The surrounding circle of zombies tightened, and if it shrank further, the complete annihilation of the able-bodied men would surely spell doom for the village's elderly, weak, women, and children.
Just as they were locked in a desperate, blood-fueled battle, a whistling sound pierced the air.
Arrows, tipped with flames, flew from an unseen source, landing with pinpoint accuracy on the zombies.
Remarkably, the moment the zombies were touched by fire, they erupted in flames, turning into a pile of ash before their very eyes.
"We're saved, we're saved! Someone's come to rescue us!"
The villagers shouted with excitement, their spirits instantly rekindled.
At this moment, Gu Qingcheng and her companions appeared, continuing to unleash a barrage of flaming arrows.
"Benefactors, is that you?"
Liao Xinlang, recognizing Gu Qingcheng, was overjoyed.
Gu Qingcheng nodded, too pressed for time to offer a lengthy explanation. She simply said:
"The monsters fear fire. Use fire attacks. As long as they catch fire, it will subdue them."
"I understand! The monsters favor darkness, and darkness fears the light. Light is fire, so naturally, fire can conquer them."
Liao Xinlang was ecstatic, having conjured his own explanation.
Gu Qingcheng replied, "Alright, as long as you grasp it. Act quickly."
In a flash, under Liao Xinlang's organization, the villagers lit torches.
They discovered this tactic was indeed effective; the monsters would immediately combust upon contact with fire.
With the timely intervention, all the zombies were reduced to ashes.
The battle ceased.
Liao Xinlang rushed forward and bowed to the Gu family, his voice filled with gratitude:
"Benefactors, you saved us once before in Jiren Village, and today you've saved our entire village. Your great kindness will never be forgotten. It is our village's good fortune that you happened to pass by. Without you, we would have suffered the same fate as Jiren Village and been wiped out today."
The Gu family, seeing his sincere gratitude, took a liking to him.
Gu Chaobei waved his hand and said, "No thanks are needed. We were just passing by. It's only right to offer assistance when we see someone in distress. You should quickly take stock and, in the future, if you encounter these monsters again, simply use fire attacks."
"Thank you, Benefactors." Liao Xinlang intended to say more.
Gu Chaobei continued:
"Don't feel obligated to thank us. Similar calamities likely plague many nearby villages. It would be the best repayment for our life-saving intervention if you spread the word about the efficacy of fire attacks. Also, remind everyone to be cautious when fighting these monsters; do not let them bite you. A bite will turn you into one of them, feeding on the flesh and blood of living creatures. In short, be extremely careful."
"Thank you for your reminder, Benefactors. I will spread the word far and wide."
Liao Xinlang offered to host them for a meal in the village, but the Gu family politely declined, citing an urgent need to continue their journey.
Truth be told, with zombies littering the land, eating didn't seem appealing anyway.
Once aboard the boat, Gu Qingcheng let out a sigh of relief and said, "The fire attack technique is indeed useful. And Liao Xinlang's explanation also makes sense. These monsters fear the cold and light; they are creatures of yin. Fire is yang, so using fire to attack is indeed a case of one thing conquering another."
Hu Lanfang and Mi Guo had also seized the opportunity to engage in direct combat with the zombies, achieving considerable success.
Unexpectedly, Hu Lanfang suddenly felt something unusual on her arm. She removed her glove and rolled up her sleeve.
Gu Qingcheng immediately spotted a damaged area on her mother's arm and was startled. "Mom, how did you get injured on your arm?"
Gu Chaobei was alarmed and quickly took his wife's hand to examine it.
Indeed, there was a wound on her left arm, though it was difficult to ascertain whether it was a bite mark or another type of injury.
Hu Lanfang couldn't recall. In the heat of battle, she had been moving left and right. Perhaps she had bumped into a post and scratched herself, or perhaps she had indeed been bitten by a zombie; she hadn't felt any pain at the time. It was only after relaxing that she noticed the abnormality.
The expressions of everyone in the family changed.
Gu Qingcheng said, "Dad, disinfect Mom's wound quickly."
Gu Chaobei didn't dare to delay. He immediately took out iodine to disinfect the wound and administered tetanus and rabies shots to Hu Lanfang.
Hu Lanfang, having received two injections for no apparent reason, felt quite annoyed.
She tried to comfort them, "I'm fine, don't worry. I don't feel like I was bitten by a zombie. However, there is a wound. I don't know if it came into contact with any of the zombie's filth. If I do turn into one of those monsters, you must be decisive and cut me down. I absolutely do not want to become one of those bloodthirsty monsters with blood-red eyes; it's too unsightly."
Although Hu Lanfang was merely a retired community cadre, she still possessed her own aesthetic standards and tastes. While she might not have achieved the level of daily makeup that celebrities did, at least in her perception, zombies were unsightly, and she certainly didn't want to become one. Despite being a devoted couple for decades, she suspected that if Old Gu saw her as a zombie, he might be so horrified that he'd turn and run.
"What nonsense are you talking? And if you keep talking, I'll..."
Gu Chaobei suddenly stopped speaking, covering his face with his hands, his body trembling.
Gu Qingcheng thought her father had suddenly been struck by a fit of laughter. Seeing him shaking so much, she nudged his arm and asked, "Dad, what are you laughing about?" Gu Qingcheng's intention was to lighten the mood.
But Gu Chaobei didn't answer.
Hu Lanfang, however, fell silent.
After a while, Mi Guo hesitantly revealed the truth:
"Sister, Dad isn't laughing. He's crying."
"Crying?"
Gu Qingcheng had never seen Gu Chaobei cry before. Her father was usually placid, kind, and maintained a stable emotional state, providing a steadying influence. She had never witnessed him in extreme joy or sorrow. Therefore, Gu Qingcheng hadn't anticipated that he would cry, which was why she had asked him why he was laughing. Upon Mi Guo's words, she quickly went to shake Gu Chaobei.
Gu Chaobei then lowered his hands from his face, revealing tears streaming down his cheeks. He wiped his tears and said, "It's nothing. If something happens to your mother, I'll go with her."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Hu Lanfang, seeing her husband in such a state, weeping as she never had before, couldn't bring herself to scold him. "Old Gu, you're misunderstanding. If anything happens to me, you should hurry and work with that Ge Hong to research an antidote and save me."
"Right, right, right! How could I be so foolish? There's still the possibility of an antidote." Gu Chaobei quickly slapped his own forehead.
Although being bitten by a zombie could lead to a rapid transformation, and Hu Lanfang showed no immediate signs of zombification, they couldn't be certain there wouldn't be exceptions. Therefore, even though Hu Lanfang hadn't turned into a zombie, she instantly became the focus of everyone's close observation. However, their scrutiny dared not be outwardly displayed, manifesting only in subtle actions.
As Hu Lanfang was peeling an orange, she suddenly looked up and saw Gu Qingcheng secretly observing her, her gaze fixed on her fingers.