Chapter 67: Clues to the Armory

“Good, good! I’ll go right away, I’ll go right away! Let me tell you, I found out where the armory is back when I was a blacksmith, helping them fix the main gate. Their security is extremely tight—those iron doors are half an inch thick, an ordinary broadsword wouldn’t even leave a mark!” Seeing the leader agree, Dong Iron Hammer’s face lit up with joy, as if he’d glimpsed light in the darkness, barely restraining himself from kneeling in worship before the leader.

The men, women, old, and young following him also burst into cheers. Last night’s zombie riot had left them all terrified. Even though no zombies actually made it out of the ravine, the looming sense of danger made even hiding in the warehouse feel as if a sword was suspended over their heads, ready to drop at any moment.

Watching these people break down in gratitude, Du Yun found little pleasure in her heart. Only when Taozi quietly edged closer, secretly clutching Du Yun’s sleeve, did a trace of happiness stir within her.

“Stay with the group, don’t wander off. There will be plenty of zombies on the way,” Du Yun whispered to Taozi. Earlier, just the four of them had faced peril at every step. Now, with a whole group of people, most of whom couldn’t fight, things would only get more chaotic.

Taozi, with no ability to defend herself, needed to be extra careful, but Du Yun couldn’t keep her close at all times. Their team would inevitably draw the zombies’ attention, making them the most dangerous target.

“Okay. It’s so good to have you here, sister,” Taozi said, holding onto Du Yun’s sleeve, her dependence clear as she gave a sweet smile.

By this time, the group had left the side path and headed in another direction. Dong Iron Hammer walked nervously beside Da Zhuang, his face etched with fear, as if a zombie might leap out and tear him apart at any second.

“Hurry it up. We need to reach the city in ten days. If you slow us down and we don’t make it, don’t blame us for leaving you behind,” Skinny Monkey said, unimpressed by Dong Iron Hammer’s behavior. Such a burly man, yet acting so small and timid—who was he trying to fool?

“Yes, yes, of course.” Dong Iron Hammer grumbled under his breath but nodded quickly and picked up his pace.

After about half an hour, they reached the foot of a small hillside. Atop the rise stood a two-story building, enclosed within a large yard. From a distance, the windows above yawned open, pitch black, giving no hint of what lay inside.

“That’s the place. The town’s police station and the garrison’s armory are right there—just down from that building,” Dong Iron Hammer said, glancing at the structure and shivering for reasons he couldn’t explain.

“Alright,” the leader nodded, glanced at Dong Iron Hammer, and then strode toward the building, weapon in hand.

Du Yun, however, looked over the crowd. She disliked the thought of the leader and his men charging in while the rest sat idle. Approaching them, she said to Dong Iron Hammer, “Divide yourselves into two teams. One stays outside to keep watch, the other goes inside with us.”

“What? You want us to go in and die?” Dong Iron Hammer shuddered at her words but said nothing. The woman beside him, with an air of seductive arrogance, shrieked in protest.

“Die? Aren’t we just going in to get weapons?” Du Yun paid the woman’s outburst no mind, her gaze fixed on Dong Iron Hammer.

“Yes, yes, just to get weapons—how is that dying?” Dong Iron Hammer turned and glared at the woman before sidling up to Du Yun with a fawning smile. “Miss, look at us—we’re not fighters. Going in would just make things worse. How about we follow behind and help carry things out?”

“Enough talk. Pick your people—go inside!” Du Yun, watching their little performance, felt something was off. She glared at Dong Iron Hammer and barked the order harshly.

“Alright, alright, we’ll go in!” Dong Iron Hammer seemed to have resigned himself. He dejectedly picked a few to go with him. To everyone’s surprise, both Taozi and his own son were among those entering with him, while the seductive woman was left outside.

“You’re really going in?” the woman cried as Dong Iron Hammer headed for the building, her tears falling like petals in a storm. She looked as though she’d cling to his leg and never let go, but her rather plain features made her resemble a battered blossom after heavy rain.

“Sister, I’m scared,” Taozi whispered, tugging at Du Yun’s sleeve, clearly understanding what was happening.

“Don’t be afraid. We’ll just grab some weapons. Once we’re out, we won’t have to fear zombies anymore,” Du Yun comforted her gently, resolving to keep Taozi close when they entered—if danger came, at least she could protect her a little.

“Okay!” Taozi trusted Du Yun implicitly. With a couple of deep breaths, she steadied herself.

With the teams chosen, one group remained at the gate to defend, while the other, led by the leader and his people, prepared to pry open the doors and retrieve the weapons.

The two-story building looked unremarkable, but its defenses were formidable. The surrounding wall stood two meters high, topped with barbed wire and shards of broken porcelain. When they reached the main entrance, they found a massive iron gate tightly shut, everything inside unnervingly quiet—no clue whether anyone was within.

“Could there really be someone in there?” Da Zhuang and Skinny Monkey kept watch at the door, muttering to each other. Suddenly, their scalps prickled as they leaped back in alarm. A pair of bloodstained hands shot through the narrow gap—barely an inch wide—clawing desperately from within.

“Zombies! Zombies are here!” The people following Dong Iron Hammer could no longer control their terror, screaming in panic. The timid ones huddled together, trembling like quails, while the bolder ones shouted hysterically before finally retreating to the group, their nerves barely recovering.

With swift, practiced motions, Da Zhuang and Skinny Monkey, standing closest to the door, swung their blades down, severing the zombie’s arm with a wet chop. Blood spurted across the ground, yet the zombie seemed oblivious, ramming its head against the door, clawing and snapping, desperate to break through.

“Are we… still going in?” someone in the crowd asked hesitantly. “These zombies look terrifying—much worse than the ones in town.”

That remark caught Du Yun’s attention. Looking again at the zombie battering its head against the iron door, she felt a jolt of alarm. In just that short time, the half-inch-thick iron door was already bulging outward from the repeated blows.

“Damn, this zombie’s strength… Could it be a second-tier one?” Du Yun’s brow furrowed. Just how many evolved zombies had they encountered along the way?