C19 Chapter 19
As the boy unleashed his mental energy, Jiang Ruan felt a sudden, peculiar intuition flash through her mind, confirming her suspicion that he possessed a unique ability.
Jiang Ruan averted her eyes and reached for a cooked potato on the table. Without bothering to peel it, she bit into it directly. The others, observing her, followed suit, each grabbing a potato. In these times, nothing was more vital than sustenance.
Having taken care of their basic needs, Jiang Ruan retreated to her room. Zeng Qiang took nine men, including the youngest, Qin Yuan, out to scavenge for food.
Jiang Ruan was meditating in her room when they left, and Zeng Qiang had been careful not to interrupt her. Five hours later, Zeng Qiang and his men returned, looking disheveled and distressed.
Sensing the unease, Jiang Ruan opened her door to find only five men sitting awkwardly in the spacious room, their gazes hollow, as if haunted by some horrific ordeal.
Quan Sisi peered outside and couldn't help but inquire, "Where are the other four men?"
Zeng Qiang dodged her gaze, dusting himself off as he stood. He barked, "What's it to you, woman? Just go make dinner. Do you want to starve me?"
Quan Sisi's eyes welled up with tears, and she bit her lip, stifling a sob. She cast a resentful glare at Jiang Ruan before storming off.
Unfazed by Quan Sisi's glare, Jiang Ruan approached Zeng Qiang with a composed demeanor. "Why haven't they returned?"
Zhu Zhengyan, clearly uneasy, offered a feeble excuse, "How would we know? We didn't all go together. They went on their own."
The men, convinced of their innocence, scattered. Zeng Qiang, nervously swallowing, tried to slip away but was blocked by Jiang Ruan.
"Tell me their location. I'll go rescue them." She had long since seen through the indifference of humanity. Clearly, these men had abandoned their comrades for some selfish reason.
Zeng Qiang hesitated, reluctant to speak, which only drew Jiang Ruan's scorn. "Faang Yu might evolve into an Esper. If he comes to and doesn't find his brothers, I'd like to see how you'll explain that."
Upon hearing those words, a hush fell over everyone. Zeng Qiang gestured towards the bamboo forest outside the city. "They've been spotted in the buildings amidst the bamboo."
"Let's hope they're still alive," Jiang Ruan murmured as she entered the room and retrieved her backpack. She pulled out her bone knife and gripped it firmly, a sense of foreboding washing over her. Qin Yuan couldn't die, nor could any of the men on their team—they didn't deserve such a fate!
Jiang Ruan was certain she would look back on this decision with gratitude. Absolutely certain.
Her determined silhouette soon vanished from view as the bamboo forest ahead erupted with the snarls and howls of zombies. This bamboo forest, akin to purgatory, exuded an eerie and sinister atmosphere.
Inside the house, anxious glances were exchanged. They all held onto hope that Jiang Ruan would manage to bring them back. Nearly thirty or forty zombies were approaching, and with their limited abilities, they stood no chance at defeating them.
When they needed it most, Zeng Qiang's earth wall failed to manifest, leaving them with no choice but to think of escape.
Within the building in the bamboo forest, Liu Dajun shielded Qin Yuan behind him, while the other two men positioned themselves protectively in front.
The relentless pounding of zombies on the door sent tremors through the room, a clear sign that the barrier would not hold against the onslaught.
Qin Yuan, the youngest and least strong, was safeguarded behind the others. His eyes brimmed with tears of gratitude mixed with a fierce determination not to succumb.
With a loud crash, the door gave way as a zombie was flung to the ground, creating a makeshift bridge for the others to clamber over and up to the second floor.
Liu Dajun, knife in hand, lashed out at the advancing horde. His blade lodged in a zombie's skull, and as a claw reached for him, Hu Lang stepped forward and severed the zombie's arm with a swift strike of his own blade.
