Chapter Seventy-Three: Enemy Attack! (Please vote and bookmark!)

Huang Ji raised his binoculars, catching the cold glance Liang Jing cast back just before he departed. An inexplicable chill ran down his spine. By the time he recovered, he realized the back of his shirt was soaked with cold sweat. Terrifying! This man was absolutely terrifying. A single look had stripped him of any will to resist. How many lives had this man taken to possess such a gaze?

Looking down at the corpses strewn across the ground—almost all of them severed in two, some still groaning and writhing in agony—he did not dare to give chase. He had received orders from his superiors that there would be no large-scale search today. He had only rushed over upon hearing the gunshots, never expecting to actually stumble upon the target. Yet, he dared not pursue. The man was too frightening; that single glance made him seem like a demon freshly emerged from the depths of hell.

In truth, Liang Jing had already learned to control his emotions and suppress his murderous aura quite well. It was only his sudden anxiety for Su Yuting and Jia Yujin that had caused a temporary lapse in his composure. Ever since his killing intent was awakened at Clearwater Bay, he had taken countless lives. One could only imagine how heavy his murderous aura had become. His moniker of "the Butcher" was well-earned, and it was certainly not something a mere squad leader like Huang Ji could withstand. Even from such a distance, augmented by a mental strength more than twenty times that of an ordinary human, his gaze exerted a crushing pressure on the mind.

This was, in essence, a physical manifestation of his power as his overall strength continued to soar. As for how this ability would evolve in the future—and whether he might one day kill a man with a mere glance—who could say?

To Liang Jing's mind, dying under the blade of *Baroque's Sorrow* as its maiden sacrifice was a stroke of good fortune for them. Had they known what he was thinking, they would surely have cursed him to high heaven. Under the edge of that greatsword, they had only felt the agony of death after their limbs parted from their bodies. To this moment, they still did not understand why Liang Jing had slaughtered them so ruthlessly...

It was because they had finally found a chance to play the bully by riding on the coattails of a greater power, only to pick a fight with a sleeping tiger. Had they known, they would surely have regretted their big mouths. They had literally invited death upon themselves without even knowing how they died.

***

“Oh no! Enemy attack!—”

The group, who had been methodically reinforcing their defenses, were startled by Mouse’s shrill cry. Halting their work, they looked out toward the wilderness. The flat, open terrain offered an unobstructed view, and they immediately spotted a fully armed force of about a hundred men. Leading them was a mutated dog as tall as a man's shoulder...

Instantly, everyone's expressions hardened. They whipped their heads around to glare at Mu Yuan, who was standing frozen to the side. Their eyes were so fierce and hostile they looked ready to tear her to pieces. Seeing their glares, Mu Yuan’s face turned deathly pale.

“No! It wasn't me, really! I've been right here with you the whole time.”

Mu Yuan was terrified of dying. She had no cards left to play. Her previous stint as a spy had been forced upon her by Young Master Tu. Given the choice, she would never go back to that den of wolves; there was no good ending for her there. Moreover, now that the mission had failed, her fate would be unimaginably grim if she fell back into their hands. Now, her only hope was that Jia Yujin might show her some mercy for the sake of their past. She stammered out her defense in a panic, casting an imploring look at him.

“Prepare for battle! Ling Qinghe, Su Yuting, keep an eye on Mu Yuan!”

Meeting her pleading eyes, Jia Yujin took a deep breath. After all, a night of romance breeds a hundred days of affection, and she indeed had no opportunity to pass any information since they captured her. There was no point in overthinking now; they needed to prepare for the fight.

“Everyone, I’m sure you’ve heard plenty about Young Master Tu’s ruthless methods. Our only option now is to fight to the death and buy time until Liang Jing gets back!”

“Brother Jia, shouldn't we retreat before they get any closer? If we stay and fight, we won't stand a chance!” Liu Zhixiong suggested, his face etched with worry.

“No!” Jia Yujin countered. “If we flee into the open wilderness with our backs to the enemy, we’ll be sitting ducks. Besides, it will make it harder for Liang Jing to find us when he returns.”

It was out of the question. Aside from the fact that two of their group were physically unwell today and would struggle to run, fleeing across these wide-open ridges and fields was suicide. Running with their backs turned would leave them defenseless, and they would simply be picked off one by one.

“Enough talk! Prepare for battle! Buy as much time as you can!”

With time running out and the enemy heading straight for them, Jia Yujin made a swift decision.

“Yes!”

Aside from Liu Zhixiong and Wu Aimin, who still showed some hesitation, everyone else immediately grabbed their firearms. They propped their gun barrels through the ten-centimeter slits they had carved into the walls of the house earlier.

Like the firing slits of a bunker, it was easy to shoot out but infinitely harder for the enemy to shoot in. As long as they kept the enemy at bay and no heavy artillery was used to demolish the building, the defense would hold up well.

None of them had expected the enemy to arrive so quickly, especially so soon after Liang Jing's departure. The defensive measures they had prepared earlier were meant only for peace of mind, yet now they were their saving grace.

Bang!—

“Stop right there, or we’ll shoot!”

“Who are you people?”

Although they were almost certain these hundred-odd men belonged to Young Master Tu, shouting these questions served to buy time and perhaps satisfy a lingering shred of wishful thinking.

“Enemy attack! Take cover!—”

At the sound of the gunshot, the high-and-mighty Lu Fengsheng flinched and threw himself behind a knee-high ridge. Of his men, only a dozen disciplined soldiers reacted swiftly, diving for cover. The rest descended into chaotic confusion, stumbling over one another as they tried to drop to the ground, scurrying like headless chickens.

Only when he heard the shouts did he realize the shot had been a warning fired into the air. Even so, Lu Fengsheng refused to stand up, unwilling to gamble with his life. He was seething with rage, resolved to show them no mercy.

“Liang Jing! I know you're in there! Do you have any idea what happens to those who cross Young Master Tu?”

“Come out and surrender! Lay down your weapons, and maybe you'll receive a lighter sentence. Otherwise, not only you, but everyone with you will pay the price!”

Lu Fengsheng had no idea that Liang Jing was not even present; he believed he was still inside, which was why he dared to shout so boldly.

“And the rest of you, lay down your weapons and surrender! Do you know who Liang Jing has crossed? Young Master Tu holds absolute power! With a flick of his finger, he can make you pray for death. If you won't think of your own futures, are you really going to throw your lives away for him?”

“Surrender now, and your past offenses will be wiped clean. Otherwise, your families, your friends, and your women will all suffer a fate worse than death!”

“I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourselves. Capture Liang Jing's family, friends, and women! Hand them over, and Young Master Tu will reward you handsomely with food, women, weapons—whatever you want! You—”

Bang! Bang! Bang!—

Before Lu Fengsheng could finish, Jia Yujin, now certain they were indeed dealing with that turtle Tu's lackeys, abandoned his last shred of hope and ordered his men to open fire. Letting the enemy continue would only invite dissent; humans were fickle, and those with weak resolve could easily be swayed by such promises. In truth, Jia Yujin only trusted Liang Jing and his four remaining trusted lieutenants; he had little faith in the others.

“Ah!—”

“It hurts! I’m hit!”

“Help me! I’m dying!”

Lu Fengsheng was stunned by their decisive response. Most of his subordinates were still milling about like headless flies, standing in clustered groups. This sudden volley immediately claimed several lives.

Jia Yujin knew that out of his dozen or so men, only Liu Kui, a former soldier, and Tie Zhu, who had hunted wild boars with a shotgun back home, had any real marksmanship. Thus, he had ordered a simple, synchronized volley—much like the crude firing lines seen on television—to compensate for the others' terrible aim.

Before the apocalypse, none of them besides Liu Kui and Tie Zhu had ever touched a firearm. Even now, with weapons in hand, the scarcity of ammunition meant they rarely practiced. Aside from knowing how to pull the trigger, they had no skill to speak of. In normal combat, they rarely used them; the guns served primarily as a deterrent.