Chapter 57: Ghost town
The entire stretch of road was unobstructed from start to finish. When the sky gradually darkens to a deep blue, the vehicle stops just outside a small town.
"Little Yuan, eldest brother Long, should we continue driving through the night?" Qin Jun is a cautious person at heart, so even though there is a town just in front, he refrains from entering yet.
When he had set out to find Li Qing, his heart had been full of anxiety and panic, therefore, he drove non-stop day and night until he reached Z City, completely disregarding personal safety. Now when he recalls that moment, a bit of fear rises as he remembers the numerous times he could have been met with danger.
If he had gotten into an incident on the way there, what would have become of little Qing?
He can't help but turn to stare at his beloved, who meets the sudden tender expression with curiosity. Taking in that attractive visage, Qin Jun smiles slightly and shakes his head. "It's nothing important."
"Oh…"
"I don't recommend driving at night." Long Zhanye shakes his head as he expresses his opinion.
As a soldier, he understands clearly that night-time is the most suitable period to launch an ambush or a sneak attack because the darkness can conceal one's track. Still, that is when being confronted by humans. Now with a bunch of monsters running around, even he doesn't know how to properly counter attacks should it happen when they travel on the roads at after dark.
"I don't approve either. At night, zombies become more active and stronger than they are during daytime. If we meet a group of them on the road, we might not make it out alive." Huo Zaiyuan too shakes his head.
In terms of the apocalypse and the strange creatures they will encounter, he believes that no one else would be more knowledgeable than him. Unless, of course, there happen to be someone else in this world who experienced rebirth as well.
"Then will we be spending the night in that village up ahead?" Li Qing peers at the extremely quiet town, face full of discomfort.
"We'll do it this way. First, check on the situation in that town and hope there are not too many zombies there." Huo Zaiyuan says, waving his hand and palming two coin talismans before handing them both to Li Qing. "Wear them next to your skin. It will be able to block ten plus zombie attacks. As soon as you feel it go ice cold, ask me for another straight away. I used spring water to draw runes on it, so wait until we've taken care of any zombies in that town and collected all the crystals, then I'll draw another for the both of you. Be careful."
The last time he drew the Energy Congregation Array for Li Qing's mother, he used up every last crystal collected from his ten-day zombie-killing effort. Presently, the only kind of talismans he has on hand are those drawn with water taken from the Holy Nine Dragon Spring pool.
"Thanks, little Yuan." Li Qing tucks it away under his clothes like a precious relic and tucks the other beneath Qin Jun's shirt.
Lifting his foot off the brake pedal, Qin Jun slowly drives the car forward and into the village. His eyes never cease sweeping back and forth cautiously, afraid to miss a zombie hiding away in the shadows.
Despite their nervousness, the short distance to the ghost town is uneventful. Don't mention zombies. They didn't even come across a single bug. A faint breeze blows through the area, causing a soft rustling sound to echo throughout the village.
"Little Yuan, the atmosphere here is a little strange." Clutching the steering wheel tightly and glancing in all directions, Qin Jun speaks lowly, every fibre of his being ready to step down on the accelerator and leave the moment something goes wrong.
"Un, it does feel a little unusual." Huo Zaiyuan agrees, drawing four steel swords from his space. "But we don't have any choice. We'll need to spend the night here. Be very careful once you get off the car. Since the sky is not completely dark yet, we'll take this opportunity to scour the surroundings."
"Don't wander off, it will be much safer if we stick together." Picking up a sword, Long Zhanye leans against the door to look out the window, taking in as much of the terrain as he can. "Qin Jun, drive the car to that house over there with the courtyard. If there's no danger, we will spend the night there."
"Okay."
The very house Long Zhanye pointed out is located at the right side of the town. It possesses a delicate structure, elegant and thoughtfully-designed. It is pretty evident that the owner is a wealthy one - or at least well-off. On its left and right are a few squarish two-storey houses. As the vehicle moves past slowly, there is still no signs of any living or undead beings.
The courtyard's gate is only secured by a metal chain, causing even Qin Jun to be suspicious. The closer the car approaches, the more its speed decreases. Eventually, the vehicle's front bumper nudges the steel gates open, entering the courtyard.
Stopping once it fully clears the gate, Long Zhanye is the first to exit the car with a sword in hand. Following on his heels is Huo Zaiyuan, quietly seizing up his new surroundings. There isn't even a single bloodstain. Truly suspicious.
"No human beings, no zombies either. Could it be the residents in this town realised something was wrong not too long after Judgement Day began and escaped from here?" Li Qing whispers, fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of his sword. The weight of this steel blade is a little heavy for the youth who doesn't exercise regularly, but this is something that might save his life, so he will not let go of it no matter what.
"It's not impossible." Long Zhanye replies quietly. "But we are still in unfamiliar territory, so don't let down your guard."
"Un, I know."
Huo Zaiyuan closes the courtyard's gates in order to prevent other people or zombies from sneaking in unawares when the four of them enter the house.
Leading the group is Long Zhanye, with Huo Zaiyuan second, followed by Li Qing and Qin Jun bringing up the rear.
The door's house is closed, and Long Zhanye glances over his shoulder at the other three in silent warning to ready themselves before lifting a hand and pushing it open with the tip of his sword. The interior is again devoid of anyone and a layer of dust can be seen on the floorboards. As the door closes behind the last person, the exterior of the house remains the same, the strange peaceful atmosphere unbroken. The only noise one can hear is the gentle rustle of tree leaves as the wind blows through town.
"How is this possible? There really is no one around."