Chapter 2, The Corpse

The corpse was not particularly pleased about being kicked, and thus reacted; it trembled and emitted a sound. Zhang Chu was startled. "Even in death, it cannot be at peace"

Zhang Chu took out the wolf meat again and cooked it in a clay pot. After the two shared the meal, they prepared to set off.

Listening to this, Zhang Chu felt a deep sense of suffering in his heart. He had arrived in the troubled times of the late Ming Dynasty, specifically in the heavily afflicted Shaanxi province. Surviving here would be a daunting challenge, and he could not know when he might collapse by the roadside, a lifeless body, due to starvation.

He Jin's health is acceptable; after a night's rest and having eaten, he now has the strength to walk on his own

"Master? How did you tell that I am a master?" Zhang Chu asked curiously

Zhang Chu looked closely at the "deceased"; surprisingly, the "deceased" opened his eyes and, with trembling lips, uttered the words: "Save me"

When the desire for everything to disappear arose, Zhang Chu became completely numb, losing the motivation to think about problems. He no longer observed his surroundings, merely dragging his heavy legs forward aimlessly.

Gradually, Zhang Chu became numb to it all, no longer looking at the corpses that occasionally appeared, as if they were merely a part of the scenery. Zhang Chu trudged along, hoping only that he would not become one of the corpses. He dragged his increasingly heavy legs along this road of death, unable to see the end of the path, nor any glimmer of hope

Zhang Chu thought about the situation introduced by He Jin and considered finding some self-defense items, as encountering wild animals or bad people again would be troublesome

The presence of two individuals together brings a sense of security. At noon, they discovered a small village with several thatched cottages scattered along the roadside. In one courtyard, enclosed by a stone wall, smoke was rising from the roof of a house. They had finally found a place with people, and their spirits lifted, prompting them to quicken their pace.

It is now the eighth month of the seventh year of the Apocalypse, but the new emperor has just ascended the throne and changed the era name to Chongzhen. Master, how could you not know even this?

When Zhang Chu woke up again, it was already the morning of the next day, and He Jin was also awake, sitting beside Zhang Chu and looking at him

He then asked the person, "What is your name? How did you end up lying here?"

As the sky darkened, Zhang Chu had no choice but to find a sheltered spot to drag He Jin over. After finishing his food, He Jin fell asleep again. Zhang Chu looked up at the starry sky, filled with confusion. What should he do? Not only was his own situation difficult, but now he also had a starving He Jin to care for. If he brought him along, the consumption of food would double, and he wouldn't always be so fortunate to have wolf meat to eat. However, if he allowed such a weak person to fend for himself, he wouldn't survive for long. He thought it over: it was better to save him for a few days than to let him die. At worst, they would starve together; in this chaotic world, living was not much better than dying. Having made up his mind, Zhang Chu stopped dwelling on it, relaxed, and soon fell asleep.

Zhang Chu looked at him and asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

Looking at the horrifying corpses, Zhang Chu couldn't help but feel his hair stand on end. He quickened his pace and ran forward. Not long after, he discovered another corpse lying by the roadside. The further he went, the more corpses he encountered, most of whom were elderly and children. The bodies bore no signs of injury, suggesting they had died from illness or starvation. Given the experiences of the past few days, Zhang Chu had to consider that the likelihood of these people having starved to death was greater.

Suddenly, Zhang Chu realized that not only could he not return, but he might also end up like these people, becoming a corpse and gradually decaying. He must clarify the situation he is currently in

Not dead, it scared me to death. "I am not a doctor to save you," thought Zhang Chu. However, Zhang Chu quickly realized that in this era, saving a person does not require a doctor; as long as there is food, anyone can save a life. With this thought, Zhang Chu held his food tightly. He turned to leave, but after taking a few steps, he couldn't help but look back, "If I leave, this person will truly become a corpse."

That person, seeing Zhang Chu in a daze, did not ask anything further and lay on the ground, slowly recovering his strength

Zhang Chu then noticed that this person had long hair and was wearing clothing in an ancient style. He then asked, "What year is it now?"

A corpse lay sprawled in the middle of the road, and Zhang Chu, not paying attention, stepped right on it, landing in a standard face-plant. Although there were no spectators, this made Zhang Chu extremely angry. He got up from the ground and walked over to the corpse, kicking it without any courtesy. "Can't even find a proper place to die," Zhang Chu cursed.

The two individuals prepared themselves and set off along the main road on an unknown journey

He Jin listened and was very pleased, quickly saying: "Great, let's go together"

He Jin remained silent for half a day before saying: "I do not know what to do in the future. Thank you, Master, for saving me. I can only move forward, hoping to find something to eat. I have regained some strength and can walk on my own now"

With eager anticipation, I arrived outside the courtyard, only to find the gate closed. Just as Zhang Chu was about to knock, a child's voice suddenly rang out from within the courtyard: "I do not eat human flesh"

Zhang Chu found a willow tree by the roadside that was about the thickness of an egg and relatively straight. It seemed that this could be put to use. Zhang Chu called over He Jin, and the two of them exerted all their strength to break the tree at its roots. Zhang Chu then found a sharp stone shard to grind away the small branches on top, burned the crown of the tree in the fire, and used the stone shard to scrape the charred part into a point. In this way, Zhang Chu had a pointed wooden stick. With the stick in hand, Zhang Chu felt much more at ease.

It can only be done this way, Zhang Chu said helplessly

Zhang Chu realized that He Jin had misunderstood his intention, thinking that he was afraid of being a burden to him. He then said, "What I mean is, if you don't have any goals, then we can travel together for mutual support."

The sight of cannibalism left the two people frozen in fear at that moment

This place is not very far from my hometown, but I rarely go out and do not recognize where this is. Originally, I was walking along the road with the refugees." He Jin replied

I have been living in the mountains for a long time and have only recently come down to walk around said Zhang Chufu dismissively

At that moment, Zhang Chu felt as if thousands of horses were galloping in his heart. Being wrongly captured was one thing; he had nearly been killed, starved half to death, and chased by wolves that wanted to make him their meal. Previously, Zhang Chu thought this was the limit of his misfortune, believing that once he found the main road, he could return to his former carefree and happy life. Unexpectedly, he now found himself in the Ming Dynasty, and moreover, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, a time of great suffering for the people, where human life was worth less than that of a dog. Those two individuals spoke of experience; what good was experience after it was gained? Having read many time-travel novels, he had never heard of anyone traveling back after having crossed over. Unexpectedly, he now found himself in the Ming Dynasty, and moreover, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, a time of great suffering for the people, where human life was worth less than that of a dog. Those two individuals spoke of experience; what good was experience after it was gained? Having read many time-travel novels, he had never heard of anyone traveling back after having crossed over.

Zhang Chu couldn't help but hold tightly to the bundle containing the wolf meat against his chest. However, seeing He Jin lying weakly on the ground, Zhang Chu let out a helpless sigh, took out a piece of wolf meat from the bundle, and handed it to He Jin, advising him to eat slowly

Zhang Chu asked again, "Are you familiar with this place?"

Turning around, I examined the "corpse" for a moment. There were no wounds on the body, and there was a heartbeat and breathing, so it should just be hungry

That person silently watched Zhang Chu examine him, having no strength left to make any further gestures. He could only force himself to open his eyes and look at Zhang Chu, unsure whether Zhang Chu was searching for something useful on him or trying to save him

Zhang Chu gathered some weeds and dry branches by the roadside to start a fire. He brought water in a clay pot and placed it over the flames to boil. He broke the wolf's blood from his pack into pieces and added it to the water, cooking a pot of blood soup. Then, he gradually fed it to the person, sitting beside him and watching as he slowly regained his strength. After a while, the person finally showed signs of life, struggling to sit up and said to Zhang Chu: "Thank you, Master"

"Looking at your short hair, are you not a disciple of the Buddhist sect?" that person said

My surname is He, and my name is He Jin. I am a farmer from Yanchang County, Shaanxi. This year, Shaanxi has suffered a disaster; the weather has been extremely dry, and the crops in the village have yielded nothing. We have consumed all our food, and then people began to eat wild vegetables, roots, and tree bark. Despite this, the authorities still pressured us for donations and taxes. The villagers could no longer sustain their lives and had no choice but to leave their homes in search of food. However, along the way, we also faced disasters, with nothing to eat. Most people did not travel far, and many starved to death on the road. My parents also died one after another on the journey, and now I am the only one left in my family. When I reached this point, I truly could not hold on any longer and collapsed on the road, expecting to die here, but fortunately, the master saved me. He Jin recounted his experiences in a fragmented manner.