"To think anyone could be so tired of living that they'd come attack a village with a peak super combat power in it. Did they think they were Ne? Or some unranked hidden master?"
Zhao Heshan paced steadily forward. He had just contacted the nearby Azure garrison to send men to take custody of the captives and clean up the battlefield. As for the first-class merits lying on the ground, General Jiang and Han Youshan certainly had no need for them, so he and his team members wouldn't be shy about claiming them.
At the same time, "Hoo... hoo!" Han Youshan stood with his back turned, working hard to take deep breaths.
Although Jiang Longchi had seemingly delivered nothing more than a simple, straightforward slash, in the aftermath of that strike, what lay before him was an outright slaughterhouse. And Han Youshan was currently standing right at the edge of this slaughterhouse.
This was nothing like slaughtering pigs and sheep for the New Year...
In his sight, blood continuously soaked into the dusty soil, causing the ground to sink an inch or so.
*So the old man was actually this formidable. Is this an outburst of humanity's peak combat power, or whatever it is? Then my boy Qingzi... just how strong must he be? And all the things he's been through...*
*I'm definitely never going to jump around recklessly again.*
Unrushed footsteps approached from behind him, accompanied by the gentle rustle of wide monk robes and fluttering hems. Master Longchi had already sheathed his saber behind his back. Exuding an air of complete tranquility, he walked up beside Han Youshan and came to a stop, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
Just like that, the two stood in silence, looking over the battlefield for a while.
"Hey," Jiang Longchi spoke softly and gingerly, breaking the silence, and tapped the back of his hand against Han Youshan's shoulder.
Thinking the master was probably about to teach him something, Han Youshan hastily turned his head to listen closely.
"Did you do this?" Jiang Longchi asked.
Han Youshan: "Huh?"
"Who knew you were so formidable?" The master gestured with his eyes toward the asura killing field before them, his tone hushed as if sharing a secret, tinged with a hint of admiration.
"I..." Han Youshan was completely dumbfounded.
*Don't tell me he's already forgotten?! That fast?!*
*Wait, could it be that the harder the old man strikes, the more forgetful he gets?* Han Youshan's mind was flooded with question marks, but none of that mattered right now. He quickly snapped alert, realizing he had to deny this immediately.
Otherwise, if the master truly believed he was that strong, during their next sparring session... he'd be a dead man!
"It wasn't me!" Han Youshan waved his hands frantically and insisted, "You did this, not me!"
He said this with some volume.
*What's going on?* The more than one hundred men kneeling on the ground in surrender didn't dare raise their heads, but their bowed heads were filled with sheer bewilderment.
"Me?" Jiang Longchi looked at him. "Bullshit. I clearly just got here."
The hundred-odd captives: "..."
"...You've been here the whole time," Han Youshan said with weary patience. After spending the past few years together, he was fairly accustomed to communicating with the master like this.
"Is that so? But I am clearly a monk." Jiang Longchi gestured to his robes. "How could I possibly kill so many people?"
The hundred-odd captives, and the ghosts of those who had just died: "..."
"You just said you were releasing their souls from suffering," Han Youshan continued explaining patiently.
"Oh, is that it? Then why are you standing here? I just walked over from over there." Jiang Longchi indicated the edge of the slaughter field, which happened to be right at Han Youshan's feet.
Han Youshan: "I..."
"Besides, you're holding a saber."
"..."
"There's even blood on your blade, and on your clothes."
"It splattered."
"Splattered when you killed them?"
"..." Han Youshan was practically past the point of being able to clear his name.
Zhao Heshan walked over with a chuckle. Knowing what Han Youshan was worried about, he patted his shoulder and whispered:
"It's fine, no need to explain. Besides, you could take this chance to talk to him as an equal... General Jiang forgets everything anyway, doesn't he? By your next sparring session, he's sure to have forgotten."
*Huh?* Han Youshan thought that made sense. Straightening his posture, he said, "Fine, I cut them down. So, Old Jiang, what do you think of my slash?"
Jiang Longchi narrowed his eyes slightly and pondered seriously for a moment. "Mediocre. If it were me, a casual swing would have done it. If I'd put even a shred of effort into it, not a single person here would be left alive."
*That exaggerated? You literally slashed so hard you dazed yourself!* Han Youshan thought for a second and said, "You're bragging, aren't you?"
"Bragging?! Laozi will show you right now!" Jiang Longchi flared up and reached for his saber.
The hundred-odd people on the ground: "..."
***
In Shenghai, the old house in Xinbienong swayed on the verge of collapse.
The sudden loud crash and immense plume of dust startled the crowds of civilians and journalists lining the street, causing them to turn and look up.
Using the brief delay caused by Zhe Qiuhong, Zhe Shouzhao smashed through the house wall and then through the courtyard wall, bursting into the alley.
Even so, he couldn't completely shake Wu Xu's sight. Like a black streamline, Wu Xu lunged forward with the Binggu Spear thrusting out like a serpent's tongue. To kill him would take no more than ten steps.
Step seven...
A bone-chilling glint stabbed at his back. In the face of imminent death, Zhe Shouzhao glanced ahead and saw a panicked teenager standing in the alley... Perhaps overwhelmed by terror, the boy was frozen in place, unable to move.
*Whoosh!* Zhe Shouzhao made a desperate burst, reached out, and clamped a hand around the boy's throat. Midair, he twisted around, turning from having his back to Wu Xu into facing him directly.
He thrust the boy in front of him, right against the spearhead of the Binggu Spear. Shrinking his body, he used the boy's frail frame to tightly shield all of his own vitals.
At the same time, he didn't stop. Kicking off the wall, he continued to retreat rapidly with the boy in tow.
Zhe Shouzhao was still uneasy.
Wu Xu was the most inscrutable member of Stream Vanguard. By reputation and rumor, he was notorious for being cold-blooded and numb. If he truly didn't care, this single spear thrust could easily pierce right through both the boy and Zhe Shouzhao together.
*Swish!* Wu Xu snapped his wrist, retracting the Binggu Spear halfway.
Immediately after, the street erupted into chaos as everyone cried out in panic.
By then, holding the boy hostage, Zhe Shouzhao had leaped back out of the alley entrance and landed on the street.
A car that couldn't brake in time slammed into him, but Zhe Shouzhao didn't budge an inch.
Because the boy was much smaller in frame, he hadn't been hit by the car, but he was terrified. His already frail face turned even paler, cold sweat dripping down.
"Weiyu? Weiyu!" It was her younger brother! Zhang Youqing recognized him immediately and lost all composure, screaming as she blindly charged forward.
The passersby were too slow to stop her.
She was going to die.
At the same moment, another figure emerged from the alley mouth. Wu Xu gripped the front part of the Binggu Spear as he dashed forward, landing on the ground... Turning his head slightly, he said:
"Stand there."
This was the first time so many ordinary people in the world had heard Wu Xu speak in person.
There seemed to be a peculiar power in his voice.
Zhang Youqing froze in place, dazed.
The clamor on the street ceased along with it.
Civilians and reporters hastily backed away, forming a wide semicircle in the distance. At the same time, more people emerged from the alley—Wen Jifei, Little Prince, Second Lieutenant Shen Yixiu in steel armor...
Zhe Qiuhong followed out as well with her people.
And of course, "Major Qing!"
Zhang Weiyu had chased after Han Qingyu across three different locations today. The teenage boy's dream had been that one day, when he was in Major Qing's sight, he would use all his might to tell him, "One day, I will follow you to the Dome."
He had finally appeared in Major Qing's sight, but sadly, in a manner like this. Zhang Weiyu opened his mouth, then closed it, drowning in shame.
***
Zhe Shouzhao stood right in the middle of the street, neither advancing nor retreating, and staying well away from the buildings. Aside from holding a knife to the boy's throat with his left hand, he curled himself up as small as possible, doing his best to hide behind him.
He stopped running. Running any further would only expose more flaws and give Wu Xu and Wen Jifei an opening.
And yet, he didn't know what he should do now.
In the old world, a hostage-taker could still demand terms, asking for a helicopter or something to make a getaway. But now, even if Zhe Shouzhao asked for an airship, it would be useless... In this world, probably no one could pilot an airship and escape Yang Qingbai's pursuit.
Zhe Shouzhao knew he probably couldn't get away, yet he was unwilling to accept it; he didn't want to die...
"Put your guns away," Zhe Shouzhao called out from behind Zhang Weiyu, breaking the stalemate on the street.
Even though he was at the peak of top-tier combat power and theoretically didn't fear source energy firearms, the current circumstances were unique. What he was truly relying on was the hostage in his grasp, and the man across from him was Wen Jifei.
Gunslinger Wen Jifei. The most terrifying man in Stream Vanguard outside of martial prowess—Wen Jifei.
And Stream Vanguard had plenty of people present who could coordinate with him.
"...Pfft." Wen Jifei finished lighting his cigarette, looked up, and gave a faint laugh. "So you really think Stream Vanguard cares about this sort of thing? You think taking some random civilian hostage can threaten Han Qingyu?"
His tone was neither heavy nor light, as if speaking of something trivial yet baffling.
When it came to Stream Vanguard's style... Major The Qing had a stellar reputation, but that was solely based on the facet of him fighting for humanity, based on those deeds alone.
Apart from that, the rumors concerning his personal character were far more mixed. In summary, he was probably not a good person.
Chapter 756