After several days of travel, the three of them finally arrived at the edge of Plum Blossom City.
Having learned from his previous experience, Chuanliu deliberately chose to travel during the day to cross that terrifying edge of the area.
In the desert at dawn, a chilly breeze, carrying fine sand, relentlessly lashed at everyone's faces, causing a series of subtle stings.
In this vast, desolate land, everything seemed so quiet, as if only the sound of the wind echoed in one's ears.
Along the roadside, those dilapidated houses stood forlornly, as if telling tales of past vicissitudes. These houses, long since devoid of their former vitality, seemed even more dilapidated than the last time the river flowed by.
Occasionally, the low, mournful hissing roars of the corpses could be heard coming from inside the room, sending chills down one's spine.
Hordes of corpses lay in the narrow shadows of the house, their bodies contorted, emitting painful and mournful howls. These former living beings had become mindless walking corpses, their brains corrupted by darkness, leaving only instinctive struggles and screams.
When the three of them made a sound, the corpses reacted slowly.
Although their eyes were empty and lifeless, they seemed to still be able to perceive the existence of the outside world. However, the scorching sunlight acted as a natural barrier, preventing them from moving forward. They could only struggle in place, emitting even more mournful howls.
Chuanliu and Zhuiming exchanged a glance.
They don't know if it's just their imagination, but it seems like there are many more corpses in Plum Blossom City this time than before.
Qian Chuan always has a private car to pick him up and drop him off whenever he comes. Even though he had heard about the scene in this remote area, this was the first time he had experienced it firsthand.
His expression turned serious, as if afraid he might make a sound.
Zhuiming then thoughtfully handed him a short knife, and the latter nodded his thanks.
The three men gripped their weapons tightly and moved forward cautiously, trying to reach Plum Blossom City before nightfall.
Having just left a densely populated area of zombies, Qian Chuan let out a deep breath. "Plum Blossom City isn't open yet. Are we going to have to stay out all night? These zombies can go berserk at night."
"Who says we'll definitely stay overnight? We have this."
A girl's voice rang out in front of them, and they saw that she was holding an identity card in her hand.
Qian Chuan shook his head, assuming she had the "10 of Diamonds". "Unless someone applies for an invitation in advance, non-official residents of Plum Blossom City cannot enter."
The next second, the girl revealed her identity card.
A "Plum Blossom 2" card.
It was the very same one she bought at the Wuwang Auction.
Qianchuan and Zhuiming were both surprised for a moment, but they quickly recovered. After all, it was not strange for them that Chuanliu had such a trump card.
The three continued walking, and as time passed, the scorching sun gradually rose to its zenith, relentlessly baking the earth.
The air in the desert seemed to be on fire, with rolling heat waves that made it suffocating.
Just then, Zhuiming suddenly stopped. He raised his right hand and made a gesture to stop Chuanliu and Qianchuan from moving forward. His eyes behind his mask became sharp, and his movements became cautious.
There are people ahead.
Zhui Ming spoke in a deliberately disguised voice.
Chuanliu and Qianchuan immediately became alert. They followed Zhuiming, crouching down and hiding their bodies behind the sand dunes, cautiously looking ahead.
Not far ahead, two groups of people were locked in a fierce standoff.
Surprisingly, the three of them were very familiar with both groups of people.
On one side was "Red Hearts Nine" Jiulong and his men. They obviously did not expect to encounter other people on this trip. Only a few of them were carrying wooden sticks, but their advantage lay in their large numbers.
On the other side were Wu Fangming, Zhang Yi, and Xiong Ajiao, who had set off earlier than Chuanliu and the others.
Wu Fangming, holding a long sword, stood at the front of the three, looking at Jiulong with a solemn expression; Zhang Ze and Xiong Ajiao followed behind him, both holding weapons in their hands.
Jiulong smoothed his hair. "Should I say you guys are brave, or just incredibly audacious? How dare you come back all by yourself? You must be Xiong Ajiao?"
After saying that, he looked at the chubby man behind Wu Fangming with disdain in his eyes.
"Friend, we have no grudge against you, why are you attacking us?"
Wu Fangming's voice was filled with confusion, and he gripped his long sword tightly, ready to strike at any moment.
Jiulong didn't know Wu Fangming and Zhang Yi, but since he often interacted with Hou Yifan, how could he not recognize this "little lover" who had been imprisoned and then escaped by Hou Yifan?
Seeing Xiong Ajiao with Zhang Yi and Wu Fangming again, it's natural to assume that one of them is Xiong Ajiao's lover.
Relying on his numerical advantage, Jiulong spoke without any politeness, "You have nothing to do with me, but you have offended my sugar daddy."
Since we've met today, I'll go all the way and accept your token of loyalty, thus resolving this predicament for my patron.
Before Wu Fangming could say anything more, Jiulong gave an order, and his men swarmed towards the three of them like a tide.
Jiulong's men, with their numerical advantage, attempted to corner Wu Fangming and his two companions.
However, they clearly underestimated Wu Fangming's strength, and their men, who were not well-equipped with weapons, were forced into a series of defeats by him.
Facing these thugs who attacked without any strategy, Wu Fangming was not afraid and swung his long sword.
A flash of cold light, and several enemies fell instantly. The agile figure weaved through the crowd, and attacks rained down like raindrops.
Zhang then faced off against one of them, and the fight went back and forth.
The two sides were locked in fierce combat, and Jiulong couldn't help but feel a little worried when he couldn't break through.
He spotted Xiong Ajiao standing alone to the side and rushed over in one stride.
Xiong Ajiao was holding a knife and waving it around wildly.
The sudden turn of events threw him into a panic, and he screamed loudly.
Wu Fangming was surrounded by several people and did not notice the situation on Xiong Ajiao's side.
A cry of "Ah!" came from behind the crowd.
The next second, Jiulong was seen holding Xiong Ajiao hostage, a dagger pressed against her neck, and he shouted fiercely, "Stop it, all of you!"
The fighting stopped abruptly.
Upon seeing this, Jiulong's men quickly surrounded Wu Fangming and Zhang again.
Wu Fangming's eyes showed worry, while Zhang Yi was subdued due to the enemy's siege.
"If you move again, I'll kill him right now!"
Seeing that he had threatened the two men, Jiulong smiled smugly and immediately signaled his men to tie them up.
Wu Fangming didn't speak. He instinctively wanted to resist, but then he seemed to remember something and let them tie him up.
Jiulong laughed twice, "Looks like we can go back and talk to Hou Yifan about the price."
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