135: Heihe Village (3)

"Coming, coming!" An urgent and weary voice of a middle-aged woman soon came from inside the door, accompanied by hurried footsteps. The door opened a crack with a "creak," revealing a haggard but pleasantly surprised face, about fifty years old, with somewhat messy hair.

"Oh, that's wonderful! You've finally arrived!" Seeing the fully armed and imposing group outside, especially Wang Sheng's shining knight armor, the woman immediately pulled the door wide open and ushered everyone inside with a mix of enthusiasm and a bit of awkwardness, "Quick, please come in!"

Everyone filed in. The first-floor living room was a bit cluttered but relatively clean. Zhu Lingyun looked around and asked in a deep voice, "Ma'am, are you the only one at home?"

Sadness immediately appeared on the woman's face. "My husband... is working out of town, and there's been no news... Now it's just me and my son living together..." She rubbed her hands, her eyes flickering for a moment before she put on a pleading expression. "Um... I wonder if... any of you brought medicine? My son... he... he accidentally fell and got injured, and he's lying upstairs. The wound... the wound is a bit inflamed and ulcerated, and I... I really have no other choice..." Her voice was choked with emotion and apprehension.

"I can heal!" The delicate-looking Li Yiyi immediately stepped forward and said gently, "Ma'am, don't worry. Take me to see your son."

"Really?! That's great! That's great! Thank you, miss! Thank you!" The woman became excited instantly, the worry on her face swept away. She hurriedly pointed to the stairs, "He's on the top floor. I'll take you up there right now!"

"Yiyi, I'll go with you." Zhu Lingyun took a step forward, his tone brooking no argument.

"Captain, there's no need to trouble yourself..." Li Yiyi felt a bit embarrassed.

"Listen to me." Zhu Lingyun's gaze was firm, giving her no chance to refuse. He faintly felt that the woman's emotional shift was a bit too urgent, and there seemed to be a faint... stench of rot in the air? This smell was masked by the musty odor and the smell of disinfectant in the house, making it very subtle, but as a Magic Swordsman, he was exceptionally sensitive to negative energy and the aura of decay.

The woman was stunned for a moment but didn't say much. "Alright... alright, then this officer, please come with me too." She led Zhu Lingyun and Li Yiyi up the narrow stairs to the top floor.

There was only one bedroom on the top floor. The woman pushed open the door; the light inside was dim, and the curtains were tightly drawn. She stepped aside to let the two in. "My son is right there on the bed..."

The moment Li Yiyi and Zhu Lingyun stepped into the room!

*Click!* A crisp sound of a metal lock turning!

*Snap!* The lights in the living room were turned off! The entire room plunged into a pitch-black darkness where one couldn't even see their own hand!

From outside the door came the sound of the woman's hurried footsteps going downstairs!

"Ah—!" The sudden darkness and the sound of the door closing made Li Yiyi scream in fright. She subconsciously grabbed Zhu Lingyun's arm, which was covered in demon armor, her voice tinged with a sob, "Cap... Captain! I'm scared!"

"Don't be afraid! I'm here!" Zhu Lingyun's voice was low and steady, like a stabilizing force. With a thought, *shing!* The pitch-black demon armor instantly covered his entire body. Flickering demonic flames, like ghostly fire in the dark, emitted a dim glow, barely illuminating the room.

By the light of the demonic flames, they were shocked to see a ragged figure curled up on the floor in the corner of the room, with its back to them! Beside that figure was... a skeleton with only white bones and some rotting flesh! A pungent stench hit them!

"Ah—!" Li Yiyi screamed in terror again, almost shrinking behind Zhu Lingyun. Her fingers gripping his arm turned white from the force.

"As I thought!" A cold light flashed in Zhu Lingyun's eyes, filled with murderous intent. "I smelled that zombie stench the moment I walked in!"

Just then, the figure in the corner suddenly turned its head! A rotting, twisted zombie face with blood-red eyes looked hideous under the glow of the demonic flames! It let out a non-human roar and lunged at the two of them with incredible speed! The foul wind it brought was nauseating!

"Courting death!" Zhu Lingyun's reaction was lightning-fast! He jerked his arm, shielding Li Yiyi behind him, while his massive magic sword let out a whistle as it tore through the air, carving a lethal black arc!

*Squelch!*

A cold light flashed! That hideous head was instantly severed and sent flying. Foul blood gushed from the neck like a fountain, and the headless corpse collapsed to the ground with a "thud," twitching a couple of times before becoming still.

Downstairs

"Ma'am, why haven't those two come down yet? Does checking an injury take this long?" Wang Kai's rock-like face showed doubt and a hint of vigilance as he asked gruffly. He felt that the woman's eyes were shifty and strange.

"Oh... oh, that young man and young lady are... are examining my son carefully! It... it takes some time!" The woman's eyes dodged his gaze, and a fawning smile appeared on her face as she tried to change the subject. "Um... officers, you've worked hard all the way here. You must be thirsty? How about I take you to the backyard to pick some melons to quench your thirst? They're very sweet! Just behind the yard..."

"No need!" Wang Kai's patience ran out, his skin tightening slightly, his tone carrying an unquestionable toughness, "Take me up to see right now!" He took a step forward, his massive frame exerting a strong sense of pressure.

Just then—

*Clatter, clatter...*

A round object rolled down the stairs, stopping at everyone's feet.

It was a rotting zombie head with eyes wide open! Foul blood was still trickling down the stairs!

"Ah—! My son—!!!" The woman let out a heart-wrenching scream, collapsing to the ground as if her soul had been snatched away. She tightly hugged the foul-smelling head in her arms, murky tears mixing with snot as they flowed down. She suddenly looked up, her gaze as venomous as a snake, staring fixedly at the top of the stairs, her voice twisted and sharp: "Who?! Who was it?! Who killed my son?! I want him to pay with his life! Pay with his life!!!"

The members of the Demon Hunting Squad were stunned by this sudden turn of events. Looking at the crazed scene before them, they didn't know how to react for a moment, feeling a chill run from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads.

Steady footsteps rang out. Zhu Lingyun slowly walked down the stairs, his demon armor not yet retracted, and thick, foul blood dripping from the tip of his magic sword. His gaze was as cold as a knife as it swept over the woman who was hugging the zombie head and acting like a madwoman. His voice held no warmth: "The corpse next to your son—whose was it?" He already had an answer in his heart, but he still needed to confirm this appalling truth.

The woman suddenly looked up, a smile that was a mix of madness and morbid pride appearing on her face, her voice sharp and piercing: "Hahaha! You mean that old fogey? That's my mother-in-law! Didn't she love my son the most? So I let her 'take good care' of him! She became my son's 'side dish'! How about it? Doesn't she 'love' my son? Hahaha!" She laughed hysterically.

"You lunatic!" Li Xueli was so angry her whole body trembled, and she couldn't help but shout in rage.

Just as everyone was beyond shocked by these insane words, a murderous light flared in the woman's eyes! She suddenly pulled a gleaming, bone-trimming knife stained with unknown filth from her bosom and lunged at Zhu Lingyun like a mad dog, letting out a shrill curse: "Go to hell! You bastard! You killed my son! I want you to pay with your life! Give him back to me!!"

Facing this frenzied attack, there was only cold disgust in Zhu Lingyun's eyes. He didn't even take a step back; he just flicked his wrist, and the magic sword deftly parried!

*Clang!* The bone-trimming knife was easily knocked away, spinning and pinning itself into a wooden pillar.

"Stupid! Insane!" Zhu Lingyun's voice sounded like it came from the depths of hell, carrying a sense of judgment. He no longer hesitated, thrusting his magic sword forward like a flash of lightning!

*Thud!*

The sharp tip of the sword pierced the woman's heart without resistance! The madness on her face froze instantly, and her body slumped down, still tightly clutching that zombie head until she died.

The members of the Demon Hunting Squad watched everything in silence. The air was thick with the heavy scent of blood and a nauseating aura of madness. The battle just now hadn't frightened them, but this tragedy of twisted humanity and collapsed ethics chilled them to the bone. Although life in the base was hard, it was full of order and hope. Only a few dozen kilometers away, in this seemingly peaceful rural corner, such horrifying darkness was hidden. This apocalypse had not only twisted the world but also human hearts. They silently left the house filled with sin and death. The sunlight shone on them again, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in their hearts.