C14 He Rejected All the Invitations and Chose to Leave!

Jiang Loong opened the door to find a middle-aged man standing on his doorstep.

"I'm the head of the Wang family from Dongning Base City. Do you have a moment? I'd like to have a word with you," the man said, flashing a friendly smile.

He was also holding a number of items, seemingly intending to offer them to Jiang Loong.

But Jiang Loong had no interest whatsoever. He bluntly replied, "Sorry, I'm not available."

With that, Jiang Loong shut the door.

But it wasn't long before his doorbell rang once more.

This time, the visitor was from the Lee family, replacing the previous one from the Wang family.

In this post-apocalyptic world, the web of major powers was intricate. Despite the outward harmony of Base City, as a haven for survival, its resources were tightly controlled by a handful of powerful families. In fact, some of these families had the might to establish a Base City on their own.

Other forces consisted purely of Evolvers, like the well-known Martial Cultivator Alliance.

An Evolver was essentially a genetic warrior.

The Martial Cultivator Alliance, as its name suggested, was a coalition of various Evolver factions. Apart from a few laborers, its members were all Evolvers, with even the lowest ranks being Awakeners.

As for Ke'er, her inability to gain entry to the Heaven Seeking Palace, despite her A-class genetic potential, suggested other factors at play. After all, A-class was exceedingly rare, and it was unlikely that the Heaven Seeking Palace would set the bar at the even scarcer Level S.

Following the Wang family's failed attempt, the Lee family members also paid a visit, only to be turned away by Jiang Loong. Then came representatives from the Zhou, Zhang, and Wu families. Another member from a different branch of the Wang family even showed up.

What a farce!

Jiang Loong had already flat-out refused the Heaven Seeking Palace, so these minor family overtures from Dongning Base City were even less appealing.

Jiang Loong was thoroughly annoyed with them.

Time passed, and eventually, the ruler of Base City made an appearance.

By now, each Base City had evolved into a self-governing entity. Dongning Base City was no exception, with its reins held by a dominant family. While other families had their influence, the city's relative stability was largely due to the ruling family's willingness to share with the rest.

Upon hearing the news, Jiang Loong offered a token gesture of politeness before promptly excusing himself with a vague dismissal.

That night, Jiang Loong resolved to make a swift departure, not just from his current location, but from Dongning Base City as well. In the past half-day, he had received updates from the mutated zombies; they had amassed a horde of at least a thousand.

Jiang Loong was looking forward to gleefully engaging in a round of the zombie Happy Match Game. He had no intention of wasting time in disputes with the family factions.

The moon shone brightly, casting its glow over everything below.

Once outside the Base City, Jiang Loong sprinted in a determined direction, with the zombie loli, Tongtong, in tow. Despite being the size of a seven or eight-year-old child and only reaching up to Jiang Loong's waist, Tongtong's petite frame belied the speed of her swift legs.

On Jiang Loong's other side ran the zombie girl, Ke'er.

After nearly two hours with his undead companions, Jiang Loong arrived at a deserted village teeming with over a thousand zombies.

The area around Dongning Base City typically didn't have a high concentration of zombies, and they were scattered in various locations. Previously, it would have been a challenge for the mutated zombies to rally a force of a thousand in such a short time. But in the wake of a recent zombie exodus, despite the mutated zombies' command, the sheer number of ordinary zombies meant stragglers were common, leading to many aimless wanderers near the Base City.

For Jiang Loong, assembling zombies was within his capabilities. Yet, with his current power level, this quantity of zombies was insufficient. If he could directly command a swarm of over twenty thousand zombies, both Tongtong and Ke'er would undoubtedly ascend another two or three levels.

Upon Jiang Loong's arrival, the village zombies instantly became agitated. Even under the control of the mutated zombies, they were not about to submit to Jiang Loong's will without a fight.

But these were merely Level 5 zombies. Regardless of their resistance, they stood no chance against Jiang Loong. In under two hours, he had eradicated the entire horde.

Following the battle, Jiang Loong now possessed five slightly more advanced zombies and several smaller ones.

Jiang Loong took inventory.

In his possession were three male zombies, ranked Level 10, Level 9, and Level 7, respectively.

He also controlled three female zombies, at Level 10, Level 8, and Level 4.

Once again, Jiang Loong deployed the mutated zombies and all those above Level 7, instructing them to herd the stragglers back.

He released Ke'er once more.

The timing was perfect. The mutated zombies had just led their horde in retreat after their failed assault, and it was likely they would abandon this region. The longer their march, the more ordinary zombies would fall behind. Jiang Loong planned to seize this chance to amass a larger zombie force.

Additionally, Jiang Loong could tap into his zombie perspective. Should any real threat arise, he could promptly warn Ke'er to make a quick exit.

And so, Ke'er was dispatched to round up zombies.

For a brief period, only Jiang Loong and Tongtong remained in the deserted village.

"Hey, Tongtong?" Jiang Loong called out, waving to her.

"Tongtong, look at me!" He enjoyed teasing Tongtong, though she mostly ignored him, offering only a blank stare in response.

Tongtong seemed to possess some level of awareness now, comparable to that of a two-year-old human child.

Still, she was distinct from an actual toddler.

"Tongtong, remember the small river we crossed on our way here? Since we've got some downtime, let's head to the riverbank; I'll give you a bath. We left Base City in such a rush that I forgot to pick up a new outfit for you. I'll wash your clothes for you afterward," Jiang Loong suggested.

They reached the nearby river in no time.

The water was shallow.

Jiang Loong stripped down and bathed himself first.

It had been seven or eight days since his last bath.

But as he bathed, he noticed Tongtong's gaze fixed on him.