Chapter 113: The Vanishing Echo in the Canyon

In the deathly silent canyon, moonlight was scarce, and the surrounding darkness pressed heavily upon the soul.

A tall figure appeared midway along the winding canyon, which stretched about ten kilometers. The narrow path within was one of the most treacherous rural roads in the county.

Many sections here were sheer cliffs, towering like thick walls all around. Standing beneath them, one could not shake the chilling feeling that these monstrous rock faces might collapse at any moment.

When driving through, Dazhuang kept the vehicle’s speed as low as possible to avoid a tire blowout.

Yet this slow pace gave the enemy an opportunity.

A haunting, otherworldly flute melody echoed, as swarms of insects launched their assault.

The canyon, accustomed to its eerie stillness, was hostile to such sudden commotion—rocks and gravel began to tumble down the cliffs, clattering against the vehicle’s metal frame.

The strange flute kept playing, but soon the scraping noise of metal against metal grew louder, nearly drowning out the melody.

“It’s Zhuoma. The culprit really is Granny Zhuoma. I’d heard rumors that she had a flute that could summon insects, but I thought it was just a legend... Now it seems...” Su Wei’s voice trembled as she stared out the window in horror.

“Then why block us? From what you said, she should already be ready to die...” Dazhuang asked, baffled.

“I don’t know. Maybe she thinks everyone on our research team is guilty, harming the insects, so she hates us and wants to kill us...” Su Wei’s voice shook even more.

“Forget why she’s killing; we have to deal with these insects first. These insecticides might not work, but we have to try.” Bai Ruixue said, handing two more bottles to Su Wei and Liang Zhichao.

“These bugs... they look a bit like Swirling Tiger Beetles, but their bodies are so strange—almost liquid, covered with disgusting fuzz. They look just like the two we had in the lab...” Su Wei swallowed hard.

“Heh heh heh heh... Kill you all... Kill you all...”

Amid their confusion, eerie laughter erupted from outside the vehicle, overwhelming in its intensity.

The terrifying laughter sometimes sounded like a woman’s, sometimes like a child’s, and sometimes like a robotic voice—each sharp and unnatural.

When these voices combined, they sent an uncontrollable shiver down one’s spine.

Mixed within the laughter were dreadful threats, making the atmosphere even more sinister.

“What’s with the laughter? Do these bugs actually talk?” Su Wei gasped.

“These must be the Shierwu insects that caused trouble recently in the Siweiwei River basin. After their last appearance, the professor supposedly taught Chief Jiayang Gongbu a way to eliminate them. If only the professor were still lucid—he knew their weakness...” Bai Ruixue murmured.

At that moment, Professor Lü, wrapped in a blanket, made a sound again—not a scream this time, but a low sobbing, like a child wronged.

His body convulsed once more, pushing the blanket outward.

Liang Zhichao pressed down on the blanket beside the professor, whispering:

“Professor, hold on... hold on...”

“Uh uh... uh uh... run...” Lü’s teeth chattered, his words slurred but urging them to flee.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find a way out,” Liang reassured him.

Lü trembled violently, curling into a ball, his hands like frozen chicken claws shielding his head.

At the driver’s seat, Dazhuang turned his head and said:

“Gather by the door and protect the professor. Looks like we have to break through!”

The group looked at him. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he gripped his pistol tightly.

But Dazhuang knew well his pistol was insignificant against these terrifying insects.

“Liang Zhichao, take the wrench from your holster. When I count to three, smash the window with it.

Xiaoxue, Su Wei, once the window breaks, spray the insecticide outside immediately. After we drive off some of the bugs, we’ll open the door and jump out!”

“Got it,” Liang replied, and the two girls nodded firmly.

“Heh heh heh heh heh... None of you will escape, no one will escape...”

The sinister laughter and threats outside made their scalps tingle.

Though Bai Ruixue had been relatively calm before, now that danger neared, her hands shook violently gripping the spray.

Su Wei’s eyes reddened; she tried to hold back tears but her body betrayed her.

“Squeak... squeak... squeak...”

The vehicle was soon enveloped in black shadows, shaking violently. Dazhuang swallowed hard and began the countdown:

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

“Crack!”

Liang Zhichao slammed the wrench against a corner of the window and pried it open, creating a large hole.

The glass was tougher than expected; Liang had hoped to shatter it in one blow but was disappointed.

Su Wei and Bai Ruixue, being girls, began to panic.

Especially Su Wei—nervous, her hand shook and she accidentally sprayed insecticide on Liang’s face. Bai Ruixue reacted quickly, spraying wildly out the window.

Dazhuang’s heart trembled as he sensed the worsening situation.

In this critical moment, he no longer cared for his own safety. He flung open the driver’s door, flipped his body forward, and dashed out.

“Fzzzt...”

The insecticide sprayed at the dense black swarm outside but had little effect.

The Shierwu demons covered themselves with thick red antennae, wrapping their glossy shells as if coated in bubblegum.

The insecticide was absorbed by the antennae, never reaching the creatures inside.

Though it failed to kill them, it bought the group precious time.

After opening the door, the three jumped out. Liang Zhichao, still carrying Professor Lü, moved slower and nearly fell.

Meanwhile, Dazhuang, who had jumped out first to buy time, was already engulfed by the black swarm before he could fire a shot.

Though the research team was familiar with the legends of the Shierwu, none expected Zhuoma’s flute to summon such a massive swarm.

In all of Kangdi, there were probably no reports of such vast insect gatherings, especially since these strange bugs lived only near rivers, preying on black-winged beetles.

But now, none of that mattered—they only wanted to survive.

The three who fled ran madly back the way they came. Su Wei cried as she ran but barely gained speed. Bai Ruixue led, but could not shake the pursuing swarm.

“Heh heh heh heh heh... heh heh heh heh heh heh...”

The swarm cascaded down the bus like a tidal wave, relentlessly chasing the four researchers.

By then, Dazhuang had been swallowed by the swarm, not even managing a final scream.

Though his sacrifice scattered some of the swarm’s strength, their sheer numbers meant the pursuit continued relentlessly.

Soon Bai Ruixue, exhausted, stumbled over a protruding rock and fell.

Su Wei instinctively tried to pull her up but fell too. Liang Zhichao, carrying the professor and navigating treacherous mountain paths, was already gasping for breath, drained of strength.

After running about five hundred meters, the three were quickly overtaken by the dense insect swarm behind them.

At this critical moment, a bright flame suddenly illuminated the dark valley.

Then, the Iveco van with the blown tires roared to life once more.

Its four wheels had been chewed through by the insects, and as the people inside escaped, the bugs followed in pursuit.

But no one noticed that in the last row of the van, hidden beneath heavy luggage, someone remained.

This person had ignited flammable materials packed in two bags, recklessly driving the vehicle straight toward the flute player...