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墨書 Inktalez
Before dawn, a squad of people traversed the vast City Ruins, arriving at an Arch Bridge. The bridge was short, its railings intricately carved with lifelike Beast Heads, while the gray-white Marble Steps appeared even more ghostly under the moonlight. Beneath the bridge lay a stinking Moat, swirling with foul odors, where dark moss covered the surfaces and stagnant water emitted a nauseating smell.
Directly in front of the Arch Bridge stood an Arched City Gate, weathered and closed tight. The dark red paint had mostly peeled away, revealing rows of copper nails high above, while the lower part remained smooth and new, dotted with numerous holes. Above the city gate hung a plaque inscribed with ancient script: "Vermilion Bird Gate." Despite the passage of time, each stroke remained clear and sharp, as if carved with a knife.
Three girls, tied together with hemp ropes, were shoved forward to follow the Cold Man beneath the grand city gate. They gazed up at the high Battlements and the starry sky, their eyes reflecting vastly different emotions.
To be honest, Dream Fan regretted her earlier confrontation with him in the temple. Perhaps it was due to spending too much time beside Song Jiu that she had grown arrogant, never taking Cold Man seriously from the beginning. As a result, Cold Man had delivered a harsh reminder through his actions: anyone who had survived in this world until now was certainly no mere weakling.
The Pika vehicle had barely traveled far before it broke down. Cold Man did not linger; he instructed the Militia to unload supplies and distribute them before leading everyone on foot through the shadowy ruins of the city. They arrived safely at the foot of the city wall without incident.
Dream Fan had never been to this city, but she had heard Song Jiu mention that his sister lived here. That was over two years ago when Song Jiu had hoped to come here one day to find her. However, as time passed and circumstances changed, he never brought it up again. The unpredictability of life was evident; she never imagined they would end up here in such a manner today.
Having never seen a pig run but having heard about it, Dream Fan knew a bit about this renowned cultural ancient capital. A friend from here once told her: "You won't get lost while traveling here because this city is square-shaped; just keep heading in one direction until you see the city wall—that means you've entered." Earlier that day, a Fake Taoist mentioned that there were many Zombies within the city and that the temple was located on the outskirts. With a city wall present, it implied that beyond it lay a city center teeming with Zombies.
From Cold Man's behavior along the way, it was clear he was very familiar with this place. His chosen paths and directions were purposeful; although difficult to navigate, they avoided many Zombies. Additionally, as Song Jiu had previously suggested, Cold Man might have found a breakthrough for a new refuge—indicating that beyond the city wall should be his destination.
Dream Fan glanced at Xiaofei, whose face was pale and whose eyes were filled with confusion regarding Cold Man's past. Now amidst rebels, Xiaofei could only feel fear for what lay ahead and could hardly assist Dream Fan in any significant way. On the other hand, Pockmarked Girl maintained a decent mental state; she seized every opportunity to mock Cold Man along their journey. While it may not have served any real purpose, at least it sounded satisfying. Dream Fan discreetly squeezed Xiaofei's hand and threw her a reassuring glance. Xiaofei looked puzzled but then noticed Dream Fan's delicate wrist and felt a flicker of realization while silently chiding herself for not being perceptive enough.
The three girls had always stuck together in camp. During one outing to gather supplies, Dream Fan had scavenged a pile of Jewelry from a dilapidated jewelry store and made several strands of beads for those she was close to. Seeing Dream Fan's empty wrist now made Effie suspect she must have found an opportunity to drop something as a signal. But would those small beads lead Song Jiu and others to find them?
Xiaofei glanced around to ensure no one was watching her before quietly lifting her lace cuff and shaking her bracelet while silently asking Dream Fan if she needed to dismantle it. Dream Fan gently shook her head and looked toward Cold Man standing by the city gate, mouthing: "Don't let him notice."
Effie couldn't discern Dream Fan's intentions but seeing her confident demeanor reminded her of what Dream Fan had accomplished back in the dungeon. Suddenly filled with confidence herself, she stopped speaking and quickly rolled down her sleeve to cover her bracelet tightly. Pockmarked Girl mimicked her actions, stealthily slipping her tied hands under her clothing—hiding them as best as she could.
Cold Man walked around the city gate several times before calling over a leaner Militia member. He pulled him close to an outer wall corner near the Moat and pointed to a spot about four meters high. "Climb up there; there's a loose brick you can pry out. Use your lighter to ignite what's inside."
The Militia member looked taken aback but seeing Cold Man's certainty made him half-believe as he rolled up his sleeves and began climbing.
The wall sloped like steps made of blue stones stacked upon each other; protruding edges provided footholds for climbing. In the past, people needed tickets to view light displays atop the walls; some daring individuals would climb over instead—success rates were surprisingly high.
The Militia member's muscular build wasn't for nothing; though initially hesitant, he found his rhythm after climbing two meters and sped up like Spider-Man toward where Cold Man indicated. Upon getting closer and inspecting carefully, he indeed found an obvious indentation among moss-covered bricks and pulled out his dagger to pry out the loose blue brick.
"Brother X," he called down after reaching inside only to find nothing but soot on his hands.
"It shouldn't be empty; look again," Cold Man replied incredulously: "If you can't find anything, just climb up."
The Militia muttered under his breath, the city wall was at least ten meters high. In the pitch darkness, if he slipped and fell, who would take responsibility? The group of Militia relied on him, and even if he was unhappy, he had to hold it in.
"What does he want?" The Pockmarked Girl, feeling bold, nudged the Militia holding the reins beside her and asked, "What did you guys do wrong to end up with him?"
"Don't talk," the Militia replied awkwardly. He wasn't familiar with Dream Fan and Xiaofei, but the Pockmarked Girl was always flaunting herself in the camp; they were somewhat acquainted. Suddenly turning hostile felt a bit guilty.
"Have you no conscience? Didn't I help you out before?" The Pockmarked Girl persisted, "I'm not trying to make it hard for you. Just tell me what that idiot promised you that you're not afraid of Song Jiu giving you a few stabs."
"Please, just say less. At most, I'll give you more food later." The Leash Militia, around thirty years old, wore a look of helplessness. He glanced around and whispered, "That Song Jiu is done for; the city is full of Zombies. They definitely won't come back."
"You believe what he says? Didn't you realize before that your brain isn't working?" The Pockmarked Girl exclaimed in surprise. "I'll give you a chance—kill that idiot, and I'll remember your merit. I won't tell Song Jiu about your black deeds."
"Sigh, you don't understand." The Leash Militia seemed to have something unspeakable on his mind. After several attempts to speak, he couldn't get it out. Growing anxious, he scolded her, "Guli, since we know each other somewhat, just say less. I'll do my best to take care of you."
"Pah." The Pockmarked Girl showed no appreciation and spat before ignoring him.
Xin Mengfan gave her a thumbs up and winked mischievously, pointing at herself and then at the Militia holding the reins, signaling something.
The Pockmarked Girl understood and boldly nudged the Militia again, whispering, "Let Dream Fan spend the night with you. You won't lose anything; it's not hard for you either. Just do me a favor at the right time."
"Stop talking," the Militia looked tormented. Although he told the Pockmarked Girl to say less, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward Dream Fan. Dream Fan was quick-witted; she pulled down her low-cut t-shirt at just the right moment, revealing a hint of autumn spinach. The Militia swallowed hard; his eyes were almost glued to that patch of whiteness, the lace of her bra stirring his long-suffering male heart.
Seeing an opportunity, the Pockmarked Girl quickly pressed on: "How about this? If we add Effie into the mix, I can set up a feast for you—a dragon and two phoenixes!"
Xiaofei couldn't compare to Dream Fan's prowess; upon hearing that the Pockmarked Girl was selling her out too, her pretty face instantly flushed red, her ears burning hot as she shot a fierce glare at Guli.
"Let's not talk about this anymore." It wasn't true that the Militia was unaffected; he had hesitated about splitting from Cold Man before. After Guli's teasing, his reason had already taken quite a beating.
The Pockmarked Girl stuck out her tongue at Dream Fan, who smiled knowingly and nodded lightly. When it came to dealing with men, Dream Fan was absolutely skilled; the Militia's resolve had softened by now. He was likely daydreaming about an encounter that would never happen, his gaze turning vacant.
While one side stirred up romantic waters, the other continued its desperate climb.
The temporary Spider-Man Militia successfully scaled the city wall and signaled Cold Man below before bravely making his way into the gate tower.
Cold Man furrowed his brows, silently praying that nothing would go wrong. After a moment, he faintly heard rustling sounds coming from above the city wall. Soon, a sleepy old face peeked out from the Battlements.
Cold Man was overjoyed and quickly waved his hand, whispering, "Brother Five, it's me, Monkey."
Around the same time, three vehicles drove down the deep, long street and slowly came to a stop outside the red brick wall.
Militia Youth jumped out of the cars in turn, helping to lift down the Surgical Bed. Jiao Ziqian lay under a thin blanket, his lips regaining their color as he slept soundly.
Liu Yan helped Chef Jia down from the vehicle and carried a backpack filled with surgical instruments to Luo Yu's car.
"You must be exhausted. Go home and get a good night's rest," Liu Yan said cheerfully. Jiao Ziqian's condition had stabilized; the unconventional blood transfusion had worked, and at least tonight he should be safe.
Luo Yu sat in the driver's seat of the Heavy Off-Road Vehicle. Although fatigue was evident on his face, his cold eyes gradually took on a layer of frost.
"Something has happened," Luo Yu said, uttering those few words as he fiddled with the high beams. The temple gate in front of him flickered in and out of light from the car's headlights, while across the street, the supermarket with a red cross emblem stood with its doors wide open.
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