The armed SUV rattled across the Yinma Plains, every bump and rut a jolt to the bones. From his perch at the rooftop machine gun, Luo Hou's voice cut through the engine's drone.
"We've got a tail!" he yelled. "Fast-mover, coming up on our six. What's the play?"
Xiao Ke glanced at the side-view mirror. Sure enough, a single set of headlights was tearing through the darkness behind them, closing the distance with unnerving speed. He grunted, a frown creasing his brow. "Duan Canglong, kill the engine."
The SUV rolled to a stop. Moments later, the other vehicle pulled up alongside them. It was Jiang Ning's ride—an SUV that looked civilian on the outside but was a pure armored beast underneath.
Xiao Ke stepped out, planting his feet shoulder-width apart, his hands clasped behind his back in the classic drill instructor's pose. He watched as Jiang Ning, his ever-present attendant Eunuch Li, and two guards disembarked.
As usual, Eunuch Li and the guards looked like they wanted to murder the world. Their eyes, hard and suspicious, swept over Xiao Ke's team of Imperial soldiers. They were coiled springs, ready to snap at the slightest threat to their charge.
Jiang Ning, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He lacked the swagger you'd expect from a noble's son. Instead, he bounced on the balls of his feet, a wide, infectious grin on his face. He looked less like a pampered aristocrat and more like a city kid on a summer adventure, eager to make friends with the country folk.
He practically skipped over to Xiao Ke. "Hey! Burning the midnight oil, are we? Where are you guys headed?"
Xiao Ke's expression remained flat. "Worried about stragglers near the camp. None of us could sleep, so we figured we'd run a patrol. Make sure nothing nasty wanders in and surprises everyone."
Jiang Ning's eyes twinkled. "Oh, really? And here I was thinking the new military bonuses were so good you decided to get a head start on the zombie hunt."
The kid's playful wink, combined with how effortlessly he'd seen right through their little scheme, genuinely stunned Xiao Ke. So this is what the nobility is like, he thought. Bred with superior genes, raised in the best environments with unlimited resources… their perception and intelligence were on another level. This pretty boy, with his flawless skin and bright smile, might look like a lightweight, but his mind was razor-sharp.
Xiao Ke met his gaze. "That was part of it, yeah."
Now it was Jiang Ning's turn to look surprised. He'd expected a denial, some flimsy excuse. The blunt honesty was refreshing. Then again, he reasoned, hunting zombies for extra pay wasn't against any rules. What kind of soldier didn't want to get ahead?
Jiang Ning's grin returned, wider than before. "Count me in! I've spent my whole life cooped up, watching my guys do all the work. They kill zombies like they're mowing the lawn, but I've never actually done it myself. Come on, let's team up! Maybe tonight's the night I finally get my hands dirty."
Beside him, Eunuch Li stiffened. "My lord, this is unwise…"
The playful energy vanished from Jiang Ning's face, replaced by a cold fire. "Unwise? I have Centurion Xiao, I have you, and I have two Imperial guards. We're on the fringe of the plains, where you only find the occasional stray. Are you telling me the four of you can't protect me from that?"
"I just worry about unforeseen accidents…"
Jiang Ning's voice dropped, sharp as splintered ice. "Is that it? Is that the excuse you all use to keep me locked away in the palace like a porcelain doll? A puppet for you to control?"
The eunuch and his guards flinched, bowing their heads. "We would not dare, my lord," they whispered in unison.
The anger seemed to drain from Jiang Ning as quickly as it had appeared. He seemed practiced at this—at wrestling his own fury into a more placid mask. His tone softened. "Then it's settled. I'm going with them. We're going to find some zombies, and I'm going to kill one. It's a wish I intend to fulfill."
Eunuch Li knew a lost cause when he saw one. He simply nodded.
Jiang Ning turned back to Xiao Ke, his smile a little forced now. "Sorry you had to see that."
"You're the heir to a great house, aren't you?" Xiao Ke said, his tone neutral. "Spent your life being protected. Wanting to step out, to experience something real for yourself—especially something as vital as fighting this plague—isn't something to be ashamed of. It's admirable."
Jiang Ning's genuine smile returned. "Ha! We broke bread together tonight. You know what they say: 'We've shared a meal, now we'll share a battle.' Once we kill an enemy together, our story will be complete."
Xiao Ke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. A meal and a few dead zombies make for a legendary story? These rich kids are so dramatic. Out loud, he just said, "Fine. Let's move."
Two trucks, seven men. They drove for another fifteen miles, but the plains remained eerily silent. Not a single zombie.
Finally, they stopped. As Xiao Ke stepped out, a flicker of movement in the tall grass caught his eye. Instinct took over. He raised his rifle and fired a tight, three-round burst. Pop-pop-pop.
"Was that one?" Jiang Ning asked, jumping out of his truck, his voice filled with hope.
A faint whimper echoed from the grass, then silence. Xiao Ke shook his head. "Doubt it. Unless I got a lucky headshot, a zombie would be charging us right now."
They advanced cautiously. It wasn't a zombie. It was a muntjac deer, its life extinguished by Xiao Ke's precise aim.
Jiang Ning's shoulders slumped. "Still nothing? This doesn't make sense. The horde is supposed to be everywhere. The whole army is mobilizing to wipe them out right here. How can this sector be so empty?"
"Qiao Mingxuan's unit from the White Shark Battalion pushed through here ahead of us," Xiao Ke mused. "Maybe they cleaned the place out. Or… there's another possibility. A high-level zombie. One with enough intelligence to round up all the strays in its territory and form a pack. That would explain the silence."
Jiang Ning's eyes lit up. "A leader? If there's a pack out here, do you know how to draw them out?"
A slow smile spread across Xiao Ke's face. "Oh, I have a way. I'm just worried the welcome party might be a little too big for you. And if we pull a high-level target, we might not be able to handle it."
"Don't worry about that," Jiang Ning said, gesturing to his eunuch. "Old Li here is stronger than he looks. He can handle anything. Just bring them."
Xiao Ke considered it. For all he knew, there was nothing out here. Qiao Mingxuan could have already sanitized the area. But they couldn't go back empty-handed.
He drew his massive blade, Meng Jiang, and went to work on the dead deer. Within a minute, the animal was quartered, its blood soaking the dry earth. The night wind caught the coppery scent and carried it across the plains.
He sheathed his blade. "They call zombies 'land sharks,'" he explained to Jiang Ning. "It's not just because they're mindless killers. It's because their sense of smell is insane. They can catch a single drop of blood from miles away. Now that I've put out the bait… if there's anything out here, it's coming."
Three kilometers away, something stirred. A towering figure, built like a brute with an almost reptilian tail, was leading a shambling column of over two hundred undead. It stopped abruptly. The lesser zombies milled about in confusion as the creature lifted a clawed hand, tasting the air.
A grotesque, jagged smile split its face. Its voice was a low, guttural rasp. "The scent of blood… and humans."
It didn't take long. Less than half an hour later, the tall grass ahead began to tremble, accompanied by a growing, rustling hiss.
"Showtime," Jiang Ning breathed, his voice electric with excitement.
"Looks like we've got more than one," Xiao Ke warned, his tone all business. "Everyone to battle stations. Now."
"Sir!"
Duan Canglong and Luo Hou manned the heavy machine guns on the two SUVs. Jiang Ning's security detail—Eunuch Li and the two guards—drew their own weapons, forming a tight protective circle around their young master. Xiao Ke chambered a round in his assault rifle, the click echoing in the tense silence.
The first figures burst from the grass—Striker-class zombies. Their dead eyes locked onto the pool of blood, then snapped to the living, breathing men standing beside the vehicles. A chorus of guttural roars tore through the night as they charged.
Jiang Ning's hands were slick with sweat. He drew his own gleaming sword with a sharp shing. "Here they come!"
"Fire!" Xiao Ke commanded, leading the way with another three-round burst that vaporized the lead Striker's head.
"Damn, you're a good shot," Jiang Ning muttered, impressed.
The world erupted in thunder as Duan Canglong and Luo Hou opened up with the machine guns. Streams of tracer fire ripped into the oncoming wave, shredding zombies and scything through the tall grass. The sheer volume of fire was staggering.
But as the grass was cleared away, the true scale of the threat became horribly clear. There weren't dozens of them. There were hundreds. A tidal wave of undead.
And leading them was a nightmare given form.
It was immense, with the hulking physique of an orc and impossibly powerful limbs ending in claws that could tear a man in half. A thick, muscular tail whipped back and forth behind it. Xiao Ke felt his blood run cold. He'd seen this type before. It was the most terrifying zombie he'd ever faced.
"It's a Frieza!" Duan Canglong and Luo Hou screamed in unison, their voices cracking with fear.
"ALL FIREPOWER ON THE BIG ONE!" Xiao Ke roared over the din. "SUPPRESS IT! DON'T LET IT GET CLOSE! Jiang Ning, this is bad! That's a Class-Six. Bullets won't do more than piss it off. We can't win this. Get your people and run! We'll hold them off as long as we can!"
His training, his duty as a Centurion, took over. In the Imperial Legions, tradition was law: when a retreat was sounded, the greenest soldiers fell back first, then the veterans, then the officers. Command always held the line. It was partly to inspire the troops, but it was also brutally practical. In a losing fight, you leave your strongest fighters to cover the retreat and minimize casualties.
But Jiang Ning didn't run. He was tense, but there was no fear in his eyes. He stared at the Frieza as it shrugged off machine-gun rounds and continued its relentless advance, then turned calmly to his aide.
"Old Li," he asked, his voice steady. "Can you handle that?"
Eunuch Li looked almost offended. "My lord, you wound me. I may not be on the level of a Legion Commander like Bai Longyin, but dispatching this… thing… is as simple as swatting a fly. Any of the Blade Guards I brought could have handled it."
"Good," Jiang Ning said. "Show me."
Though a eunuch, Old Li had the pride of a warrior. He simply said, "As you wish," and stepped forward.
"Cease fire!" Xiao Ke yelled, worried about hitting the old man.
As they watched, jaws agape, Old Li moved toward the Frieza. His steps seemed slow, unhurried, yet he crossed the ground with impossible speed. With each footfall, his form seemed to shimmer, reappearing several meters farther. It was like watching a ghost glide across the battlefield.
In two heartbeats, he was face-to-face with the monster.
There was a thunderous CRACK as Old Li stomped on the ground, shattering the earth beneath him. He launched himself into the air like a cannonball, a blur of motion. Mid-flight, he spun and delivered a single, devastating kick to Frieza's head.
The sound was less a thump and more a wet explosion. Frieza's massive skull disintegrated, bursting apart like a watermelon dropped from a skyscraper.
Old Li landed as gracefully as a hawk, his robes settling around him. As he straightened up, Frieza's headless, mountain-sized corpse crashed to the ground behind him.
Silence.
Xiao Ke just stared, his mind struggling to process what he'd just seen. This quiet, high-voiced attendant… was a god of war.
"Holy… shit," Duan Canglong stammered. "He one-shotted a Frieza. What level is that guy? He's gotta be stronger than Chiliarch Qin Bing."
"No doubt," Luo Hou added, his voice a whisper of awe. "The Chiliarch had to fight hers for a few minutes. This guy… one kick. He's in a different league."
"Don't get distracted!" Jiang Ning shouted. "There are still more coming!"
Snapping out of his shock, Xiao Ke raised his rifle and opened fire again, his team following suit. The remaining low-level zombies were easy to mow down, but their ammo was limited. Soon, the clicks of empty chambers replaced the roar of gunfire.
Xiao Ke drew Meng Jiang. "Alright, blades out! Let's finish this the old-fashioned way."
Duan Canglong and Luo Hou leaped from the SUV, drawing their own combat knives. Luo Hou grinned. "Ha! Machine guns are nice, but this is what I love. Besides, we'll need to be good with these if we ever make it to Battle General. Might as well practice now."
Jiang Ning, sword in hand, joined them, his face set with determination. He was finally going to get his wish. His two guards moved to intercept him, but Eunuch Li held up a hand.
"Let him," he said, his voice low. "They're just Class-One walkers. A civilian could take them. Let His Majesty have this. He's a stubborn one. He snuck away from the palace for this. Once he gets his kill, he'll be satisfied and agree to return. If we deny him this, he'll just keep trying, and we'll be stuck out here. And if the Grand Secretaries find out we've been gone this long… His Majesty won't be the only one facing their wrath."
The guards relented, though their eyes remained fixed on Jiang Ning, ready to intervene in a flash.
But they weren't needed. The remaining walkers were slow and clumsy. The fight was over in seconds. Each of them—Xiao Ke, his men, and Jiang Ning—took one down with a clean strike.
Copying the soldiers, Jiang Ning used the tip of his sword to pry the small, crystalline nucleus from the zombie's skull. He held it up to the moonlight, his face glowing with pure, unadulterated joy.
"I did it!" he yelled, laughing. "I actually did it! I told Old Zhang I could fight, that I wasn't useless on a battlefield. I can't wait to show him this!"
Xiao Ke and his men exchanged confused glances. They had no idea who "Old Zhang" was.
But Eunuch Li knew. He was Zhang Kuchan, one of the most powerful men in the Empire, a member of the Grand Secretariat, and Jiang Ning's personal teacher. The Imperial Tutor.
Li remembered the lecture. Zhang Kuchan, trying to motivate his royal student, had told him that without proper study of statecraft, he would be nothing. "On a battlefield," the old tutor had scoffed, "you wouldn't be able to kill even the weakest walker."
Jiang Ning was being trained in the art of ruling, where a single decree could decide the fate of millions. But that one comment had stung his pride. He had run away from the palace for the sole purpose of proving his teacher wrong.
Now, his excitement was boundless. He clapped Xiao Ke on the shoulder. "Centurion, tonight was the greatest battle of my life. The thrill of fighting with my own hands… It's incredible. What we did here tonight… this makes us brothers in arms. Our friendship is forged in steel and blood."