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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred Seventeen: The Long Road Ahead
Ming Junwei and his companions had a one-day and one-night stagger from Jiang He, which meant that at the moment Jiang He witnessed Zheng Qiutong being shot, two Cherokees had already entered the Qinglan Expressway.
Gaoxian Town, Nantang Township, and Daliugou appeared to be in a straight line on the map, but in reality, these three places were not just slightly offset. Therefore, the two parties missed each other by chance and regrettably passed by without meeting.
Jin Bo was driving the lead vehicle, his mind functioning like a navigation system. Xiao Wei followed in the second car. Despite encountering a few waves of Zombies along the way, they were fortunate enough not to be forced to stop by heavy traffic.
Unlike the lively banter during their departure, the atmosphere in both vehicles felt somewhat gloomy. The usual chatter among the group had fallen silent; even those who could usually talk endlessly were now quiet. The wind whistled through the car windows, seemingly trying to disperse the somber mood inside.
As the mileage increased, more green mountains appeared alongside the road. The generator blades atop the peaks continued to turn slowly, while a signal tower erected by China Mobile stood tall among the trees. Every few hundred meters, a thick utility pole emerged, topped with a large billboard that was straightforward and unadorned—no glamorous stars or flashy posters—just bold black letters stating "XX Cement Factory," with a phone number printed below.
The two vehicles drove silently for over four hours, stopping once to refuel before setting off again at high speed. This stretch of road was winding through mountainous terrain, with green hills on the left and clear waters on the right, twisting and turning without an end in sight.
After a while, Wheat seemed to be suffocated by the oppressive atmosphere and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Yi Fan, where are we now?"
In the passenger seat, Chao Yifan rubbed his bald head and peered out of the window for a long time without spotting any road signs. He hesitantly replied, "Well... we’re definitely leaving Shanxi."
Jin Bo glanced at him with a half-smile and said, "We're almost at Ansai; this is Shanbei territory."
"How do you know so much? Were you a tour guide or something?" Chao Yifan asked in surprise, raising his interest in Jin Bo several notches.
"Nope, I used to be a student at a martial arts school," Jin Bo replied lightly with a smile. "Then I drifted around aimlessly."
"A wandering hero?"
"Wandering Soul."
Chao Yifan stared at him for a moment, noticing he wasn't joking, and asked, "Is it just you?"
"Yeah." Jin Bo took the cigarette he offered and glanced at the three girls in the back through the rearview mirror, silently asking if he could smoke. Cao Liang was squished at the edge, sleeping soundly with loud snores.
"Give me one," Song Yao said, reaching out.
Chao Yifan obediently handed the cigarette pack and lighter to Song Yao, who skillfully lit her cigarette before passing the pack to Luci. Luci hesitated for a moment but ultimately declined the tobacco. Wheat eagerly reached out for it, only to be swatted back by Luci.
"Ansai? The Ansai with the waist drum?" Song Yao asked as she rolled down the window, letting the wild wind tousle her short hair.
"Yes, in a few kilometers, keep an eye on that mountain over there; there's a big waist drum at the top," Jin Bo said, holding his cigarette at an angle as he briefly described the local customs. Suddenly, he noticed the car behind him flashing its lights, so he pulled over in confusion.
"What's up?" Chao Yifan leaned out to see Ming Junwei jumping out of the back car.
"Let's take a break and grab something to eat," Ming Junwei said as he pulled out a large bag from the trunk filled with snacks donated by Jin Zhong and his friends.
"Right, my stomach is starting to growl too," Chao Yifan scratched his bald head and opened the car door to climb out.
"Come on, let's eat something," Song Yao said as she fixed her wind-tousled hair and linked arms with Luci as they both got out of the car.
Cao Liang woke up and jumped out to breathe in the fresh air while Wheat was still drowsy, struggling to stay awake and refusing to budge from her seat. The two girls had no choice but to let her sleep.
If this had been three months ago, their current parking spot would have been suicidal. At this bend in the inner lane, a car coming toward them could easily push them off the cliff. However, times had changed; today, even if they parked their car across the road, no one would care.
Jin Bo, ever vigilant, wielded his saber as he rounded the corner to scout ahead. After confirming that there were no threats from Zombies, he jogged back.
“How's the road?” Chao Yifan tossed him a Stone Bun while sitting on the hood of the car, taking a big bite.
“Not bad. The mountain road is relatively clear. This area of Shanbei is better than I expected,” Jin Bo replied, taking a couple of swigs from his water bottle before tearing the Stone Bun in half and gnawing on a piece with a fierce expression.
This delicacy was a specialty from Shaanxi, and Chao Yifan had eaten it before, but never one as hard as today’s. Even with his good appetite, he nearly broke a tooth trying to chew it. He struggled to get through it, let alone the women in their group. Ming Junwei noticed the grimaces on everyone’s faces as they chewed and felt a pang of sympathy. He dashed to the trunk and pulled out some jerky.
“This isn’t human flesh, is it?” Chao Yifan hesitated as he tore off a strip of dried meat.
“Pork,” Jin Bo shot him an exasperated look before tearing off a piece and stuffing it into his mouth. Judging by his expression, this jerky was probably not much softer than the Stone Bun.
An Zheng took the little boy to the roadside for a quick bathroom break while Su Lan and Zeng Yadong appeared to be still half-asleep. Xiaomi and Xiao Wei, however, never forgot their duties, each carrying a piece of tough jerky while keeping watch.
“Just eat something to replenish your strength,” Ming Junwei said as he handed food and water to Su Lan and Zeng Yadong. They had recently joined the group and weren’t very familiar with everyone else, making the journey feel even more tedious for them. Su Lan was fine; she could chat with An Zheng and Ming Junwei, but Zeng Yadong wasn’t one to warm up easily. Aside from Su Lan and Jin Bo, she was reluctant to engage with anyone else.
Zeng Yadong held Jin Bo in high regard mainly because she recognized him as an expert with a blade. Although Jin Bo had accidentally killed Gu Yan, Zeng Yadong didn’t hold it against him; instead, she occasionally sought his advice on knife techniques. Despite his young age, Jin Bo took on the role of teacher quite seriously, adjusting everything from Zeng Yadong’s grip on the knife to the angle of her strikes. This made Zeng Yadong eager for an encounter with Zombies along the way so she could test out what she had learned.
As everyone munched on their jerky and hard buns washed down with water, they gazed at the birds flitting between the cliffs beside the road, their expressions somewhat dazed.
Ming Junwei urged Chao Yifan off the hood...
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