Cultivator in a Zombie Apocalypse

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty One - In the End, He Must Still Leave

Before leaving, Bai Yan handed Ren Zexian a small silk pouch, enchanted with many wards. The other recognised it immediately and knew what it held. "Give those to your lover, perhaps he will be successful where we failed." Ren Zexian gripped the pouch tightly. "I will return in the future."

"I know." These were their parting words with no mentions of farewells, though it might be months or even years before Ren Zexian would see Bai Yan again. He simply watched as Bai Yan sped swiftly away, heading first North before turning East and then he was gone.

*****

It had taken Bai Yan nearly ten months to find Ren Zexian in the distant and small land, far west of the origin of his journey and nestled within the seas off of the coast of the main lands stretched between them. However, the lone moon waxed and waned just once in the period it took to return... he would have taken less time had he not decided to challenge a few large, mutant beasts that had crossed his path. The desert serpent had been particularly difficult to deal with, however its skin would become a great armour... if he was able to find a decent blacksmith anywhere. Alas none of the humans he'd met so far had any such talent.

As the sun rose on the twenty eighth day of his journey, he stepped into land that went by the name Huaxia. This land had once been vastly populated and understood in theory some of the principles that the cultivators of Eld Dein had used in practice for millennia. Their language had differed to their own much like an accent and the common Device the oldest cultivators all wore for Deciphering Tongues had not been required when they had woken here, though there was still some disparity when it came to cultural manner that would have taken a bit of time to overcome... had the Apocalypse not occurred a few days following.

The cities had been overcome in a matter of hours with the dense population becoming a hindrance to survival rather than a help. Most were abandoned either completely or partially as the survivors banded together, just as was common throughout the world. The settlements, surrounded by walls and often militarised were named bases, but even if the foundations were strong, rot occasionally could set in. Blood considered thick could dilute to become as water, close friends could become the deadliest of enemies, those with power could seek to suppress those without. Or a strange hand could reach out in ones greatest of need and become the support one needed to stand strong.

The base that Bai Yan headed to was not the largest and was not even in the most advantageous position, but others had learned that it could not be overlooked. Those without the awakened veins to become ability users were not repressed and those with elemental or physical powers were exempt from morals or law. The laws for this base were based on common sense and survival, not for the decision maker's benefits. It cannot be said that all was in harmony, but it was far from the dark chaos that was rumoured to have infected two or three bases in the country.

In this base, two cultivators taught their arts to those they considered worthy. There was often a price for such lessons, but they varied from as little as a bundle of common herbs to a rare piece of flawless jade that had been carved into the shape of a lion. The man, who appeared just a little over thirty, despite the iron grey eyes that seemed as old as time, would teach the ability users how to use and how to strengthen their arts. The most famous of his students was a woman who created a wall of fire during the first zombie tide, burning hundreds of weaker zombies to death on her own before others were destroyed using a mix of petrol, alcohol and air to fuel the fires.

In contrast, the woman taught less, but her few students were all given lessons in transforming mutated plants and herbs into strange concoctions and pills, though only one had ever successfully created said pills. She claimed to be a student herself, but of the man, yet he never gave such lessons to anyone in the base. The pills and potions became highly sought after, raising their value to often ridiculous prices, only affordable to an elite few. None of those people knew that these things were considered basic and common to the many realms beyond this own and were not really profitable there.