Chapter 131: Li Qingshui No. 17

"How should I know what to do? I expect we'll have to evacuate the city, just like them..." Liu Chang pointed to the sky, where flying beasts blotted out the sun, and shouted, "We have to run!"

"Haha, didn't you ask Mr. Li Qingshui a while back when he would notify the public to evacuate? What did he tell you?"

"He said I didn't need to notify anyone—they would figure it out for themselves." Liu Chang covered his head to shield himself from the droppings of the layers of birds and beasts above and yelled, "I was puzzled when I heard that, wondering how the public could possibly know on their own. Now it seems there's indeed no need for notifications; these things have come to tell us themselves that danger is here."

"This is way more spectacular than the animal migrations during the earthquakes," Mo Sanpang bellowed.

"That's because the Great Willow is far more terrifying than any earthquake!" Liu Chang ran through the narrow alleys toward his bar. The people running alongside him on the road wore masks of profound terror.

"So where are we running to?" Mo Sanpang continued to shout, bumping into a young girl as he rushed forward.

"Follow Li Qingshui; that's our best chance of survival." Liu Chang pulled the girl up and kept running down the street, hands shielding his head.

"Does he have a plan?" Mo Sanpang asked.

"What? Speak up! The animals in the sky are too loud." The hundreds of millions of flying creatures overhead created a cacophony of sound far more intense than a busy airport. As Liu Chang ran, the constant buzzing made him feel faint.

"I asked, where does Mr. Li plan to run?" Mo Sanpang hollered at the top of his lungs.

"Where else? North! Do you think we could go south?" Liu Chang shouted back. "Or do you want to witness the apocalypse as vines cover the entire world? If you really want to see that, I won't stop you!"

"I actually would like to see such a magnificent sight." Mo Sanpang followed Liu Chang back to the entrance of the bar, pulled out his keys, and went inside, brushing bird droppings off his clothes. "But it's not worth losing our lives over it."

"Haha, true." Liu Chang shook his body, shedding the bird and insect waste onto the floor. "I’m curious about what the Great Willow looks like too. I only know it's incredibly powerful, but I haven't actually seen its current form."

"Perhaps we'll get the chance to see it when we die," Mo Sanpang sighed.

"You're back. Have some hot water." He Zhizhi stood in the hall, looking at the two dirt-covered men, and handed a cup of hot water to Liu Chang.

"What about mine?" Mo Sanpang asked.

"I've only got one hand; if you want water, pour it yourself." He Zhizhi pushed Mo Sanpang aside and began wiping the bird droppings off Liu Chang’s head with a towel. "How is it out there?"

"A total mess. The sky is full of insects, birds, and other flying beasts. They’re all acting like lost souls, moving in swarms, not even attacking each other—just flying and flying." Liu Chang took a sip of hot water to soothe his throat. "The apocalypse is truly here. In a few days, the ground will be swarming with beasts and insects. We have to leave before they arrive. Creatures that travel on the ground are much more troublesome than those in the sky."

"Why?" He Zhizhi asked.

"Do you really have to ask?" Mo Sanpang poured himself a glass and took a huge gulp. "Think about it. The ones in the sky don't usually get in your way, but the ones on the ground? Forget about being crushed by giants; think about the tiny insects. If there are as many of them as there are birds above us today, even if they didn't want to eat you, just passing by would be enough to bury you alive!"

"Have you ever seen a sea of insects two meters deep? That’s what it’ll probably be like in a few days." Mo Sanpang shivered as he spoke, frightening himself with his own words.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s evacuate!" He Zhizhi was clearly terrified by the scenario.

"No rush. Li Qingshui hasn't said a word, which means the time isn't right yet," Liu Chang said, taking another sip of water.

"You listen to him for everything—sooner or later he's going to get you killed." The young girl emerged from the inner room with a backpack on and weapons strapped to her body. "I've packed my things. If we're going, we should go today. If we wait for the biological wave of ground-dwellers, none of us will make it out."

"Yes, we definitely have to leave today. By tomorrow, the fast-moving ones might already be in Zhengzhou," Liu Chang said. "You all wait here. I'm going to the research institute to see how things are with Li Qingshui."

"Alright, alright, go quickly." He Zhizhi continued to wipe the bird droppings from his hair.

"Stop wiping, I'll just get covered again as soon as I step outside." Liu Chang shook his head, pushed away the towel, opened the iron door, and plunged back into the dark, lightless world.

"Wait for me. I'll be back soon."

Running through the streets without Mo Sanpang to slow him down, Liu Chang pushed his speed to the limit. He darted through the narrow alleys like a dark shadow, his footsteps striking the ground in a rapid, rhythmic beat.

Before long, he had crossed half of Zhengzhou and dove into the even more chaotic research institute. Amidst the frantic soldiers carrying out orders and moving equipment, he ducked into Li Qingshui’s laboratory.

Inside, he found the man holding an infant, feeding it milk.

"What the hell?" Liu Chang stared at the baby. "What’s going on? Why the sudden burst of maternal instinct?"

Liu Chang walked up to Li Qingshui and looked at the infant in his arms. The baby hadn't opened its eyes yet; it was smacking its lips, sucking on a murky, viscous substance from a bottle. The liquid looked one-third like milk and two-thirds like some other synthetic concoction. A label reading "17" was attached to the infant's swaddling clothes.

"Whose child is this?" Liu Chang asked.

"It is my child," Li Qingshui replied.

"I’m asking you seriously, whose child is this?" Liu Chang said urgently. "The world is ending out there! Why are you holding someone else's baby? Is it a relative's?"

"This really is my child," Li Qingshui looked at Liu Chang. "Or rather, this is me."

"What are you talking about?" Liu Chang saw the expression on Li Qingshui's face and realized he wasn't joking. "I’ve never seen you get married, and I’ve never seen you with a woman."

"This is my child. To be precise, it is my seventeenth clone—Li Qingshui Number 17."