Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Jiao Ziqian pressed the brake, bringing the car to a steady stop in front of the toll booth entrance.
Cement barriers and roadblocks sealed off the entrance, with both lanes on either side lined with a makeshift barrier of dead wood. Many bark-stripped branches were twisted together with wire, forming a solid row that blocked the entrance and exit. Beneath the dead branches, a swarm of flies hovered like a dark cloud, their buzzing creating an unsettling hum that could be felt from a distance. Below the swarm, a pile of human corpses lay heaped together, blood plasma seeping out onto the ground, already dried by the wind into a dark red stain that was strikingly visible. Atop this mound of bodies, ropes dangled from the ends of the dead wood, with struggling figures still writhing beneath the nooses.
Song Jiu pulled out binoculars to take a closer look. Ten—ten zombies were hanging by their necks from the tops of the dead wood, still moving.
“ Brother Jiu,” Jiao Ziqian swallowed hard, feeling a chill run down his back.
“Stay alert,” Wu Wentao said, furrowing his brow as he opened the car door to get out and investigate.
“Don’t go out,” Song Jiu quickly grabbed his arm, frowning. “Just ram through.”
“Uh…” Jiao Ziqian hesitated, stammering, “Let’s take another route.”
“Ram through,” Song Jiu shook his head and repeated.
“What’s there to panic about?” Wu Wentao glanced at Song Jiu, thinking he was spooked by the scene. He reassured him, “I’ll go check it out.”
“Don’t go out,” Song Jiu insisted, still gripping his arm with a serious expression that suggested he wasn’t joking.
Hearing this, Wu Wentao closed the car door and asked earnestly, “What did you notice?”
“See for yourself.” Song Jiu handed him the binoculars and pointed at the struggling zombies hanging from the dead wood.
Wu Wentao’s expression turned skeptical as he took the binoculars and looked closely. After observing for a while, he couldn’t help but regard Song Jiu with newfound respect; he hadn’t expected this kid to have such sharp eyes. However, those details didn’t seem to indicate much—perhaps it was just someone bored trying to play tricks.
Old Lin, unable to see anything from behind, grew anxious. “What’s going on?”
“Those zombies have been castrated,” Wu Wentao said with an odd expression as he glanced at Old Lin’s lower body. The latter felt a chill run down his spine and quickly covered himself with both hands. “Castrated? Castrated zombies?”
“Anyway, let’s be cautious,” Song Jiu said dismissively as he directed Jiao Ziqian to slowly back up the car a bit before fastening his seatbelt and preparing to charge through.
"No way." This time, Wu Wentao spoke up to stop them, saying, "It's all logs; if we crash into them, the car will be wrecked."
"Then let's take another route." Song Jiu lit a cigarette and observed the overgrown fields beside the highway through the rearview mirror, muttering, "We can't stop here; it just feels wrong."
Chu Guangxu let out a cold laugh, deliberately ignoring Song Jiu. He turned to Wu Wentao and said, "I'll take the brothers down to have a look."
Wu Wentao frowned, thought for a moment, and nodded. "Stay alert and be careful."
Song Jiu sighed. After Chu Guangxu and a foreigner got out, he said lightly, "Boss Wu, our goal is to transport coal; there's no need to waste time here."
"Being cautious is fine, but there's no need to scare ourselves," Wu Wentao replied calmly, his gaze fixed on Chu Guangxu and the other man as they approached the roadblock.
"You think this is just some bored person causing trouble?" A wave of irritation surged in Song Jiu's heart. With a hint of displeasure, he retorted, "If I say we should rush past those zombies blocking the road and you don't let me, then when I suggest taking another route you also refuse—what's the meaning of that?"
"This is the only passage; taking a detour would take too long, and forcing our way through would damage the vehicle," Wu Wentao said as he snatched the cigarette from Song Jiu's fingers and gestured toward the toll booth. "We have firepower; there's no need to worry."
"Do as you wish." Song Jiu turned away and ignored him, frowning as he continued to observe the surroundings through the rearview mirror. His expression grew increasingly worried.
Jiao Ziqian noticed his anxiety and felt puzzled. In the past, whether facing gunfire or hordes of enemies, Brother Jiu had always remained calm. Why was he so rattled by a few hanging sausages this time? He leaned in and asked softly, " Brother Jiu, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Song Jiu replied dismissively, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm himself. Unfortunately, countless painful memories surged in his mind like a branding iron stabbing at buried scars.
Jiao Ziqian found it even stranger. He glanced back at Lin Daozhang, who also wore a confused expression.
Song Jiu's behavior was unusual. Although he had been off his game lately, he had never shown such signs before—fear and anxiety were two words that should not have described him but now painted an accurate picture of his state.
The light outside flickered erratically, casting shadows on Song Jiu's profile—uncertain and fluctuating.
Chu Guangxu returned with the foreigner. Through the car window, they glanced at Song Jiu with a hint of disdain. Chu Guangxu raised his voice intentionally and said, "There's no problem; just shoot those zombies on top. I checked—the roadblock isn't secured; we can move it with a bit of effort."
Wu Wentao relaxed slightly upon hearing this. Noticing that Song Jiu remained silent, he felt inexplicably curious and asked, "What do you think?"
"I think we should leave immediately," Song Jiu said coldly without looking back. "Even if it means taking a detour, we can't waste time. It's getting dark."
"Have you noticed something?" Wu Wentao believed his instincts for danger were as sharp as anyone else's. The roadblock ahead seemed strange, but it wasn't alarming enough to warrant immediate concern. He didn't know much about Song Jiu, only that he was one of the leaders of the Roundabout camp and the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Dr. Zhong. From what he had seen that day at Strawberry Farm, Song Jiu appeared to be ruthless, so why was he suddenly acting so cautious?
"It's nothing, just a bad feeling," Song Jiu said, rubbing his temples and forcing his voice to sound more casual. "It's getting dark, and there are no signs of civilization around. This roadblock is clearly meant to obstruct us. If we linger here, the ones who set it up might come to deal with us."
The car fell silent, and the expressions of the Foreigners changed. They were all hardened individuals who had tasted blood, and they understood what Song Jiu was implying. The first part of their journey had been smooth, and these killers had relaxed somewhat, but their vigilance remained intact. They glanced around at their surroundings, taking Song Jiu's words more seriously. However, Wu Wentao's experience in Field Duty was greater; his instincts and judgment regarding danger were likely sharper than Song Jiu's. If Captain Wu felt there was no need for concern, there must be a reason for it.
The Foreigners hesitated; they were used to following orders, and without Wu Wentao's command, they didn't know what to do.
Wu Wentao furrowed his brow in thought. On one hand, he felt that Song Jiu was being overly cautious; on the other hand, he wondered if he had overlooked something. Weighing his options, he finally asked, "Can we handle this in ten minutes?"
Chu Guangxu looked troubled but didn't want to heed Song Jiu's advice. Gritting his teeth, he replied, "We can."
"Go then; make it quick," Wu Wentao said decisively as he opened the car door and jumped out. He calmly instructed, "Keep watch on both sides. If there's any movement, shoot to kill. Don't extinguish the vehicle."
The Foreigners sprang into action while only five remained in the car with Song Jiu. Wu Wentao realized this wasn't ideal; with just a few people left to guard the vehicle, did he really have to get his hands dirty? After a moment's pause, he turned to Song Jiu and asked patiently, "Do you know something?"
"I've told you everything I know; if you won't listen, there's nothing more I can do," Song Jiu sighed and called Lin Daozhang and the others to get out of the car. "We're just allies here; you have your plans, and I have mine."
Wu Wentao felt a headache coming on as he recalled his former partner. The Blonde Woman shared some similarities with Song Jiu but was stronger by comparison.
"Stop wasting time and stay alert," Song Jiu steadied himself internally, realizing he might be overreacting. Allies shouldn't issue commands; discussing matters together was the right approach. Since Wu Wentao had already made some concessions, there was no need for him to be stubborn.
Jiao Ziqian stayed behind to watch the car while one Foreigner climbed onto the roof with binoculars to survey the area. Wu Wentao appreciated Song Jiu's caution enough to attach a silencer to his handgun before taking aim at the roadblock and firing several shots that sent ten enemies straight to their graves.
The concrete barriers looked like they had been moved by hand; drag marks were faintly visible on the ground. These obstacles could be dealt with easily by clearing a path wide enough for their vehicle to pass through; however, moving the wooden roadblock would be more troublesome. The pile of limbs beneath it was impossible to manage—who knew how long those decaying bodies had been stacked there? The bottom layer was nearly unrecognizable, covered in maggot shells with fat maggots wriggling through rotting flesh while various viscous liquids dripped like sauce over bubbling corpses. The stench was overwhelming and nauseating.
Without clearing away the corpses, they couldn't work from underneath the roadblock. The dead trees were tangled together with barbed wire; pulling from either side only caused them to sway without budging in the middle where they were buried under bodies. Holding his breath, Song Jiu crawled up to the edge of the roadblock and squinted at the toll booth ahead; it appeared shrouded in gray mist with many large stones piled on the ground.
"Don't bother," Song Jiu sighed again and called Wu Wentao over. "Let's do this: bring some gasoline along; we'll walk around and find another vehicle."
Wu Wentao peered through the gaps in the dead wood, feeling a surge of irritation. The people blocking the road were truly a nuisance; if they had this much time on their hands, they might as well blow the road up.
"Alright," Wu Wentao nodded in agreement. This was the only way to save time and effort. If they had to turn back and find another route, their fuel would not be enough for that.
Chu Guangxu's face flushed red. He had only checked the roadblocks outside and hadn’t noticed any signs of a passage behind them. If it weren't for Song Jiu climbing up to take a look, they would have wasted even more effort.
The security personnel reported that everything was normal, while the others quickly packed up the weapons and equipment from the vehicle. They grabbed what fuel they could carry and organized themselves before crossing the barrier, heading into the tall grass that was about a person's height. The previously calm Foreigners also grew serious; after all, these roadblocks were not particularly useful. For them, it was no big deal to abandon the vehicle and detour through the wilderness—it would only take a few minutes, though finding their vehicle again would be more troublesome.
However, it was precisely this oddity that made the Foreigners feel uneasy. Forcing them to stop their vehicles and walk into a limited visibility area of grass seemed like a very unconventional ambush tactic.
Wu Wentao took the lead, his rifle held at the ready, slightly hunched over as he moved silently through the wilderness. In contrast, Song Jiu and the others were much noisier; their eyes sparkled with excitement as they stepped on twigs and leaves that crunched underfoot. Three Foreigners brought up the rear, their guns scanning back and forth like cobras, not missing any rustle in the grass.
Suddenly, Wu Wentao raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. He slowly crouched down and pressed his hand against the ground in front of him, frowning as he said, "There's a trap."
"What?" Lin Daozhang exclaimed in surprise. Ever since leaving the temple, life had become fraught with danger. The strange roadblocks were one thing; now there were pits hidden in the grass?
Wu Wentao made a shushing motion and continued pressing down on the ground where everyone stood. He gestured for them to step back a few paces before drawing out his knife to scrape at the earth ahead. After a few strokes, he hit something made of interwoven branches. Wu Wentao glanced around before grabbing hold of a branch and pulling hard. With a dull thud, the ground in front of him suddenly caved in, sending dust flying and obscuring everyone's vision.
"Damn it! Are we going to get hit by poison arrows or lime fire next?" Jiao Ziqian exclaimed in shock as he leaned over to look into the pit but quickly recoiled with a shuddering body, cursing, "Damn it! There's a snake!"
Lin Daozhang's face turned pale as he hurriedly backed away toward the group.
Song Jiu exchanged glances with Wu Wentao. The latter pulled out a small flashlight and shone it into the pit. Indeed, at the bottom of this three-meter-deep hole wriggled several long snakes that blended almost perfectly with the dirt; if it weren't for their scales reflecting light, they would have been nearly impossible to spot.
"What kind of godforsaken place is this?" Chu Guangxu felt a chill run down his back; if someone stepped into that pit, they wouldn't die but would surely be terrified.
Just as he finished speaking, one of the Foreigners at the back suddenly opened fire. The rifle was leveled straight ahead as bullets flew out, sweeping through a cluster of wild grass and sending mud flying everywhere while leaves scattered into the air.
Professionals were indeed different; if it had been Song Jiu and his group, they would have first notified everyone upon discovering such a situation. The Foreigners skipped that step entirely, aiming to eliminate threats at first sight. The others adjusted their stances immediately after hearing gunfire, their rifles pointing toward where the shots had come from without asking questions before unleashing a volley in response.
Song Jiu and his companions were slightly slower to react; by the time they prepared to raise their guns in defense, the first Foreigners had already leaped into the grass like cheetahs, heading straight toward their shooting position.
The others did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly approached with their guns. As they got closer, they saw two bodies lying on their backs in the grass, their bodies pressing down on a patch of grass.
"My God," Lin Daozhang exclaimed in shock, muttering, "These... these wild people."
"Have you ever seen a wild person wearing glasses?" Jiao Ziqian retorted, rolling his eyes as he reached down to remove a pair of gold-rimmed glasses from one of the corpses. He kept mumbling something, clearly astonished.
Song Jiu and Wu Wentao's expressions grew serious. The two had not expected such a swift reaction from their side. The firepower of the three foreigners was devastating; one of them had endured a barrage of bullets, his body torn in half, the upper and lower halves separated by a distance of at least two meters, with internal organs and intestines strewn across the ground. But that was not the main point; the strange appearance and attire of the two male corpses were what caught their attention.
Both men were bald, their faces, necks, and upper bodies covered in tattooed patterns. They were thin, gaunt, and dark-skinned, wearing what resembled short skirts on their lower halves, barefoot with soles blackened and thick calluses formed from wear. The tattoos on their bodies were rough but seemed intentionally done, resembling tribal totems commonly seen in the past; however, the craftsmanship was evidently poor, akin to drawing a tiger that ended up looking like a dog. Weapons lay scattered beside the corpses: twisted galvanized steel pipes with sharp blades welded onto one end, crudely made like the tattoos on their skin, with jagged edges full of chips.
"What tribe is this?" Jiao Ziqian asked, somewhat bewildered. The garments on their lower halves looked unmistakably like skirts, albeit filthy and tattered.
Song Jiu's brow twitched as he pulled out a steel saw blade and lifted up one of the corpses' "skirts." The pupils of those around him dilated sharply as they collectively gasped in horror, a chill rising from head to toe.
Comment 0 Comment Count