Free Web NovelChapter 187: the blade cut deep.
But this time, she did not finish him in one strike. The blade cut deep, but not enough. Bai Li swung the sword a second time. This time, when the sword fell, the male zombie went still.
Bai Li looked at her right hand. As expected, one hand still could not kill a zombie in one go. But the difference between now and the first day was huge. Back then, she had struggled a lot more. Even the act of raising the sword had felt heavy. Now, the movement felt smooth and far more controlled. Besides, these two zombies were already wounded, and most of the foul smelling blood in their bodies had almost drained out. That was why there was less blood splashing around when she killed them now. Bai Li felt a bit relieved about that. She did not like getting zombie blood on her clothes or skin. Every time it happened, she could not help imagining all the ways things might go wrong if one careless splash landed on an open wound.
"Let’s go," Bai Li said, and continued walking toward the 7th floor.
Yan Cijin followed behind her with the kukri. She did not speak, but her eyes stayed on Bai Li’s back for a moment longer than necessary. She could tell Bai Li was killing zombies much more easily now than before. In the hospital, even with both hands, Bai Li had still needed two strikes to kill a zombie. But now she could take one down in one go, and the difference was obvious enough that Yan Cijin did not need anyone to explain it to her.
What shocked her more was that Bai Li still did not seem to be using her full strength.
The stairs continued downward in a silence broken only by the faint sound of their steps and the occasional scrape of a shoe against concrete. The windows Bai Li had opened let in hot air from outside, but that was still better than leaving the stairwell sealed up with the smell of death trapped inside. Yan Cijin glanced at Bai Li’s profile from time to time. In the dim stairwell light, Bai Li’s face looked calm and focused, almost too calm for someone who was casually killing zombies as they went. Her expression did not show any panic, and there was a kind of steady confidence there that made Yan Cijin’s heartbeat shift a little.
It was not the kind of feeling that came with obvious fireworks or anything dramatic. It was more subtle than that. A small jump in the chest when Bai Li turned her head to speak. A brief pause when Bai Li stepped back just enough to let her pass. A strange little warmth when Bai Li, without looking at her, still remembered to keep the stairs clear for her. Yan Cijin did not say any of that out loud. She only kept following. But her attention kept slipping toward Bai Li again and again, which was already enough to tell the story.
Bai Li, for her part, was also aware of Yan Cijin’s presence in a quiet, steady way. Every now and then, when she turned just slightly and found Yan Cijin already watching her, she felt that tiny, hard to explain flicker in her chest. It was not the kind of heart racing that came from fear. It was stranger than that. It felt like standing too close to a source of heat. Not burning, just enough to make you notice it. Bai Li had been through enough chaotic moments to know the difference. And because she knew the difference, she also knew better than to let herself think too much about it while they were still in the stairwell.
Still, when Yan Cijin reached out at one point to steady the backpack on her shoulder, Bai Li’s fingers tightened on the sword for a second before relaxing again. Yan Cijin’s hand only touched the bag strap, but the brief movement brought them unavoidably close. Close enough that Bai Li could feel the soft brush of Yan Cijin’s sleeve against her arm. Close enough that she could smell the faint clean scent of clothes and soap on Yan Cijin, mixed with a little bit of the warm air from the stairwell. Bai Li’s breath hitched almost imperceptibly. It was only a second. Then Yan Cijin had already let go and stepped back half a pace, looking completely normal. Bai Li kept her eyes on the stairs and told herself to stay focused.
They had not even reached the lower floors yet, and already the stairwell felt like a battlefield. But compared to the first day they had gone out together, this was already much better. The zombies were fewer than expected, and Bai Li’s ability was stronger too. Every time she moved, the sword seemed to answer more smoothly than before. That kind of visible progress was reassuring. It meant she was not just surviving by luck. She was actually getting stronger. In a world like this, that mattered more than almost anything else. freewebnσvel.cѳm
They went down another floor and another half floor, clearing the way as they moved. Bai Li did not rush too much, but she also did not linger. If she found a zombie, she took it out quickly. If there was an opening, she moved immediately. Yan Cijin kept pace with her very well. There was no hesitation in her steps, and she did not ask unnecessary questions. That alone was enough for Bai Li to appreciate her more than she said out loud. Cooperation was valuable now. People who understood when to stay quiet and when to act were even more valuable.
At one point, Bai Li stopped briefly near the stair landing and looked down at the narrow passage ahead. There was another zombie below, swaying in place with its head tilted toward the sound of movement above. Bai Li lifted her sword slightly and turned her head to Yan Cijin. "Stay a little behind me."
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To be continued.
