Chapter Forty-Two: What Am I

The closer he got to the mountaintop, the more soldiers he saw patrolling the area. Yet, thanks to his new equipment and the correct password, Yang Jiekai moved undetected and even managed to obtain the countersign without trouble.

Naturally, Yang Jiekai had no intention of acting like those fools in television dramas, sneaking into enemy territory and then naively trying to chat up others for information. No one here was an idiot; they could all sense the same air about each other, and a single word could expose him. Apart from the increasing exchange of passwords and countersigns, Yang Jiekai kept silent, simply shouldering his gun and patrolling like all the other soldiers.

Patience was required, and after ruling out military exercises or anti-terror operations, Yang Jiekai’s doubts only grew. What, exactly, was the purpose behind this mobilization of the Huaxia army? Judging by their behavior, it seemed they were searching for something unspeakable.

But what puzzled Yang Jiekai even more was the sight of several soldiers carrying flamethrowers slung across their backs.

The patrolling soldiers all wore grim expressions and remained silent. From their faces, it was clear this mission was anything but routine; alongside gravity, a trace of curiosity lingered in their eyes.

A man who appeared to be an officer approached, several flamethrower-bearing soldiers in tow. After a discreet glance around, he asked in a low voice, “Any unusual activity here?”

“Reporting in, nothing to report!” replied one of the patrolling soldiers.

The officer frowned. “Keep investigating. If you spot anything unusual, report immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

After giving his orders, the officer turned to leave. He had only walked a short distance when his earpiece suddenly lit up. The officer froze, then barked sharply, “Unusual activity at nine o’clock! All units, move out!”

At his command, the well-trained soldiers sprang into action like leopards, darting toward the nine o’clock direction.

Yang Jiekai joined the surge, but an odd feeling welled up inside him—he seemed to smell something familiar.

Squeak—squeak—

Ahead, a cacophony like the squealing of rats suddenly erupted, only much louder, as if something sharp was being scraped. The noise made one’s skin crawl.

Squeak—squeak—squeak—squeak—

The closer they got, the clearer the piercing sound became. More soldiers gathered at the front, their faces tight with concern.

“What’s going on!” the officer demanded as he approached a sergeant.

“Reporting, sir! Two anomalous creatures have appeared—we’ve already suffered six wounded!” the sergeant replied, his voice trembling, as if shaken by something terrifying. “Sir, those two monsters are ferocious; our men had no time to react before six were hurt!”

“Why didn’t you open fire?” The officer remained calm, clearly familiar with the “anomalous creatures” the sergeant mentioned.

“There was no chance!” the soldier answered, almost in tears. “They’re too fast—vanished the moment they appeared!”

Squeak—

At that moment, the screech sounded again. Two black shadows shot out from a thicket, toppling two nearby soldiers before they could respond.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The officer reacted instantly, drawing his sidearm and firing a burst of bullets at the retreating “creatures.” His quick hands made Yang Jiekai, hidden among the soldiers, silently nod in approval—this officer must have come from one of Huaxia’s special forces units.

Squeak—

One of the fleeing monsters was struck in the leg, tumbling from midair to the ground. It stood, surrounded by the soldiers, emitting a shrill, piercing cry.

A searchlight swung over, turning night into day. Upon seeing the creature’s true form, everyone gasped in shock.

The monster had a human-like silhouette with arms and legs, but thick white fur covered its body. Its eyes were a ghastly pale, and two fangs, each nearly an inch long, jutted from the corners of its mouth.

“Take it alive!” the officer commanded.

A group of soldiers immediately dropped their guns and rushed forward to subdue the creature.

Squeak—

With a shrill howl, the white-furred monster leapt up, launching itself into a chaotic melee with the onrushing soldiers.

The two at the very front suddenly toppled backward, eyes wide with disbelief, as the monster’s claws slashed their throats, sending bright red blood spurting forth.

After a brief but brutal struggle, a few more soldiers lay wounded on the ground. The white-furred creature was also injured and, seeing its strength flagging, seemed close to being captured.

At that critical moment, a crisp gunshot rang out, striking the creature squarely in the brow. With a guttural gurgle, it collapsed on its back.

The officer holstered his pistol, gazing at the bodies strewn about. Gritting his teeth, he muttered, “It seems our previous intelligence was wrong. These two monsters are stronger than we thought!”

He raised his voice, “All units, disperse! Lock down a one-kilometer radius—no one is to act without orders!”

He then pulled a compact communicator from his pocket, sighed, and spoke into it, “The intel was off. Capturing one alive may be too difficult—you’d better come over.”

Just then, the piercing squeal sounded again. Another white-furred monster dropped from the tree above the officer, howling savagely as it drove both claws straight toward his head.

The attack was sudden and at such close range that even someone with the officer’s background—formerly of Huaxia’s most secretive units—was helpless.

If it had been an ordinary person attacking this way, the officer might have countered. But this was a brutal white-furred monster.

The rest of the soldiers had even less time to react. As the monster’s claws descended toward the officer’s skull, some could not help but close their eyes.

But just as the claws were half a foot from his head, the monster shrieked and was sent flying with a heavy thud.

Yang Jiekai had intervened at the last instant, launching himself through the air and kicking the monster away. His body did not pause; he planted a foot on the tree trunk and shot forward like an arrow, attacking again.

The monster, caught off guard by the sudden blow, had taken the full force of Yang Jiekai’s kick—a blow that would have felled any ordinary man. But after staggering a few steps, the creature appeared unscathed.

With a resounding thud, Yang Jiekai followed up with a powerful aerial whip kick. But the monster reacted with remarkable speed, blocking with both arms and stumbling back, yet managing to withstand the full force of Yang Jiekai’s attack.

Squeak—

With a piercing cry, the monster lunged at Yang Jiekai, meeting his oncoming fist head-on. Their fists collided with a thunderous crash.

Yang Jiekai felt a tremendous force surge through his arm, sending him skidding backward several steps, his face frozen in shock.

He realized that the monster’s attacks and defenses were utterly unrefined—more like a brawl between ordinary people. Yet its speed and strength were far beyond human limits. Only his own extensive military training and vast combat experience, coupled with refined techniques, allowed him to barely hold his own. In a contest of raw strength, he would certainly lose.

After both retreated a few paces, neither dared make the next move.

Yang Jiekai regarded the monster—it resembled a mindless beast, panting and glaring at him. As he weighed his options, he realized this creature was far more powerful than he had expected. If the standoff continued, not only was the outcome uncertain, but his own cover would likely be blown; it was time to make his escape.

Yet the monster’s gaze remained locked on him. At the slightest slackening, it would pounce with deadly force.

As the standoff dragged on, Yang Jiekai was surprised to discover a flicker of fear in the monster’s eyes, mingling with its animalistic ferocity.

Was the creature… afraid of him?

Yang Jiekai’s mind whirled, and he suddenly recalled the ancient text “Records of Anomalies,” which described the undead.

The zombie section of the “Records of Anomalies” stated: According to their strength, zombies are divided into eight ranks: Purple Zombie, White Zombie, Green Zombie, Hairy Zombie, Flying Zombie, Wandering Corpse, Hidden Corpse, and Bone That Will Not Decay…

He remembered the night of the lunar eclipse, when his own body had transformed, veins bulging all over. In that state, his strength and speed had increased by several levels, along with a powerful thirst for blood.

Suddenly, Yang Jiekai’s pupils contracted—an idea struck him.

Could this white-furred monster be the “White Zombie” described in the ancient text?

If zombies really ranked by power, and if he himself belonged to their kind, why hadn’t he grown any fur? Was he, then, a different breed of zombie altogether?

A wave of dread flooded Yang Jiekai’s mind. He felt as if his thoughts were spinning into chaos. If this was all true, was he really a zombie?

No! Impossible—that couldn’t be!

Yang Jiekai struggled to accept such a fate.

“Monster, prepare to die!” Rage surged through him, and with a furious shout, he hurled himself at the White Zombie.

Seeing the attack, the White Zombie’s fear vanished, replaced by a savage shriek as it charged to meet him.

Yang Jiekai dared not clash head-on. Instead, he nimbly sidestepped the monster’s onslaught and aimed his strikes at its joints—the weakest points of the human body and the best targets in combat.

But this logic meant nothing against the White Zombie; its joints seemed forged of steel. No matter how Yang Jiekai struck with fists or elbows, the monster showed no sign of weakening.

After a flurry of attacks, Yang Jiekai quickly regained his composure. A new doubt gnawed at him: was he truly a zombie? And if not, then what exactly was he?