Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Bloodstained High Heels
Carefully turning the tightly closed door lock, Hu Xiaodong gently nudged it with the back of his cleaver. Only after the back door emitted a series of creaking sounds did he wave at Wu Chao, gesturing for him to enter.
One after the other, Hu and Wu were extremely cautious in their movements. Although they hadn’t felt much tension or fear while outside, as soon as their feet stepped into the small house, the unknown pressure made them instinctively alert.
Using the mottled spots of light scattered by the setting sun on the marble floor, Hu Xiaodong raised his eyebrows and began to assess the layout of the house.
In the south of the small house, there was an almost 40-inch LED LCD TV, placed on a cabinet. Opposite the cabinet, a row of light-colored fabric sofas formed a semicircle, atop which lay a pure white long-haired plush bear. It rested quietly, surveying its surroundings like the owner of the house.
Hu Xiaodong continued forward, and he could roughly infer the age and gender of the house’s resident by its furnishings.
However, this was not his focus. The safety of the house and whether there were any zombies were the urgent matters he needed to ascertain.
Suddenly halting his steps, Wu Chao stopped in his tracks, sniffing the air warily twice before approaching Hu Xiaodong with a suspicious look.
"Hu, did you smell that...?"
"Look there!" Before Wu Chao could finish his sentence, Hu Xiaodong’s slightly raised right finger had already pointed outwards.
Wu Chao turned his head somewhat puzzled, and instantly his pupils contracted sharply, a chilling sensation sweeping over him.
Following Hu Xiaodong’s finger, Wu Chao could clearly see two long drag marks. Although they appeared somewhat dim due to the high temperature’s steam, their horrifying red color revealed their true nature: "blood stains."
The blood stains extended beyond Hu and Wu’s line of sight, accompanied by some chaotic and erratic blood prints. Even from afar, it was enough to strike fear into anyone’s heart. One could only imagine the terror and helplessness the individuals faced at the scene of the incident!
Taking a deep breath, Hu Xiaodong and Wu Chao each tightened their grip on their weapons, simultaneously exchanging warning glances with their companions behind them.
The atmosphere instantly became tense. Tang Xiaoquan’s eyes narrowed into sharp frowns.
Undoubtedly, this was the situation he least wanted to see. Although he knew these situations were unavoidable, when it actually happened...
If his previous assumptions were correct; if the front door of the house wasn’t closed; if there really were hordes of zombies inside, then...
This was a despairing inference. Tang Xiaoquan instinctively pushed it out of his mind. He began to pray, like most people do in times of crisis, asking heaven to protect their group and allow them to escape danger successfully.
Wu Chao and Hu Xiaodong exchanged a look, then, back to back, each holding their weapons, they cautiously advanced into the house.
Watching the two gradually fading figures, Tang Xiaoquan’s frown deepened.
He couldn’t help but worry about what might happen next, so without hesitation, he decisively drew the grooming scissors from his waist and called out gravely, "Xiao Wen, come in and help me!"
"Oh, oh, okay, alright!" After hesitating for a couple of seconds, Wen Quanxin immediately responded affirmatively.
"Hey? Then, then what about me?" Wang Qiang raised his sharp eyebrows, slowly straightening his waist that was leant against the railing, his tone laced with a hint of fatigue.
Tang Xiaoquan had no time to explain much to his brother’s inquiry, although he knew the former had a strong personality, but his current physical condition was truly...
"The back door is our key to escape, Qiang, I need you to stay here and guard it!"
With an incomparably serious look, Tang Xiaoquan placed his hand on Wang Qiang’s shoulder as if entrusting him with a lifelong wish.
"Huh?" Wang Qiang seemed startled by this level of solemnity and didn’t realize that Tang Xiaoquan’s words were just an excuse.
He immediately replied with the same seriousness, "Don’t worry, leave this to me!"
No more words were wasted. Every second delayed meant increased danger.
Tang Xiaoquan led Wen Quanxin into the house, planning to establish a buffer zone between Wu Hu and the back door.
This way, they could stay updated on what was happening ahead.
Additionally, if Wu Hu encountered danger, they could offer timely assistance.
Stealthily, Hu Xiaodong edged forward along the blood stains. Judging by the deepening marks on the ground, he was getting closer to the starting point of the blood trail.
Images of Lin Muye’s gruesome death scene flashed again in his mind, causing his heart to involuntarily pound erratically.
In front of him was another half-open door. Wu Chao raised his bat, inserting it into the opening crack.
"One! Two! Three!" As his third finger lifted, Wu Chao suddenly applied force, and the titanium rod swung the door open.
"Ugh~" Almost instinctively, Wu Chao crouched down, barely taking in the room’s interior before being overwhelmed by the pungent stench that struck him.
Hu Xiaodong’s stomach churned in response, but thinking about the team’s safety, he forced himself to suppress the nausea and closely surveyed the room.
A corpse lay on the bed with its stomach half-open, splattered blood turning the celebrity posters on the wall red.
Scattered bones lay carelessly around the room, leaving no hint as to which part of the living being they belonged.
Unwilling to witness the inhumane carnage any longer, Hu Xiaodong took a deep breath, then stepped forward to close the door again.
Without the overwhelming odor, Wu Chao’s discomfort slowly subsided.
Wiping his saliva-stained lips twice, he asked with a slightly disheartened look:
"How, how was it, Hu, inside?"
Silently shaking his head, Hu Xiaodong preferred not to revisit that scene. He exhaled towards the sky, then tightened his grip on the cleaver, stating calmly, "Let’s go! To the front door!"
With an incredibly heavy heart, Hu Xiaodong led the way. Walking back to back with Wu Chao, he could even feel the tension in his partner’s muscles, tight as steel.
This series of abrupt changes in the other worried Wu Chao even more.
After approximately 5 or 6 steps, Hu and Wu finally rounded the living room, reaching their target: the front door.
A pair of high heels scattered by the entrance caught their eyes. One shoe, in particular, had a sole smeared with bloodstains, suggesting the owner once tried to use it to fend off pursuing zombies.
Yet, Hu Xiaodong had no interest in discovering the fight’s outcome, for the open door beside it had already captured his full attention...