Chapter Eleven: Human Hearts Are Forgetful and Prone to Change

Gu Sha looked at the woman, sensing that she might have been pushed over the edge and gone mad. He spoke calmly, “Have you misunderstood something?”

“Misunderstood?” The woman sneered as she rose to her feet. “I’ve seen plenty of people like you. Isn’t it all about playing the hero? Isn’t it about making yourself seem indispensable? You clearly have the ability to stop us from being bullied, to keep us all alive, yet you only show up after people are dead, pretending to be a savior, expecting us to be grateful. Do you really think we will thank you? Disgusting. You think you’re clever, don’t you?”

Gu Sha narrowed his eyes slightly. “Are you insane? I have no obligation to save any of you.”

She scoffed, “Still pretending? You wait until the last moment, and then we’re all supposed to be grateful, maybe even throw ourselves at you. That’s what you want, isn’t it? So self-righteous. Let me tell you, you’re even more disgusting than those others...”

“Shut your damn mouth!”

Without warning, Gu Sha swung his Tang blade, slashing the woman’s throat in one swift movement.

Blood sprayed everywhere as the woman collapsed with a crash.

Gu Sha frowned, muttering, “Idiot,” then turned to the group of wealthy socialites. “Anyone else share her opinion? I can send you to keep her company.”

The socialites paled, shaking their heads in terror.

To be honest, just moments ago, they had felt a certain resonance with the woman’s words. They, too, had noticed that Gu Sha had been upstairs, observing the chaos for quite some time without intervening, only acting at the very last moment. At first, they hadn’t thought much of it, but as the woman spoke, her words began to make sense. They were all affluent, members of high society, well acquainted with those who hoped to help the rich at a crucial moment in exchange for gratitude and overnight fortune. Subconsciously, they began to suspect Gu Sha was such a person, and a vague sense of revulsion grew within them. It wasn’t until Gu Sha killed the woman with a single stroke that they snapped back to reality; they were in no position to act superior now.

This was a common affliction among the wealthy: the notion that the poor are naturally obliged to serve them, and even when expressing gratitude, it is delivered as charity from on high.

“All clear now?” Gu Sha swept his gaze over the group, sneering. “Good. Make sure you stay that way.” With that, he kicked the woman’s corpse aside, grumbling, “Fool, so self-important.”

“Where are you going?” Lin Xingyan called out anxiously as she saw Gu Sha about to leave.

He turned to her, his tone flat, “I hope you’ll keep a clear head too. I’ve fulfilled my half of our deal. Your half—I expect you to honor it. You have a satellite phone, don’t you? That should be the first to regain signal. Call for help once it’s back up, and remember the terms you promised.”

With those words, Gu Sha headed upstairs.

He had just noticed that one of the bedrooms above was remarkably well preserved—it must be the legendary presidential suite. He thought to himself that in two lifetimes, he’d never experienced such luxury. In his previous life, he had been struggling to survive at this point; when he finally gained some power, the world was already destroyed, and survival was even more grueling. There had never been any opportunity for such indulgence.

Gu Sha went upstairs and shut the door behind him, leaving the rest downstairs exchanging uncertain glances.

...

Three or four days passed in a blur.

It had to be said—the hardware of this villa was truly impressive. Once the doors and windows were sealed, not even the zombies managed to break through after all this time. Fortunately, the villa was well stocked with food, much of it high-end fare that Gu Sha had never even seen before. So for these few days, life was unexpectedly comfortable.

Outside, the zombies howled around the villa like clockwork, each day bringing a new chorus of roars.

Inside, the mood was stifling, but the survivors gradually calmed down. The villa was sturdy, and for the moment, they were safe. Still, a heavy sense of oppression hung in the air.

Throughout these days, Gu Sha remained upstairs, barely interacting with the others except to come down and deal with the occasional zombie that managed to stumble in. The rest rallied around Lin Xingyan for two reasons: first, they knew Gu Sha would protect her; second, she stood the best chance of calling in a rescue. So they vied for her favor, hoping for a sliver of hope.

On the fifth day, Lin Xingyan’s satellite phone finally regained signal, and she managed to contact her family.

In that moment, the ever-tense Lin Xingyan finally let out a breath of relief. She rushed upstairs, bursting into Gu Sha’s room, shouting, “I got through to my father! He’ll send a helicopter to rescue me as soon as possible!”

Gu Sha was sitting cross-legged on the bed, practicing his energy-guiding technique. Now that the air contained traces of primal energy—after so many days, the initial source orbs had already dissipated into the atmosphere, unless consumed—the air, though thinly infused, was better than nothing. Cultivating the energy-guiding technique, however little, did some good for his gene development. Gu Sha always felt a sense of urgency; even a moment was too precious to waste, so he persisted in his training.

Lin Xingyan’s sudden entrance interrupted his practice. He frowned and barked, “Who told you to enter without knocking?”

Startled, Lin Xingyan stepped back, stammering, “I... I was just excited and wanted to tell you the good news…”

“I heard you.” Gu Sha’s voice was icy. “Remember, from now on, you must knock and get my permission before coming in.”

She nodded hastily, “I—I understand!”

“Get out.”

Lin Xingyan quickly exited and closed the door behind her. As she did, she glanced at the satellite phone in her hand, suddenly feeling emboldened. She cast an unfriendly look at Gu Sha’s room before descending the stairs with a sullen expression.

The other survivors immediately crowded around her, smiles plastered on their faces, offering all manner of flattery.

Upon hearing that Lin Xingyan had been scolded by Gu Sha, one woman remarked, “What’s wrong with that man? If it weren’t for you, Miss Lin, he wouldn’t have made it out either. Sure, he saved you, but you’re about to save him in return—you’re his future benefactor! How could he speak to you like that?”

“Exactly! He doesn’t know how to be grateful. If it were me, I’d be endlessly thankful to you, Miss Lin—my life would be yours!”

“Yes, he’s gone too far. Miss Lin, you owe him nothing, so why should he treat you that way? Just ignore him—he really has no sense of gratitude!”

“You don’t owe him anything, after all…”