Upon entering the city of plum blossoms, all that could be seen along the way was desolation.
On the muddy road, one could occasionally see a few dilapidated houses made of simple wooden planks, teetering on the verge of collapse, as if they could be blown away by a gust of wind at any moment.
The windows of the houses were broken and dilapidated; some were barely covered by old curtains, while others were left wide open, letting the wind and rain in.
Occasionally a gust of wind blows by, and the curtains sway in the wind, making a piercing rustling sound, like the whispers of lonely ghosts.
There were very few pedestrians on the road.
Occasionally, a person would appear, looking emaciated and lying on the ground; their faces were filled with exhaustion and despair, their eyes were empty and confused, and coughs rose and fell.
Upon seeing the three people, the man who had been lying on the ground instantly reacted.
He roared hoarsely toward the direction of the flowing water, his almost unrecognizable voice straining as his bony arms groped and climbed on the ground with all his might, as if he were using his last bit of strength to get closer to the three people.
"Hiss hiss hiss—"
He made that strange sound, like the low growl of some wild beast, sending chills down one's spine. His eyes were empty and lifeless, as if he had lost his own consciousness, and he was just instinctively moving in the direction of Chuanliu and the others.
Wu Fangming tried to communicate with him, greeting him loudly.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the man was unable to utter a complete sentence, only making hissing sounds as if responding to something.
The man in front of me, apart from still vaguely resembling a human body shape, is indistinguishable from a zombie in the movies in terms of both behavior and appearance.
His skin was dry and withered, with an unnatural grayish-white color, and the muscles in his face were contorted as if they might fall off at any moment.
Suddenly, he hunched over and used all his strength to stand up from the ground. His spine was severely deformed, bent at a shocking angle.
He was convulsing and staggering toward Wu Fangming, each step seemingly exhausting all his strength.
Upon seeing this, Wu Fangming reacted immediately, delivering a precise roundhouse kick to the man's body.
The latter was struck as if by a heavy hammer, losing his balance and falling heavily back into the corner.
"What...what exactly is going on?"
Looking at the scene before him, Wu Fangming was filled with doubt. He had never seen such a walking corpse of a human being.
Zhui Ming stood to one side, the short sword in his hand gleaming coldly in the setting sun.
"These are products of Plum Blossom City; the people of Plum Blossom City collectively call them 'corpse people.'"
"A 'corpse person'?"
Chuanliu repeated Zhuiming's words, his brows furrowed slightly, trying to imprint this unfamiliar word into his mind.
"So, are these so-called 'corpse people' just drug addicts?"
She offered her own guess.
Zhuiming shook his head, his tone heavy: "Yes and no. Not all addicts will become 'corpse people,' but all 'corpse people' are addicts."
They were once living, breathing human beings, but their addiction to forbidden things reduced them to this state. You've seen Jia Zuowei, haven't you? If he didn't have the funds to buy those filthy things, he wouldn't last long either.
Upon hearing this, Chuanliu felt a surge of emotion.
She couldn't help but recall the way Jia barked like a dog before he died.
It's not surprising that something capable of completely driving a person to madness could create such a "dead object" as this.
Wu Fangming nodded silently to the side.
In this city, decadence seems to be the norm, not the exception.
In this decadent "paradise," both material and spiritual pursuits seem to find their home. However, this decadence comes at a price; it often requires the seeker to pay a heavy price, even the price of their soul.
Zhuiming stared intently at the still convulsing "corpse" on the ground, his brow furrowed, and said in a deep voice to the crowd:
"The 'corpse people' are extremely aggressive. They cannot feel pain and are abnormally excited. Once they see a living being, they will launch a frenzied attack."
Furthermore, the closer a "corpse person" is to a normal human physique, the stronger their build and the higher their attack power. They are like puppets controlled by drugs, having lost their independent consciousness and left only with the desire for basic cravings such as food.
Zhuiming paused, looked around, and continued, "Usually, 'corpse people' rarely go out when there is sunlight, which makes them more active at night."
It's quite unusual for us to encounter "corpse people" at this time; I've never encountered anything like it before. Therefore, we can't rule out the possibility that the density of "corpse people" in this area is unusually high. Please be extra careful.
At this point, the other two men also became serious, drawing their weapons and preparing for battle at any moment.
Zhuiming then turned to look at Wu Fangming and Chuanliu, his tone revealing a hint of seriousness:
"We must find a safe place to stay before dark."
My friend from Plum Blossom City once told me that the night is the domain of the "corpse people," and even the people of Plum Blossom City themselves don't easily set foot on this land at night, so it's best not to risk fighting them in the dark.
As Zhui Ming finished speaking, the atmosphere among the three became heavy.
The setting sun, like blood, dyed the sky crimson and stretched the three people's shadows long and long, like three lonely dragons winding their way across the desolate land.
A sudden gust of cold wind swept in, carrying a biting chill, and whipped up clouds of yellow sand, forming turbid vortexes in the air.
The yellow sand stung the three men's faces.
This desolate land seems to have been forgotten by the world in a corner.
A deathly stillness filled the air, making people unconsciously quicken their pace, wanting to escape this suffocating place as soon as possible.
However, the further you go, the more you feel the pervasive sense of oppression and despair. A chaotic mist seems to hang over the distance, making you feel fear and unease.
Fortunately, after searching for a while, the three of them finally found an empty house.
The house had clearly been uninhabited for a long time; the corners of the rooms were covered with cobwebs and thick dust, giving it a desolate and silent appearance.
The cramped space contained only a simple bed, a dilapidated table, and a rickety chair.
Wu Fangming acted quickly, lighting the oil lamp on the table with a flint and steel, its dim light instantly dispelling the darkness in the room. He carefully checked the tightness of the doors and windows while casually sweeping away the dust in the room.
Zhuiming and Chuanliu checked the other areas of the house to make sure there were no hidden dangers.
The last ray of sunlight was slowly swallowed by the horizon, and the surrounding light quickly dimmed, like a huge black curtain rapidly descending upon the land.
Night has fallen.
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