Chapter 257 Earthquake...
As the last tremor subsided, the entire city fell into a deathly silence and darkness.
The air was full of dust, which made Wen Qing cough.
The house was a complete mess, with steel bars sticking out like a pile of trampled toys.
In the distance, a burning car flickered, the only source of light in the ruins, casting a distorted shadow on the broken walls.
Gangzi carried Wenqing as they flew close to the ground, the air currents from their flapping wings stirring up fine dust.
"Nan Nan—"
"Ano——"
Throughout the entire street, only Wen Qing's choked voice echoed amidst the ruins.
As Gangzi flew, he continued to shout, "Beauty...beauty..."
......
After confirming that the earthquake had completely stopped, Lu Nange put away the wind shield and gently put down Lu Beiye, whom she was holding tightly.
The outermost layer of the protective circle was her wind shield, the middle layer was densely intertwined vines, and the innermost layer was the golden shield erected by Lu Beiye.
She quickly took out three sets of protective gear from her storage space, first putting on a mask and goggles for herself, and then carefully helping her younger brother tidy up.
Just as he was about to turn around and hand it to Shi Xu, he discovered that Shi Xu had already put on the full set of equipment.
Shi Xu looked down at her: "Am I wearing it wrong?"
Lu Nange frowned, feeling that something was off about Shi Xu, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
She gently shook her head: "No, it's worn very well, Shi Xu is wonderful."
After saying that, she bent down and gently stroked Zhizhi in her brother's arms: "Zhizhi, gather up the vines around here."
The little tree-man's vines immediately and rustled as they retracted.
The surrounding air suddenly became murky...
Lu Nange: "Aye, leave only the golden shields above our heads and beneath our feet."
As Lu Beiye received the golden shield, she bent down, picked him up, and shoved him directly into Shi Xu's arms, saying, "Hold on tight."
Shi Xu seemed somewhat dazed, mechanically catching Lu Beiye, his movements slightly stiff.
Lu Nange strode to the edge of the golden shield, and with a wave of her right hand, a sharp wind blade instantly cleaved the rubble above her head.
At the same time, the vines quickly spread out, like a fine net, blocking the scattered debris.
Lu Nange crawled out of the ruins and stood on the broken road surface, surrounded by darkness.
She crouched down and stretched her hand towards the cave entrance: "Shixu, hand Aye to me first."
Shi Xu supported Lu Beiye's waist and lifted him up steadily.
Lu Nange grabbed her younger brother's arm and pulled him up.
Once Lu Beiye had regained his footing, she reached out again: "Come on, grab me."
Shi Xu grabbed her wrist and used the momentum to leap out of the cave.
The three people and the tree moved a little further away from the cave entrance.
Just as Lu Beiye put away the golden shield, he heard a loud "boom"—the ground that had been supported by the golden shield collapsed instantly, and rubble crashed into the deep pit.
"Zhizhi," Lu Nange said, looking at Zhizhi and the few vines hanging down to the ground, "pull up all the people your vines are protecting."
The little tree man's vines suddenly tightened, pulling the seven vine cocoons to the ground like a fishing line being reeled in.
As the vines rustled and retracted, seven tightly bound "cocoons" rolled down in front of the three people.
Muffled screams could be heard coming from one of the cocoons.
The vines slowly untied three cocoons.
As soon as the first cocoon was uncoiled, Chen Mianmian rolled out in a disheveled state.
She lay on the ground, retching incessantly, her face deathly pale, her fingers gripping the ground so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Inside the other two cocoons, Chi Yanzhou rushed to Lu Nange in three strides: "Are you hurt?"
Lu Xici immediately pulled the siblings into his arms, his arms trembling violently.
He frantically touched their heads, stammering, "It's alright, it's alright... Next time I'll definitely tie you to my belt..."
Lu Beiye coughed violently as he was being strangled: "Brother, are you trying to strangle me and my sister to death?"
Lu Xici hurriedly let go, then grabbed the two of them and spun them around to check: "Does anything hurt? Are your bones okay?"
Lu Nange and Lu Beiye each held one of his hands.
"Brother," Lu Nange said softly, "we're really alright, don't panic."
Lu Beiye looked up at him: "My sister and I are protected by the Golden Shield and the Wind Shield, but you—if it weren't for Zhizhi's vines..."
"You brat! Who do you think you are?" Lu Xici ruffled his hair: "Even your brother can burn a path through a fire."
Lu Beiye: "Brother, your eyes are all red, did you cry...?"
Lu Xici caught a glimpse of Shi Xu standing dumbfounded to the side and immediately changed the subject: "Shi Xu? Why aren't you calling me 'Uncle' anymore? Are you even more terrified now?"
Shi Xu then came to his senses, turned his gaze away from Chi Yanzhou, and shook his head blankly.
Lu Beiye: [Okay, I won't call you out.]
If Chi Yanzhou hadn't been staring intently at Lu Nange, he probably would have noticed that Shi Xu's expression momentarily faltered...
Lu Nange walked up to Chen Mianmian, squatted down, and handed her a bottle of water: "Are you alright?"
"No need..." Chen Mianmian shook her head weakly, "I'm fine, you keep this bottled water for yourself..."
Lu Nange unscrewed the bottle cap and brought the bottle opening to her lips.
Chen Mianmian reached out and took it: "Nannan, thank you."
Lu Xici touched the remaining calluses with her toe: "What are these...?"
The branches immediately started chirping, and the vines waved excitedly.
"Zhizhi said the situation was urgent," Lu Nange translated. "It sensed living things and coiled up to protect them, but apart from the three of you, everyone else was a zombie."
The vines of the remaining cocoons began to tighten.
A moment later, Zhizhi cheerfully stretched out a vine with several crystal cores wrapped around it and handed it to Lu Nange.
Chi Yanzhou shook the walkie-talkie: "Still can't get in touch."
Lu Xici rubbed his face: "They should... be alright, right?"
"Except for Wanwan and Brother Qi... everyone else has shields, they'll definitely be fine..." Lu Nange said firmly, "Let's search around here first. Gangzi and Sister Wenqing should also be looking for us nearby."
Chi Yanzhou looked up at the backpack behind Lu Xici: "Everyone brought emergency supplies. Even if we don't find them here, we should be able to make it to the city gate to meet up."
The ground was uneven, and there were collapsed houses everywhere.
Chi Yanzhou led the way, with Lu Xici carrying Lu Beiye in one arm and holding Lu Nange's hand in the other—while Chen Mianmian was tightly holding Lu Nange's other arm.
Shi Xu, who usually needs to be led by the hand, was unusually quiet this time, simply following silently at the back of the group.
The branches on Lu Nange's shoulders and the vines above her head carried searchlights, sweeping out a bright beam of light in the darkness.
High in the sky, Gangzi and Wenqing, who were circling back and forth, immediately spotted the light source.
Gangzi let out an excited cry, its enormous wings flapping as it swooped down: "Beauty! Beauty!"
Lu Nange used her spiritual power to probe the ground for signs of life...
"Sis!" Lu Beiye, who was leaning on her brother's shoulder, suddenly sat up straight: "It's Gangzi, Gangzi's voice..."
As everyone looked up, they saw the macaw's silhouette becoming clearer and clearer in the night sky, its cries growing increasingly mournful.
Gangzi swooped down and came to an abrupt stop, the airflow it created stirring up a cloud of dust.
Wen Qing jumped off the bird's back, hugged Lu Nange tightly, and cried, "Thank goodness...you're all safe..."
Lu Nange gently patted her back: "It's alright, Sister Wenqing, don't cry..."
......
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