Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Burning Homeland
Xie Ning frowned, looking ahead.
She couldn’t get out of the RV to clear away the zombies, at least not before her mother finished her advancement and regained consciousness.
There was no way she was leaving Song You’ai alone in the RV while she was in the middle of her advancement.
But if this continued, the horde of zombies ahead would only grow larger, eventually making the road impassable.
"Fuck, why did that bitch stop?" Zhong Shichong, who was following the RV, cursed, slamming his hand on the steering wheel.
"She’s probably getting out to clear away the zombies again," Xu Bailiang said, glancing at Zhong Shichong.
’In truth, they should all be grateful to the mother and daughter. After all, they were the ones who had cleared most of the zombies along the way.’
’If it weren’t for those two powerhouses leading the way, they probably would have been swallowed by the horde long ago.’
Just then, the RV ahead slowed, and a window abruptly rolled down.
A foul wind carrying an unbearable stench wafted into Xie Ning’s nose.
With a cold expression, the young woman reached out and tossed several metal spheres, which rolled into the pile of corpses ahead.
As a series of thunderous explosions rang out, Xie Ning slammed on the accelerator. The RV’s speed shot up, and she charged toward the horde that had been blown to smithereens.
"What did she just throw?!" Chen Man’er cried out in terror. "How did it explode?"
"Quick, keep up with Young Master Zhong!" Mr. Wang urged, his spirits soaring.
"That chick is incredible," one of the lackeys couldn’t help but say with envy. "It’s really not fair. Why do some people get such powerful superpowers, and we don’t?"
Zhong Shichong floored it, following Xie Ning as they broke through a small cluster of zombies.
Immediately after, the sound of continuous gunfire echoed through the darkness.
As Xie Ning sped along in the RV, she thought, ’This is bad.’
’The military’s firepower had caught up, but unlike Xiao Gu and his group, they weren’t using silencers. The booming gunfire and explosions will only draw in all the zombies from the surrounding area.’
At five o’clock, the small zombie clusters around the Song Family Pavilion had been wiped out by the troops, but Xie Ning couldn’t suppress the sliver of fear and unease in her heart.
Just then, a military loudspeaker boomed from behind them. "All survivors from the Song Family Pavilion, please pull over and stop."
All the cars slowly came to a stop, including Zhong Shichong’s.
Only Xie Ning, driving her RV, kept going without any intention of stopping.
The soldier with the loudspeaker exchanged a glance with his superior, then quickly yelled at the top of his lungs again, "Hey, you in the RV! We’re not bad people! Please pull over for a moment!"
"Ma’am! Hey, ma’am, the mountain road ahead is impassable for now! We need to consolidate our plans..."
Uncle Ge Liang chased after her on his motorcycle. "Ningning! Ningning! Why are you running? The army is here!"
Expressionless, Xie Ning tapped the brakes, slowly bringing the RV to a stop.
’If the mountain road is temporarily impassable, then there’s nothing to be done. No wonder Xiao Gu and the others haven’t been able to get through these past few days.’
Song Yufu was helped out of a car. Trembling, he approached a military officer. "I am the chief of Songjiage Village."
The officer gripped his hand tightly and had just begun to say, "We’re sorry we’re late."
Tears began to stream down Song Yufu’s face.
Many people in the surrounding crowd began to cry as well. It was as if, in the face of catastrophe, their backbone had finally arrived. Everyone felt the light of hope blossoming.
Xie Ning parked the RV to one side. She didn’t get out, but instead turned to look at her mother in the back, whose face was flushed.
Soon, a young soldier with a notebook and pen tucked under his arm came over, going from vehicle to vehicle to register information.
After providing her basic information, Xie Ning gave the soldier a hesitant look.
"Is there something you need, Ma’am?"
"It’s not safe here," Xie Ning finally said. "Don’t linger here. If the mountain road ahead is impassable, I suggest you leave before dawn and find somewhere else to make a stop."
With that, she rolled up the window and turned back to watch her mother.
’Mom should be finishing her advancement soon. Once she wakes up, I have to get her out of here, no matter what.’
’I have a very bad premonition right now, like the calm before a storm.’
Half an hour later, Song You’ai opened her dazed eyes, momentarily unsure of where she was.
Xie Ning breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed her mother’s hand. "Mom, are you feeling any discomfort?"
"Not at all! I feel great." Song You’ai looked at her daughter excitedly. "I feel like I’m bursting with energy. It’s wonderful."
She hopped out of the RV and stared, momentarily stunned, at the crowd of people behind them. Her gaze then shifted to the thick smoke billowing in the distance, over the Song Family Pavilion.
"I remember twenty years ago, that place was just a cluster of earthen buildings. Later, as every family grew more prosperous, they built new villas. You were still in my belly when they were building them." Song You’ai sniffled, her eyes fixed on the smoke-shrouded Song Family Pavilion.
"I never thought that one day it would become a wasteland. We might never be able to go back."
Xie Ning gripped her mother’s hand tightly. "Mom, don’t cry. As long as we’re alive, there’s hope. No matter how great the destruction, as long as we have people, we can rebuild anything in the future."
"Mm-hm." Song You’ai turned, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and nodded emphatically.
"Mom, I have a very bad premonition. Now that you’ve recovered, we need to leave this place quickly."
Song You’ai nodded and got into the RV with her daughter.
Seeing this, Ge Liang hurried over to ask a few questions, then quickly returned to Song Yufu’s side.
The moment Xie Ning started the engine, countless gazes turned toward her.
Everyone else was resting where they were. Her, in her RV, looking like she was about to flee—it was impossible not to be conspicuous!
Zhong Shichong was the first to jump to his feet. "That woman’s trying to run off again! Get in the car! Follow her, follow her!"
Meanwhile, Li Dawei and his sister were having a similar conversation.
"That woman, Xie Ning, is as cunning as a fox. We can’t go wrong following her."
"Exactly. She suddenly decides to drive off in the middle of the night, and the next thing you know, a horde of zombies swarms the village. It just goes to show, her sixth sense is seriously powerful."
Once Xie Ning made her move, everyone else from the Song Family Pavilion started moving as well.
The young soldier, who had just finished registering the survivors from the Song Family Pavilion, stared at the crowd in utter confusion.
A group of people on the bus began to complain. "Didn’t they say we were resting here? Why are we leaving again?"
"The ride earlier was so bumpy I nearly threw up my stomach acid. Where are we going now?"
"Are we about to reach the base?"
"Sir, those villagers from the Song Family Pavilion..."
Before he could finish, a faint zombie roar suddenly echoed from the distance.
A group of soldiers on a large truck immediately raised their guns, on full alert.
"What do you see over there?"
"Zom—zombies! So many zombies! They’re in a horde!"
At this, the dozens of small cars behind the bus were the first to descend into chaos, each one swerving between lanes and trying to rush forward.
The chaotic sound of CRUNCHING metal filled the air, accompanied by an endless stream of curses and arguments.
Four or five zombies with astonishing leaping ability and terrifying speed suddenly appeared at the back of the line of cars.
With incredible speed, they began leaping from one car roof to the next.
