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墨書 Inktalez
Molin had very few talismans on him this time, so he could only barely set up a barrier around the village chief's house as a precaution. He stayed awake all night, patrolling everywhere and checking on the injuries of the wounded.
He said, "These injured people cannot leave. I just hope Glutinous Rice can arrive smoothly, force out the Corpse Poison, and then let them go."
I nodded, watching them say their goodbyes one by one, feeling a deep ache in my heart. Jun Chong had gone out to search for the Zombie's whereabouts, while I stayed with Grandpa, the village chief, to comfort everyone. We didn't sleep all night, and soon dawn arrived.
As the sun's rays fully illuminated the land, everyone began to pack their belongings and prepare to leave the village. However, the village chief stubbornly refused to leave. He said, "Our family has lived in this village for generations. Now that something like this has happened in my generation, how can I leave? How will I face our ancestors when I die? Don't try to persuade me; I won't go."
The village chief was very stubborn about this point. I had no choice but to tell Grandpa, "Grandpa, you should go back and pack your things to leave. Mom is in the hospital; you should go back to Dad together."
"And you?" he asked.
"I want to stay here with Molin."
"No way, you are coming with me." Grandpa's tone was firm as he held onto my hand tightly. "If you don't leave, I have no reason to go either."
"Grandpa, it really can't be done." I pleaded, but there were some things I couldn't tell him. I was sweating anxiously. "I need to stay and help Molin. I've partnered with him a few times before, and with Jun Chong protecting me, I'll be fine. So please hurry and leave; Mom must be looking for me right now."
Just then, a thunderous sound suddenly erupted from the village, shaking the ground beneath us and darkening the sky significantly with a gray haze.
I was startled. "Could it be an earthquake?"
"It shouldn't be; that sound seems to be coming from the village entrance." Molin also sensed it and climbed onto the roof to take a look in that direction. "It looks like it's related to the barrier; I'll go check it out."
"I'll go too."
I broke free from my grandfather's grip and chased after Molin all the way to the village entrance.
"How can we not get out? Some people just left a while ago."
"I just saw a golden net fall down. I don't know if you saw it, but that net appeared, so we can't leave."
"What do we do now? Is it really that the heavens want to destroy us?"
"Hey, why aren't you coming out?"
The villagers who had already stepped outside turned back and shouted at those behind them. A young man, not understanding what they were saying, hurriedly returned and said to them, "Why aren't you leaving quickly?"
The village barrier only allowed people to enter but not exit, ensuring that anyone who came in could never leave.
"Hey, how did you get in?"
"I just came in like this. What's wrong?"
"We can't get out!"
"Don't joke around. That's impossible. I'll show you." The young man boldly walked toward the exit but was bounced back by an invisible force, landing heavily on the ground.
At that moment, Molin and I felt something as we listened to the villagers' accounts. I stepped forward and touched the village entrance, sensing an invisible net covering the area around the village.
“ Molin, I sense a web.”
“It’s a barrier,” Molin said, frowning. “It seems someone doesn’t want us to leave.”
“Everyone, let’s head to the back mountain right away.”
At this suggestion, those who hadn’t gone out rushed toward the back mountain like the wind. There was indeed a way out there, but it also led to that Tomb in the southwest. Molin shouted, “Everyone, don’t go over there; it could be a trap.”
But no one paid him any mind. I was somewhat surprised; normally, the villagers would listen to Molin. Their unusual rush to the back mountain surely meant something was off.
Just as I was about to join Molin in heading to the back mountain, I heard someone calling my name—it was my mother.
I turned and saw her running toward the village. Alarmed, I rushed back to the village entrance and shouted, “Mom, don’t come in! Please!”
My mother was startled by my appearance and stopped in her tracks. “Anxin, what’s going on?”
“Mom, listen to me. You must not come in; go back and find Dad immediately. Grandpa and I are fine. We’ll come find you once this is all sorted out.”
“Anxin, I can’t lose you.”
I didn’t know how to stop my mother from coming in because this place was currently a one-way street. I could only plead with the nearby villagers, “Uncle, please take my mom away—right now!”
“Anxin’s mom, this child is worried about you. Please come with us! With the master here, nothing will happen.”
The villagers were all kind-hearted and tried to persuade my mother, but she wouldn’t listen. I turned to that uncle and said, “Knock her out, please.”
The man nodded, taking a stick from the bushes and knocking my mother unconscious. Watching the tears flow from her eyes made me cry as well. "Thank you, sir. Once we reach the county town, please call my dad and ask him to come pick up my mom. And don’t mention anything about this to him."
"Don't worry, kid. We'll take good care of your mom. Just be careful yourself."
"Yeah, I'll make it out alive."
After one last glance at my mother, I wiped my tears and turned to leave.
I knew that if my mother woke up, she might come after me, but buying some time meant a little more safety. As a child, no one wants their family to share in their dangers. My family had raised me for so long; I had no way to repay them, but at least this time I wanted to protect them with my own hands.
Looking up at the blue sky, I took a deep breath. Jun Chong hadn’t returned yet, and he wouldn’t show up during the day, so I needed to find Molin first.
Halfway there, I suddenly spotted a figure standing in the distance amidst the darkness. The wind blew past me, carrying a heavy scent of blood that filled my nostrils, and I instinctively covered my mouth and nose with my hand.
In that brief moment, I noticed two villagers appearing before me, staring intently without blinking. One was Li Fei, and the other was Widow Wang.
Li Fei's eyes were one black and one white, while Widow Wang's eyes were entirely grayish-white.
A chill ran down my spine; I hadn’t expected to encounter them alone again. My heart raced as I felt my hands and feet grow cold.
"I’m going to kill you."
Widow Wang glared at me with hatred, her mouth emitting a foul odor. Her long fangs were stained red, clearly having just fed on blood.
I took steps back; their speed was completely different from that of the Zombies. The memory of being dragged away by Little Scar just two nights ago still haunted me. Even though it was broad daylight now, encountering these two without anyone around for protection made my heart swell with unease.
I knew that I couldn't always rely on luck to be rescued, so sometimes I had to depend on myself. Without hesitation, I turned and ran. They were not to be underestimated; their speed clearly surpassed mine.
I dashed into a narrow alleyway nearby, a place where many children used to play. It was small enough that adults couldn't enter, and I managed to squeeze in thanks to my slender frame.
However, they weren't as fortunate. They followed me in but got stuck. I stifled a laugh, crouching low as I continued forward until I reached the end of the alley, preparing to climb over the wall and jump out.
But just then, someone grabbed my foot. I looked back to see a small child clutching my ankle with both hands, pulling me backward with all her might.
Her eyes were dark, and her mouth was filled with sharp teeth. The alley was dimly lit due to its narrowness, and the two Zombies that had been stuck behind her were nowhere to be seen.
A chill ran down my neck as a low, heavy breath filled the air with a foul odor. My heart sank; I didn't need to turn around to know what was happening.
Now I was crouched at the edge of the wall, unable to go up or down, trapped between threats.
If I fell, this little Zombie would ensnare me while the two above would pounce down to bite.
I'm not particularly good at thinking on my feet, but when faced with danger, I had no choice but to figure out how to escape. However, these thoughts required time.
Some people can unleash hidden potential in critical moments and find hope; others panic and wait for death without any plan.
With no movement on either side, I breathed quietly. My heart raced wildly; sweat trickled down my forehead, some droplets landing in my eyes. Instinctively, I closed them and suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
I freed one hand and fished out a set of keys from my pocket. Attached was a small knife, which I managed to bite open with my mouth.
"Do you want to struggle in despair? I'll give you a chance," Widow Wang said with a sinister smile, not immediately taking action.
I ignored her as she struggled to cut her own arm, crimson blood gushing out, and the heavy breaths of the Zombie grew even more intense.
"Blood, such fragrant blood."
I waved the bloodied knife in front of them, and when I saw their eager eyes, I tossed the knife over the wall. One of them instinctively jumped down.
I knew I couldn't fool them, so as soon as I threw the knife, I leaped off the wall, mercilessly stepping on the head of that little Zombie, then squeezed hard to splatter blood everywhere.
Molin had mentioned before, "It takes time for low-level Zombies to evolve into fifth-generation or higher Zombies. If you notice that their eyes are different colors, it indicates a possibility of transformation. However, these Zombies usually don't act as aggressively as fifth-generation Zombies and are more agile than low-level ones, so escaping requires some wit."
I was exploiting this very loophole, but there was one thing I had in my favor: my blood. My blood had a deadly allure for those creatures; they wouldn't waste a single drop. So, while retreating, I continuously squeezed blood from my wound.
If they didn't lick up the dripping blood and instead lunged directly at me, I would surely be doomed.
If they did lick up every drop of blood without wasting any, then I would have enough opportunity to escape.
Though the latter was still quite dangerous, it was better than being trapped in this narrow alley.
As it turned out, my gamble paid off.
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