Feng Laixian

Liu Sishan contacted Situ Shibai once again. This was the third time she had contacted him tonight.

However, Situ Shibai's stance remained unchanged. He said they should focus on observing the situation tonight and wait until dawn before taking any concrete action.

Zhang Ping guessed that Situ Shibai probably knew something and might be waiting for the right moment.

He yawned.

Though he was exhausted and sleepy, he was worried about Qiu Qiang's safety. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and tried to contact the Blood Snake again.

When he shifted his attention to the Blood Snake's side, the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit was hiding in a depression. It was in terrible condition, with several broken ribs, lying on the ground and barely clinging to life.

He quickly treated the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit while observing the surroundings.

Not far from the depression stood the city wall. Several telekinesis Awakened were using their abilities to retrieve the corpses of other Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbits onto the wall, where many Awakened were having a late-night meal.

This might be a good opportunity to enter Mingzhu City.

Whether the wolves or the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbits, they had clearly been driven here by the horde of living corpses behind them. They had never intended to enter the city; by the time they reached the foot of the wall, it had already been too late.

Zhang Ping signaled the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit to run forward. Perhaps because Zhang Ping had always helped it, the rabbit was very obedient. Once its injuries improved, it cautiously ran forward. When it reached the city wall, it followed along the base of it, searching for an entrance.

Mingzhu City actually had quite a few waterways leading outside, though the channels beneath the walls were blocked by iron grates. But that was obviously no obstacle for the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit.

When the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit reached one of the channels, it sprayed corrosive water from its ears at the iron grate. The grate quickly corroded away, and it entered Mingzhu City through the channel.

It quietly emerged from the water and crawled onto the ground beside the channel.

The Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit first shook the water from its fur, then cautiously moved forward at Zhang Ping's signal.

Inside a house not far from Iron Soul, Qiu Qiang clenched his fists and stared fixedly at Iron Soul's ruins.

From the way Iron Soul had collapsed, he could imagine the terrifying attack it had suffered in an instant.

He smelled blood, but he found no corpses.

What exactly happened here?

Qiu Qiang was furious, but he was also worried about Liu Tiefeng and Zhang Ping's safety.

Suddenly, he saw a rabbit. The rabbit was actually circling around near Iron Soul, as if searching for something.

When the rabbit approached the house where he was hiding, his pupils contracted. A line of bloody words appeared beside the rabbit: Uncle Qiang, Grandpa Liu and I are somewhere safe.

Then the words changed again: The city is very unsafe tonight.

Qiu Qiang looked around. He immediately went downstairs, picked up the rabbit, and quickly returned upstairs. Only after making sure no one could see them did he ask, "Are you Zhang Ping?"

"Yes!"

Bloody writing rapidly shifted across the rabbit's snow-white fur.

Qiu Qiang's eyes widened. He asked in a hushed, astonished voice, "How did you turn into a rabbit?"

"No, I'm temporarily inhabiting this rabbit with my ability. My real body and Grandpa Liu are in a safe place. Mingzhu City is extremely dangerous right now. A huge number of living corpses are approaching."

There were too many words, so the message appeared in several batches.

Qiu Qiang frowned after reading it and asked, "Then what happened to Iron Soul? Who did it?"

"Uncle Qiang, I don't know if I can tell you. Mingzhu City isn't safe," Zhang Ping displayed. He was mainly afraid Prince Yue might see the words he displayed.

Qiu Qiang took a deep breath and decisively said, "Then I'll come find you now."

"Don't come. The living corpses are advancing toward Mingzhu City from our side. Uncle Qiang, go up to the southern wall and check the situation. I need to know more about the living corpses," Zhang Ping firmly refused.

Qiu Qiang thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right."

Holding the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit, he decisively headed for the southern wall. Before long, he saw lights on the distant wall, indicating that quite a few people were stationed there.

As he drew closer, he began to smell blood. He trusted the information in those bloody words a little more.

Ten minutes later, he proved his identity through several familiar adventurers, climbed onto the wall, and looked outside. The ground beyond the wall was covered in corpses.

There were wolf corpses, Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit corpses, and the corpses of countless other creatures.

"Uncle Qiang, tell everyone that living corpses will be approaching soon. Some of them are Awakened corpses and can still use the abilities they had in life. They also carry corpse poison. Don't let them scratch you, or you'll be infected with corpse poison and eventually become a new living corpse."

Qiu Qiang frowned. "How many living corpses are there?"

"Hard to calculate. Conservatively, more than fifty thousand."

The moment he saw the living corpses, he had used the Appraisal Technique. However, it had provided very little information, and he had already told Qiu Qiang everything he knew.

Qiu Qiang now realized the severity of the problem. Fifty thousand living corpses attacking the city—there was no way a few hundred adventurers could hold them back.

They had to gather more adventurers!

"Everyone, hear me out."

After thinking it over, Qiu Qiang climbed to a high point on the wall and shouted.

The adventurers eating grilled Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit meat all looked toward Qiu Qiang. Someone recognized him and laughed. "Stinky Qiang, don't tell me you're about to say rabbits are so cute, how could we eat them?"

"Hahahaha!"

The other adventurers burst into laughter.

Qiu Qiang said sternly, "Enough. Let's get to business. This rabbit is how I communicate with a younger brother of mine. He's outside the city investigating why these animals are approaching it."

"Isn't it because the Patrol Team has been slacking off and neglecting their duties lately?" a female adventurer asked doubtfully.

Qiu Qiang shook his head. "It's hard to explain the exact situation, but my younger brother has confirmed that more than fifty thousand living corpses are currently approaching Mingzhu City. Unless something unexpected happens, they'll arrive very soon."

"Really?" an adventurer asked in shock.

Qiu Qiang simply held up the rabbit and said, "Little Zhang, you tell them."

Lines of writing immediately appeared on the rabbit's snow-white fur, describing the living corpses' situation once more. This time, none of the adventurers doubted it.

There was no need to doubt it. The living corpses would appear soon enough, and if it was a lie, it would be exposed immediately.

"Fifty thousand living corpses? That's not normal. We need to hurry to the City Lord's Manor. There's no way us adventurers can handle this alone," an adventurer said anxiously.

No one was in the mood for rabbit meat anymore. Their faces were filled with worry, panic, and fear.

"Listen, everyone. The people at the City Lord's Manor are probably no longer reliable. We should find a way to gather more Awakened. This is a matter of life and death for Mingzhu City. If you don't want to become homeless strays, then come protect our city," said the bearded man who had previously shot at the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbits with a bow.

Qiu Qiang nodded. "That's right. Besides us adventurers, there are plenty of Awakened in every line of work. They're combat power too."

"I know Zhou Shoucheng, the master of Wolf Fang Martial Arts Hall. I'll go ask him to come," an adventurer immediately shouted.

"Right, I'll go invite the master of Dragon-Slaying Saber Hall."

"I'll go invite the master of Beast King Fist Hall!"

"I'll go invite the master of Flower-Picking Martial Arts Hall!"

The adventurers all spoke up, then quickly left one after another.

Mingzhu City was huge, but adventurers moved quickly. In just a few minutes, many Awakened from other professions had arrived.

Through the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit's eyes, Zhang Ping saw Instructor Bai De rushing over at incredible speed. Rather than taking the stairs up the wall, he leaped directly from a rooftop onto it. His jumping ability was astonishing.

"They're here!"

An adventurer called out.

Because they had not taken the situation seriously before, the adventurers had not investigated their surroundings.

But after learning that there were more than fifty thousand living corpses, they brought out their full strength. Some beast-controlling ability users sent the Mutated Beasts under their control outside the city to keep watch.

At that moment, through the Mutated Beasts they controlled, they saw densely packed living corpses staggering into view.

An adventurer with Eagle Eye broke out in a cold sweat and gritted his teeth. "I'm afraid it's more than fifty thousand. It could be seventy thousand, even eighty thousand. Are there really that many corpses near Mingzhu City?"

"All right, don't be too nervous. Most of the living corpses aren't very strong. This is probably only a test."

At that moment, a burly man in white stepped out from the crowd. His hair was exceptionally thick, making him look like a golden-maned lion king.

Since Bai De was standing behind him, Zhang Ping guessed that this burly man in white was most likely the master of Beast King Fist Hall.

"Master Feng, are you saying someone is directing them from behind the scenes?" asked a man holding a long saber.

The burly man in white smiled. "Whether it's a person is hard to say. But the Patrol Team has inexplicably withdrawn into the City Lord's Manor recently, only three Investigation Team squads remain in the city, and now so many living corpses have suddenly appeared to attack it. Do you think that's normal?"

"A conspiracy?"

Many Awakened could not help but fall into thought.

"Look! Something's coming from the east too!" an adventurer suddenly shouted.

Qiu Qiang and Zhang Ping both looked toward the eastern side of the city. A massive flock of black crows was rapidly flying over. Black mist leaked from them, and their bodies appeared somewhat decayed.

"Not good! Those crows are living corpses too!" the Eagle Eye adventurer from earlier cried out.

The burly man in white immediately said, "We can't stay this disorganized. Beast King Fist Hall will take responsibility for the south. Any Awakened willing to stay, sign up. We only need five thousand people. If the southern wall falls, you may take my head, Feng Laixian!"

"That's the spirit! Leave the east to my Dragon-Slaying Saber Hall. I only need five thousand people too. If the eastern wall falls, you may take my head, Ao Donghai!" a saber wielder laughed.

Then the masters of two other martial arts halls also spoke up, taking responsibility for the defenses of the other two walls.