Chapter Thirty-Five: Meeting Lin Hang and Taking Him to Work

Lin Hang was surprised by Li Yan’s sudden willingness to cooperate. Suspecting a trap, he smiled with hidden malice and said, "Shall we go inside to discuss some business first, then go grab a bite to eat?"

Li Yan checked the time and saw that there was still plenty of time left before the two-hour mark. Relieved, he feigned deep thought before nodding. "That works. After all, this is your territory, Brother Lin. I’ll follow your lead."

Lin Hang nodded with a smile and led Li Yan into the room. It was a small office, cluttered with various items—some Taoist, some Buddhist. Most conspicuous was a whip hanging on a rack, emitting faint wisps of black vapor. Seeing this, Li Yan knew it was no ordinary weapon.

Noticing Li Yan’s gaze fixed on the whip, Lin Hang’s expression turned grim for a split second, though he still poured Li Yan a cup of tea. He smiled at Li Yan and asked, "Mr. Li, would you be willing to join our alliance?"

Not wanting any more trouble, Li Yan replied, "Of course I am." He then signed the alliance agreement directly with Lin Hang.

Lin Hang was delighted to have the agreement in hand. "Come on, let’s go eat," he said cheerfully.

Before Li Yan could respond, Lin Yanbai, seeing this turn of events, grew displeased. He ran up to Lin Hang and began to act like a spoiled child, his voice soft and cloying. "Brother, this guy bullied me! You can't just let it slide."

Disgusted by Lin Yanbai’s behavior, Li Yan covered his mouth, feeling a wave of nausea. Lin Hang, who had been all smiles, saw his expression freeze and turn to anger. He shielded Lin Yanbai behind him and began to interrogate the situation.

To Li Yan’s disbelief, these people twisted the truth. They were the ones who had provoked him first, yet now they were blaming him for striking back. Li Yan was furious at their shameless manipulation.

After listening to their side, Lin Hang slammed his fist onto the table and demanded, "Why did you bully them? Don't you know we need to stand united against the zombies?"

Li Yan had originally intended to let Lin Hang off the hook, but hearing those words, he decided that Lin Hang deserved whatever was coming to him. He smiled back. "Fine, fine. So, I’m the bully, am I? Well, I have a debt to settle with you, too. What was the meaning of you sending them to capture me? Just because I didn’t choose to join your alliance, I deserve to be hunted down and insulted?"

Lin Hang, taken aback, looked at Lin Yanbai and the others with confusion, then sternly questioned them, "Tell me the truth—what did you do to him? When did I ever tell you to capture him?"

Seeing Lin Hang’s anger, the men dared not lie and confessed everything that had happened. Only then did Lin Hang realize he had wronged Li Yan. He rushed over to apologize, smiling as he said, "This was indeed their fault. I wrongly accused you; please forgive me. Let me take you to dinner to make amends."

Li Yan nodded. "Since you’re so sincere, I’ll forgive you. I’ll take you all to a place; the food is incredible."

Relieved, Lin Hang agreed, and the group headed out. They hadn't gone far before they were ambushed by zombies. These were mutated zombies that had meticulously crafted an illusion for Li Yan and his group.

It began with a thick mist that scattered everyone. In the haze, Li Yan saw his long-dead parents, held captive on a guillotine. They struggled, begging Li Yan to save them. Li Yan lost his composure, his heart burning with anxiety as he tried to reach them, only to find he couldn't get close.

In an instant, their heads were severed. As the heads rolled toward him, they cursed, "You heartless, unfilial son! Why didn't you save us?" "We raised you for nothing! Why don't you just die?"

As the voices died away, countless severed limbs and heads appeared around Li Yan, all hurling abuse at him. He tried to strike them with his energy, but he realized he was powerless. He remembered how he had been constantly criticized as a child, unable to do anything about it. Helpless, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his head as darkness began to consume him.

Deep within his mind, a voice suddenly echoed, "Li Yan, wake up! You are the best. All of this is fake."

Hearing this, Li Yan snapped back to reality. That’s right—he was an adult now; he didn't need to be haunted by this anymore. Closing his eyes, he severed the connection to the illusions.

When he opened his eyes, he realized that Lin Yanbai and the others had also fallen under the spell. Lin Yanbai, Zhou Mo, and Lin Hang had not been bitten yet, but one member of their team lay dead on the ground, having been devoured.

Li Yan moved quickly, defeating the zombies. Once the threat was gone, he found a way to jolt the others out of their hallucinations. They were deeply grateful to him.

"Alright, let’s go eat," Li Yan said with a smile.

He led them back to the shop. The owner, seeing that Li Yan had actually brought people back, was ecstatic. "I didn't think you’d actually do it, kid," he laughed.

Li Yan looked at the owner and said, "These people are all yours now."

Lin Hang and the others were in disbelief. "What do you mean?" Lin Hang demanded, grabbing Li Yan’s arm tightly.

Li Yan shook him off. "This owner is a monster who needs workers. I’m just helping him find some help."

The owner helped Li Yan break the restrictions on his powers. As Li Yan turned to leave, Lin Hang and his group, realizing the trap, desperately tried to stop him. Li Yan just smiled—if they wouldn't let him leave, he would stay and watch the show.

The owner transformed into his true form—a Taotie, two meters tall and one meter wide. He lunged at Lin Yanbai, snatching him up in his gaping maw. Lin Yanbai struggled, screaming for Lin Hang to save him, but despite their best efforts, Lin Hang and his men could not pry him from the creature's jaws.