Chapter 18: The Tunnel (Part Two)

For safety’s sake, Mo Yu first gently scraped away a small piece of earth, pressed her eye to the opening, and peered outside. Behind her, Xiao Dou and Lingzi smartly held their breath.

It was safe.

With a rumbling crash, the wall collapsed. What greeted the gaze of the three humans and one snake was the grove within the courtyard, while they themselves stood atop an inconspicuous mound.

“Impressive, this Li Dongqing,” Lingzi’s voice held both sarcasm and disdain.

“Of course. Otherwise, how would we have made it out alive?”

“Hmph.” Lingzi choked back a retort, wanting to say something but settling for a dismissive grunt.

The three continued on, walking in single file with lighter steps, heading toward Lingzi’s home.

With a quiet click, the door lock was opened, and three silhouettes slipped inside in a flash, as if the whole scene were merely a hallucination.

Lingzi went into her bedroom, while Mo Yu and Xiao Dou replenished their food in the living room.

Before long, Lingzi emerged, pushing a heap of items.

Guns—several sniper rifles.

Slender barrels, dark muzzles. Mo Yu had seen such weapons in her previous life, reserved for high-ranking officers. Although scientists later developed more advanced armaments, a gun like this was still a rarity, and these were particularly fine examples.

“Here, a silencer.”

She tossed a black silencer to Mo Yu, then handed Xiao Dou a pistol already fitted with one.

“Thank you, Sister Nan!” Xiao Dou hadn’t expected to receive her own weapon, delight lighting up her face.

Still a child, after all.

“Mm.” Lingzi bent her head to load bullets into the gun. “Mo, here are five boxes of ammunition. Can you carry them?”

Mo Yu glanced up at Lingzi’s clear eyes, nodded, then lowered her head again to load her weapon.

Once they were ready, the three retraced their path, returning to Li Dongqing’s courtyard.

“Mo Yu, how do we get out?” Xiao Dou looked up at Mo Yu, who had naturally become the leader of their group, and asked cautiously.

Mengmeng, displeased that Xiao Dou was talking to her mistress, thought: My mistress’s voice belongs to me! Everything of my mistress is mine!

“Hiss—hiss—”

A threatening flick of tongue and glare succeeded in intimidating Xiao Dou.

Mo Yu reached out to stroke Mengmeng’s small head, which immediately squirmed and nuzzled into her palm, seeking attention.

“Lingzi, you and Xiao Dou stay here. I’ll go get the car.” Mo Yu considered; it was safer for one person to risk danger than all three, and besides, she had a life-saving space at her disposal.

“Alright, but you must be careful.”

“Mo Yu…” Xiao Dou wanted to say more, but Lingzi quickly pulled her into the tunnel, hiding themselves carefully.

Mo Yu patted Mengmeng’s little head.

“Mengmeng, can we fly to the garage? It’s not very far.”

Mengmeng’s watery eyes gazed at Mo Yu.

One second, two seconds, a minute… five minutes…

“Mua~”

A swift blur.

Mo Yu found herself at the garage door in the blink of an eye. She glanced at the little green snake, still basking in the memory of its kiss, and looked up at the sky in exasperation.

How did she end up raising such a lascivious snake?!

Alas, once a contract was signed, the bond could not be broken.

Still, having a golden cheat was nothing to complain about; at least she had another talisman for survival.

Mo Yu decided, for now, to forget that Mengmeng’s ability only worked for short-range movement.

Lingzi and Xiao Dou waited about ten minutes before hearing the sound of a car engine. They scrambled out of the tunnel, sprinting toward Mo Yu’s car with quick, anxious steps.

Only by running in fits and starts did they manage to shake off the slow-moving, yet relentlessly purposeful zombies and reach the vehicle. Both were drenched in sweat, hearts pounding with fear.

“Huff—huff—”

“Ugh, I’m exhausted…”

Mo Yu knew Xiao Dou and Lingzi weren’t slow runners, but genuine terror was holding them back—at least with Lingzi.

Overcoming it would take time and training; rushing would do no good.

“Eventually, you get used to it,” Mo Yu thought to herself.

Meanwhile, the two in the back seat shuddered in unison.

Such a terrifying feeling—was it real?!