhang Can’er’s hands, which were sorting medicinal herbs, froze. Just as she was about to go to the courtyard to check on the situation, she was suddenly embraced from behind, her mouth covered by a fair, slender hand.
Zhang Can’er struggled frantically, trying to break free. The person behind her seemed to grow impatient and spoke coldly into her ear, “Don’t move! Move again, and I’ll kill you!”
Hearing this, Zhang Can’er’s struggles lessened significantly, but she still squirmed slightly in a panic. She could tell the voice behind her was a woman’s. While it wasn’t enough to make her lower her guard, it at least allowed her to breathe a small sigh of relief.
She didn’t know what the woman behind her wanted; the woman just held her completely still. After a moment, she felt the grip on her loosen slightly, and then she heard the person behind her say coldly, “I’m going to take you to the crack in the door for a look, but don’t make a sound. Understand?”
Zhang Can’er didn’t know what was happening, but she was currently under someone else’s control and knew she couldn’t possibly overpower the person behind her, so she nodded obediently.
The person behind her saw her nod and slowly moved her to the front door.
The main door wasn’t actually shut tightly; there was a small crack left in the middle. Zhang Can’er moved her head forward slightly to peek outside with one eye.
She saw that the previously empty courtyard was now filled with many figures. They stood upright in the middle of the courtyard, wandering aimlessly like walking corpses, but the slightest disturbance would make them roar and swarm in that direction.
Their eyes had no black or brown pupils, only whites. Their skin was a bluish-black, but their most prominent feature was a mouth full of small, sharp teeth, on which hung undried blood and bits of flesh.
Zhang Can’er’s eyes widened in terror, and she almost screamed out loud. She tried to back away in fear, but unfortunately, with someone blocking her from behind, she couldn’t retreat far.
The woman behind her spoke at the opportune moment. “There are many of these monsters outside. Phantom Star Village has already been overrun by them. I don’t know what they are, but anyone who gets bitten will turn into one of those things you just saw in less than an hour. They’re infectious.”
The woman spoke right next to Zhang Can’er’s ear to keep her voice as low as possible.
Although she could feel hot breath on her ear, Zhang Can’er couldn’t be bothered with it. Her biggest concern right now was what she should do.
After hearing what the woman behind her said, her mind was filled with thoughts of how to escape the house. Staying here is too dangerous, was Zhang Can’er’s first thought.
The woman behind her, perhaps sensing her fear, softened her tone slightly. “My name is Wan Feng. Don’t worry, I locked the main door when I came in. As long as we don’t make much noise, these things won’t come over. Now, I’m going to carry you into the bedroom. Don’t make a sound after I let go, understand?”
Zhang Can’er nodded. She didn’t dare make a single sound now; even her breathing became much lighter.
Seeing her nod, Wan Feng bent down, scooped her up in her arms, and walked quickly toward the bedroom.
The cry of surprise that Zhang Can’er was about to let out was suppressed just in time. She pressed her head tightly against Wan Feng’s chest and hugged Wan Feng’s neck with some force.
Wan Feng placed her on the bed, then hurried to lock the bedroom door. Looking at the somewhat flimsy door, she then moved a table to block it.
Meanwhile, Zhang Can’er, sitting on the bed, watched Wan Feng without blinking, as if lost in thought, or perhaps in a daze.
Wan Feng glanced back at Zhang Can’er but didn’t speak. She walked to the side and sat down. For a moment, it was so quiet that only the roars of the monsters outside could be heard.
Listening to those beast-like sounds, Zhang Can’er shivered in fear. She had never experienced anything major in her life, except for being abandoned by her father and the deaths of her grandparents. Nothing else had ever made her feel so helpless.
In the blink of an eye, the world had become like this, leaving her with no time to react. She didn’t know if it was just her village or if the entire world was like this.
After a long silence, Zhang Can’er glanced at the silent Wan Feng sitting in the chair. She stood up and walked over to Wan Feng.
“Can you tell me in detail what exactly happened outside?” Zhang Can’er asked softly.
Wan Feng glanced up at her, then lowered her gaze again, staring at the floor for a moment before speaking. “I don’t know much either. I was originally heading to Starshine City, but it was already in chaos. I saw many people in the city running out, with those things right behind them, so I followed the crowd out. I thought it would be better in a village, but I never expected…”
Wan Feng didn’t need to say the rest; Zhang Can’er understood. She lowered her head, her gaze downcast as she thought for a long time, then she walked over and sat down beside Wan Feng.
“Is this the apocalypse they talk about in novels?”
The sudden question made Wan Feng turn her head to glance at her, but she didn’t answer. She was still thinking about how to get out. She definitely had to leave Phantom Star Village; she couldn’t stay here for long. She had just hidden a few things.
The truth was, Starshine City actually had troops suppressing the situation. It was just that she had returned at the wrong time, right when the crowds were fleeing. Moreover, she didn’t understand what those things were at the time and didn’t dare to act rashly, which was why she had no choice but to drive to Phantom Star Village.
Phantom Star Village was just a village; the Starshine Federation wouldn’t care about it. But Starshine City and the other urban districts were different. Without those districts, the Starshine Federation’s military bases and capital city couldn’t be sustained. Each district supplied the Federation’s capital and military bases. If that supply was cut off, the people in the capital wouldn’t even have enough to eat.
Therefore, Wan Feng was certain that the Starshine Federation would not let Starshine City fall so quickly. They would definitely send troops as reinforcements.
But to the Starshine Federation, Phantom Star Village was disposable. After all, it was just a poor village with no value.
Wan Feng was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice Zhang Can’er walk up to her.
It wasn’t until Zhang Can’er raised a hand to pat her that Wan Feng was suddenly startled. She reacted instantly, grabbing Zhang Can’er and lifting her up. Just as she was about to slam her to the ground, her consciousness returned.
With a graceful spin to dissipate the force, she held the person securely in her arms.
Wan Feng looked down at Zhang Can’er’s lovely face, which had turned deathly pale, and her brows furrowed slightly.
After placing her on the bed, she said coldly, “Don’t touch me for no reason.”
Zhang Can’er looked up at the cold-faced woman. She clearly had a beautiful face, yet she insisted on looking at people with cold eyes, putting on a fierce expression.
But Zhang Can’er had no doubt that Wan Feng would kill her. After all, in that brief moment, she had truly seen the killing intent in Wan Feng’s eyes. That gaze was like being plunged into an ice cellar; a single glance was enough to make one shrink back in fear.
