Chapter 22 – Rainy Night in Hua City (14)
◎True Heroes◎
On the shattered ground, a bus wobbled and slid forward.
At the center of the formation, there was a floating mall with eight glass suspension bridges, each connecting to one of eight entrances: Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Xun, Gen, and Dui.
The entrance closest to them was the “Kun Gate.” Zhang Hao tightly gripped the steering wheel, driving the bus towards the direction of the suspension bridge. With less than fifty meters remaining, an unexpected event occurred.
A high-rise office building suddenly crumbled and collapsed, falling directly in their path.
Zhang Hao slammed the brakes, but the bus was moving too fast, already out of control. It executed a 180-degree sideways drift, spinning wildly around bends, causing passengers inside to see the world spinning, their insides almost shifting.
“Boom—”
Tons of steel and concrete came crashing down, hitting the middle of the bus precisely, splitting it into two. The people seated in the middle were instantly crushed into a bloody pulp.
Zhou Anqi and Cao Yiyi were sitting in the rear seats among those people.
Zhang Qi acted swiftly, covering Zhou Anqi’s eyes. Cao Yiyi, however, wasn’t as fortunate. Confronted with the approach of death, she witnessed people who were once whole turn into mush, smashed into a bloody mess. A suffocating fear surged into her mind, leaving her brain blank.
The severed bus body experienced a tremendous force of impact, sliding in two different directions. The front half, with Xu Liren and Zhang Hao, continued rolling towards the Kun Gate due to inertia. The back half, carrying Song Ke, Jiang Rui, and Zhuang Qingyan, was pushed towards the direction of the Gen Gate.
[Kun Gate]
Zhang Hao’s forehead slammed against the steering wheel, blood soaking his eye sockets. Amidst a continuous buzzing sound in his ears, he faintly heard an anxious shout from a distant place: “Brother Hao, wake up! Wake up quickly!”
Zhang Hao was irritated by the noise, struggling to lift his head. The aftermath of the concussion was evident; he felt an urge to vomit. After a moment, he managed to open his eyes with difficulty, only to realize that the one who had been calling his name was Tian Yi.
Tian Yi’s foot seemed to be trapped by the door, and he lay on the ground, desperately tugging at Zhang Hao’s pants leg, trying to wake him up.
Kongzi Qi was on the side, pushing against the door panel with all his might, but his efforts alone were insufficient.
Zhang Hao held his head, stood up dizzily, and said, “Don’t move, I’ll help you…”
Tian Yi’s voice was hoarse, tears streaming down as he yelled, “Don’t worry about me, Brother Hao. Run, quickly!”
Zhang Hao half-crouched down and, together with Kongzi Qi, exerted force. They finally lifted the door, but the significant movement caused his dizziness to worsen. He had to lean against the front windshield, gasping heavily.
“Where are the others? What happened to all of you…”
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Hao’s eyes suddenly widened, shocked and speechless at the strange scene before him.
The floating mall ahead had descended below ground level. The Kun Gate’s suspension bridge was gradually retracting, but at the gap between the ground and the bridge, there was actually a road built from people, forming a living ladder!
Some were natives running towards the entrance, but most were survivors from their bus. Once their comrades, now each of them had a vacant expression, mechanically moving forward, using their bodies to construct an escape ladder.
Behind this group of people, Xu Liren stood abruptly, his face dark and gloomy, resembling a corpse driver.
The people in the safe zone, to varying degrees, had been subjected to mental suggestions by Xu Liren, making them easier to manipulate. However, even this was pushing the limits of his mental ability. Dividing his focus to control ordinary people would likely overwhelm his mental strength.
No, he absolutely, absolutely couldn’t die here. He was so close, just a little bit more, just a little bit more.
One more person, just one more to fill the gap, Xu Liren’s expression grew anxious as his eyes scanned around.
—Then he spotted the three individuals in the driver’s seat.
Zhang Hao struggled to comprehend what was happening before his eyes. Suddenly, his pupils trembled, and all thoughts in his mind vanished. His brain became empty, devoid of any content. He stiffly stepped out of the bus, walking slowly towards the human wall.
Tian Yi’s body shook slightly, his thoughts gradually becoming chaotic… At that moment, the willow leaf knife in his pocket flew out uncontrollably. A faint blue light floated calmly before his eyes. Tian Yi’s daze flickered and immediately snapped back.
“Brother Hao! Don’t go over there!”
“Kongzi Qi! It seems like Brother Hao is being controlled!”
Kongzi Qi was already half-zombified, black veins spreading to his right jaw, making him look eerie and terrifying.
Ironically, it was these zombie-like traits that prevented Xu Liren from controlling him immediately.
Kongzi Qi shook his head, fully aware that his human thinking was slowly fading. He used his last bit of willpower to take a few steps forward and heavily hit Zhang Hao’s head from behind!
Zhang Hao’s head was already injured, and this caused even more pain. His vision went black, and he instantly broke free from Xu Liren’s mental control. Kongzi Qi pushed him in Tian Yi’s direction and, looking at Tian Yi, shouted his last words:
“—Run!!!”
Tian Yi’s tears streamed down as he rushed over, helping Zhang Hao up and running towards the back of the bus.
…
Xu Liren struggled to do anything, his attention fixed on the progress of the human wall. Managing his puppets had become difficult, and he managed to steal a glance in the direction of the bus. Seeing the approaching figure, he furrowed his brow.
What’s going on? He had focused his control on Zhang Hao, so why was it Kongzi Qi coming over?
…Never mind, Xu Liren consoled himself. Their heights were similar. As long as he could make it onto the last section of the human ladder, he could ascend to the focal point. Once inside, he could carefully scheme and continue to manipulate his puppets…
Kongzi Qi’s steps were sluggish, getting closer and closer to Xu Liren. An abnormal whiteness faintly appeared in his eyes. He stiffly extended his hands, reaching out to the person in front of him. His arms were just long enough to touch the slowly descending gangway.
Xu Liren’s heart eased. He could go now!
Stepping on the backs of those people, on this ladder of bodies he had personally constructed, gruesome and blood-soaked, he couldn’t wait any longer. He ran forward unhesitatingly, getting closer and closer to the entrance of Kun Gate.
Almost there, almost there—
Suddenly, intense pain shot through his shoulder. Xu Liren couldn’t believe it, he turned around, and Kongzi Qi’s face was twisted, biting onto him fiercely.
Xu Liren’s eyes widened, his body staggered as he climbed onto the platform, forcefully pushing Kongzi Qi away. Kongzi Qi’s arms left the gangway, taking the entire string of people down with him.
Trembling, Xu Liren unbuttoned his collar. There was a bleeding, distinct bite mark on his shoulder.
【Kun Gate】
The situation at Kun Gate was even worse. This place used to be the main street of a commercial district, bustling day and night even before doomsday. Now, it had amassed the largest number of zombies. Coupled with the fact that most of the gangway had been torn away by zombies, the fragmented terrain had formed steep cliffs, making conventional methods utterly impassable.
“We don’t have time,” Zhou Anqi muttered, her face ashen.
Zhang Qi turned to her, gritting his teeth. “We have time!”
He frantically searched around like a gust of wind sweeping fallen leaves. Astonishingly, he actually found a trailer iron chain as thick as a thigh. He picked it up and dashed towards the edge of the cliff.
As he passed by Song Ke, she lent him a timely hand, her palm flashing blue light, using her ability to reinforce the steel claws at the end of the chain. Zhang Qi shouted loudly and threw it, hooking precisely onto the entrance of the gangway.
“Anqi, you all go first. Don’t worry, I’ll hold onto you!”
Zhou Anqi stared blankly at him, as if she was only just recognizing him now.
These days, her head had been muddled and confused, often unable to distinguish between illusions and reality. Sometimes, she even forgot things she had said and done. However, in this moment, the downpour seemed to wash away the water that had entered her mind. Her thoughts broke free from their constraints, and she had never felt so clear.
“Anqi, let’s go quickly!” Cao Yiyi tugged at her sleeve, her tone urgent.
People who had survived until now, even the girls, had extraordinary physical abilities and determination. Otherwise, they would have died when escaping from the No.1 Middle School. There were no complaints from the girls in the group. They held onto the iron chain for dear life and slowly climbed across the gap.
After landing safely, Zhou Anqi, Lin Xia, and the other girls anxiously turned around to look at their companions on the other side.
There seemed to be a dispute over there. Some survivors who were also headed for Kun Gate had spotted their escape route and tried to cut in line. Jiang Rui’s face turned cold as he stopped them, saying, “Let our people go first.”
Those who were still persistent pushed Jiang Rui aside and leaped to catch the airborne iron chain. However, they overestimated themselves. Perhaps they were afraid of heights, or perhaps the surrounding zombie cries had shattered their courage. After only a couple of attempts, their hands went weak and they let go. In a state of terror, they fell into the chasm, devoured by the thousands of zombies below.
Zhang Hao and Tian Yi had gone through hardships and finally arrived at this point.
“Brother Jiang!” Seeing Jiang Rui at this moment was like seeing a savior.
Jiang Rui patted the backs of the two without wasting time saying much. “Can you hold on? Hurry over!”
Zhang Hao clenched his teeth. “Yes!”
In a life-and-death situation like this, you had to be able to, even if you didn’t want to!
…
Due to the collapsing earth, a massive sinkhole formed beneath the focal point, filled with countless zombies crawling up ceaselessly. The fastest ones were almost reaching the end of the iron chain.
Across from Zhou Anqi and the others, the last group of companions was moving slowly, still some distance away from the entrance of the gangway.
Suddenly!
Cao Yiyi pushed past Zhou Anqi and went madly to dislodge the iron hooks stuck in the gangway. Her movements were too swift and too aggressive, catching everyone off guard—originally, they had all planned to deal with the zombies that were climbing up together.
After just a few attempts, the steel claws loosened and fell from the edge of the gangway.
Zhang Qi, who was already on the edge of the cliff, kept sliding forward. He barely managed to stabilize himself, but the support from the opposite side suddenly disappeared. Unable to stop his steps, he plummeted down from the edge of the cliff.
Zhou Anqi’s eyes widened, futilely reaching out her hand. “Zhang Qi!!”
Not just Zhang Qi, but also Zhang Hao and Tian Yi, who were on the iron chain, along with Jiang Rui—all of them fell down.
Zhou Anqi couldn’t contain her anger, rushing forward to give Cao Yiyi a hard slap. “What did you do?!”
“Do you realize you just killed someone?!”
Half of Cao Yiyi’s cheek was swollen, but she still covered her face with a cold smile. “Fool.”
“The zombies are climbing up, can’t you see? They’re coming up, and it’s us who are going to die!”
“If you want to die, go die yourself. Don’t drag me down!”
Cao Yiyi was terrified. She feared being crushed like the people in the bus or bitten by zombies. She knew Jiang Rui hadn’t come over yet, but wasn’t she in danger too? Who could save her? She was only sixteen years old; her beautiful life hadn’t even started. She could only save herself.
In that moment, extreme selfishness overpowered everything else, but she didn’t regret it.
Cao Yiyi didn’t even glance back at her former companions. She turned around and ran into Kun Gate.
…
At the verge of falling, Jiang Rui whipped out his fire whip, looping it around the steel beams of the gangway. However, with both ends of the iron chain losing their supports, it swung uncontrollably downwards. Jiang Rui’s feet were just a few meters away from hordes of roaring zombies below.
“Zhang Qi!” Jiang Rui yelled in anguish.
Zhang Qi had completely vanished after falling into the sinkhole.
“Damn it! Damn it!!!” Jiang Rui’s eyes turned bloodshot as he cursed profusely.
He truly hadn’t expected such cruelty from a fellow student like Cao Yiyi, someone who was utterly indifferent to the life and death of others.
The fire whip couldn’t support the weight of so many people. It had already started sliding down, and Jiang Rui’s strength was insufficient. His arms trembled, and he was about to lose his grip.
In his gradually blurred vision, a lithe figure jumped over.
Like a swiftly flying falcon, Song Ke moved rapidly through the air. In one move, she leaped onto a slanted lamppost, and in the next, she grabbed hold of a protruding rock in the middle of the cliff. Maintaining an upright posture, she moved forward like walking on a tightrope.
The long spear in her hand had transformed into a nine-section whip chain. Utilizing the power of her entire arm, she swiftly spun the whip, then flung it out, one end hooked the gangway and then went to Jiang Rui’s side. “Catch it!”
Jiang Rui reached out, the scorching fire whip intertwining with the cyan nine-section whip chain, inseparable from each other. Song Ke exerted force from her waist, pulling backward. The people on the iron chain suddenly rose significantly, returning to mid-air.
Next, she demonstrated what was meant by “whip tossing” from a textbook.
With her right hand holding the iron chain and her left hand conjuring another long whip, she swung it in mid-air, catching Zhang Hao and the others hanging on the iron chain. Then, she tossed them upwards, the group resembling a silk-wrapped gourd, accurately landing and disappearing into Kun Gate with a “thud.”
Zhou Anqi and Lin Xia, still on the platform, hurriedly went to help them.
Song Ke retracted her whip, then swung it again, throwing a few more people over. A third time, a fourth time…
Lastly, it was Jiang Rui’s turn. Utilizing the two entangled whip ropes, he swung like a swing and flew over, tumbling to the ground.
In the next second, he stood up in a flurry and hurriedly ran forward.
—It was too late. The entrance of Kun Gate was slowly closing before his eyes. The Bagua formation was descending rapidly, falling into the sinkhole amidst the encirclement of countless zombies.
“Song Ke!!!” Jiang Rui shouted with heart-wrenching pain.
At the edge of the sinkhole, Song Ke and Zhuang Qingyan watched as the Bagua formation fall with their own eyes.
Zhuang Qingyan applauded slowly, a playful glint in his eyes. “Heroic sacrifice, a tearjerker indeed.”
Song Ke didn’t pay attention to his ambiguous words. She turned her gaze directly to his eyes. “Just now, why didn’t, didn’t you leave?”
When Jiang Rui threw away the iron chain, Song Ke had suggested that he could send him over, but Zhuang Qingyan had refused.
Zhuang Qingyan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he spread his palm and caught the falling raindrops. “Look, the rain has lessened.”
He smiled. “Since the rain has stopped, everything should come to an end.”
Song Ke’s brows knitted into a “川” character.
She couldn’t fathom what Zhuang Qingyan was thinking, but she also didn’t believe that he would give up his life so easily and wait for death obediently.
Why did he always have to speak in riddles? Why couldn’t he just be straightforward?
“Annoying,” Song Ke grumbled unhappily.
Zhuang Qingyan had a slight objection to her complaint. “I’m not the one who’s annoying. They are.”
The two turned their heads, and a swarm of black insects was pouring in from all directions, surrounding them.
Nine Section Whip Chain
