Chapter 43

Warning: Gore, vinegar and cardiac rollercoaster

Song Haoran's attack exploded the white coat zombie's head. Red and white brain matter fell to the ground, creating an extremely terrifying scene.

Illuminated by the beam of light coming from the helicopter, the ground was brightly lit and they could see Song Haoran's movements.

Energy crystal nucleus? After the primary zombies evolved into first level zombies, a transparent hexagonal energy crystal nucleus would form in their brain. This crystal nucleus was suitable for absorption by any ability user and was used to increase their strength. After evolving to the second level, zombies would also have different abilities and their nucleus would also have different colors based on their respective ability. The higher the level of the zombie, the darker the color of the crystal nucleus. In this way, the ability users could strengthen their ability by absorbing the crystal nucleus corresponding to their own ability.

In his mind, Gong Xiangyi's explanation about zombie nuclei surfaced. Song Haoran's eyes flashed. He pulled out the dagger on his waist and pushed the knife into the head of the zombie, searching through its brain matter and eventually saw a hexagonal nucleus. It was more radiant than diamonds. If he didn't see it with his own eyes, Song Haoran would have never imagined that an ugly zombie could grow such a pure and beautiful gem!

"Not good! Big Brother Song, be careful!" While Song Haoran was bent over, Gong Lixin tensed, shouting with his internal force. At the same time, he stepped out of the cabin and flew towards Song Haoran.

"Lixin/Xiaoxin!" He Jin and Lin Wenbo watched this happen in a split second. They reached out, trying to pull him back but they were too slow. They could only watch him fall rapidly. They were 40 to 50 meters above the ground, as high as a ten-floor building. What would happen to Gong Lixin after he fell to the ground? The two could not bear to imagine the gruesome scene.

The other two special forces soldiers and driver on the helicopter were also shocked. What was Gong Lixin doing? Even if he was that worried about Major General Song, he didn't need to jump out and commit suicide! Was this bravery or stupidity?

The people on the ground heard the clear warning and they looked up at the helicopter. Just then, they saw the teenager jumping from the helicopter.

"Lixin!" Song Haoran didn't take the nucleus and ran towards Gong Lixin. However, after two steps, everyone was surprised. The boy was not falling vertically, instead he was like peerless martial arts masters from martial arts films, he was instead facing Song Haoran as he descended in a light and elegant manner.

Everybody's jaw dropped, and for some, their eyes were bulging out of their skulls. Lin Wenbo and He Jin — who were standing and looking down — slowly sat back in their seats, with their hands pressed to their chests. Just a second ago, their hearts almost jumped out of their throats.

The young man went down with ease, but his speed was not slowing. He had already fallen to where Song Haoran was in less than a second. Gong Lixin pulled Song Haoran to his side and sent several kicks into empty air.

A slamming sound was heard and a small group of black shadows could be seen flying a few feet away before smashing into the wire fence.

Everyone fixed their eyes and looked. It was actually a two or three-year old child zombie. The clothes on its body were ripped, revealing its body. The small limbs were covered in muscles that were not normal for a person that age. The fingers were just as abnormal. Its long toes with long black nails looked odd as they hooked over the wire fence, hanging in the air.

Due to the small body, it had moved past the stiffness period that zombies experienced earlier than the rest and evolved into a first-class zombie. It was very fast and when it was hidden in the dark, one would be unable to track its figure. Even its afterimages could not be seen. If it hadn't for Gong Lixin's eyesight, it would have succeeded in catching its prey.

It was no wonder several evolutionary zombies targeted Song Haoran. Similar to how ability users could use zombie nuclei to power up, zombies who eat ability users could also increase their strength. Therefore, in their eyes, Song Haoran was a delicious meal and the temptation was not trivial.

"Ah, it's a devil!" Seeing the true form of the black shadow, the grandfather, grandson, and Luo Dahai immediately screamed in panic, their legs going weak. They had seen the little devil eating people and the horrible scenes were imprinted in their hearts, forever becoming a nightmare they could never forget.

The rest of the people had long heard the old man describe the horror of that devil and after seeing its unparalleled speed, it was not surprising. Song Haoran took the lead by picking up the gun and shooting at the little devil. The crowd snapped out of their daze and attacked with their guns as well.

The dense shower of bullets flew towards the little devil. The devil unhooked its toes from the wire fence and quickly fell to the ground. The bullets hit the fence, making a clanking sound and producing countless sparks.

Not waiting for everyone to point their gun at it, the zombie shot towards Gong Lixin like a bullet.

"Be careful! Don't get too close to it!" Luo Dahai warned loudly. That was a trick that the devil habitually used to eat its prey. When it reached a body, it would immediately rip open the person's flesh and dig into the person, emptying them from the inside out with actions faster than lightning.

However, his warning was of no use. The devil's approach was not slower than a bullet's. By the time they aimed their guns at the zombie, it had already reached Gong Lixin with its mouth wide open, revealing two rows of teeth sharper than a shark's.

Song Haoran wanted to intercept the devil, yet he could only watch with his eyes wide open. He stopped breathing.

The hearts of He Jin and Lin Wenbo on the helicopter had just settled down, but then their hearts jumped through their throats again because of what was happening. Their moods were going through a rollercoaster ride! They couldn't handle it and felt that their chest was becoming stuffy.

However, the person they were the most worried about right now had a calm face. He only slightly raised his small hand and spread his palm to meet the devil's teeth.

The little devil slammed into Gong Lixin's palm yet unexpectedly, his teeth could not bite through the boy's skin. Instead, it seemed to have bitten steel, cracking its teeth.

Gong Lixin stood tall and straight with his legs slightly apart. He was as straight as a bamboo, with his hands outstretched. His five fingers slowly bent inward and the little devil's head buckled. With that, he easily controlled the strongest zombie that had been sweeping through the entire area.

The little devil stuck out its claws and scratched the teenager's arm. However, even its sharp nails that could cut through steel could not leave a trace on the teenager's smooth skin.

With his internal strength, Gong Lixin's body could be transformed into the world's most indestructible weapon at any time. How could a small zombie possibly injure him?

Silence. The field was silent except for the roar of the propellers. The pilot even forgot that to land, watching the youth controlling the zombie.

A tiny 'crack' sound came from Gong Lixin's palm. Immediately, the little devil screamed. The scream was loud enough to pierce the eardrums of the people present, giving them a mini-heart attack.

Gong Lixin's face was expressionless and he continued to close his five fingers. The 'crack crack' sound seemed endless. Finally, a muffled 'pah' sound resounded and the head of the devil was crushed and its body fell to the ground.

Stunned, everybody came back to their senses and stared.

His delicate eyebrows scrunched up as he flicked the blood off his hand before he saw the nu0cleus in the little devil's brain. His eyes glimmered and his palm spread out, spitting out a small amount of internal force before quietly plucking the nucleus into his hand and putting it in his pocket.

His movements were too fast and everyone was still stunned from the previous event so no one noticed his actions.

"Get on the helicopter!" After everyone returned to Earth, the helicopter slowly landed on the ground and He Jin and Lin Wenbo jumped off the cabin, shouting, their faces still showing their shock.

The tennis court was surrounded with zombies and they were all struggling against the protective fence. The scene was numbingly terrifying.

"Go!" Song Haoran put away the look of horror on his face and picked up Gong Lixin before striding towards the helicopter. The rest of the people closed their mouths that had been hanging wide open and didn't dare linger behind.

Two minutes later, everyone was safely on board and the helicopter slowly flew up into the sky, gradually drifting away from the corpses below.

"Lixin?" Song Haoran placed Gong Lixin on his lap, hugged his slender waist as he lowered his head, and looked at his delicate face with his dark eyes asking inquisitively. Right now, he didn't want to ask anything, he just wanted to hug the person in front of him.

"Big brother Song!" Gong Lixin sat in his arms, holding onto Song Haoran's arms as his eyes curved up.

"Lixin, it's really you! That's great!" Song Haoran let out a sigh of relief. His face was flushed as his hand held the boy's head. He lowered his own head and couldn't help but repeatedly drop countless kisses on his soft hair, his actions full of both despair and relief.

He Jin secretly clenched his fist tightly. He wanted to separate the two, but didn't have a reason to do so. He could only hold back his inner sullenness and look out the window. The child was not his. He felt shocked right now, heart full of regret.

"Big Brother Song, I missed you!" Gong Lixin softly voiced out before he straightened up and placed a few kisses on Song Haoran's cheek. [1] The clear cat-like eyes were a bit moist and half-lidded, making the person look very soft. His nature was pure and unsullied by the outside world. He was unlike ordinary people.

Song Haoran's heart leaped wildly. His eyes felt hot and he almost burst into tears. Since he was sensible though, he didn't dare cry. When the child was in his arms, he felt that his arms, heart, and even his soul were filled with joy and his excitement was hard to control.

He quickly buried his head in Gong Lixin's fragrant neck and carefully concealed his emotions. [2]

Lin Wenbo silently hated seeing the two being so close but still had a faint smile on his face. [3] But if one would look closely, one would find that his smile was a bit stiff and his eyes were a little bleak. Comparing this to his and Gong Lixin's reunion scene, he discovered that his friend's position in Gong Lixin's mind was much higher than himself. Inexplicably, his heart felt a burst of sorrow and grief.

The others on the helicopter frequently sneaked a peak at Gong Lixin and their hearts were full of doubt. Was this kid who was held in Major General Song's arms really the martial arts master who destroyed the little devil on the tennis court? The contrast was too big, right?!

"Have you had enough? If you've had enough, let Lixin take a seat. We're now inside a helicopter. It is unsafe." He said coldly. He Jin endured as long as he could and finally broke down when the child kissed Song Haoran. [4]

"You are?" Song Haoran looked up and at He Jin. The sharp eagle eyes looked at the other without a trace of backing down.

"He Jin." After speaking those two words, He Jin stopped talking, his deep eyes also locked into Song Haoran's.

Both men were tall and had full five points in beauty and handsomeness. When one observed closely, both had somewhat similar temperaments. When one even took a closer look, one could see that Song Haoran's brows were sharp and had a positive disposition, while He Jin's were calm and restrained. However, both pairs of eyes were cruel and ruthless.

This subtle difference was related to the two's career paths. Although they both had a history in the military, Song Haoran was a regular military soldier, the heroic righteousness of soldiers was engraved into his bones. Meanwhile, He Jin was a mercenary. As long as one paid for his services, he would do everything, including killing and looting. Even in idleness, being cruel and ruthless had become a second nature to him.

At a glance, the two had an inexplicable sense of cautiousness and hostility towards each other. They stood upright, their eyes fighting a silent battle between them.

Lin Wenbo saw this and the corner of his mouth lifted up. The child on Song Haoran's legs was pulled down to sit next to him. He took hold of his shoulder and pulled out the communicator from his pocket. Lin Wenbo said, "Lixin, give Uncle Gong a call. Report to him so he can have some peace of mind, and tell him that we'll arrive at the base an hour from now."

"Hn." Gong Lixin rested in Lin Wenbo's arms as he dialed Gong father's number. Lin Wenbo lowered his head, a gentle smiling expression on his face, but filled with an invisible sense of satisfaction as well.

Song Haoran and He Jin saw that Gong Lixin had been distracted by Lin Wenbo and immediately sighed, putting away the hostility in their eyes as they sat back down without any expression on their faces. [5]

Because of Lin Wenbo's identity as his brother-in-law, neither of them guarded against him. When they finally became alert, it was already too late. [6]

[1] Wuxian: This pairing loves their PDA so much, I swear it’s like diabetes all-year-round with them both.

[2] Wuxian: how to be that good-smelling after kicking zombie asses?!? GLX tell me your secret!

[3] Wuxian: Two MLs sipping vinegar this chapter, I see. SHR for the win though?!?!

[4] Wuxian: He Jin gege, Gong Lixin ain’t yours. (´ ᴗ｀✿)

[5] Wuxian: Lixin needs to kagebunshin himself so everyone can have a piece of him at any single time of the day because… the vinegar is overflowing!

[6] Wuxian: ಠ_ಠ the plot thickens