Chapter 96 The Hunt
After Ruan Ning gradually mastered the fourth-order water-based superpower, she took Zhou Min and Lin Yan on a mission.
The three people and their dog drove off, and soon after they left, two other cars followed behind.
On the dilapidated road leading to the county town, the three vehicles maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far. In the lead was Ruan Ning's team's modified SUV, while the two black SUVs followed openly behind, making no attempt to conceal their presence.
Lin Yan glanced at the rearview mirror, her face grim: "It's Li Wei, the guy Shen Yao left behind, and the few men he brought. They've been following us all this way, clearly they've got us cornered."
Zhou Min also used her mental power to sense: "Two cars, plus Li Wei, that's at least eight people. Their energy fluctuations are all quite strong, probably all at the second tier. Do they really intend to make a move outside?"
Ruan Ning gripped the steering wheel, her gaze calmly sweeping over the two cars that were following her like shadows in the rearview mirror. "They won't dare near the base; there are patrols. There's an abandoned 'Qingshui County' thirty kilometers ahead; that's a good place to make a move." She paused, "Hold on tight."
With a press of the accelerator, the SUV's engine roared, accelerating rapidly towards Qingshui County. The two cars behind immediately followed, closely tailing each other.
An hour later, the dilapidated outline of Qingshui County came into view.
Ruan Ning didn't slow down, driving straight into the county town entrance, crunching over gravel and weeds, and stopping in the middle of a relatively wide street. Two cars followed closely behind, one on the left and one on the right, blocking Ruan Ning's car at an angle.
Li Wei was the first to get out of the car, followed by seven other men who emerged from the two vehicles and quickly dispersed, forming a subtle encirclement. Their movements were efficient, their eyes cold; they were clearly well-trained, unlike Lei Bao's amateurish methods.
Li Wei pushed up his glasses, looking at Ruan Ning and the other two who got out of the car, as well as Da Huo, who was baring his teeth and growling. His tone was calm but cold: "Miss Ruan, you ran pretty fast. It seems you also know that this is a good place to solve problems."
Ruan Ning shielded Zhou Min and Lin Yan behind her, facing Li Wei directly: "Did Shen Zhuo send you? Shen Yao is already crippled, and you still won't give up?"
Li Wei's eyes sharpened: "The Shen family has its own plans regarding Young Master Yao's matter. Today, we're here to seek justice for Young Master Yao and for the Shen family. That dog, and your lives, are to be spared."
"Just you guys?" Lin Yan gripped the knife tighter.
"Let's give it a try." Li Wei stopped wasting words and waved his hand. "Let's do it! Quick and decisive!"
The two people beside him immediately raised their hands. One of them conjured a blazing fireball in his palm, while the other's feet raised earth spikes, both attacking Ruan Ning at the same time! The others rushed towards Zhou Min, Lin Yan, and Da Huo, with clear division of labor and tacit cooperation.
The battle erupted instantly!
A cold glint flashed in Ruan Ning's eyes, and instead of retreating, she advanced!
Faced with the incoming fireballs and earth spikes, a rotating vortex-shaped water shield instantly condensed in front of her. The fireballs crashed into it with a hissing sound and were rapidly consumed, while the earth spikes were deflected by the water flow.
At the same time, she made a grabbing motion in the air with her right hand, condensing it into several high-speed spinning water blades, which shot towards the two superhumans who attacked first with a piercing shriek!
The two men hadn't expected Ruan Ning's counterattack to be so swift and fierce. In their haste, they dodged and blocked, but the water blades exploded on the fire shields and earthen walls around them, spreading a chill that momentarily halted their movements.
Taking this opportunity, Ruan Ning suddenly closed her eyes and unleashed her full third-tier mental ability!
Instead of attacking the person in front of her, she used her mental energy as an invisible ripple, spreading rapidly from her center to cover every corner of the county town, every ruin, and every dark alley!
Her spiritual power contained a strong sense of "attraction" and "restlessness," like a boulder thrown into stagnant water or a spark igniting dry wood, precisely "tapping" at the zombies that lingered in the shadows and acted on instinct!
"Living things...flesh and blood...gathered here...attack..."
Simple, instinctive commands, mixed with the subtle aura of vibrant life that Ruan Ning deliberately released, were transmitted wildly through mental energy ripples!
"Ho—!"
"roar!!"
Almost the instant Ruan Ning's mental energy swept across the county, roars filled with hunger and violence rang out from all over the county!
Countless figures, some stumbling, some swift, suddenly raised their heads from behind broken windows, from beside broken walls, from the entrance to basements, from piles of garbage, and turned toward the street where the battle had broken out!
The rotting eyeballs were now filled with nothing but a thirst for flesh and blood. They no longer wandered aimlessly, but instead roared like an army that had received a unified command, rushing madly from all directions toward the street where Ruan Ning and the others were!
Footsteps, dragging sounds, and crashing noises blended together, dust rose, and the deathly silent town was instantly filled with terrifying clamor!
Li Wei and his men had just exchanged a few blows with Ruan Ning's team and were feeling they had the upper hand when they heard this chilling noise.
They looked in astonishment at both ends of the street, only to see a dark mass of zombies emerging from every intersection and alleyway like a gray tide, far exceeding their expectations!
"What's going on?!" one of his men exclaimed. "Where did all these zombies come from?!"
Li Wei suddenly looked at Ruan Ning, who still had her eyes closed and was emanating an invisible aura, and his pupils shrank: "It's her! A psychic! She's attracting zombies!"
He instantly understood Ruan Ning's plan—not to fight head-on, but to use someone else to kill them, and to overwhelm them with a zombie horde!
"Kill her first! Interrupt her!" Li Wei roared, conjuring a sharp metal cone in his hand, ready to shoot it at Ruan Ning without hesitation.
But it was too late.
The vanguard of zombies has already rushed close!
Ignoring the delicate standoff, they followed only their instinctive craving for flesh and the "target" subtly indicated in the spiritual command, opening their rotting claws and revealing their sharp teeth, lunging at everyone!
The nature of the battle changed instantly. Li Wei and the others had to devote most of their energy to dealing with the surging horde of corpses, and their formation was instantly disrupted.
Ruan Ning opened her eyes at this moment, her gaze icy cold. She no longer held back, releasing the slight pressure of her fourth-tier water-based ability, making the surrounding air feel moist and heavy.
"Zhou Min, Lin Yan, Da Huo, use the vehicle as cover to clear out the approaching zombies and conserve your energy." She gave the order quickly, her voice clear and calm. "Leave Li Wei and the others to the 'guests' to handle."
She raised her hand, and a solid water blade, its edges gleaming with a pale blue light, materialized. Instead of slashing at Li Wei, it drew an arc, cleaving several zombies that were lunging from the side in half, clearing a small space.
The real battle is about to begin.
The roles of hunter and prey have already reversed once again the moment the horde of zombies surges in.
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