Chapter 38: The Inescapable Problems of Stepping Outside

So many what? So many zombies?

Those two words were the limit of what Bae Joo-hyun could express, forcing Xiao Guang to rack his brains.

"Monsters."

Bae Joo-hyun spoke again. Putting it together: so many monsters?

What did that mean? This was a temple, and there were many monsters inside?

Looking at the temple before him, Xiao Guang hesitated about whether he should go in. Why did the two of them make his skin crawl just by saying that?

Bae Joo-hyun seemed to sense Xiao Guang's hesitation; she stepped forward and led the way into the temple. Minjoo seemed somewhat frightened, walking up to Xiao Guang's side and hugging his arm.

"Hey, wait for me to think."

Watching Bae Joo-hyun walk inward, Xiao Guang had no choice but to follow. He looked at Minjoo beside him: why did she suddenly seem somewhat useful? Aside from drinking milk, could she give early warnings?

The front courtyard of the temple was completely lifeless. Trash was scattered all over the ground—torn paper, leaves, plastic bags snagged in trees. It looked as though it hadn't been tended to in a very long time.

He took a stroll around the main hall ahead, but saw neither zombies nor corpses. Xiao Guang looked up at the great Buddha sitting above; it had a benevolent expression, but was entirely useless.

"Ahead~"

Xiao Guang was casually picking up and looking at the incense donation box—there seemed to be some South Korean won inside—when he was startled by Bae Joo-hyun's voice. He put the box down and smiled apologetically at the great Buddha.

"Just looking, not taking."

He looked at Minjoo beside him, then at Bae Joo-hyun. Didn't they say there were many monsters? Up ahead?

Xiao Guang had Minjoo walk behind him, gripping his baseball bat tightly with both hands. Although he doubted their judgment, he still needed to maintain basic safety awareness as he followed Bae Joo-hyun toward the side hall.

Rounding a corner, the area ahead should have been the place where the monks practiced and meditated during ordinary times. As for why Xiao Guang knew this, it was because four rows of monks were sitting inside the hall. Their backs were turned to the direction he was facing, and they sat completely motionless like statues.

This sight sent a chill crawling up the back of Xiao Guang's spine. There were at least twenty monks here; what on earth made them able to sit so obediently? They maintained regular distances from one another, just like pieces on a chessboard.

"Ah-ah~~"

For goodness' sake, why are you shouting now? Hearing Bae Joo-hyun's voice, Xiao Guang instinctively shifted his feet in place. If this gang of monks all charged at him at once, should he run?

All twenty monks slowly turned their heads to look in this direction. Xiao Guang felt his legs go slightly weak under their gaze. It was far too bizarre; Buddhism was supposed to be grand in momentum and warm in radiance, so why did the gazes of these twenty bald donkeys look so terrifying?

Their eyes were clearly not grayish-white, yet Xiao Guang always felt that their looks were meant to tear him apart and consume him piece by piece. There was not a shred of emotion in their eyes; Xiao Guang felt their stare was incomparably cold.

"Roar~"

A monk sitting in the left corner suddenly let out an angry roar and stood up. He seemed extremely dissatisfied that someone had disturbed their practice, and he issued a threat toward Xiao Guang.

"Ah-ah~"

Bae Joo-hyun took a step forward, swinging the iron chain in her hand and slamming it against the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Xiao Guang turned his head to look. Bae Joo-hyun, are you really this brave? The opposition is a whole squad of bald donkeys, shouldn't we execute a strategic retreat first?

Two more monks stood up, turning together to roar at Bae Joo-hyun. Xiao Guang instinctively took a step back and glanced behind him. Minjoo was hiding behind his back. He pushed her aside: yes, running straight back from here would get him out of the temple.

"Bae Joo-hyun, my dear, you know... the gas for the stew at home might still be on, let's go home first."

Xiao Guang tugged at Bae Joo-hyun's wrist from behind. Bae Joo-hyun looked back at Xiao Guang, then raised her voice at the monks once more:

"Get lost~~"

Did you take the wrong medicine today? Why are you so hot-headed? We are guests coming from afar, let's not disturb their practice. Xiao Guang tried once more to pull Bae Joo-hyun backward, but Bae Joo-hyun merely twitched her wrist, her feet firmly planted.

Seeing more and more monks standing up, their forward-leaning bodies looking ready to charge out of the hall at any moment, Xiao Guang truly began to panic. This bunch of monks was clearly different from the zombies in the city; they were obviously a coordinated group.

Xiao Guang had watched *The 18 Bronze Men of Shaolin Temple*; goodness knew whether these monks knew any routines or formations. Look here, Bae Joo-hyun, why do you have it out for the monks, and why are you telling them to get lost?

"Clang~~~"

With a heavy bell toll, the large hanging bell inside the main hall swayed slightly. Only then did Xiao Guang notice that sitting behind this group of monks was yet another old monk.

At the sound of this bell, the monks who had been rising in growing numbers reluctantly sat back down, though their heads still remained fixed in his direction.

"Namo Amitabha, um-nah-hong-mah-ah-dah..."

The old monk uttered a series of indistinct syllables. Xiao Guang was somewhat shocked; to be honest, this was the first time he had seen a zombie capable of speaking so many words.

He couldn't clearly hear the latter part of the old monk's chanting—or rather, the old monk wasn't producing the correct syllables. Yet following the old monk's voice, those monks who had been staring at him finally turned their heads back, and some even began to lower their voices in accompaniment. Even though their articulation was muddled, Xiao Guang was certain they were chanting scriptures.

"Ah-ah~"

"Mine~"

Hearing that Bae Joo-hyun was still making noises, Xiao Guang's brain cleared instantly. Mine? What are you eyeing this time? That large bell?

Without another word, he scooped Bae Joo-hyun up into his arms, nodded apologetically in the direction of the old monk, and thought: *Listen here, my girl doesn't know any better, we're leaving right now.*

Carrying Bae Joo-hyun and dragging Minjoo along, Xiao Guang struggled his way out amid a buzzing din. It was entirely too terrifying. Bae Joo-hyun, did you awaken some superpower and think you're invincible now? Your big brother here is merely a creature of flesh and blood, a total rookie.

He had known all along that going out didn't guarantee a harvest, but he certainly hadn't expected that getting too much of a harvest would also be a problem. So, was that old monk trying to fight the virus by chanting scriptures?

Xiao Guang's mind was full of question marks. He crammed Bae Joo-hyun back into the car all the way, hoisted Minjoo's little bottom to push her inside as well, and without another word, he set off on the return journey.

~~~

"Actually, our home is also a famous tourist attraction. The place where our estate is located is called Bukhansan National Park. If you like large bells that much, I remember there's also a temple not far from home. Stop looking back, I'll help you look for one when we get home."

Finding that Bae Joo-hyun kept looking back, Xiao Guang couldn't help but advise her.

The outside world was too dangerous and bizarre. Xiao Guang made up his mind: unless food supplies reached a critical low, he genuinely never wanted to come out again.

Just look at how dilapidated the outside world was, and how terrifying those wandering zombies were. Look, look at how fast that zombie was running—must be a girl, too.

"Ah~" "Stop~" "Won~"

Just as Xiao Guang was watching the spectacle, Minjoo suddenly let out a series of sounds and even patted Xiao Guang's shoulder. This action not only caused Xiao Guang to slow down the vehicle, but also made Bae Joo-hyun, sitting in the passenger seat, turn to look at Minjoo.

Minjoo's finger was pointing at a running female zombie who was baring half her bare bottom. Xiao Guang looked at Minjoo's expression: what does that mean? You know her?

Even if you know her, it's no good! Look at the speed of this female zombie; she was clearly no pushover. Xiao Guang's greatest specialty was bullying the weak, and this girl was beyond his help.

Bae Joo-hyun was communicating with Minjoo. Although Xiao Guang slowed down the car, he had no intention of stopping. Honestly, this female zombie was too wild. Look, just look, she went headfirst like a bull and knocked a full-grown zombie flying.

"Save..."

Bae Joo-hyun's hand grabbed the steering wheel. This was the tacit understanding between Xiao Guang and Bae Joo-hyun; whenever Bae Joo-hyun did this, Xiao Guang would mostly likely stop the car because there were probably supplies she was interested in, and she would usually go down to scavenge.

Only this time, Xiao Guang hesitated. Save? How to save? I'm not the kind of kind-hearted person you think I am; honestly, I'm actually quite timid and rather selfish, with zero desire to save the world.

"Won." "Won~" "Won~!"

Seeing that the car wasn't stopping, Minjoo shouted again. Xiao Guang looked at the female zombie with the exposed half-moon—her face was covered in dirt, she wore tattered rags for clothes, and she had just knocked over other zombies with a headbutt. Xiao Guang suspected her clothes had all been ruined from fighting.

"Ah~ Save~"

Bae Joo-hyun spoke up once more. Xiao Guang had no choice but to stop the car. *Fine, I'll save her, okay? I'm never leaving the house again; at this rate, if I keep running into acquaintances outside, our house won't have enough room to accommodate them all.*

The female zombie's face was dark, and her pupils were a glowing, purplish hue. Xiao Guang watched as Bae Joo-hyun and Minjoo approached her, whereupon the girl slammed her head right into Bae Joo-hyun's chest, knocking Bae Joo-hyun down.

Kang Hyewon. Xiao Guang finally recognized the female zombie. He felt a bit of pity for her, not because she had turned into a zombie.

Why on earth did you go headbutting Bae Joo-hyun of all people? Look at her—she got whipped with an iron chain, and now her whole body is covered in red lash marks. Well, now there's a seat available, but you aren't allowed to sit in it; you get bound with iron chains and thrown into the cargo bed in the back instead.