Chapter 44 - 42: Dead City, Catharsis!

Chapter 44: Chapter 42: Dead City, Catharsis!

At noon on the eighth day.

Liu Zimo, along with Yang Sisi and Ye Feihong, soared into the sky above Xishan City. Under the scorching midday sun, the city below unfolded completely before their eyes. Demon Beasts, surging like an ocean tide, had completely engulfed the city.

As far as the eye could see, most of the city’s buildings had been reduced to ruins, leaving behind a landscape of absolute devastation. The major streets were entirely occupied by dense, swarming masses of Demon Beasts. These creatures were either resting and dozing or casually strolling around. Apart from the occasional beastly roar, the massive city was deathly silent.

Not a single human figure could be seen; not a single human voice could be heard.

On the ground and amidst the rubble, not a single human or Demon Beast corpse remained. There were only large, dried patches of blackened blood that glared under the sunlight, as if proclaiming the tragic massacre that had occurred here days ago.

It had been exactly eight days since the Demon Calamity descended.

A Tier-4 small city like Xishan City naturally lacked the heavy military garrison of Shangjing City. Consequently, any talk of rescue operations or defensive lines was entirely out of the question. Therefore, everything before him was exactly what Liu Zimo had anticipated.

Like the vast majority of small and medium-sized cities across the nation, Xishan City had been reduced to an isolated, dead city under the onslaught of the Demon Beasts! Even if the majority of ordinary people trapped inside had luckily avoided the initial sudden attack, they would eventually be forced out of their shelters a few days later due to a lack of essential water and food. After all, others did not share Liu Zimo’s thirty years of Post-Apocalypse experience, which had ingrained in him the habit of stockpiling at least half a month’s worth of basic survival supplies at every residence. Thus, the fate of those ordinary surviving residents was all too easy to guess.

"SOB..."

Yang Sisi’s shoulders trembled as she couldn’t hold back her soft sobs. Clearly, she had also considered the high probability that her parents and relatives had met with a tragic end during the Demon Calamity. Although they hadn’t returned home to confirm it yet, seeing the deathly silence of the city and the endless horde of Demon Beasts covering the land, a heavy sense of foreboding had already settled in her heart.

"Let’s go. We’ll check your home first, and then we’ll head to a nearby supermarket to resupply some essential goods," Liu Zimo said, offering no words of comfort. He knew that the agony of losing one’s family couldn’t be easily erased by a superficial "my condolences" from an outsider. Some things had to be experienced and endured by the person themselves; outsiders couldn’t help at all.

Three minutes later.

Guided by Yang Sisi, the trio landed in front of a residential building in the eastern part of the city. As was their routine, Liu Zimo stood by the sidelines to rest and watch over them, while Yang Sisi and Ye Feihong both charged forward to eradicate the Demon Beasts entrenched or wandering nearby.

In less than thirty seconds, nearly fifty ordinary Demon Beasts perished by their hands. The commotion was minimal, failing to draw much attention from other creatures in the vicinity.

Liu Zimo nodded in satisfaction. He had to admit, after eight days of special training, both Yang Sisi and Feihong had grown at an astonishing rate. Their current combat prowess could already rival that of some elite Warriors in the military thirty years from now! Even without him standing guard to protect them in the future, the two girls should be more than capable of surviving well in this Post-Apocalypse!

Having cleared the obstacles at the entrance, Yang Sisi rushed into the building’s lobby first and sprinted up the stairs. Liu Zimo and Ye Feihong followed slowly behind her into the stairwell. Seeing the shattered, messy debris and the splatters of blood sprayed across the walls, Liu Zimo knew immediately that native animals within this building must have undergone Demon Transformation. Otherwise, given the massive size of the Outer Realm Demon Beasts, they wouldn’t have been able to squeeze into such a narrow stairwell at all.

"This is why keeping pets for no reason is just asking for trouble," Liu Zimo murmured with a sigh, noticing the scattered patches of animal fur on the steps.

According to incomplete statistics from a certain official Federation organization in his past life, nearly a third of humanity during the early stages of the calamity didn’t die in the jaws of the Outer Realm Demon Beasts that fell from the sky. Instead, they perished under the claws of the pets they had lived with day and night—a truly shocking and heartbreaking fact. Therefore, after his rebirth, Liu Zimo had warned his father, uncle, and younger brother more than once: absolutely do not keep pets! Not even a cricket, a small fish, or a snail!

"AH!"

At that moment, Yang Sisi’s tragic, agonizing shriek echoed from the floors above. Liu Zimo and Ye Feihong quickened their pace. Arriving at the thirteenth floor, they saw Yang Sisi slumped on the floor in the living room of the Yangs’ home, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Liu Zimo swept his gaze across the room. The sofa, coffee table, and television in the living room were all shattered and scattered across the floor. The pristine white tiles and walls were mottled with bloodstains. The balcony window had been smashed from the inside out by something, leaving a massive hole over two meters wide. With the front door open, gusts of hot wind blew in from outside.

It was obvious that Yang Sisi’s family had also kept some kind of pet. After its Demon Transformation, not only did it attack its owners, but it eventually shattered the window and left at its leisure. The three distinct patches of blood on the walls and floor indicated that at least three people had died a gruesome death on the spot. There was a ninety-nine percent chance that Yang Sisi’s parents and younger brother had already lost their lives to the beast.

Holding Ye Feihong’s small hand, Liu Zimo stood quietly in place, watching Yang Sisi weep and wail on the floor. She looked exactly like he did back then, entirely consumed by grief when he learned of his father and brother’s deaths and rushed home. The pain of losing loved ones was impossible to comprehend unless one had experienced it firsthand. Necessary catharsis and mourning would help ease the sorrow and agony in Yang Sisi’s heart. Therefore, Liu Zimo did not rush her. Instead, he simply stood by, giving Yang Sisi ample time to vent her pain and accept reality.

Fortunately, they were on the thirteenth floor. Although Yang Sisi’s loud cries inevitably attracted the attention of some Demon Beasts, very few could leap this high. Even if a few expert climbers managed to scale the walls, they were quickly and effortlessly slain by Feihong.

Just like that, Yang Sisi wept bitterly in the living room for over ten minutes, while Feihong struck down a dozen Demon Beasts drawn by the noise.

"Let’s go," Liu Zimo spoke up at the right moment, noticing that Yang Sisi’s cries were weakening and knowing she had fully accepted the reality before her. "If you still can’t get past it in your heart, go outside and hunt a few more Demon Beasts. Use their flesh and blood to mourn your parents and relatives. They are the true culprits who cost you your family!

"Once you have the strength to slaughter every last Demon Beast on Earth, your family’s deaths will be considered avenged!"

Shifting her focus gave Yang Sisi a much clearer outlet for her emotions. This was speaking from Liu Zimo’s own experience. It was also the very reason why many survivors in his past life managed to keep living through the Post-Apocalypse. In many cases, the power of hatred truly could make a person stronger!

Just as expected, upon hearing Liu Zimo’s words, the murderous aura and Martial Dao presence radiating from Yang Sisi instantly skyrocketed to their peak. The tears and sorrow vanished from her face, replaced by endless killing intent and hatred. Coincidentally, a horde of Demon Beasts had gathered downstairs, their continuous roars echoing from below. Without hesitation, Yang Sisi leaped out through the massive hole in the window, plunging into the herd to unleash a frenzy of indiscriminate slaughter.

Seeing this, Ye Feihong habitually moved to follow her down, but Liu Zimo reached out and pulled her back. Seeing the little girl look up at him in confusion, Liu Zimo explained softly, "Let Sisi handle this alone this time. She needs a good outlet to vent!

"Otherwise, bottling up too much sorrow and grief inside will drive a person mad!"

Hearing this, Ye Feihong nodded gently, half-understanding. She stood obediently beside her master, looking down with him at the battle unfolding below.