The judges were quick to check the crowd and an interval between gunshots occurred. For a period of time, it was very uniform. Every 10 minutes, there was at least one gunshot, sometimes several consecutive ones. After these consecutive ones, the judges no longer shot for a long time. The father beside An Zhe said, “it’s almost over.”

The moment he spoke, there was the sound of gunfire again and the boy trembled.

Humans who were judged to be infected were killed on the spot while people judged to be safe left through openings. There were fewer and fewer people in the square. People spontaneously gathered into loose teams and slowly moved forward. Every time a shot rang out, An Zhe counted. By the time he was approaching the exit, the number had reached 73. He saw the stone pillar at the exit and saw Lu Feng leaning against it, a slender silhouette under the light. Two judges were by his side and further to the side, there were soldiers of the city defense station with bloodstains on the ground in front of them.

No, there was more than blood. There were brass-coloured bullet casings scattered on the ground.

The father and son soon passed through the safe passage. An Zhe was next. He took a few steps forward and stopped in front of Lu Feng. Lu Feng was taller than him. An Zhe had to look up to gaze into Lu Feng’s eyes. Then he felt Lu Feng’s eyes scanning him from top to bottom. “What’s in your hand?”

An Zhe hadn’t expected that even such a small thing in his hand would be found. In front of the Judge’s cold eyes, he could only raise his hand and open his five fingers to reveal the casing lying in his palm. It was like those scattered casings on the ground, representing a human who was executed by the Judge.

Silence spread among them.

After a long time, An Zhe heard Lu Feng’s voice. “Go.”

The wind was too strong in the middle of the night and the sound was also blown away. Lu Feng’s voice transmitted to his ears was lower than usual. An Zhe silently turned and walked into the deep, dark night.

CHAPTER 13

“At 7 p.m. on May 17th, a parasitic monster invaded the Outer City’s supply station square with a new parasitic method. The Trial Court has supplemented the trial rules for this new parasitic method. At present, the danger in the base has been ruled put. Please rest assured while travelling.”

“In order to improve the accuracy of the trial and ensure that the judges are fully present, the opening time of the city gates will be shortened to 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 to 6 p.m.  Please pay attention to the time when returning to the city.”