Chapter Thirty-One: Encirclement
Boss Zhang began to recount everything in detail.
Only then did Long Yu realize that every event had been meticulously planned and premeditated.
“Are you done?” Long Yu asked coldly, staring at Boss Zhang, who had just confessed everything.
“It’s finished... everything’s finished. Please, I beg you, spare me!” Boss Zhang knelt on the ground, pleading for mercy, his whole body trembling uncontrollably from sheer terror.
Long Yu could not be bothered to say another word. He struck Boss Zhang with his Mountain-Splitting Palm, and with a tragic scream, Boss Zhang collapsed to the ground.
Without so much as a glance at Boss Zhang’s miserable state, Long Yu walked out. The hunt was about to begin.
...
I had originally wanted nothing more than to live as an ordinary person, to enjoy a peaceful life with my parents and younger sister in this world.
I never wished to kill, nor did I seek to meddle in the affairs of this world.
Yet trouble always found its way to me, and now I possessed the power to resolve all things.
Long Yu would not hesitate. He was no saint, nor did he care for others' so-called unspeakable reasons.
These people provoked me, and I just so happened to have the strength to unleash the fury in my heart.
Among those guarding outside, a burly man suddenly opened his eyes wide, as though he had witnessed something unimaginable.
Before he could speak, the person he was staring at sensed something was amiss. Looking down, he saw a fist-sized bloody hole in his abdomen, with viscera slowly spilling out.
A scream barely escaped his lips before his head was severed from his body.
The others had no time to react; one by one, they too fell.
Even after killing several people, Long Yu’s anger had not abated.
Years of training in the illusion realm had long set Long Yu’s heart apart from ordinary men; he felt no pity for slaying those who had crossed him.
After ten minutes, save for a few lucky ones who managed to escape, everyone else had been dealt with by Long Yu.
“Listen up, those inside, you are surrounded! Lay down your weapons...”
The cliché announcement echoed—clearly, the army had discovered the events unfolding here and had surrounded the place.
---
Long Yu silently scoffed, but he had no intention of leaving.
He still needed to find Commander Li. Moreover, Long Yu had no interest in assassination; he possessed enough strength, so why resort to sneaking about?
“I will not only kill, but I’ll let everyone witness me killing,” Long Yu thought to himself.
This was his revenge against these people, and a warning to the living: “Don’t provoke me, and don’t try to hurt those close to me. Otherwise, no matter who you are, prepare to face my retribution!”
Meanwhile, on the army’s side, a minor leader had escaped and immediately reported the news to Commander Li.
Commander Li promptly dispatched troops, accompanied by his trusted confidant, Zhao Yousan—the strongest among Li’s faction.
A man whose physical abilities neared 300, and who possessed ice-based powers.
Zhao Yousan had previously served as Commander Li’s bodyguard, earning his deep trust. After the catastrophe, Zhao Yousan’s extraordinary talent emerged, and Commander Li invested heavily in his development.
“Sir, why aren’t we just storming in?” a soldier asked.
“Why waste time surrounding these troublemakers? Why not just kill them?” Another chimed in.
The soldiers who followed Commander Li had gradually come to emulate him during the disaster; they revered strength and cared little for the deaths of others.
Zhao Yousan did not answer their questions. Though powerful, he was not so arrogant as to believe himself invincible.
He regarded the unknown enemy inside with caution. Anyone who could slaughter so many in such a short time must be formidable.
He could perhaps accomplish the same feat, but to silently enter and kill everyone, leaving Boss Zhang without even a chance to escape, would be difficult.
“This man inside is no ordinary opponent,” Zhao Yousan mused, becoming all the more cautious.
“What’s happening?” someone asked.
“You don’t know? Something happened inside. Those beasts are all dead.”
“Dead? What happened?”
“They provoked someone, obviously! Look, Commander Li himself sent men. Wonder if that hero can escape?”
“I think maybe that hero will kill Commander Li instead...”
“Are you looking to die? Be careful...”
As the group chatted, another warned them to hush.
Though dissatisfied, the others dared not speak further.
---
The so-called Safe Zone was nominally under national control, but in reality, Commander Li had long since turned it into his personal domain, treating everyone within as his property.
As for escape, with the Safe Zone the only one for hundreds of miles, leaving meant certain death for most.
...
“Where is your Commander Li?” A voice, not loud but imbued with undeniable authority, rang out.
Standing atop the low roof was Long Yu.
At this moment, Long Yu was calm, wearing a faint smile. Years of training in the secret realm had taught him to conceal both joy and rage.
“Looking for Commander Li? You’ve killed indiscriminately. Surrender now and you may receive leniency,” Zhao Yousan shouted, seeing Long Yu intimidate those present.
The soldiers snapped out of their shock, remembering that the man before them was their enemy. To be cowed by an enemy’s words—despite being battle-hardened soldiers—left them somewhat embarrassed.
“I killed? What of the suffering my sister endured? What of my parents being driven from their home?” Long Yu retorted.
“They were useless. In the Safe Zone, useless people are slaves. We need the crystal cores in their brains—so what?” Zhao Yousan replied confidently.
“Such shamelessness is unprecedented,” Long Yu thought upon hearing Zhao Yousan’s words. As a model socialist youth, he truly could not fathom how Zhao Yousan could speak so audaciously.
In just a few months, these people’s worldviews and values had changed so drastically that Long Yu could scarcely imagine it.
“Never have I seen such shamelessness,” Long Yu muttered unconsciously.
Zhao Yousan was unfazed, smiling slightly. “The strong should rule the weak. That’s how society ought to be. We were simply too naïve before.”
“The strong rule the weak? Well, I consider myself strong too...” Long Yu countered, following Zhao Yousan’s words.
With nothing more to say, Zhao Yousan issued a command.
“Attack!” With his order, a dozen men with physical abilities around 200 charged at Long Yu...