Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"I tell you, there are a lot of Zombies near the city wall. It's not like the city center where I can still help you escape. If we get discovered by the Horde, it would be disastrous," the Fake Taoist said, his mustache almost curling in anxiety. He tried to persuade and warn Song Jiu, hoping to dissuade him from going to the city wall to find Luo Yu.
However, his words only made Song Jiu more anxious. "Then we definitely have to go."
"Then you can go by yourself; I'll wait here in the temple. If she comes back and sees no one is around, she might get lost," Boss Lin said, astonished by his own cleverness. He quickly added, "Right, right! We'll split up; you go to the city wall, and I'll wait here."
"No need. I've left a note for Luo Yu; she'll see it when she gets back," Song Jiu replied calmly, extinguishing Lin Daozhang's excitement. He was truly annoyed by Lin Daozhang's persistence and helplessly said, "I just wanted you to take me to have a look, not to fight the Zombies. Why are you being such a coward?"
"Going to have a look is equivalent to courting death," Lin Daozhang said with a sorrowful expression as he was half-pulled out of the temple. He sighed, "You can fight and kill; I can't."
"I don't believe it. Don't pretend to be weak; those muscles under your robe can't be built just by doing push-ups," Song Jiu chuckled, pulling out a Steel Saw Blade from his side and handing it to him. "You’ll have to figure out how to overcome your fear of blood. If there really are that many Zombies, I might not be able to take care of you."
Lin Daozhang's face fell as he reluctantly accepted the heavy saw blade and followed closely behind.
Since everyone in the temple was heading to the Roundabout and Luci's vehicle couldn't fit them all, Liu Yan and the others took the remaining two vehicles. This left Song Jiu and Lin Daozhang without any means of transportation, relying solely on their legs. Because of this, the superstitious Fake Taoist was extremely reluctant. After all, escaping by car would increase their chances of survival; relying on their legs was precarious. Although Zombies moved slowly, getting cornered would mean certain doom.
The Fake Taoist was filled with worry while Song Jiu remained unconcerned. He wasn't trying to fool the Fake Taoist; although he was anxious about Luo Yu and Dream Fan, he also understood that they were at a disadvantage in numbers. If they encountered a large group of Zombies, they would surely come out worse for wear. The main reason he insisted on going was because of what he heard from Cyclops Long at the Roundabout: city wall, fresh face.
Whether Luo Yu went to the city wall was uncertain, but those strangers who appeared at the wall were likely part of Cold Man's group.
Song Jiu counted heads and realized that not many had defected with Cold Man; he had three girls and supplies with him, which would make movement less convenient.
"That guy stole your hard-earned supplies," Song Jiu glanced back at the dejected Fake Taoist and asked with a smile, "Aren't you angry?"
"Of course I'm angry," Lin Daozhang lifted his eyelids and sighed, "But it's not the first time I've been robbed; I've gotten used to it."
Traveling was an exceedingly dull task, especially when one had to make two trips in a single day. The surroundings remained unchanged, with ruins and crumbling buildings stretching as far as the eye could see, overgrown with wild grass, smoke and fire lingering in the air, creating a desolate silence. Lin Daozhang had been wandering this city for over twenty years; whether it was bustling or barren, he had seen enough to no longer care. In contrast, Song Jiu had been away from the city for so long that moving through it felt somewhat like sightseeing.
Song Jiu's thoughts were in disarray. His sister had lived in this city for a long time too; had she ever come here? Had she visited that temple or stopped by that bar for a drink? Did the path he was walking now bear any traces of her footsteps? Counting back, it had been five years since they last met. She had seen him off at the train station, promising to visit when she had the chance, and he had vowed to return during his holidays.
Yet both of them had broken their promises. Once they parted ways in the world, it became increasingly difficult to reunite.
Over the years, Song Jiu thought he had forgotten much, but unexpectedly, fate led him into that shop, as if someone was guiding him from beyond.
He suddenly chuckled to himself, recalling how his sister had called him on the day she opened her store. Unfortunately, he had been dead drunk that day and hadn’t even managed to congratulate her on her grand opening.
Lin Daozhang caught up with him in a few strides, sneaking glances at his profile and teasingly said, “Crying?”
“Get lost,” Song Jiu retorted with a laugh, wiping at his slightly reddened eyes. He reached into his pocket and froze.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Daozhang asked.
“Nothing, hurry up,” Song Jiu shot him an annoyed glare, remembering that he must have dropped it while trying to stop that girl from hitting Lin Daozhang in the bar.
Putting aside their trivial conversation, the two hurried towards the city wall to check on the group still stationed there.
The horde was restless, spilling over the Arch Bridge and filling the green grassland at the foot of the city wall. The Big Rush that Luo Yu had pinned down with his flying knives had long since turned into a pile of skeletal remains draped in shredded flesh. The starving zombies were ravenous and insatiable. Because Luo Yu stirred up trouble midway, many zombies tumbled down the slope and poured into the already foul riverbank. The area outside Vermilion Bird Gate had completely devolved into a Sea of Corpses, with wild grass trampled mercilessly underfoot, turning into spring mud that could hardly protect any flowers.
Cold Man might have been a scoundrel, but luck was on his side; he hadn’t died. With a fierce will to survive and enduring the fiery pain in his groin, he crawled back up to the city wall. The onlookers above were moved by his determination and surprisingly did not push him back down but instead lent a hand to pull him up.
From night to day, three members of the Squad had died for no reason, and the three girls they had captured to ease their worries had escaped completely. The only consolation left was the supplies brought in from the supermarket.
"Brother Xiong, what should we do next?" Militia A asked, his scalp tingling from the deafening roars of the Sea of Corpses. Although he knew the Zombies couldn't climb up, his legs still trembled uncontrollably.
"Return to the City Wall and secure the supplies," Cold Man said, clutching his pants with a grim and resentful expression, his eyes burning with fury as he watched the direction the Ladies had fled.
"What about the Zombies? Shouldn't we think of a way to deal with them?" Militia B inquired.
Cold Man shook his head, squinting as he looked toward the inner city wall. Suddenly, something occurred to him. "Quick, go check the city gate!" The Militia, unsure of what was happening but glad to have a leader, hurriedly followed him.
Inside the city, there was an iron ladder leading up to the city wall. The ladder was about twenty to thirty meters long and turned down beside the Ticket Booth behind the city gate, surrounded by a fence. In the past, visitors had to pay for tickets before being allowed through by staff inside. The fence wasn't very high, but there were concrete foundations below it, providing some protection for the only passageway leading to the high wall.
Previously, the city gate rarely closed. Many citizens even thought it had become a mere decoration that could never be shut. However, Cold Man remembered that during Christmas, when foot traffic surged in the city center, all four gates would close one by one to control crowds and ensure public safety. The gates had stood firm throughout history, blocking fast horses and iron hooves as well as weapons and artillery. Now, two Red Gates, steeped in historical dust, remained tightly shut, fulfilling their duty by preventing any Zombies from advancing even a step.
Cold Man dared not be careless; he wasn't sure if the gate could withstand a frenzied Zombie Tide. His mind raced back to Old Five's ghostly appearance that morning, filling him with unease and doubt. The City Wall was empty and clearly abandoned for a long time; Old Five wouldn't just appear without reason. With this question lingering in his mind, Cold Man's expression hardened as he rushed down the steps. Just as he was about to burst out of the Ticket Booth, he suddenly halted.
The gate remained unchanged, but the heavy bolt that should have secured it was missing.
Several wooden crossbars lay askew on the ground, and a narrow gap had formed between the two wooden doors.
The Militia followed closely behind him and looked in the direction Cold Man was staring at. Their faces flushed from running now showed clear signs of fear as they instinctively stopped and began to retreat.
"Brother Xiong!" Militia A called out tremulously.
"Back!" Cold Man swallowed hard and abruptly turned around to sprint away. "Quickly up to the wall!"
Inside the city walls, on a certain street.
In front of a dilapidated store, a woman in a tank top sat there, a slender cigarette held between her fingers. She took a light puff and exhaled a wisp of gray mist.
Luo Yu lifted the hem of her shirt that hung down to her thighs, rolled it up a few times, and tied it at her navel. She then tidied her messy long hair and stepped outside.
The woman glanced back at her and pulled out a metal cigarette case, offering it to Luo Yu.
Luo Yu initially intended to refuse, but upon catching a whiff of the lingering stench on herself, she accepted it instead. She lit one and sat down beside the woman, inhaling and exhaling smoke.
“Thank you.” Luo Yu felt she should say something; if it weren't for this suddenly appearing stranger, whether Dream Fan and the others could escape safely was still uncertain.
The woman smiled faintly, shaking her head as she softly said, “Just make do for now. You should wash up when you get back; wearing wet clothes can make you catch a cold.”
“Yeah, I appreciate it.” Luo Yu took another puff of her cigarette and turned to look inside, frowning as she called out, “Dream Fan.”
“Wait a moment.”
There were rustling sounds from inside the store, and soon after, Dream Fan ran out with an expression of disbelief.
Luo Yu was taken aback by her outfit and burst into laughter. “That outfit really suits you.”
The woman turned to glance back and chuckled as well.
This was a children's clothing store that had long been neglected. Luo Yu's oversized shirt had been taken from a corpse, paired with bright yellow sweatpants that ended at her calves—an odd combination. The three girls couldn't bear to wear shrouds, so they stubbornly rummaged through some large-sized children's clothes. Now they were dressed in colorful outfits meant for kids; the tops barely covered them while the bottoms offered little protection. Barefoot, they looked both awkward and comical.
"Let's take a break before we continue," the woman said, her smile fading as she pulled out half a bottle of water from her small bag and offered it to the group. "Did you come from outside the city?"
"Yes," Luo Yu interjected, casting a glance at Dream Fan, who seemed ready to speak. He silenced her with a look; while the woman was indeed helping them, it was wise to remain cautious.
However, the woman appeared to be merely making small talk, showing little interest in their situation. She leisurely finished her cigarette, sat for a moment longer, then brushed off the dirt and stood up.
"What do you go by?" she asked, turning back to them.
"Luo Yu," he replied, introducing the others in turn. "Dream Fan, Effie, and Guli."
"And you? What’s your name?" Dream Fan asked eagerly.
The woman smiled at her, her pink lips parting slightly. "Song Yao."
Comment 0 Comment Count