Chapter 131: Striking the Mountain to Frighten the Tiger

"Brother Leopard" was one of them, a leader among the largest groups of survivors in the eastern suburbs of Ning City. A man of brutal temperament with a background in the criminal underworld, he had initially maintained a semblance of fairness, which attracted many survivors to his side. However, his true colors soon emerged.

He and his younger brother commanded over a dozen men. They had killed several policemen and seized their firearms. Those who sought refuge with them had no choice but to obey, or they would face death. Consequently, all supplies brought by survivors, along with the food scavenged daily, were under their total control.

Leopard was also notoriously lecherous. Any young and beautiful woman who arrived was forcibly taken by him. A survivor named Xue Zhong had a thirteen-year-old sister, Xue Xue, who was clever and endearing. Despite the harshness of the apocalypse, Xue Zhong had always taken great care of her, prioritizing her needs for food, so she remained largely unchanged, save for being a bit thin.

Upon arriving at the settlement, Leopard set his sights on Xue Xue. He had tried to force himself on her several times, but such actions were so unpopular that even his brother and his own men disapproved. With Xue Zhong’s desperate resistance, Leopard had failed repeatedly. This time, Leopard had taken a reckless gamble, luring Xue Zhong outside with the intent to kill him and then claim his sister. He never expected to run into Wujue and his companion, ultimately meeting his end at their hands instead.

After hearing this, Wujue and Xiulun exchanged a look. There was nothing more to say; the dark side of human nature was exactly as it appeared. Both men had seen enough of the world to know how to handle such a situation.

Wujue said to Xue Zhong, "You must want to save your sister. Let’s make a deal. You lead us back, and we will use your path to reach the Anwan border. If things go well, perhaps we can help you resolve your troubles once and for all."

"How would you resolve it?" Xue Zhong seemed to regain some composure. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Are you going to do to his brother what you did to Leopard—kill them all?"

Wujue hadn't expected the boy, who had just escaped death, to turn so ruthless so quickly. He caught a flash of hidden viciousness in Xue Zhong's eyes. Then, Xue Zhong knelt, grabbed Wujue’s pant leg, and pleaded, "Big brother, I can see that you are good men, heroes who save the suffering. Please, help us! I am willing to guide you!"

Wujue and Xiulun shared a smile. Xue Zhong’s change of heart was truly abrupt, and they couldn't help but feel a flicker of caution. Wujue replied modestly, "That won't be necessary; we just hope that everyone can stand united in these end times."

They had Xue Zhong lead the way. Wujue carried Leopard’s corpse, and after agreeing on a cover story, he had Xue Zhong tie him up with rope before they proceeded toward the settlement.

Following the rugged road for a while, they reached a farm on the outskirts of the city. Although the fields outside were long dead, the interior was fenced off, and men with rifles stood guard.

Seeing Wujue and the others approach, the guards grew alert, pointing their weapons and shouting, "Who goes there? What are you doing?"

Wujue immediately set the corpse down and shouted, "Brothers, don’t shoot! I just rescued a man who was wounded. He said his name is Leopard and asked me to bring him back to you. Is there someone here named A-Hu?"

"It’s Brother Leopard! It really looks like him! And why is that brat Xue Zhong with them?" Seeing the dead Leopard, the men began to clamor. Some ran to report the news, while others asked, "What happened to Brother Leopard? Is he wounded?"

Following their plan, Xiulun pushed Xue Zhong forward and shouted, "Ask him! When we found him, Leopard had already been shot. Only this kid was nearby. We don’t know what happened, so we brought him back."

The men inside fell into chaos, arguing over whether to let them in. Some muttered that they should just shoot the strangers, as they couldn't take responsibility for Leopard’s injury. Wujue frowned; if he hadn’t wanted to avoid rash action, he could have easily stormed in and dealt with them himself.

Fortunately, a man in charge finally stepped forward. A man of about forty coughed and said, "A-Hu will be here shortly. What is going on? Is Brother Leopard wounded?" He glanced at Wujue, Xiulun, and the huddled, nervous Xue Zhong, adding with concern, "You two have unfamiliar faces. I’ve never seen you before. Where are you from?"

Wujue laughed, "That’s rich. We kindly bring your man back, and you interrogate us? Fine, keep him. Do as you please. He has a gunshot wound and won't live long anyway; we don't want any trouble."

As they turned to leave, the man shouted, "Wait! Our boss is wounded, and you think you can just walk away after a 'kind' gesture? Who do you think you’re kidding? I think you’re in cahoots with Xue Zhong! Xue Zhong, tell me, did they shoot our boss? If you don't tell the truth, I’ll kill you right now."

He raised a rifle, chambered a round, and aimed it at Xue Zhong’s head. Terrified, the boy hid behind Wujue.

Wujue’s expression darkened. He drew his own pistol and aimed it at the man. "An Arisaka rifle? How nostalgic! You’re quite the tyrant, aren't you? Demanding a life with a single word. Why don't we see whose gun is faster?"

The man tilted his rifle, gesturing defiantly. "Come on then, let’s try."

Before he could finish, Wujue fired. Using his profound internal energy to compress the bullet within the chamber, the shot was blindingly fast—near the speed of light—shattering the man’s rifle to pieces.

Wujue and Xiulun didn't hesitate, rushing forward and leaping over the fence, leveling their pistols at the men inside. A standoff ensued. The middle-aged man realized these two were not to be trifled with—their skills were far beyond ordinary, and that shot was truly supernatural.

The man stammered in shock, "Brother, you’re something else. You truly have hidden depths. Are you monks from Mount Wutai? My apologies for the disrespect!"

Wujue smiled. "Think nothing of it. Where I’m from is none of your concern, but since things have reached this point, I’m afraid we’ll have to interfere in your affairs."

"What do you want?" the man asked warily. "Don't do anything rash. I have a dozen guns here. If a fight breaks out, you won't get out alive."

Xiulun, tired of his arrogance, stepped forward and struck the man with the butt of his rifle, causing him to stumble. He laughed, "I could kill you easily, so cut the talk. We brought Leopard here; now, let’s discuss the matter of your rudeness toward us."

"Whatever rudeness they’ve shown, I’ll answer for it," a young voice came from within the farm. "But who is going to answer for what you’ve done to my big brother?"

A young man in a white shirt with long, unkempt hair walked over barefoot. "I am A-Hu, Leopard’s younger brother. Whoever harmed my brother will have to answer to me."