136: Heihe Village (4)

Most members of the Sword of Hope were still freshmen or sophomores, averaging four or five years younger than those in Dawns First Light. Encountering such a deranged situation where a woman fed her mother-in-law to her zombie son, followed by the terrifying scene of her frantically attacking her rescuers, had a massive impact on them.

Several of the girls turned pale, while the boys pressed their lips thin, their eyes filled with shock, disgust, and the dazed look of someone whose worldview had been overturned. Even the members of Dawns First Light, who had spent several years navigating the complexities of society, felt waves of coldness in their hearts. The order and warmth of the base felt as if they were isolated dozens of kilometers away; here, only twisted human nature and desperate madness remained.

After a brief silence and a few deep breaths, the two teams forcibly suppressed their discomfort. Zhu Lingyun's gaze was solemn and steady. "The mission isn't over yet. Keep moving and search for survivors!" His voice carried an unquestionable firmness that dispelled some of the gloom.

Heihe Village was located deep in the mountains, with rugged and muddy roads. The villagers' houses were scattered, separated by large patches of farmland and woodland, making the place feel exceptionally desolate and lonely. They searched house by house, knocking on over a dozen doors, but they were met only with dead silence or the roars of rotting faces behind the cracks. Inside the houses, most were zombies that had been elderly people living alone; when the first wave of the virus swept through, these less mobile seniors had almost no chance of survival. The air was thick with heavy dust and the scent of death.

After another difficult trek of nearly two kilometers, the mountain valley ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a relatively concentrated cluster of buildings. About thirty or so fairly grand rural villas were scattered around, surrounding a two-story building with white walls and grey tiles. A faded sign reading "Heihe Village Villagers' Committee" hung from it; this was clearly the center of the village.

Zhu Lingyun led the group to the tightly closed main gate of the village committee and knocked hard. "Is anyone there? We are the official rescue team from Lujiang Base! A safe survivor base has been established in the city, and we're here to pick you up!"

The inside remained silent for a moment before the sound of a bolt being drawn echoed. The door opened a crack, revealing the face of a man in his fifties, marked by vigilance and exhaustion. He carefully sized up the fully armed group outside. "Are you... really sent by the city?"

"Uncle, it's absolutely true!" Zhu Lingyun said sincerely. "Come back to the base with us. There are soldiers guarding it, plenty of food, and it's completely safe!"

"Good! Good! That's wonderful!" The vigilance on the man's face instantly turned into excitement as he hurried to open the gate. "I'm the village chief, surname Wang! Everyone! Come out quickly! The city has sent a rescue team! We're saved!" As he shouted, he pulled a dusty old megaphone from behind the door and blew into it before calling out to the village.

Soon, about thirty people trickled out from the closed villa doors. There were both men and women, all between forty and fifty years old. Every one of them was sallow and thin, dressed in tattered clothes, but a light of hope burned in their eyes. They gathered in the open space in front of the village committee, looking expectantly at the rescue team.

"Young comrade..." Village Chief Wang looked at Zhu Lingyun.

"My surname is Zhu."

"Oh, Captain Zhu!" Village Chief Wang nodded repeatedly, his face covered in a grateful smile. "Thank you so much! Where... where is the vehicle parked? We'll leave with you right now!"

Zhu Lingyun scanned the crowd, his brow furrowing slightly. "Village Chief Wang, is this... all that's left of the village? The mission intel said there should be over a hundred survivors."

The smile on Village Chief Wang's face instantly froze, replaced by deep sorrow and fear. "Sigh... originally... originally there were over a hundred people..." He let out a heavy sigh.

"What happened?" Li Xueli couldn't help but press, her voice urgent.

"The elderly who mutated in the village were all... handled by us collectively. The remaining hundred or so people huddled together for warmth. Though life was hard, we managed. Wang Laoqi's son was even lucky enough to become an Evolver. He was incredibly strong and was the pillar of our Village Guard..."

"And then?" Zhu Lingyun's heart sank.

"And then..." Village Chief Wang's voice began to tremble, an indelible fear surfacing in his eyes. "Some days ago, several families went up the mountain to find food and never returned... no sign of them living, no bodies if they were dead... Then, at night, people started... being sucked dry of their blood! All that was left was a layer of skin over bone!" He subconsciously wrapped his jacket tighter, as if he could still feel that chill.

"Later, it was only because Laoqi's son led the Village Guard to resist with everything they had that we... that we saw that monster clearly!" Village Chief Wang swallowed hard, his voice carrying a sob. "It was a... a giant bat nearly a meter tall! Its wingspan was a full two or three meters wide! It... it only had to let out a cry, and that sound would pierce your brain like a needle, making you so pained you couldn't even stand! Laoqi's son... such a good lad, so strong... but that beast, with just... just one claw, it snatched him into the sky! When he was dropped... there was... there was nothing left but a shriveled husk of skin..." As he reached this point, cloudy tears finally rolled down.

"After that... some villagers were scared out of their wits and ignored our warnings to flee the village on their own. I don't know if they're alive or dead... I was afraid something else would happen to the rest, so I had everyone hide in the cellar of the village's big winemaker, Wang Donggen, as soon as it got dark... That cellar is deep and large enough, and sturdy too... We've been hiding there until now... Only us old, weak, and sick are left in the village..." He wiped his tears, his voice choking.

Zhu Lingyun's heart sank to the bottom. To be able to instantly kill a Rank 0 Evolver and unleash such a terrifying sonic attack... the strength of this monster was definitely beyond Rank 1! Although the team had guns, they would likely be of little use against a high-speed flying creature with sonic attacks.

"Village Chief Wang, the situation is urgent. Organize everyone to leave with us immediately! It's only safe at the base!" Zhu Lingyun made a prompt decision.

"Good! Good! We'll leave right now!" Village Chief Wang nodded quickly and turned to shout to the villagers, "Everyone, go home and grab your essentials! Be quick! The comrades from the rescue team are waiting for us!"

"Young man, we... we still have some stored grain and old family items at home. Can we bring them with us?" an auntie in her fifties asked urgently. Other villagers chimed in one after another, clamoring to go back and pack their "gold and silver valuables."

Zhu Lingyun looked up at the sky. It was already 5:30 PM. In the south during October, it would turn dark rapidly by 6:00 PM. Walking with these villagers from the village center to the parking point would take at least an hour! He suppressed his anxiety and said in a deep voice, "Fine! I'll give everyone ten minutes! Only take the most essential and valuable small items! You must be back here to assemble in ten minutes! Hurry!"

The villagers scattered, running toward their respective houses.

The members of the two Demon Hunting Squads rested in the village committee square. As the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy. Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye, but only a few people had returned to the square, and each was carrying large bags and small bundles, as if they wanted to move their entire homes.

"Village Chief Wang!" Wang Kai's face was written with irritation, his voice like muffled thunder. "Please go and urge everyone again! It's almost dark! We can't delay any longer!"

"Right! Okay! I'll go right now!" Village Chief Wang was also sweating profusely from anxiety. He picked up his megaphone and ran off again.

Another half hour of agonizing waiting passed. Finally, about half of the villagers had gathered in the square, all without exception carrying heavy bundles and walking with faltering steps. The remaining people were still nowhere to be seen.

Inside one of the villas:

"Old woman! What are you still dawdling for?! It's been half an hour! They're all waiting outside!" A man in his fifties was jumping with anxiety, roaring at his wife who was still rummaging through chests and cupboards in the bedroom.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Are you trying to rush me to my grave?!" His wife's voice came from the room, filled with impatience. "Can't they just wait a little longer? Will they lose a limb? Where is my gold ring? I remember putting it in this rosewood box! Come in and help me find it! I'm not leaving until I find it!"

...Village Committee Square:

By the time the last dawdling old couple appeared in everyone's sight, carrying and dragging large bags and small bundles while panting for breath, the sky had turned completely dark, and the mountain wind carried a bone-chilling cold.

"Oh, young comrade, I'm so sorry! We have quite a few things... Look, can you help us carry them? Let's head out now!" The auntie showed no remorse, instead making the request as if it were only natural.

Zhu Lingyun looked up at the sky, which was now thoroughly drenched in ink, and his voice was cold. "No need to leave. Everyone, follow Village Chief Wang to the cellar immediately! We'll hide for the night and set out at dawn tomorrow!"

"Huh? We're not leaving?" the auntie shrieked. "Young comrade, it's just turned dark, we can still see the road. Let's hurry and go! I don't want to stay in this ghostly place for another second! Who knows when that monster will show up?"

"It's pitch black! Where are we going to go?" Wang Kai could no longer hold back, his fists clenched until they cracked. He snapped, "If your families hadn't dawdled around like you were moving house, we would have reached a safe place long ago!"

"Hey! How can you talk to us like that, young man! Don't you know to respect your elders? What's wrong with us taking a few of our own things?" The auntie stood with her hands on her hips, spittle flying as she prepared to argue.

"SCREECH—!!!"

In that moment of suffocating argument, a terrifying shriek, sharp enough to pierce eardrums, tore through the night sky without warning!