I am the Zombie King of the Apocalyptic World
Chapter 1360 - 1355 I Also Like Listening to Stories

Chapter 1360: Chapter 1355 I Also Like Listening to Stories

Lin Jie stood up, his gaze vacantly fixed ahead, Liang Qingbai’s words still echoed in his mind, evoking emotions so complex he couldn’t even begin to describe them. His body trembled involuntarily, as if he were an addict whose cravings had grown stronger over time, suddenly indulging in a more potent, newly discovered drug.

He couldn’t say he was excited, nor could he say he was angry. There was no pain, no happiness—just a relentless replay of his life in his mind, where he walked the edge of hell, guided back to a sunlit world by the light, only to be pushed again into a bottomless abyss by myriad hands, never able to climb out.

It was only now that he realized what he truly sought was not the pained expressions on others’ faces or their hopeful pleas. No one under his hand had died quickly; each had endured unimaginable agony before descending resentfully into hell.

Such suffering displayed before him thrilled Lin Jie immensely, yet what followed was emptiness. He craved the pain on others’ faces, constantly seeking his prey—those who had once betrayed him. Gradually, what satisfied him lessened; his targets weren’t just those individuals anymore but included others who had wronged him. His killing grew indiscriminate, aiming merely for their expressions.

As time passed, the satisfaction he derived from others’ pained expressions dwindled, not because they gave less, but because he grew more greedy. He suddenly realized he needed a more potent "drug," something he didn’t understand and didn’t know how to find.

Yet his desire was immense.

And now, he seemed to have found it.

"Hehehe..."

He walked toward the door like a puppet, stepping forward and laughing meaninglessly every few steps, his silhouette solitary.

He understood then what he had always sought was not the pain on those faces, but repentance. Their pain was merely a means; true aim was insignificant repentance. Perhaps with one act of repentance, he could let go of everything and return to the man he once was.

At this moment, the torment brought by suffering didn’t seem as intense as before, as if someone had administered a painkiller, calming his heart.

"So that’s it, all I wanted was just one repentance, why... why didn’t anyone realize that?"

The phrase "why" that had permeated his life had now formed a complete question, but what it left behind was a lifetime of pain.

He was lost, much like when he first moved from that small town to an unfamiliar city, unsure of what to do or where to go. But this time, it was more severe; back then, he had a purpose, but now, he had nothing but confusion.

He stepped out the door, but just as he was about to leave, a voice rose from nearby.

"Where are you going? Come in for a while; we still have a score to settle."

Lin Jie squinted, turned to his side, and saw the neighboring door open, with a man standing in the doorway, smiling ambiguously, his eyes filled with teasing.

The only person who dared to settle accounts with him in this world was undoubtedly this man—Li Henian.

"You’re here; I didn’t even notice you."

"I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Come in, don’t think about running away, or I won’t mind cracking your skull open."

Lin Jie smiled dismissively, then walked through the door Tang Ye opened for him, the latter’s face showing interest. Had Lin Jie become a different person from a madman to a normal man, just because of Xi Qing’s uttered "sorry"?

In Tang Ye’s view, Lin Jie walked in quite naturally, nothing out of the ordinary. His first glance went to Tang Ye’s wrist: "That thing, it doesn’t seem right on you."

"How so?"

"It’s not meant for you. If I’m not mistaken, it must have been given by someone important to you. You’re holding onto it, waiting for a time to meet again, right?"

"Exactly."

"Hehe, so, the moment I saw you, I felt you were the same kind of person as me."

"Not necessarily."

"Right, you might not necessarily be a person. But we’ve had similar experiences, only, my story has ended, and yours is still ongoing, but the ending..."

"You think you’re very interesting?"

"I don’t think so, Li Henian. Haven’t you realized this world is sick? Everyone is actually sick; they aren’t normal people. Only we can still be called normal, but we are the minority, a minority as misfits. The most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard is that what makes a human is emotion."

Tang Ye said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"So, would you like to hear a story? My story, maybe after listening, you won’t have the same naïve thoughts as I did."

Tang Ye shifted his sitting position, gestured with his hand, then said, "Go ahead, I have plenty of time, and I like stories too."

Lin Jie nodded, fell silent, his thoughts seemingly traveling back to a certain day many years ago.

That summer, the hillside was adorned with mesmerizingly vibrant wildflowers, the scenery in the distance covered by a green hue. A slight breeze from the north carried a whiff of apricot blossoms, enchanting the children to no end. The shadows of trees under the sun swayed with the wind, creating a dance of light and shadow.

The bone-chilling feel of winter was gone forever, and after spring, what remained on the earth was only warmth. Nearby, on a dirt road, children chased each other with pinwheels, their laughter resonating through the air. The summer breeze in the South always brought a touch of coolness, but the young him, looking towards that distant courtyard felt no trace of coolness, only a deep, penetrating cold.

The coldest wind he had ever felt!

Even from afar, his ears seemed to still pick up the arguments emanating from that courtyard, an old man sat by the door holding a cane, unmoving, his cloudy gaze filled with regret, as if everything before him was reminiscent of past occurrences, yet nothing bore any resemblance to bygone days, as if all had been a lengthy dream—everything ephemeral, never truly existing.

Everything inside made the old man’s heart lonely, the bright sunshine bringing no warmth.