Chapter 352: What Were You Looking For Before?

"Big brother, how do you use this medicine?"

Yi Xiaoling held something resembling rubber, utterly confused.

"I'm Zhang Su. You can call me whatever you like. Take this medicine orally—chew it up and swallow it. If you can't swallow it, wash it down with water!"

Zhang Su said this with casual ease.

"Alright, alright… Brother Zhang."

Desperate for any hope, Yi Xiaoling, under Ju Wuying's worried gaze, directly placed the zombie's brain matter into her mouth, chewed lightly—it wasn't tough, softer than the rehmannia pills she'd eaten before, and she swallowed it effortlessly.

"Soon, you'll feel a burning sensation at the wound. If the injury is severe, your whole body will heat up—don't be afraid. Also… there's no need to cover yourself so tightly."

Zhang Su, seeing Yi Xiaoling swallow the brain matter, offered a warning.

Ju Wuying glanced at Zhang Su skeptically but still pulled back the quilt for Yi Xiaoling.

"Brothers, maybe you should step out for a bit—the smell is really unpleasant."

Yi Xiaoling spoke with visible discomfort; she'd always been fastidious, which was why she'd maintained cleanliness even under such harsh conditions.

"No problem—we'll just step to the window and smoke a cigarette!"

Zhang Su didn't care much; he'd rolled through mountains of corpses and blood over the past few months, hadn't washed himself once, and wasn't bothered by this.

"Ah… I… I feel something… ah… so itchy."

Just as Zhang Su and the others reached the window, Yi Xiaoling suddenly cried out in an extremely restrained voice, staring at the wound on her thigh, wanting to scratch but daring not to, teeth clenched, sweat instantly breaking out on her forehead.

Ju Wuying, seeing Yi Xiaoling's strange change, immediately turned to Zhang Su, asking with her eyes.

"Relax—this is normal. The wound will heal quickly. You can cut open your pants and see for yourself—the technological might of Great Ming!"

"Pfft… cough, cough, cough."

Chen Hanzhou, the only one who knew the truth, couldn't hold back—he nearly choked on his smoke, coughing violently out the window.

Ju Wuying soothed Yi Xiaoling while frowning at Zhang Su, weighing whether to believe him. Finally, she rolled nimbly, pulled a delicate dagger from beneath the quilt, and swiftly returned to Yi Xiaoling's side.

"No, don't—there are too many people here…"

Yi Xiaoling's body burned with heat, the itch unbearable; seeing Ju Wuying actually prepare to slit her pants, she frantically waved her hands.

"Watching the wound heal is more reassuring—what's there to be shy about?"

Zhang Su smirked; he hadn't expected Yi Xiaoling to be so traditional. Such a traditional girl playing with girls…

Ju Wuying also found Zhang Su's logic sound. She whispered reassurances to Yi Xiaoling, flicked her wrist, and precisely sliced through the cotton pants. In seconds, the cotton pants, thermal underwear, and gauze were all cut away, revealing a grotesque wound before them.

Due to lack of medicine, the wound had turned black and filled with pus—no description could be more apt than "unbearable to behold."

Su Xiaoya glanced once and immediately shut her eyes, turning away. She'd rather look at dead bodies and zombies; seeing living people's wounds triggered empathy, making her imagine it on herself—unbearably nauseating.

Unlike Su Xiaoya, Ju Wuying's face showed shock for the first time upon seeing Yi Xiaoling's thigh wound.

Her sword-like eyebrows shot up, her mouth opened involuntarily, and she muttered in disbelief.

"She said it's impossible—hah, I understand."

This time, it wasn't Su Xiaoya speaking, but Wu Lue; years of studying with teachers had given him a grasp of basic island-country vocabulary.

Zhang Su took this in stride. They'd now roughly figured out the zombie brain's mechanism: it activates the body's own physiological systems. It's not so much healing as unlocking latent potential to accelerate self-repair—though it drains bodily energy, possibly beyond recovery. But none of that matters—what matters is right now!

"I never lie. Do you believe me now? How do you feel?"

Zhang Su exhaled smoke, asking the two on the bed.

Ju Wuying watched intently as flesh grew over Yi Xiaoling's wound. Hearing Zhang Su's words, she turned, sat upright in proper island-country kneeling posture, and bowed deeply to the ground.

She said nothing, but her actions spoke volumes.

Yi Xiaoling's burning itch hadn't faded, but her endurance was strong—she'd endured pain for a long time, her mental and physical resilience far beyond ordinary people. She gritted her teeth, silent, sweat sliding from her brow, watching the wound heal, even managing a faint smile.

About ten minutes passed. Yi Xiaoling exhaled slowly—the burning and itching finally subsided. Her clothes and hair were soaked with sweat, strands clinging to her shoulders, yet her overall state had transformed utterly since swallowing the brain matter.

"It's gone… really gone… My god, a miracle of life."

Yi Xiaoling stared at the peeling scab, tears welling. She knew that without meeting these people today, she would have died soon—perhaps in three days, perhaps five—unless another miracle occurred!

Ju Wuying tightly controlled her expression and emotions, yet her excitement was clear. She held Yi Xiaoling's hand, speaking rapidly; the two embraced warmly, celebrating their rebirth.

"Alright, pack up—we're leaving. We've other matters to attend to."

Zhang Su didn't want to linger here any longer.

Ju Wuying released her hold, turned to Zhang Su, spoke at length, then gestured for Yi Xiaoling to translate.

"Brother Zhang, Ju Wuying asks: what were you searching for with your drone in the factory? We've lived in this area for a while—maybe we can offer some clues."

"Hmm… don't think it strange if I say this—we're looking for a special zombie."

Zhang Su, thinking it worth a shot, elaborated: "This zombie looks no different from ordinary ones at first glance, but if you look closely, it has palm-sized patches on its body. It attacks by spitting venom—when it strikes, those patches darken dramatically!"

As Zhang Su finished, Ju Wuying and Yi Xiaoling exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of "No way."

"Brother Su, they seem to know something!"

Chen Hanzhou saw the two women's expressions and knew something was off.

Zhang Su nodded urgently: "Have you seen that kind of zombie?"

Ju Wuying slowly turned to Zhang Su and nodded, explaining.

Yi Xiaoling, perfectly in sync, translated: "We did see one zombie matching your description. What do you want it for?"

"Really? When?"

Zhang Su's gaze sharpened—the timing mattered. Maybe the one these women saw had already been dissected by Fu Wei's troops.

Yi Xiaoling translated: "Ju Wuying says it was yesterday."

"Yesterday!"

"Then we've got a shot…"

Wang Xin and the others all brightened. A venom-spitting zombie, if properly used, was worth more than several missiles—it would greatly strengthen the camp's military power!

"Cough!" Zhang Su cleared his throat. He thought to himself: these guys around him were too transparent—showing eagerness just gave the other side leverage. He quickly assumed a dignified air and asked casually: "Where did you see this venom zombie?"

Unfortunately, Ju Wuying had already read their mindset. With Yi Xiaoling's wound healed, her mood had eased, giving her leverage. She smiled slyly and spoke.

As soon as she finished, Yi Xiaoling's face flushed with embarrassment. She looked helplessly at Ju Wuying, waving her hands as if pleading with her, then reluctantly conveyed the message.

"Um… Brother Zhang, Ju Wuying says that if you don't interfere with her drinking in the camp, and give us a large room, she'll tell you everything about that zombie."

Zhang Su and the others exchanged glances, suddenly finding it amusing. They'd expected some outrageous demand—turns out it was this simple?

"Cough!"

But this time, Zhang Su wouldn't let them off so easily—it'd be too cheap. He cleared his throat, face serious: "Our camp's regulations are strict. A large room? That's manageable. But alcohol control is top priority!"

"Only those who make major contributions earn this privilege. Just providing information? That's hard to justify. What if the info's wrong? Or what if the venom zombie's already wandered off? Then it's useless, isn't it?"

After hearing Zhang Su, Ju Wuying's lips curled slightly, speaking calmly.

"Ju Wuying says she guarantees the information is accurate. If you don't find the venom zombie, you don't have to honor her request."

Yi Xiaoling translated.

"So confident?"

Zhang Su murmured inwardly, but based on his brief contact with Ju Wuying, she rarely exaggerated or lied—she was trustworthy. He nodded: "Fine. If you find the venom zombie, I'll agree to your terms."

"Um… Ju Wuying asks—if it's a dead venom zombie, is that acceptable?"

Yi Xiaoling served as Ju Wuying's mouthpiece.

"Dead?" Zhang Su realized. He slapped his palm: "No wonder you were so sure—you mean it's already dead… Where is it? Tell me. Dead ones are far less valuable, but still usable."

He didn't know if Ju Wuying had killed it or if it had died earlier—either way, as long as it existed. He concealed its true value, lest they think they held a rare commodity.

Ju Wuying's thoughts were simpler now. After receiving his assurance, she turned and spoke to Yi Xiaoling, then gestured toward the door.

"Ju Wuying says… she'll take you to the venom zombie. I, um, need to change clothes—please step out for a moment."

Yi Xiaoling apologized to them with embarrassment.

No one had any interest in watching a woman change clothes—not even the barely noticeable Su Xiaoya followed them out of the room.

(End of Chapter)