Chapter Twenty-Five: The Slaying of Xiao Gang

With a thunderous crash, the car that Shen Lie had just started came to an abrupt halt. The front windshield shattered as it was struck by a glowing, luminous white object. Yet even as the glass broke, Shen Lie acted with lightning reflexes, shoving Zhang Jing out of the car and himself tumbling through the door to the ground.

“Who’s there!” Shen Lie leapt to his feet, his voice ringing out with anger. Not far ahead, slightly to the side, stood a pale-skinned man with gold-rimmed glasses, who regarded him coldly.

This man looked polite and refined, but his chilling blue eyes were unnerving, and his neck was so absurdly long it almost rivaled that of a giraffe. Shen Lie didn’t even need to ask to guess the identity of his attacker. His rebuke was pure instinct; the man’s distinctive features left no doubt—it could only be Xiao Gang, the awakened of the ice element.

“Impressive reflexes, but your current posture is hardly elegant,” Xiao Gang remarked coolly, a flash of contempt flickering in his blue eyes.

“You’re Xiao Gang?” Shen Lie ignored the mockery, motioning for Zhang Jing to retreat, then fixed the man with a steely gaze.

“Ha, it seems my reputation’s not insignificant. But I wonder, when did you awaken? Are you a local or an outsider? Not that I care much about that. What truly intrigues me is why your body hasn’t changed like ours after awakening. And, of course, I’d very much like to know your secret for crossing the river.” Xiao Gang’s tone was unhurried, yet Shen Lie sensed a coldness spreading through the air—this was not a man to be trifled with.

What gave Shen Lie even greater pause was the figure emerging from behind a tree behind Xiao Gang. This newcomer was much older, around forty, wearing a fur hat despite the summer heat, his body hunched nearly double. There was no need to ask—this must be Wang Qingshan, the speed-type awakened from the town.

The simultaneous appearance of these two, both exuding hostility, was one of the scenarios Shen Lie most dreaded. Facing two awakened at once, he did not have absolute confidence in victory.

As for negotiating, Shen Lie dismissed the thought. Peaceful talks are only possible between equals, whether nations or individuals. In this lawless apocalypse, might is right. The supplies in the truck behind him would drive most people mad, not to mention the secret of crossing the river—that represented half the town’s resources.

“So, you want to know my secret? Fine—just defeat me!” Shen Lie showed no sign of compromise. With a hearty laugh, he raised his black spear and charged at Xiao Gang like lightning.

Xiao Gang hadn’t expected Shen Lie to attack. Knowing his own identity was revealed, and that Wang Qingshan was present, he assumed the other would not dare make the first move. Was this man insane, or did he have some hidden trump card?

While these thoughts flashed through Xiao Gang’s mind, his hands moved swiftly. As soon as Shen Lie’s figure blurred, an ice spike formed in Xiao Gang’s grasp. In an instant, it split into three, fanning out in a triangular formation to block Shen Lie’s advance.

Shen Lie’s main strength was brute force; in terms of speed, he was no match for Xiao Gang. The three ice spikes sealed all routes forward; his only option was to dodge. Yet if he did, he’d lose the element of surprise, and once both opponents coordinated, he’d be trapped.

At that critical moment, Shen Lie’s fierce resolve exploded. He didn’t hesitate or make any great evasive movement, merely twisting his body slightly to let two of the spikes miss, while allowing the third to pierce through his left abdomen.

The force of the blow nearly dropped him, but Shen Lie gritted his teeth and stayed upright. Without pause, a flash of black shot across Xiao Gang’s vision, followed by a crimson arc rising seemingly out of thin air.

Wang Qingshan saw only Shen Lie’s black spear smash into Xiao Gang’s head, splitting half his skull like an overripe melon, one eye dangling from the ruined flesh while the other remained wide with bewilderment.

With a thud, Xiao Gang’s body collapsed, all life extinguished. Wang Qingshan let out a terrified shriek and bolted, moving so fast he left afterimages behind, vanishing into the woods in an instant.

Shen Lie’s complexion was ghostly pale, sweat the size of beans soaking through his shirt. One hand clamped over the gaping wound in his side, the other braced on the black spear for support, he bent double to keep from collapsing.

Despite the dire circumstances, Shen Lie felt a measure of relief. His judgment had been correct, and Li Cheng’s estimation of Wang Qingshan’s character had been spot-on, leading to this outcome. Had Wang Qingshan lingered even a minute longer, Shen Lie would have shared Xiao Gang’s fate.

But it wasn’t only the element of surprise that allowed him to kill Xiao Gang. Shen Lie realized that, just as his spear was about to miss the man’s twisting, elongated neck, the mark at his brow suddenly flashed. The spear, as if triggered by some force, emitted a black halo at its tip. Xiao Gang dodged the spear but could not evade the halo; thus, he died.

“Brother Shen!” Zhang Jing rushed from the car, giving Shen Lie no time to ponder further.

She had been worrying about a possible conflict, but hadn’t expected such a bloody outcome. She could hardly believe the student-like Shen Lie could act so ruthlessly, striking without mercy. Yet she had seen her share of violence; though shaken, she didn’t lose her head. She hurried to Shen Lie’s side, half-supporting, half-dragging him into the car before speeding away from the scene.

“Should we go back to the compound?” The town was so small that after just a few turns, the compound came into view. Zhang Jing was worried—she feared that if Shen Lie’s injuries worsened, the people there might be tempted by greed. In this world, anything was possible.

“Let’s go back.” After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Lie decided to return. He needed immediate treatment and had no time to find a new refuge. Besides, in times like these, was anywhere truly safe?

Zhang Jing said no more. She drove swiftly to the compound gate, then went around to help Shen Lie down.

“No need, I’ll do it myself.” Seeing Li Cheng and others coming out, Shen Lie drew a deep breath and straightened his appearance, hiding the wound as best he could before refusing Zhang Jing’s support and stepping out on his own, teeth clenched.

“Brother Shen, you’re back?” Li Cheng and his group hurried from the compound. Every settlement was on high alert day and night, so Shen Lie’s car had been spotted quickly.

Other groups nearby noticed as well, watching from a distance. News of an awakened appearing in the area had spread since yesterday; several team leaders had already contacted Li Cheng, hinting at a desire to follow Shen Lie. But Li Cheng himself was unsure of his standing with Shen Lie and dared not accept them rashly.

He quickly approached, giving Zhang Jing a complicated look. Secretly, he marveled at her cunning—she’d seized the chance to become Shen Lie’s confidante. That position had been his, and Zhang Jing was once merely his subordinate, someone he could have taken to bed whenever he pleased.

Suppressing his turbulent thoughts, Li Cheng reminded himself that even Ma Zhanlin hadn’t managed to handle this newly emerged awakened, so Shen Lie now had a firm foothold in town. He needed to maintain this relationship carefully.

“Brother Shen, Sister Zhang, where did you two go?” Li Cheng naturally addressed Zhang Jing as ‘Sister Zhang’, glancing at the truck’s cargo bed, which was piled high with boxes and sacks—clearly loaded with supplies.

Shen Lie said nothing. His condition was dire; the jolting ride and the effort of getting out of the car left him barely able to stand. If the wound hadn’t been frozen by the ice spike, staunching the bleeding, the ground would already be awash with blood.

“All these supplies belong to Brother Shen. Li Cheng, see to it that everything is preserved for his disposal—no one is to touch them. And bring some food to Brother Shen’s room later; we’re both starving.” Noticing Shen Lie’s state, Zhang Jing put on a stern face and issued orders, then, ignoring the looks of those around, slipped her arm through Shen Lie’s and escorted him to his room, feigning intimacy.

“Damn it, if I’d known this, I should have had her in my bed a hundred times when I had the chance!” Li Cheng, oblivious to Shen Lie’s condition, watched their retreating backs with smoldering eyes, gnashing his teeth in resentment.

No sooner had Shen Lie entered the room than he collapsed face-first onto the bed, eliciting a startled cry from Zhang Jing.

“Don’t yell. I’m not dead yet. Help me get these clothes off,” Shen Lie shot her a weak glare.

“Oh, right.” Zhang Jing had lost all her earlier composure. Flustered, she climbed onto the bed to help remove his clothes, then, at his direction, began unwinding the bandage around his wound. It had been haphazardly wrapped in the car, so it came loose after a few tries.

Both inhaled sharply as the bandage came free.