Raising The Zombie King

“The grapevine. . . rebuild it, right?”

“En.”

Sitting under the original wooden frame, Lin Yuzu looked up at the lush green shade, that had a few small orange flowers dotting across the tender green branches. Vines climbed all over the wooden frame, entwining even on the swing rope that was recently put together, decorating the simple swing with a fresh and poetic aesthetic.

Now, they don’t have to worry about the rope of the swing not being strong enough, but the transplanted grape sapling shrank aggressively to one side, reducing the places it can climb.

“Xiao Hong is really domineering ah.” Lin Yuzu touched the blooming flowers.

By daytime, Xiao Hong would usually return to its usual appearance, but now it grew big. Its roots spread out like spider webs underground, breaking the soil open where thin vines sprout and cover the ground, making no difference from normal plants. . . no, this alone is too abnormal.

Lin Yuzu felt a little worried, “It won’t grow all over the yard in the future, right?”

“Well. . .”

The swing swayed to a stop as Lin Yuzu looked back at Xiao Xiao, who has been talking very little since just now, “Are you tired from pushing? Then let’s switch.”

Xiao Xiao shook her head and her gaze fell on the sky outside the courtyard wall.

In the distant blue, a faint cyan color flew towards them. It was a bird with a slender neck and long tail feathers. It looked a bit like a peacock but more slender and lighter, and when it retracted its wings and landed on the wall, its feathers created a watery sheen as the sun reflected on it.

The slender and beautiful bird looked at Xiao Xiao with soft eyes and lightly opened its beak, “Ga—“

Letting out a rough call.

Ling Yuzu, “. . .”

Xiao Xiao seems to understand as she seemed to be familiar with the bird. After turning her face to think for two seconds, she lowered her head to look at Lin Yuzu, “Yuzu going, to my previous home?”

“Where you used to live. . .”

Xiao Xiao had lived here for a long time even before Lin Yuzu came to this town.

Of course, Lin Yuzu had been curious about where Xiao Xiao had lived and how she lived, but there was never the right time to ask at first, and as time went on and the two spent more time together, Lin Yuzu eventually forgot about it.

Xiao Xiao suddenly mentioned this, slightly startling her, “Do you want to. . . go back?”

She knew that Xiao Xiao didn’t mean to leave, but when she said the words go back, she was a little reluctant that made her pause for a moment.

“Somethin, go over.” Xiao Xiao responded, “Yuzu, together?”

Lin Yuzu pretended to consider it for a moment before answering, “Um. . . okay.”

Xiao Xiao nodded, “Then, I’ll go and pack.”

The cyan bird flew away after passing her message. Lin Yuzu followed Xiao Xiao into the house and first packed their pots and pans, she then turned to see that Xiao Xiao had taken out the bedding and two sets of change of clothes.

“You want to spend the night there?” Lin Yuzu asked.

“Stay, two days.”

Finally, the two packed a large bag of luggage before coming out. Before leaving, Lin Yuzu closed the gate of the yard, still looking for Zhao Cai, trying to use him as their porter, “I don’t know where he went. . .”

Xiao Xiao said, “Let it be, with Xiao Hong, watch the house.”

Lin Yuzu pondered, “The house won’t be in ruins when we get back, right?”

“. . .”

Apparently, Xiao Xiao also thinks that it’s very likely.

The distance they need to cover isn’t short, but neither of them was physically weak. Lin Yuzu chatted with Xiao Xiao on the way.

“What was the place you lived before like?”

“Big.” Xiao Xiao recalled, “Beautiful at night. Yuzu, like it.”

“Eh. . .”

The description is also too broad. Xiao Xiao deliberately used this vague statement to try and keep it a secret from Lin Yuzu, trying to be mysterious, and it did arouse Lin Yuzu’s curiosity.

. . .

To read the original translation, please visit: triple ‘w’ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash raising-the-zombie-king slash

. . .

In the afternoon.

They walked all the way to the center of the town before stopping. Xiao Xiao then said, “Here.”

The place where they were standing should be a small park, but it no longer resembled its original appearance.

The large circular square is surrounded by a narrow river on its outer circle, which is covered with what looks like dandelion-like bulb plants just above Lin Yuzu’s ankle, surrounding the exposed tree roots.

After approaching, thick tree trunks covered their entire field vision. The shade the trees give covers the entire sky, filtering most of the sunlight. Because of the surrounding tall buildings, this small piece of the area became isolated like a deep and quiet valley.

There was no wind but the branches gently swayed, emitting a soft rustling sound as if greeting them, and tiny white flowers fluttered down from the trees, drowning in the plush grass.

Lin Yuzu sighed, “. . . I should have thought of it long ago.”

With Xiao Xiao’s love for plants, how could she let go of this tree that wasn’t even ordinary at first glance? Not to mention that when others see such an obvious mutant plant, they won’t recklessly go near, satisfying her needs in avoiding humans.

But. . .

“You used to live in a tree?”

What Lin Yuzu imagined was some kind of treehouse she especially longed for as a child.

Xiao Xiao shook her head and lead her up the tree roots in a certain direction. Lin Yuzu stepped on the roots of the tree which was somewhat like a natural ladder, feeling like a hero in some fairy tale, exploring the unknown forest kingdom after getting smaller.

This feeling became more obvious when they entered the ave of the tree, which was as tall as a grown man.

Inside the tree cave was dark with nothing but thin light coming from the entrance, barely shining anything inside. Lin Yuzu was led inside by Xiao Xiao hand in hand as she pulled out a flashlight from her pocket and turned it on. The penetrating light shone directly on a cabinet covered by a tarp on the opposite side.

“This is. . .”

Lin Yuzu used her flashlight to look around. The inside was wide, filled with cabinets of varying heights. With her knowledge of Xiao Xiao, a vague thought emerged in her heart.

“Books.”

And sure enough, when Xiao Xiao lifted the tarp, it revealed rows of books neatly arranged underneath. She ran her hand over the spines of the books, “If left too long, they get damp. Take out to dry often.”

“All of these?”

Lin Yuzu roughly counted the number of books inside, which was almost comparable to a small library. The tree cave was filled to the brim with bookshelves with only a wooden table in the corner near the entrance. Next to it was where her beddings were spread out and a few pieces of folded clothing.

Xiao Xiao continued, “With Yuzu, only two days.”

“Of course I’ll help you. . . .”

Lin Yuzu approached the bookshelf with her flashlight, “Ah, I’ve read this one before. But it’s been so long that I forgot what it’s about. . . After drying the books, can we take a few?”

“Yeah.” Xiao Xiao then reminded her, “This book, about. . . .”

“Spoilers are no good.”

“You’ve read it, also count?”

“I’ve forgotten all of its contents, isn’t it the same as not having read it.”

It was already in the afternoon when they arrived, so Lin Yuzu and Xiao Xiao only took some books out, opened the books, and let them dry in an open area. They only placed them back inside before it got dark.

After dinner, Lin Yuzu spread their quilt with the help of her flashlight while Xiao Xiao took out a wind lantern from under the table and lit it.

The soft light of the candle replaced the electric light source. Although the visibility was greatly reduced, it was still enough for their current situation. Lin Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank goodness. I was wondering what to do when the flashlight runs out of solar energy.”

The lantern that was placed on the table was retro yet elegant. Its glass cover had a half-open rose design while its outer iron protective cover was hollowed out to make the pattern of branches and vines.

With such a lantern lighting up their cave, spending the night in the tree library was like something out of a fairy tale.

Lin Yuzu felt that her long-extinguished maiden heart was ignited by the lamp.

Xiao Xiao suddenly lifted it from the table and the warm candlelight shone on her cheeks and reflected into her ice-blue eyes, “Shall we, go out?”

“Going out now? To do what?”

Lin Yuzu asked while she stood up, receiving the hand Xiao Xiao offered.

When they walked out of the tree, the moonlight cast down through the gaps of the giant tree leaves and branches, lit the ground like scattered beams.

The outside wasn’t dark. Similar to what Lin Yuzu saw during the daytime, dandelion-like fluffy plants were emitting tiny lights that looked shimmering when gathered together and painted a beautiful illusory sea of light across the ground. There were blue and black butterflies constantly flying from afar, gathering their wings and gell into the light.

Lin Yuzu stared at the scenery in front of her in a daze. The light reflected in the shallow lake blue eyes showed a brilliant color.

Xiao Xiao looked at her from the side, “Beautiful.”

“Um. . . Yes.” Lin Yuzu exhaled gently, “I never thought that there would be such mutant creatures” She would never approach such dangerous creatures before, be it Xiao Hong or the sea of light under the tree at night.

It was because Xiao Xiao was around by her side that the world has become gentler.

“Talking about, Yuzu’s eyes.”

“. . . My eyes?”

It wasn’t the first time that Xiao Xiao said Lin Yuzu’s eyes looked good.

Lin Yuzu touched her eyes and looked back. Xiao Xiao\s ice-blue eyes contained a light smile as she stood under the moonlight, bathing in a silver-white glow. Her long snow-colored hair wasn’t dyed by the moonlight but rather glistened under its glow.

“. . . I might be hated by the tree.”

Xiao Xiao tilted her head, confusion all over her face. Although she didn’t speak, her confusion was conveyed.

Lin Yuzu turned back and laughed, “For taking away the elf princess who lived in the tree. . . or something like that.”

Xiao Xiao was dumbfounded. Her eyes seemed to show her speechlessness before finally responding, “Yuzu also princess, no problem.”

“Me? How am I a princess. . .”

Xiao Xiao sternly answered, “Cooking country, seasoning princess.”

“. . . What kind of princess is that.”

Xiao Xiao stared at her, showing a smug smile, “My princess.”

“. . .”

Lin Yuzu looked at Xiao Xiao’s slightly bent eyes.

Perhaps her eyes looked too magnificent in the night that she was so captivated and didn’t look away for a long time. Sounds of fluttering wings came from above, scattering ice crystals in the air reflected in the light.

“Gah—-“

Xiao Xiao blinked her eyes and took the lead in looking away.

Lin Yuzu returned to her senses in a daze, followed by looking up and saw the pure white thin-necked bird hovering overhead. It looked a lot like the other green bird that came to deliver a message, dropping a few ice crystals every time it flapped its wings.

As if it had just come by to say hello, it stayed at Xiao Xiao’s side for a while before flying up to the branch, stopped by the other one, and combed each other’s feathers using its beak.

“They all know you.” Lin Yuzu spoke up, breaking the lingering awkward atmosphere.

“Mm.” Xiao Xiao continued, “They have always, lived here.”

“So. . .”

Lin Yuzu saw the cyan bird peck on something from the branch, probably a worm and fed it into the other bird’s mouth. They then moved and leaned each other’s heads together.

She exclaimed, “How intimate.”

When Lin Yuzu thought of feeding Xiao Xiao occasionally, she would always eat the food with slightly narrowed eyes, revealing a satisfied look. Lin Yuzu couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Because, wife.”

“. . .”

Lin Yuzu was silent for a moment and Xiao Xiao looked at her once she noticed, “. . . ?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Lin Yuzu waved her hand, “Do you feel a little cold, should we go back and rest?”

She could see the doubt in Xiao Xiao’s eyes, but Xiao Xiao still went along with her and agreed to return to the tree cave. Lin Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief, half a step behind while pressing the back of her hand against her cheeks.

. . . It shouldn’t be red.

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