C16 The Betrayal of His Family

"What the hell is happening?" Wang Gang was petrified, his voice trembling as he bellowed in shock.

Qin Feng understood the reason but offered no explanation.

The abyssal monsters were not only vicious but also cunningly intelligent, and their numbers were vast.

Before launching their assault, the Devil Eye Ratmen split into two factions.

One group was tasked with the offensive, bursting into the banquet hall to drive out the people inside.

The other Devil Eye Ratmen lay in wait along the path, ready to slaughter any humans they encountered.

The monsters were strategic in their roles, adept at not only setting traps but also choosing the optimal locations for them.

Thus, heading to the parking lot was a death sentence. Only by sprinting in a different direction could they hope to escape the monsters' siege.

Having dealt with these creatures of the abyss for a decade in his past life, Qin Feng was intimately acquainted with their behaviors. Without hesitation, he led Wang Gang in the exact opposite direction, urging, "We need to move, now! While the others distract the monsters, we'll find a place to hide!"

Just then, a piercing scream rang out.

Qin Feng whirled around to see Zhong Yanan, who had been running with the crowd toward the parking lot, now pursued by a pack of monsters.

"It's Zhong Yanan! Qin Feng, you've got to save her!" Wang Gang, who had witnessed the scene as well, forcefully shoved Qin Feng, who had been leading the way.

"Okay." Clenching his jaw, Qin Feng paused for a mere second before turning back.

The success of his and Zhong Yanan's second plan hinged on each other, compelling him to brave the peril to rescue her.

Zhong Yanan was engulfed in a sense of helplessness. She had managed to escape with the crowd, but as they realized the parking lot was teeming with monsters, they scattered. Only a handful of people remained by her side.

Among them were Lu Shaojie, his parents, and her stepmother, Aunt Wang.

They were family, after all, and in the face of danger, they instinctively tried to stay united.

But as the monster drew closer, they were at a loss, capable of nothing more than screams and retreat.

As they frantically attempted to run back, a particularly robust monster with lethal claws leaped high into the air, landing squarely in front of them.

"The monster's back!" Aunt Wang nearly passed out from fear. Frantically, she shoved at Lu Shaojie, yelling, "Shaojie, stop that monster, quick!"

In such dire straits, Aunt Wang's only hope was that the son-in-law she had chosen would protect them.

But Lu Shaojie paid her no mind. With a swift push, he snapped, "Don't touch me!"

"What are you doing?" Aunt Wang was utterly stunned. She hadn't anticipated Lu Shaojie's refusal to help. Losing her footing on the stairs, she tumbled down with a scream.

The pursuing monsters immediately set their sights on her. They leaped forward, their grotesque and sturdy claws reaching for Aunt Wang's midsection.

Paralyzed with fear, Aunt Wang found a burst of strength in her desperation and scrambled to her feet, narrowly evading the monster's lethal talons. Eyes wide with fury, she bellowed at Lu Shaojie, "How dare you push me?"

"And what if I did?" Lu Shaojie was already petrified by the monsters around them and couldn't spare a thought for someone who wasn't even his blood relative.

He couldn't even bring himself to worry about his own parents. Acting on instinct, he grabbed Zhong Yanan's arm and barked, "Nan, run with me. We need to find somewhere to hide."

"Get off me!" Zhong Yanan had never been fond of Lu Shaojie, and his cowardly behavior only intensified her disdain. With a forceful shove, she freed herself, ready to berate him.

But before she could utter a word, horror unfolded before them.

From the shadows, at least three Devil Eye Ratmen sprang into action. One lunged for Lu Shaojie, another for his parents, and a third charged at Aunt Wang.

"Split up and run for it!"

Overwhelmed by the monster's onslaught, they were unable to look after their kin. With no other choice, they fled.

Aunt Wang ran too, but luck wasn't on her side. She hadn't made it five meters before a monster barreled into her, knocking her to the ground. Her cry for help was piercing, "Save me!"

"Don't be scared, Aunt Wang. I'm coming to save you!" Aunt Wang's cries echoed in everyone's ears, but Zhong Yanan was the only one who turned back.

Despite her overwhelming fear that nearly brought her to tears, Zhong Yanan knew that Aunt Wang, her stepmother, needed her. With determination, she clenched her teeth and charged forward, grabbing a steel pipe and slamming it hard against the monster's back.

The creature had just pinned Aunt Wang to the ground, its jaws poised to bite, when a searing pain in its back caused it to let out a ferocious howl. It whirled its gaze to Zhong Yanan.

Now it was her turn to scream. Instinctively, she dropped the pipe and spun around to flee.

But the monster was in a blind fury. In a flash, it abandoned Aunt Wang and swiped at Zhong Yanan, its claw striking her left shoulder, leaving deep, crimson gashes.

Crying out in agony, Zhong Yanan collapsed, her face ashen. As she looked back, the gaping, bloodied maw of the Devil Eye Ratmen loomed over her. "Get away from me!" she shrieked, the loudest she had ever screamed. She desperately pushed her arm against the creature's lower jaw, but the force of the blow sent her tumbling to the ground.

The beast loomed over her, its maw wide open, revealing two grotesquely large teeth, the stench almost too much to bear.

Zhong Yanan's strength ebbed away in seconds, her arm aching. She cried out for help, her eyes pleading with Aunt Wang.

But Aunt Wang's response—or lack thereof—plunged her into the depths of despair. Aunt Wang paid her no heed, scrambling to her feet and screaming wildly before running off in the opposite direction.

"Aunt Wang, please don't leave me!" Zhong Yanan's voice cracked, her mind reeling from the twin blows of terror and abandonment, leaving her nearly incapable of coherent thought.

The monster's gaping jaws inched closer, its drool splattering onto Zhong Yanan's pristine neck. Death seemed imminent.

But fate had other plans for Zhong Yanan. As her mind went blank with fear, a figure burst onto the scene.

Qin Feng arrived just in time, wielding the Dragon Bone. With a mighty thrust, he impaled the monster's back. With a powerful heave, he flung the creature's body against the barbed wire.

"Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

With a roar, Qin Feng seized Zhong Yanan's delicate arm and hoisted her to her feet.

"Qin Feng?"

Zhong Yanan was utterly bewildered. She gazed at Qin Feng, who had materialized before her as if from thin air.