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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Ten: A Painful Loss
The first shot fired by Pan Luo immediately drew the attention of everyone on the roof. The first to rush toward the sound of the gunfire was not Jiang He or Bai Yudong, but a large Yellow Dog named Erguotou.
As soon as the gun went off, the Yellow Dog leaped into the water, expertly paddling with a doggy paddle, barking loudly as it swiftly made its way out.
Bai Yudong was about to jump into the water when two soldiers firmly held him back.
"Vice Commander, the gunfire is far away, and there are Zombies in the water!" one soldier exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Bai Yudong and pulling him back with all his might.
Jiang He and Song Yao quickly realized that two Zombies had indeed been dragged back that night. It seemed they hadn’t been dealt with yet; it was unclear whether they had drowned or been washed away. The thought sent a chill through them—if they had encountered Zombies underwater earlier, there would have been no escape.
Before they could resolve their argument, another series of gunshots rang out from the direction of the first shot.
"It should be our people. Are they encountering Zombies and calling for help?" Chao Yifan said as he pushed a table into the water, addressing the flushed Bai Yudong. "The table can't hold two people; I’ll go take a look."
"Yi Fan, be careful," Jiang He said, feeling uneasy as he patted himself down, realizing he had nothing on him.
"Don't worry," Chao Yifan replied, pulling out his pistol from his pocket and giving it a shake.
Jiang He and Song Yao exchanged glances; everyone else had been thrown back to square one by the flood, while Chao Yifan was well-equipped with gear—first a flashlight, then a knife, and now even a pistol.
"Little Ding-Dang," Jiang He muttered as he watched the table slowly drift away.
Song Yao pressed close to him for warmth and said, "He’s been equipped since he started practicing shooting."
Bai Yudong was anxiously pacing, wanting to grab a piece of floating wood to jump into the water, but the two soldiers wouldn’t let go no matter what he said.
Chao Yifan sat steadily on the table, holding onto a leg to maintain his balance as he calmly floated downstream.
There were plenty of branches and debris on the water's surface, but there was no sign of any Zombies. The rain had eased from a torrential downpour to a gentle fall, as if the earlier raging flood that shook the earth had not been caused by it at all.
The Yellow Dog barked under a large tree, where rustling sounds could be heard above.
Chao Yifan adjusted his position, the sound of a gun being chambered echoed as he held a flashlight in his left hand and shone it upward.
"Who’s there?" Chao Yifan squinted, the beam of light failing to penetrate the thick foliage, revealing only vague silhouettes.
"Brother Yifan, it's me, Pan Luo, and Sister Xiaoyun. Sister Xiaoyun is injured," came the reply from above.
Chao Yifan spotted two Zombies floating not far away and asked in a low voice, "Were you bitten?"
"No," Pan Luo replied.
Chao Yifan gripped the tree trunk to steady himself and said, "Can you move now?"
"I can move, but Sister Xiaoyun's wound can't get wet. Can we sit her down on the table?" Pan Luo wiped the cold sweat from Xiaoyun's forehead; she had already slipped into a semi-conscious state.
Chao Yifan thought for a moment, then jumped into the water and called out, "Come down."
The Yellow Dog shook its head and jumped onto the table without hesitation, splashing water all over Chao Yifan's face.
Moments later, with Pan Luo's help, Xiaoyun climbed down from the tree and landed steadily on the table. The Yellow Dog wisely shifted aside to give her some space.
Chao Yifan, tall enough to have his neck above water while standing on the bottom, noticed Xiaoyun's pale complexion and the blood soaking her waist and abdomen. Concern crept into his expression.
"Is the injury serious?"
"It's okay, just some bleeding," Xiaoyun replied weakly, gripping the leg of the table tightly.
Chao Yifan steadied the table and noticed that Pan Luo was still crouched on a branch above.
"What's wrong?"
"Two people are too heavy; you should take Sister Xiaoyun back first," the young girl waved her hand, indicating that she was fine.
Chao Yifan nodded, tossing the flashlight up and instructing, "Wait here." With that, he pushed the table and headed toward the camp.
Xiaoyun had been shivering, her mind somewhat hazy. Chao Yifan kept trying to talk to her to keep her awake, but she lingered in a half-conscious state.
The further they walked toward the camp, the lower the terrain became. By the time they exited the forest, Chao Yifan could only lean forward and bounce to peek his head out. The roof was still a distance away, and he couldn't see any figures on it from where he stood.
Chao Yifan drew his gun and fired a shot into the air. Before long, several beams of flashlight appeared from across the way.
"Yi Fan! Is that you?"
It was Jiang He's voice.
"Don't turn off the flashlight; lead the way," Chao Yifan replied, placing his gun on the table. He took a deep breath, pushed the table aside, and kicked his legs to move through the water.
Yellow Dog turned around to watch Chao Yifan's movements and comfortably lay down: "Woof woof!"
Chao Yifan rolled his eyes and responded, "Woof woof..."
Xiaoyun collapsed onto the table, her eyelashes fluttering as she slightly opened her eyes. "Thank you..."
"Hang in there; don't sleep," Chao Yifan urged upon seeing her awake. He quickened his pace and asked, "Do you know what medicine you need?"
Xiaoyun wearily nodded. "How are you all...?"
"We're fine; Vice Commander is fine too." Chao Yifan shivered; his body was struggling to keep up, muscles aching all over, and his legs showed signs of cramping from kicking through the water.
"That's good... good..." Xiaoyun murmured, her voice trailing off.
Chao Yifan reached out to touch her forehead; it was burning hot.
"Wake up! Don't sleep! Please, don't sleep!" Chao Yifan shouted, panic rising in his voice as he struggled to paddle through the water.
The beam of the flashlight was not far away; he could vaguely see the outline of Jiang He under the eaves.
"Xiaoyun is hurt! Quickly, find some medicine!" Chao Yifan yelled, unsure of Xiaoyun's condition. She was the only medical personnel they had, and now she lay unconscious.
Bai Yudong sprang up at the mention of Xiaoyun's name, cupping his hands into a trumpet shape and calling out, "What happened to her?"
"I don't know! She's burning up with fever and has lost a lot of blood!" Chao Yifan felt his strength waning, the cold water rapidly sapping his energy and warmth.
Unable to hold back any longer, Bai Yudong dove into the water, swimming with all his might toward her.
Everyone gathered under the eaves, several flashlights illuminating the table floating on the water's surface. Xiaoyun curled up on the table, soaked through, with bloodstains glaringly visible around her waist.
Yellow Dog leaned over, licking Xiaoyun's face gently.
The dark water rippled with small waves as Chao Yifan pushed the table closer, while Bai Yudong swam nearer.
Beside them, Yellow Dog shook its head and stood up, barking a few times at Xiaoyun.
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