Chapter 208

Chapter 208

On the hillside next to the main camp, a group watched Yan Bubu until his figure disappeared at the gap. Then someone asked, "Uncle Cai, what do we do now?"

Uncle Cai glanced at the frightened children and then at Feng Chen on the stretcher. "Let's go, back to the main camp. There's gunfire there; the military must still be around."

"Okay!" Seeing Yan Bubu unharmed by the zombies and hearing he was a Light Guide, hope was reignited in everyone, and they prepared to head to the main camp.

The group lifted Feng Chen and started towards the plantation when someone pointed ahead, "Look, that vehicle stopped there."

The two tracked vehicles, dragging barricade machines, had crossed the plantation but were now blocked by huge stones at the entrance, parked just outside the main camp.

Zombies frenziedly slammed their bodies and heads against the tracked vehicles, continuing even when their skulls cracked. The small exposed parts of the vehicles were smeared with thick, black sludge.

"Uncle Cai, look, the vehicles are blocked by stones."

Seeing no new zombies emerging from the gap, Uncle Cai hurriedly said, "Quick, let's move those stones aside."

"What kind of vehicle is that? What’s it pulling behind?" a child asked.

An adult replied, "You're too young to have seen it. When Central City was being rebuilt, there were many of these vehicles."

Another person added, "It's a barricade machine. See that big container? It’s filled with molten metal. When activated, it slowly pours out, shaping a metal barrier to fit the gap and seal it off."

Although no zombies were currently emerging from the gap, there were still many inside the camp. The group stuck together, moving towards the tracked vehicle amidst continuous gunfire and screams. Those with guns led the way, with Feng Chen and a few children shielded in the center.

"Hurry up! While there are no zombies coming out."

"The machine gun is too heavy. Someone help me lift it, I'll pull the trigger."

"What kind of gun is this? I can’t find where to load the bullets. Oh, I see it now."

"On the left, two zombies there. Focus fire, quickly!"

……

As the group approached the tracked vehicles, the zombies on them also charged. After intense gunfire, the nearby zombies were finally eliminated.

Uncle Cai commanded, "Quick, move the stones."

The armed individuals continued to guard the surroundings, while the women, children, and elderly stayed put. The rest went to push the stones. Feng Chen lay on the stretcher with his eyes closed, pale-faced with cracked, dry lips. A woman took off her coat to cushion his head and slowly fed him water from a bottle around her neck.

A huge rock blocked the road in front of the vehicles, with collapsed shacks on both sides making it impassable. Everyone joined forces to push the boulder while the soldiers in the vehicle reversed, clearing some space on the road.

"One, two, three, push—One, two, three, push—"

Despite the unified chanting, the stone barely budged. Uncle Cai, looking towards the distant gap aware zombies could appear any moment, shouted, "Everyone except the children and the injured, come help push!"

Those initially standing back joined in pushing the stone. The woman who had been giving Feng Chen water stood up, rolling up her sleeves, and instructed the children, "Keep watch. If you see zombies, shout as loud as you can, make sure we hear you."

"We know. We'll shout and keep an eye on this brother," a child responded seriously.

The woman, having rolled up her sleeves, suddenly asked, "Do you kids know who he is?"

The children shook their heads in unison.

The woman gazed at Feng Chen on the stretcher, her expression turning somewhat dazed, "When he was your age, he wasn’t much older than you. He... he..."

"What happened to him?"

The woman closed her mouth, not continuing. She turned and ran towards the massive rock. Uncle Cai, while pushing the rock, shouted without looking back, "When he was barely older than you, he saved us once. Just now, he saved us again. His brother has rushed into Central City to save us... It feels so unfair... I want to say, even if we are down to our last person, we must protect him! When his brother returns, even if we are not whole, we must return him to his family intact."

"Understood!"

"Rest assured, we'll definitely protect him," others nearby responded.

The children nodded vigorously, brandishing small iron rods they had found somewhere, "Don't worry, we have weapons and will definitely protect our brother."

"Ancestors, don't use those weapons. Just shout if you see zombies. Your voice is the real weapon, understand?" someone yelled.

"Got it."

"One, two, three, push—One, two, three, push—"

With everyone's combined effort, the rock finally tilted forward and rolled away with a thunderous sound.

"Keep going, quickly, push harder, continue!"

"A zombie is coming from the left! Where’s the gun? Quick, shoot it."

"Keep it up, we've pushed it several meters already, keep pushing!"

"One, two, three, push—One, two, three, push—"

The boulder was slowly pushed further away under the rhythmic chant, finally rolling into the adjacent cornfield. Before anyone could celebrate, a loud rumble echoed from behind, and the ground trembled.

Turning around, they saw the walls of the gap collapsing, raising thick dust. The gap, initially as wide as a train tunnel, had now doubled in width.

As the dust cleared, they watched in horror as a horde of zombies surged out of the gap, spreading rapidly towards them like a flood bursting from a dam.

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in screams and chaos. Some turned to flee towards the smaller camp, others towards the desert, while most looked to Uncle Cai for guidance, their faces drained of color.

"Back to the mountain, quickly! Just like before, stick together," Uncle Cai shouted, rushing to lift Feng Chen's stretcher. "Someone help me carry this!"

After a moment of disarray, everyone regrouped, forming a protective circle around the children and Feng Chen's stretcher, with those armed at the perimeter, moving toward the hillside.

The sound of machine guns filled the air, and the leading zombies fell, but more kept rushing forward, baring their sharp teeth at the group.

One person, trembling, said to another, "If I get bitten by a zombie, kill me immediately."

The other replied, "Don't worry, the zombies will leave nothing of you to turn into one of them. They'll tear you apart before you change."

The first person burst into loud crying.

An exasperated voice said, "Damn it, stop crying. Fine, I promise, if you're bitten, I'll kill you right away. And if I get bitten, do the same for me."

"Okay..."

Inside Central City.

Yan Bubu continued to follow the three beams of light, running through alleys, across squares swarming with zombies, heading towards the western part of the city.

Reaching the city's edge, he saw the fallen metal net, leaving the city exposed, with zombies wandering between the city and the wilderness.

He slowed down as he approached the three light beams, hiding behind broken walls.

A zombie spotted Binunu and lunged, but before it could screech, Binunu's claws pierced its skull.

As he got closer, Yan Bubu recognized one of the three figures as Chen Sizhe, now indistinguishable from the zombies around him.

Yan Bubu communicated telepathically with Binunu, "Chen Sizhe must be waiting for someone to pick them up. I'll try to stealthily grab the detonator. You better hide, as any commotion might alert them. We can't overpower them in a direct confrontation."

Binunu responded with a series of disgruntled low growls.

Yan Bubu thought, "What’s crucial? If they realize they can't beat us, they might just press the detonator. What then?"

Binunu quieted his growling.

Yan Bubu: "I'm about to make my move. You hide behind and charge out when I act."

Before emerging from the broken wall, Yan Bubu glanced down at his conspicuous guide combat uniform. Looking around for something to wear over it, his eyes settled on a nearby zombie he had pushed aside.

The zombie, taller and larger in build, was dressed in a jacket and remained motionless facing the wall even after being pushed.

A minute later, Yan Bubu stepped out from behind the wall, now donning a jacket. He walked towards Chen Sizhe, head hung low, arms dangling at his sides, swaying like a wandering zombie.

Knowing Chen Sizhe couldn't have a consciousness image like his own to see in the dark, Yan Bubu wasn't worried about being recognized.

As Yan Bubu got closer to the trio, he could hear their conversation.

"Bishop, they should arrive in a few minutes," one of them said.

Chen Sizhe responded indifferently, "Do you think that's fast? If Tan Feng were smarter, they would have been here already. If Chu Shi were still around, he'd have been waiting here with his men."

"Ah, it's a pity about Deacon Chu..."

Chen Sizhe sneered, "Nothing to pity. His death just proves his incompetence."

"You're right, Bishop."

……

Yan Bubu grew increasingly nervous as he neared them, trying to breathe as quietly as possible. Suddenly, his foot hit a brick, making a loud snap. All three men turned to look in his direction.

Caught in their beams of light, Yan Bubu quickly turned away, lowering his head and hunching his back, gently swaying his arms in front of him.

The trio never expected a living person among the zombies, so after a brief glance, they dismissed him and turned back.

Yan Bubu resumed his advance.

He kept his eyes on Chen Sizhe's hand, noticing the faint green glow from a small, dark metallic object in his half-clenched fist – the detonator.

Binunu, hidden behind a nearby wall, watched intently, signaling Yan Bubu to leap forward and bite Chen Sizhe's wrist to snatch the detonator.

Binunu planned to simultaneously attack, swiftly taking down the two henchmen.

Yan Bubu, in his mind, protested, "I'm not a real zombie, and he is. How can I bite him? And with my brother already hurt by them, am I sure to overpower Chen Sizhe? What if I fail to bite through his hand and end up triggering the explosion?"

Binunu indicated it could take over, allowing Yan Bubu to dodge.

Yan Bubu: "Don't distract me. I need to find the right moment to grab it. We must be cautious to ensure success in our first attempt, or we may not get another chance."

Chen Sizhe and his men remained silent, staring into the distance. As Yan Bubu approached within ten meters, the henchman carrying the suitcase glanced back at him.

Yan Bubu quickly turned away, hanging his head and arching his back, standing motionless.

A beam of light from a forehead lamp shone on his back, illuminating the ground around him brightly. Realizing the henchman's gaze hadn't shifted, Yan Bubu felt his throat itch with nervousness, nearly coughing out loud.

"What's there to look at? Why do you keep staring in that direction?" the other henchman asked.

"This zombie seems odd; I saw it far away just now, and suddenly it's so close," muttered the henchman, still observing Yan Bubu.

Chen Sizhe remained silent while the other henchman dismissed the concern: "Zombies move erratically; it’s nothing to worry about."

Despite this, Yan Bubu heard footsteps approaching him. Unsure if the henchman recognized him from his frequent visits to Chen Sizhe with Feng Chun, he tensed up.

Yan Bubu's anxiety heightened.

He couldn’t risk being recognized. It would jeopardize his chance to snatch the detonator. He contemplated rushing Chen Sizhe before they became more alert.

Binunu received Yan Bubu’s message and began moving towards him.

As the footsteps drew nearer, Yan Bubu braced himself to turn around, but a sudden roar of an engine and a beam of bright light from above interrupted the moment.

"The helicopter's here, finally. Ah Gui, stop worrying about that zombie. Let’s get ready to leave."

Yan Bubu, hearing the henchman’s footsteps halt and return to Chen Sizhe, risked a glance.

He saw a large military helicopter approaching, its rotor wash causing zombies below to stagger and howl towards the sky.

Yan Bubu realized that the Anbu Jiao sect still possessed operational helicopters, suggesting that Chen Sizhe had redirected valuable resources to the sect during his rule over the Eastern Federation.

The helicopter descended slowly. Chen Sizhe squinted against the glare, revealing the detonator in his hand.

Recognizing this as a rare opportunity, Yan Bubu dashed forward, unleashing his psychic power to entangle Chen Sizhe’s limbs.

As Chen Sizhe began to instruct his men, he was suddenly immobilized. In that instant, a shadow whisked past, snatching the detonator from his grasp.

The entire episode, lasting only a couple of seconds, left Chen Sizhe quickly turning to see a figure dashing away, the large jacket flapping around the slender body.