Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The once bustling street of snacks had now fallen into disarray, battered by the rain. The myriad of signs, washed clean by the downpour, glimmered with their gilded letters under the overcast sky, silently narrating tales of past glory.
Two figures dashed through the rain-soaked streets, the intricate alleys of the snack street providing ample cover. With Lin Daozhang acting as a human GPS, the maze of winding paths transformed into a labyrinth for their pursuers. After several twists and turns, the two vanished from sight.
In front of an old establishment, the Lamb Soup Bread Shop, two young men gasped for breath as they crouched low and squeezed through the dilapidated wooden door. A musty, damp odor filled their nostrils, reminiscent of long-forgotten times. Inside, the dimly lit hall was in disarray; tables and chairs lay scattered about, covered in a thick layer of dust. Cobwebs adorned the corners of the pillars and walls, and a careless movement would leave them tangled in strands that clung uncomfortably to their faces.
Beneath what used to be the food pickup area sat a desiccated corpse. The wind-bleached body resembled a sculpture, its sunken chest outlining prominent ribs. Next to its withered claws lay a head crowned with long, straw-like hair. Its eye sockets were deep-set, teeth yellowed and blackened, staring intently at the two men as if amused by their presence—a chilling expression that seemed to straddle between a smile and something far more sinister.
Song Jiu removed his white coat and wiped his damp hair before handing it to Lin Daozhang, who shot him an irritated glare. Lin had always kept his long hair tied up for his role as a Fake Taoist; maintaining it was more trouble than it was worth. The frantic running had loosened his Universal Headband, and he had no idea where his iron crown had ended up. Now with his hair cascading down and soaked by the rain, he looked like a deranged Ouyang Feng.
"I'm telling you, being around you is just asking for trouble," Lin Daozhang grumbled as he tore off a strip of cloth to tie back his hair. "Can we not make every situation life-threatening?"
Song Jiu listened with a smile as Lin vented his frustrations. "Isn't it exciting?"
"Exciting," Lin Daozhang nodded heavily, a smile almost breaking through before he remembered his complaints and quickly adopted a serious expression again. "But I swear if this happens again, I'm out. I can handle a knife fight without complaint, but facing guns? That's just courting death."
"We have guns too; I'm not worried," Song Jiu replied, shaking the rifle in his hand. This weapon felt worlds apart from the crude shotgun he used to wield; it was an entirely different experience.
"That’s useless! I’m embarrassed to even mention your shooting skills—have you hit even one person?" Lin Daozhang rolled his eyes mockingly. "You’re not experienced enough; even giving you a cannon wouldn’t help."
"So what? They haven't hit us either," Song Jiu said nonchalantly as he leaned against the wall to catch his breath. Hearing footsteps approaching from outside in the alleyway, he quickly pulled on Lin Daozhang's arm and urged him up to the second floor of the bread shop.
The larger establishments on the snack street were built in an ancient style with half-enclosed second floors resembling old taverns. Square tables lined the railing where one could lean over to glimpse down at the eaves below. The two men cautiously peeked out through the rain curtain and spotted four or five figures creeping down the alleyway below them, their guns scanning each intersection as they gradually slowed their pace.
"Where did everyone go?" Lin Daozhang counted the heads and wondered aloud, "Aren't they chasing anymore?"
"They split up to search," Song Jiu said, pulling the hood of his raincoat over his head. He spoke softly, "Whatever comes, comes. It's just right for us to take them down one by one."
Lin Daozhang pondered this logic, hesitating as he poked the barrel out from behind the railing, squinting to align his aim.
Song Jiu gently pressed down on the gun and whispered, "Don't shoot; it will attract others."
"Then how do we proceed? Fight with knives?"
"Let's wait and see." Song Jiu licked his lips and squinted into the distance, asking, "Why aren't there any zombies around here?"
"There are; I took you through those alleys, didn't you see?"
"I mean a larger horde."
Upon hearing this, Lin Daozhang guessed that Song Jiu was up to something again. He smirked and replied, "It all depends on luck. If we're unlucky, we'll run into a horde anywhere. Today, our luck seems decent; we haven't encountered a swarm of corpses yet."
The two conspired for a while longer before looking up to see that their squad had already chased off toward another fork in the road, unaware of the commotion above them. The heavy rain had erased their tracks, making it difficult to catch two people who were intent on hiding.
Old Lin let out a sigh of relief and plopped down onto the ground. He muttered, "Why is Liu Yan taking so long? We've been circling this area for half an hour now, and there's still no sign from the train station."
"It should be about time. There are no gunmen on the train; it should be an easy win," Song Jiu said confidently regarding Roundabout's remaining forces. They had left markers along the way; Liu Yan was meticulous and would surely pick up on any clues. The pursuers had been divided into several groups by the maze-like alleys, just waiting for Liu Yan to bring reinforcements so they could take them down one by one.
Song Jiu had a beautiful thought, but he didn't notice that the group of people had not gone far; instead, they had crossed the alley opposite the steamed bun shop and joined up with several other groups.
Wu Wentao, who was he? Back in the day when he partnered with E, he had not responded when spoken to, for reasons unknown.
Song Jiu did not reply immediately. The distance was considerable, and he was unsure what specific information Wu Wentao had received. However, the fact that the latter remained still inexplicably gave him a bit more confidence. Frowning as he pondered, he stubbornly insisted, "Have your people put down their weapons before we talk."
"You are testing my patience." Wu Wentao's brows furrowed as he prepared to give the order to fire. Regardless of the situation at the station, armed forces were right beside him; if necessary, they could just take back what was lost later.
At that moment, the communications officer, Foreigner, seemed to receive some information. He hurried over to Wu Wentao and handed him a device about the size of a brick.
Wu Wentao took the radio and pressed a button. A cacophony of noise came through the speaker, and after a moment, a man's voice emerged.
"Captain Wu, long time no see. Kenny has missed you; let's talk face to face."
Comment 0 Comment Count