Chapter 57: Funeral on Yushan

Volume 1 “Year of Calamity”

Medusa flew away, but before leaving she told An Sheng that she would come find him in the near future. Of course, this was exactly what An Sheng least wanted to see. Although this terrifying woman repeatedly claimed to like An Sheng and wanted him to become her man, An Sheng simply couldn’t believe it. Even if it were true, An Sheng would absolutely never be willing. After all, this would undoubtedly be like bargaining with a tiger for its skin.

After he could no longer sense Medusa’s presence, An Sheng tried flapping the wings on his back and actually managed to take off. However, the process of a fledgling learning to fly was still rather thrilling. Several times, he either crashed into buildings or lost control and fell on mountain peaks. In short, the only experience An Sheng gained from his first flight was pain. Fortunately, the powerful adaptability of mutated creatures allowed An Sheng to quickly master flying techniques.

Flying rapidly through the air, An Sheng roughly calculated his speed – it was almost comparable to a helicopter. This was already quite good, though it was too conspicuous. After all, to fly he needed to transform, and after transforming he would emit pheromones, which would attract the attention of other mutants. This wasn’t what An Sheng wanted to see.

Soon, An Sheng caught up with Nie Chong and the others in the air. The virus signal detector on Nie Chong’s armor immediately sounded an alarm. If Nie Chong hadn’t recognized An Sheng through the holographic screen, his appearance would have definitely made Nie Chong mistake him for that flying zombie chasing after them again, almost causing him to open fire.

Ahead was Huan’an County Town. An Sheng canceled his Demon State and continued traveling with the group on foot. Upon learning that the severely injured members in the team needed immediate surgery, they decided to check if the county hospital could handle it. After all, the Armored Assault Vehicle had been destroyed by the flying zombie, and neither An Sheng nor Nie Chong dared to fly openly back to the Fortress. If they attracted the attention of other Advanced Mutants or Purifiers, the gain wouldn’t be worth the loss.

In the operating room of Huan’an County Central Hospital, the awakened Zhou Xiaoxiao was performing an amputation surgery on the injured Wu Hongyu. This was her first time performing this type of surgery. Although she was a surgeon, she was still an intern who hadn’t graduated yet. Other than anatomy classes, this was her first time operating on a living person. Anyone who said she wasn’t nervous would be lying.

However, with Xun Lili and the awakened Ye Rong assisting, plus the encouragement from both women, although this first major amputation surgery was somewhat challenging, it successfully saved a person’s life. After completing the surgery, Zhou Xiaoxiao collapsed sitting on the ground, her clothes soaked through with sweat. She finally understood why surgeons would lose a pound or two after a major surgery – it was completely a delicate yet physically demanding job.

“Are you okay, Xiaoxiao?” Xun Lili helped Zhou Xiaoxiao up from the ground, asking with some concern.

Zhou Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and gave her a strained smile before saying: “Lili, you need to find some medicine and equipment. His later treatment will require these things that we don’t have in the Fortress.”Xun Lili acknowledged and turned to leave the operating room. With An Sheng and Nie Chong gone to the county town to search for vehicles, she was now the most capable among them. The hospital still housed many zombies, so the task of gathering medical equipment and supplies naturally fell to her.

“Thank you, Dr. Zhou. You saved Hongyu’s life, and thank all of you for saving ours!” Only now did Ye Rong have a moment to express her gratitude to Zhou Xiaoxiao and the others. The past two days had been a terrifying nightmare for her, but fortunately, the nightmare had finally ended.

Zhou Xiaoxiao glanced at Ye Rong, then at the officer on the operating table, and suddenly felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. “You should thank the big guy. He died to save all of us! Brother Nie said there wasn’t even a body left—completely vanished into ashes!”

As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoxiao covered her mouth and began to cry. Everyone in the Fortress was like family to one another. After the apocalypse descended and disasters struck relentlessly, these survivors had leaned on each other for warmth, settling and putting down roots in a place called Yushan, where they had painstakingly built a new, sweet home. In Zhou Xiaoxiao’s heart, she never wished nor imagined that anyone would die. But she had been too idealistic—this was the apocalypse, how could there be no death?

Ye Rong had been present when Liu Pengyu died. Though she hadn’t witnessed it directly in the escape pod, she could roughly guess that the young corporal had detonated his improvised nuclear bomb to cover his comrades. He was a soldier worthy of respect, but she didn’t cry. Fallen comrades wouldn’t want to see them in tears. She needed to stay strong and live on, carrying the will of those who had sacrificed themselves, including the share of the person she loved.

“What was his name?” Ye Rong walked over to Zhou Xiaoxiao, gently patting her back to comfort her.

After Zhou Xiaoxiao choked out Liu Pengyu’s name, Ye Rong softly helped her up and tenderly drew her into an embrace. “I’m probably older than you, little sister. Let me tell you, he, like Lieutenant Colonel Li, is a soldier worthy of admiration. Before enlisting, we all swore to defend our country and people with our lives. They simply did what they had to do. Don’t grieve. We should inherit their will, keep living strongly, until the day we reclaim the land that rightfully belongs to us!”

Around midnight, the rescue team brought the two saved soldiers back to the Fortress. Old Zhang, Su Yao, and the others were still awake, deeply worried about An Sheng and the team’s safety. Seeing the rescue team return, they hurried over to check on them.

“Where’s the big guy?” Old Zhang counted everyone and noticed two unfamiliar soldiers but missed a familiar face—where was the bold Liu Pengyu? In his heart, he already guessed the outcome but refused to believe it.

No one spoke. Grief rendered them silent, and the silence made the air heavy. Finally, Nie Chong broke the sorrowful atmosphere: “I’ll go sort through Peng Yu’s belongings, Commander. Let’s hold a funeral for him.””Was he in pain when he left?” Su Yao asked softly, fighting back tears. To her, these young men who ate her cooking every day were like her own younger brothers.

“Sister Su, he went quickly, just in an instant. I don’t think he suffered,” Nie Chong replied in a low voice. Indeed, in the extreme heat and violent explosion, Liu Pengyu’s body turned to ashes in a moment – he couldn’t have suffered.

“That’s good. Did he have any last wishes?” Su Yao was already choking up, but still forced herself to continue asking. Everyone has unfinished wishes, and for the departed loved ones, this was the only way the living could commemorate them.

“He said, ‘Captain, remember to burn me a pack of Soft Zhonghua!'” After saying this, Nie Chong could no longer hold back his sobs. His comrade, his brother, had died – gloriously fallen in battle protecting them, yet not even leaving behind a complete body.

They say men don’t shed tears easily, but that’s only because they haven’t reached the depth of sorrow.

“Soft Zhonghua? I’ll find it, I’ll find it!” Old Zhang stammered through his tears. As a retired veteran, he understood better than anyone the bond between brothers in arms.

Liu Pengyu’s funeral began at three o’clock the following afternoon. An elderly man in the Fortress who claimed to know fortune-telling said this was an auspicious time for Pengyu’s burial. Though everyone knew this was superstition, they all agreed – after all, this was just an old man’s way of commemorating the departed.

Since Liu Pengyu had never married or had a partner, he left no descendants. According to tradition, there should be no mourning sons to wear funeral garments. But the adults in the Fortress had all their children put on mourning clothes made from white bedsheets by the survivors, serving as mourning sons to pay their respects. The coffin had been carried back from Wugang Town by Pighead Three. Someone had even set up a memorial altar for Pengyu, but since there were no photos, his remaining clothes were placed where his portrait should have been.

The survivors in the Fortress were all ordinary people, who used the rituals they knew to give Liu Pengyu a traditional rural funeral. They tried their best to provide everything necessary for this generous, tall young man, making by hand what they couldn’t find. Everyone contributed in their own small way for this departed family member.

The gravesite was located under a pine tree on the mountainside. The fortune-telling old man said this spot, with its back to the mountain and feet touching water, was an excellent feng shui location for eternal rest. More importantly, it was close to their Fortress – if Pengyu’s soul could return here, he would probably want to stay with his family.

When the coffin was lowered and the tombstone erected, everyone from the Fortress gathered before Liu Pengyu’s grave, commemorating their loved one in various ways. Active soldiers and veterans saluted, the children in mourning clothes performed the kneeling ceremony of mourning sons, while most others observed silence and bowed. On the bluestone tombstone cut with an Electromagnetic Oscillation Battle Blade, the epitaph read:

“His soul returns home, Yushan smiles, fortunate to bury a hero;

The historical waters flow eternal, the martyr’s example shines through the ages.

Born 1998, fell in glory 2021!”When the mourning crowd had dispersed, Nie Chong, An Sheng, and several active-duty soldiers stayed behind as if by tacit agreement. Nie Chong walked up to Liu Pengyu’s grave, crouched down, and took out several packs of Soft Zhonghua, a bottle of Wuliangye, and some canned foods like Chicken Leg Canned Food from his small bag. Silently, he tore open the packaging of the Zhonghua cigarettes, took out three, lit them while holding them in his mouth, and gently placed them in front of the tombstone. Then, he tossed all the remaining Zhonghua cigarettes into the still-smoldering fire, unscrewed the Wuliangye, and sprinkled it around the flames.

After finishing these actions, Nie Chong stood up and saluted the tombstone with a crisp military salute once more. Then, as if talking to himself, he murmured, “Brother, feeling honored? Soft Zhonghua paired with Wuliangye, and what’s more, you, this kid, gained so many filial descendants before even getting married! You’ve really got face! It almost makes me a little envious of you, you rascal! It’s cold down there, remember to wear more clothes. If that’s not enough, drink more liquor. Don’t be so reckless anymore in the future. If you need anything, send your big brother a dream, and I’ll burn it for you later… Brother, rest in peace!”

Big guy Liu Pengyu, rest in peace!

Author’s Note: This chapter is a bit heavy. Even as I wrote it, I had to hold back tears while typing. Although Liu Pengyu didn’t appear often and had few lines, he truly was a soldier worthy of respect. Dear readers, please remember this cheerful and bold fictional soldier. His name is Liu Pengyu, an outstanding member of the special operations team, who once served as the firepower support and demolition expert in the special ops squad. Born in Volume 1, Chapter 22, he met his end in this chapter.