Chapter 17: The Tunnel (Part One)

The torches in their hands illuminated the tunnel, which was so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time. The three entered in single file—Mo Yu in the lead, Li Jun in the middle, and Lingzi bringing up the rear.

Li Jun was also known as Little Bean.

"Little Bean, how did you find this place?" Nan Lingzi asked curiously.

Little Bean did not answer. For a moment, silence reigned, broken only by the sound of footsteps. Nan Lingzi awkwardly touched her nose, about to change the subject when Little Bean spoke at last.

"That night, when 'Mother' made me sleep outside, it snowed. I hid behind the training mats in the corner and saw Dad coming out from here..."

"Mother" referred to Li Dongqing's current wife.

"Shh!" Mo Yu interrupted, successfully silencing the two behind her and heightening their vigilance.

"Squeak... squeak..."

"Rats?"

"No—not rats!"

"Then—what is that...?"

Little Bean's eyes widened as he stared at the transparent, sealed coffin before him.

Inside, a zombie scraped its sharp, black nails against the smooth inner wall of the coffin.

What was this?

"Hey, isn't that the famous singer Li, renowned for her beauty and charm?"

"She was brought here by my father," Little Bean paused, "There used to be several others. Mother locked them up here. She thought Dad didn't know, but actually..."

"Actually, he knew all along—and killed them to frame your 'Mother,' right?" Mo Yu pushed aside the coffin lid and, with a swift motion, severed the zombie's head, earning an admiring glance from Little Bean.

"Hisss... hisss..." Mengmeng threatened with her tongue, making Little Bean shrink back. Satisfied, Mengmeng rested her head once again on Mo Yu's collarbone, flicking her small tongue gently.

Ah, so fragrant...

"Come, give me a hand," Mo Yu called, and the three worked together to move the coffin.

"One, two, lift—"

"Ah!" Lingzi jumped, startled by the zombie glaring up at her from beneath the coffin.

Apparently, the zombies were unhappy with Lingzi's fearful cry, and five or six of them began to howl in unison.

"Here," Mo Yu threw Little Bean a butcher's knife. "No one will protect you—you have only yourself."

Little Bean picked up the knife and nodded resolutely.

"Mo Yu, there are so many corpses here, but we haven't smelled any stench since we came in."

"Because there's ventilation somewhere. Let's look carefully."

In other words, there might be an exit.

Mo Yu did not kill the zombies herself but instead instructed Lingzi and Little Bean on how to strike.

"That's right—quick, precise, ruthless!"

"Destroy the head!"

"Quick! Don't hesitate! Keep your eyes open!"

About an hour later, she looked at the two, panting and exhausted, and then at the five or six zombie corpses scattered in the cave. Making them kneel and crawl atop the zombies to kill them had truly been a challenge—especially since both were complete novices.

Mo Yu leapt lightly into the large pit, carefully avoiding the filthy corpses, and searched around.

"Disgusting—where did these things come from!" Lingzi grumbled, staring at her feet, which were smeared with zombie blood and gore, her heart filled with frustration.

"Sister Nan, can you carry me?" The cave was deep, and Little Bean, only six years old, was not tall enough to jump down safely.

"Come here." Lingzi reached down and lifted him.

"Hisss... hisss..." Mengmeng flicked her tongue, guiding Mo Yu to a wall of earth.

Mo Yu touched the soil—it was loose and damp.

"There must be something wrong with this wall!"