Chapter Forty-Nine: Discord

"The rescue troops have finally arrived!"
"We're finally saved!"
Cheers interwove with the rumbling of heavy weaponry, announcing the beginning of a new chapter and signaling to Qin Sheng that the ordeal of surviving on the school grounds was over at last.

A massive army swept into the campus, obliterating nearly every zombie that still lurked there with their guns and artillery. Most of the survivors had taken refuge by the warehouse, so the soldiers made it their first priority to rescue those inside.

Upon seeing the army arrive, Qin Sheng hurried down from the rooftop to spread the word. Chu Xingyu and Jiang Miaomiao, upon hearing the news of the long-awaited rescue, were so overwhelmed that tears welled in their eyes.

"They finally came. I thought the country had forgotten us," Jiang Miaomiao said, her tone turning plaintive. As children of the new era, they had always felt the nation’s earnest efforts to rescue and educate them; their faith had always been closely tied to their homeland.

For a time, it seemed as if they truly had been forgotten.

But now it was clear—they had merely arrived late, never forgotten.

"It's alright, better late than never," Chu Xingyu said, joining in the laughter.

Yet, Qin Sheng frowned slightly. For her, the arrival of the rescue troops was not an unqualified blessing. If they were taken to the safe zone, it would be far from simple to retrieve supplies from her secret stash without drawing attention—especially when surrounded by so many others.

She would have to deal with society at large.

One must always be wary of others. Regarding this matter, Qin Sheng knew she had to plan carefully and never let herself be outmaneuvered.

"Pack your things. We'll go meet up with the rescue team soon," Qin Sheng instructed before heading straight to Lin Xing's room.

"Auntie, what's wrong?" When Qin Sheng entered, Lin Xing was leaning against the bed. Seeing her frown, he instantly sensed something had happened. Besides, he had heard the gunfire earlier.

Qin Sheng nodded and explained the arrival of the rescue troops.

"The rescue team is finally here. We're safe now," Lin Xing responded, his reaction echoing that of Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu, believing that the army’s arrival meant a new life.

Qin Sheng was not so certain. In her previous life, even when the army came, she had ultimately died because of Qin Mengchun’s machinations. So, safety could never be absolute.

"We mustn't harm others, but we must always guard against them," Qin Sheng said no more, helping Lin Xing pack up and supporting him as he got out of bed.

Though Lin Xing had recovered somewhat from his illness, he was still frail—the pallor of his lips betrayed the toll of his recent suffering.

"You’re bound to feel unwell on the road; bear with it," Qin Sheng softly reminded him.

Lin Xing nodded, a trace of guilt on his face. "I understand. Thank you, Auntie."

Qin Sheng smiled gently. "We're family—no need for thanks."

Lin Xing nodded vigorously, deeply moved.

"Students, all zombies on campus have been completely cleared by our forces. Those hearing this broadcast, please gather immediately in front of the library. Our army will ensure your safe departure..."

The school broadcast crackled with the deep, hearty voice of a middle-aged man—unquestionably the officer sent to rescue them.

"Wang Yu, did you hear that? The army’s come to save us!" Lin Sen, Wang Yu’s friend, shook him awake with excitement upon hearing the broadcast.

Fully alert now, Wang Yu listened intently, then leapt to his feet. "We're finally being rescued! We can live!"

Naturally, Wang Yu and Lin Sen weren’t the only ones who heard the announcement. In a heartbeat, everyone in the warehouse was cheering, hastily gathering their things to meet the soldiers.

"Quick, pack up. Let’s find Qin Sheng and the others," Wang Yu urged as he gathered his belongings.

"Why look for them?" Lin Sen asked, puzzled. With the army at the gate, shouldn’t their first thought be to run?

"I'm worried Qin Sheng and the others didn’t hear the broadcast," Wang Yu replied, preparing to go.

Lin Sen paused, frowning. "They must have heard. And what if you miss the rescue because you go looking for them?"

For a moment, Wang Yu had no answer.

"And even if they didn't hear it, do you really think someone as resourceful as Qin Sheng would let herself and Lin Xing fall into danger?" Lin Sen continued.

After considering Lin Sen’s words, Wang Yu conceded and agreed to meet the rescue team first, planning to wait for Qin Sheng and the others there.

"Let’s go."

Soon, the warehouse was deserted. The group hurried to the library, and at the sight of the rescue troops, many burst into tears.

Wang Yu and Lin Sen were moved to tears as well.

"Don’t be afraid, students. Our nation will protect you," said a tall, imposing officer in uniform—the very voice from the broadcast—approaching them.

"Get the students on the vehicles to rest. No slacking," Zhang Qingming ordered his team.

"Yes, Captain Zhang."

Zhang Qingming nodded and moved on to another location.

Wang Yu and Lin Sen followed the soldiers onto the rescue vehicles.

Qin Sheng’s group wasn’t far behind, but they were delayed at the initial screening checkpoint.

"Sir, I’m only this weak because I caught a cold and fever. I’m not infected," Lin Xing explained again, exasperated, but the screener was unmoved and insisted on a thorough examination.

"Apologies, but in this post-apocalyptic world, anything can happen. We must protect everyone. Please comply," the officer said, separating Lin Xing from the others.

"Will he be alright?" Jiang Miaomiao asked Qin Sheng worriedly, anxious about being split up before even leaving the campus.

Qin Sheng nodded, reassuring Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu. After all, this was the military—they would not let anything happen to Lin Xing.

If she remembered correctly, once they reached the safe zone, everyone would be subject to a full inspection to prevent any risks.

There was no need to worry about a temporary separation; any issues would be dealt with at the military’s own checkpoint.

"What’s this? Someone, over here—they’re carrying knives!" The inspector searched their backpacks, pulling out the daggers Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu had been carrying.

Only then did Qin Sheng recall what she had overlooked: the daggers in their possession.

She herself had stashed her Tang sword in her space yesterday, forgetting that Jiang Miaomiao and the others had no way to hide theirs.

In the next instant, Qin Sheng and her friends found themselves surrounded.

"Why are you carrying weapons?" barked the leading soldier, pointing his gun at Qin Sheng, who stood unflinching before him.

Qin Sheng’s lips curled in a calm reply. "This place is crawling with zombies. Isn’t it reasonable to carry something for self-defense?"

The logic was sound, but could a young woman like Qin Sheng really fight zombies?

The soldiers surrounding her eyed her with open disdain, clearly finding it laughable that these mere students thought they could take on the undead with a dagger.

"What do you think zombies are? Do you really believe you can take them on?" the officer pressed, his questions growing sharper.

Qin Sheng had no desire to argue further. If he refused to believe her, no amount of explanation would suffice.

"You youngsters act as if you’re invincible, but if a zombie bites you, you won’t even have time to cry..."

"Commander, don’t say that—they’ve killed plenty of zombies themselves," came a voice from behind Qin Sheng. It was Qin Mengchun. Qin Sheng stiffened, irritation gnawing at her insides.

"Is that so? Seems I underestimated you," the officer sneered, his sarcasm thickening at Qin Mengchun’s words. "Even we, as soldiers, avoid fighting zombies with daggers. Why don’t you tell me how you managed to kill so many?"

Qin Mengchun’s face radiated scorn. She was certain no one here would believe Qin Sheng capable of such feats. Anyone who knew the truth had already been silenced by her. "Don’t say that, Commander. My sister wields her Tang sword with astonishing skill."

Hearing mention of Qin Sheng possessing a Tang sword, Guo Jun, the officer, immediately became alert. He had just searched her—there was no sign of a sword, not even a dagger.

This was bizarre.

"Search them," Guo Jun ordered his men to check their bags.

"Captain Guo, there’s nothing," the soldiers reported—no sign of the Tang sword.

Qin Sheng, who had remained silent, let out a cold snort. The chill in her eyes made those nearby shudder. "Captain Guo, if you lack the skill, why doubt your own subordinates’ abilities?"

Guo Jun was thrown. When had he ever questioned his men’s competence?

"If you can’t fight zombies hand-to-hand, does that mean other soldiers in our country are equally incapable? Unlike you, they don’t give up so easily," Qin Sheng retorted, each word striking home with the other soldiers.

Guo Jun realized he was becoming the target of everyone’s criticism and hurried to defend himself. "You’re slandering me! When did I ever say my men were incompetent?"

Qin Sheng just shrugged, unafraid.

No matter what else Guo Jun said, he couldn’t gloss over his earlier slip of the tongue. It was obvious who had won this exchange.

As for the instigator Qin Mengchun, she had already slipped away.

"You impudent child! Seize them and search thoroughly!"