A Fake Holy Mother in the Zombie Apocalypse

Bei Nuan thought, there's more than one kind of satellite phone. What are the odds they'd use the same one?

Maybe this woman has something to do with Huo Ren's group.

She leaned against the doorframe, twirling a strand of hair around her finger while talking on the phone.

Fortunately, Bei Nuan could understand her.

"Mmm, I've looked everywhere, but I still haven't found it… We ran into heavy rain on the road yesterday and were delayed for a whole night… We found a place to stay. You wouldn't want me to travel in the rain, would you?"

Her tone sounded like she was acting coquettish with the person on the other end.

After a pause, during which the other person presumably spoke, she continued, "…No car. We encountered a landslide halfway, and the car couldn't get through… I'll be back tomorrow. Will I be able to see you soon?"

Her tone was full of anticipation.

But the other person seemed to say something that dashed her hopes.

Disappointment filled the woman's eyes. She simply said, "Oh," and hung up.

She seemed to only then notice the person standing by the door and asked Jue Niu, "What's the matter?"

Jue Niu respectfully placed a hand on his chest and bowed deeply.

"Holy Maiden Ya Wen, the people in the next room have come out. There are indeed a few men inside, and their ages are about right. We weren't sure if it was them, so we didn't dare let them go. We wanted to bring them up for you to see."

So this was Holy Maiden Ya Wen.

Holy Maiden Ya Wen frowned, her eyes clearly expressing her impatience, as if thinking, "Can't you even handle such a small matter?"

Bei Nuan thought, Why doesn't anyone tell her, "You've let Xiu Ye's evil fire control your heart! You're so impatient."

Jue Niu, however, seemed completely oblivious and just waited respectfully.

Holy Maiden Ya Wen seemed to have a headache. She raised a hand and rubbed her temples with her manicured fingertips, then casually glanced towards the corridor outside the door.

With just one glance, her headache seemed to vanish instantly.

She froze, her eyes, visible above her veil, gleaming.

Bei Nuan couldn't help but turn to look at what had cured her headache so effectively.

Lu Xing Chi stood there, bathed in a beam of sunlight slanting through the corridor window.

He looked as fresh as the morning air.

He also resembled a deity who had wandered into the mortal world during the night and, captivated by this place, had lingered until dawn, unable to tear himself away.

He was perfect, refined, and elegant. Only the faint outline of muscles beneath his sunlit shirt reminded others that he was a dangerous predator, not someone to be trifled with.

Bei Nuan glanced at his clothes and thought, Why didn't I notice how see-through this shirt was before?

Mr. Lu, isn't it a bit cold for you in the early morning? Aren't you wearing a little too little?

Holy Maiden Ya Wen spoke.

"They don't look like the people in the photos, but…" She glanced over again, then turned her head and whispered a few words to Jue Niu.

Unable to resist one last look, she closed the door.

Jue Niu respectfully bowed towards the closed door before turning to lead the group downstairs.

He remained silent, tiptoeing as if afraid of disturbing their precious Holy Maiden. Only after reaching the first floor did he speak to Bei Nuan and the others.

"You're in luck. Holy Maiden Ya Wen is feeling benevolent. She said that with zombies everywhere, it's not easy to survive. If you're willing, you can join our tribe and come with us."

Bei Nuan thought, Benevolent? More like lustful.

However, since this group was also looking for the mysterious person, and they wanted to follow them anyway, this proposal came at the perfect time.

Lu Xing Chi pretended to consider it seriously, carefully inquiring about their tribe.

It turned out that their tribe was originally located on the flats of a large salt river.

Because the terrain was too open and offered no natural defenses, they suffered heavy losses when the zombie outbreak occurred.

Since their original location was difficult to defend against zombies, they found a new, safer location further ahead and were building a new camp fortified against zombies.

This group, led by Holy Maiden Ya Wen, had gone out on business and happened to pass by this place when they encountered Lu Xing Chi and the others.

They refused to disclose the nature of their business.

Bei Nuan guessed that, in all likelihood, they were looking for the mysterious person.

After listening, Lu Xing Chi pretended to think for a moment, discussed it with Bei Nuan and the others, and agreed.

Jue Niu was delighted. "Our tribe is usually quite strict about accepting new members. We assess character and personality. It's rare for Holy Maiden Ya Wen to be willing to accept so many people at once."

He briefly explained the tribe's customs, and Bei Nuan quickly realized that this tribe was a bit peculiar.

For centuries, perhaps due to living by the salt river, they had worshipped the Water God.

They believed that water was the origin of all things and could cleanse both body and soul.

Conversely, they believed that all bad things were caused by fire. The Fire God, Xiu Ye, who controlled fire, was considered evil.

Fire, they believed, caused restlessness, fueled greed and lust, and made people short-tempered. Therefore, as long as one stayed away from fire, everything would be fine.

Bei Nuan strongly suspected that this belief stemmed from some collective trauma, perhaps a devastating fire that had ravaged their tribe long ago.

"Then how do you cook?" Bei Nuan asked curiously.

If they didn't use fire, did they eat everything raw?

Jue Niu replied, "Of course we cook. Now we have designated people who cook. They are chosen from among those most favored by the Water God. After cooking, they carefully purify their hands with water. It used to be much more convenient when we had rice cookers and induction hobs."

Bei Nuan couldn't help but ask, "You used electricity before? Doesn't electricity count as fire?"

Jue Niu replied seriously, "Of course, we use hydroelectric power."

Right, Bei Nuan thought. Clever.

Another peculiarity of this place was that everyone was excessively polite. To prevent Xiu Ye's evil fire from controlling their hearts, everyone was gentle and calm.

No one ever raised their voice.

There were so many people on the first floor, yet it was quieter than the boardroom with her boss.

Sometimes, when Bei Nuan forgot to control her volume and spoke a little too loudly, people around her would smile and make a "shushing" gesture.

This caused Jue Niu to apologize profusely.

The weather was beautiful today, sunny and clear after the rain, perfect for traveling. So, soon, the group packed their things and set off.

When they left the villa, it turned out they really had no car and would have to walk.

"Can you manage?" Lu Xing Chi asked Bei Nuan in a low voice, taking her hand.

"It's fine," Bei Nuan replied.

She thought, What else can I do? Are you going to carry me?

Then she heard Lu Xing Chi chuckle softly. "If you get tired, I'll carry you."

Jue Niu, who had been walking with them, suddenly glanced at their clasped hands, looking a bit awkward.

"There's another rule we forgot to mention," Jue Niu said. "Romantic relationships are strictly forbidden in the tribe."

Bei Nuan couldn't help but ask, "If you don't have relationships, how do you get married and have children?"

It was a miracle this tribe hadn't died out.

"Marriages are arranged by the tribe," Jue Niu replied, blushing slightly, seemingly losing control of Xiu Ye's evil fire. "Like us, when we reach a certain age, if we perform well, the tribe will arrange for a woman to marry us."

So this tribe assigned spouses.

That was quite convenient. When you reached a certain age, one would fall from the sky, saving you all the trouble.

Jue Niu continued, "We marry solely for the purpose of having children. The children belong to the tribe and are raised communally."

Jue Niu patiently explained, "We believe that constantly thinking about romantic love and having children is also a sin, a way for the Fire God Xiu Ye to lead people astray."

Bei Nuan thought, If that's a sin, then your Holy Maiden Ya Wen must be quite the sinner.

They walked and talked, occasionally stopping to rest. Before noon, they arrived at their destination.

It was a valley basin nestled between two steep mountains.

Shielded by the mountains, the valley was enclosed by a high wooden fence, which seemed effective against zombies.

Through the gaps in the fence, they could vaguely see many people busy building houses inside.

As soon as they reached the gate, they saw a large group of people waiting under the scorching sun. Seeing them return, they hurried forward and bowed in unison to Ya Wen.

Holy Maiden Ya Wen seemed oblivious and didn't bother to return the greeting. She simply scanned the crowd, her expression filled with disappointment.

Bei Nuan could guess that the person she was flirting with on the phone hadn't come.

Holy Maiden Ya Wen was respectfully escorted away by the crowd, while the others had to undergo wound checks.

An older woman examined Bei Nuan's wounds.

Older women everywhere were equally enthusiastic, and this border region was no exception. She chatted with Bei Nuan while examining her.

She also said that Bei Nuan and the others were extremely lucky.

Although their tribe accepted outsiders, their standards were always very strict. They only chose those who weren't overly influenced by the Fire God Xiu Ye, lest they disrupt the tribe's peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

After the examination, the older woman brought Bei Nuan a new set of clothes.

It was a white outfit, the same as everyone else wore: a white jacket with a small stand-up collar and white, slightly loose pants for ease of movement.

The older woman not only gave Bei Nuan clothes but also patiently taught her how to bow.

Bei Nuan had already noticed that the people in this tribe treated bowing like a daily exercise, constantly bowing to each other.

It turned out that the bows varied subtly depending on the person, the situation, and the reason for bowing.

The position and angle of the hands, the gestures of the fingers, the depth of the bow, the way the head was raised, the placement of the feet, the direction of the gaze—all had subtle differences.

Different bows could also convey different meanings.

"Hello," "Thank you," "I'm sorry," "You're welcome," and even complex meanings like "I'm grateful for your help, and I'm willing to reciprocate in the future" could all be expressed through bowing.

With all the possible combinations, Bei Nuan calculated there were at least a hundred variations.

Insufficient formality was unacceptable, but excessive formality was also inappropriate. Doing it wrong would be considered rude and uncultured.

For example, bowing to an elder with a bow intended for a younger person might be seen as disrespectful, while bowing to a younger person with a bow meant for an elder might be interpreted as an insult about their age.

Incredibly troublesome.

Why bother with so much fuss? Wouldn't it be better to just greet each other with a friendly and practical "Have you eaten?"

After learning for a long time, Bei Nuan only managed to grasp the basics.

While learning to bow, Bei Nuan took the opportunity to ask the older woman, "Is there a Holy Maiden in your tribe?"

The older woman was happy to share.

"Yes, our Holy Maiden Ya Wen. Hundreds of years ago, our tribe received a portrait of a Holy Maiden. The prophecy said that the end of the world was coming, and a Holy Maiden would descend to save everyone."

Bei Nuan thought, A Holy Maiden, a prophecy… Quite fantastical.

"Look, isn't the world in chaos now?" the older woman continued. "When our current Holy Maiden Ya Wen was younger, our former Chief saw her in her village and thought she looked exactly like the portrait. He brought her here to be the Holy Maiden."

"Former Chief?" Bei Nuan asked curiously.

"Yes, he has passed away. The current Chief is Chief Jia Han."

Bei Nuan changed into her new clothes and, before leaving, bowed to the older woman according to their customs.

The older woman looked embarrassed.

"Is it still wrong?" Bei Nuan wondered. "You're older than me, a senior. Shouldn't I bow like this?"

The older woman explained, "Although I'm older, I'm serving you right now, so you shouldn't bow so deeply."

The older woman repositioned Bei Nuan's hands.

Bei Nuan was puzzled. "It's not even noon yet. Shouldn't my hands be positioned like this?"

"That's the bow for the morning, when you expect to see the person again. But I'll be here examining people all day, so we probably won't see each other again. The bow should be more formal."

Bei Nuan: Argh!

If this were a class, Bei Nuan would definitely fail.

When Bei Nuan came out in her new clothes, she immediately felt like she blended in with the sea of white in the camp.

Lu Xing Chi and the others also came out, each dressed in the same white outfit.

Looking at Lu Xing Chi, Bei Nuan had only one thought: This outfit isn't bad. Although it's thin, at least it's not see-through.

Seeing her come out, Jue Niu immediately bowed to her.

Bei Nuan carefully considered the time, place, event, the other person's gender, age, and status, and solemnly returned the bow.

Jue Niu's face twitched.

But he was good-natured, his calm, water-like heart completely unperturbed by Xiu Ye's evil fire. He endured it and said nothing.

Jue Niu led them to their accommodations.

The camp was still under construction, with houses being built everywhere.

They had set up many simple white cloth tents with bamboo beds inside, each accommodating six or seven people.

Bei Nuan realized that, like a school, the tents weren't assigned by family but were separated into male and female dormitories.

An old woman, who looked at least sixty or seventy years old, was sewing inside a tent, making the white clothes everyone was wearing.

Her hair was completely white, yet she lived in the dormitory with the young women. Bei Nuan wondered where her husband and children were.

This tribe's rules were truly bizarre.

As soon as Bei Nuan arrived at the women's dormitory and put down her bag, many people came to greet her.

Everyone bowed.

Bei Nuan hurriedly returned their bows one after another.

So many people came, and the situations were so complex that Bei Nuan's brain quickly overloaded and crashed.

Bei Nuan gave up. Forget it, whatever.

Her returned bows were unparalleled, devastatingly effective.

Everyone who received her bow ended up with a contorted face like Jue Niu's.

While Bei Nuan was busy unleashing Xiu Ye's evil fire with her return bows, Jue Niu came back, bringing Lu Xing Chi and the others, and announced that everyone had to go out and work.

The work involved helping to build houses.

Jue Niu initially intended to take Bei Nuan away to join a group of women, but perhaps considering it was her first day, he relented and let her stay with Lu Xing Chi and the others.

Their assigned task was to saw long pieces of wood into standard lengths needed for building.

Lu Xing Chi and the others quickly got the hang of it, sawdust flying everywhere.

They didn't need Bei Nuan's help at all.

Since everyone was busy, Bei Nuan felt embarrassed to be idle, so she picked up her saw and ran around in the sawdust, pretending to be busy while actually slacking off.

Jue Niu observed, saw that everything was running smoothly, and left.

But he returned shortly after.

He said to Lu Xing Chi, "Holy Maiden Ya Wen said you don't have to work here. She wants you to be her attendant."

Attendant?

Jue Niu explained, "It means serving the Holy Maiden tea and water, doing some chores that require strength, and ensuring her safety when she goes out."

Jue Niu seemed delighted, his tone laced with envy.

As if Mr. Lu having the opportunity to serve his Holy Maiden tea and water and do chores was a great honor.

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