Chapter Seventy-One: Slipping Through My Fingers

Everyone’s hearts filled with terror. They brandished their weapons frantically, fending off the rain of serpents—it was like a frantic game of Fruit Ninja, with swords swinging so wildly they nearly sparked, never stopping for a moment.

Soon, snake corpses piled layer upon layer; blood splattered through the air, as if a frenzied dance was unfolding. Yet the serpents seemed inexhaustible, continuing to fall relentlessly. Their strength ebbed rapidly.

Especially the young man bitten earlier—his name was Sun Yuhang. His face grew ever paler, his breath coming in gasps. If the venom wasn’t drawn out soon, he would surely perish beneath this storm of snakes.

“What should we do?”

The others fared little better. They could slay hundreds of snakes, but one mistake would spell certain death.

“This place is too dangerous—it’s not meant for people at all!”

Just as despair took hold, a sudden change occurred. The pythons all froze in midair, as if trapped by an invisible force, and then, one after another, exploded with a series of deafening cracks.

Chunks of flesh rained down, blood mist billowed—a scene like hell itself.

In just a few breaths, the thousands-strong serpent horde was nearly wiped out. Even the few survivors slithered away in panic, as if fleeing some unspeakable terror.

“What… what just happened?” Chen Ming and the others stared in shock, pausing mid-swing, utterly bewildered by the scene before them.

At that moment, a tall, slender figure slowly materialized ahead. Amid the falling blood, his white shirt remained spotless.

Lin Dong’s domain of corpses now spanned the entire warehouse, allowing him to suppress the serpent horde in an instant.

When Sun Xiaoqiang saw that figure, his eyes lit up with hope.

“Lin Dong, you’ve come to help us!”

“Yes.” Lin Dong nodded.

The others realized only then: this was an ally—an overwhelmingly powerful one. Relief flooded their hearts.

Especially Sun Yuhang, wounded and on the brink of death, who felt as though he had been snatched back from the jaws of doom. Gratitude shone on his face.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“You’re welcome.” A rare smile touched Lin Dong’s handsome face, warm as a spring breeze—a boyish charm that set everyone at ease.

He was impossibly gentle…

Everyone stared, momentarily stunned.

Yet as Chen Ming looked at that smiling face, a chill ran down his spine. He couldn’t help but shudder. He had seen Lin Dong once before, during a mission with Cheng Luoyi, and knew he was the absolute ruler of this sector—a powerful and mysterious corpse king.

“He actually came…”

Still, Lin Dong showed no hostility; in fact, he had just saved them all. Fear aside, Chen Ming was deeply grateful.

“Uncle Chen, could you help suck the venom out for me?” Sun Yuhang suddenly asked from the side.

“Uh… alright…” Chen Ming snapped back to reality and glanced at the bite on Sun’s neck. Black blood still oozed out. If not for their awakened, resilient bodies, he would have been dead already.

The ghastly wound made the task distasteful, but with a life at stake, Chen Ming steeled himself and pressed his mouth to Sun’s neck, sucking out the venom. The two clung together, their posture awkwardly intimate for a moment…

Cheng Luoyi’s large eyes fixed on Lin Dong, and she suddenly recalled something.

“That Black Scorpion list you gave me last time—where did you find it?”

“In an underground mall,” Lin Dong replied truthfully.

“Oh…” Cheng Luoyi nodded, frowning slightly. She had seen that Jiang Wencheng harbored ill intentions toward Lin Dong, but hadn’t known he was a member of the Black Scorpion organization.

“What a waste…”

“Don’t be so petty,” Lin Dong replied offhandedly, his gaze lingering on Cheng Luoyi’s long knife. He found it striking—such a unique design for a little weapon.

The others began searching the crates around them. Most had been destroyed by the pythons, but a few still held seeds, preserved well enough to plant.

Delighted with these supplies, the group’s spirits lifted.

Only Chen Ming and Sun Yuhang remained locked together, drawing out the venom.

Chen Ming spat out several mouthfuls of black blood before the poison was cleared. His lips were so swollen they looked like two sausages.

“That should do it…”

“Thank you, Uncle,” Sun Yuhang said gratefully.

The two slumped against the wall, sitting to rest. They had expended far too much energy.

Sun Yuhang, still pale and trembling, was filled with relief at his narrow escape. He pulled out his phone with shaking hands to let someone know he was safe.

Curious, Chen Ming glanced over.

“Who are you texting?”

“My online girlfriend. We haven’t met yet, but I’ve seen her photos—she’s fair, beautiful, and has long legs…” Sun Yuhang wore a look of pure happiness.

“Oh…” Chen Ming’s expression turned thoughtful.

“Hanzi, you’ve got to be careful. That could be a Black Scorpion operative pretending, out to scam you.”

“No way…”

“Why not? These days, not just people—even monsters have gained intelligence and can use the internet to deceive. Who knows whether you’re chatting with a human or a ghost?” Chen Ming said solemnly.

Sun Yuhang paled at the thought. There were too many demons lurking online now; best to be cautious.

“So what should I do, Uncle?”

“Hanzi, take my advice—the internet is a dangerous place, too deep for you. Better give your phone to me and let your uncle handle the chatting…”

…

Their commotion had already alerted the surrounding zombies under Snake-Eye’s command.

“Boss, someone’s entered our territory—they’re inside the market,” one zombie reported.

“Humans?” Snake-Eye raised an eyebrow and looked back. Behind him surged a tide of tens of thousands of zombies, a host of elite warriors.

He assembled his forces, preparing to attack Lin Dong. He hadn’t expected humans to appear at such a critical moment.

A cruel smile curled at Snake-Eye’s lips.

They were delivering themselves as food…

After a fresh meal of flesh and blood, a zombie’s cells were at their peak—physique, speed, reflexes, all at their strongest.

“Let’s go—deal with the humans first, since it’s on the way.”

With his command, the zombie horde began to move, a mighty flood pressing forward with overwhelming force. Among them were a rotund Michelin-like brute and the arrogant Spider Woman.

Meanwhile, Lin Dong’s group had finished regrouping.

Carrying their supplies, Chen Ming and the others exited the market. With the surrounding zombies cleared, the area was eerily silent.

“Let’s pick up the pace, everyone. We’ve completed half our mission already—bring these seeds home, and the shelter is sure to reward us,” Chen Ming encouraged.

Sun Yuhang nodded, quickening his step. He couldn’t wait to leave this wretched place.

“Stop right there.”

Suddenly, Lin Dong’s voice called from behind.

“Hm?” Sun Yuhang paused, puzzled, and turned back.

“What is it?”

“There’s something in front of you,” Lin Dong said calmly.

Perplexed, Sun Yuhang peered ahead. In the sunlight, he saw a thin line glinting faintly, stretched right before him.

It was a strand of spider silk—slender, yet incredibly tough and sharp as any blade. Had he taken another step, he would have lost his head.

To his horror, Sun Yuhang realized that deadly thread was less than five centimeters from his throat.