18. Reunion
As Su Lin and Xingchen continued northward along the increasingly desolate road, one struggling to adapt to the unfamiliar yet powerful power within him, the other carefully teaching and leaving a trail of return, on the other side of the collapsing canyon, three figures, like wounded and trapped beasts, carried unhealed wounds and a deep sense of anxiety, tirelessly and frantically searching. Despair and hope, like two intertwined venomous snakes, gnawed at their hearts day and night.
“Su Lin——!”
"Su Lin! Where are you? Answer me!"
Ah Yan's voice was hoarse and cracked from shouting, each cry like sandpaper scraping against his throat, tinged with blood. Like a beast completely bereft of sanity, on the verge of madness, he tirelessly blasted away the piles of boulders, piled like a mountain, with flames. With hands already worn, blood oozing, and even the faintest glimpse of bone visible, he desperately dug at any dirt that might hold the person he longed for. Each time he dug, the emptiness he uncovered only deepened the anxiety, fury, and bottomless fear in his eyes. He couldn't accept, absolutely couldn't accept, the possibility of losing Su Lin again. That night's brief intimacy and the abrupt separation that followed, like the hottest iron, seared itself into the depths of his soul, nearly driving him mad. The flames burning around him alternately blazed brightly, then flickered, like the turmoil and shattering of his mind.
Mu Lin's face was paler than usual, not simply from the depletion of his supernatural powers, but more from the inner torment and self-blame. He used his keen sense of moisture and temperature to carefully explore the underground for any faint signs of life. He also continuously formed ice ladders and ice platforms, exploring the hard-to-reach, potentially trapped crevices and treacherous cliff edges above the canyon. His movements remained graceful, but his tightly pursed, bloodless lips and the fear and regret threatening to overflow in his eyes clearly betrayed his true emotions. Su Lin was no longer just his most important teammate. That night's accident and the subsequent protection he had endured had etched something deeper into his bones.
Lei Qing was the most silent of the group, uttering no cry from beginning to end. Yet the low pressure emanating from him was even more terrifying than A Yan's uncontrolled flames, as if even the air around him was freezing and crushing. Like the most sophisticated military instrument, he radiated outward from the canyon collapse point, his calmness almost cruel. He meticulously observed every mark on the ground, every unusual shift in rock, analyzing the direction and force of the mudslide, trying to find a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. His eyes, sharp as a hawk that had experienced countless life-or-death moments, missed no tiny, overlooked clue—a light-colored piece of clothing caught on a broken branch, not belonging to their equipment; a drag mark so faint it was almost obliterated by the wind and sand, yet still discernible; even a tiny drop of blood, long since dried and blackened, splashed on the back of a rock...
He suppressed immense pain and worry beneath a hard mask. Only his bloodshot eyes and the occasional trembling of his fingers from exerting too much force betrayed his inner turmoil. He was the captain, the pillar of support. He could not collapse, even if his heart was torn apart.
"This way." Suddenly, Lei Qing's voice, deep and hoarse, as if he hadn't drunk water in a long time, broke the near-despairing silence. He squatted at the edge of a relatively flat, less-deposited slope. His fingers, like the most nimble probe, brushed aside a thin layer of loose soil, revealing an extremely inconspicuous mark underneath, but it made his heart shrink and almost stop beating—several stones stacked steadily in a specific pattern, with a small piece of white cloth with the edges carefully torn off pressed on top. Against the gray background, that bit of white seemed so striking, so... full of hope.
It was a mark left by Su Lin! He was still alive! And he was trying to tell them where he was going! He remained calm and wise!
"It's Su Lin!" A Yan and Mu Lin rushed over as if they had received a shot of adrenaline. Seeing the familiar symbol bearing specific information, A Yan nearly burst into tears of joy. The often irritable man's eyes instantly reddened, a choking sob emanating from his throat. He slammed his fist into a nearby rock, sending rubble flying. Mu Lin also breathed a long, deep sigh of relief. His shoulders, tense as a drawn bowstring, relaxed imperceptibly. A hint of life finally appeared on his frozen face, and a fiery light rekindled in his eyes.
"He went this way." Lei Qing stood up, suppressing his turbulent emotions. He pointed north, his eyes rekindled with a sharp, blade-like light, his target so clear it was breathtaking. "He must be leaving more marks along the way. Let's chase him!"
Hope, the most powerful force in the world, poured into the three of them like a gentle rain, instantly washing away some of their fatigue and despair. They immediately began to track at a rapid pace, following the direction Lei Qing had determined. As expected, just as Lei Qing had predicted, at intervals of varying lengths, either beneath conspicuous boulders, on specific branches of dead trees, or in the center of a relatively open area, they would always find marks left by Su Lin that only the four of them could understand. Sometimes they were obvious, meticulously laid when Su Lin still had enough strength; sometimes they were hidden, perhaps just a faint scratch on a stone, or a thin strand of cloth hanging from a low shrub, clearly left behind when he was in a hurry or exhausted. But whether obvious or hidden, these marks always pointed firmly to the north.
These silent signs, like Su Lin's whispers across space, silently spoke of his survival, his unwavering faith, and his unwavering determination to find them. They were both heartbroken and almost weeping with relief. Their Su Lin was even stronger than they had imagined, and even more... heartbreaking.
The pursuit wasn't smooth sailing. They encountered their share of attacks from roaming zombies and mutants, intensified by the sudden change in their surroundings. Their anxiety, anger, and concern for Su Lin's plight made them even more ruthless and relentless, often clearing obstacles with utmost swiftness and ferocity, then continuing their pursuit without a moment's pause. They barely stopped at night, taking turns resting only for a short while before resuming their pursuit. Everyone's eyes were bloodshot, their bodies covered in fresh wounds, but no one complained, and no one stopped.
A few days later, they arrived at the abandoned highway where the tragedy had occurred. The numerous zombie corpses and human remains left at the scene made the three people's hearts tighten again! They immediately discovered traces of fierce fighting, saw bloodstains and torn clothing belonging to different people, and also recognized the distinctive slashing marks left by Su Lin's short knife.
"A large-scale battle took place here..." Mu Lin quickly inspected the scene, his brow furrowed. His fingertips brushed across a trace of ice. It was a faint remnant of his supernatural power, but more of it was another kind of messy energy residue. "There are traces of supernatural power use, but it's very messy, and... there's a very strange feeling."
"Su Lin must be here!" A Yan looked at the familiar knife marks on the ground, his voice tense, with an uncontrollable fear, "Is he in danger?! Who are those bastards?!" He kicked a charred corpse away angrily, his eyes blazing with anger.
Lei Qing crouched down, carefully examining the corpses and footprints at the scene like a seasoned hunter, his gaze growing increasingly serious. "The way these zombies died... is strange. It wasn't entirely caused by knife wounds or conventional supernatural powers. Some seemed... as if their internal structures had been forcibly destroyed by some force." He pointed to a patch of relatively soft ground where two distinct lines of footprints stretched northward, one large and one small, their steps spaced steadily apart. "These are the footprints of two people. Su Lin wasn't alone."
This discovery surprised the three and further worried them. Who was Su Lin with? Was he a friend or foe? Whose "small" footprints belonged to? Did they help him, or...coerce him?
They picked up speed, following the footprints and any possible signs. However, over the next few days, the trail seemed to grow hazy. The signs no longer appeared as regularly as before, becoming more and more frequent, sometimes taking ages to find the next one, as if the person who left them had become hurried, had encountered some distraction, or was running out of energy.
Just as they lost their clear direction once again, wandering like headless flies in a rocky hilly area, anxiety and uneasiness crept into their hearts again -
An exception occurred.
On the distant horizon, a massive cloud of dust suddenly rose up, obscuring the sky and the sun! And it moved in a completely unnatural, counterintuitive way! It wasn't the even advance of a sandstorm, but rather something inside, pushing and gathering, rushing madly in a specific direction!
"What is that?" A Yan narrowed his eyes that were stung by the wind and sand, put his hand on his forehead and looked at it, his face full of surprise and doubt.
Soon, as the distance closed and the terrain rose, they could clearly see the horrifying sight—a zombie tidal wave! A massive tidal wave! Hundreds and thousands of zombies gathered together, roaring and jostling, as if driven and commanded by some invisible force, rushing frantically and synchronously in a specific direction! Their behavior was extremely abnormal, not like they were aimlessly wandering and hunting. Instead, it was like... a strictly controlled, purposeful army of the dead! This was definitely not a natural phenomenon!
"How could this happen?" Mu Lin stared in shock at the zombie tide that defied all common sense, his gentle face filled with disbelief. "This can't be natural! Something... is controlling them!"
Lei Qing's pupils suddenly shrank into dangerous needle-like shapes. He stared at the unmistakable north-east direction of the zombie tide, then suddenly looked down at the compass and the wrinkled map in his hand. An astonishing guess filled with strong hope instantly formed in his mind: "This direction... this abnormal movement... could it be related to Su Lin? Or... to the people around him?" He thought of the zombies with strange deaths on the road, the two lines of footprints, and the "strange feeling" mentioned by Mu Lin.
Had some powerful force emerged, one capable of influencing or even controlling the zombies? And Su Lin might be at the source of this power? Regardless of whether this power was a blessing or a curse, this unusual, massive energy explosion was like the brightest beacon in the darkness, pointing the way for them!
"Follow the zombie tide!" Lei Qing made a quick decision, his voice firm and unquestionable, "Su Lin is probably over there! Or, perhaps, the thing controlling this zombie tide knows his whereabouts!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the three of them immediately changed direction, staying far behind the massive, ominous, and eerie corpse tide, speeding northward. Their hearts were filled with anxiety and doubt, but more so, a near-crazy hope ignited by this unusual phenomenon.
They climbed over barren hills eroded by wind and carved with countless holes, crossed dry riverbeds strewn with sharp gravel, and followed the unsettling trail of terror that was both a guide and a warning. They increased their speed to the limit, regardless of their physical fatigue and pain.
Finally, at dusk the next day, as the setting sun saturated the sky like blood, the vast horde of zombies' strange, unified collective movement suddenly and without warning ceased. As if an invisible baton had suddenly fallen, all the zombies, like puppets without a signal, instantly resumed their aimless, chaotic wandering, slowly and rigidly dispersing, their breathtaking synchronicity gone.
Near the central area where the zombie tide once gathered, at the entrance of a narrow valley, two familiar yet unfamiliar figures were supporting each other, exhausted and dusty, preparing to find a campsite for tonight.
One of the figures was handsome and tall. Even though his clothes were badly torn and his face was tired, he was still like a bright moon that had fallen into the mortal world. In the dim light, he was so eye-catching that it made people's hearts stop.
It’s Su Lin!
Beside him, a pale, frail-looking, young stranger was supporting him. As if sensing something, the young man suddenly turned back to look in the direction of Lei Qing and the other two, a flash of panic crossing his face.
“Su Lin!!!”
Ah Yan was the first to lose control. The longing, worry, fear, and ecstasy of regaining what he had lost, which had been suppressed for so long, erupted like a volcano, transforming into a heart-wrenching cry that seemed to vomit out his soul! He was like a cannonball that had broken free from all restraints, or like a moth that flew towards the only light of day, rushing forward at the fastest speed in his life, reckless and reckless!
Lei Qing and Mu Lin's speed was equally extreme, all composure and self-control completely abandoned at this moment! Worry, anxiety, fear, and the overwhelming joy and excitement that threatened to overwhelm them transformed into surging power under their feet! Like three bolts of lightning tearing through the twilight, they rushed towards the figure they had searched for for so long, almost thought they had lost, with dust on their bodies and unconcealable ecstasy!
Su Lin was startled by this sudden and unforgettable shout and turned around suddenly.
When he saw those three familiar figures rushing toward him with an aura that was incompatible with the apocalypse, like gods descending from heaven, like three frantic, bewildered men who had finally recovered a priceless treasure, he froze, as if under a spell. The small bundle of firewood in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
The overwhelming surprise and relief that surged like a tide instantly washed away all the strength, all the defenses, and the grievances that had been endured alone for so long. My eyes suddenly felt hot, my vision quickly blurred, and my lips trembled slightly, but no sound came out.
"Lei Qing...A Yan...Mu Lin..."
He murmured, his voice so soft it sounded like a dream, hardly daring to believe his eyes. Was it an illusion? Was it a last glimmer of hope before death?
Until A Yan rushed to him first, and the embrace that almost strangled him with its scorching warmth and the thick smell of gunpowder could be felt; until Mu Lin gently but firmly grasped his hand, and the familiar, cool touch was so clear; until Lei Qing's deep, sea-like gaze, as if to draw him in, locked onto him, with a sense of relief and protection that was almost overflowing, a feeling of regaining what he had lost...
He was truly convinced that—
After going through hardships and overcoming life and death, they finally... reunited.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
