Chapter 599, Polluted Zone 6 (Twenty-Three)

Yun Zhao was blindfolded by Xie Tu. His palms were very hot, as if they could burn through the blue light surging in her eyes.

The sound of the wind seemed to recede into the distance at that moment.

The wildly swirling spiritual threads, like tamed snakes, slowly drooped down and coiled around his wrist, no longer violent.

"Why did you take so long to arrive..."

The fierceness in Yun Zhao's voice dissipated, and it lingered in his combat uniform, like a child who had been lost for a long time.

Xie Tuhuan's arm around her waist tightened suddenly, his knuckles pressing against the curve of her back, turning slightly white. "It's my fault, I'm late."

He looked down at the trembling shoulders of the person in his arms and could clearly feel her lingering shiver.

Tears seemed to linger in his eyes, and the thin sweat on his palms seeped in, making his heart tighten.

Xie Tu's jawline was taut. He lowered his head, his nose brushing against Yun Zhao's hair. "Are you feeling unwell? Are you injured?"

Yun Zhao shook her head and quietly leaned against his chest.

The almost unbearable sense of loss of control was gradually sinking into a peaceful silence along the arms wrapped around his waist.

The Azure Phoenix gradually shrank in size, eventually transforming into a stream of light that disappeared into her mental landscape.

"This is Qingshan Town..."

"I know."

Xie Tu tried his best to remain rational and calm, but the abrupt interruption inevitably betrayed his emotions.

Every gust of wind in Qingshan Town holds the secrets of her childhood.

Her pain stemmed from love, from having once possessed the most beautiful thing in the world.

Time spent immersed in love is so vibrant.

Those memories, polished smooth by time, are so vivid that their current fragmentation is particularly glaring, becoming the sharpest blade, repeatedly cutting into her nerves.

No one can replace those eight uncles in her heart.

Whether it's him or Yun Jue.

"How could you know?" Yun Zhao murmured, nestled in his arms. "Back then, I hoped every day that a miracle would happen, that I would wake up one morning and they would come back..."

“I clearly remember the morning they left. Uncle He told me with a smile that when I grew up a little more, they would take me to the big base to broaden my horizons.”

Yun Zhao buried her face in his chest. "I happily agreed at the time. I never thought I would lose them."

Her uncles took good care of her.

She never went hungry before she was twelve years old. She could eat meat from time to time, and occasionally her uncles would secretly buy her a couple of pieces of candy.

Faced with the sudden death of her loved one, she felt as if the world had become utterly dark.

For her, that moment was the real apocalypse.

Xie Tu's breathing paused for two seconds; all his words of comfort seemed so pale and powerless.

He slowly removed the hand that was covering her eyes, his grip tightening, and he could feel the body beneath his palm trembling slightly.

Xie Tu looked up and glanced at the crowd behind him.

Fu Yu watched from afar, the Gatling gun in her hand hanging down at some point.

She met Xie Tu's gaze and pointed to the outer wall of the town.

The wall is over three zhang high, with layers of bricks and stones mixed with rammed loess. The surface is somewhat sandy and crumbles when the wind blows.

Just then, the door suddenly creaked.

Yun Zhao buried his head in Xie Tu's arms, ignoring him, assuming it was Jiang Mu and the others.

She was lost in her own thoughts, plotting how to kill the gatekeeper and avenge her uncles.

Until... a familiar voice rang out.

"Zhaozhao!"

Yun Zhao's entire body suddenly stiffened, and his blood seemed to freeze in an instant.

Xie Tu sensed her stiffness and gently tidied her messy hair. "Look up?"

Yun Zhao looked up in disbelief, his gaze passing over Xie Tu's shoulder and looking towards the town's gate.

When the wind swirling sand at the doorway stopped, the figure stood against the light inside the threshold.

His figure was still the same broad and thick one I remembered. His coarse cloth jacket was washed until it was faded, and the cuffs were frayed. Even the old cloth belt tied around his waist was exactly the same as before.

The man standing there looked somewhat unkempt, with a full beard, but he smiled gently at her and called out, "Zhaozhao..."

Yun Zhao's breath caught in her throat, tears welled up in her eyes, and she instinctively let go of Xie Tu's embrace and ran towards the burly man.

"uncle!"

"Hey, slow down."

He Guanghai stood at the door, looking at her gently. He wanted to reach out and catch her, but his fingers paused slightly in mid-air and subconsciously pulled back into his sleeve.

He stopped Yun Zhao from lunging forward, smiled, and said, "Zhao Zhao has grown up."

Yun Zhao froze on the spot.

Her throat tightened, and she could barely speak.

Looking at her grown-up appearance, He Guanghai's lips trembled slightly, but he pretended to be relaxed, saying, "It's windy and dusty outside, come in quickly."

As he spoke, he looked at the group of people not far away and said, "You are all Zhao Zhao's friends, right? Come in and sit for a while."

Fu Yu had already figured out the situation; the burly man in front of her was the dark figure who had just run in.

They are also Yun Zhao's relatives.

She nodded: "Sorry to bother you."

Jiang Mu sheathed his twin swords. There were wounded people in their vehicle who had barely closed their eyes since entering, and they definitely needed to rest.

Thank you.

Xia Mingang leaned half his head out of the car window, stared at He Guanghai, and asked, "Can the car drive in?"

"able."

He Guanghai didn't glance at Xie Tu once; his gaze returned to Yun Zhao.

As she grew up, her appearance and features remained unchanged, but her personality seemed to have changed a lot.

The little girl in her childhood would laugh heartily, clamor to go out, and throw a tantrum at them. Two identical faces overlapped, and at this moment, her reddened eyes stared at him without blinking, as if afraid that he would disappear in the next moment.

He Guanghai felt a pang of sympathy, but he was now a monster and couldn't even reach out to pat her.

"Uncle, I'm a guide now, I'm not afraid of erosion."

Yun Zhao reached out his hand, trembling, and quickly grabbed the corner of his clothes, afraid that he would refuse. "You see, dark matter has no effect on me."

She knew very well that the sentry had no ability to resist and had been caught in the contaminated area for seven or eight years; he couldn't possibly be alive.

But my uncle was not controlled by the gatekeeper and has remained rational to this day.

With Qi Ling's case as an example, she hoped that her uncle could also be released smoothly.

Looking into Yun Zhao's stubborn eyes, He Guanghai gripped the hem of his clothes tightly with one hand, as if afraid that he would run away.

He smiled helplessly, letting her pull him along as she led the group into the town.

Xie Tu lagged half a step behind, watching Yun Zhao's back before silently following.

The sandstorms were kept out by the thick earthen walls, and the air in the town was stuffy and dry.

This is where Yun Zhao grew up.

Xie Tu scrutinized him very carefully.

The scene inside the wall was quite ordinary. The houses on both sides were all made of rammed earth, with rough and mottled walls, some of which were cracked and barely supported by wooden stakes.

The roof, covered with hay and old tarpaulin, rustled as the wind lifted the edges.

Everything exudes an air of barrenness yet resilience.

Xie Tu noticed a half-bundle of dry firewood piled in the corner, and several strings of dried, unidentified herbs hanging under the eaves, hinting at the disarray of his hasty return.

Yun Zhao walked into the familiar town, but saw no one else. His heart suddenly ached.

She mustered her courage and asked, "Uncle He, where are Uncle Qin and the others?"