Chapter 13: Xiao Mei Begins to Adapt
Xiao Mei and Pao Pei made their way back to the farm, taking a familiar path through the trees. Along the way, she glanced at the quiet little creature walking beside her. Though small and cute in appearance, she knew it was a powerful being capable of protecting her.
"Pao Pei… do you think we'll find more survivors?" Xiao Mei asked softly.
Pao Pei turned to look at her, his glowing blue eyes filled with thought. "They're hiding in their homes out of fear. Once they run out of supplies, they'll come out on their own."
Xiao Mei nodded in understanding. Even though she wanted to help others, she knew she had to be cautious. A world full of zombies wasn't a place to trust people easily. Human nature was unpredictable, and she had no special power to see who was good or bad.
After walking for a while, they heard a sound from across the road—the heavy thuds of something moving. Pao Pei immediately halted and signaled Xiao Mei to stay alert.
Moments later, a group of five zombies staggered out. Judging by their appearance, they had likely been farmers who once lived nearby. Their rotting bodies were covered in wounds, with some wearing tattered clothing that exposed sunken rib cages.
"Ready, master?" Pao Pei asked in a low voice.
Xiao Mei took a deep breath. She had already killed several zombies today, yet her heart still pounded with anxiety. Gripping her knife tightly, she gave a firm nod.
"I'm ready."
The moment she spoke, Pao Pei launched himself at one of the zombies, slashing it with a glowing blue claw. The creature was flung against a nearby tree.
Xiao Mei stepped forward and swung her knife at the nearest zombie, aiming for the head just like Pao Pei had taught her. But she wasn't strong enough, and the blade lodged into the skull without finishing the job. The zombie groaned and lunged at her. Luckily, Pao Pei jumped in just in time, slicing its neck with his claw and sending its head flying.
Breathing heavily, Xiao Mei barely had time to catch her breath before the remaining three zombies attacked. Pao Pei rushed to intercept them while Xiao Mei took advantage of the chaos, slashing at one of them until it collapsed. She quickly drove the blade into its forehead, ending it. Within minutes, all five zombies had been dealt with.
Standing in the middle of the road, Xiao Mei panted, her hands trembling slightly. But pride swelled in her chest—she had managed to overcome her fear.
"You've improved a lot," Pao Pei praised with satisfaction.
Xiao Mei gave a faint smile. Though exhausted, the compliment lifted her spirits. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and knelt to crack open the zombies' skulls, retrieving three crystals in total. She tucked them safely into her dimensional space.
"Let's head back. We can explore more tomorrow," she murmured. She was nearly out of energy, and if more zombies showed up, she'd have no choice but to hide in the dimension. She couldn't fight anymore today.
Pao Pei nodded and led the way back to the farm under the quiet evening sky.
The gray mist blanketed the heavens as the last light of day slowly faded into darkness. Master and guardian walked side by side, keeping each other safe until they reached home.
As soon as Xiao Mei stepped through the door, she saw her grandmother sitting in her favorite rocking chair.
"You've been gone all day! I was so worried I couldn't focus on anything!" Granny Li Zhu blurted out as soon as Xiao Mei opened the door. The elderly woman had been anxious all day but hadn't dared to go looking, afraid she'd only be a burden. Still, waiting in worry had been equally unbearable.
"I'm sorry, Grandma…" Xiao Mei said softly, her eyes filled with guilt. She had thought her grandmother would be safe under Pao Pei's barrier at the farm, but she had forgotten how much the old woman would worry about her absence.
Granny Li Zhu rushed over to check Xiao Mei, turning her left and right to make sure she was unharmed. Once she was satisfied, she picked up Pao Pei, who stood gloomily by her side.
"You're both filthy!" she declared, lifting the creature up to sniff.
"Covered in grime and smelling like a wet dog! Pao Pei, you're like a drowned puppy! Go wash up before dinner!"
"Yes, ma'am!!"
Being ordered to bathe felt like a royal pardon. Xiao Mei responded loudly, scooped up Pao Pei, and dashed upstairs.
Neither master nor guardian dared linger. They bathed quickly and returned to the kitchen for dinner. Pao Pei shamelessly rubbed against Granny's legs until she relented and fed him some fish herself.
After dinner, Xiao Mei washed the dishes while Pao Pei wiped down the table. Granny sat out on the porch for a bit before retiring to her room.
"Pao Pei, can you take me to that military base you mentioned?" Xiao Mei asked. She was concerned about the nearby base. In the early days of the collapse, many people couldn't cope. Crimes and violence were rampant as people struggled to survive. The government would be trying to set up shelters and organize survivors.
"You're not strong enough to face humans yet," Pao Pei said seriously. Xiao Mei wasn't ready, and he himself hadn't fully recovered his strength.
"I just want to scout it from a distance. If we don't know our surroundings, how can we defend ourselves?"
Pao Pei stretched and gave a slow nod. "Alright… but we'll only observe from afar. No going in."
That night, once they had finished cleaning up and Granny had fallen asleep, Pao Pei led Xiao Mei out into the night. It was a moonless night, the sky swallowed in darkness, the world deathly silent. Xiao Mei carried a small crossbody bag. Though nervous, she was gradually growing accustomed to this kind of adventure.
Pao Pei led her along a path he had previously scouted. They had barely walked past the edge of the forest when a pair of red eyes gleamed in the shadows.
"Master, get into the dimension now," Pao Pei whispered, his voice barely audible.
"What about you?" Xiao Mei whispered back, just as quietly. She didn't understand what was happening, but she didn't dare speak any louder. She didn't even dare—
"Master, go in alone now!" Pao Pei shouted as it lunged forward, its claws clashing against something, sparks flying several times.
Xiao Mei could only see Pao Pei leaping into the darkness. It collided with something and was forced back toward her.
A giant rat, about the same size as Pao Pei—and there seemed to be more than one—charged at them relentlessly. Pao Pei shouted another warning.
"Master, get into the dimension now!!!"
Xiao Mei could hear the worry in Pao Pei's voice. She entered the dimension the moment it finished speaking—a space filled with supplies and essentials she had stockpiled, with a tiny servant spirit keeping everything in order.
She had been inside for less than a minute, but it felt like hours. Her heart was heavy with concern for Pao Pei outside.
"Master shouldn't go back out. You won't be able to help… You'll only be a burden."
A small, emotionless voice spoke. The tone was flat and steady. The little servant spirit was busy moving things around—even though everything was already perfectly organized.