After he said it Huang Wen regretted the words that came out of his mouth. Perhaps it was clearly shown on his face because Zhang Tian Yi and the other obviously ready to bombard him with questions. Their mouth opened but something held them from actually asked any question.

"Err... what a news... Let's have some breakfast first...", Chen Wu Xuang broke the awkward silence.

They ate in silence and Huang Wen felt the awkwardness pressured him. After some thought, he decided to tell them some of the truth. Actually he felt a bit embarrassed that he still had secrets from them after they had been through many perilous situation together.

"... I was analyzing my fireball skills for days. Through my observations, I began to learn how it formed and found that part of the process is creating some sort of protective barrier to protect my palm from the destructive heat that's coming from the fireball itself.", Huang Wen began to explain.

But before he explained even further, Zhang Tian Yi raised his hand and stopped him, "A Wen..., it's okay if you want to keep it to yourself. We might go through many dangers together, but in the beginning, perhaps even now, we are not doing it for your sake but rather due to our loyalty to Master Zhang Hu."

"That's right, even us, we didn't tell each other of our levels and stats.", Tian Zhong hastily added.

"Actually I feel a bit embarrassed, I know it's not my business but I can't help but be curious. We all get our first skill after we reached a certain level. Then it's depend on the skill book that fell from zombies. So how could you learn a skill on your own?", Liu Wang Yun couldn't hide his excitement, he didn't know that at first Huang Wen accidentally learned his passive skill, Martial Art.

Ma Heng nodded his head, "He's right, I think we all feel the same. We desperately want to know but at the same time we know it's really none of our business."

Huang Wen was relieved that rather than offended actually they were the one who felt guilty but he already decided it. Besides he sincerely hoped that by telling them some of the secret, it would satisfy their curiosity and alleviate the awkwardness between them. It was not like they would be able to learn the skill itself. They still needed to observe and analyze their own skill to get something out of it.

"Oh... no, it's really okay to tell you about it.", Huang Wen answered sincerely.

The next few minutes were spent to explain how he observed the process within his body every time he activated the skill. Analyze it and experimented with it.

"I couldn't explain it clearly. Most of the feeling were rather vague and hard to describe in words. You actually have to observe itself within you every time you use your skill. It's like trying to use muscles in your body that you never use before. You just try and one day you find that muscle reacts to your mind.", Huang Wen spent a long time trying to describe it in words.

He truly struggled to explain it clearly and everyone could see it.

Chen Wu Xuang laughed and patted his shoulder, "Okay, I guess that's enough. I think we get the concept but at the end we need to give it a try before we could grasp your explanation."

Huang Wen sighed, "Really, I want to clarify it but I couldn't. I mean I still think about it myself. It really vague. I work with my guts more than with my mind."

Zhang Tian Yi reassured him, "Its okay... I think I understand a bit. This is the difference between eastern knowledge and western knowledge. In this era, education is based on the Western way of thinking, everything should be analyzed and properly explained. It's all about deduction, logic and all those academic stuff. While in the past, Eastern masters passed their knowledge through practice. They simply said, do this and that, without any explanation. The reason why they do that, because it's almost impossible to explain it in words. You have to experience it to understand."

Chen Wu Xuang nodded his head, "That's true, even now when people talked about chi, they confused it with breath, blood, electricity in the nervous system, and many other ideas. It happened because we try to explain it in western knowledge system."

Tian Zhong shook his head and said, "I still don't get it..."

They laughed together. It wasn't that funny but they found it lightened their mood.

"How long you've been analyzing it?", when their laughter calmed down, Liu Wang Yun asked.

"Hmmm... before I met Master Zhang Hu. When I learn fireball skill there was much limitation, it could only be cast once every few days. Ever since then, I kept observing and analyzing it.", Huang Wen answered.

"Because you lose one slot for a skill that its restriction make it doesn't have much use.", said Chen Wu Xuang.

"Yes, I was forced to learn it and kind of regret it ever since.", said Huang Wen.

"Ah... but through experience, you learn something extremely important. It's really a blessing in disguise.", said Chen Wu Xuang.

Huang Wen simply nodded, there were no better words for this incident. Some people might say that fate or heaven guided him to this path of enlightenment.

"I guess you're a good guy in your previous life.", Liu Wang Yun jokingly spoke.

"A saint with tons of good karma.", said Tian Zhong.

"Ha ha ha, I guess so... maybe... I guess I should take as much benefit as I could.", Huang Wen replied laughing.

They still joked around for a while, before leaving toward their destination, Nan An. Late in the afternoon they finally reached the border of Nan An. Even with one glance people could tell that Huang Wen's act of sharing his secret, improved their relation.

It should be understood that trust was invisible yet it worth more than golds, especially for a certain kind of people and the situation where the danger could come from every corner. It became even more precious. When Huang Wen shared the secret, he showed them that he trusted them. It moved something within their heart. The same invisible power that pulled them toward Zhang Hu but if one carefully examined it, they probably would say that it was a bit purer.

Probably because deep within their heart, they instinctively could tell that Zhang Hu wanted something from them, while Huang Wen gave it freely.

Huang Wen was lucky that he shared his secret to the right kind of persons. He lost nothing and gained a lot.

---- o ----

"Look, that's the sign. We finally reach Nan An.", Zhang Tian Yi pointed at a broken sign on the roadside.

Liu Wang Yun was looking at his GPS, "Hmm... should we go to Chen Yao's house first? From this point that is the closest location under our list."

Huang Wen looked at Zhang Tian Yi and said, "You guys decided it, I mean, the rest of us don't have any experience in looking for missing persons or any kind of investigation."

Zhang Tian Yi shrugged his shoulder, "Well so much for the experience, never I have a case where the whole town filled with zombies but we can't move around without direction. At her house, at least, we might find some clues."

"That's right, at this stage, we could only try to find as many clues as possible. Only then we could analyze and come up with some sort of plan.", said Liu Wang Yun.

With that, they started to move toward Chen Yao's house, using the GPS. Huang Wen secretly used his spiritual sense to probe the area around them. While the other watched for thugs and ambush from human rather than zombies or demons. They already got used to the fact that Huang Wen acted as zombie's and demon's repellent. Although there was a time when suddenly zombies flocked around them but only for a short period and Huang Wen explained that probably the demon who controlled the zombies was foolish enough to force its zombies to attack them.

It must be true, because once Huang Wen caught that demon and brought it to Zhang Tian Yi for him to kill. Such incidence never happened again. Their only obstacles were wreckage that blocked the road, running out of gas and thugs who tried to rob them.

"Do their parent has good relation?", in their way to Chen Yao's house, suddenly Liu Wang Yun asked the question.

"Yes, they do. Actually their mother, Zhang Xuan, Chen Yao and Xia Yue are good friends. They were neighbors and it seemed they work together to coordinate many social event in the past.", Huang Wen answered.

"Ah... in a small town, everyone knows everyone.", Chen Wu Xuang nodded and smiled.

"I miss it. Before I lived in Fuzhou, I also lived in a small village. First year I lived in Fuzhou, tsk...", Ma Heng joined in.

"That's right. In a small town everybody knows everybody. And then suddenly you're thrown into a modern city where everyone lives for themselves.", Chen Wu Xuang nodded.

Aside from Tian Zhong and Liu Wang Yun who happened to be born and grew up in a big city, the others nodded their head sympathetically.

"If they're good friends, then hopefully we could find them together in the same place.", said Tian Zhong.

"That would be the best scenario, let's just pray that it's going to be that way.", said Zhang Tian Yi.

Without horde of zombies or demons threatening them, they strolled through the town easily and found Chen Yao's house in less than an hour.

---- o ----

"Hi, I got some snacks.", Huang Wen entered the house and threw a bag filled with various snacks.

He just finished exploring the area around Chen Yao's house and found a small shop. Since no zombies or demons dared to attack him, he was the perfect choice for exploring and gathering supplies for them.

"Nice... we finished fortifying all the windows and doors on this side. Zhang Tian Yi and Liu Wang Yun were doing the other side.", Tian Zhong replied and lazily picked a pack of snacks and opened it.

Despite having Huang Wen as zombie's repellent, they rather have a secured base than rely on his presence. He was resting on the sofa, while Chen Wu Xuang was watching the situation outside through one of the windows.

"Oh... where is Ma Heng?", Huang Wen dropped his body and sat on another sofa.

"Can't you smell it? He was cooking.", Tian Zhong grinned.

"Ah, right... that's smell nice... So you found what? Instant noodles?", Huang Wen replied and sighed.

"Good nose, you got it right. We found few packs of instant noodles.", Tian Zhong answered.

"I miss instant noodles." said Huang Wen, half daydreaming.

Chen Wu Xuang chuckled, "Instant noddles is addictive."

"That's looks good...", said Liu Wang Yun, as he and Zhang Tian Yi entered the room.

He walked toward Tian Zhong and picked a pack of snack from the bag.

"Give me some", said Zhang Tian Yi and Tian Zhong threw one to him.

"Leave those trash for now, we have real food here.", Ma Heng entered with a big pot of instant noodles.

His appearance was welcomed with joyful shout from the others. No one spoke a word. They wolfed down the noodles within minutes.

"Now, that's what I call food.", Zhang Tian Yi closed his eyes, and lay on the floor with bulging tummy.

"So you guys found any clues?", Huang Wen who didn't join the others when they were searching the house earlier asked.

"Ah..., I forget to tell you, we got one clue but it's the best one. Chen Yao's mother wrote a message, just in case, her husband or her daughter somehow gets home and looks for her.", said Chen Wu Xuang.

"Uh, sorry I forget to tell you too. They wrote it on the wall of their bedroom. Apparently many people from the neighborhood gathered at this district's public school building. Chen Yao's brother study there, so he should be safe too.", Tian Zhong apologized.

"We're lucky. It seemed, this part of the city, had enough time to prepare. Not a big surprise, since we're a bit far from the busiest part of the city. Probably some people from this neighborhood who worked that day and survived the initial wave, called people at home and soon the news spread around. Some people think quickly and save many lives.", Zhang Tian Yi explained.

"But most of them who stayed at home must be women, children and the elderly.", said Huang Wen.

"I think as long as they're prepared. Then they have a good chance. If you remember, the zombies in those first few days was slow. If people work in a team and not panicked then they have a good chance to survive. She still had time to write a message on the wall and the writing wasn't seemed to be written in a hurry. Which means she wasn't that panicked and they have enough time to prepare.", said Liu Wang Yun.

"Let's just hope for the best. It's getting late right now. Let's have some rest and tomorrow morning. We could go to that public school to give it a check.", said Ma Heng.

They've been tired from the journey and no one disagree with him, they took turns at watching the situation outside. As usual Huang Wen began his meditation right away, he already got something to work on. When he studying fireball skill, he noticed some similarities between the force he was drawing, in order to form the fireball and the soul essence.

He wanted to study and analyze this force, to see if he could extract the essence that will turn into an experience point, the same way he extracted the fire attributed force for his fireball.

In order to do that, he needed to study his own body, mind and soul. As much as studying the force in nature itself.