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墨書 Inktalez
The Granary, long shrouded in mystery, finally revealed its secrets today, presenting itself fully to the crowd.
About a hundred people stood silently in the warehouse, staring at the corpse of the foreigner at the entrance and the tunnel exposed behind the cargo passage, all of them frozen in shock.
Chef Jia stood with her arms crossed to one side, while Luo Yu and a few others surrounded her, their expressions equally grim.
Song Jiu's concerns were not unfounded. On the way here, there had indeed been some unrest within the Militia. A few men and women had been stirring up emotions, trying to incite the already restless Survivors further into chaos, subtly attacking Chef Jia and Song Jiu with their words, their intentions clear.
Chef Jia did not explain or argue; she led the way with a cold expression. Pan Sheng'an and Cold Man followed closely behind, no one stepping forward to share the burden with Chef Jia. Luo Yu, observing this, recalled Song Jiu's earlier warnings and forced herself to ignore the slanderous remarks, focusing entirely on ensuring Chef Jia's safety.
It was easier to conquer than to hold ground.
Perhaps Chef Jia had not anticipated how troublesome it would be to calm the camp. The previous arguments and discussions with Song Jiu still echoed in her mind; those words that had seemed so hard to accept now sounded almost comforting.
“How long have you been with Song Jiu?” Chef Jia sighed and turned to ask the frowning Luo Yu.
“Um…” Luo Yu was taken aback by the sudden question. After a moment's thought, she replied, “More than a year.”
“What was it like for you two always on the move?” Chef Jia treated the crowd as if they were air, focusing intently on small talk with Luo Yu.
“We would stop sometimes,” Luo Yu replied casually, unsure of what she wanted to know. “We used to have a camp, but then we lost it.”
“Was it because of the Zombies?” Chef Jia raised an eyebrow curiously. “Your people seem quite capable.”
“The Zombies are one aspect; it's mainly about people,” Luo Yu glanced at her and noticed the worry etched on Chef Jia's face. Guessing she was still concerned about the camp issue, she reassured her, “Don’t worry; Jiu Jiu will handle it well.”
Wherever there are people, there are scoundrels; this saying holds true both before and after the disaster.
While Chef Jia and Luo Yu engaged in their conversation, someone lacking awareness decided to intrude.
“Hmph, what can he do? Just look at the few people he brought,” Cold Man deliberately raised his voice, mocking them sarcastically.
The dazed members of the Militia snapped back to reality, turning their gazes toward them.
Chef Jia stopped Luo Yu, who was about to confront him, and gently shook his head, signaling not to waste time here. Clearing his throat, he walked slowly toward the crowd and said, "Everything that needs to be said has been said, and everything that needs to be seen has been seen. Whether you believe it or not, the facts are right here. The Zombie is among you; it could be you or it could be him. I've said all I can; think for yourselves."
"It's getting late; everyone should go back and rest. For your own safety, I hope you won't go out tonight. Let's wait until we understand the situation before making any decisions." Chef Jia rubbed his temples wearily, once again doubting his choices. Song Jiu said he would handle it, and Luo Yu also claimed Song Jiu would take care of it, but how could they deal with a Zombie lurking in the crowd?
"Sister Jia, I think it's better to address some issues while everyone is here," Cold Man interjected at the right moment, limping forward. "Regardless of the situation, I oppose you handing over the camp to that outsider."
The Militia exchanged glances, remaining silent as they wondered if this person was out of his mind. With the Zombie wandering among them, how could he still focus on this?
"This place is full of outsiders; you're not a child anymore. Stop throwing tantrums," Chef Jia's expression darkened as he waved his hand, signaling the crowd to disperse. "You can settle your personal grievances privately like a man; don't keep buzzing in my ear."
Chef Jia's words were direct and clear enough that anyone with common sense would know when to back down. Yet Cold Man remained unyielding.
"You can't say that, Sister Jia. You are recognized as the leader here; that kid flaunting his power must have your support," Cold Man retorted, shrugging off Pan Sheng'an's attempt to restrain him. "The Zombie issue is ultimately our camp's concern; we don't need an outsider dictating terms. Sister Jia, I hope you consider this seriously. Everyone respects you, but you must also respect us."
The Militia began to murmur among themselves. A few who had grievances against Song Jiu chimed in, not having strong opinions but simply following along out of habit. They regretted speaking up as soon as they did. Who would have thought that idle chatter could spread? Initially quiet individuals were stirred up by a few troublemakers, and those who had previously attacked Chef Jia resurfaced.
Luo Yu exchanged glances with the Young Man beside him, and they discreetly moved apart in search of those stirring up trouble within the crowd. It was easy to guess that a Zombie was mixed in among them; with Cold Man leading the charge, the Zombie was more than happy to add fuel to the fire.
Chef Jia sighed and cast a cold glance at Cold Man as his suppressed anger surged within him, ready to explode when suddenly several gunshots rang out from outside the warehouse.
Everyone's expressions changed dramatically. Luo Yu grabbed Chef Jia and rushed out of the warehouse urgently saying, "Something's happened; we need to go back."
The rest of the group was still trying to process what had just occurred; their previously peaceful lives were suddenly thrown into chaos, leaving their muddled brains struggling to keep up.
"I told you so, Sister Jia; you've misjudged this time," Cold Man said triumphantly as he turned around only to see the coldly beautiful girl who had been following Chef Jia approaching him.
Luo Yu had had enough of this annoying fly. If a man wanted to confront him, he should do so directly or shut up and lie low instead of incessantly nagging like a spoiled child.
"You think—" Cold Man's arrogant words were abruptly cut off as he let out a high-pitched scream that echoed into the night sky.
The new guards at the Watchtower were Song Jiu's men; they were sharp and alert unlike those from earlier in the day. The gunfire had raised their awareness; hearing movement below them, they quickly activated their searchlights, casting two beams of bright light across both sides.
Luo Yu stood at the center of the light circle, raising her hand to signal that everything was fine here. The guards clearly saw her gesture and promptly turned off the precious power, continuing to keep watch.
The illumination lasted only a moment, but it was enough for the crowd to see what was happening in the center.
The once proud Cold Man now sat on the ground, his face obscured by one hand, howling in agony. Thanks to the brief light from the Bright Searchlights, the Militia members were horrified to see that Cold Man's mouth had been cut open by a sharp object, a gash extending to his ear. His previously sturdy face was split in two, blood pouring out.
Luo Yu pulled a cloth from her waist pocket and wiped the blood off the Steel Saw Blade, ignoring the shocked crowd. She urged a few Young Men to return and check on the situation while she went over to pull Chef Jia along with her.
Pan Sheng'an and the others looked around and decided it was better to stick with this woman, so they hurriedly followed her, leaving behind a group of bewildered Militia members and the still wailing Cold Man at the warehouse entrance.
When Luo Yu arrived at the square, many people had already gathered near the Brick Wall. In addition to their guards, there were also women from the camp who had returned home to rest.
The Brick Wall had only one entrance, which was now completely blocked. The women peered in curiously while the young men stood guard outside, firmly preventing anyone from entering.
"What happened?" Luo Yu felt a surge of anxiety; it had been less than half an hour since dinner ended, so why was there a gunshot alarm?
"Luo Jie, you finally made it! Hurry, hurry!" A Guard Boy recognized Luo Yu at once and squeezed through the crowd to pull her inside.
Luo Yu was startled and didn’t have time to ask further questions as she rushed toward the back of the Brick Wall. Since she had been holding onto Chef Jia, she was also allowed entry. Seeing Luo Yu’s tense expression and hearing the guards' inexplicable words made Chef Jia feel anxious as well.
Just twenty meters past the left turn at the Brick Wall entrance was the main doorway, which was now surrounded. Luo Yu glanced around and saw it was all familiar faces inside; there were also angry shouts mixed with sobs coming from within.
"What happened, Jiu Jiu? What’s going on?"
Luo Yu pushed through the crowd and entered, but what she saw left her stunned as if struck by lightning.
Inside the doorway illuminated by burning torches, Jiao Ziqian knelt on the ground with her back to everyone, crying loudly. Xin Mengfan lay weakly beside her. In front of them was a patch of dark red earth soaked in blood, where a small body lay motionless.
The flickering flames cast shadows that highlighted that soft body like white jade. The shocking wounds slowly consumed Luo Yu's heart with dread.
Song Jiu stood behind the two collapsed figures, his fists clenched tightly with bulging veins, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The bespectacled gunman stood beside Xiaofei and the Pockmarked Girl, both women pale as ghosts, while Liu Yan's face was smeared with blood.
"Brother Jiu," Luo Yu felt her throat dry up. For the first time, she found the pool of blood glaringly bright. She wanted to take a step forward but couldn't muster the strength.
"It's all my fault, ahhh!" Jiao Ziqian's cries were heart-wrenching as she pounded her fists against the ground.
Song Jiu moved, laboriously lifting his leg to walk over to the small figure, slowly crouching down. He carefully pried open the tightly clenched pale little hand and extracted an object.
" Brother Jiu," Luo Yu stepped forward but saw Song Jiu wave his hand.
Song Jiu approached the torch, raising his hand and squinting at the flickering light.
It was a tuft of hair, slightly yellowed.
Song Jiu tucked the hair into his pocket and turned to face the terrified Chef Jia, whispering in a voice that seemed to tear at his vocal cords, "Gather everyone immediately."
The usually indifferent Chef Jia felt a sudden pang of fear; Song Jiu's bloodshot eyes truly sent chills down her spine. Almost instinctively, Chef Jia nodded and fled in haste.
"You, come with me." Song Jiu pointed at Liu Yan, picked up a Steel Saw Blade from the ground, and walked out of the crowd.
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