Chapter Seventy-One: Regret

“This door won’t hold much longer. We need to find a way out,” Chu Xingyu said, his condition visibly worsening as he stared intently at the door Jiang Miaomiao had just closed.

Jiang Miaomiao glanced back at the rooftop door, secured by only a single lock, and nodded in agreement. She quickly surveyed their surroundings—both doors were impassable. The only potential escape was to somehow jump to the adjacent rooftop.

But the two buildings were separated by over ten meters!

And from the seventh floor, the height was daunting for anyone. A quick look from up here would make even the bravest hesitate.

“Are you saying we should jump to the other building?” A Zi, who was terrified of heights, noticed Jiang Miaomiao’s gaze lingering between the rooftops and asked anxiously.

Jiang Miaomiao nodded. It was the only option left.

“Xingyu, are you alright?” Jiang Miaomiao asked cautiously.

Chu Xingyu nodded. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”

“Alright,” Jiang Miaomiao replied, quickly searching the area for anything that could be useful.

A Zi, realizing there was no other choice, joined Jiang Miaomiao in looking for a way to survive. Faced with imminent death, all fear evaporated; she knew now was not the time to be afraid, nor could she allow herself to be.

“All I found was some hemp rope,” Jiang Miaomiao said, placing the items before the group. The rope was sturdy enough, but throwing it across to the other building seemed impossible. For a moment, everyone was at a loss.

Jiang Miaomiao kept reminding herself not to be afraid or anxious, but her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

A Zi, standing nearby, had noticed Jiang Miaomiao’s shaking hands long ago. Unable to offer comforting words, she simply reached out and squeezed Jiang Miaomiao’s hand.

Jiang Miaomiao looked at A Zi and suddenly recalled what Qin Sheng had said before leaving.

“A Zi, you know this place better than any of us. Is there any other way out?” she asked quietly.

A Zi thought for a moment, then shook her head. She did know the safety zone well, but now that they were on the rooftop, there was nothing she could do.

“What should we do?” Jiang Miaomiao was growing desperate, unable to see a way forward.

“Bang, bang, bang! Roar! Roar! Roar!”

A loud noise echoed from the rooftop door. The group turned quickly to see the locked door beginning to give way. In a few minutes, the zombies would surely break through.

And then, they would be nothing more than a feast for the monsters.

Zhao Tiantian was already overcome with fear, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. She tried to steady her voice, fighting to keep her hands from shaking. “What should we do? Are we just going to wait here to die? Is there no hope for us?”

Her barrage of questions revealed how close she was to breaking down.

Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu didn’t answer Zhao Tiantian. They didn’t know what to say; even their own survival seemed uncertain in the face of this invasion.

“Roar!” The zombies outside continued to batter the already weakened door, each impact eroding the group’s psychological defenses.

Jiang Miaomiao clenched her teeth. “We cannot die here. At least, not like this.”

She turned to Chu Xingyu. “Xingyu, since this knife has been with us, it shouldn’t be treated so poorly. Let’s show them what it’s like to taste blood.”

Chu Xingyu looked at the dagger in his hand and nodded resolutely.

Right. They couldn’t just give up. As long as they held their knives, they would not surrender.

“Zhang Meng! Zhang Meng is moving!” Shen Mei cried out in terror, pointing behind her at Zhang Meng, who was now writhing on the ground. Jiang Miaomiao had cut her main artery just moments ago—how could she be alive again?

Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu broke out in cold sweat. Zhang Meng’s strength was overwhelming; neither of them could face her. If the zombies got in from the rooftop, there would be no chance of survival.

They were now beset on all sides.

Jiang Miaomiao gripped her dagger tightly, moving with Chu Xingyu towards Zhang Meng. Sure enough, Zhang Meng was displaying the same abnormal transformation as before—her body twisted unnaturally, emitting strange, terrifying sounds.

“Xingyu,” Jiang Miaomiao whispered, and both rushed at the convulsing Zhang Meng, daggers in hand.

Their blades barely grazed Zhang Meng’s neck before she dodged, and Jiang Miaomiao’s frown deepened with a sense of foreboding.

“Roar!”

With a fierce howl, Zhang Meng unleashed a mysterious force that sent Jiang Miaomiao and Chu Xingyu flying in an arc, crashing heavily onto the floor.

Jiang Miaomiao was incredulous.

What was happening? She and Chu Xingyu hadn’t even gotten close before being thrown aside!

Perhaps sensing a greater threat on the rooftop, the zombies at the door suddenly stopped their assault. In moments, their growls faded away entirely.

“The zombies are gone!” A Zi exclaimed, helping Jiang Miaomiao up.

Jiang Miaomiao’s lips were pale. The disappearance of the zombies was not necessarily good news—it only meant there was something here that terrified them.

That something was undoubtedly the monster before them.

Zhang Meng continued to twist and roar on the ground, each shout sending Jiang Miaomiao and the others sprawling as if struck by an invisible force.

She remained impossible to approach, though she did not actively attack.

Jiang Miaomiao edged carefully over to Chu Xingyu and whispered in his ear, “Let’s leave while we still can.”

Chu Xingyu nodded, passing her message to the others. They crept cautiously toward the door, hoping to slip away unnoticed.

But before Chu Xingyu could open the door, Zhang Meng barreled into him like a wrecking ball, knocking him aside and blocking their path.

Zhao Tiantian stared into Zhang Meng’s bloodshot eyes, feeling an unbearable anguish. This was no longer Zhang Meng—it was a monster capable of devouring them all without a second thought.

“Mengmeng...” Zhao Tiantian called weakly to her friend, who stood not far away.

Zhang Meng showed no sign of recognition, her red eyes sweeping over the group.

Jiang Miaomiao supported Chu Xingyu, watching the monstrous figure warily.

She couldn’t understand it. Zhang Meng’s power could easily kill all of them, yet she showed no intention of doing so.

But that didn’t mean Jiang Miaomiao could let her guard down.

“Tiantian...” Zhang Meng clutched her head in pain, drooling, and began to mutter Zhao Tiantian’s name.

Hearing her name, Zhao Tiantian finally broke down, rushing forward to embrace Zhang Meng, who was writhing in agony.

“Zhao Tiantian! What are you doing?” Jiang Miaomiao yelled, her brow furrowed in concern. How could she dare? Zhang Meng was no longer herself!

This was a monster before them!

Zhao Tiantian seemed deaf to their calls, holding Zhang Meng tightly and whispering in her ear, “You’re my best friend. How could I bear to see you suffer alone?”

As she finished speaking, her eyes glazed over. She stared at the hand that had pierced her heart, and quietly closed her eyes, a faint smile appearing on her face.

“Tiantian!” Everyone stood in shock, unable to believe Zhao Tiantian had died in Zhang Meng’s arms. Their hearts were filled with indescribable bitterness and sorrow.

Zhang Meng, seemingly driven wild by the blood, tossed Zhao Tiantian’s corpse aside and charged at Jiang Miaomiao and the others.

Jiang Miaomiao drew her dagger quickly, but was unable to withstand Zhang Meng’s ferocious assault.

Chu Xingyu, already wounded, was even less able to defend himself. In the next moment, almost everyone was knocked to the ground by Zhang Meng.

Only A Zi remained standing.

Zhang Meng seemed to remember who had attacked her earlier. Her speed slowed, as if toying with A Zi, until A Zi was too exhausted to run.

Zhang Meng approached the weakened A Zi, grabbed her by the throat, and lifted her off the ground.

A suffocating sensation overwhelmed her. At first, A Zi struggled, but soon she lost all strength, on the verge of being strangled to death.

Suddenly, a sharp Tang blade sliced through Zhang Meng’s neck. In pain, Zhang Meng released A Zi.

A Zi gasped, gulping in air, and looked up at the wielder of the Tang blade—none other than Qin Sheng.

“Sheng...” Chu Xingyu called out to Qin Sheng with the last of his strength, before collapsing into unconsciousness.

Jiang Miaomiao was in no better shape, but seeing Qin Sheng made her feel instantly relieved.

Qin Sheng was filled with regret. She shouldn’t have left so soon, causing her friends to fall into such peril.

She had underestimated everything.

“Roar!”

Qin Sheng had no time to dwell on her mistakes. She raised her Tang blade again and attacked Zhang Meng.

Perhaps sensing Zhang Meng was no ordinary zombie, Qin Sheng moved with extreme caution, leaving Zhang Meng no chance to retaliate.

Zhang Meng, realizing her opponent was formidable, had her blood-red eyes grow even brighter, her attacks becoming fiercer.

Qin Sheng swung her blade with abandon, parrying Zhang Meng’s assaults again and again.

Her brows remained furrowed. She knew well that she and Zhang Meng were evenly matched—a single misstep would mean defeat.

The two fought fiercely, their moves growing ever more complex. Jiang Miaomiao and the others watched, barely daring to breathe.

“Not good.”