Xia Lan: From Meeting a Martial Arts Girl

Chapter 7 Night Raid

Lu Siye was awakened by a strange noise.

At first he thought it was a dream.

The sound was very soft, a rustling sound, like a mouse gnawing on something.

He turned over in his half-awake state, trying to banish the sound from his mind.

But the sound kept getting louder.

rustling, clicking, gurgling.

It looks like something is eating.

They chewed very hard and ate very quickly.

Lu Siye opened his eyes and stared at the wooden ceiling for a while.

The direction of the kitchen.

His first thought was steamed buns; it was perfectly normal for the chubby kid to get hungry in the middle of the night and look for food.

He was already overweight and had a big appetite, and these past few days, with nothing to do on the mountain, he's gotten even fatter.

Lu Siye rubbed his stomach; he was hungry too.

I didn't eat much for dinner, and my stomach is empty right now.

He hesitated for a moment, then threw off the covers, got out of bed, put on his shoes, and pushed open the door to go outside.

The moonlight was so bright that it made the stone path on the back hill appear white.

He walked around two trees, crossed a small clearing, and headed toward the kitchen.

The closer you get, the clearer the sound becomes.

Crunch, crunch, like the sound of chewing bones.

Lu Siye frowned.

What should we eat with steamed buns? Chicken legs? Surely we don't have to gnaw on bones?

He walked to the kitchen door and reached out to push it open.

The door opened.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the kitchen in a dim, half-lit atmosphere.

The stove, cutting board, and water tank are all clearly visible.

A figure was squatting in front of the stove, with his back to him, engrossed in eating something.

"Steamed buns?" Lu Siye called out.

The figure stopped.

Then, he slowly turned his head.

Lu Siye's blood froze instantly.

It was the face of a middle-aged man.

He was in his forties, with rough skin, and wearing a jacket.

But on that face, the eyes were pure white, without pupils or whites.

There is a black mark on his forehead.

"0".

A circle with a horizontal line in the middle.

After hearing what Baozi said, Lu Siye's eyes turned white and a Zero mark appeared on his forehead, indicating that he was a human possessed by Zero.

He stood there, stunned, his mind blank.

The man looked at him and slowly stood up.

A trace of blood and flesh still clung to the corner of his mouth, and he held half of something in his hand.

Then he pounced on him.

Lu Siye's legs felt like they were nailed to the ground; he couldn't move them.

Just as that distorted face was about to collide with him, a hand reached out from the side, grabbed the man by the neck, and slammed him against the wall.

"Bang!"

The wall shook, and the man let out a roar.

Yi Songjin stood in front of Lu Siye, pressing one hand against the man's head, while the other hand glowed with white light.

"Go check on the others!" he yelled without turning his head.

Lu Siye came to his senses.

He turned and ran.

The moonlight was very bright, almost blindingly so.

He ran desperately toward Baozi's room, nearly tripping several times.

The sounds of fighting came from behind: the man's roar and Yi Songjin's angry shout.

He didn't have time to turn around.

Baozi's room is around the corner, then Zhou Che's is ahead, and then...

A dark figure suddenly rushed out from the side and blocked his way.

Lu Siye suddenly stopped in his tracks.

That was a... thing.

It was over two meters tall, completely black, and barely resembled a human, but its limbs were as thick as tree trunks, its body was bloated, and it had no facial features.

Pure zero.

It is not a possessed human, but a fully realized Zero.

Lu Siye wanted to run back.

Turning around, another dark figure blocked their retreat.

That much shorter thing, only a little over a meter tall, stood in the moonlight and looked vaguely familiar.

Child.

Xiao Hai.

The seven or eight-year-old boy was shrouded in black mist, with a "0" shining on his forehead.

He, or rather it, was tilting its head and looking at Lu Siye.

Lu Siye stood between two zeros, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode.

Just as that enormous zero raised its arm.

"Bang!"

A rock hit it on the head.

The thing turned its head and looked at the roof next to it.

Zhou Che stood on the roof, holding another stone in his hand.

"Over here!" he called out.

The giant zero lunged at him.

At the same time, Su Nian rushed out from the shadows on the other side.

Her left hand glowed with a faint white light, and with a wave of her hand, a ball of light slammed straight into the little zero.

"Bang!"

Xiao Ling was thrown away by the impact, crashing into the wall with a scream.

"Lu Siye!"

The sound of steamed buns came from afar.

He stood in the direction of Fusang Square, waving frantically: "Come here! Come here quickly!"

Su Nian rushed towards the little zero, and the white light in her palm shone again.

"Hurry up!" she shouted without turning her head.

Lu Siye gritted his teeth, turned around and ran towards the direction of the steamed buns.

Behind me came the sounds of fighting, roars, and the loud crash of something being smashed.

He didn't dare look back, he just ran desperately, across the open space, across the stone path, until he reached the steamed bun.

Baozi grabbed him: "Let's go!"

The two ran towards Fusang Square.

After running several dozen meters, Lu Siye finally couldn't help but look back.

From the direction of the back mountain, several white lights appeared and then went out.

The fighting continued, but it was no longer possible to tell who was who.

"They..." he asked, panting.

"Never mind them!" Baozi pulled him along, continuing to run. "We're defenseless; let's not cause them any trouble!"

I ran to Fusang Square, where the ancient tree stood quietly under the moonlight, and red wishing ribbons fluttered gently in the night breeze.

Baozi stopped, holding his knees and panting heavily.

Lu Siye also stopped and looked back at the direction of the back mountain.

"Where are the police?" he asked. "Didn't they say the government would handle it?"

"The area down the mountain has been sealed off," Baozi said. "But it will take time to get up here. Let's find a place to hide and wait for the army to come and deal with it."

Lu Siye remained silent for a few seconds.

He looked towards the back mountain, where the sounds of fighting seemed to have subsided.

He didn't know if it was over, or... He dared not think about it.

"Su Nian is injured," he suddenly said.

Baozi was taken aback: "What?"

"I saw blood on her left shoulder when she rushed over," Lu Siye said. "She was already injured."

Baozi opened its mouth but didn't say anything.

"Zhou Che is on the roof," Lu Siye continued. "He only knows how to gather Qi; he hasn't even learned defense yet. When that big zero pounced, he didn't even have anywhere to hide."

Baozi fell silent.

"Where is Xiaoman?" Lu Siye asked.

Baozi lowered his head and didn't say anything.

"Xiaoman is still in the dormitory," Lu Siye said. "She's even worse than us; she hasn't even learned how to gather Qi yet."

Baozi looked up at him and asked, "What do you want to say?"

Lu Siye did not answer.

He turned around and walked towards the back of the mountain.

Baozi grabbed him, exclaiming, "Are you crazy?!"

Lu Siye struggled, but couldn't break free.

Baozi was incredibly strong; her hand gripped his arm like an iron clamp.

"We can't help them," Baozi said, his voice a little urgent. "We'd just be throwing our lives away. The army will be here soon, and they'll handle it. We'd better find somewhere to hide and not cause any trouble."

Lu Siye looked at him without saying a word.

Baozi continued, "I know you want to help, but you can't even stabilize your Qi, and you don't know the most basic attack techniques. What would you do there? Just get yourself killed?"

Lu Siye was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Xiaoman is still inside."

Baozi paused for a moment.

"She's all alone," Lu Siye said. "In her dorm, she knows nothing. If Zero finds her..."

He didn't go on.

Baozi slowly let go of his hand.

Lu Siye looked at him and waited a few seconds.

Baozi gritted her teeth: "Fine. I'll go with you."

The two turned and ran back.

I ran across the stone path, across the open space, and to the entrance of the back mountain.

The sounds of fighting became clearer.

Lu Siye slowed his pace and crept forward along the base of the wall.

Baozi followed behind him, breathing heavily.

As he turned a corner, the scene before him stunned him.

Zhou Che lay motionless on the ground.

The glasses shattered in two and were lying nearby.

His chest was rising and falling slightly; he was still alive, but unconscious.

Su Nian knelt beside him, her left hand covering her right shoulder, blood seeping from between her fingers.

Her face was pale, and beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.

Xiao Ling and Xiao Hai were standing a few meters away, staring at her.

That huge zero is gone.

From a distance, the sounds of fighting and roars could be faintly heard.

It was Yi Songjin; he was still locked in a fierce battle with that big zero.

Su Nian heard footsteps, looked up, and saw Lu Siye and Baozi. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"You..." her voice was hoarse, "Why are you back?"

Lu Siye did not answer.

He glanced at Su Nian, then at Zhou Che lying on the ground, and then at Xiao Ling standing not far away.

Xiao Hai.

The seven or eight-year-old boy was shrouded in black mist, but his face was still recognizable.

Wait, his expression...

Is he struggling?

Lu Siye didn't have time to think it through.

Baozi whispered behind him, "What do we do now?"

Lu Siye looked at Su Nian, then at Baozi, and suddenly said, "Baozi, you and Su Nian stay here to deal with Xiao Hai."

Baozi was taken aback: "What about you?"

"I'm going to find Xiaoman."

Su Nian frowned: "You're alone."

"She's still in her dorm," Lu Siye interrupted her. "Alone. She doesn't know anything."

Su Nian looked at him, remained silent for a second, and then nodded.

Lu Siye turned and ran.

Baozi's voice came from behind: "Be careful!"

He didn't have time to answer.

Go around the corridor, cross the open space, and the girls' dormitory is just ahead.

The moonlight shone on the little wooden house, its doors and windows tightly shut, and it was quiet.

He ran over and pushed the door open.

"Grain Buds!"

The room was empty.

The blankets were neatly folded, an unfinished apple sat on the table, the window was ajar, and the night breeze made the curtains flutter gently.

nobody.

Lu Siye paused for a second, then turned and rushed out the door.

She is not in the dormitory.