Chapter 103: Shancheng – Provoking the Zombie Giant Python

“Lucong River is so long, why is the zombie giant python only in this area?” Ye Xing grumbled discontentedly.

Not expecting the two cold and aloof individuals to respond, Lin Mu smiled gently and said, “Since it’s a zombie giant python, it naturally wants to eat humans. With so many people gathered here in Shancheng, why would it leave?”

Ye Xing nodded. Sitting right behind the driver’s seat, he leaned forward a bit, his small head inching closer. “That’s true. What’s your name? I really like you.”

…

This was the first time Chen Yu had heard Ye Xing say he liked someone other than himself. His eyes slowly blinked once.

From the passenger seat, Fu Jingmo shot a cold glance toward the back and glared at the little rascal.

“Lin Mu. Two trees for Lin, one tree for Mu.”

Lin Mu treated him like a little kid and even patiently explained.

“Lin Mu, huh? Then I’ll call you Mumu.”

“Alright.”

Fu Jingmo said coolly, “Ye Xing, the mission you posted got Mumu injured.”

Lin Mu’s heart skipped a beat. Ye Xing’s appearance was far too deceptive; he had almost forgotten that he had once been hunted down because of a falsified mission posting.

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. Ye Xing, however, leaned onto the driver’s seat and said pitifully, “I’m sorry, Mumu. I didn’t mean to. It was my fault.”

“…”

“And also… I wasn’t even trying to kill you.”

“…”

Fu Jingmo raised his eyebrow. “Oh, so it’s me.”

Lin Mu sighed. After all, Chen Yu was Fu Jingmo’s former team leader, and this kid was clearly one of his people.

“It’s fine. It’s all in the past. We still need to work together today, so let’s set these things aside for now.”

Ye Xing reached out and patted Lin Mu’s hair. It was soft and felt nice, making him smile happily. “Mumu, you’re so kind.”

“But in the future, you can’t do this again. It’s too reckless. If we hadn’t been lucky, we might have died, or worse, caused harm to innocent people.”

Ye Xing’s voice was soft and pitiful, but his tone was genuinely serious. “I understand. I won’t do it again.”

One calmly educating the child, the other unprecedentedly obedient—this scene left the man in the passenger seat and the one in the back utterly dumbfounded.

Fu Jingmo: Why does everyone listen to Lin Mu??!!! ^[1] ‖

Chen Yu: Since when did my kid become this obedient??!! (⊙⊙?)

However, the brief moment of lightheartedness didn’t last long. Fu Jingmo raised his hand and pointed to a small path ahead that led downward. “Turn down there. We’re almost there.”

Immediately after, he stretched his hand out of the car window and signaled to the vehicle behind them, indicating for them to stay on the upper road.

The car followed the small path downward and drove directly onto a rocky riverbank. Although it was called a rocky riverbank, most of it was actually piled river sand on both sides. The car could drive on it, but the ride was rather bumpy.

After a few jolts, Fu Jingmo said coldly, “Stop.”

The surface of the river before them was completely calm, showing no signs of anything unusual.

“Right here, about 150 meters at the 2 o’clock direction. Mumu, turn the car around first.”

Following the instructions, Lin Mu turned the car around. Chen Yu lowered the car window and extended his hand. A massive electric sphere formed in his palm, several times larger than the one Fu Jingmo had seen that day.

With a fierce throw, it landed precisely in the spot Fu Jingmo had indicated. The electric net spread out in the water, crackling with electricity. However, even after the current faded, the surface of the water remained completely still.

“Again.”

Fu Jingmo spoke calmly, “No reaction is a reaction. This river is so long; it’s impossible for there to be no fish. The only explanation is that because the zombie giant python is here, not a single fish can be found in this area.”

Chen Yu increased the energy and threw another one. This time, the electric net covered a wider area and lasted longer.

At first, the water surface seemed to ripple slightly, followed by numerous bubbles rising to the surface. Seizing the momentum, Chen Yu immediately hurled a third one. Finally, the zombie giant python lurking motionlessly beneath the water’s surface was provoked into anger.

It was as if a train was surging through the water. A hundred-meter-long trail appeared on the surface, followed by an overwhelming wave of oppressive energy.

“Go!”

Before the giant python fully emerged, Fu Jingmo shouted. Lin Mu immediately slammed on the accelerator, driving away without hesitation.

The giant python, disturbed from its slumber and possessing a vengeful temperament, raised half of its massive head above the water’s surface.

Its gray-white eyes surfaced on the water, along with two nostrils, while the rest of its body remained submerged. The giant python moved slowly at first but quickly noticed the car on the rocky riverbank and began pursuing it.

Driving on the rocky terrain was challenging, but fortunately, Fu Jingmo had given the order in time. By now, the car had already gained a few hundred meters of distance, preventing it from being caught immediately.

Every time the python got closer, Chen Yu hurled an electric sphere at it. The advantage of these electric spheres was that no matter how thick its skin was, the electricity could travel through the water and spread throughout its entire body.

The zombie giant python, thoroughly irritated, raised its entire head out of the water and let out a roar. Its gray-red tongue extended long and menacing, while its tail slapped the water with a deafening crack. Immediately after, it swept up a group of zombies from the southern bank and hurled them toward the car.

The zombies landed on the car roof with heavy thuds, producing dull “bang bang bang” sounds. Those that hit the ground began clumsily crawling and staggering after the car.

Some of the zombies were severely decomposed, and as they hit the car, their brains. splattered everywhere. A considerable amount even flew in through the windows, filling the air with an unbearable stench.

Fortunately, Lin Mu and Ye Xing’s windows were tightly closed. As for the other two, they remained completely unfazed—after all, there was nothing they hadn’t encountered before.

Ye Xing, shielded behind Chen Yu, had already grabbed his shirt and begun retching. “Ugh…”

Thanks to the countless battles they’d fought along the way, Lin Mu had developed some level of immunity and wasn’t as overwhelmed as Ye Xing.

“Bang!! Bang bang!!”

Gunshots rang out. From the following car on the street above, two figures leaned out of the windows, shooting down the zombies chasing after their vehicle one by one.

The zombie giant python continued hurling zombies relentlessly. Lin Mu pushed the car to its maximum speed, and every time they hit a rocky patch, their seats jolted so much that they bounced several centimeters off the cushions.

After driving like this for a while, the faint outline of Shao Yingjie’s team became visible up ahead.

On the riverbank, the mutated individuals had already taken their positions. Each iron chain was being pulled by fifteen or sixteen strength-type mutants, with a massive boulder anchored at the end.

However, as if sensing something was wrong, the zombie giant python gradually slowed down, seemingly intending to retreat right away.

“Keep driving, don’t stop!”

Fu Jingmo wasn’t about to let it escape. With a cold shout, he disregarded the moving car, yanked the door open, and leapt out. Two flawless rolls later, he landed steadily on the ground.

A black blade flew out, instantly slicing through a few nearby zombies, then swiftly shot toward the retreating python.

Lin Mu, watching through the rearview mirror, followed his instructions and didn’t stop the car. All he could see was Fu Jingmo summoning a massive black blade, slashing it toward the zombie giant python’s head.

Sparks flew, mixed with a few droplets of dark red blood. The zombie giant python’s head and back were its hardest parts. Although the slash had numbed its entire head, it only managed to knock off a few scales.

But that attack clearly enraged it. With a sweep of its tail, it hurled a large wave of zombies toward them. Its massive body moved swiftly through the water, as if determined to eliminate Fu Jingmo.

Fu Jingmo took off running at full speed, leaping several times to evade the zombies raining down on him. Instead of continuing to chase after the car, he bolted toward the street above.

The zombie giant python dared not come ashore and could only follow along the water, pursuing relentlessly. Fu Jingmo leaped onto the car on the street above, grabbed the gun from a young warrior, and fired several rounds in rapid succession. The bullets provocatively struck the spot on the python’s head where the black blade had cut earlier.

The commotion had long since reached Shao Yingjie up ahead. He gave the order for the strength-type mutants to prepare themselves.

Three iron chains were in place. One stretched just above the water’s surface. The second was held by mutants standing on stone steps, five to six meters above the water. The last was positioned by mutants on the street, with the chain hovering ten meters above the surface.

In addition to the three uncut chains positioned higher up, approximately fifteen meters above the water, they formed a staggered, step-like arrangement.

The zombie giant python was rapidly approaching…

300 meters, 200 meters, 100 meters… 50 meters…