Chapter 168 Trap?

Fu Jinxing and Shen Han stood on either side of Qiao Xi in tacit agreement.

Fu Jinxing directed the troops to advance, while Shen Han commanded the battle.

The large group instantly transformed into a swift torrent, weaving through the narrow passage that Xie Jue had "torn open" with noise.

Everyone held their breath, even swallowing cautiously, for fear that the slightest extra breath would attract the attention of the surging, roaring horde of corpses not far away, like a black wave.

The icy air filled my lungs, carrying a heavy stench of corpses and blood; every breath felt like a knife cutting into me.

Even so, the sheer number of people in the group and the noise they made inevitably alerted some of the more perceptive zombies on the periphery of the horde.

Their cloudy eyes rolled, and they roared as they broke away from the main group and rushed back towards the ranks!

"Everyone be careful!" Fu Jinxing shouted in a low voice, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

At this point, they dared not make too much of a commotion.

Shen Han activated his superpower, and thick, inky black mist instantly enveloped his body. His figure left an afterimage in place as he pounced on the scattered zombies like a ghost.

Behind him, several other experienced superhumans also moved like tigers unleashed from their cages, coordinating perfectly.

Black mist churned and devoured, ice blades sliced, and fireballs exploded.

Those zombies that broke away from the horde were instantly torn to pieces, their blood and flesh splattering on the ground, only to be quickly trampled and covered up by the footsteps of the following team members.

The entire process was swift, precise, and ruthless, aiming to prevent a larger chain reaction during the brief window of opportunity when the main force of the zombie horde was lured away by Xie Jue and his men.

Nerves were under extreme tension, and physical strength was rapidly depleted by the cold and stress.

Even with an elite team, it still took them nearly half a day to avoid the terrifying horde of zombies and traverse the perilous city ruins.

When the oppressive high-rise buildings were finally replaced by the gradually opening suburban wilderness, everyone felt a kind of exhaustion. The relief of surviving the ordeal was quickly blown away by the biting cold wind.

Josie stopped and couldn't help but look back at the city that lay sprawled in the wind like a giant monster.

Under the gray sky, the city's outline was blurred, but one could almost hear faint, chilling roars.

She pressed her lips together tightly, her eyes filled with worry and struggle.

"XiXi?"

Fu Jin walked up to her and followed her gaze, instantly understanding.

He reached out and grasped her cold hand. "Xie Jue and the others are small targets. After drawing away the zombies, they can just find a place to hide. There won't be any major problems."

He tried to soothe him, his voice weary but still steady.

Shen Han also walked over and stood on the other side of Qiao Xi, his gaze also fixed on the city: "He's clever and has helpers, don't worry too much."

Josie felt the faint warmth from her palm, but her unease grew wildly like vines.

Her voice was a little hoarse: "I know... but there's always a chance of something going wrong. What if they lead the group too far and get targeted by high-level zombies? What if their hiding place is discovered?"

Having been given a second chance at life, she once thought she could be cold-blooded enough not to care too much about the life or death of others.

But Xie Jue, that silent boy who repeatedly risked his own safety to shield her...

Human hearts are made of flesh and blood; how could she turn a blind eye to this friendship that risked one's life for another?

This unease, like a maggot clinging to a bone, not only failed to dissipate as the team trekked across the wilderness for more than a day, but instead intensified.

The next afternoon, as the team took a short break under a relatively sheltered cliff, and several elderly professors, wrapped in blankets, were still shivering from the cold, Josie finally made up her mind.

She walked up to Fu Jinxing, who was looking at a map, and said in a soft but unusually firm voice, "Brother Jinxing, you guys go first. I want to go back and meet up with Xiaojue."

Fu Jinxing's fingers tightened around the map. He looked up, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses complex and unreadable, containing worry and disapproval, but ultimately settling on a single sentence: "Then I'll bring some people to go with you."

“No!” Josie shook her head decisively, her eyes earnest and urgent. “Going back and forth would take too much time, make us a bigger target, and make us easier to expose. They need you to lead, and the team can’t be in disarray. If Shen Han and I go, there will be fewer people and we’ll be a smaller target. If we encounter danger, his and my abilities will work together, making it easier for us to escape.”

Shen Han had appeared behind Qiao Xi at some point, standing like a silent mountain. He looked at Fu Jinxing and said in a steady and powerful voice, "Professor Fu, Xi Xi is right. I will protect her. If we can't find her, or if the situation becomes too dangerous, I will take her away immediately and will not linger in the fight."

Fu Jinxing's brows furrowed tightly into a "川" shape.

The wind and snow ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead. He looked at Josie and saw the unwavering determination in her eyes.

He knows her too well; once he makes a decision, it's hard to change it.

In the end, he had no choice but to compromise, his voice low and solemn, "Fine. But only three days! After three days, whether you've found me or not, you must appear before me! Otherwise, I will personally lead everyone back to find you, Xixi!"

His gaze was fixed on Josie; he wouldn't let her leave until she nodded.

Josie met his gaze. "Okay! We'll definitely come back along this route in three days!"

She pointed to the designated meeting point marked on the map.

An agreement was reached, and no further words were exchanged.

Qiao Xi and Shen Han quickly packed a small backpack with the necessary medicines, food and water.

"Protect her!"

Fu Jinxing's words made Shen Han nod emphatically, "Don't worry, I won't let her get hurt in any way."

Under Fu Jinxing's watchful eye, Qiao Xi and Shen Han braved the biting wind and snow, heading resolutely towards the direction where the horde of corpses had gathered.

The cold wind was like a knife, and the swirling snowflakes stung my face.

But the two were much faster than the main force that had come with them.

Avoiding large groups of zombies and dangerous areas, the two returned to the edge of the city in less than half the time it took to get there.

The horde of corpses had indeed dispersed, leaving behind only a mess on the ground.

Scattered zombies wandered the streets like lost souls, emitting meaningless growls.

Finding three people in such a vast and perilous ruin is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Josie focused her attention, noticing everything around her.

Shen Han vigilantly guarded her side, black mist swirling around his fingertips, ready to deal with any sudden danger.

Time slipped away in the frantic search.

Half a day passed, and the sky changed from gray-white to a gloomy leaden gray. Dusk fell, and the temperature dropped sharply.

Apart from the occasional crows that took flight and a small group of zombies that were disturbed by them, they found nothing.

"Xixi," Chen Han said in a deep voice, looking at Qiao Xi's face, which was pale from the cold but still refused to give up, "It's getting dark, and searching at night is too dangerous. Let's find a place to spend the night and continue when it's light tomorrow."

Just as Josie was about to nod, a very faint, almost inaudible metallic scraping sound drifted over intermittently on the wind!

The two instantly became alert and exchanged a glance.

Then, feigning curiosity, they followed the sound.