Chapter One Hundred Fifty: The Valley Realm

Beneath these mountain ridges lay countless zombie corpses, strewn everywhere. Under the scorching sun, some had been dead for over a year, their bodies blackened and desiccated, while others appeared to have been slain more recently, emitting a thick stench so foul it nearly induced vomiting. Xie Han halted the caravan in an open area and sent the field base command vehicle forward alone. As they advanced, the piles of zombie remains grew thicker and more numerous, leaving only a barely passable road when they reached the towering defensive walls surrounding the settlement.

From the tall walls, several machine guns protruded from firing slits, aimed directly at the field base command vehicle. The people inside this formidable convoy were certainly not mistaken for refugees seeking asylum. As the command vehicle came to a stop, a sudden burst of rapid gunfire erupted. On the nearby hills, heads popped up one by one, rifles trained on the command vehicle. The atmosphere tensed instantly.

Through his observation system, Xie Han carefully studied the settlement’s defenses. The surrounding hills had been modified to resemble sharp pillars, their lower sections smoothed to a height of over ten meters. At the summit of each hill stood a fortress-like structure capable of a 360-degree field of fire. Xie Han surmised that ordinary zombies would be incapable of climbing these sheer surfaces, while humans could ascend and descend with ropes.

There were at least twenty such hills forming an interlocking defensive network, combined with the high wall of the settlement itself, creating a comprehensive crossfire zone. This terrain-based defense was well-conceived, though Xie Han was unsure how formidable their firepower truly was. Notably, the upper structures on the wall appeared to be constructed from wood, likely for shelter from wind and rain, suggesting the settlement’s living conditions were far from ideal.

Following Xie Han’s signal, a hatch on top of the command vehicle opened, and a soldier climbed out, exposing most of his head as he shouted loudly, “Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!” After ensuring no immediate threat, he cautiously emerged halfway out.

Soon, a figure emerged atop the wall—a leader of the settlement—peering down at the imposing command vehicle. Though he looked down from the wall, it was only about ten meters high, while the vehicle itself was over five meters tall, nearly half the height of the wall. The leader’s eyes flashed with alarm as he called out, “Who are you? What brings you to our valley?”

“Valley?” Xie Han smiled, appreciating the poetic name of their settlement.

The soldier, following Xie Han’s instructions, answered loudly, “We are a caravan from New City. We request to speak with your commander.” The leader’s expression remained neutral upon hearing “New City,” evidently unfamiliar with the name, but hearing “caravan” caused his eyes to widen in disbelief. “Caravan? Don’t fool me! In this apocalypse, food is scarce, and you claim to be running trade caravans? That’s nonsense!”

Xie Han zoomed in his observation system, enlarging the leader’s face on the display, even seeing the fine hairs on his skin clearly. It seemed this leader had never heard of New City, which disappointed Xie Han. The radio broadcasts clearly weren’t reaching every settlement. “Tell him to inform the commander of the valley. He’s not the one in charge here.”

The soldier relayed the message promptly. The leader hesitated, unwilling to make decisions on his own. “Wait here,” he ordered, signaling his men atop the wall to remain vigilant before dismounting and riding a motorcycle through the dirt path leading to the true headquarters of the valley.

No human survivors had appeared in this valley for two years. The arrival of the New City caravan had not even reached the ears of the highest authority. Yet rumors quickly spread throughout the valley, stirring excitement among its inhabitants. Many barefoot residents poured out of their dilapidated huts, flocking toward the valley gates.

The valley’s guards did not stop them, allowing people to gather behind the walls and climb the stone pillars between the hills. Soon, the tops of the pillars teemed with curious onlookers, straining to see beyond the high walls. Though the wall obscured the command vehicle, they could clearly see the forty trucks parked over a kilometer away.

The crowd grew restless. Since fleeing from Wangtian City and forming this settlement, power struggles had been constant. What began as a gathering of over fifty thousand had dwindled to just over thirty thousand two years ago. A year-long internal conflict claimed over twenty thousand lives. By the time a final leader emerged, the valley had become a prison—thirty thousand people trapped within, forced to work relentlessly day and night.

This valley was vast, composed of a series of small connected ridges and valleys, forming a large complex. The main settlement was located in the largest valley, while other valleys were devoted to food cultivation. The agricultural output barely sufficed to sustain the population, with little surplus each season.

Adopting a policy of sealing the gates and isolating themselves, the valley had not dispatched a hunting party in over two years, relying solely on self-sufficiency. This isolation meant no new blood entered the settlement, and material shortages were severe. Buildings were largely constructed from wood, making the valley akin to a massive prison. The only respite from monotony was the occasional zombie siege every few days.

The supply shortages extended to ammunition, with bullet stocks depleted under constant zombie pressure. Some residents resorted to crafting steel bows. The settlement resembled a relic era caught between cold and hot weaponry, a vast refugee slum.

The valley’s de facto ruler, Qin Biao, was a towering man whose name suited his imposing presence. In this apocalypse, ascending to power required not only strength but cunning. Two years prior, seven factions vied for control, but only Qin Biao emerged victorious. While his strength was a factor, his intelligence and strategic mind were key.

Upon hearing the news of the caravan, Qin Biao was eating lunch. Startled, he almost sprayed food from his mouth, pushing away four young women surrounding him. He stood abruptly, shouting, “A caravan? What a joke! The world outside is overrun by zombies, and you claim a caravan reached our valley? Damn it, it’s not April Fool’s—watch your tongue or I’ll split you in two!”

Though Qin Biao ruled the valley, material scarcity meant his living conditions were only slightly better than common folk. He cared little for such hardships, claiming survival was the greatest luxury. Instead, he indulged in hedonism, maintaining a harem of over a hundred beautiful young women for his pleasure. Despite his debauchery, he rigorously cared for his body, dedicating time daily to physical and spiritual training. This regimen kept him vigorous and unstoppable.

Qin Biao ruled like a king over this enclosed valley. The arrival of Xie Han’s caravan abruptly shattered this isolation.

The messenger, frightened, confirmed the truth of the caravan’s arrival and their waiting outside the gates, specifying the convoy consisted of forty large trucks.

Qin Biao’s eyes lit up as he inquired about their armament, his mind racing. But soon his excitement faded. The caravan’s firepower surpassed that of the entire valley. “Damn it! Such a heavily armed caravan isn’t here for trade—they must have sinister motives. If we let them in, what hope do we have against them? No, absolutely not.”

Qin Biao envisioned multiple scenarios, all pointing to this caravan seeking to seize territory. The field base command vehicle in particular unsettled him. “Order the gates closed. Do not let them in. They’re using the caravan as a front—once inside, they’ll forget they’re traders.”

In his panic, Qin Biao failed to consider whether his walls and defenses could withstand the firepower of the command vehicle.

Xie Han waited in the command vehicle for a full half-hour. The guards atop the wall remained motionless, their machine guns trained unwaveringly on the vehicle.

“Commander, could they be playing tricks?” Zhao Bai’an, recently promoted to New City’s sniper team leader, cautiously asked. He led fifteen elite beam weapons snipers to ensure Xie Han’s safety. The command vehicle could hold up to fifty-five people; with necessary crew and Zhao’s team, no problem.

Xie Han shook his head. “Unlikely. Our firepower is strong enough to deter any hostile intentions.” Yet, observing the crude defenses, a ruthless thought flickered through his mind. Still, he shook his head with a wry smile, acknowledging the unknown risks.

After waiting patiently for another ten minutes, Xie Han’s keen hearing picked up the sound of a motorcycle. Minutes later, the leader returned and shouted from the wall, “Our commander says we have no need for trade and lack the means to purchase your goods. You should leave quickly to avoid misunderstandings.” Without awaiting a response, he withdrew his head.

“Damn...” Xie Han cursed silently. After waiting so long, this was the result. The entire trade proposal had been his idea; this first mission had encountered such obstacles, much to his frustration. The messenger’s words cast all eyes aboard the command vehicle on Xie Han, undermining his authority.

“Activate thermal scan. Command vehicle, retreat fifty meters...” Xie Han ordered.

The vehicle slowly backed away, its thermal scanner sweeping a 200-meter radius for any biological targets. “If they’re wary of us, that’s fine. New City’s population is still small; we’ll need reinforcements soon.” Originally intending peaceful trade, Xie Han now realized the valley would not yield easily.

He saw no contradiction in his stance: cooperation was preferable, but refusal warranted decisive force. Without setting an example, other settlements might emulate the valley, stalling trade efforts. He knew two other human settlements existed within eighty kilometers, so news of this confrontation would spread quickly. This display served as a stern warning.

Once the vehicle had retreated fifty meters, the thermal scan results appeared. “Twelve hundred armed personnel distributed along the walls and forty defense pillars, plus 3,700 unarmed. Excellent. All units, listen up! Armored vehicles detach from the caravan and form an assault team with the command vehicle. The Humvee King and trucks form the main attack force. We’ll take this base.”

At Xie Han’s command, everyone sprang into action. Five armored vehicles left the trucks and closed in behind the command vehicle.

“Charge the high-energy cannon. Once charged, aim at the wall and await my order.”

This shift seemed anticipated by the valley defenders. As the armored vehicles approached, five shoulder-fired rocket launchers fired simultaneously, streaking flaming trails toward the command vehicle’s roof.

Instantly, the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Xie Han sneered; the rockets only caused the vehicle to shake slightly, inflicting no real damage. “Armored vehicles, eliminate these threats.” He noted the valley’s biggest mistake was not targeting the armored vehicles first. Their strong defenses meant the rockets inflicted only minor damage but could still dampen morale.

The armored vehicles’ laser cannons charged swiftly. Five beams flashed, striking the attacking hills where the rockets originated. Amid fierce explosions, figures and debris were hurled skyward, screams echoing as fires erupted atop the hills.

Machine guns unleashed a hail of bullets on the command and armored vehicles. “Are they idiots?” Xie Han almost laughed. Rockets failed to move the command vehicle, yet they persisted with machine guns—a waste of ammo.

“High-energy cannon, bring down that wall! Our target is the valley commander inside.”

The valley’s curious residents had fled the stone pillars at the first piercing sirens, vanishing swiftly. Seeing the enormous high-energy cannon barrels extend on both sides of the command vehicle, the defenders panicked, scrambling from the walls.

“Boom!”

A massive energy orb compressed within the cannon erupted, its dazzling light forcing all eyes shut. The thunderous roar pained ears as the ten-meter-high wall’s lower half collapsed like melting snow. The wooden structures above sagged and crumbled into rubble.

Xie Han smirked and ordered, “High-energy cannon, clear the debris.”

With another blast, the shattered stones were blasted skyward. Just two shots reduced the entire towering wall to nothing but dust.

(PS: My head started aching again just two days later! Frustrating! If you have a vote, please cast one—it’s tough writing with a headache, exhausting and mentally draining. Losing millions of brain cells a chapter is normal for me. Sigh...)