PTYS Chapter 141

The email had been read thoroughly. Xiao Muyu and her companions had fully confirmed the origin of the virus. However, they were puzzled by the fact that there wasn’t just one original zombie. Xiao Muyu could be considered among the first batch of infected individuals, but she hadn’t shown symptoms. This raised questions about those zombies who were infected without being bitten.

Xiao Muyu was still contemplating this when Shen Qingqiu shut down the computer, erased all traces of their internet activity, and whispered, “We should leave now.”

She had been feeling uneasy, and Xiao Muyu knew exactly what Shen Qingqiu was worried about. Not wanting to attract trouble at such a critical moment, Xiao Muyu nodded, and the three of them quickly retreated from the secret room.

Shen Qingqiu stood to Xiao Muyu’s left, while Zuo Tiantian was behind them. As they reached the stairway on the second floor, a sudden sense of danger gripped Shen Qingqiu, causing her to halt abruptly.

Noticing something was off, Xiao Muyu turned her head in surprise, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes darted around nonchalantly, surveying the surroundings. Apart from the three of them, there was no other movement. She smiled calmly at Xiao Muyu, “Nothing, I was just worried we might have missed something.”

Saying this, she took Xiao Muyu’s hand. Just as she was about to continue down the stairs, Shen Qingqiu’s expression changed drastically. She pulled Xiao Muyu into her arms forcefully with her right hand while sliding her right foot down the steps behind Xiao Muyu. Leaning back, two hands suddenly appeared out of thin air, each holding a small syringe, aiming at the spot where Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu had been standing.

The attack missed, and the assailant let out a frustrated cry. He quickly retracted his hands and disappeared without a trace, eerily swift.

Unfortunately for him, he underestimated Shen Qingqiu’s reaction. After dodging, Shen Qingqiu firmly supported Xiao Muyu by the waist. Xiao Muyu, sensing her intention, twisted her body in sync, and they switched places instantly.

Shen Qingqiu hooked her right foot around the middle pillar of the staircase railing, extended her right hand to grab the handrail, and propelled herself onto the railing. With a swift airborne kick, she struck with precision and force.

Though there seemed to be nothing there, both Xiao Muyu and Zuo Tiantian saw Shen Qingqiu’s right foot hit something invisible.

A muffled grunt followed, and something heavy fell, rolling down the stairs to the first-floor landing.

Although the attacker was invisible, the noise was enough for Shen Qingqiu to pinpoint his location. She released her grip and leaped down the remaining steps, her dagger already in hand, sweeping it across.

A stifled cry of pain was followed by drops of blood and a fallen syringe.

The research facility’s entrance was right by the stairs. After reaching the platform, two staircases led to the second floor on either side.

Shen Qingqiu quickly picked up the syringe and noticed a trail of blood leading to the other staircase.

With a cold sneer and eyes filled with killing intent, she was about to give chase when she heard a sharp noise and Xiao Muyu’s urgent shout, “Corridor on the second floor, ten o’clock direction, be careful!”

Shen Qingqiu rolled forward twice, narrowly avoiding two crossbow bolts that embedded in the ground.

Her face as cold as frost, Shen Qingqiu glanced up at the retreating figure and warned, “Muyu, Xiao Zuo, be careful, stay hidden.”

Suddenly, a black vine shot up from the first floor, coiling around the staircase railing near Xiao Muyu.

In the next moment, three thorny vines sprouted from the main vine, whipping towards Xiao Muyu.

The vines moved so quickly that Xiao Muyu had to drag Zuo Tiantian as they ran towards the second floor.

There were already ambushers on the second floor, and now someone was blocking the door on the first floor. This situation was more than Xiao Muyu had anticipated, and even Shen Qingqiu hadn’t expected someone in the enemy team to possess such a strange attack card.

Meanwhile, Xiao Muyu glanced at her own cards, confirming her previous suspicions that a showdown with the other teams was inevitable.

Not all functional cards were prohibited here, and with Su Jin absent, the situation looked grim.

Fortunately, Xiao Muyu still had Chen Kaijie’s A-grade kitchen knife, which could fend off the vines for now. But if two more people joined the fray, things could take a turn for the worse.

The person using the crossbow on the upper floor glanced at the vines and paused momentarily. Clearly, he was smart enough to know that Shen Qingqiu intended to join Xiao Muyu, so he fired several bolts at the stairway entrance to block her path, forcing Shen Qingqiu to stay on the first floor.

Shen Qingqiu looked up and saw not just one person on the second floor, but someone trying to come up from the first floor under the cover of the vines. This wasn’t just one team!

For the first time, Shen Qingqiu felt such intense anger. The person on the third floor was someone she recognized, a gaunt face with triangular eyes—it was Chen Xi, who had used his brother as a human shield in the first mission.

Chen Xi knew well of Shen Qingqiu’s abilities, so he targeted her specifically, trying to keep her pinned down.

“What a pity, I didn’t kill you in the first mission, giving you another chance to disgust me.”

Dodging his bolts, Shen Qingqiu taunted coldly, her eyes fixed on Xiao Muyu.

Chen Xi sneered at Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu, his face twisted with malice, “It’s all fate. I survived, and now I meet you here. Weren’t you so arrogant back then? Today, you can join my brother in hell.”

With that, he leaped into the air, hovering, and fired his crossbow at Xiao Muyu.

Xiao Muyu had just cut through a vine when a smaller tendril wrapped around her hand, blocking her path, leaving her no way to dodge.

Shen Qingqiu’s face changed dramatically as his eyes turned red, “Mu Yu!”

At that moment, Zuo Tiantian threw up a wall in the second-floor corridor to block others from approaching, also stopping the arrow.

But three vines pierced through the wall instantly and continued their pursuit.

The situation remained critical, but Shen Qingqiu felt her heart start to beat again. She shouted to Zuo Tiantian, “Little Zuo, the red rope!”

Zuo Tiantian, flustered and limited in strength and cards, quickly threw a red string card to Shen Qingqiu upon hearing her command.

Shen Qingqiu darted forward, dodging several arrows angrily shot by Chen Xi, and caught the card.

Turning back with a cold sneer, Shen Qingqiu said, “Today, not even the Emperor can save you. If we talk about finding your brother, he’d definitely prefer it was you, you scoundrel.”

When their team had gathered at the start of the instance, they reported in full, so Chen Xi likely knew who Xiao Muyu was from the beginning and had been waiting for this opportunity.

“Captain, act quickly! Don’t spare any cards. This is our team’s only chance to clear the level.”

Chen Xi, looking tense, hadn’t yet seen any special skills from them but was uneasy seeing the card in Shen Qingqiu’s hand.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t hesitate, ignoring Chen Xi as she threw the red string, tying it to the column in the second-floor corridor where Xiao Muyu was, swinging across just in time to catch the opposite staircase railing. With a forceful move, she flipped up.

She dodged Chen Xi’s short arrows with a crouch, grabbed two arrows, and flung them hard as Chen Xi raised his bow again.

Chen Xi didn’t expect Shen Qingqiu to have such a skill and was hit directly in the left eye by one arrow, screaming as he fell from mid-air.

The person controlling the vines downstairs hesitated, then the vines surged like wild snakes.

Zuo Tiantian’s wall was instantly shattered, but by then, Shen Qingqiu had rushed over, her knife unstoppable, cutting down the tough vines which writhed on the ground.

The thorny vines were like nothing to Shen Qingqiu. Despite her clothes being torn and bloodied, she didn’t care.

After pulling Xiao Muyu out, the fierce aura around Shen Qingqiu subsided a little.

Xiao Muyu, eyes anxious and slightly angry, said, “Shen Qingqiu, you’re not made of iron.”

She had underestimated the situation; this group had come so quickly, they must have been lying in wait.

Seeing Shen Qingqiu, the two people opposite hesitated, but when they saw her about to take Xiao Muyu away, the leading woman darkened her eyes and pulled out a flute.

As the music started, Xiao Muyu felt dizzy, and Shen Qingqiu and Zuo Tiantian also swayed, indicating a group attack.

Even the attacking vines slowed down.

The woman approached while playing, and Shen Qingqiu tried to cover her ears, but it was useless.

Barely standing, Shen Qingqiu shielded Xiao Muyu, her eyes dark with fierce intent, “I warn you, don’t touch her, or you’ll regret it.”

But Lin Shuang didn’t stop. A man beside her walked up with a steel rod, eyes devoid of pity.

He didn’t regard Shen Qingqiu as a threat, let alone the wobbling Xiao Muyu and Zuo Tiantian.

He gripped the rod tightly and swung it down. As the rod descended, he vaguely heard the fierce woman’s low words but paid no mind, remembering that villains die from talking too much.

He intended to eliminate this frighteningly strong woman first, lamenting the necessity.

No matter how strong, an adult man’s full-force swing would cause severe injury.

Shen Qingqiu’s vision blurred as the iron rod loomed closer. Amid the haze, she heard a song, “ka go me ka go me.”

Then, everything went black, and she collapsed sideways.

Xiao Muyu turned pale, fear and panic evident even after taking measures. Seeing Shen Qingqiu struck down, she rushed over and held her. The eerie, sweet children’s song filled the entire lab building with a creepy atmosphere.

“Vice-captain!” Zuo Tiantian, initially frightened and angry, also rushed over.

In her leap, Zuo Tiantian realized she had regained control of her body, her voice loud and clear.

At the same time, not only Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu fell but also Lin Shuang, who had been playing the flute.

Lin Shuang hit the ground heavily, blood streaming from her left forehead, forming a pool.

This eerie scene, combined with the chilling song, was terrifying.

In the song, Shen Qingqiu, lying on the ground, opened her arms to hold Xiao Muyu, standing up slowly as the terrified man circled them.

With a cruel smile, Shen Qingqiu took the rod from him and struck down.

Amidst the painful sound of bones breaking, the man fell heavily, hitting the second floor.

Beforehand, the team had shared their cards. Zuo Tiantian recalled that this was an S-rank card Xiao Muyu drew in the orphanage, Cage Stitches.

Targets within range are forced to circle, transferring damage from a designated ally. Lasts 30 seconds. Shen Qingqiu transferred her injuries to Lin Shuang, a brilliant move!

The vines entwining them were forced to rotate, their ends shaking violently, unable to break free.

“Are you hurt?” Despite knowing the card’s effect, Xiao Muyu was still worried, fearing the blow Shen Qingqiu took, so she anxiously checked Shen Qingqiu’s left side. “Does it hurt?”

Shen Qingqiu shook her head, holding Xiao Muyu’s hand, “No pain. The timing was perfect. I’ll go down first, you wait.”

With 30 seconds to transfer damage, now was the time to retaliate.

She jumped straight from the second floor, startling Xiao Muyu, who called her a brute.

Lin Shuang, unconscious, had twisted legs. Zuo Tiantian shivered at the sight.

Fearing Shen Qingqiu might miscalculate, Xiao Muyu followed.

Downstairs, Shen Qingqiu grabbed Chen Xi’s neck and threw him aside, taking his weapon and shooting his left leg.

At the door, several people, including Jiang Wei and his team, stood. The vines belonged to Jiang Wei.

With Cage Stitches still active, Shen Qingqiu, seeing the tense group, quickly aimed at Jiang Wei, firing two arrows.

Jiang Wei had to sever his vines, curling defensively to block the arrows, pleading, “Let’s talk.”

Shen Qingqiu, eyes cold, aimed the crossbow at Jiang Wei’s eyes, “Talk? What do you want to talk about?”

She charged at him. Jiang Wei’s vines lashed out, but passed through her as if through water.

Stunned, Jiang Wei froze. Shen Qingqiu, already past the vines, plunged her knife into his abdomen, and the vines withered.

Jiang Wei’s group, shocked by Shen Qingqiu’s ruthlessness, stood still.

Even Zuo Tiantian was stunned, only Xiao Muyu, watching Shen Qingqiu, looked with resignation.

Shen Qingqiu’s actions were as expected; when it involved Xiao Muyu, her kindness vanished.

Coldly, Shen Qingqiu twisted the knife, Jiang Wei clutching her hand, kneeling in disbelief.

Without lowering her head, Shen Qingqiu said, “Everything else can be discussed, but if you target her, it’s you or me.”

Jiang Wei’s eyes filled with regret as he fell, dying with wide eyes.

“I won’t kill you today, but your secret mission, you’d better abandon it. Otherwise, this will be your fate. Harm her, and I won’t let you live.”

Thirty seconds passed, Jiang Wei’s last act left a deep cut on her arm, but she seemed unaffected, looking at the others.