After leaving Jinghe Garden, Yang Bin and the others headed in a direction away from the Survival Base.
It wasn't fear of the authorities-more like a healthy respect for what they could bring to bear.
If it were just Yang Bin alone, none of it would matter. He had teleportation. The authorities couldn't touch him.
But Chen Hao and the others hadn't reached the point where they could ignore official power, so the squad still needed to lay low and grow for a while longer.
Once Chen Hao and the rest all broke through to the Yaoguang Realm and awakened their second abilities, the team's combat power would undergo a qualitative leap.
By then, maybe they wouldn't need to worry about anyone.
Along the way, Yang Bin hauled the iron cage, Skinny Monkey carried Shen Hong, and the others shouldered bags of supplies while clearing the path ahead.
The iron cage was too heavy for any vehicle to manage, so everyone traveled on foot.
Fortunately, their strength held up. Zombies were everywhere along the route, but none posed a real threat.
As long as they weren't swarmed by thousands at once, nothing out here could touch them.
Whenever a Tier-5 Zombie appeared, Yang Bin dropped the cage, blinked over, caved its skull in, pocketed the crystal, and came back.
Travel and zombie-hunting-two birds, one stone.
---
When Liu Yong brought his people to Jinghe Garden, all they found was an empty building.
He'd expected as much.
Anyone with half a brain wouldn't stick around waiting to be collected.
He looked at the pile of corpses sprawled near the entrance, squatted down, and examined them for a long while before standing.
"These are all Third and Tier 4 Evolvers. If I had to guess, the Wang family came here looking for a fight and got themselves killed instead."
"With the Wang family's style? That's a ninety-percent certainty," a regiment commander said.
"Goddamn waste of everyone's time. This is the Wang family's grudge-why the hell are we being dragged into it? Like we don't have enough shit on our plates already?" Liu Yong muttered.
"So, Division Commander... do we still pursue?"
"A few of you go check the perimeter. We need to at least look like we tried. When we get back, we say their counter-tracking was too good and we lost the trail." Liu Yong said this to the handful of trusted officers beside him.
"Got it."
Several men fanned out to scout the surroundings while the rest swept the rooms clean of leftover supplies.
Minutes later, the scouts returned with expressions that could only be described as dumbfounded.
"What?"
"They... just walked off. Didn't even try to hide it. Tracks everywhere. Forget trained soldiers-a blind man with a stick could follow this trail."
"......"
"Do they not have any counter-reconnaissance awareness at all?"
"Or maybe they just don't give a shit."
"......"
"So... do we pursue?"
"Son of a bitch. Not a single one of these people makes my life easier." Liu Yong rubbed his face.
There were plenty of Ma Zhongguo's informants embedded in the unit. If he turned back now with nothing to show, word would reach Ma Zhongguo's desk before he even parked the truck.
"We pursue," Liu Yong said, resigned.
The column moved out, following the direction Yang Bin's group had taken.
Fresh zombie corpses lined the route like breadcrumbs. Finding an excuse to claim they'd lost the trail was no longer an option.
---
Around noon, Yang Bin and the others climbed to a rooftop, eating lunch while scanning for Tier-5 Zombies below.
The iron cage sat one floor down, wedged across the stairwell entrance like a barricade.
Worked pretty well, actually.
They were mid-bite when Yang Bin's eyes narrowed.
"What's up, Bin-ge?"
"Military's here." His voice dropped low.
If there was anyone he didn't want to face, it was the military.
Not just because they were strong and well-equipped-but because throughout this entire apocalypse, the military had been out there rescuing people. Every single day.
They weren't like those bureaucrats hiding behind desks. These were people genuinely worth respecting.
So no, he didn't want to fight them.
But positions were positions. They followed orders. And he wasn't about to let himself be dragged back in chains.
Chen Hao and the others tensed the moment they heard him.
"Bin-ge, think they'll spot us?" Hu Wenliang whispered.
"They tracked us all the way here. What do you think?"
"Then... do we fight?"
"Not yet. They came prepared-mortars, heavy machine guns, high-powered sniper rifles. If it comes to blows, I'll be fine. You won't."
"Head downstairs. Hide on the fifth floor. I'll go have a chat."
"Okay."
The squad descended to the fifth floor and tucked themselves out of sight.
If things went sideways, they could jump from that height without issue-better than being buried alive if someone decided to shell the building.
Below, Liu Yong's force had already spotted the iron cage blocking the stairwell. They knew exactly where their targets were.
Conflict twisted across Liu Yong's face. He didn't know whether to give the order.
They were students, for fuck's sake. Students who got attacked in their own home and fought back. Where was the crime in that?
But orders were orders, and the weight of them pressed down on his shoulders.
Just as Liu Yong was wrestling with the decision-
A figure materialized in front of the entire formation.
"!!!"
Every soldier flinched. A thousand weapons snapped up and locked onto the intruder in the span of a heartbeat.
Yang Bin didn't spare the gun barrels a glance. His eyes found Liu Yong at the front. "Here to arrest us?"
Liu Yong stared at the young man who'd appeared from nowhere, shock written plain across his face.
Silent. Completely silent. No footsteps, no displacement of air-nothing. If this kid had wanted to strike instead of talk, Liu Yong would already be a corpse.
Cold sweat prickled down his spine.
And yet the kid stood there, a thousand muzzles trained on his chest, looking about as concerned as someone waiting for coffee.
Liu Yong couldn't tell if it was courage or certainty. Either way, he respected it.
He raised a hand and signaled his men to lower their weapons.
"You're Captain Yang, I take it."
"That's me."
"Heroes really do come young. To reach this level of strength so quickly..." Liu Yong shook his head, genuinely impressed.
"Luck, mostly." Yang Bin's mouth curved. "You're not bad yourselves, though. Over a thousand troops to handle a few college students? Even brought mortars. I'm flattered."
"........"
"Captain Yang, I apologize. I had no choice in this. I believe you and your people aren't indiscriminate killers. Come back with us, and I'll personally investigate the full story. If this wasn't your fault, I guarantee your safety." Liu Yong's tone was earnest.
Yang Bin shook his head.
"Leave. I don't want to fight you. Maybe you think you came prepared-but if it actually kicks off, every officer standing at the front of this formation dies."
"......"
"Arrogant little shit! You think the military is made of clay?" A burly, dark-skinned man behind Liu Yong stepped forward, face flushed with anger.
"I'm not looking down on you." Yang Bin's voice stayed level, almost conversational. "I'm stating a fact. When I decide to kill someone, you can't stop me."
"I-"
The man opened his mouth again, but Liu Yong's arm shot out to block him.
Because Liu Yong believed him. The silent apparition moments ago had proven it beyond doubt. If this kid wanted someone dead, no formation in the world would stop him in time.
Liu Yong studied Yang Bin, indecision plain on his face.
Then his gaze slid sideways-just a flicker-toward Lin Yifei, wondering if her ability could lock the kid down.
Yang Bin caught it instantly.
"Don't bother looking at her. Before she finishes freezing me, I have a dozen ways to put her in the ground."
"!!!"