The little monkey's jade pendant was the only thing connecting him to his parents. Even when starving, he wouldn't part with it.
But to save his sister, he took it out and promised Mingyue he would go out of the city to kill zombies and earn crystal cores for her.
Mingyue had been hesitant because she was considering whether to use the undiluted Life Water or the processed pills to treat the little girl.
Both could save the girl's life, but she was young, without special abilities, and very weak.
The pills, being processed, had a stronger effect and would work faster, but Mingyue feared the girl couldn't handle it, so she decided on the undiluted water.
Her brief moment of contemplation was misinterpreted by the little monkey, who thought his sister's condition was too severe and Gu Yue was unwilling to help.
"What are you doing? I didn't say I wouldn't save your sister. Don't worry. Your sister will be fine. I can save her. Put the jade pendant away."
Calming the agitated little monkey, Mingyue took out a transparent bottle containing a drop of Life Water. To make it convenient, Mingyue had prepared many such bottles, each with a drop of Life Water, in her spatial storage.
Jin Xi and Tian Shang took the unconscious little girl from the little monkey's arms and gently pried open her mouth.
The effect of the Life Water was miraculous. Within minutes, the little girl's complexion turned rosy, and her breathing became smooth.
"Sister, sister, how do you feel?"
Seeing the change in his sister, the little monkey burst into tears of joy and gently called out to her.
"She's fine now. The medicine has taken effect. Let her sleep. When she wakes up, she'll be completely healed. I'll leave these with you. Stay with your sister today. We'll find you again tomorrow to be our guide."
Seeing the Life Water taking effect, Mingyue took out some food and water from her spatial storage, along with a level five crystal core, and handed them to the little monkey.
"Thank you, sister. You are truly kind people. Please take this crystal core back. I don't want it. You saved my sister and gave us food. I'll be your guide for free, for as many days as you need."
The little monkey didn't take the crystal core, only accepting the food and water. If not for fearing his sister would be hungry and thirsty when she woke up, he wouldn't have accepted even these. He couldn't repay the sister who had saved his sister's life, so how could he accept a benefactor's crystal core?
"Take it. This is what I promised you. I won't go back on my word. See you tomorrow."
Tucking the crystal core into the little monkey's hand, the group turned to leave. Ba Jiu, however, ran back. He took off his small backpack, took out a large, red apple, and handed it to the little monkey.
"Here, you and your sister can share it. You're a good brother."
Ba Jiu, usually taciturn and aloof, actually spoke to a stranger, which greatly surprised Mingyue and the other two. They knew Ba Jiu was a zombie and lacked human emotions. Ba Jiu's attachment to Mingyue was purely instinctual, and he was generally indifferent to the other members of the team. For him to speak to the little monkey and give him his apple was truly astonishing.
The little monkey looked at the apple, which was as big as a bowl, and wanted to refuse. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, as his sister hadn't had fruit in a long time. The rich aroma made him swallow. While he hesitated, Ba Jiu had already returned to Mingyue's side and left.
"Sister, why didn't we bring the little monkey and his sister back to the villa?"
Having already left the alley where the little monkey and his sister lived, Ba Jiu suddenly asked Mingyue.
"Does Ba Jiu like them very much? Tell sister, why did you give them your apple just now?"
Hearing Ba Jiu speak, Mingyue stopped and crouched down to look at him, asking curiously. She was puzzled by Ba Jiu's unusual behavior and had been looking for an opportunity to talk to him. She hadn't expected Ba Jiu to speak first. And wanting to bring the little monkey and his sister home – this wasn't typical zombie behavior. Even a zombie king, outwardly indistinguishable from a human, wouldn't possess human emotions. Fundamentally, they were still zombies, characterized by coldness and cruelty, not compassion.
"I don't know. When the little monkey was crying and begging you to save his sister, I felt my heart skip a beat. And I felt love, which should be a human emotion. My body felt warm at that moment."
Ba Jiu's eyes were also filled with confusion, but recalling the feeling, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
Hearing Ba Jiu's words, Mingyue was startled. Ba Jiu was a zombie. Although he looked like a normal child, Mingyue knew his heart didn't beat, and his body was always cold. Now, Ba Jiu claimed his heart had skipped a beat and his body felt warm. This was highly abnormal. Could something be wrong with Ba Jiu's body? Mingyue quickly extended her spiritual power to cover Ba Jiu's body and examined him carefully.
After the examination, she found no abnormalities, but Ba Jiu's once rock-hard heart appeared to have softened somewhat. Its color had also changed from grayish-white to a rosy pink, with faint blood vessels visible.
"Sister, am I sick?"
Seeing Mingyue's solemn expression after examining him, Ba Jiu asked curiously. He didn't know what it felt like to be sick, but he had heard Bu Zhi and the others say that any bodily abnormality meant being sick. Was he sick then?
"Ba Jiu isn't sick; he's getting better. Sister tells you, you might be transforming into a true human. Do you know? Love is the most powerful force for humans, more powerful than any special ability. The fact that you can feel love proves you are transforming into a human. Keep it up!"
Mingyue didn't know why Ba Jiu was experiencing this change, but she had a premonition that Ba Jiu being able to feel human emotions was a good thing.
"Sister, you still haven't answered me. Why didn't we bring the little monkey and his sister back to the villa?"
Whether he was sick or not was a casual question for Ba Jiu; he wasn't too concerned. What he cared about were the little monkey and his sister.
"Ba Jiu, sister tells you, there are too many pitiable people in the apocalypse, and we can't take care of them all. It's impossible to bring all the pitiable people back to the villa because the conditions don't allow it. However, if we build our own base, we can shelter more people. People as pitiable as the little monkey and his sister – in the apocalypse, we will give them a warm and safe home. But, the little monkey and his sister, who can make you feel love, are special. Sister promises you, when we see the little monkey tomorrow, we will invite them to live with us. What do you think?"
Ba Jiu never made requests. His asking this actually meant he was asking Mingyue to take in the siblings. Realizing that the little monkey and his sister might genuinely help Ba Jiu's transformation, Mingyue agreed. Ba Jiu instantly became happy.
It was still early, not yet noon. Without a guide, and not knowing where to wander, Mingyue and the others decided to return to the villa. They were still some distance from the villa when they saw Ji Shiyou and the others walking towards them from the opposite direction.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
Mingyue exclaimed, as she saw He Si being carried on Ji Shiyou's back, with bloodstains on his head.