Chapter Ninety-One

Chapter Ninety-One

Lin An and Xu Fang anxiously waited at home; suddenly, Lin An stood up and looked towards the door.

Knowing the other's senses were keener than his, Xu Fang immediately asked, "What is it, have they come back?"

"No," Lin An said uneasily, "there are many people coming this way."

Xu Fang got up, opened the door, and peered out. The dark street was aglow with fire at the far end, making the usually quiet dawn unusually noisy.

"They shouldn't be coming here," Xu Fang felt uneasy, too. Just Grandma Wu's disappearance had already caused them enough trouble; he hoped nothing else would happen.

Contrary to his wishes, Xu Fang watched those people getting closer and closer. He even spotted the city lord and Jenny among them.

Logically, they had been low-profile during their days in Snow City, not breaking any laws. These people coming so boldly and disregarding the time, Xu Fang could only think of one possibility—Lin An had been exposed.

Slamming the door shut, Xu Fang turned with a serious expression: "An, you go upstairs and stay there. I'll handle things here."

Lin An, too, thought of that possibility. He nodded and immediately went upstairs, with Xiao Fu following.

Pretending to be not home was too late now. Xu Fang stood at the window, watching the people standing on the street outside the door. The city lord ordered two men to knock on the door, and the sharp-eyed Xu Fang noticed that these two were the main forces in yesterday's zombie fight, with strong abilities. It seemed they would force their way in if the door wasn't opened.

Hearing the urgent knocking, Xu Fang cursed under his breath and had no choice but to go and open the door.

"Coming, coming! What's with the knocking in the middle of the night, calling spirits?" He pretended to have just woken up, grumbling as he got dressed to open the door.

When he opened the door, he squinted at the two people outside and took the offensive, shouting angrily: "Are you guys crazy? Don't you know what time it is? Is it a zombie invasion or is Snow City exploding? You just have to disturb people's sleep at this hour!"

The two outside, looking at Xu Fang's ruffian demeanor, frowned. But the door was open, so they turned to look at the city lord.

The city lord stood not far behind, listening to Xu Fang's continuous cursing, his expression still unchanged: "Hello, do you remember me?"

Yawning, Xu Fang said in surprise, "The City Lord? What brings you here so late? It's not good for your health to be up at this hour, especially at your age. Adequate sleep is essential for maintaining good health."

Ignoring Xu Fang's nonsense, the city lord stated his purpose directly: "I've heard that one of your companions has red eyes. Could you let him come out for a moment?"

Xu Fang's heart sank; they were indeed here for Lin An.

"Red eyes? Who are you referring to?"

The City Lord said, "There were six of you when you entered the city: Ouyang Dong, Shen Xiuzhe, you, and the grandparents. I'm referring to the other one."

"Oh, him? He's been feeling unwell, caught a cold. It's really cold in Ice Snow City, so catching a cold is pretty normal. I think I might be catching one too."

The City Lord smiled, but his eyes were cold: "If you continue like this, we will proceed with a direct search. I suspect that person might be a zombie, and as the lord of this city, I absolutely won't allow such a threat in Ice Snow City."

Xu Fang, unafraid and undeterred, retorted with a sneer, "If we had brought a zombie into the city, wouldn't Ice Snow City be in chaos by now? Don't make baseless accusations. Just because you're the City Lord doesn't mean you can barge into someone's home."

Seeing the firm refusal and steadfast guarding of the door, the City Lord gestured to his subordinates. The gifted individuals immediately charged forward.

They actually wanted to forcefully enter through violence.

Xu Fang's face showed anger, but he was extremely anxious inside. Currently unable to use his special abilities, he was no match for so many power users. Unfortunately, the others had all gone out. What to do? He must not let them catch An Ge.

Just then, two people burst into the crowd from outside: Ouyang Dong and Wu Duo. Seeing many heading this way, they too sensed something was amiss and quickly joined in.

"What's happening?" Ouyang Dong pushed through the crowd, eyeing both sides on the verge of a clash.

"They've gone mad, insisting we're harboring a zombie and wanting to force their way in for a search," Xu Fang explained, gesturing for them to come closer as they arrived.

Now, three people stood guard at the door, adamantly refusing entry.

The City Lord narrowed his eyes, his suspicion growing from a mere three parts to eight. In Ice Snow City's previous zombie clearings, there were indeed people who hid zombies, those short-sighted individuals hiding their zombified family members, which invariably led to tragedies.

Therefore, he would not overlook any zombies.

"They are only three people; let's use force to break in."

The power users, following the city lord's orders, started fighting with the three at the door.

Wu Duo extracted a portion of sand from her space, allowing Xu Fang to finally use his abilities in combat.

Having battled their way here, the trio's skills in both swordsmanship and special abilities had become strong enough to hold their own against the numerous power users outside, managing to prevent them from crossing the threshold.

The city lord's expression gradually turned serious. He realized that these people were not weak, even matching the strongest power users, and he had underestimated them. To have come this far from Chuxi City, their strength was indeed formidable.

"Everyone else join in, the zombie must be inside."

Several people behind the city lord also joined the battle. As his bodyguards, they were among the strongest in the Ice and Snow City and would not normally intervene unless necessary.

The number of power users kept increasing, and none of them were weak. The trio was gradually getting overwhelmed. Managing one against three was already difficult, let alone one against five or ten.

The doors behind them flew off in the midst of the fight, and several parts of the house's exterior walls were damaged.

Just as the trio's situation became increasingly dire, a person rushed out of the crowd towards the city lord, exclaiming, "Lord, the zombie tide is coming!"

The arrival of the zombie tide from the sea was unpredictable. They could only assign people to watch from the lookout tower. Now, amidst this chaos, the zombies had arrived.

Seeing that they couldn't break through the door, the city lord weighed his options and decided to deal with the zombie tide first.

As the crowd dispersed, Xu Fang and his companions finally breathed a sigh of relief, but just then, Lin An ran down from the second floor with a worried expression.

He had heard all the conversations from the second floor. Looking at his companion sitting on the threshold, he anxiously said, "The zombie tide is coming. Shen Xiuzhe and Grandma Wu are still outside! They'll use that kind of potion to kill the zombies."

Xu Fang, who had witnessed the potency of the green potion, stood up in alarm. "This is bad! That potion can dissolve anything into blood, whether it's a human or a zombie. It's even more terrifying than sulfuric acid. The boss and Grandma Wu are in the maze without any protective gear. If they pour that potion, we won't even be able to find their bodies!"

Although Udo and Ouyang Dong had not seen it themselves, Xu Fang's description made them aware of the danger.

"What do we do now! We can't contact Shen Ge, and we don't even know if he has found Grandma. If they really pour that potion, then the two of them..." Udo was almost frantic.

"Quick, to the city gate, stop them from pouring the potion!" Ouyang Dong immediately said.

Xu Fang nodded and looked at Lin An hesitantly. Not taking An Ge with them and leaving him here alone risked the power users finding him. But bringing him to the city gate was like walking into the lion's den.

"I'm going," Lin An said with determination. "People who are crucial to us mean nothing to them. Letting the zombie tide into Ice and Snow City for the sake of two strangers is not worth it for the city lord and the people here. So we should go together and hold back the tide. Only then can we possibly convince them not to use the potion."

Indeed, without demonstrating their strength and fending off the zombie onslaught, they would have no grounds to persuade the city lord.

The four, along with Little Fu, hurried towards the city gate. It was just starting to get light. As they approached, they were immediately stopped.

Word had spread that these people had brought a zombie into the city. Seeing them heading this way, someone quickly reported it to the city lord.

The city lord was preparing the potion when he heard that they had come and was surprised.

Taking his men with him, he saw Lin An at a glance.

Lin An had very pale skin and didn't look like a zombie at all. His eyes were hidden under his bangs, invisible. He stood behind his companions, nervously shrinking back.

"What are you doing here?" the city lord asked, his gaze sharp.

Xu Fang said, "Our two companions are still in the maze and haven't come out yet. Could you please hold off on pouring that potion?"

The city lord hadn't expected this. No wonder a few of them were missing. "No, as the lord of Ice and Snow City, I must prioritize the safety of the people. Sacrificing the lives of most of the citizens for two people is something I absolutely won't do."

Udo anxiously said, "We will go down and hold back the zombie tide, preventing them from coming up."

Not just the city lord, but others also laughed at this. These few people, stop thousands of zombies? What a joke.

The city lord's gaze lingered on Lin An, who, despite trying to shrink behind his companions, couldn't escape the surrounding scrutinizing eyes.

"That person there, he must be the zombie. Since he's come out, let's resolve everything here," the city lord pointed at Lin An.

Nearby power users and civilians, having heard about this, were furious to learn that this group had been harboring a zombie. Seeing the zombie daring to show up, they glared at him with hatred.

To them, any zombie was a threat to be eliminated immediately. In the early days of the apocalypse, Ice and Snow City had suffered greatly due to zombies. Many had lost family and friends, either turned into zombies or killed by them. If not for the city lord uniting and leading the people to eradicate the zombies house by house, they would probably have perished too.

After two grueling months, the city was constantly shrouded in death and chaos until they finally exterminated all the zombies. They wouldn't allow the hard-earned peace in the city to be disrupted, nor would they tolerate any zombie's presence.

"Kill him!" someone suddenly shouted.

"Burn him alive."

"Throw him into the potion!"

The crowd clamored, as if they had already envisioned the zombie's demise.

Ouyang Dong and others protected Lin An in the center, frantically explaining, "He's not a zombie. If he were, you wouldn't be standing here fine. Besides, the main issue is the zombie tide. Can you not focus on these trivial matters?"

The city lord observed Lin An, who seemed very nervous hiding behind. While it seemed eight parts certain he was a zombie, his complexion and behavior didn't fit; rather, he looked more like an ordinary person scared by the situation.

"Let's do this: have him show his eyes. If his eyes are normal, then I'll admit my mistake about earlier, and we can discuss the zombie tide further. But if he does have the eyes of a zombie, then you all are guilty of harboring him and will be punished together."

How could they let Lin An reveal his eyes! This sly and cunning city lord was clearly setting a trap for them.

Just then, Udo spotted people in protective suits carrying iron buckets towards the city gate from the crowd's edge. Her heart skipped a beat - if they didn't act quickly, it would be too late!

At this moment, the crowd realized that if they had nothing to hide, showing their eyes would be a simple matter. Their hesitation only made them more suspicious.

An ice chunk was hurled towards Lin An, who, panicked and overwhelmed by the onlookers, didn't notice it coming. It hit him squarely on the head.

Seeing an effective method, others followed suit. Ice and snow were everywhere, and they started throwing chunks at Lin An, yelling, "Lift your head up!"

"If you're not a zombie, then raise your head and let us see!"

"Why won't you lift your head?!"

"You must be a zombie, a damned zombie. Die!"

The three companions were furious. Lin An was a sensitive and introverted person. Everyone was always kind to him, and he reciprocated with heartfelt sincerity. Many times, it was Lin An's intervention that saved them from death.

What were these people doing now? How dare they attack Lin An!

Even Little Fu, the dog, was growling fiercely, barking angrily. If not for Lin An holding the leash tightly, the dog would have surely lunged at the attackers.

The three companions were busy blocking the ice and snowballs aimed at Lin An, cursing under their breath. They didn't want to start a fight because not only would they not have the upper hand, but it would also derail their original goal.

Lin An was hit by several ice chunks. His head throbbed in pain. He didn't want to avoid them; he simply couldn't. He couldn't even use his special abilities.

His social anxiety, which had somewhat subsided due to their journey, erupted again.

Surrounded by the crowd, subjected to their hostile, fearful, hateful, and antagonistic stares, Lin An felt the familiar, bone-clinging gazes, like sharp needles piercing his skin. He thought he had overcome this, that he could face these stares calmly, but it seemed he still couldn't bear it.

Those nightmarish eyes, each one fixated on him, watching him at all times.

Lin An's body stiffened, his gaze vacant. Even as he was hit, he showed no reaction. He bent over, trying to make himself smaller, hiding behind his companions, seeking to use their bodies as a shield.

In an instant, he couldn't hear or see anything, immersed in another world, a world scrutinized by countless malicious gazes. Eyes were everywhere, no matter where he ran, there was no escape…

Xu Fang exclaimed, "Damn it, if you throw me again, I'm going to lose it!"

Wudo pleaded, "Lord Mayor! We can hold back the zombie tide. Our comrades are still below. Give us a chance first. If we can't hold them off, then you can do whatever you want later, including pouring as much potion as you wish."

Ouyang Dong assured, "We really can hold back the zombie tide. What's behind us isn't zombies, he's our comrade!"

The mayor couldn't comprehend their actions, but he didn't need to. His choice was optimal, the best for the entire Snow City.

"Lord Mayor, the potion is ready," a psychic announced amidst the noisy crowd.

The mayor nodded. Though the zombie needed handling, the zombie tide was the real threat. "Pour it down!"

As soon as these words were uttered, the pupils of the three shrank instantly. Useless, all their words were disregarded by the mayor.

Xu Fang wondered, "What do we do, fight? But there are just three of us, we can't beat so many."

Wudo gritted her teeth, "Fight! We can't just watch grandma and Shen die."

Ouyang Dong's forehead was drenched with sweat and melted snow. Wiping his forehead, he shouted back, "Xiao An! Wake up fast, we're about to fight. If you don't help, we can't beat them, and Shen Xiuze and Granny Wu will die!"

His shout was loud enough to pierce through Lin An's secluded world, shattering the world of countless eyes like a mirror, with fragments falling down. Before him appeared his three anxious comrades.

They tried hard to shield him, knowing he would be nervous and scared in such a situation, always blocking the malice and attacks of others.

Lin An looked up at them, somewhat bewildered.

"I saw it! That guy's eyes are red, the color of zombies!"

"It's a zombie, really a zombie!"

"Kill him!"

"Slay him, slay this disgusting zombie!"

Angry shouts of hatred echoed around him, as ice, sticks, bricks, and stones were hurled chaotically, even more densely than before.

Nearby, the thick, pungent green potion had been poured out, slowly flowing down the road.

Lin An stood behind his companions, well-protected, his eyes wide as he felt something burning and spreading inside him.

It was a fury ignited from deep within his heart.

Even though he had been bullied many times since childhood, feeling wronged and angry, Lin An had never felt such rage.

Why, he wondered, he hadn't done anything, why did they despise him so.

Besides, if it came to a fight, they could just target him; he was used to it anyway. Why involve his companions?

They were attacking the wrong person.

His three companions were already embroiled in a melee with the crowd, still fiercely protecting him, as Wudo's hoarse, desperate cries for them to stop echoed in his ears.

Right, Shen Xiuze and Granny Wu were still below; if that potion was poured down, they would die.

He envisioned Shen Xiuze and Granny Wu disappearing amidst the green potion.

He couldn't bear it, why was he so weak, always hiding behind others, why won't these people listen to them!

"We'll visit several more cities later, and when the people there discover you, they will surely scream to kill you, to drive you away. They will be scared, fearful, disgusted by you. We might encounter all these situations."

"But what does that matter? Those who like you won't despise you for being a zombie, and those who hate you won’t acknowledge you no matter how well you do."

"Many people fear, revere, or even worship those stronger than themselves, while they scorn and bully those weaker, foolishly thinking they are superior. So, when facing such people, don't hold back. Your abilities are powerful. Show them who the real strong one is, who's the boss, and they will immediately shut up."

Shen Xiuze's words echoed in his ears as Lin An slowly lifted his head, his red eyes directly confronting the people around him for the first time.

He looked at those ferocious faces, strangers who now seemed to bear deep grudges against him, glaring, cursing, and attacking.

"Shut up," Lin An said with trembling lips.

Unfortunately, in the chaos, his voice went unheard.

"All of you, shut up!"

As Lin An shouted, ice started spreading rapidly from his feet in all directions.

It avoided Xiao Fu and his three companions, extending swiftly in every direction. Everyone present was encased in ice from the neck down, as the ice continued to spread towards the inner city and the labyrinth outside.

Every building in Snow City was covered with a layer of crystal-clear ice, as people on the streets watched in terror, the ice climbing up to their necks as if alive.

Outside the city, the ice thickened along the labyrinth's paths, solidifying all the green liquid.

In an instant, everything around seemed to turn into ice sculptures, and the whole world fell silent.