Xiaoxuan sobbed uncontrollably, clutching her butterfly knife.
Not for any particular reason, but because of the luxurious room and her youthful years slipping away.
"Bang! Bang!"
The banging grew louder. The metal sheet had cracked open, and a zombie's arm had already reached through.
Lin Jiu silently counted in his head, "Three, two, one... now."
Beep beep!
The countdown hit zero.
Reward: One Survival Coin
[Survival Coin: 1]
Seeing the pop-up page before him, Lin Jiu grinned wickedly.
"So this is a shop!"
He muttered as he scanned the options—various weapons and supplies, all expensive. There were even houses and castles available.
After browsing, his gaze locked onto a black pistol, which cost exactly one survival coin.
[Standard Pistol – Damage: 100]
"Buzz!"
The moment he clicked to redeem it, the pistol appeared in his hand.
He checked the magazine. It had 8 rounds of green bullets.
"Clack clack!"
After loading the bullets, Lin Jiu approached the iron sheet, aimed at the zombie's gruesome face, and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
A green muzzle flash erupted. The zombie's head exploded into a fist-sized hole and collapsed outside, lifeless.
Behind him, Xiaoxuan hadn't seen where the gun came from but was relieved by its clear power.
Old Man Lü, hearing the gunfire, showed a fleetingly sinister expression.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two more shots, and the noise outside ceased.
Lin Jiu hammered open the metal sheet and climbed out.
Three zombies lay dead outside, clearly former white-collar workers.
The rolling gate was already deformed, with a large hole in it.
"We have to get out of here now," Xiaoxuan urged, crawling out and pushing open the gate.
Lin Jiu scanned left and right—fewer zombies to the east. He went back, started the car, and drove east with the two of them.
Now armed, he felt a bit bolder. Saving Xiaolan didn't seem so hard anymore.
His first priority was to get out of the area. He chose a major road heading toward the city center and sped off.
"Boss, look—it's that guy!"
A thug named Liuzi pointed Lin Jiu out to Huo Jing from a parked car.
Huo Jing saw Xiaoxuan in Lin Jiu's passenger seat and flicked away his cigarette. "Chase them! Now!"
Eight men in two off-road vehicles roared after them.
Lin Jiu saw them in the rearview mirror but ignored them—his only thought was to get away fast.
Not until they'd traveled 2 kilometers did he breathe easier.
After 5 kilometers, he saw a small path to the north leading to a small temple. He slowed down and turned in.
The road wasn't safe for a fight—he planned to deal with Huo Jing and his men inside the temple.
He had a gun, and Old Man Lü was skilled in combat. They could probably handle it.
He pulled up at the temple entrance.
The three got out and entered. Immediately, Lin Jiu saw two bald zombies wandering inside—they seemed to have been monks.
"Old Man Lü, they're yours. Better save the bullets," Lin Jiu said, handing him a cigarette.
Lü took the cigarette, tucked it behind his ear, and drew a military knife.
"Swish swish!" Two quick slashes, and the zombies' heads dropped to the ground. Only then did he light the cigarette.
After checking the rooms, he came back and said, "Xiao Jiu, no crazies inside. The two rooms here are livable."
"Old Man Lü, they're coming. Help me subdue them—killing them is fine too."
Lin Jiu, peeking through a crack, saw Huo Jing's crew arrive and waved Lü over.
Huo Jing stormed out of the car, dragging a broadsword behind him.
"They think they can hide in a temple? Even Buddha can't save them for rescuing that vixen!" he growled.
He kicked open the temple doors and strode in arrogantly.
Only to suddenly drop to his knees with a thud.
Lin Jiu had the cold barrel of a gun pressed against Huo Jing's temple. "Keep acting tough. Go on. All of you—drop your knives!"
Seeing the real weapon in Lin Jiu's hand, Liuzi and the others obediently dropped their swords.
"Shhk!"
A flash of cold steel. Blood spurted from Huo Jing's neck. He stared in disbelief at Xiaoxuan beside him. "You…"
Before he could finish, he collapsed.
Xiaoxuan, holding her butterfly knife, lunged at the rest of them, but Old Man Lü stopped her. "Enough. They surrendered—no need to wipe them all out."
He tied the men up with rope and threw them in one of the temple rooms.
Lin Jiu looked Xiaoxuan over—didn't expect her to be so ruthless. Truly a femme fatale.
Huo Jing was her boyfriend. She had stolen from him first, yet showed no guilt at all.
Terrifying. This woman was truly terrifying.
Dark clouds loomed, and soon it began to rain.
Lin Jiu locked the temple doors. They would spend the night here.
Inside, he lit candles for light and cooked some instant noodles.
As he ate, an uneasy feeling crept over him.
Why hadn't the next countdown begun yet? They had gone over 5 kilometers—it should've started by now.
Was the area larger this time?
Unable to figure it out, he debated whether to stay or keep moving and trigger the countdown.
This place was safe, but without shops nearby, they couldn't survive long.
Better to keep going.
Having decided, he resumed eating.
Xiaoxuan stared coldly at the seven bound men in the corner. Her gaze made them tremble.
"Sis… It was Huo Jing who hit you. He's dead now—we never hurt you."
"Yeah, we can follow you from now on."
"Please don't kill us in our sleep. You're the best, sis."
They huddled together, terrified she'd strike in the night.
"Hmph. No backbone."
Xiaoxuan ignored them and continued eating.
After dinner, the three laid bedding on the floor and went to sleep side by side.
The seven were tied up and pushed into the other room.
Midnight.
"Liuzi, I can't hold it anymore."
"Don't talk—I'm about to pee myself!"
Liuzi shut his eyes tight; the others clenched their legs.
They were too scared to wake Lin Jiu—afraid Xiaoxuan would go berserk and kill them all.
An afro-haired guy twitched. "Bro, seriously, I can't hold it. Let's scoot to the side and do it there?"
Liuzi thought it was a good idea and guided them toward the wall.
Just as he tried to use his foot to tug down his pants—
"Creak…"
The wooden door groaned open. A figure stood silhouetted in the rain.
They turned their heads and screamed in terror.
"Shhk! Shhk!"
The figure flashed inside. Cold steel gleamed. All seven were slaughtered.
"Rumble!"
A thunderclap lit up the room, casting his shadow on the blood-soaked wall.
Beep beep!
Countdown: 10 minutes 20 seconds
"Wait… wasn't I in the temple? Why am I back here?"
When the countdown ended, Lin Jiu redeemed the standard pistol again and killed the zombies behind the metal sheet.
Then he drove off with the other two, returning to the main road.
Eventually, they reached the temple, subdued the group, and he sat rubbing his temples, deep in thought.
Someone killed me last night?
Who? Who was it? A zombie—or a human?