Chapter 28: The Mysterious Jade-Fat Meat

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It was not until the two of them reached the next floor that they heard Li Zhitian roaring furiously downstairs, followed by the sound of things being smashed to pieces.

Jiang Yi noticed that as Qingdou reached the first floor, his body suddenly sagged, and he even heard him let out a heavy breath. Knowing how miserable he felt, Jiang Yi did not make fun of him.

They walked into the lobby. With a single glance, Jiang Yi saw that the gymnasium’s entrance hall was enormous, yet utterly empty. The main doors had been completely blocked by a chaotic pile of debris, making passage impossible.

The dried bloodstains on the floor also told everyone that this place was far from peaceful. Qingdou paid little attention to them. Looking sorrowful, he set his bag on the ground and turned to Jiang Yi.

“All right, this is where we part. If you’re going to find Guo Hanxue, just follow the stairs to the fourth floor. You should be able to find her there.”

Jiang Yi froze. “What about you?”

Qingdou gave a bitter smile. “I’m going out to see whether there’s somewhere else I can hide for a while. It’s been so long already. The rescue teams probably aren’t coming. My parents are in Yamato, and I can’t reach them. I want to see whether there’s any way for me to get to the Yamato islands.”

Jiang Yi was dumbfounded. This fellow was far too naive. Even before the apocalypse, going abroad was not something that could be done at a moment’s notice, much less now. Not to mention whether there were still any planes or ships traveling to Yamato.

And even if there were, why would they take Qingdou with them? Besides, Jiang Yi did not believe the skies or the seas were any safer than the land now.

Clearly, however, Qingdou was only talking. He gazed at the outside world with self-mockery.

“Heh. If I really succeed, would that count as a great feat accomplished during the apocalypse?”

Jiang Yi wanted nothing more than to knock some sense into him. “If you’re looking for somewhere safer, the cafeteria would be a pretty good place.”

Qingdou nodded. Jiang Yi had already told him about the situation there. Unfortunately, the cafeteria was not nearby, and getting there would clearly be no easy matter.

Seeing Qingdou hesitate, Jiang Yi thought for a moment before saying, “How about this? I’ll hire you as my bodyguard.”

Qingdou stared at him blankly, looking rather foolish as he clearly failed to understand what Jiang Yi meant.

Jiang Yi smiled. “You’ve seen my condition. I’m covered in injuries, and now that I’m hiding here, there’s no way I can return to the cafeteria. In my current state, any random zombie could kill me. Since you’ve already saved me once, why not help me a little longer? Protect me until I recover. As for your payment…”

Jiang Yi considered it, then suddenly grinned.

“Your payment will be three meals a day, all provided by me, for as long as this lasts. And I’ll take you with me to the cafeteria. How does that sound?”

Qingdou was stunned. He looked at Jiang Yi strangely.

“Weren’t all your provisions divided among them? What are you going to use to pay me?”

Jiang Yi gave him a mysterious smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you eat your fill. Well?”

Qingdou nodded almost without hesitation. “All right, then it’s settled! From now on, I’m your bodyguard. But don’t keep getting me into trouble.”

His straightforward agreement left Jiang Yi somewhat incredulous. If he were in Qingdou’s place, he might never have accepted such a ridiculous arrangement.

But when he saw the clarity in Qingdou’s eyes, Jiang Yi suddenly understood. Qingdou had never truly believed he could provide the promised payment. He simply wanted to help him. Only such a thought could explain the way responsibility weighed solemnly beneath his otherwise carefree demeanor.

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Once Jiang Yi understood, he could not help laughing.

Qingdou grew uneasy. He did not think he had said anything funny.

“What are you laughing at?”

Jiang Yi pointed to his own arm and then to Qingdou’s. “Look at us. I finally have some company—two one-armed heroes! Ha…”

Qingdou realized what he meant, and his mood brightened at once. He even nudged Jiang Yi with his right arm. The movement tugged at both their wounds, and the two of them immediately grimaced in pain.

Cheerful as they were, their injuries still needed treatment. Qingdou led Jiang Yi to an empty room, and the two of them used their one good hand each to help bandage one another as best they could.

Jiang Yi had many injuries, but most were superficial. The worst were the bite wounds on his right arm and left shoulder.

Fortunately, neither seemed to have struck any vital area. Though enduring considerable pain, Jiang Yi could still force his fingers to move slightly. Qingdou’s right arm, however, was not only twisted at an odd angle but swollen and dark purple.

Qingdou clearly had some experience treating injuries. After letting a little blood from beneath his arm, he used a strip of cloth to make a simple sling and hung the arm from his neck.

Both of them had injured an arm, one on the left and one on the right. It looked almost comical in its coincidence, but Qingdou was not optimistic.

He knew all too well how serious their arm injuries were. Even before the apocalypse, they would have required careful treatment and at least half a year of rest. Now, however, there were no hospitals, no doctors, and not even suitable medicine.

There was no longer any hope of fully healing either of their arms.

Jiang Yi could not help frowning when he heard Qingdou’s assessment. This was troublesome. Hunting advanced zombies would only become more difficult now.

Qingdou mistakenly thought Jiang Yi had been frightened by what he said and quietly offered him a few words of comfort. He had no idea that Jiang Yi was merely wondering who should be given the healing potion first if he managed to obtain one.

After their injuries had been treated, Qingdou stared in disbelief as Jiang Yi pulled two tightly rolled sausages from his bag.

The moment he accepted one, a rich and savory fragrance of meat jelly filled his nose without even needing to be smelled carefully. His stomach immediately began to rumble.

Jiang Yi took out two bottles of water as well. Hearing the noise, he laughed.

“Go ahead and eat. It’s a shame Guo Hanxue isn’t here. Otherwise, we could have had some hot noodles.”

Though only a day had passed, Jiang Yi realized that he already missed the instant noodles Guo Hanxue made. Unfortunately, for all his academic brilliance, he possessed virtually no talent for cooking.

Who would have thought that he could even ruin a pot of instant noodles? And once, on a whim, he had made Chen Jiazi some handmade Valentine’s chocolates, only to mistake salt for sugar.

Qingdou knew nothing of these extravagant thoughts. He had not eaten a proper meal in nearly half a month, and he could hardly believe that something so fragrant could exist. He bit into the meat roll with all his strength, and amid its rich aroma, his eyes narrowed blissfully.

It was unbelievably delicious, beyond description. Even Yamato’s most famous wagyu beef could not compare with the distinct, beautifully layered marbling of the jade-fat meat in his hand.

Jiang Yi stared in astonishment as Qingdou devoured the half-pound portion in only a few bites, then contentedly sucked the grease from his fingers.

His gaze drifted involuntarily toward Qingdou’s lean frame. Half a pound of jade-fat meat might not look like much, but the energy it stored was enough to make even an awakened ability user feel full.

Yet Qingdou, an ordinary person, had eaten every last bit of it.

Noticing Jiang Yi’s stare, Qingdou looked embarrassed. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten anything this delicious in so long that I lost control.”

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Jiang Yi shook his head. “Don’t you feel a little bloated?”

Qingdou rubbed his flat stomach and shook his head. “No. I’ve always had a huge appetite. My father says it’s because I started practicing swordsmanship when I was young. My body burns too much energy, so I have to eat a lot.”

Jiang Yi shook his head. Somehow, he felt that was not the real reason. Still, he did not dwell on it. There were plenty of people in this world with astonishing appetites, and although jade-fat meat contained an enormous amount of energy, it was not particularly large in quantity.

Even so, Jiang Yi did not dare give Qingdou any more. He was afraid that too much might overwhelm him with the energy contained in the food.

After eating, Qingdou began to feel drowsy. Jiang Yi suggested that they rest there for the night and go upstairs the next morning.

Qingdou was far too tired to object. The very next moment, he collapsed onto the blanket spread across the floor.

Jiang Yi stared strangely at the soundly sleeping Qingdou. He had never imagined that jade-fat meat could have a sedative effect on ordinary people.

What he did not know was that ordinary people could not absorb external energy as efficiently as those with awakened abilities. They could only passively endure the energy’s violent currents.

Jade-fat meat, after all, was food created through an awakened ability. Most ordinary people could not withstand the energy contained in even a single serving. Only a survivor like Qingdou, with his powerful physique and unyielding will, could digest half a pound of it in one sitting.

As Qingdou slept peacefully, unaware of what was happening, vast amounts of energy coursed through his body. The bones in his injured arm had not yet healed, but the energy seemed to lay an invisible membrane over the wounds, completely preventing any deterioration while slowly dispersing the blood stasis within him.

It was not until the next day, when Jiang Yi saw Qingdou awaken, that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that the food might cause him some kind of problem.

As a swordsman, Qingdou knew his own body intimately. He cautiously moved his arm and discovered that not only had it failed to worsen, it actually felt much easier than the day before.

Jiang Yi glared at him resentfully. “Aren’t you supposed to be the bodyguard? How did you end up making me guard you all night?”

Qingdou immediately forgot his doubts and lowered his head apologetically.

“I’m truly sorry. I must have been too exhausted. I can’t believe I slept until now.”

Jiang Yi waved his hand. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I was only joking. Don’t take it to heart.”

Qingdou still felt guilty. He had accepted Jiang Yi’s payment without completing his duty, and as someone who had always held himself to strict standards, he found that impossible to accept.

Jiang Yi coaxed and reasoned with him at length before finally getting him to stop blaming himself. Even then, Qingdou decided to punish himself by refusing to eat for the entire day, so he would remember his dereliction of duty.

Rolling his eyes, Jiang Yi gave up.

Why was he even arguing with a man from Yamato?