"..."
Silence fell on the other end of the walkie-talkie.
"Chen Yifei, I think you shouldn't overexert yourself," Xi Renjie said earnestly. "While the [Shura] Path has remarkable physical recovery abilities, it can't restore stamina... If you're tired, take a break. No one will blame you."
Just as Chen Yifei was about to respond, a "meat chicken" roared and charged towards him through the fog at an incredible speed.
Chen Yifei's eyes lit up. He took a swig of liquor and, like a magician, sprayed it onto his flaming stick, directing a burst of flame towards the approaching chicken. The chicken was met with a fierce burst of fire, letting out a shrill scream.
"What was that noise?" Xi Renjie asked, startled.
Chen Yifei didn't answer. He placed the jar of liquor on the ground, drew his dagger from his waist, and rushed towards the burning chicken!
With his stamina restored, Chen Yifei's speed returned to its peak. He swung his flaming stick and dagger, slicing off mouthwatering pieces of meat. Chen Yifei bit down on the meat skewered on his dagger, tearing it off with his teeth, and continued to attack while chewing.
His black trench coat fluttered in the fog as Chen Yifei, a butcher and gourmet in one, relentlessly pressed the chicken back, eventually engulfing it in flames.
"Chen Yifei, Chen Yifei?" Xi Renjie called out over the walkie-talkie. "Are you okay?"
Chen Yifei resisted the urge to devour the roasted chicken on the spot, picked up the walkie-talkie, and replied between chews, "I'm fine... it's taken care of."
"Are you eating something?"
Chen Yifei quickly swallowed his mouthful of chicken. "No."
Although somewhat perplexed, Xi Renjie sighed and continued, "The disasters are now mixed in with the crowds, constantly on the move, making it difficult to hunt them down. I can hold on for a while longer. I'm heading east now. You should find a place to..."
Before Xi Renjie could finish, another "meat chicken" burst through the fog, roaring as it charged towards Chen Yifei!
Chen Yifei was taken aback.
The chickens he had encountered before either knocked on doors to kill or attacked from within shadows. Seldom had he seen one charge at him like a mad beast. And for two such incidents to occur within minutes, Chen Yifei sensed something was amiss.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Yifei didn't hesitate to draw his dagger and engage in close combat.
Half a minute later, Chen Yifei wiped the grease from his mouth and sheathed his dagger.
He gazed at the two charred carcasses on the ground, lost in thought... Roasted chicken... no, there must be a reason behind the chickens' sudden change in behavior. Chen Yifei thoroughly searched himself and eventually focused on two items: the jar of liquor on the ground and the flaming stick in his hand.
After some contemplation, Chen Yifei ruled out the jar of liquor, as the second chicken had charged at him when the jar was several meters behind him, clearly targeting him directly.
The only possibility left was the burning torch in his hand...
Did these chickens have hostility towards fire?
Why?
To test his theory, Chen Yifei entered several households, gathered flammable wood, lit a bonfire in the middle of the foggy street, and stood guard beside it, his flaming stick and dagger at the ready.
Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...
After a brief silence, three shrill screams echoed from the end of the street. Three shadow centipedes charged through the fog, heading straight for Chen Yifei!
Chen Yifei's eyes lit up.
He knew he was right.
Without hesitation, Chen Yifei stomped out the bonfire and darted towards the approaching chickens.
Fire attracted the chickens, and if the flames lasted too long, who knew how many more would arrive... With his current strength, Chen Yifei could barely handle eight or nine. Any more, and he would become their prey.
Chen Yifei had lit the bonfire solely for experimentation. Now that he had proven fire's effect, multiple strategies materialized in his mind.
This time, instead of burning them, Chen Yifei swiftly dispatched the three chickens with his dagger and retreated in the direction he had come.
...
In a dimly lit hut, the shopkeeper groggily opened his eyes.
He gazed blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling above him, lay there for a moment, and in a daze, seemed to see again the figure chewing on the centipede, holding up its head and asking if he wanted a bite...
With a gasp, he sat upright, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"...Was it just a nightmare?"
The shopkeeper patted his chest, trying to shake off the terrifying image. Just then, the door burst open from the outside!
Thick fog poured in, and the figure from his nightmare stood at the threshold, one hand holding a flaming stick, the other a jar of liquor, calmly regarding him.
At the sight of that demonic face, the shopkeeper's heart skipped a beat, his face going pale.
"I have a question for you," Chen Yifei said, shaking the jar of liquor. "Do you have more of this liquor?"
The shaken shopkeeper nodded.
"...Yes, I have a warehouse in the northern part of the district where I store my brews."
"Give me the exact address."
Chen Yifei obtained the address and key from the shopkeeper, then turned and left, leaving the latter bewildered and unsure of what had just happened.
A few minutes later, Chen Yifei entered an abandoned marketplace.
"Brother Renjie, I'm feeling a bit tired," he said, pressing the walkie-talkie button.
As he spoke, he picked up plastic bags and began filling them with onions, ginger, and garlic.
Soon, Xi Renjie's voice came through the walkie-talkie.
"Feeling tired is normal... Find a place to rest and recover your strength."
Xi Renjie's voice was weary, but there was a subtle sense of relief in his tone when he heard Chen Yifei admit to being tired... He wasn't afraid of Chen Yifei being tired; he was afraid Chen Yifei would push himself too hard and collapse on the battlefield.
Chen Yifei suddenly stopped and grabbed a bottle of cooking wine from a nearby shelf. Checking the production date, he added it to his bag.
"Alright," Chen Yifei said, then put away the walkie-talkie.
As he walked around the marketplace, Chen Yifei selected a thicker stick, wrapped its end in a rag soaked in gasoline, and lit it.
The blazing flame at the top of the stick resembled a moving sun in the fog. Chen Yifei, torch in one hand and spices in the other, headed towards an empty alley corner... He gently pinched his cheek.
When he emerged, he was transformed into a stern-faced young man, his black trench coat replaced by a vibrant red opera robe, striking and eerie in the fog.
Chen Yifei licked his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing as he vanished into the mist, a fleeting shadow.