NOVEL WEB Chapter 28: Digging pits to plant trees, boiling water to brush meat
Despite their fear, they all entered. Each person stood with weak limbs and numb muscles, leaning against one another. Fighting zombies might lead to a quick and relatively painless death, but the threat was different here. The cauldron suggested a more gruesome fate, and with their bosses tied up, their chances of survival seemed uncertain.
Wu Ping rose from his seat, and Cao Ling shouted, “Stand up straight and be quiet!” The atmosphere immediately hushed, except for the continued arguments of the two bald brothers.
Wu Ping spoke, “Introduce yourself. My name is Wu Ping. I believe you’ve heard of me. I don’t like nonsense. I called you here with one question: Do you want to die or live?”
“We want to live! We want to live!”
“I’ve only bullied the weak and avoided the strong. I haven’t harmed the world or killed anyone. I’m just seeking asylum. They forced me.”
“Please, let us go. We promise never to return.”
A chorus of pleas filled the air. At the edge, one person remained silent, his eyes fixed on Wu Ping. After a moment of hesitation, he shouted, “Big Brother, do you still know me?”
Wu Ping turned his attention to the young man, recognising him as having shared intelligence earlier.
“Yes, of course. Come here.”
Beckoning the young man over, Wu Ping was genuinely pleased to see him. The young man approached with anxiety, unsure of what would happen.
“Why are you here? You mentioned going out to scavenge. Why are you with them?”
Dong Sheng’s face wore a bitter expression. “I went out, nearly died, and returned to the shelter, but it got overrun by corpses. So, I ran out with them.”
Wu Ping patted him on the shoulder. “Okay, we’re old acquaintances. You can live.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Dong Sheng knelt, thanking Wu Ping. “Brother, I’ve killed people, but never innocent ones. Thank you. My name is Dong Sheng. From now on, you tell me to go east, I won’t go west!”
Wu Ping dismissed the concern. “It’s not a big deal. Come on, look at them. You can pick a few.”
Pointing to the bald man’s younger brothers, Wu Ping suggested, and seeing Dong Sheng reporting to him, their fate took a new turn.
In the midst of the crowd, someone shouted, “Dong Sheng, I gave you food!” Hoping that mentioning the selected person’s name could spare his life. Little did he know that these would be his last words. A bloody fireball swiftly flew, turning the speaker into charred remains.
“I asked Dong Sheng to pick them; I didn’t ask you to talk,” Wu Ping declared, silencing everyone. Dong Sheng, uncertain of Wu Ping’s intentions, could only watch as five people were selected.
Wu Ping instructed, “Come, come, give them tools.” Tools like pots, spoons, and brushes were handed to the selected individuals, even Dong Sheng received two.
“Today, your task is to pour boiling water on them for me and then brush them. Don’t do it too hard. Brush slowly. The longer, the better. The rest of you, get a tool and follow me.”
With those words, Wu Ping turned and left. The bald brother, hearing this, exploded, realising they were to be tortured to death. But before he could curse, a pot of boiling water landed on the long-haired man’s head, thrown by Dong Sheng.
The bald brother, in disbelief, realised that Dong Sheng was siding with Wu Ping. He wanted to survive, even if it meant being a subordinate. Frustrated, he thought being a follower was better than facing a gruesome fate.
While venting his anger, Dong Sheng shouted, “I’ve been unhappy with your long hair for a long time. Your guy harmed Xiaoya. She was only ten years old! Do you think I forgot? I haven’t forgotten. It’s been more than a year. I dream of her every night, telling me she hurts!”
As the hysterical rant continued, Dong Sheng expressed his own understanding of the dark reality. In a broken world, morality shattered, and everyone struggled to survive. This act of brutality was Dong Sheng’s only flicker of light in the darkness.
Boiling water splashed on flesh and blood, causing instant redness and swelling, with excruciating pain stimulating the cerebral cortex. The brush, applied afterwards, caused flesh and blood to slough off on the spot. The screams persisted, but everyone worked quickly.
Wu Ping led them to dig a pit for an undisclosed purpose. Periodically, he commented to the supervisor, “Bigger, deeper.” The screams echoed as minutes passed, and Wu Ping believed more people would understand the consequences of encroaching on his territory.
Despite his ability to return to the doomsday world at any time, Wu Ping wanted to safeguard his magical tree idea. Planted in this world, it served as his foundation for safety and insurance. As night fell, the gruesome work continued.