Chapter 108: The Lost Deserted Village (Part 12)

Chapter 108: The Abandoned Village (Twelve)

A pair of feet hidden among the leaves, perhaps out of fear of getting dirty, wore brown shoes, the tips of which were soaked with blood.

Drip—

The blood continued to drip down, Li Nianchuan's stiff neck slowly lifted, and he saw a very familiar outfit.

A black wool skirt, a white sweater that had yellowed from age; when they first met the old lady in the First World, she seemed to have excellent taste.

This was Shengxin.

Her silver hair was curled, giving her an air of refinement, even in her old age, she remained dignified.

Now, her neck was strangled by a rope hanging from a tree branch, half of her head blown apart, as if she had shot herself in the mouth.

They had once entered Shengxin's home; this old lady loved smoking and hunting, and had a bit of a temper. Her diary began with complaints about Old Zhang.

At the same time, she was very dedicated, wanting to uncover the secret behind the disappearance of the Happy Villagers. She must have been good to Grandma Aifen next door, otherwise Aifen wouldn't have desperately passed her a note to escape.

What did Shengxin do after receiving the note?

Did she... commit suicide?

Zhu Ning and Xu Meng both saw it; Li Nianchuan's camera lens acted like a remote exploration machine, accurately transmitting the image to Zhu Ning and Xu Meng.

Xu Meng: "Check what she has on her."

Xu Meng was the first to speak, being an experienced demon hunter, she reacted faster in such situations.

Li Nianchuan followed Xu Meng's instructions, trembling as he reached for Shengxin's body, which was hidden among the leaves, making it somewhat difficult. She seemed to have died not long ago, her blood still flowing, her body still warm.

Li Nianchuan often dealt with corpses, but he had never seen such a bizarre one. He trembled as he reached into the pocket of the black wool skirt, pulling out a piece of paper.

The note was long, crumpled, and stained with brown blood. Li Nianchuan unfolded it.

"Qinfen is infected." The first sentence, this person should be Aifen's real name.

"Wudawei is infected." The original name of Old Wu.

"Zhang Bohai is infected." The original name of Old Zhang.

...

Shengxin then listed every villager's name. She received Aifen's note and wanted to inform the other villagers. Her first thought might have been to find Old Zhang, only to discover he was already infected.

Thinking Old Zhang was dead, she moved on to others, confirming each one and writing their names on the note.

As time passed, Shengxin found all the villagers' names on this note.

Including those who had disappeared and returned, the entire Happy Village was accounted for.

Familiar villagers, known for decades, living together like family, knowing every bit of gossip about each other, one day they all turned into different people, looking at you as if they were monitoring you.

When everyone looked over, their eyes would move in unison, they had abandoned their souls, becoming puppets of the same insect.

"The missing villagers were infected. They returned, but they were no longer the same."

After Old Wu returned, other villagers gradually came back. They walked back to their homes, but behind closed doors, they behaved unlike humans.

"I am also infected, my eyes hurt terribly."

Leaning against the big locust tree at the village entrance, Shengxin wrote these words while covering her eyes, knowing she was close to the end, soon to become a puppet of the insects.

"The village's electricity and internet have been cut off."

Someone had severed the power lines, isolating Happy Village completely from the outside world, leaving her unable to seek help.

"I will become like them. Old Zhang said the Queen has chosen me."

She hunted all her life, but now she didn't know whom to shoot at.

She thought of Old Zhang, and there he stood before her, his eyes crawling with insects, asking, "Have you found the truth?"

The insects spoke, and so did Old Zhang. The insects inherited Old Zhang's memories, remembering their past conversations.

In that moment, the insects were Old Zhang, and Old Zhang was the insects, merging into a new kind of creature.

Old Zhang said, "I found it. I think I'm infected."

He looked up at Shengxin, "The Queen has chosen you, run."

Old Zhang's speech became more stammering, as if fighting for control of his body.

"Do me a favor, kill, kill, kill, kill me." Old Zhang looked at Shengxin with a pleading gaze, unable to bear the torment, the most painful punishment in the world, feeling something crawl inside him, the insects wriggling in his narrow veins.

Kill him, he couldn't take it anymore.

Don't let him watch his body slowly slip away, don't crush his soul, don't destroy his will.

Kill him.

Shengxin looked at Old Zhang; they had known each other for sixty years. Old Zhang always complained about her, saying she was irresponsible, even as an old lady, while other grandmothers embroidered, she went hunting every day.

Old Zhang always wanted Shengxin to give up her gun, but now he was begging her to shoot him.

Before he was fully infected, to end his life.

Bang!

Shengxin aimed at Old Zhang's heart and fired a shot, creating a large hole in his chest. Even though Shengxin often hunted, she felt uncertain when pulling the trigger for the first time.

Old Zhang did not fall; instead, his damaged chest was crawling with maggots. He looked down at his chest, puzzled as to why he was still alive.

It seemed even death was unattainable.

With a broken chest, Old Zhang approached Shengxin, a smile still on his lips, "Shengxin, Shengxin."

Old Zhang was no longer himself; it was evident from his eyes, which were filled with greed, calling her name repeatedly.

"Shengxin, Shengxin."

Shengxin ran, but being of advanced age, she could not run like a young girl.

Yet, it felt as if the wind was beneath her feet, giving her an unknown strength. She had never felt so young before. She ran through the village, along the village road, feeling like she was that teenage girl again.

She ran all the way to the village entrance, hesitating just as she was about to step out. She remembered that she was already infected and could not escape. If she did, she would bring the parasites out of the village, potentially infecting others.

The abandoned village, cut off from the outside world, had all its residents infected. She had nowhere to go.

Guns were useless; even if they destroyed Old Zhang's body, he would come back.

It was near sunset, and the setting sun provided a backdrop for the village. Bliss Village was quite famous, and there were times when people from within the walls came here for vacations.

They found the sight of the setting sun beautiful.

Now, the villagers, including the Old Zhang who had been shot, were coming closer to her.

Shengxin climbed up the old locust tree at the village entrance. Ah Fen was right; this tree had grown. Shengxin grew up in Bliss Village and had never noticed how big the locust tree at the entrance had become.

When she was a child, the old locust tree watched her grow, and now, she watched the old locust tree grow.

The disaster had swept through, affecting not only the villagers but also the surrounding plants.

Pollution was consuming the land inch by inch, devouring humanity, and she could do nothing to stop it.

Everyone in the village had fallen, leaving only one person alive. Shengxin wondered how long her sanity would last.

As a child, she used to climb trees for fun, and in her old age, she was climbing trees again. She carried her gun and climbed the tree using both hands and feet, the branches thick enough to sit on.

Sitting on a branch, Shengxin continued writing on the piece of paper, densely recording the names of the villagers. She felt something moving in her eyes, as if a worm was eager to crawl out.

Time was running out.

Shengxin lit a cigarette and leaned against the branch, smoking. It was a moment of peace, a few minutes solely hers.

The cigarette burned quickly, and the butt was pressed into the tree trunk.

Shengxin stood up, having made her decision.

She threw the rope over a branch, tied a secure knot, and looked down at the villagers below. She looped the rope around her neck.

The hemp rope was rough, a sensation few would experience. She was about to hang herself.

She was seeking death, yet also seeking life.

What makes a person human? What is the difference between a person and a worm?

People have dignity; they are willing to preserve their human dignity and refuse to abandon it.

If a person is destined to die, let her choose how to die.

Bang!

Shengxin shot herself in the mouth, the bullet piercing her skull. She was already standing precariously on the edge of the branch.

After firing, she lost her balance, her foot slipped, and she tilted, but the rope held tightly around her neck.

Her body hung from the tree.

Die.

"Die." These were the last words Shengxin wrote on the paper.

She meant for herself to die, and for the world to die, the polluted world, to die.

There was no more information on the paper; this irritable old lady did not leave a proper will.

She recorded the names of all the villagers, and her final message to the world was "Die."

They seemed to be watching Shengxin's death.

Li Nianchuan could not understand the desperate mindset Shengxin must have had to commit suicide, using death to seek life.

After Shengxin's death, the last living person in the village was gone.

Was Shengxin the source of the contamination?

But she was dead; how could a dead person be the source of contamination?

Could her willpower before death have been so strong that she wished to remain forever in Bliss Village?

But this old lady didn't seem like that kind of person. Even in death, she wouldn't make things difficult for herself, preferring a quick release.

Was it really suicide?

First shooting herself in the mouth, then hanging herself, it was a determination that could be understood, but Zhu Ning always found this choice a bit strange.

Zhu Ning had encountered similar situations in the zombie world before, where some people chose suicide in despair to avoid being infected by zombies.

But in this world of zombies, where it's certain that corpses cannot be infected by zombies, how did Shengxin determine that the bugs couldn't parasitize dead bodies?

If the bugs can parasitize dead bodies, wouldn't her suicide have been in vain?

Rustle—

A strong gust of wind blew away a large number of leaves, revealing what was hidden beneath them.

Li Nianchuan's pupils suddenly constricted. Above Shengxin's corpse, which had been completely obscured by the leaves, now lay exposed after the wind scattered them.

On the tree, there were actually other people hanging.

They swayed gently in the breeze, like ripe apples hanging from the branches.

In this world, there are fruit trees and "human" trees.

Some of the people here were dressed casually, likely villagers from nearby, while a few wore hiking gear, resembling tourists or explorers.

What made Li Nianchuan even more incredulous was that some were wearing the blue protective suits of the garrisoned military, which emitted a strange glow.

Had the garrisoned military died here too?

Zhu Ning and Xu Meng also saw it. What had happened to this village? If Shengxin committed suicide to maintain human dignity, what about these people?

It couldn't be that the garrisoned military and the exploration team all committed suicide together, and why did they all choose to hang themselves?

This looked... as if someone had deliberately hung them on the trees, displaying their trophies.

Who would kill people and hang them on trees for display? Zhu Ning felt this person was even more antisocial than Gao Zijian, perhaps someone who had never been socialized.

Such a savage and primitive method.

The infected villagers, Shengxin's suspected suicide, and the garrisoned military hanging from the trees—each layer added to the tension, making one's heart race.

Seventy years have passed since the incident in Happy Village. Over these seventy years, there have been other civilians, exploration teams, and garrisoned military who mistakenly entered, and they all died here.

What exactly happened in this contaminated area? Why couldn't the garrisoned military escape?

Zhu Ning's voice was stern: "Come down, right now."

Li Nianchuan also felt a chill, and was about to descend.

Suddenly—

"Zhu Ning!" Cui Kai's voice came, "You're here?"

Zhu Ning's body stiffened, slowly turning around. When did they arrive?

Even Xu Meng hadn't sensed anyone behind them. Three members of the garrisoned military walked into the shadow of the large locust tree. Without seeing their expressions, one could only judge their emotions by their voices, which were very steady, showing no signs of panic.

They had just been in communication, agreeing to meet up, and now seeing Cui Kai again, Zhu Ning felt like she was seeing a ghost.

Rustle—

The leaves trembled, and the hanging bodies of the garrisoned military swayed, visible through the leaves.

Zhu Ning stood at the foot of the hanging garrisoned military, facing three new arrivals. Wearing blue helmets that glowed strangely, they looked like some kind of cold-blooded reptilian monsters.

Honestly, though they looked alive with their own eyes, they were more terrifying than the hanging corpses above.

"What did you find?" Cui Kai asked again, his voice very steady.

Xu Meng had already reached for the gun on her back, while Zhu Ning, more composed, replied without a quiver in her voice, "We found Shengxin's body, she committed suicide."

Cui Kai asked, "Who is Shengxin?"

Zhu Ning hadn't mentioned the diary owner's name in the communication, so Cui Kai's first reaction was to ask who Shengxin was, not revealing any inconsistencies.

Zhu Ning: "She was the owner of the diary we found earlier; she committed suicide."

Cui Kai: "Why?"

While answering, Zhu Ning listened to Cui Kai's tone, trying to gauge if anything was wrong. He looked exactly the same as before, with the same voice.

Zhu Ning: "Maybe she felt hopeless, didn't want to be parasitized by the bugs. It's tough for people in such an environment."

Cui Kai: "Humans are truly great."

Zhu Ning frowned, finding his words strange and deliberate, almost like Jiang Ping's way of speaking.

Zhu Ning continued, "Did you find any clues from Old Wu?"

Cui Kai: "Old Wu was parasitized by the bugs."

Zhu Ning: "I know."

She kept a close eye on Cui Kai, watching for any signs of inconsistency. Cui Kai had said he found important clues.

Cui Kai added, "He wrote about the Queen in his sheet music, saying the Queen is looking for a host."

Zhu Ning couldn't tell if this was true, but Shengxin's note also mentioned the Queen. What was the Queen?

If it was true, did Cui Kai tell her this to lure her, offering something genuine?

Zhu Ning asked, "What is the Queen?"

Cui Kai: "I don't know, we need to find more clues."

Zhu Ning restrained herself from reaching for her gun and asked, "What do we do next?"

Zhu Ning was referring to us. At least from a linguistic perspective, Zhu Ning still trusted the garrison troops; they were a team.

Cui Kai: "Let's go to Old Zhang's place. There should be some clues there."

Zhu Ning had also planned to visit Old Zhang’s house but didn’t know which household it was, so she asked, "Where is Old Zhang's place?"

Cui Kai: "He lives in the first house at the village entrance."

Zhu Ning stood at the village entrance, and not far away, there was a household with an old man peering out of the window. This man was Old Zhang.

Cui Kai intended to lead them into Old Zhang’s house, where something might be found.

Or it could be a trap.

Throughout the entire time, only Cui Kai spoke to her; Jiang Ping and the other team member remained silent.

Cui Kai was about to lead the group forward. He had taken just a couple of steps and hadn't yet left the shade when he turned around and noticed that Zhu Ning wasn’t following. Zhu Ning stood in the shadows, and Xu Meng had disappeared without a trace.

Xu Meng wasn’t the type to draw much attention, and no one knew when she vanished.

"Why aren’t you moving?" Cui Kai glanced over and asked, "Where’s your captain?"

Zhu Ning stood still, dressed in a black protective suit, blending seamlessly into the shadows as if her body had merged with them.

Zhu Ning didn’t answer his question but instead asked, "Cui Kai, are you infected?"

Cui Kai frowned, "What are you talking about? You suspect me too?"

Suspecting a teammate of being contaminated during a mission was a very impolite assumption. Zhu Ning said, "I’ve been thinking about something all along."

Cui Kai: "What?"

Zhu Ning was watching Xu Meng’s movements. The latter was hidden in the shadows, silently approaching Cui Kai.

Zhu Ning looked straight at Cui Kai and continued, "I was wrong before. I always thought the source of contamination was one of the villagers, but the source doesn’t have to be human."

Zhu Ning had previously focused on understanding the relationships among the villagers, searching for their "grievances" to determine who the source was.

But this was outside the wall, where intelligent beings might not be limited to humans. Humans were evolving, and so were plants, trees, and parasites.

Zhu Ning had a terrifying hypothesis: the source of contamination could be a bug?