Chapter 44: Deception

Li Jun found himself unable to stop, barreling straight toward the zombie that stared at him as if he were a meal. Without hesitation, he raised the black pistol and aimed at the creature’s head.

“Bang—bang—bang—” He fired three shots in rapid succession, but in his panic, his aim was wild. The bullets grazed the zombie’s flesh, none striking a vital spot.

His actions infuriated the zombie, already agitated by being able to see but not devour its prey. The muffled sounds of the silenced gun still echoed through the corridor, attracting other restless zombies lurking nearby. Unable to see, they relied on their uncanny sense of smell and hearing to identify food and foes. The situation suddenly became terrifying beyond measure.

Even Li Jun, who had tried to keep calm, could think of nothing but rushing for the wardrobe.

A searing pain tore through his arm. He spun around to see the zombie he’d failed to kill, its claws sunk deep into his flesh. He wondered if even his bones had been crushed.

There was no time to dwell on it. Gritting his teeth against the agony, Li Jun spun and kicked the zombie hard. The creature, unstable on its feet, staggered backward, dragging Li Jun with it. Seizing the moment, Li Jun pressed his weight forward, pinning the foul, blood-soaked zombie beneath him, and fired a shot into its forehead.

“Bang—” The bullet went clean through, shattering the skull. The recoil sent Li Jun flying backward, but the zombie’s claws still managed to gouge a chunk from his arm; if not for a closer look, one might have mistaken his limb for a bare bone.

Li Jun nearly passed out from the pain, but he clenched his teeth until blood seeped from his lips, refusing to let go. Hearing the approaching, chaotic footsteps, he bolted for the wardrobe.

His backpack was flung into a corner by the force of his collision, and the black pistol slipped from his grasp. Opening and closing the door happened in an instant, but the hideous face of the last zombie was burned into his memory.

Li Jun gripped the inside of the wardrobe tightly, desperate to keep out the undead.

“It hurts—it hurts—it hurts!” Li Jun couldn’t hold out any longer and fainted, his hands still clutching the wardrobe, so tight that crimson beads of blood dripped freely from his fingers and nails.

“It hurts,” he murmured softly.

With the steady drip, drip of his blood, a circle of luminous white light emerged from his shoulder, wrapping his arm like a bandage, shimmering and elusive. It spiraled down to his blood-soaked fingertips. The bleeding slowed, and new flesh began to grow where the zombie had torn him apart.

This lasted for nearly fifteen minutes before the glowing “bandage” faded from his chest. Li Jun’s tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed.

He drifted in and out of consciousness for a day.

Until now...

Li Jun slowly opened his eyes, the figures before him unclear. His mind was haunted by the last glimpse of the zombie’s shadow, causing him to shrink back, retreating to the head of the bed.

He blinked his dry eyes hard.

There were no roars, no stench of blood—only...

“Sister Mo!” Li Jun threw himself into Mo Yu’s arms, the tears he’d been holding back pouring out in torrents as if he’d finally found someone to confide in.

After all, he was only a seven-year-old child.

Mo Yu hugged his frail body gently, soothing him again and again until Li Jun, sobbing, fell asleep once more.

Beside them, Qing Xuan, troubled all morning by a glance from Mo Yu, had already forgotten his worries. He stared at Mo Yu (and Li Jun) resentfully, twisting his slender hands as if wringing a cloth.

He was absolutely furious!

Qing Xuan turned his head away in a huff, but his eyes never left them, looking every bit the aggrieved spouse.

Though Mo Yu didn’t look at him, she felt the weight of his resentment. But her own mind was tangled with confusion. She tucked Li Jun in, then turned to Qing Xuan.

He grew uneasy under her gaze. Mo Yu’s clear, black-and-white eyes seemed to hold magic—emotionless, yet able to see right through him.

She lowered her eyes, her long lashes curling and hiding all her feelings.

How she longed to trust this man before her. But his evasive gaze betrayed him; he had deceived her.

He was not her spirit beast at all.

All that talk of heavenly gifts was nothing but nonsense—a cruel joke at her expense!

Mo Yu slipped quietly from the room, taking neither wind nor rain, only Qing Xuan’s heart, torn apart in utter despair.

Author’s note: Good evening, ladies~