Chapter 27: Partial Payment
Ji Henghua slowly walked with the group of survivors, his steps noticeably slower than everyone else’s.
He had blue hair that gently brushed against his shoulders and a pair of clear blue eyes hidden behind thin-framed glasses.
His features were refined and handsome, carrying the scholarly aura of an intellectual rather than someone living through the apocalypse.
His physique was slender, almost frail. No one would believe that he was a doctor capable of saving lives.
They would only think he was someone who needed to be protected. Earlier that day, the group had barely survived a zombie tide.
Had Ji Henghua not continuously used his healing ability to mend everyone’s wounds, more than half of them would have died there.
Fortunately, they had managed to escape. Now, everyone was heading toward Silent Knight Base.
Ji Henghua quietly followed behind them to find his younger brother, Ji Huan. According to the information he had received, Ji Huan had already arrived at Silent Knight Base.
As long as he reached the base, he would finally be able to see him again. The thought alone made the exhaustion in his heart lessen slightly.
However...
"Cough...!"
Ji Henghua suddenly staggered. He hurriedly covered his mouth.
The next second, fresh blood seeped through the gaps between his fingers before dripping onto the ground. The surrounding survivors instantly looked over.
Several people unconsciously stepped backward. One woman covered her mouth. "Why... why is he coughing blood?"
Another survivor frowned. "His face has become even paler. Look at his eyes... they almost look lifeless."
Someone nervously whispered, "Could... could he be infected? He... he really looks like a zombie..."
Hearing those words, everyone instinctively widened the distance between themselves and Ji Henghua.
Within moments, he was left walking alone in the middle of the road. Ji Henghua silently lowered his hand. "...I’m not infected."
His explanation sounded weak, and very few believed him. The leader of the group, Zhao Wenqiang, hesitated for a long moment before sighing.
"Doctor Ji..."
Ji Henghua looked up.
"I know you’ve helped all of us. If it weren’t for your healing ability, many of us would’ve died. But... I have to think about everyone else’s safety. If... if you really become a zombie... we won’t be able to stop you."
The surrounding survivors immediately nodded. "That’s right. We can’t risk everyone. Please understand."
Ji Henghua quietly looked at every face surrounding him. Just several hours ago... these same people had been kneeling before him, begging him to heal them.
Now, they looked at him as though he were some kind of monster. He suddenly smiled. "...I understand."
There wasn’t even a trace of anger in his voice. He simply adjusted his glasses. "I’ll leave."
Zhao Wenqiang lowered his head in shame. "I’m... sorry."
Ji Henghua merely nodded before silently turning around. No one even asked whether he would survive alone.
As he walked farther away, the voices behind him gradually became louder.
"I knew something was wrong with him. He looks so sick."
"Maybe he was hiding his infection all along. Thankfully, the captain made the right decision."
Ji Henghua’s footsteps paused briefly. A bitter smile slowly appeared on his lips.
So this was the lesson he had learned. In the apocalypse, healing others didn’t necessarily earn gratitude.
Sometimes, it only made people fear you more.
..........................................
Night gradually descended. A freezing wind swept across the abandoned highway.
Ji Henghua tightly wrapped his thin coat around himself. Even so, he continued shivering.
His vision occasionally blurred, while an invisible force continuously drained the vitality from his body.
"Huan..."
He softly murmured his younger brother’s name. "Just... wait a little longer... I’m coming..."
Rustle. A low growl suddenly echoed from nearby. Ji Henghua’s expression changed. Three zombies emerged from between the abandoned vehicles.
They immediately rushed toward him, and Ji Henghua instinctively stepped backward.
He wasn’t a fighter. His healing ability could save lives, but it could not easily take them.
The first zombie lunged. Its sharp claws tore through his shoulder. Fresh blood splattered.
Ji Henghua endured the pain and barely avoided having his throat ripped apart. Another zombie bit toward his arm.
He stumbled backward. His glasses almost slipped off his face. The third zombie crashed into him, throwing him onto the ground.
Crack! His ribs ached as he hit the concrete. The zombies roared.
Ji Henghua immediately released a burst of healing light. The wounds on his body rapidly closed.
At the same time, the sudden flash distracted the zombies for a split second. Using that tiny opening, he escaped.
He didn’t know how long he ran. By the time he finally stopped, his entire body was soaked with sweat. Several new wounds had already appeared.
His breathing became increasingly ragged. "If..."
He leaned against a broken wall. "If I had learned... Ji Shao’s methods..."
He slowly closed his eyes. His illegitimate younger brother. The one who always smiled while calculating every possible outcome.
The one who could manipulate people effortlessly.
If he had learned those tactics, would people still abandon him every single time?
Or would he have become someone capable of protecting the people he cared about?
Ji Henghua quietly laughed at himself. "...I’m still too naïve."
..................................
Several hours later... a gigantic brick wall finally appeared before him. Silent Knight Base.
Ji Henghua’s exhausted eyes finally lit up. "I... made it..."
He hurried toward the entrance. Just as he reached the gate, two guards stopped him. "Entry fee, is ten kilograms of coarse rice. Pay up."
Ji Henghua froze. "I... don’t have any."
"No food, no entry." One of the guards impatiently waved him away.
Ji Henghua hurriedly searched through his belongings before taking out a jade pendant.
It was smooth and translucent. The only valuable possession left by his mother. "This..."
He carefully held it forward. "Can this be used instead?"
The guard’s eyes immediately flashed. He casually snatched the pendant.
After examining it for a few seconds, he stuffed it into his own pocket. "It counts."
Ji Henghua’s eyes brightened. "Then..."
"It counts as partial payment."