Time passed, second by second. From time to time, a Gu Master would fall in a blaze of glory, or a zombie would completely collapse.
A little over an hour later, Ding Hao suddenly increased the force of the assault following Fang Yuan's instructions, instantly breaking through the already precarious defense line.
Only a little over thirty people were left in the merchant caravan.
They had to break out! They were all in complete agreement. Anyone could see it: if they broke out, there was still a slim chance of survival. If they stubbornly stayed, they would surely die.
The breakout was brutal. They were surrounded by layers of white-haired zombies, and black-haired zombies also blocked their steps.
"Stop protecting these mortals! They're slowing us down too much!" Jia Long cried.
Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die both paled.
"Don't be afraid. I am here." Fang Yuan protected them by his side.
The other mortals were mercilessly abandoned, leaving only the two of them.
Jia Long and the others didn't dare say anything, as they still relied on the power of Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing.
Everyone advanced with difficulty. Just as it seemed they would break through the encirclement, two green-haired zombies appeared.
"Let's retreat." Fang Yuan pulled Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die, speaking softly.
Bai Ning Bing paused. Wasn't retreating just going back into the encirclement?
But Fang Yuan had already taken the mistress and maid and retreated. Bai Ning Bing gritted her teeth, glanced at the open space ahead, but ultimately turned her head and retreated together with Fang Yuan.
The merchant caravan members clashed with the two green zombies, and a chaotic battle broke out.
The green zombies were as strong as Thousand Beast Kings. Although the caravan had many Rank Three Gu Masters, they were spent arrows at the end of their flight.
In the scuffle, the surrounding black-haired and white-haired zombies also closed in, tightly surrounding the caravan members.
On the other hand, the pressure on Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing greatly decreased.
Fang Yuan retreated tens of steps and began to break through again.
Along the way, white-haired zombies densely packed the area, but Fang Yuan charged left and right, incredibly fierce. The white-haired zombies fell as soon as they touched him, dropping dead if brushed against.
Bai Ning Bing watched in a daze. Was this Fang Yuan's true strength?
"Eh, these white-haired zombies are so weak..." When she swung into action, she immediately noticed the discrepancy.
The white-haired zombies blocking them were several times weaker than the ones before. They were dull and stupid, without a real attack, like targets waiting to be hit.
"Could it be that Fang Yuan saw through this weakness long ago and is only exploiting it now? Strange, these white-haired zombies all look the same. How did he detect these flaws?" Bai Ning Bing was utterly puzzled.
At this time, Fang Yuan was silently cursing him out in his heart.
Before leaving, he had told Ding Hao to seem strong but act weak, and to act realistically. What was this now?
Ding Hao was now sweating profusely.
Never had he exerted himself so hard, concentrating so fully on controlling the zombie army.
His heart was very anxious. He felt he had ruined the senior brother's secret mission. Guilt and worry made him try his utmost to cooperate with Fang Yuan's act. Not knowing Fang Yuan's identity was fine, but now that he knew he was his big senior brother, how could he really dare to fight?
"So awesome!" Xiao Die exclaimed in admiration.
Shang Xin Ci's beautiful eyes were also shining.
Fang Yuan galloped freely, leaving no enemy standing before him. He swept through everything, an undefeatable aura surrounding him!
Who doesn't love a hero?
Which girl doesn't have a Prince Charming in her heart, a dream of a hero saving a damsel in distress?
Xiao Die did. Shang Xin Ci did too.
At this moment, the mistress and her maid looked at Fang Yuan's broad back, and ripples stirred in their hearts.
Although Fang Yuan was ugly, right now in their eyes, this ugliness radiated a lovable brilliance. His courage, his spirit, gave the two girls in danger a strange sense of security. It made them want to lean on him, to depend on him.
"His acting is way too fake, this coward!" Fang Yuan wished he could kick Ding Hao so hard he would never have children. As his thoughts raced, he also figured out Ding Hao's mental state.
"It seems there's no other way..." Fang Yuan squinted, a surge of ruthlessness rising in his heart. He suddenly withdrew the Tian Peng Gu and let the claw of a white-haired zombie scratch him.
His skin was torn and he was wounded.
"Yes, just like that!" Fang Yuan rejoiced in his heart. This was the perfect opportunity to earn Shang Xin Ci's trust. How could he pass it up?
"Damn it!!" Bai Ning Bing cursed, immediately abandoning Shang Xin Ci and rushing towards Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan still had the Yang Gu in his hands, the key to her turning back into a man, she couldn't afford to lose it.
"My god!!!" Ding Hao saw Fang Yuan get injured and immediately shivered in fright. His heart was filled with self-blame and worry, his face panicked, and he kept muttering to himself, "I didn't mean to, I really didn't mean to, Senior Brother!"
"Ah..." Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die cried out together.
Their hearts ached with a tremor when Fang Yuan was suddenly injured.
"What are you doing here? Go back and protect them!" Fang Yuan shouted at Bai Ning Bing as she came over.
Bai Ning Bing's blue eyes instantly widened. She could see that this bastard got himself injured on purpose! Bastard!
"Don't push it too far." Bai Ning Bing's eye twitched as she left these words behind.
With Ding Hao manipulating them from the side, the white-haired zombies bared their teeth and brandished their claws, but it was all sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Bai Ning Bing kicked away a white-haired zombie and rushed back to Shang Xin Ci's side.
"How is Hei Tu?" Shang Xin Ci grabbed Bai Ning Bing's arm and asked.
"He's fine." Bai Ning Bing pursed her lips.
"Why didn't you take his place? He's injured!" The usually gentle Shang Xin Ci's tone was uncharacteristically full of resentment.
The corners of Bai Ning Bing's mouth twitched. She couldn't exactly tell Shang Xin Ci that Fang Yuan deliberately took the injury, could she? So she casually made up an excuse: "He's just that kind of person. Once he charges, he never stops, unless he falls."
Shang Xin Ci's beautiful eyes flickered and turned slightly red.
Xiao Die covered her mouth, her eyes already moist.
Looking back at Fang Yuan ahead, ripples stirred in the mistress and maid's hearts. What kind of man was he! Charging fearlessly through the swarming zombies. Without a doubt, he was a hero. A hero full of tragic color!
Ding Hao saw Fang Yuan was injured, trembling with fear in his heart, and no longer dared to obstruct him.
After breaking through the formation for a while, Fang Yuan brought Shang Xin Ci and the other two out of the zombie horde's encirclement.
"Is that it?" He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, looking at the only wound on his body in helplessness. He had such a good chance to perform, and he only suffered one injury? The acting was very unconvincing.
But even though it was just one wound, it had already worried Shang Xin Ci and Xiao Die to death.
"Hei Tu, are you alright? You're hurt. The wound is so deep. It's all because of me!" Tears welled up in Shang Xin Ci's eyes.
"So much black blood is flowing out, Lord Hei Tu, you're poisoned." Xiao Die said with concern.
Fang Yuan puffed out his chest and said fearlessly in a low voice: "What's a little wound like this? The corpse poison is a bit troublesome, but I have the Qing Re Gu to neutralize it. You two don't need to worry, hahaha..." He laughed.
The ruins of the camp blazed with towering flames. To burn their bridges and to light up the area, the caravan members had set everything flammable on fire before leaving.
Fang Yuan and the other three had just broken out of the zombie encirclement, and were standing on the outer edge illuminated by the fire.
The firelight shone on Fang Yuan's face, on his chest, on his wound.
He smiled. His appearance was ugly, but in the eyes of the two girls, he radiated a unique heroism!
They had once dreamed of a hero saving a damsel in distress. In their dreams, the hero was handsome and suave. To be honest, Fang Yuan was far from the image in their hearts.
But somehow, the two girls felt he was the real hero! He was free and easy, he was fearless, his heroic spirit was unmatched!
Years later, Shang Xin Ci would ask herself, how did Fang Yuan enter the depths of her heart?
Every time, she couldn't help but think back to this night.
Behind her were layers of zombies, the soaring flames shining on Fang Yuan's face. His face was covered in burn scars, a faint smile revealing his white teeth. His deep, dark eyes looked at her. His usually cold gaze, under the orange-red firelight, revealed a hint of warmth.
"Save us!" The caravan members deeply trapped in the zombie horde saw Fang Yuan's group and shouted for help one after another. Fang Yuan's eyes flickered, but before he could speak...