It was a fleeting thought, a strange, random urge that vanished as quickly as it appeared. Yet, it frightened me immensely. Given that we had just come from the mass grave and had already connected Old Ge's and Jin Zhijian's biting behaviors to the plague in Lianhua Village over thirty years ago, this sudden thought of biting Liu Captain was terrifying.
Could I have contracted the same virus?
"Brother Lin, let's go. Don't overthink it. We've done our best. Let's hurry back and check if we have that zombie disease." Liu Captain's words jolted me back to reality. Fearing the virus, I quickly agreed, "Yes, let's go."
With that, we hurried towards the courtyard. As we reached the grassy area, I had a sudden idea to collect some of Li Dapeng's mother's blood. It could be a crucial clue; testing her blood might reveal if she had the same virus as Old Ge and Jin Zhijian.
However, when Liu Captain and I arrived, we only found a large bloodstain—the body was gone. I knew the old man must have taken it again. I quickly packed some cotton wool with the bloodstain and headed home with Liu Captain.
Apart from discovering the mass grave, we had gained nothing significant. Searching all the tunnels in Lianhua Village was impossible in a short time. With the special police arriving the next day, their search would be much faster.
We moved swiftly on our way back, despite the dense fog limiting visibility to less than thirty centimeters. Familiar with the route, I led the way. Suddenly, I saw a pair of cloth shoes emerging from the fog ahead.
Looking up, I saw the muddy black pants and shoes, followed by a pale, lifeless face. Standing like a tower, tall and sturdy—it was Li Dapeng.
What shocked me most was the black skullcap on his head. He was wearing mourning clothes, and his eyes were closed. How could he be here when he should be in the hospital?
Without time to think, my first instinct was to retreat. But just then, Li Dapeng opened his eyes and lunged at me with blood-stained hands.
Terrified, I froze. His hands clamped around my neck. Already strong, his grip was now even more powerful. Fortunately, Liu Captain reacted quickly, kicking Li Dapeng hard, causing him to release me and stagger back.
Li Dapeng groaned and lunged at Liu Captain, who met him with a powerful punch to the face. Li Dapeng's head jerked violently, and when he looked up, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Something was different about Li Dapeng compared to Old Ge and Jin Zhijian. While Old Ge and Jin Zhijian's faces were filled with a bloodthirsty frenzy, Li Dapeng's face only showed a deep-seated murderous rage.
"Li Dapeng!" I shouted, rushing at him with my knife. Realizing he had been pretending to scare us, Liu Captain followed me.
Li Dapeng vanished into the fog, and Liu Captain called out to chase him, but I held him back, "No need to chase. We can't catch him. He's a national-level Sanda athlete. Even if we catch him, we might not win."
"Damn it, how did those fools let him escape?" Liu Captain cursed.
"Let's go back," I whispered, fearing Li Dapeng might be hiding and listening.
We continued towards the path leading up the mountain, moving slowly and cautiously. Thankfully, we reached halfway up the mountain without further incident.
Visibility improved slightly at this altitude, giving us a sense of security. Believing Li Dapeng was too scared to confront us again, we decided to rest by a large tree and eat.
As soon as we set our packs down, a group of masked men in black rushed out of the woods, wielding long knives. Leading them was Li Dapeng, now without his skullcap.
In an instant, eight or nine strong men surrounded us, their eyes filled with deadly intent. Li Dapeng looked smug, smoking a cigarette. "Did you kill my mother?" he asked in a hoarse voice, different from before.
Liu Captain and I didn't respond, just watched the nine men warily. Trying to fight our way out seemed impossible.
Liu Captain whispered, "Stay close behind me and protect my back. Follow my lead."
"Got it," I replied, understanding that our best chance was to fight back-to-back.
Li Dapeng suddenly shouted, "Disable them! I want them alive to avenge my mother!"
Instantly, the nine men lunged at us. Liu Captain let out a fierce yell and swung his knife at the first attacker, disarming him with one strike and making him scream in agony.
I had no time to look back as three men charged at me. Swearing, I swung my knife, forcing them back. They quickly regrouped and came at me from three different angles.
Realizing I couldn't dodge without exposing Liu Captain, I braced myself, swinging at the closest attacker. Our knives clashed with a spark, and another man's blade came down towards my head.
Just as I thought I was done for, Liu Captain pulled me back and blocked the strike, then dragged me into the woods. "Run!" he shouted.
We ran through the woods, branches whipping our faces. I only worried about being pursued, not the pain.
Surprisingly, no one chased us. Suddenly, Liu Captain was thrown back, crashing into me, and we both fell.
As we scrambled to our feet, an old man emerged from the fog, leaning on a cane. His appearance had changed—fewer wrinkles and a kind smile on his face.
As he approached, I finally saw his true face and froze. It was a familiar face: "It's you…"