Shang Qi stayed by her bedside for two straight days. Even Xiao Hui curled up beside her bed, refusing to leave.
During those two days, Xie Rao reduced everyone’s training schedule, giving the group a brief chance to rest. Even so, no one dared let their guard down. Zhou Mo, in particular, didn’t ease up on his own training at all.
It wasn’t until the third day that Shen Muyan’s fever finally broke.
That night, the rainstorm was even more violent than usual. Lightning split the sky one after another, followed by deafening thunder that eventually jolted her awake. She tried to speak, but for some reason she didn’t have the strength.
“Mumu,” Shang Qi said softly as he helped her drink a little water. “Get some more rest.”
Xie Rao arrived moments later with his medical kit. After examining her and confirming she was no longer in danger, he finally left.
After this incident, Shang Qi no longer dared let Shen Muyan train every day.
When he finally found some free time, he and Jiang Hao finished installing the generator.
As expected, the power went out the very next day.
Everyone was eating dinner when, without warning, the lights suddenly went dark.
Xiao Hui exploded into frantic barking, his growls sharp with urgency.
Shang Qi’s and Zhou Mo’s expressions turned icy at the same time.
Ever since that night, Xiao Hui had never barked again. But this time, he was fiercer than ever.
He even started spitting flames in every direction.
No one had time to question how Xiao Hui could breathe fire. Jiang Hao rushed to start the generator, but the moment he looked up, he froze.
A pair of hollow, empty eye sockets stared back at him.
He stumbled backward in terror.
“What… what is that? Is that even human?”
Clinging to the first-floor glass windows were five or six spider-like humanoid creatures. Their bodies writhed constantly, densely packed against the glass.
Two more monsters crouched outside the front door.
They stretched out their heads, sniffing the air. They seemed to sense the flames—excited, yet hesitant to come closer.
Standing in front of the entrance, Xiao Hui continuously spat fire while letting out low warning growls.
Everyone gathered at the doorway, watching the creatures outside with tense vigilance.
Shang Qi and Zhou Mo had encountered these monsters once before and could barely suppress their revulsion. The others weren’t nearly as composed. Even Xie Rao, despite being a doctor, felt sick at the sight of the countless wriggling parasitic worms squeezing relentlessly through the gap beneath the door.
Xiao Hui was still young. His fire breath had its limits. Against one monster he could manage, but against so many, he was quickly reaching exhaustion.
Seeing this, Shang Qi immediately ran to the storage room and returned with several torches.
“Everyone take one and hold your positions.”
He didn’t hand one to Shen Muyan. The doorway was narrow, and three people were more than enough to defend it.
Grabbing her hand, he led her upstairs.
“We can’t stay here any longer.”
He had thought there was only one monster. He had never imagined there was an entire swarm. None of them had appeared before, which meant they had most likely been drawn by the changes in Xiao Hui.
No matter what, there had to be a secret laboratory somewhere on this mountain.
If Xiao Hui fell into their hands, he would become an enormous threat in the future.
Shang Qi stored everything in the room inside his spatial storage, then took out six protective suits.
“Mumu, change into this first. We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”
Shen Muyan’s hands trembled violently as she forced herself to stay calm.
“Okay.”
Shang Qi held her hands tightly.
“Mumu, don’t be afraid. If anything happens, call for me.”
“Okay.”
He hurried downstairs to relieve Xie Rao.
“Go pack your things. We can’t stay here anymore. Du Ming, you too. Put on the protective suits.”
Neither of them wasted a second before grabbing the suits and rushing upstairs.
“Jiang Hao, we’ve got this covered. Go set the explosives. We can’t leave these things behind.”
There were simply too many monsters.
Wave after wave burned away, yet more kept coming. Xiao Hui was completely exhausted.
Zhou Mo quickly cleared away anything flammable.
“Xiao Hui, go to the storage room and bring me the diesel fuel.”
Shang Qi casually tossed him a container of diesel. Without hesitation, Zhou Mo soaked a tablecloth with fuel, lit it on fire, and dragged it across the floor beneath the door, creating a wall of flames.
The intense heat forced the monsters outside to retreat.
Fortunately, aside from the narrow gap underneath, the worms couldn’t get through the glass door.
Everyone finally had a brief moment to catch their breath.
Shang Qi put on his protective suit first. Only after he had finished did Zhou Mo begin putting on his own.
Xie Rao and Du Ming packed quickly, taking only the essentials before coming downstairs to relieve Zhou Mo.
With three people guarding the entrance, things became much easier.
Shang Qi sent Xiao Hui upstairs to stay with Shen Muyan.
It was her first time wearing a protective suit, and he was worried she wouldn’t know how to put it on.
By the time Shen Muyan came downstairs, Shang Qi had already taken over Jiang Hao’s work. His measurements weren’t as precise, but he knew how to finish the setup.
Calling Xiao Hui over, he briefly explained the plan.
“Once you lure them inside, I’ll shut the door. The moment I do, move as fast as you can. Phase through the wall and run.”
Xiao Hui let out two soft howls.
He understood.
After Jiang Hao finished packing last, Shang Qi gathered everyone to discuss their escape.
“Once daylight breaks, they may leave. We’ve got about five hours left. Mumu, Zhou Mo, Xie Rao, and Du Ming—you four go first. Jiang Hao, Xiao Hui, and I will stay behind. Be careful of landslides on the mountain stairs. The floodwaters at the foot of the mountain are dangerous, so don’t rush down. Wait for us and we’ll regroup.”
After two months of relentless rain, the city’s drainage system had completely collapsed. Floodwater had already risen to the fifth floor of most buildings.
Shang Qi had Xiao Hui and Jiang Hao draw the monsters toward the front entrance while the other four escaped through the rear window.
“Take it slow. Don’t fall,” he said, holding Shen Muyan’s hand tightly, still unable to stop worrying. “Keep a firm grip on the handrails. If you run into a monster, stay close to Zhou Mo. And don’t forget everything I taught you about shooting. No matter what it is, aim for the head.”
“Okay.” Shen Muyan forced back her tears. She refused to become his burden. “I’ll go first.”
Shang Qi lifted her onto the windowsill.
She looked impossibly small in his arms, trembling nonstop while desperately pretending to stay calm.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll be there soon.”
Unable to look him in the eye, she simply lowered her head and whispered, “Mm.”
Zhou Mo helped her down from the window.
He exchanged a silent glance with Shang Qi.
“We’ll wait for you halfway up the mountain.”
“Alright.”
Shang Qi closed the window.
He watched as the four of them disappeared hand in hand into the endless darkness and torrential rain.
For a brief moment, everything seemed quiet again.
He had no idea whether this was the only wave of monsters or whether more would continue wearing them down. He also didn’t know if these creatures actively hunted humans.
But one thing was certain.
Leaving this place was the right decision.
Shang Qi returned to the living room, went into the storage room, and packed everything away, leaving behind only two containers of diesel fuel.
He splashed a little fuel throughout the house before feeding Xiao Hui several pieces of meat to help him recover his strength.
Even with disaster looming over them, Jiang Hao wasn’t worried in the slightest. He even managed a grin.
“The last time we fought side by side like this was five years ago.”
Shang Qi remembered it well.
Back then, Jiang Hao had been a rookie assigned to his team for a mission. He had been both excited and terrified.
Excited because he was partnering with the legendary operative of their unit.
Terrified because they were heading into a war zone where they might never return.
Only then had Jiang Hao truly understood why Shang Qi was called a legend.
He had never failed a mission.
His calmness in the face of danger was almost frightening.
His methods of breaking enemies, his extraordinary memory, razor-sharp analytical mind, and uncanny understanding of human nature were all enough to inspire fear.
Perhaps the only thing fate had ever denied him… was his sister-in-law.
He possessed almost everything.
Yet he could never have a healthy Shen Muyan.
And despite everything he had, the only thing he ever truly wanted… was Shen Muyan.
The clock’s hands ticked to 3:30 a.m.
Xiao Hui rose from the floor.
Shang Qi rolled his shoulders and flexed his wrists.
“Time to get to work.”