Nanzhi had already spoken with Uncle Wang while in the room.
Upon hearing what she saw, Uncle Wang imdiately agreed. He hadn't ventured too far, and he certainly hadn't expected a dangerous creature to be lurking so close.
If Nanzhi hadn't told him, he would have remained oblivious until that monster appeared and devoured them all.
They had to leave imdiately.
While Nanzhi rested, the old man gathered the two uncles and eight children to prepare for the trip. They waited near the entrance, their eyes fixed on the bus.
The uncles examined it closely. The bus body was clearly reinforced. Where had they found this? It certainly didn't resemble the buses used by the nearby school.
Still, with danger pressing, there was no ti for questions.
One of the uncles stepped forward. "I've driven a bus before. If you don't mind, let handle the driving."
That would work. They could focus on guarding the passengers. Nanzhi thought.
"We're leaving? Are we going sowhere nicer, with more people around?" The children's excitent bubbled over.
Bingwen, Hei Qian, and the other uncle placed a ramp at the back and helped Wang Ziqing inside the bus.
They even found a wheelchair. Just how much luck did they have? As far as Uncle Wang knew, there was no hospital within a kiloter radius. A small clinic existed, but it had already been ransacked. Could they really have found a wheelchair in a residential area? From the mont he t Nanzhi, good fortune seed to follow. Uncle Wang thought of her as a lucky star.
It was just a pity for his daughter-in-law. She had to move only a few hours after giving birth. Uncle Wang's heart ached for her.
Bingwen and Hei Qian ensured the wheelchair was secured and made it as comfortable as possible.
Uncle Wang took the seat beside Wang Ziqing. He gently patted her hand. "Daughter-in-law, it's alright. Everything will be fine. If you're tired, I can hold my grandchild."
Wang Ziqing nodded, a faint smile forming despite her exhaustion.
The children settled into their seats beside Feng Ran and Baoyin. "Do not untie the straps until Big Sister tells you to. If you need anything, raise your hands."
"Yes, Big Sister!"
anwhile, as everyone boarded, Nanzhi quietly slipped away toward the dead mangrove tree. She made sure no one was nearby before pulling the tree from the soil and storing it in her space.
Not long after, the bus set off toward the suburbs.
Weihao gently took Nanzhi's wrist and guided her to the last seat, gesturing for her to sit beside him.
"Sleep," he said, patting his lap. His eyes were heavy with concern. "Leave the rest to ."
Nanzhi realized that if she didn't comply, Weihao might do sothing even more… embarrassing.
She was right. Weihao was ready to hug her, wrap her in a blanket like a dumpling, and let her rest on his lap.
"Wake if anything happens," Nanzhi murmured, placing her head on his lap. The ntal fatigue she felt only hit her once her head rested there. Her eyelids grew heavy, and soon she drifted to sleep, after one final ntal exploration.
Weihao brushed loose strands of hair from her face. Though he was relieved that Zhi Zhis was less cold, but her habit of shouldering all burdens alone still concerned him.
Unknown to them, just minutes after they left, a massive green toad appeared near the children's park. Its throat swelled to a size large enough to swallow a truck.
"Ribbit." It croaked. One flick of its tongue smashed everything in its path to the ground, even the park's tal fence.
The park ca into view. The toad stretched its neck and sniffed the air. Upstream, it detected a sweet, bloody scent and followed it here.
But the scent had vanished. The toad raised its head in confusion.
Nanzhi had been ticulous. After delivering the baby, she had cleaned all traces of blood, disposed of the bloody garnts and blankets, and even used bleach to mask the scent.
The toad found nothing.
Already furious that its eggs and nest were gone, and now having lost a potential al, it erupted in rage.
With a stomp of its hind legs, it leapt into the air.
The ground shook where it landed, forming a large crack. The shockwave toppled slides and swings sideways.
"Ribbit." It thrashed, seeking the scent again.
When it passed over the soil where the dead mangrove had stood, sothing changed. The dead mycelium of the mushrooms stirred back to life.
Suddenly, the toad sensed sothing. Excited, it croaked loudly and leapt into the air.
"RIBBIT!"
Thanks to Weihao's preparation, the bus reached the suburbs safely.
Seeing their previous location, the Wang family, uncles, and children remained alert. They feared monsters might reappear.
For now, though, the street was calm.
It wasn't until they noticed burnt corpses scattered on the road, that they understood what had happened.
Mr. Lin and his party had left the shelter for quite so ti and must be behind this. They could not fathom how much these people had done for them. Waves of relief and gratitude washed over them.
But relief was short-lived. The road ahead was blocked by piles of debris.
The uncle driving slamd the brakes.
"What? Didn't we clear this road before?!" Feng Ran exclaid, stunned.
Bingwen and Hei Qian also stood up, eyes scanning the blockage.
Lu Jian, hiding in an alley twenty ters away, watched Lin Weihao's convoy approach the blockade he had set.
To his horror, a bolt of lightning effortlessly tore through and scattered the debris in an instant.
Lin Weihao narrowed his eyes, detecting the scent of blood in the air. It didn't belong to an alien beast. It was human.
Among the scattered debris, he noticed so dirty sheets soaked in fresh blood.
Nanzhi's words before crossed his mind: "If there are eggs nearby, the parents must not be far off."
"Drive fast!" he shouted.
The uncle driver did not question him and pressed the accelerator.
The others grew anxious.
Lu Jian's face paled. Eyes wide, he quickly spoke into his walkie-talkie. "Emperor Lan, I've done as you said! Can you pick up? I'm at—"
On the other end, Lan Fuyou's voice ca with a sharp, sarcastic edge. "Good job, Lu Jian. Now I have no doubts about your loyalty. I will rember your sacrifice for the rest of my life." He ended the call.
"Emperor Lan? Emperor Lan!"
Lu Jian stared at the device, panic setting in. He had to escape, fast.
But he hadn't manage to take a single step, when a loud croak cut through the air.
"RIBBIT!"
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