Chapter 41: The Blind Girl

"Isn't Dazhuang supposed to be Erlang Shen reincarnated? How could he possibly be hurt?"

"Could it be that we were deceived?"

"What do we do now? Liu Huifen, you always have the most ideas—think of something, quick!"

...

Not far away, a pack of zombies was swarming over the corpses of two young men, tearing them apart. Yet, this ignorant mob of indirect murderers was still huddled together, shouting and panicking in disarray.

Lei Min, standing nearby, could no longer stomach the sight. She raised her voice, "While the zombies are distracted, why aren't you running? Are you standing here waiting to be their backup rations?"

Her clear, sharp voice brought the noisy crowd to a momentary halt, until someone immediately retorted, "And what if they chase us after they're finished? Are we supposed to bring these monsters home with us?"

"Exactly, exactly! My old legs can't run that fast. It's easy for you young people to stand there and talk."

"If you don't run now, then just wait to be eaten. Looking at them, they're almost done," Lei Min scoffed coldly.

She was truly at a loss for how stupid these people were.

...

Just as everyone was feeling helpless, Auntie Liu stepped forward, her voice as characteristically loud as ever.

"Everyone, don't panic! These monsters were lured here by those little hags. If they're going to eat, they should eat them first. If the monsters catch up, we'll just grab them and feed them to the monsters!" Auntie Liu declared with an air of righteous conviction.

"That doesn't seem right, does it?" someone timidly asked.

"What's there to be afraid of? If it weren't for them, where would all these monsters have come from?"

"Let's just run!" someone impatient and cowardly bellowed.

"Move, move! Old Man Huang, stop stepping on my shoes!"

...

"That little hag from the Wen family is right there. Let's feed her to the monsters first!"

This was the fat old man who had been wailing for his grandson earlier. He had made up his mind to avenge his grandson, convinced that this little girl from the Wen family was the sole culprit responsible for his grandson turning into a zombie.

His suggestion was met with universal approval, including that of the girl's own uncle and aunt.

And so, Lin Qingqing and the others watched as a girl of about eleven or twelve was dragged and tossed to the very back of the crowd.

Everyone scrambled to run back the way they came, pushing and shoving in a way that made it impossible to tell their old bones were supposedly failing. Only the little girl, left behind, stumbled along in the wake of the crowd.

She did not cry, nor did she open her mouth to beg for help; she merely bit her lip and stubbornly groped her way forward.

"Sister Lin, she seems to be blind!"

Lei Min caught sight of the girl's eyes and, realizing the truth, felt her own eyes grow red with fury. Cursing, "Bastards!" she rushed over, scooped the little girl up, and carried her back.

Lin Qingqing was no longer content to just watch. With a cold, stern face, she stepped in behind Lei Min, blocking the path of the approaching zombies.

Seeing the girl rescued, someone at the front of the crowd turned back, ready to lash out with insults, but as soon as they met Lin Qingqing’s murderous gaze, they wisely clamped their mouths shut.

Several dozen ordinary zombies were no match for a second-tier ice ability user. Lin Qingqing didn't even need to use ice blades; she simply held the zombies at bay with a single blade of ice.

"Let's go, we need to catch up with them!" Lin Qingqing said to Lei Min, glancing at the retreating mob.

Looking at the blind little girl still in her arms, Lei Min nodded and quickly followed.

The two followed the crowd through two winding alleys and finally shook off the zombies, arriving at the gate of a residential compound.

This was a secluded compound housing a six-story residential building, complete with a garden and garages. It looked significantly more upscale than the surrounding neighborhood—likely the former residence of high-ranking officials.

The best part was the sturdy iron gate separating the compound from the outside, which explained why everyone chose to live here; it was indeed a secure location.

Lin Qingqing was the last to enter through the iron gate. Several people immediately rushed forward to slam it shut and drop the bolt.

The group had finally returned alive and in one piece. Back in the familiar courtyard, the old men and women who had been so arrogant moments ago lost all composure, leaning against walls with trembling legs, gasping for air. Those with less stamina collapsed onto the ground, their faces filled with terror.

Just then, a group of people rushed down from the building. Leading them was a stout, sturdy woman who, the moment she appeared, shouted from a distance: "Where is Dazhuang? Mom made you something delicious—your favorite pork rib soup. Come, let Mom help you regain your strength..."

As she spoke, she brushed off her sleeves, smoothed her hair, and wore a smile. She didn't even glance at the people slumped on the ground, her eyes searching only for her son, brimming with pride.

But after searching the crowd and not seeing him, she didn't seem alarmed, continuing to mutter to herself: "Did he run over to Chuanzi’s place again? That child... Chuanzi’s house doesn't have anything worth eating. What could he possibly find there? Always causing trouble for others."

The atmosphere suddenly froze. The people who had been wailing and crying just moments ago fell deathly silent, desperately trying to make themselves invisible.

Even the fast-talking Auntie Liu was at a loss for words; she had no idea how to break the news.

In the midst of this awkward silence, Lin Qingqing spoke up: "Are you asking about the young man named Dazhuang? He is dead. He was pushed into the swarm of zombies by these people and torn apart. The one named Chuanzi, too. If you don't believe me, you can ask them how they managed to come back alive."

Her cold, feminine voice rang out, narrating the fate of the two young ability users without a hint of emotion.

"You... shut your mouth! Don't... don't talk... nonsense!"

Dazhuang's mother hadn't yet processed the words, but Auntie Liu panicked first. She tried to interrupt Lin Qingqing, her agitation causing her to stutter.

"Shuzhen, don't listen to this little hag. It was them! Yes, they were the ones who lured those monsters here. Dazhuang and Chuanzi only died because they were trying to save us... Wuu wuu~"

A moment later, Auntie Liu regained her composure and quickly signaled to Director Liu and the others. She kept her words vague, clutching the sleeve of Dazhuang’s mother and sobbing, hoping to gloss over the truth.

"Hmph! You have the nerve to say that? I was originally planning to go back and save them, but you were the one who held me back! Who really killed Dazhuang and Chuanzi? Don't you have any idea?"

Hearing this shameless woman try to shift the blame onto them, Lei Min exploded in anger.

Dazhuang’s mother paused upon hearing this, and seeing the suspicious looks from the surrounding neighbors, her throat went dry. She couldn't find the words to defend herself.

After a long while, Dazhuang’s mother finally reacted: "What are you talking about? What happened to my son?"

She lunged forward, grabbed Auntie Liu by the collar, and screamed, "Liu Huifen, tell me clearly! What happened to my Dazhuang?"

Seeing Auntie Liu trembling and unable to speak, she turned to the others, who were keeping their heads down in silence. Her voice turned shrill: "You! All of you, tell me! My son left with you perfectly fine, so how is he gone? If he's gone, how did you all make it back?"

Seeing that the situation could no longer be covered up, Director Liu was forced to step forward: "Shuzhen, listen to us, it was an accident!"

"An accident? Then why didn't you have an 'accident' and die out there? My son was so capable—how could he just die like that?"

She wailed in agony and despair: "My son, my son... now that you're dead, how am I supposed to go on living..."