C7 The River of Zombies!
Who was this Shen Faang? He was known for his calm, wisdom, decisiveness, and magnanimity. Normally, Shen Faang would have cracked a joke by now, but that thought was fleeting.
Rebirth, a concept so overdone in novels that it bordered on cliché, was something no one ever expected to experience firsthand. Yet, with the emergence of zombies and Devil Insects, it was clear that the impossible was happening. But for Shen Faang, it was his reality—he had truly been reborn, and the appearance of these creatures confirmed that his memories were not mere dreams, but glimpses of a real future.
Amidst the turmoil of his thoughts, Shen Faang simply shook his head and turned to Wu Qi, "Let's go, Wu Qi."
"By the way, where's Wang Mengyan?" Shen Faang asked, his brow furrowing.
"I'm here," came a trembling voice. Wang Mengyan emerged from behind a crate, fear etched on her face.
Shen Faang offered her a reassuring smile. "Don't be scared. These insects are not as formidable as they seem. And the zombies? They're not even as strong or agile as an average person. A bold kid with a stick could take one down."
Wu Qi and Wang Mengyan's faces brightened at Shen Faang's confident words, and they began to envision themselves triumphing over the zombies. Wang Mengyan, however, turned a shade paler at the thought; the idea of killing a zombie was still too much to bear, as they were once her own kind.
Wu Qi, perhaps emboldened by his recent act of relief, found a newfound courage, especially with Mengyan by his side. He couldn't afford to look weak now.
Seeing Wu Qi's newfound resolve, Shen Faang smiled knowingly. His old classmate wasn't a lost cause after all. Silently, he pulled a somewhat rusty hollow pipe from nearby and handed it to Wu Qi.
"Take this, Wu Qi. Let's fight our way out together!"
"Okay!" Wu Qi responded, meeting Shen Faang's gaze with a determined nod.
"Let's get moving," Shen Faang said, taking a deep breath. The sounds of zombies had long since faded outside. He approached the shutter door, crouched down, and with a forceful push, daylight streamed in.
The streets were deserted, with only the mechanical remains scattered on the ground. The dull-colored bones were riddled with uneven bite marks, unsettling to behold.
Upon seeing this, Wu Qi and Wang Mengyan paused momentarily. Shen Faang, however, was unfazed; such sights were commonplace in his memories of the apocalypse. He had witnessed far worse: living people devoured by zombies, their entrails and brains fought over in a gruesome display.
After that initial encounter, Shen Faang had vomited violently, but he soon grew accustomed to the horror. In a world where survival was paramount, fear was a trivial and disposable emotion.
"Enough looking around. We need to keep moving," Shen Faang urged, shaking his head and leading the way down the street. He recalled a craft shop nearby that sold swords with sharpened edges. In his past life, those swords had fallen into the hands of some thugs who boasted about their ease in dispatching zombies. How the shopkeeper met his end at the hands of the undead remained a mystery.
But Shen Faang didn't dwell on the past; the shopkeeper's fate was inconsequential to him now.
Wu Qi, watching Shen Faang's retreating figure, inhaled sharply, his gaze leaving the scattered bones as he followed. Wang Mengyan, too, turned away and followed suit, matching their pace.
A somber silence fell over the group.
They soon reached the craft shop, known as "God of Valley." Inside, the remnants of bloodstains were visible, but the place was empty. Shen Faang's attention was immediately drawn to the swords displayed behind reinforced glass at the back of the shop.
"Those are the ones," he declared.
As Shen Faang entered, he inadvertently kicked a bone, sending it skittering into the shadows beneath the counter.
Wu Qi, trailing behind, caught sight of the displaced bone and shivered inwardly, whispering to himself, "A human bone."
He became much more vigilant, sweeping his gaze around as though a zombie might be lurking in any corner.
"A human skeleton? What human skeleton?"
Wang Mengyan hadn't witnessed the earlier scene and was clearly puzzled.
Seeing their hesitant expressions, Shen Faang was at a loss for words. Yet, he knew they urgently needed to find a suitable weapon if they were to stand any chance in a continued battle against the zombies.
Otherwise, when the zombies charged, they would be at a loss for a plan of action.
"Yes, a human skeleton," Shen Faang confirmed to Wang Mengyan, who was too terrified to comprehend.
Shen Faang then addressed them, "If you both want to survive, follow me into this handicraft shop. I'm confident we'll find what we need there. Think it over—do you want to come inside with me, or would you rather wait outside?"
They didn't respond, knowing further discussion might provoke Shen Faang. If they distanced themselves from him, they'd be powerless against the zombies, so they had no choice but to accompany Shen Faang into the shop.
Their pace was slow; Wu Qi was petrified of the bones, dreading that stepping on them would haunt his dreams for days. Wang Mengyan shared Wu Qi's fears.
Both were timid, but Shen Faang marched ahead boldly, seemingly unfazed by the scattered bones, which only heightened their anxiety.
They desperately wanted to keep up with Shen Faang, who moved swiftly, forcing Wang Mengyan and Wu Qi to tread over the surrounding skeletal remains.
Shen Faang glanced back, urging them, "Move faster. If you linger, I won't wait for you. Decide now—keep up with me or stay behind with these bones."
Hearing his words, they dared not protest. Aware of the grim fate that awaited them if abandoned, they hastened their steps to match Shen Faang's, heading toward the handicraft store.