Afternoon, 15:00 – 17:00
Deep within the dense forest, between the scorched black trees and the normal ones, a tall and sturdy figure was sprinting at full speed toward the post office.
At so point, the sky had beco overcast with thick clouds.
The howling wind tore through the surrounding branches and leaves, making them rustle violently.
Yu Hong carried only a single silver rune array, which was far from enough to deal with the Whisperers. But his goal wasn’t to confront them directly—it was to give an early warning.
By relying on his enhanced thods of dealing with Whisperers, he was able to confirm that they hadn’t been eradicated. However, Li Runshan and his daughter didn’t know that.
As he sprinted through the forest, he used his inner energy twice in succession, ensuring that he maintained his top speed.
A journey that would take an ordinary person half an hour on foot was shortened to just seven minutes.
Finally, he reached the stone house of the post office.
Under the dark clouds, the grayish-white stone house stood encircled by a sturdy wooden fence, appearing both primitive and tranquil.
Through the narrow gaps in the windows, there was no sound or light coming from within.
Yu Hong took a deep breath, quickly stabilizing his body and trying to calm his racing heart.
Standing outside the fence, he knocked forcefully on the door.
Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock. Knock, knock.
He knocked in a coded rhythm three tis, then waited.
But after several minutes, there was still no response from inside.
Yu Hong started to feel uneasy.
He scanned the surroundings, concluding that Old Li was likely not ho. But even if Li Runshan wasn’t there, it was impossible for the house to be completely empty—Aisena had to still be inside.
“Aisena!” he suddenly called out. “Nana! It’s Uncle Yu, open the door.”
(Tl Note:- In this context, “Nana” is likely a nickna or a term of endearnt for 艾森娜 (Aisena). It could be a shortened or affectionate way of addressing her, similar to how so nas are abbreviated or softened in familiar or familial relationships. It does not necessarily carry a specific aning beyond being a personal nickna in this case.) Ŗ𝘢ꞐŎ𐌱Ęš
No response.
Yu Hong wanted to enter but hesitated, wary of any possible traps in the yard.
He knocked again, calling out louder.
Still, silence.
As he waited, the sky darkened further, and heavy rain seed imminent.
Finally, unable to wait any longer, Yu Hong grew increasingly suspicious that sothing was wrong inside.
After glancing around to confirm his position, he placed a hand on the fence and swiftly vaulted over it, landing lightly on the ground within the yard.
Treading cautiously on the dirt, he advanced toward the stone house while gripping his red-value detector, his eyes scanning for danger.
The trees swayed, the wind howled, and the air carried the acrid scent of sothing burnt.
The green grass beneath his feet rippled under the force of the wind, resembling waves on water.
The wind was getting stronger, and the noise grew louder.
“Aisena!” Yu Hong shouted. “If you can hear , don’t reply—just listen.”
He approached the house cautiously, tapping the ground ahead with his spiked club, testing for any hidden dangers.
“The Whisperers we fought before weren’t completely wiped out. They’re still here!”
He paused briefly before continuing.
“If you hear anything unusual, do not reply. Instead, write it down! No matter what—do not speak! Do not make a sound!!”
He shouted over the wind, hoping that whoever was inside could hear him.
After yelling, he suddenly thought of a way to warn Old Li.
Crouching down, he quickly wrote in the dirt with his spiked club.
Soon, a ssage appeared on the ground:
‘The Whisperers are still here. Stay silent!’
“Uncle!” Suddenly, Aisena’s voice ca from inside the house.
Yu Hong’s head snapped up. Instinctively, he almost responded—but he caught himself just in ti, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
Right in front of him, at the house’s window, Aisena stood in the darkness.
She wore a delicate white lace dress, her long black hair draping over her shoulders. Her dark, shining eyes stared silently at him.
Yu Hong counted six seconds.
Only after the contagion period had passed did he finally speak.
“Don’t make a sound. Write it down instead.”
As he spoke, he edged closer to the house.
“Where is your father? Is he not ho? I’m coming in slowly—you don’t need to open the door for . Don’t be afraid. I’ll stay right here with you for now.”
Aisena didn’t respond. She simply stood at the window, watching him, unmoving.
Suddenly, she raised her right hand—holding a pair of black scissors—and slowly pressed the sharp tip against her throat.
“No!!” Yu Hong shouted, charging forward in a flash.
He crossed the yard in a few strides, raising his spiked club and smashing it against the window fra, trying to break through to stop her.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Small craters exploded in the ground at his feet.
“Stop right there!! What the hell are you doing?!” Li Runshan’s furious voice rang out from the side of the forest.
Old Li was holding a rifle—so kind of long-range firearm—aiming directly at Yu Hong, his face contorted with rage.
“Step back!” he roared.
Yu Hong turned toward him, seething with anger.
“Your daughter is in danger!!” He almost blurted it out but swallowed the words, worried that Li Runshan might already be infected by the Whisperers.
But there was no ti to wait the required five seconds for safety.
Aisena had already touched the scissors to her neck—there was no ti left.
Without hesitation, Yu Hong charged toward the window where Aisena stood.
One step.
Two steps.
Three—he leaped forward, crashing into the window.
Crash!
Glass shattered, along with the wooden reinforcents.
Yu Hong flipped inside, tackling Aisena to the ground.
Thud.
They both hit the floor as he wrenched the scissors from her grasp.
As they landed, he shielded her head and back with his arm, preventing serious injury.
Shards of glass and splinters of wood scattered across the floor.
“Let go!!” Aisena scread, struggling wildly.
“I want to find my dad! Stop dreaming! No!!”
She paid no attention to the shattered glass on the ground, desperately flailing her hands and feet, hitting the floor and Yu Hong. In the process, she ended up with multiple bleeding cuts on herself.
Yu Hong held her tightly, climbed to his feet, and waited six seconds before speaking.
“Your father is right outside. Don’t make a sound! He’s coming back any second!!”
But it was useless. Aisena continued to struggle violently, even reaching for a shard of broken glass, trying to stab it into her own neck.
Yu Hong swiftly snatched the glass away and lifted her high into the air.
Bang!
At that mont, the wooden door slamd open. Li Runshan burst in, eyes red with rage. The mont he saw Yu Hong, he raised his gun and took aim.
“Put my daughter down!! Now!!” he roared, his voice hoarse from shouting too loud.
Yu Hong wanted to explain, but he forcibly swallowed the urge. He had to wait five seconds.
He considered setting Aisena down so she could write sothing, but she was still struggling wildly. If he let go now, she might do sothing terrible!
So instead, he raised a hand and made a calming gesture, trying to communicate with Old Li.
“Put. My. Daughter. Down!!” Li Runshan was already beyond furious. He shouted again, his finger pressing harder against the trigger, his fingertip turning white from the pressure.
Yu Hong was also starting to lose his patience. He wanted to speak, but the contagious nature of the Whisperers’ influence made him hesitate. With Old Li pointing a gun at him, despite the fact that he was trying to save soone, all Li had to do was calm down and verify the situation to understand.
But the usually calm, smiling Old Li was now like a different person—irrational and out of control.
Seeing how completely out of control Li was, Yu Hong felt a surge of frustration.
Whoosh!
He abruptly dropped Aisena and lunged forward, sending a powerful kick straight at Li Runshan’s chest.
But the kick missed—Li had dodged to the side.
Undeterred, Yu Hong charged sideways, slamming into him with his full weight.
He didn’t use any special techniques—just brute force.
Wearing his reinforced White Bear suit, the sheer weight of his armored plating alone was enough to injure an average person.
A full-power collision from his over 200-pound fra would be enough to seriously hurt anyone who wasn’t invulnerable.
The impact sent Li Runshan stumbling off course, forcing him to the ground.
With that, Yu Hong got back up and finally spoke.
“The Whisperers are still here, you idiot!” he roared. “Don’t answer !”
Li Runshan froze for a split second.
Yu Hong took the opportunity to turn toward Aisena—only to see her off the bed, gripping a shard of glass, about to slash her own throat.
Yu Hong imdiately dashed forward, smacking the glass away and grabbing her to keep her still.
“Hurry up! She might be infected by the Whisperers!”
Li Runshan’s rage turned to alarm. Realizing his mistake, he rushed over, moving quickly and precisely. In a flash, he yanked a small towel from sowhere and pressed it over his daughter’s nose and mouth.
A few seconds later, he let go.
Aisena’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.
Clatter.
The glass shard fell to the ground.
Yu Hong let out a long breath. Once he confird that Aisena had truly passed out, he carefully handed her over to Li Runshan.
“You owe for this one,” he said irritably.
He had risked his life to save her, only to be mistaken for a threat and nearly shot. If he hadn’t stood his ground, Aisena would already be dead.
“My Nana… My little Nana!” Li Runshan’s eyes filled with tears. He clutched his daughter tightly, all of his usual composure gone.
Piecing everything together, he finally understood. Yu Hong must have co looking for him and stumbled upon Aisena at the window, already under the Whisperers’ influence. In an attempt to calm her, Yu Hong had approached—only for Li to walk in at the worst possible mont. Then Aisena’s condition escalated, leading to their near-fight.
“I owe you one!” Li Runshan suddenly swung his gun around.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out. His own finger was blown apart, flesh and bone scattering.
Dropping the gun, he pulled out a knife, slicing off the remaining shredded tissue and imdiately binding the wound with bandages.
“This is my apology! I nearly got my own daughter killed! And I wrongly accused you!”
His face contorted in agony, but in his eyes, there was nothing but deep fear and grim determination.
Clearly, the physical pain was nothing compared to the guilt and terror gnawing at him.
Yu Hong was montarily stunned.
He had been furious just monts ago, ready to beat Li Runshan senseless. But he had never expected this.
Staring at Li’s now-missing finger, Yu Hong suddenly saw another side of him.
This man wasn’t just a sly businessman with a constant smile.
“Forget it. Let’s deal with Aisena first. I confird through other thods that the Whisperers infection hasn’t been completely eradicated! That’s why I ca to warn you. And when I arrived, I saw your daughter at the window, holding scissors, about to kill herself.
“I panicked and rushed to stop her, knocking the scissors away. But that’s when you walked in—and everything escalated from there.”
Yu Hong finished his explanation and quickly raised a hand, signaling Li not to speak.
Then, he swiftly relayed the new critical details he had discovered.
Especially the rule—they could only speak after five seconds had passed.
(End of chapter.)
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