Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Gu Ning Missing?

The vines were severely damaged by special abilities and wouldn’t regenerate anytime soon.

Everyone carefully removed the cocoons made of vines hanging on the walls and quickly cut them open with knives.

Beside them lay the bodies of a soldier and four children, all dragged away by the vines during the chaos, with no time for rescue. Each time a cocoon was cut open, everyone’s hearts clenched. The dark sky drizzled, as if attending a funeral.

Gao Yue knelt on the ground, performing CPR on the children one by one, but could only watch helplessly as their bodies turned cold under the rain.

Only one cocoon remained unopened.

Method’s hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

Cheng Ming pushed him aside, took the knife, and started cutting the vines swiftly.

When Wu Sen’s pale face emerged from the vines, Cheng Ming’s hand shook uncontrollably. Method, standing closest, saw that the last cocoon didn’t contain Gu Ning either. His legs gave way, and he collapsed into the mud, his face ashen.

He He and Zuo You rushed over, hugging the pale Wu Sen and bursting into tears.

Everyone fell silent, only the sound of the children’s cries and the rain hitting their bodies filled the air. Faces were wet, indistinguishable between tears and rain.

Suddenly, a violent cough broke the silence, startling everyone.

Gao Yue reacted first, pushing aside the stunned He He and Zuo You, and quickly removed the vines wrapped around Wu Sen. After coughing for a while, Wu Sen slowly calmed down, opened his eyes, and tightly gripped the knife in his hand, his body covered in cuts from the vines.

It turned out that after being bound, he had managed to cut a small opening in the vines with a knife to breathe, saving himself from suffocation.

He He and Zuo You, seeing Wu Sen alive, cried and laughed simultaneously.

Gao Yue quickly had someone carry Wu Sen back to the car.

After thoroughly searching the area, there was still no sign of Gu Ning.

The vines were dug up from their roots.

Indescribable was the sight of the vines growing from the girl’s corpse, her body seemingly alive, flesh intact, eyes closed. Her face matched the girl in the family photo.

Jia Daozhang sighed with pity, “What a tragedy,” and silently recited a sutra for the dead.

Fearing that the bodies of the children and the soldier would be eaten by other mutated plants, Huang Mengyao set them on fire, collected the ashes in a water bottle, and brought them back to the car.

The girl’s ashes were buried beside her parents, hoping they would reunite in the afterlife.

Returning to the car, everyone, soaked to the bone, felt as if they had just survived a nightmare.

After so many days without casualties, five people had died in just an hour, including Wang Yang, a soldier they had lived with, and four children with innocent smiles…

And Gu Ning, whose fate was unknown.

The atmosphere in the car was as heavy as mud, suffocating everyone.

Gu Ning’s parents, Gao Yue, Hong Jie, and the terrified children were in another car.

They hadn’t yet told Gu Ning’s parents about her disappearance.

Jia Daozhang looked at the others and suddenly said, “Why do you all look like Gu Ning is dead?”

His words drew everyone’s attention.

Jia Daozhang continued, “Have you all forgotten what happened in the basement at Eleven Square?”

His words struck a chord with Third Brother, Cheng Ming, and the others. The shock of seeing lives turn into cold corpses had clouded their minds, but now, reminded by Jia Daozhang, they remembered.

Gu Ning’s silent disappearance wasn’t the first time; it had happened before in the basement at Eleven Square.

And just a few hours later, Gu Ning had reappeared in the basement.

This meant Gu Ning might not have met with misfortune but had been passively transported back to her mysterious space.

Realizing this, Third Brother and the others’ expressions brightened, almost with joy.

However, Method, unaware of the previous incident, saw the sudden hope on everyone’s faces and sensed a turning point. He urgently asked Jia Daozhang, “What happened?”

Method was kind and respected Jia Daozhang. Seeing his urgency, Jia Daozhang skipped his usual cryptic talk and briefly explained what had happened at Eleven Square.

“Only those present know what happened that day. Gu Ning asked us to keep it secret, so don’t spread it.”

Method didn’t care about secrecy and urgently confirmed, “So, Gu Ning is most likely back in her space?”

“Exactly,” Jia Daozhang nodded. “Her door was locked, meaning she didn’t leave. And though today was dangerous, these mutated vines aren’t that powerful. If we could escape, Gu Ning, with her strength, wouldn’t be trapped.

Most likely, she was transported to her space while sleeping, just like last time.”

Jia Daozhang’s logical explanation eased everyone’s worries.

He continued, “Change out of your wet clothes to avoid catching a cold. Rest easy, spend the night in the car, and Gu Ning might be back by morning.” He then instructed Luo Long, “Xiao Long, go tell Teacher Gu and the others, so they don’t worry.”

“Why me?” Luo Long complained but jumped up and ran through the rain to the other car to deliver the message.

After Jia Daozhang’s analysis, the atmosphere in the car lightened. It was hard to imagine how they would explain if something had happened to Gu Ning. They realized Gu Ning had become a crucial part of their team, a spiritual pillar.

Zhang Yang suddenly said, “If Gu Ning were here, maybe so many wouldn’t have died tonight.”

He meant that Gu Ning could have saved them.

Third Brother’s expression turned serious, “Don’t say such things when Gu Ning returns.”

Everyone understood. It wasn’t Gu Ning’s fault, and Third Brother feared she would blame herself if they thought that way.

Zhang Yang, realizing his mistake, shut his mouth.

Third Brother didn’t scold further, “Change your clothes and rest. Cheng Ming, Zhang Yang, you two stay up with me tonight. Zhang Xiaobai and Zhong Xu, sleep now and take the second watch.”

The rain had lightened to a drizzle. The three changed into dry clothes, grabbed blankets, and climbed onto the car roof. Third Brother set up a makeshift shelter.

Sitting on the truck roof, they instinctively glanced towards the house, hoping to see Gu Ning emerge.

Third Brother felt guilty. After a few peaceful days, his sense of crisis had dulled. If not for Luo Long’s early warning, more might have died. If he had posted guards, the vines might have been spotted earlier.

Cheng Ming suddenly said, “Even the vines have mutated into man-eating monsters. What will this world become?”

Zhang Yang just tightened his grip on his gun, speechless.

Third Brother remained silent, gazing at the dark house, his eyes filled with uncertainty for the first time. As Cheng Ming said, if even the vines had mutated to eat humans, what would the world become? Would humanity ultimately face extinction?

Meanwhile, in another world, Gu Ning was oblivious to all this. While they fought the mutated vines, she was in a safe, comfortable environment, enjoying her breakfast, watching the morning light, her nerves completely relaxed.

But in the apocalypse, it was endless darkness.