Chapter Eighty-Three: Crossing the River

But ‘fishing’ online wasn’t so easy after all, since most of the targets were too far away, outside his territory, and for now, there weren’t any promising prospects.

Not long after, Lin Dong received a private message.

It was from Cheng Luoyi.

“Your profile style is pretty good…”

“Are you complimenting yourself?” Lin Dong retorted.

Cheng Luoyi continued, “I’m planning to head to Jiangqiao District and I’d like to borrow your route. I brought you something as well.”

“So polite,” Lin Dong replied.

Jiangqiao District was right across the river. If they traveled through Lin Dong’s territory, they wouldn’t have to detour, saving a lot of time.

But… Lin Dong was curious.

“What are you going to Jiangqiao District for?”

“Rescue mission. The supply search team from the shelter is trapped there. Why? Interested?”

“Emmm… why don’t you come over first, we’ll talk about it then.”

After replying, Lin Dong put his phone down on the coffee table and leaned back on the sofa, pondering.

Since sooner or later he’d have to face the corpse king on the other side of the river, this could be an opportunity. It might be best to blend in with the shelter’s team, disguise himself as human, and scout the area first, considering he knew nothing about it yet.

The key issue was… how were Cheng Luoyi and her team planning to cross the river?

Were they going to fight their way across Jiangqiao Bridge?

…

About an hour later, a group arrived in Lin Dong’s territory: Cheng Luoyi and Sun Xiaoqiang, with two girls behind them.

Both girls were B+ ranked crystal core awakeners, powerful and highly ranked in the shelter.

“Sister Cheng, this is a five-star corpse nest…” one delicate girl reminded.

“Relax, I brought the toll,” Cheng Luoyi replied, striding ahead without glancing back, making no effort to conceal her aura, walking right down the middle of the road—clearly familiar with the area. On her back, two large blades crossed in an ‘X’, their shape striking and cool.

“Oh…” The two girls nodded, following her.

Indeed, they encountered no zombies along the way; it was smoother than before. Soon, they reached the building.

From afar, they saw a figure standing on the street, dressed in a white shirt, handsome, eyes fixed on them.

“Hiss…” The two girls, well aware of Lin Dong’s true identity and their partnership, still felt tense inside.

Cheng Luoyi and Sun Xiaoqiang, meanwhile, greeted him easily.

“We’re here.”

“Mm.” Lin Dong glanced at the sky; the sun was nearly set, painting the horizon crimson.

“Looks like your operation is urgent.”

“It is,” Cheng Luoyi said. “It’s really dangerous there. The search team could be wiped out.”

Sun Xiaoqiang explained further.

If it weren’t urgent, they never would have acted at night, nor asked Lin Dong for a route.

“Let’s hurry, best to return before dark,” Cheng Luoyi urged, then suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right, this is for you.”

She took a long blade from her back and handed it to Lin Dong. The blade was nearly as tall as a person, with a red fire crystal core embedded in the hilt, shimmering with a dreamlike glow.

Lin Dong examined it.

“This is the toll?”

“Mm, and also for last time. I said I’d pay you next time, and I meant it,” Cheng Luoyi said.

After killing Snake Eyes, she’d scavenged some things on her way back. This long blade was her payment.

“Alright.” Lin Dong took it without hesitation, gripping the hilt—a red glow flashed along the blade, radiating heat as if it could ignite at any moment.

A fine weapon…

He willed it into his storage space.

Then he lifted his gaze, his eyes passing over Cheng Luoyi and Sun Xiaoqiang to the two girls behind them.

“Why isn’t Chen Ming here this time?”

“Because we’re rescuing people, not moving supplies. He wouldn’t be much help,” Cheng Luoyi explained.

In her mind, Chen Ming was basically a porter…

The two girls, under Lin Dong’s scrutiny, couldn’t help but tremble, forcing out a smile despite their fear.

“B-big brother, hello, my name is Zhou Yin,” said the delicate, short-haired girl, introducing herself.

The shorter girl quickly followed suit, “Hello, I’m Zhao Meiling.”

“Hello.” Lin Dong’s narrow eyes squinted slightly, revealing a warm smile.

“Uh…” Zhou Yin and Zhao Meiling were momentarily stunned, struck by a strange feeling—reminded of the boy next door.

That sunny day, you wore a white shirt…

…

They all headed toward the riverbank together; the journey was smooth as expected.

Soon, the rush of water reached their ears. The great river flowed endlessly, its waves sparkling, though the drifting severed limbs ruined the scenery.

“How do we cross?” Lin Dong asked.

Cheng Luoyi’s team was here for rescue. Crossing the bridge openly would be too conspicuous, with elite zombies lurking there.

“Follow us,” Cheng Luoyi said, leading the way downstream. After about two hundred meters, they stopped.

Here, the river was narrower, and the opposite bank was closer.

“Let’s begin.”

…

Zhou Yin and Zhao Meiling’s eyes grew determined, stepping up to the shore.

They slowly bent down, placing their hands on the ground.

At the same time, a chill spread outward, like white mist rolling forward.

The moment it touched the river, the water began to freeze. In no time, an ice bridge formed across the surface.

“Oh?” Lin Dong raised his brows, only now realizing both girls were ice element awakeners.

No wonder…

That’s why Cheng Luoyi brought them.

“Let’s go.” Cheng Luoyi leapt onto the ice bridge first, striding boldly ahead.

The bridge was solid and stable, not even trembling despite the flowing river beneath.

This scene suddenly sparked an idea in Lin Dong’s mind.

If he ever fought the corpse king across the river, he could use this method for a surprise attack—charge straight into the enemy’s territory.

“Hmm, not bad.” The more Lin Dong thought about it, the more satisfied he was.

The crossing went smoothly. Even when aquatic creatures attacked, they weren’t particularly strong.

A few razor-toothed fish leaped from the water.

With a few flourishes, Cheng Luoyi sliced them into pieces.

Her movements were swift and precise.

“Too bad these fish have eaten zombies; their bodies are full of virus, so they can’t be eaten,” Cheng Luoyi lamented.

“You don’t want them? I’ll take them then,” Lin Dong said, unceremoniously stowing the fish in his storage space. His underlings weren’t picky eaters—they were zombies themselves, immune to the zombie virus.

And these fish were sizable, each weighing over ten pounds.

There were no powerful mutant monsters in the shallows.

A few minutes later, they reached the opposite bank. As soon as they stepped ashore, the ice bridge melted instantly, leaving no trace.

Lin Dong looked at Zhou Yin and Zhao Meiling, sensing they could be useful to him in the future.

He stepped forward and took out his phone.

“Let’s exchange contact info.”

“Ah?” The girls’ mouths hung open, shocked.

Did they hear that right?

…