Chapter 117: Temporary Refuge

Along the way, as they listened to the various factions searching for and trying to capture Liang Jing, Gong Zhengwei’s private soldiers issued threats and twisted the truth, fueling a deep sense of indignation within him. He bitterly regretted his own weakness and inability to aid Liang Jing. Determined, he resolved to train harder and expand his influence, refusing to be a dead weight any longer.

They traveled with a captive, Wu Yong, whom Liang Jing had knocked unconscious, and occasionally collected weapons left behind by the private soldiers. The group’s pace was slow, painfully so. The terrain was rough, especially for ordinary people, and their speed dwindled to a fraction of Liang Jing’s usual pace.

Suddenly, Liang Jing noticed a warning on his mini-map—a red dot steadily approaching. His gaze hardened.

“Bark! Bark! Bark!” The mutated military dog suddenly barked fiercely, alerting everyone.

With a swift flash from the nearby shrubs and underbrush, a shadow lunged—not at Liang Jing, but at Su Yuting beside him.

“Watch out!”

“No good!”

Those with quick reflexes shouted in alarm just as a beam of white light streaked from Liang Jing’s hand toward the shadow. The light’s tail seemed slow but struck instantly.

A sharp hiss of pain echoed as the shadow collapsed. Everyone gasped—a massive snake! It was a giant king cobra, over ten meters long and more than twenty centimeters thick, its black and yellow patterned eyes now dim and white. Shocked, they prepared to rush forward to finish it off.

“Hold on, don’t act yet,” Liang Jing commanded hastily. The mutated king cobra was regaining consciousness. He recalled that the serpent had already been subdued by his “Light of Temptation” ability. Previously, many creatures and zombies enslaved by this power had perished due to the Golden Eagle Operation, but this mutated king cobra had arrived just in time.

“I’ve tamed this mutated king cobra—it’s one of us now,” Liang Jing explained, seeing the confusion and panic among the group as the serpent stirred.

“Wow, Brother Liang, you’re amazing to tame such fierce monsters so easily.”

“Yeah, incredible! If only I were an Awakener, I’d want powers like yours.”

The group marveled as the king cobra showed no signs of aggression. Liang Jing’s extraordinary talent for subduing beasts placed him among the top Awakeners, a fact both admired and envied. Yet, they shook their heads, knowing fate had not granted them such abilities, and many Awakeners were still far stronger than Liang Jing.

“This world has changed so much... even this cursed king cobra has become terrifyingly powerful.”

Amid their admiration, Liang Jing ordered the newly tamed king cobra to guard the site of the earlier battle with the giant golden eagle and gather intelligence.

They continued, crossing a small stream after about half an hour, killing several mutated creatures along the way and successfully taming two mutated wolves. The abundance of such wolves here raised questions for Liang Jing—this was clearly an abnormal phenomenon.

“We’re here,” Liang Jing announced, stopping about a hundred meters from the stream at the mouth of a large cave near the mountain where the giant golden eagle had been spotted earlier. He had discovered this cave by accident before. It was spacious, and he had already cleared its interior of monsters.

The cave was shallow, less than a hundred meters deep, but wide—up to thirty meters across—and with a ceiling over ten meters high, it felt cavernous. Lighting a fire for a dozen or so people was easy.

“Are there no mutated monsters inside?” Wu Aiguo asked nervously, peering into the dark cave. The group had faced many attacks from mutated beasts and naturally worried that such a cave might harbor powerful creatures.

“Don’t worry, I’ve cleared them all out,” Liang Jing reassured them while double-checking the mini-map. Seeing no signs of monsters, he led the way inside.

With Liang Jing at the front, their fears eased. He wouldn’t risk them unnecessarily; if he intended harm, he could have acted immediately, and none would have escaped.

Once inside, the group built a fire and marveled at the cave’s spaciousness—it was more like a grand hall. Even a hundred or two hundred people could fit comfortably, although most wouldn’t dare venture this far due to the dangers outside. Food, firewood, and safety remained concerns, but at least no mutated beasts would find them here.

Several smaller chambers branched off the main cave—perfect as rooms. Liang Jing naturally took one for himself, leaving the others to fend for themselves. In a place like this, people generally preferred to band together for safety.

In his chosen chamber, Liang Jing duplicated over a hundred short knives. He called in Jia Yujin, who immediately removed his metal armor, understanding what was expected.

“Don’t worry, leave it to me!” Jia Yujin nodded firmly.

“Good. No need to hide the armor anymore; it’s impossible to go unnoticed now. I’m heading out shortly and expect some results. I’ll have the venomous rippers guard the entrance—tell them to stay alert. Usually, there’s no trouble.”

“Also, Old Jia, watch Ling Qinghe closely. If she acts up, deal with it immediately...” Liang Jing’s expression hardened, eyes flashing coldly. He was decisive with enemies—no exceptions, regardless of gender.

“Uh, Jing, isn’t Ling Qinghe with you? What’s wrong with her now?” Jia Yujin was puzzled but soon nodded in understanding. Ling Qinghe’s loyalty to Liang Jing had been clear to all, especially during life-and-death battles where she showed no signs of betrayal.

“I don’t know exactly. I just have a bad feeling about her. It’s better to be cautious.” Liang Jing felt uneasy himself but would be ruthless if she turned hostile. He chose not to reveal the mini-map’s secrets—some things were safer left unsaid. More knowledge meant more risk. He offered only a vague explanation.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have the Rats keep an eye on her.” Jia Yujin trusted his four top men implicitly—they had never abandoned him through life and death. He believed Liang Jing’s judgment and silently vowed to watch Ling Qinghe.

“Old Jia, after this, let’s recruit some people from the crowd...” Liang Jing shared his plans with Jia Yujin. After some discussion, satisfied, Liang Jing stepped outside.

“Don’t worry, Jing. I’m here for you,” Jia Yujin said, watching Liang Jing’s steadfast figure. He glanced at the battered metal armor, riddled with bullet holes from the Gatling gun, emotions of frustration, excitement, pain, and guilt flickering across his face. He had crafted the armor himself and knew its strength; seeing it so destroyed made him realize the severity of Liang Jing’s injuries, even if he didn’t show it.

Hatred! Such deep hatred!

Jia Yujin hated his own weakness and lack of power, resenting that Liang Jing always had to face the enemies head-on. These feelings gnawed at him, fueling an insatiable thirst for strength.

Liang Jing paid no mind to Jia Yujin’s thoughts as he entered the main chamber. Everyone was preparing dinner. The cave was indeed suitable for habitation, with a ventilation hole to channel smoke from the fire.

Wu Yong had awakened and seemed about to speak but was quickly silenced by the vigilant Rats and Wang Meng, forced to remain quietly frustrated. He had miscalculated.

“Yuting, come with me for a moment,” Liang Jing called to Su Yuting, who was helping with the cooking. She blushed deeply, embarrassed that he had spoken so casually in front of everyone but obediently followed him.

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A great deal of time and effort was spent, though there was little reward and some harsh criticism from readers.

But Taige will persevere, finishing this book, reflecting on the experience, and looking forward to the next.

This week’s category recommendation—if you like it, please consider bookmarking it to help Taige’s rankings. Seeing the bookmarks grow is a great encouragement and motivates the writing even more...