Chapter 256: I Was Too Arrogant
Chapter 256: I Was Too Arrogant
The highway beside the park stretches north and south, known as the Jing-Hong Expressway. Following this route north passes through Ebei and eventually leads straight to the capital.
It seems like survivors across the country have heard Ebei’s broadcast because many are heading that way. Each survivor group has a trail of zombies chasing them, forcing the groups behind to clear out the zombie hordes left in their wake before they can continue north — a miserable chain reaction.
Before long, Lei Jiang’s group has only been heading north for about an hour when they encounter a roadblock of zombies. Plans can’t keep up with changes — if they want to intercept Anran’s group, they’ll have to clear the highway as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, Anran and Yun Tao are also moving in fits and starts with the three children in tow. The national highway isn’t easy to travel; every so often, they come across abandoned vehicles scattered in disarray — signs that survivors have likely run into zombies during their escape. Whether anyone has managed to survive is unclear.
Yun Tao’s strength-based ability proves especially useful in moments like these. He can now lift a car with ease, so he takes charge of clearing obstacles while Anran handles the zombies.
On these remote stretches, with no one around to watch, Anran unleashes her ability — commanding nearby plants to devour the zombies. Before long, the entire stretch of road is swept clean, with Anran’s greenery consuming every last zombie, even those trapped inside vehicles after she smashes their windows to let her vines in.
Once the road is clear, Yun Tao turns back and glances at Anran, who hasn’t moved a single step from where she’s been standing beside the car the entire time. He presses his lips tightly together, says nothing, and silently climbs back into the car.
He drives them onward for another half hour before they hit another zombie roadblock. From behind him, Anran’s voice calls out,
“Brother Tao, wait a moment before getting out. I’ll deal with the zombies first.”
“No need.”
Yun Tao opens the car door and gets out. He motions for Anran to join him. When she steps out, Yun Tao walks up to her, reaches behind her waist, and suddenly draws her combat knife.
Anran freezes, barely having time to react before Yun Tao swiftly moves. With a single fluid motion, he runs the blade in a circle around her neck. Her long hair tumbles to the ground, leaving her with a short haircut.
“Brother Tao...” Anran stares in disbelief, wide-eyed and stunned. She reaches up to touch her freshly shorn hair, feeling her cool, exposed neck. “What are you doing?”
“Your ability’s strong, but your reflexes are slow. Sooner or later, you won’t be able to protect yourself — or your children.” Yun Tao’s stern gaze locks onto hers, his expression cold and sharp. “Think about it — if I’d truly wanted to hurt you just now, you’d have died twice over in that single second.”
Only then does Anran realize her back is drenched in sweat. She lowers her head, staring at the greasy strands of her chopped hair gleaming in the sunlight. Her neck feels cold, and her long hair lies scattered at her feet. Biting her lip, she lowers her voice and murmurs,
“I’m sorry... I was too arrogant.”
“Too arrogant?” Yun Tao scoffs, handing her knife back. “More like completely clueless!”
His harsh words make Anran’s face flush red and pale in turns. But unlike before, back when they were still in the residential complex and she would have felt resentful, she now accepts Yun Tao’s scolding with genuine humility.