Disaster loomed.
Qin Li and the old man watched the zombie king fall, their unease growing. It surged to its peak when they saw the tide of zombies, layer upon layer, rushing towards the laboratory from behind.
"This is bad, we need to go! The blood curse is on Luo Xiaole, with her holding them back, we can still escape!"
"Where there's life, there's hope."
Exchanging a look, they nodded. The old man conjured a talisman and turned, preparing to teleport Qin Li away.
"Pfft!" A decisive gunshot.
The old man's left shoulder throbbed with intense pain. He looked down in disbelief, seeing a gaping hole in his shoulder blade. His arm was useless. He could no longer form the incantation.
Terror filled him as he looked up, following the bullet's trajectory. On a nearby rooftop stood his former "good disciple," Mo Chen, gun in hand. His slender silhouette, cast in the sun, appeared majestic, like a Shura.
"How could you do this to your master!" he roared in anger.
Mo Chen curved his lips into a slight, amused smile. "Master? My master died long ago, the first time, when he abandoned me. The second time, when he reappeared and demanded I acknowledge a thief as my father. The third time, when he harmed me, used me as bait, and intended to harm the person I care about most. Even Yama, after three deaths, has no chance of resurrection. I fired one shot, how can it possibly compensate for the cost of these three tombstones..."
Luo Xiaole turned to him, her eyes filled with surprise. This was the first time she had heard Mo Chen speak so much at once. It was also the first time she glimpsed the immense sorrow hidden within his usually silent heart, and the rage of being betrayed by a master he saw as a father. In this moment, Mo Chen finally took form before her, a vivid, flesh-and-blood being. She felt a pang of heartache so profound that she wanted to spend her entire life filling the lonely hollows in his heart.
"For the second shot, master, please brace yourself." Mo Chen's tone turned utterly cold. Another clean shot rang out, without a moment's hesitation. A bullet hole appeared in his right shoulder blade, identical to the one on the left.
Luo Xiaole provided covering fire while keeping an eye on Mo Chen's actions. The old man's leg had been broken earlier. Now, only one shot remained.
The bullet flew out with precision. The old man, unable to move, was on all fours, his body like a turtle on the ground, glaring at Mo Chen with fury.
"Gurgle!" Ah Ling barked at Luo Xiaole, who looked up abruptly, her eyes alight with joy. The zombie king before them had been completely annihilated!
"Damn it!" Qin Li roared. "Impossible, impossible!" He grabbed Qin Mingyang beside him. "Summon all the zombies in, all of them! I can lose, but this Luo Xiaole must die!" His eyes blazed with hatred.
"Son, my dearest son, you'll listen to me, won't you?" The words "dear son" struck a chord within Qin Mingyang, and a string in his heart snapped. For so many years, his father had never called him that so ardently. He knew he shouldn't, but he wavered. After a long pause, he bit his lip, raised the ring again, and poured all his strength into it. "Pfft!" He spat out a mouthful of blood. This was all his remaining strength. If he couldn't gain his father's attention in life, perhaps dying together wouldn't be so bad, he thought bleakly.
"Rustle, rustle." The carnivorous flower glanced back, anxiously nudging Luo Xiaole with its small tendrils. Luo Xiaole turned to see countless zombies tearing apart Qin family servants, gradually closing in on them.
"Mo Chen, the clock tower!" Luo Xiaole spoke only four words. Mo Chen understood instantly. He leaped into the air and produced a grappling hook they had prepared earlier. The hook caught the edge of the clock tower, and with a flick of his toes, Mo Chen quickly looped an reinforced, extra-long rope around a person nearby. This person had been lying on the ground, immobile, so no one had noticed him. It was the researcher who had previously cooperated with Luo Xiaole. He had volunteered, saying he was familiar with the laboratory's machinery and might be able to help Luo Xiaole, so Mo Chen had brought him along.
Ah Ling and the others, being zombies, were unafraid of other zombies now that the zombie king was gone. But this researcher was currently incapacitated. If he were left alone, he would surely perish! Mo Chen's goal now was to take him to a higher place and protect him, awaiting Luo Xiaole's signal.
He turned, casting a final look at Luo Xiaole, his brow furrowed. "Be careful, promise me." Luo Xiaole waved her hand. "Don't worry, A Chen. No Yama dares to claim my life yet." Hearing her suddenly intimate address, Mo Chen's heart leaped. She had never called him that before... Did this mean she accepted him? He longed to rush forward and embrace her, but this was not the time.
"I'll wait for you." He softly dropped the three words, then turned and pushed off the ground, taking the researcher with him to the highest point of the clock tower. He would always believe in Luo Xiaole.
Seeing Mo Chen's flushed ears, Luo Xiaole smiled slightly. "Then, it's time to resolve everything. Those three downstairs, I will send them to King Yama today, no matter what." Countless zombies shrieked and roared, instantly drawn by the blood curse on her, lunging towards her. Soon, she was surrounded by a horde of zombies!
Seeing this, Qin Li finally smiled with satisfaction, but he attempted to flee. The old man beside him was unwilling to let him go, pouncing forward and grabbing his thigh. "We agreed to become the most powerful beings in this world together. You want to abandon me now? Not a chance!" The bond forged by mutual benefit was thus; a slight gust of danger could tear it apart without ceremony.
"Let go of me! You old fool!" Qin Li struggled, kicking Bai Mei fiercely. But Bai Mei, enduring the pain in his shoulder blade, refused to let go. We'll die together! You won't escape alone!
Qin Li cursed inwardly. Even on the verge of death, the old man had so much strength. But he was rapidly losing the energy to break free. If he didn't leave soon, and Luo Xiaole's zombies swarmed him, he would be truly finished! He spotted Qin Mingyang nearby, grabbed him, and bit down on his other arm.
"Father!" Qin Mingyang cried out in disbelief. But this time, Qin Li didn't stop. He moved with almost...