Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 318: Chapter 44 The Cry of the Crane and the Sound of the Wind

The former site of the ancient Ganzhao Temple, now the headquarters of the Sixth Field Army of the Black Star armored vehicles.

The rain poured down, shallow red droplets stinging the skin with a searing pain. If you exposed your mouth and nose to the rain, you would feel an even more choking and spicy sensation.

Amongst the dilapidated rubble of the bombed temple, a gaunt figure disregarded the highly radioactive red rain and was rummaging through the ruins.

This was a skinny, darkly tanned boy, barefoot with his protruding ribs, his expression numb.

Suddenly, he pulled a silver-inlaid bone flute from beneath a green tile.

He stared at the bone flute before his eyes for a while, then opened his mouth, showing off his darkened teeth as he bit down on it a few times, naturally to no effect.

The hazy light pierced through the rain; the gaunt boy, like a frightened rabbit, turned around and dashed away through the downpour, his feet splashing water with pattering sounds.

Thump.

The boy ran headfirst into a pair of black mixed-fabric trousers, and sat down on the ground with a thud.

Looking down, Liang Zhengyong saw the skinny boy sitting on the ground.

The boy looked up blankly, and when he saw the crisply ironed black military uniform, his whole body involuntarily began to tremble, while he shifted his body backward and flailed his arms.

A rough, broad palm slowly enlarged in front of the boy’s eyes, ultimately covering the top of his head.

“Are you okay?”

Liang Zhengyong’s voice was deep. His gaze shifted to the bone flute in the boy’s hand, and the deep creases on his face seemed to grow more profound.

“…”

Liang Zhengyong signaled his subordinate to stuff a box of canned fish meat into the boy’s arms and pointed from the bone flute to himself.

Gazing down at the tin can in his hands, the boy, seemingly finding strength from somewhere, threw down the flute and ran off with the can.

The rain washed over the ground, and Liang Zhengyong bent down to pick up the bone flute. If one were paying attention, they’d notice that despite standing in the rain, his clothes and skin were not touched by a single raindrop.

This bone flute, made from the leg bone of some animal, had turned somewhat black from age. Even with the silver inlay, it still looked ugly and brutal.

Liang Zhengyong stared at the bone flute for a moment. His parched lips pursed downward, and even under the torrential rain, a golden flame ignited on the ugly flute. The smoke billowed until the bone flute was completely burnt to ashes.

He stood still, as a female aide with a shapely figure, holding an umbrella, approached from behind.

“General, there is a request from the front line,” she said.

“Go on.”

“Captain Zheng’s unit has cornered the tribe of the exiled Qiao. They have them trapped in the mountains, and Captain Zheng suggests burning the forest to leave none alive.”

“Why come to me specifically?”

“Among those who follow Qiao, a third are children and the elderly. It’s difficult to confirm whether these people are coerced or diehard loyalists…”

Liang Zhengyong’s gaze pierced through the torrential rain, as the gaunt boy crawled into a shelter made of tin and wood. The sound of rain scarcely masked the chirpy cheers emanating from the shelter.

“We don’t have time. This is a necessary sacrifice.”

The female aide nodded, then hesitated before speaking again. “Additionally…”

“Hmm?”

“The situation isn’t looking good for Major General Liang. In the Great Demon Lake area, they’ve found more than one fourth-tier genetic zombie soldier, with unique abilities that are difficult to deal with. For the specifics, please review this.”

“Tell Xiaozheng once he completes his mission, he doesn’t need to rush back. Head straight to Great Demon Lake to support Liang Wei and Qiao Xing.”

While speaking, Liang Zhengyong took the document from the female aide’s hand, flipping through a few pages casually, only to furrow his brow as the situation seemed worse than he had anticipated.

Who could have imagined that the Sixth Field Army, which nearly conquered Zone B in two hundred hours, would stumble over a mere Great Demon Lake.

“Let’s forget it.”

He closed the file.

“I’ll go there myself.”

…

After Li Yan finished speaking, he also felt a bit embarrassed. Having haggled over premium equipment for so long, and then asking for junk in the end, it wasn’t a matter of being poor, it seemed a bit like nitpicking.

However, the greasy-faced quartermaster didn’t show any sign of other intentions.

“Are you planning to assemble and repair it yourself?”

He probed.

“This situation is also fairly common among Hunters. But don’t say I didn’t warn you, the technological content of Black Star’s products is not on the same level as the antiques you usually deal with. It’s common to spend money and end up with junk. Think it over.”

Li Yan nodded: “Of course.”

The quartermaster called over a young guard whose face still bore the marks of youth.

“Take him to Warehouse Number Four.”

After speaking, he faced Li Yan again: “The warehouse has large machine tools and other spare parts, the rental fee is five hundred yuan per hour. Whatever you take out, you’ll be charged one third of the original part’s price, how does that sound?”

“Couldn’t be better.”

Li Yan smiled.

He followed the guard, and as soon as they stepped out, the passing crowd burst into a loud hustle, pouring in one direction. Large transport vehicles sped in from the end of the road while medical personnel, with bloodstains on their hands and hurried expressions, carried stretchers. From the look of it, the injured were coming back from the frontline.

Amid the crowd, Li Yan immediately spotted Song Zuo, quietly squatting under a telephone pole, smoking.

“This way, sir.”

The guard tapped him on the shoulder.

Li Yan asked casually: “Where are these wounded coming from?”

“I’m not too sure either,” the guard shook his head, glanced a few times, then said uncertainly: “Seems like they’re Major General Liang’s men.”

“Is the battle not going well?”

“How could that be, Ramu Jue’s stronghold has been wiped out.”

The guard didn’t seem to know much about the situation at Great Demon Lake or was simply very confident in the combat ability of Black Star’s tank.

Li Yan largely agreed with him, having seen the Sixth Army’s level of equipment. Even if Great Demon Lake had seven or eight so-called fourth-tier gene-enhanced soldiers, it would be tough for them to make a direct impact.

Against warplanes, tanks, and large-capacity aerial bombs, the downfall of Great Demon Lake was just a matter of time.

“Please wait for me a moment.”

Li Yan said and quickly walked towards Song Zuo, raising his hand in greeting: “Waiting for me?”

Song Zuo exhaled the butt of his cigarette: “One hundred thousand yuan could buy me several lives.”

Li Yan took out a long box from his mark, which contained two light purple syringes.

These syringes belonged to the second-tier transformation medication, a signature of Black Star’s tank, named “Steam Giant.” Superior in quality to the common “Wanderer,” they could quickly enhance physical functions, akin to a watered-down version of the third-tier “Wandering Deity” mixed with third-tier “Steel Skull.” Internal standard pricing within Black Star’s tank was fifty thousand yuan, but ordinary people were not qualified to buy them; there was no market price.

Incidentally, these syringes could also treat common and complicated diseases, which was a characteristic of most gene-related medications in the Age of Winter; if genetic collapse was disregarded, they were akin to the all-purpose pills sold on the streets in the past: cure diseases if sick, strengthen the body if not…

In the wilderness, these types of syringes were hard currency.