Chapter Twenty-Four: A Display of Authority

Ma Zhanlin’s arrival was within Shen Lie’s expectations, and in fact, he thought the man was rather late—it would have been more reasonable for him to come knocking last night.

Stepping outside the gate, Shen Lie saw a figure wrapped in an enormous trench coat, head covered by a wide-brimmed hat that made it impossible to discern his age or features. He couldn’t help recalling Li Cheng’s description of Ma Zhanlin: after awakening, the man’s body had undergone severe mutation, scales like fish covering his skin, and now Shen Lie saw it with his own eyes.

“Shen Lie?” Ma Zhanlin had come alone, without followers—a display of absolute confidence in a world turned chaotic. Sensing Shen Lie’s presence, he raised his face slightly, revealing a visage covered in fine, greenish fish-like scales—so this was the so-called mutation.

Though inwardly startled, Shen Lie betrayed nothing on his face. He merely nodded, then calmly replied, “Ma Zhanlin?”

After exchanging names, the two fell silent, standing their ground and locking eyes. Shen Lie immediately sensed a peculiar energy emanating from Ma Zhanlin, a pressure bearing down on him. Without any conscious command, the energy inside Shen Lie surged forth, instinctively confronting Ma Zhanlin’s oppressive aura.

The standoff lasted about a minute—neither brief nor long—by the time Shen Lie felt half his energy depleted, Ma Zhanlin’s expression finally shifted slightly, and he uttered a single word.

“Fire!”

As Ma Zhanlin spoke, a burst of flame suddenly appeared in his palm. With a flick of his wrist, the fire condensed into a blazing sphere and shot toward Shen Lie.

This was the first true act of magical aggression Shen Lie had ever witnessed outside the pages of a novel, but after surviving over three months wrestling with spider monsters in another world, he was hardly inexperienced. He understood he couldn’t dodge this fireball—it was a calculated probe. If he evaded, more attacks would surely follow. He had no choice but to take it head-on.

The fireball hurtled toward him with astonishing speed; in the blink of an eye, it was nearly upon him. The heat it radiated was far from ordinary—at just a meter away, Shen Lie’s hair began to singe, and he felt as though he faced a raging forest fire.

With a low cry, Shen Lie mustered all his energy into his right hand and, without hesitation, reached out and seized the fireball.

He was tense—although his right hand, infused with energy, was now incredibly resilient, it was still flesh and blood, and plunging it into the heart of a fireball was a gamble. But recalling the golden bone he’d found in the underground palace, he reassured himself that his golden right hand would not be so easily consumed.

Once again, Shen Lie’s instincts proved true. The fierce fireball disintegrated at his touch, shattering into countless sparks that scattered harmlessly away from him.

He slowly withdrew his hand, quickly examining it. Aside from a slight fading of color and a twinge of pain, there was no injury. He relaxed, confidence swelling in his chest.

“So, King Ma, was that meant to intimidate me? I’m not the kind of man to take a beating without striking back,” Shen Lie said coldly, his expression darkening.

Ma Zhanlin chuckled, “Don’t misunderstand, Brother Shen. A new awakened one has appeared in town, and there’s already been some friction with my men. Of course I had to come see for myself. Now that your identity is clear, I won’t trouble you further. Still, I think you’d do well to keep in touch with us awakened—we’re no longer ordinary folk, and only among ourselves can we find understanding. And, we alone possess the power to leave this place.” He gave Shen Lie’s right hand a lingering look, then turned and strode away without further hesitation.

As Ma Zhanlin departed, everyone in the courtyard—Zhang Jing, Li Cheng, and the others—breathed a collective sigh of relief. The pressure from these awakened was overwhelming, monstrous beyond comprehension, and none of them harbored any thought of resisting.

Shen Lie paid no mind to their relief, but stared after Ma Zhanlin’s retreating figure, lost in thought. That last remark seemed a hint—could Ma Zhanlin have found a way to escape the town?

“Brother Shen?” Zhang Jing’s soft voice roused him from his reverie. He shook his head, signaling her to continue leading the way to fetch the plank.

The agricultural supply station was close by, and with Zhang Jing’s guidance, they reached it quickly. Their luck held—they found a long plank and a half-used plastic barrel of diesel, about twenty kilograms’ worth.

The streets were littered with abandoned vehicles. With diesel in hand, they quickly fueled one, perfect for transporting the plank and supplies. Zhang Jing drove them to the banks of the Red River.

Shen Lie surveyed the upstream for a long time, seeing no more of those drifting white blossoms, then set to work. He unloaded the plank, positioned it at the river’s narrowest point, and with a strong push, set its far end firmly on the opposite bank.

The water remained calm. Satisfied, Shen Lie nodded. His theory was correct—the river only reacted to living things; inanimate objects like the plank, even if bridging the gap, posed no threat.

With the plank in place, Shen Lie did not cross immediately. He raised his binoculars, scanning the far shore. Seeing no sign of spider monsters, he gripped the black spear, pointed it toward his feet, and began the cautious walk across.

Despite previous experiments, Shen Lie’s heart pounded—the two or three meters felt daunting, especially when a sudden splash mid-crossing nearly made him lose his balance. He silently cursed his own recklessness.

But the river did not attack. Safely across, Shen Lie instructed Zhang Jing to remain in the car until his return—he’d given her the pistol, enough to deter most threats save awakened or monsters.

Zhang Jing, worry etched on her face, nodded determinedly and watched him disappear into the distance. Neither noticed the pair of deep blue eyes watching them intently from the woods behind.

...

She waited for most of the day. When Shen Lie finally reappeared, it was past two in the afternoon, and he was driving a truck that swayed precariously down the empty road.

He jumped out and slammed the door, then began unloading the cargo, tossing each item across the river to Zhang Jing, who silently packed everything into their car.

There was a lot—half a truckload by the time he was done. Shen Lie, spear in hand, once more crossed the river.

“Brother Shen, you’re hurt!” Only now did Zhang Jing notice the bloodstains and the fresh gash on his face.

“It’s nothing. Ran into a few spider monsters while gathering supplies—no big deal. Let’s go back. With these goods, we’ll last a few more days.” Shen Lie’s voice was weary. The trip had not gone smoothly; he’d first encountered seven or eight black spider monsters, managing to kill two before escaping, only to run into the white spider.

The white spider remembered him—the thief who’d stolen its blossom. It raged, unleashing a frenzy and attacking madly, leaving a gash on his face before Shen Lie could react.

Fortunately, the black spear had saved him again. He fought the white spider to a standstill, and just then, the great black cat appeared out of nowhere. The cat, seemingly hostile to anything arachnid, immediately sided with him. Together, they finally drove the white spider off. Not daring to press deeper, Shen Lie gathered what supplies he could and retreated.

“Let me clean you up!” Zhang Jing moved close, gently wiping the blood from his face with a moist towelette.

Her soft touch sent a flush of warmth through him. After so long deprived of affection, Shen Lie felt the stirrings of desire; Zhang Jing, young and not uncomely, was especially well-endowed. In these end times, such women rarely remained unscathed, but the town’s peculiar stability and Li Cheng’s small group had so far kept her safe.

He coughed awkwardly, reining in his thoughts. “Is everything loaded? Let’s get back—we have too many supplies to linger here.”

With that, he climbed into the car, suppressing the heat in his chest.