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墨書 Inktalez
After numerous twists and turns, the scales of the Goddess of Fortune finally tilted slightly in their favor. They had lost so many people; if they had to sacrifice their only remaining gains, it would truly be a journey filled with misfortune.
The Horde had all entered the grassland that had been scorched by fire on the highway. Many also ventured into the wooded paths leading up the mountain, but most of the Horde remained scattered in a long line, slowly advancing while following various sounds from within the mountains. The position where Song Jiu and his group found themselves was deliberately chosen by Jin Bo earlier; there were no ready-made roads here, only a bumpy path suitable for a bus. Aside from one side at the foot of the mountain, the surroundings were quite open, allowing enough maneuvering space for the bus to avoid being blocked by any sudden attacks from Zombies. However, this choice also had its drawbacks, as previously mentioned: the bus had to stay away from the highway.
The pressing issue before everyone was how to safely transfer all their supplies before the approaching Zombies could enter shooting range. While turning back was entirely feasible, they would have to abandon whatever supplies remained. Ming Junwei and his group were reluctant to do so but couldn't think of any other solutions at that moment. Relying on manpower for transportation would inevitably lead to problems; they had already lost too many people in the cave, and they couldn't afford to lose more over trivial matters.
In this situation, Song Jiu's sudden suggestion proved to be particularly clever.
Everyone present was intelligent; as soon as Song Jiu finished speaking, their expressions brightened, and the clouds of worry dissipated almost instantly. There was hardly any need for discussion. Jin Bo waved his hand decisively, drawing his long knife and charging toward the Horde first. The men and women painted with war paint followed closely behind him, all switching their firearms for knives, rushing forward as if they were the hungry Zombies themselves.
Luo Yu glanced at Song Jiu, who shrugged helplessly and said to Ming Junwei, "The rest should prepare to retreat."
"Xiao Jin is still so reckless," Luci remarked with a tongue out. She knew that Jin Bo's camp had once kept Zombies as pets; they were of little use except for guarding duties. However, things had turned sour between them and Jin Bo's group when their guard dogs got loose and caused chaos.
"Keep an eye out; those who can get on the bus should do so. Those who can't should stay close to either side of it," Ming Junwei decisively took command. The bus driver immediately took his place, turning the key to start the engine, which sputtered out a cloud of black smoke, looking rather weak.
The man driving was one of Jin Bo's subordinates; he popped his head out of the window and shouted loudly, "Push! The wheels are stuck in mud!"
The foreigners appeared the most relaxed; upon hearing this, they responded enthusiastically. They tossed aside their heavy weapons and rolled up their sleeves to temporarily play the role of pushers. After some effort, the bus finally roared to life and crawled out of the mud pit, splattering mud all over those nearby.
"Ming Ge! Which way are we going?" The young driver called out without hesitation.
"Get on the highway; just drive straight ahead," Ming Junwei replied while glancing at Jin Bo and his group charging into the Horde. He felt somewhat uneasy; after all, Zombies were unpredictable creatures that wouldn't be easily tamed.
Just as he was about to change plans, he saw Song Jiu jump down from the bus with a bundle of ropes slung over his shoulder. Without saying a word, he walked to the back of the vehicle and called for the driver not to leave just yet. He distributed ropes to Old Lin and Liu Yan, cutting them into several lengths that dangled from the rear bumper.
"Those walking should pull back first," Song Jiu said as he sniffed and took back a long-lost Steel Saw Blade from Old Lin's hands before rushing toward Jin Bo's group.
Ming Junwei and Wu Wentao were more adept at direct confrontations than clever tactics. Seeing that they were confident now, they wasted no time in regrouping: Foreigners took point while Cave Indigenous followed in between them; Song Yao and others brought up the rear while coordinating with the driver about their rendezvous point. They hurriedly led their pack animals through the grass toward the distant highway. The bus needed a path that could lead it onto the highway ramp; thus leaving now would be pointless since there were no other ramps along their route except for a service area ahead.
Jin Bo's group was deeply engaged in combat; not many Zombies had entered shooting range yet. With over ten people under Jin Bo’s command wielding blades fiercely against their foes, they paid little mind to the large number of Zombies approaching from afar. By the time Song Jiu and his companions arrived, Jin Bo's men had already subdued seven or eight disarmed Zombies and were struggling to drag these putrid corpses toward their supply pile.
Song Jiu exchanged glances with them and reminded them, "There are ropes tied at the back of the bus; bind those Zombies together and use them as makeshift sleds."
A few young men’s eyes lit up as they smiled at him. They had been pondering this very thing; initially planning to tie supplies onto Zombies' bodies and lead them like dogs. While this could have been a way to recycle waste effectively, it was clear that Zombies wouldn’t obey commands easily—pulling back and forth could waste precious retreat time. Although Song Jiu's suggestion seemed cruel, there was no need for humanity when dealing with these bloodthirsty creatures.
With Song Jiu joining in on the fight, Jin Bo's team became increasingly efficient in their assault against Zombies. Setting aside others for now, just Jin Bo and Lin Daozhang alone were already sufficient forces. Compared to how Song Jiu’s group fought wildly against Zombies, Jin Bo and Lin Daozhang seemed almost choreographed in their movements—long knives and saw blades gleamed with deadly intent in their hands as each sweeping motion accurately severed Zombie limbs without collateral damage. Their actions flowed seamlessly—clean and decisive without any hesitation or messiness.
Song Jiu noticed that their work had become much rougher. The swings of their blades lacked any finesse; the goal was simply to sever arms and reduce threats. They didn’t care about aesthetics or symmetry. Some had half a shoulder chopped off, while others had their arms severed at the elbows, leaving them with dangling stumps that still flailed about. If Jin Bo and Lin Daozhang produced disabled Zombies like factory products, then Song Jiu and his crew were undoubtedly operating a black market workshop with shoddy craftsmanship.
Not much time had passed before they managed to subdue nearly twenty disabled Zombies. Those guarding the vehicle helped tie the Zombies side by side at the back, securing them with ropes to create a human sled. They piled all the goods on top and wrapped it all up tightly, giving it a tug to ensure it felt secure. The asphalt road wouldn’t hold for long before turning them into mush, but on the meadow, it didn’t matter; they could last for a while. Any extra Zombies were dealt with using the same clumsy method as before: binding them in Sacks front and back, tying a rope around their necks, and letting the Oil Paint Youth lead them along.
In reality, using Zombies as pack animals was more effective than a human sled. The armless Zombies remained highly aggressive; they didn’t need the Oil Paint Youth to pull too hard; the Zombies would lunge forward on their own as long as a safe distance was maintained. The speed was definitely manageable. With no time to change plans, Jin Bo and Old Lin took up the rear, continuing to chop down foes and buy time while the others followed behind the overloaded bus, watching as it dragged its human sled far away before finally catching up with their respective White Dragon Horses.
A good cat is one that catches mice, and although Song Jiu’s crude idea was rough around the edges, it proved effective; at least none of the supplies bought with lives were left behind—they were all swept away.
The journey ahead was uneventful. Having escaped the range of the Zombies, there was no need for anyone to rush anymore. The bus maintained a steady speed, both to keep an appropriate visual distance from the road and those behind them, and out of concern that the human sled might not hold together—if it loosened while running too far, it would inevitably cause trouble.
Two hours later, the three teams finally converged at the previously empty service area. About a hundred people gathered there; only the young driver and Jiao Ziqian seemed comfortable, while everyone else was exhausted.
“Let’s switch mounts; dragging this back will probably ruin those supplies,” Chu Guangxu pointed at the human sled tied to the back of the bus. The bottommost Zombie looked pitiful after being dragged for several kilometers; its already decayed body was now even more mangled, leaving a long wet trail between tire tracks that reeked horrifically.
“There’s a vehicle here; let’s switch at the back,” said Song Jiu. Their group arrived late and had to walk while keeping an eye out for any lurking Zombies. Physically and mentally drained, they found that those Zombies, on the other hand, were lively and showed no signs of submission despite carrying heavy loads of supplies.
Underneath the blazing sun, desolation still reigned; this long-silent service area hadn’t changed at all due to these temporary visitors.
The main group took a brief rest here before finding a barely usable Changhe van to transfer all remaining supplies while sending off the bus first. With too many people and too few vehicles, it wasn’t realistic to return home all at once; they still needed to proceed on foot for part of the journey. Fortunately, they weren’t far from home now. Without needing to keep an eye on the Zombies, they should reach Ancient City before dark—once inside the city, everything would be easier.
The trek was extremely monotonous. Although they seemed to be returning with plenty of supplies, in reality, they had lost far more than they gained. For Jin Bo, there were unexpected gains; however, the joy of reuniting with old friends had its limits and couldn’t lift everyone’s spirits significantly. As for Wu Wentao, their group lived in the moment—drinking today for today’s sake—carefree in life and dignified in death. Meanwhile, Jin Bo’s team felt they had completed their mission successfully without any injuries throughout.
The atmosphere was particularly gloomy among Song Jiu’s group and the Cave Indigenous.
They traveled in silence: moving forward, resting; moving forward again, then resting once more.
As dusk approached and rolling hills faded from view, silhouettes of distant towers began to emerge along with scattered Zombies. The bus ahead left signals along the way indicating everything was normal so far. The graduate students remained on board; following Ming Junwei’s orders, they didn’t stop to wait for the main group but aimed to return to Roundabout as quickly as possible—with conditions allowing them to come back for support if needed.
As night fell under a dim sky filled with stars, the large group finally entered Ancient City. After days of tension, everyone could finally relax completely—even including the Foreign Operatives. A wave of inexplicable ease washed over everyone as those in high spirits began contemplating how to ask Ming Junwei for some drinks upon returning.
The silent captive group also started becoming more animated. Contrary to what they expected, these men hadn’t mistreated them during their journey. Whenever they stopped for breaks or food and water were provided without fail. At this point in captivity, they should feel grateful enough. Among them were many who hadn’t seen a city in ages—even if it was just an empty shell of one. Suddenly returning from deep mountains like Old Lin, that strange feeling intensified within them—whether it was nostalgia or sorrow was hard to say; some even shed tears.
Having been gone for three days, there wasn’t much change in town; everyone had grown accustomed to life in this darkened Lonely City. The night breeze whispered through silent crowds as a long stream of people moved quietly through streets and alleys until entering through city gates where they spotted an approaching bus in the distance.
“This bus is late; I’ll have to complain,” said Luci, rubbing her sore ankles while glancing at her unperturbed companions—Liu Yan and Song Yao. She whispered, “Don’t you two feel tired?”
“Tired,” replied Song Yao, smiling as she stepped behind her friend and kneaded her shoulders gently. “Let’s go home and take a hot bath.”
"Wow, the conditions are pretty good, and there's even a bath," Jin Bo said, his ears perked up as he sneaked over, asking in a low voice, "Can we have a sauna?"
"Sure," Luci replied with a roll of her eyes, smirking as she added, "I'll tell Sister Jia when we get back and find a nice place to steam you."
The atmosphere in the group was incredibly relaxed; both acquaintances and strangers began to chat and laugh, leisurely waiting for the bus to arrive. The clattering old bus pulled up in front of them, the doors swung open, and the graduate student jumped out with Xiao Wei, hurrying towards the crowd.
"Hey, Xiao Wei!" Jin Bo exclaimed with delight, darting out of the group like a monkey to stand right in front of Xiao Wei.
Xiao Wei's face was clouded with frost. He was momentarily taken aback by Jin Bo's sudden appearance, but then his furrowed brows relaxed in surprise. "You little rascal! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
"I wanted to give you a surprise, but you scared me first," the graduate student replied with a somewhat strained smile.
"What's wrong?" Ming Junwei noticed the unusual expressions on their faces, and his previously relaxed mood tightened again.
Suppressing his joy at reuniting with an old friend, Xiao Wei glanced at the significantly larger group and said seriously, "Yinuo and Old Tian are missing."
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