Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Guest Arrives—Elder Gu Lang?

Zhang Tianlong let out a shrill scream, the pain so intense that he lost consciousness. Gu Lang lifted his foot and stomped down on Zhang Tianlong’s neck with tremendous force. The sound of the bone snapping was unmistakable. Zhang Tianlong was dead.

"You—!" A group of Zhang family experts stared wide-eyed, fury etched on their faces, yet none dared make a move. In the apocalypse, there were no laws—might was right. Gu Lang had killed Zhang Tianlong, a peak Silver, with a single punch. That level of strength meant Gu Lang was at least Gold.

As for Liu Wenhao and Su Xing’er, the two exchanged glances but made no move to help. The three great families were allies, but hardly intimate; moments ago, they’d been fighting over spoils. Now, it was clear they would not risk themselves to save Zhang Tianlong.

However, Liu Wenhao stepped forward. “Gentlemen…” His gaze swept over Gu Lang and his companion, taking in the sight of more than a hundred survivors lying at their feet. Among them were Bronze and Silver ranks.

"Heh! You two have come a long way, and you’re both skilled. I’m guessing you lost your home to the undead tide and ended up here," Liu Wenhao said. Gu Lang sneered, glancing at Liu Wenhao with feigned arrogance.

"What, you’re not convinced either?" he scoffed.

Liu Wenhao quickly shook his head and instinctively took a step back. "Of course not. Guests from afar are always welcome. Since you two are unaffiliated and unfamiliar with this place, why not join the Liu family? I can guarantee you all sorts of resources and a lofty position, second only to myself."

Liu Wenhao was no fool. These two were so formidable, they’d killed Zhang Tianlong in an instant. And there were two of them—the woman behind Gu Lang seemed just as powerful. If he didn’t recruit them, would he rather turn them into enemies? Especially now, with a crucial assault against the Millennium Princess looming.

An extra ally meant a greater chance of success.

Gu Lang chuckled, considering for a moment. “All right. I did wander here after losing everything to the undead. Since you’re willing to cooperate, I see no harm in joining you.”

Liu Wenhao broke into hearty laughter. “Excellent! And what should I call you, brother? Come, let’s return to camp—this place isn’t safe.”

"Gu Lang," he replied.

Gu Lang and his companion followed Liu Wenhao into the distance. Su Xing’er stared grimly at Zhang Tianlong’s corpse, her brow furrowed, her heart heavy.

“They’re not to be trifled with, and now Liu Wenhao has recruited them. Our family was already at a disadvantage—now, in front of the Millennium Princess, we’ll get even less of the spoils.”

…

Within a wooded scenic area of the park, the landscape was tranquil, wildflowers and grasses flourishing everywhere. An iron fence ringed the spot, with over a hundred survivors surrounding it. Most of the survivors were Bronze, a dozen or so were Silver.

Gu Lang sat at the center, ensconced on a tiger-skin chair, a platter of roast lamb and wine set beside him. Across from him sat Liu Wenhao.

"Ha! I never expected this lady to be a Gold-rank powerhouse as well. I’ve long heard of such strength," Liu Wenhao said with evident respect. Several senior members of the Liu family sat nearby, all greeting Gu Lang with deference.

Gu Lang smiled, bit into the lamb, and finally spoke. "So, tell me—what’s the situation here?"

Liu Wenhao dared not be negligent and hurried to explain. "Master Gu Lang, perhaps you’ve noticed there are thousands of survivors in this city—enough to raid a dungeon together. But most of these are outsiders; only the three great families and a few others are locals."

"The reason is, there’s a Millennium Female Zombie here—rumored to be a princess. Before the undead tide, she was the overlord of this place, commanding over a hundred thousand undead, controlling endless resources! But as the undead tide swept through, the undead scattered, and now fewer than ten thousand remain. The princess is weakened, and greed has taken hold—killing her could let someone ascend to Gold!"

Gu Lang nodded secretly, piecing together the story. In short, a crowd had set their sights on a once-mighty but now weakened zombie princess, hoping to claim a share of her power. The three great families, being the locals, were leading the assault.

Outwardly, he only chuckled. “I see. Now that I’ve joined you, the spoils are that much greater, yes? But today, I’m tired. I’d like to rest—arrange a room for me.”

He tossed aside the lamb, utterly unconcerned with those around him.

Liu Wenhao dared not hesitate; these were Golds, and two of them at that. "This way, sir! We’ve already prepared soft beds."

After Gu Lang was seen off, the Liu family leaders exchanged uneasy glances.

"Who would’ve thought Gu Lang was Gold, and his companion too? Two Golds joining us—will this help or hurt?" one elder fretted.

"What’s there to fear? They’re part of the Liu family now. Good thing I didn’t make a move earlier," Liu Wenhao said, then snorted coldly. "But they’re outsiders—Gold or not, that Gu Lang is brash and arrogant. When the time comes, it’ll be easy enough to use them as pawns against the zombie princess. In the end, they’re just chess pieces to me."

"Enough. Prepare yourselves. At dawn, we launch the first assault!"

…

In a corner of the park, a former convenience store had been boarded up and transformed into a luxurious suite within the camp. Gu Lang sat on the bed as his companion massaged his shoulders.

"So, Master Gu Lang, you were making a show of force. I was curious why we revealed all our strength and slaughtered those survivors—turns out it was to join them," the companion remarked.

It was all part of Gu Lang’s plan. From his arrival to joining the Liu family, he had a purpose.

"This is power. If we hadn’t shown our Gold-level strength, we’d be like the average survivors—scavenging scraps on the outskirts. No way would we be feasting and drinking, or sitting among the family elders. Still, I didn’t expect there to be so many survivors—over ten thousand. The zombie princess must truly possess treasures worth fighting for," Gu Lang said, quietly calculating.

From the start, upon hearing of the zombie princess, he’d suspected the truth. All Golds knew of her. Surely others did as well. And once word spread of her weakened state, competition was inevitable.

That was why Gu Lang had acted so forcefully, cutting down survivors to establish his authority. It was all preparation for what was to come. He didn’t know Liu Wenhao, but he knew there had to be a local overlord. Displaying his strength meant no one could refuse to take in two Golds.

"But isn’t this a bit reckless, showing our hand like this? What if someone targets us?" his companion asked, still uneasy at their aggressive approach.

"Then we fight our way out. Have you forgotten? We’re not the only Golds here!"