Chapter 36: Brushing Shoulders with Death

Bang!

With a powerful kick, Kong Zhe finally burst through the door to the rooftop of the mall. Just like the ground below, everything here was now blanketed in a world of white snow. Standing at the doorway, Kong Zhe quickly and discreetly scanned his surroundings. He soon confirmed there were no monsters on the rooftop, nor were there any harpies or other flying beasts circling in the sky above.

Turning around, he noticed the young girl behind him shivering uncontrollably as the cold wind swept past her. The temperature outside was likely around minus fifteen degrees Celsius. Thanks to his awakening, Kong Zhe’s resistance to cold had greatly improved, but Xiao Lei was just an ordinary girl, dressed far too thinly to withstand such frigid weather.

There was no time to find her warmer clothes. After a moment’s thought, Kong Zhe shrugged off his own windbreaker and draped it over her shoulders.

“Hang in there a bit longer. It won’t be cold for much longer,” he reassured her.

Feeling the coat settle around her, Xiao Lei immediately sensed a significant drop in the chill.

“Okay!” she replied, her cheeks tinged pink as she looked up at him with a sweet smile. The coat was so large it nearly swallowed her whole, and it still retained Kong Zhe’s body heat. She hurriedly tightened it around herself, as if trying to capture and keep this warmth and sense of safety.

Normally, nobody ever came up here, leaving the rooftop vast and empty, with only a few large boxes scattered off to one side. On the western edge of the rooftop stood another tall building, perfectly aligned with this one, connected by a broken bridge between their rooftops.

Not wasting any time, Kong Zhe quickly cleared a path through the snow to the broken bridge, brushing the accumulated snow off the iron surface. The bridge, aged and rusted, looked weathered by the years, but he judged it sturdy enough to hold for a short while.

Returning to Xiao Lei, Kong Zhe crouched down and indicated his back. “Hop on!”

“Huh?” Xiao Lei hesitated, the urge clear in her eyes but held back by shyness. She nervously fidgeted, her fingers tapping against each other.

“Hurry up, or I’ll leave you behind!” Kong Zhe threatened lightly, seeing her indecision.

“No, don’t!”

That was all the encouragement she needed. She quickly climbed onto his back.

Once settled, Xiao Lei’s face was flushed, but her heart brimmed with an irrepressible joy she couldn’t quite explain. Especially now, so close to him, she felt as if something about him was irresistibly drawing her in, making her want to be even closer. The thought left her heart racing and her cheeks burning.

Kong Zhe stood, testing her weight. She was light to begin with, and with his strengthened physique, carrying her was no burden at all.

“Xiao Lei, do you know what we’re about to do?” he asked.

She instinctively glanced at the broken bridge in the distance, swallowed hard, and stammered, “Y-yes, I know.”

“Are you afraid?”

She shook her head vigorously, but after a moment's hesitation, she gave a tiny nod.

“Don’t worry. Just hold on to me. If you’re scared, close your eyes. It’ll be over before you know it,” Kong Zhe comforted her, seeing the fear on her face.

She nodded quickly, squeezing her eyes shut and wrapping her arms and legs tightly around him like an octopus.

“I didn’t mean right now...” Kong Zhe chuckled softly.

Of course, he wouldn’t just jump across without any precautions. He thought for a moment, then pulled a rope from his ring and wrapped it securely around his waist and Xiao Lei’s body, binding her tightly to him in case anything unexpected happened.

“Sir!”

At that moment, the rooftop door swung open again and Hong Ling stumbled out, her hair disheveled, shivering in the wind. But she ignored the cold, rushing over to Kong Zhe, grabbing his sleeve with tears in her voice. “Sir, I beg you, take me with you! I won’t have any more schemes, I promise to be your woman from now on, please, don’t leave me behind.”

Hong Ling was truly terrified now. There was no food left here, and monsters prowled the floors below. Staying meant certain death. Once, she’d believed her beauty and talent could win over any man, but this person before her seemed immune. Though she had some hope of awakening, it would take time—a luxury the monsters would never grant. Worse still were the people on the fifth floor. The looks they’d given her moments ago had filled her with dread: men’s eyes full of lust, women’s eyes burning with jealousy and hatred. She hadn’t hesitated to bully them when she was sheltered by Zhang Qiang; now, if Kong Zhe left, she knew her fate would be utterly miserable.

Then came the sound of more footsteps; the survivors from the fifth floor now crowded the doorway as well. They all knew Kong Zhe wasn’t likely to take them, but with no other escape, they had to try—hoping for a miracle.

Hong Ling shrank back against Kong Zhe, frightened by the approaching crowd.

Kong Zhe, however, was amused by her plea. Did she think this was some melodramatic soap opera?

He shook his head and moved away, pointing coldly at the broken bridge with a sneer: “You want me to take you? Fine—if you can jump across, I’ll guarantee it.”

“What? That’s impossible!” Hong Ling gasped, staring at the distant bridge in disbelief.

“Why is it impossible?” Kong Zhe retorted. It was only five meters. Even a woman could make it if she could set aside her fear. The real obstacle was lacking the courage to even try.

He shook his head, ignoring the others, and whispered to Xiao Lei, “Remember to hold on tight, especially after we jump. Don’t move, understand? Otherwise, we could both die.”

Without another word, he stepped back a few paces, then sprinted down the cleared path, picking up speed. As he ran, a visible stream of solidified magical energy gathered under his feet, providing extra grip and preventing slips.

He reached the edge of the broken bridge, bent his knees, and with a powerful leap, launched himself into the air. In the astonished eyes of the crowd, Kong Zhe soared like a great eagle, carrying Xiao Lei straight for the far side.

At that moment, Xiao Lei found she was no longer afraid. In fact, as she felt the upward momentum, she instinctively opened her eyes.

How beautiful!

The sight before her took her breath away. For a moment, time seemed to slow. The world was a vast expanse of white, and she and Kong Zhe, like a pair of immortal lovers, were flying together through the snowy air. Snowflakes swirled around them, but the fierce winds and biting cold were all kept at bay by the man carrying her. All she had to do was rest quietly on his back.

Yet, gazing at the world below, she was struck by a profound sense of unfamiliarity.

Never before had it snowed like this. The polite, well-dressed people of the past now wore expressions twisted with madness, greed, and desire. Monsters had appeared overnight, filling the world with blood and violence.

Was this still the world she once knew?

Xiao Lei tightened her hold on Kong Zhe, as if seeking comfort in his scent, burying her face against him.

To die together—would that really be so bad...?

But as she entertained the thought, a pure white snow swallow streaked through the distant sky, flying fast and true—heading directly for the gap between the buildings. By sheer coincidence, its flight path and Kong Zhe’s jump would intersect.

Neither party noticed the other amid the swirling snow.

“No... What am I thinking...” Xiao Lei suddenly shook herself free of such thoughts. “How could I be so selfish?”

“Brother, sister, Tuan Tuan, and me—we all have to live... No matter how strange the world becomes, some things will never change...”

The thought was like a ray of sunshine, banishing the shadows from her heart.

Just then, a gust of wind blew through, and by some stroke of fate, the snow swallow was swept off course. It shot like a bullet into a water tank on the mall rooftop with a loud bang, leaving a bloody smear and a dented metal panel, startling everyone present.

Crunch.

Kong Zhe landed steadily on the far side, boots sinking into the soft snow.

He let out a breath of relief. No accidents—he’d made it safely. He even patted Xiao Lei’s hands to reassure her, “It’s all right. We’re safe now.”

He had no idea he’d just brushed past death once again.

On the far side, the little dog was itching to try the jump itself. It made several attempts, but each time, it stopped short at the edge, whimpering, and once nearly tumbled off completely.

Kong Zhe quickly ordered it to stop. The distance might be feasible for a human, but for a small kobold like the dog, it was nearly impossible. He told it to go downstairs and wait at the entrance of this building.

“Woof woof!”

The little dog barked twice, then turned and disappeared into the stairwell.

The more than twenty survivors on the other side watched the scene with complicated emotions. A few considered attempting the jump, but after a few tentative steps, fear overcame them and they gave up.

Kong Zhe did not linger, nor did he pay attention to the people left behind. He quickly found the entrance leading inside, kicked open the door, and stepped in.

...