Chapter 243 - 218: The Path Lies Underfoot (Part 3)

Chapter 243: Chapter 218: The Path Lies Underfoot (Part 3)

After a day and a night of torrential rain, the river had lost all semblance of its usual gentle flow.

Lin Fan’s assessment was correct.

Across the gap, on the surviving stretch of bridge, was the corpse tide.

Countless zombies were packed onto the opposite side, trapped by the twenty-to-thirty-meter gap. Every so often, a few unlucky ones were shoved off the edge by their "companions" from behind.

They plummeted one after another into the raging flood below. They didn’t even make a splash before being devoured by the angry whirlpools, their health bars vanishing completely.

It was a shame they weren’t dropping any loot; otherwise, Lin Fan would have gladly pulled up a stool and sat there all day.

The zombies weren’t just blocking the bridge. Lin Fan narrowed his eyes, his gaze tracing the sea of red as it stretched into the distance. The horde flowed from the bridge deck to the area beneath it, then spread out to cover the riverbanks, blanketing every inch of the opposite shore and extending far to either side.

They were impossible to count. This horde was several times, maybe even more than ten times, larger than the one from last night.

"Let’s go. We’re turning back."

There was no use in just standing here watching; it was pointless to even try to come up with a plan.

A horde this size could probably clog the river’s estuary if they all dove into the churning water at once.

"Wait, look!"

Lin Fan had just turned to leave when Ye Qingniao spotted something unusual near some corpses at the edge of the bridge.

"A Type 191 standard-issue rifle!"

Ignoring the filth, she reached down and plunged her hand into a pool of muddy, blood-stained water. With a SPLASH, she pulled out a heavy, jet-black metal weapon.

The rain washed the silt from its surface, revealing its cold, severe lines.

Even Lin Fan, who knew nothing about the military, could recognize it. This was the same type of rifle Ye Qingniao and her group had been carrying.

"The military?"

These rifles weren’t something you saw every day. Lin Fan had been wondering how the bridge could have collapsed so cleanly—not even an earthquake would do that. Now, seeing the rifle in Ye Qingniao’s hands, he was starting to understand.

"Probably..."

She began searching the area again. After shoving aside a few zombie corpses, she finally found a different kind of body.

The corpse was wearing the same dark combat uniform Lin Fan had become so familiar with. It was tattered and torn, but the patch on its shoulder was still faintly visible.

He was propped up against a guardrail pillar, facing the break in the bridge, as if he were waiting for something.

His right hand was locked in a death grip around a pistol, his finger still on the trigger. A massive bullet hole marred his temple.

His left hand was clenched around a black remote-control device with a red button.

"It was a planned demolition..."

Ye Qingniao gently pried open the corpse’s stiff fingers, taking the pistol and the remote. She examined them closely and said,

"The serial numbers are different from ours... This is from... the Southern Suburbs Garrison..."

"People from the Linjiang University quarantine zone?"

Lin Fan also frowned and asked. "The Linjiang University quarantine zone? If that’s the case, the direction is wrong. Shouldn’t the horde have been stopped on this side...?"

"I don’t know the specific deployments. I’d have to ask my sister..."

Ye Qingniao shook her head, not dwelling on the heavy topic for too long.

She took a deep breath and gave the corpse a crisp salute. Her eyes cleared, her focus returning. The dead were dead; the living had to survive.

She bent down and her hands began to expertly pat down the corpse’s heavy tactical vest.

"RIIIP—"

The sound of tearing Velcro was piercingly clear over the patter of the rain.

"A waterproof map pouch... nice. It’s dry." She pulled a tightly sealed, clear plastic bag from inside the soldier’s vest and shoved it into her own without a second glance.

Next were the pouches on his belt and tactical vest.

"CLICK-CLACK."

It was the crisp, metallic sound of magazines clinking together.

"Two full rifle magazines, standard 5.8mm caliber... and two pistol magazines."

Ye Qingniao’s fingers moved nimbly over the body, stripping away all valuable supplies.

"One MRE... it’s dirty on the outside, but it’s vacuum-sealed, so it’s fine... Hmm, and a first-aid kit. The hemostatic powder, epinephrine, and morphine should still be good."

Muttering to herself, she stuffed all of these cold supplies into the pockets of her loose combat uniform and tactical vest. Her movements were crisp and efficient, without the slightest hesitation or excessive sentimentality.

Lin Fan didn’t help, nor did he rush her.

He just silently held his spear, vigilantly watching the zombie horde on the other side of the broken bridge.

This was the law of the apocalypse—the legacy of the dead was the hope of the living.