Chapter 123: To Kill

With much effort, Political Commissar Gong finally managed to regain control of his emotions.

"I know that the fiend Liang Jing is formidable, and I can understand that all of you are afraid in your hearts!" Having settled his mood, Political Commissar Gong began his speech with a hint of contempt in his tone, acting as though everyone in the hall was a pack of cowards, shaking in their boots over just one man named Liang Jing.

Yet, although a flush of red appeared on the faces of some in the hall, as if they were worked up and on the verge of a flare-up, they quickly reined in their emotions. More of them simply listened quietly, some even wearing expressions as if they were watching a good show. After all, to be the leader of a "large faction" of over two hundred people, one had to possess some genuine skills; why else would others follow you as underlings? Wasn't it precisely because of your formidable capability, providing them with a reliable backing so they could eat well, sleep soundly, survive, and live at least a bit better than the average person? Otherwise, who would be foolish enough to let someone lord over them for no reason? To achieve this, could one manage without a shred of competence?

"Of course, I am not suggesting here that we all fight to the death with this fiend Liang Jing. I merely want to point out that this Liang Jing is bloodthirsty, ruthless, and holds grudges for the slightest offense—he is nothing more than a butcher and an executioner. If we fail to eliminate him now, it will spell endless trouble once he gains momentum. By then, unless everyone yields to him, endures his bullying, and—should he still remain unsatisfied or take a dislike to anyone—accepts a miserable fate without even the chance to fight back or cry out against the injustice... Think about it, surely the military has never bred anyone so bloodthirsty and utterly audacious..." Seeing that the response from the audience was less than stellar, Political Commissar Gong pressed on with his rhetoric. His lengthy speech boiled down to one core message: Liang Jing was a terrifying demon, and if he wasn't killed, none of them would ever know another peaceful day and would all meet a tragic end.

Swish!

This time, there was finally some reaction. That's right! Liang Jing was far too bloodthirsty, completely audacious, and notoriously vindictive. In their eyes, Liang Jing had repeatedly sabotaged the good deeds of Young Master Tu, nicknamed Tu the Turtle, and ultimately even snatched the man's woman. When Young Master Tu went to settle scores, it wasn't enough that Liang Jing slaughtered over a hundred of his subordinates; he had acted with such earth-shattering madness over a single dead underling. They had already calculated that within just these past couple of days, the number of people killed by Liang Jing's sole hand approached a thousand. One could only imagine how brutally bloodthirsty he was—he was simply a plague that could not be provoked.

If Liang Jing were left alive, would he treat them in the future the way he treated Young Master Tu? Yes! It was practically certain. Since he could repeatedly trouble Young Master Tu, it went without saying that for individuals like themselves with even weaker strength, he would certainly do the same!

Suddenly, waking up to the peril posed by this fiend Liang Jing and recalling the legends of his barbarity and cruelty, terror gripped their hearts. If Liang Jing demanded that they offer up their wives, would any of them dare to resist?

No, absolutely not! It couldn't go on like this!

...

"Go straight ahead and find an opportunity to kill Tu the Turtle. Pay no mind to me!" Seeing the migrating crowds just ahead, the straggling survivors appeared even more wretched, many nursing injuries and stained with blood. This sight caused Liang Jing to frown slightly, and in a flash, he vanished from Wu Yong's side.

Terrifying!

Watching Liang Jing, who had been right beside him just a moment ago, suddenly disappear into thin air, Wu Yong experienced Liang Jing's terrifying prowess once more. Wasn't this identical to the awakened ability possessed by that subordinate of Tu the Turtle named Dai Wu? If Liang Jing intended to kill someone, he only needed to use this ability to vanish completely, and with his strength, once he closed in on his target, probably no one could escape alive from his hands.

Why hadn't he used this ability when he was surrounded earlier?

Could it be that the opponent hadn't been exerting his full strength all along?

Were they simply too weak to be worth Liang Jing's full effort?

Was Liang Jing's earlier injury just an act?

Was it all done solely to lure them in and slaughter them to the last man?

...

As Wu Yong thought of the massive toll of lives taken by Liang Jing, a chill ran down his spine. The more he pondered, the more unfathomable Liang Jing appeared to him. A faint wave of joy welled up in his heart; it seemed he had placed the right bet this time, and he inwardly rejoiced over his own brilliant choice. Little did he know that the ability Liang Jing was currently employing had only been acquired after killing Dai Wu...

That was right; the skill Liang Jing was utilizing now was [Shadow Stealth], which allowed him to cloak his form within shadows and darkness, rendering him invisible to the naked eye. This skill had been obtained from Dai Wu, yet it differed from Dai Wu's shadow-body ability.

...

Tu the Turtle had not attended Political Commissar Gong's gathering; he had been thoroughly frightened by Liang Jing. Liang Jing's audacity and his decisive strike had completely beaten the arrogance out of him, shrinking his spirit. The accumulated martial arts training and combat techniques he had practiced for over a decade were utterly vulnerable before Liang Jing. With a simple slash, all martial arts routines and forms proved to be completely worthless in the face of overwhelming power!

A single blow had shattered every last shred of his resolve.

Had he not possessed an ancient sword of divine weapon caliber, had his awakened innate talent not been skeletal metallization, and had others not diverted Liang Jing's attention—had even one of these three factors been missing, he would have died a thousand deaths.

Right now, he was terrified of Liang Jing coming after him to settle scores as the primary culprit. He had never encountered someone who played so fast and loose with the rules, someone so audacious and in such a perilous situation. In the past, it was always he who bullied others; those without status or strength were simply trampled to death by him, while those with influence followed the rules, respected boundaries, and weighed various interests. Now that he had run into a reckless hothead, genuine fear had gripped him.

Currently, he was severely injured and confined to his bed. Everything in his residence had already been packed up, and he planned to flee at first light tomorrow. His room was rigged with explosives, and the detonator switch was kept right beside his hand; the moment anything seemed amiss, that would be his ultimate life-saving talisman.

"Young Master, Political Commissar Gong's trusted subordinate, Commander Wu Yong, has arrived and says he has something to discuss with you," Uncle Xie stepped into the room and reported to Young Master Tu.

"Oh? Commander Wu managed to escape from that bird-monster? Coming to see me now, he must bring some countermeasure devised by Political Commissar Gong. Let him in," Tu the Turtle suspected nothing, merely surprised that Wu Yong had escaped the bird-monster—news he hadn't yet received—without harboring any other suspicions.

"Young Master Tu! Are your injuries holding up?" Wu Yong's expression remained as flat and indifferent as ever, offering a routine, professional greeting.

"They're nothing much, just need some time to rest. What business brings Political Commissar Gong to you?"

"Nothing much, except that Political Commissar Gong felt rather guilty and sent me to deliver a newly developed potion, which might help Young Master Tu recover from your injuries much faster."

"Oh? Bring it over here quickly so I can have a look," a gleam appeared in Tu the Turtle's eyes, entirely oblivious to anything amiss. He was well aware of the rumor that Political Commissar Gong had been gravely wounded and on the verge of death, only to recover, stabilize, and improve drastically after drinking some newly developed potion. He hurriedly urged him forward.

"Understood!" Wu Yong approached Tu the Turtle's bed, reaching toward his waist as if retrieving the potion.

Uncle Xie, standing in the room, felt a vague sense of unease, though he could not pinpoint where the flaw lay. Only the three of them were in the room, all trusted individuals who knew each other's roots.

...

"Ah! Wu Yong, what are you trying to do?" Suddenly, Tu Guitu let out a shrill scream, struggling frantically to fend him off while shouting and cursing at the top of his lungs, loud enough for the underlings outside to hear clearly.

"Wu Yong, how dare you! You actually dare to make a move on the Young Master? Are you trying to kill him? Have you lost your mind?!" Uncle Xie finally realized something was terribly wrong. He watched as Wu Yong approached the bed of the heavily injured Young Master, drew a short blade from his waist, and stabbed it toward Tu the Turtle's neck. Fortunately, Young Master Tu instinctively dodged, resulting in only a shoulder wound. Snapping to his senses, Uncle Xie roared angrily and lunged into action. In all his calculations, he had never expected Wu Yong to go mad enough to commit such an act. Could it be that Political Commissar Gong wanted to assassinate Young Master Tu to vent his anger and exact revenge?

Uncle Xie's thunderous roar was even louder than Tu the Turtle's screams, carrying immense force that echoed far into the distance.

"Ah! No!"

"Stop!"

...

Immediately following, before the underlings outside could fully process what was happening, they heard Uncle Xie—who had just roared with such imposing momentum—let out a sudden, agonizing shriek, followed by the screams of Young Master Tu, after which the room plunged into absolute silence.

Even the dullest underling realized at that moment that something was gravely wrong. Yet their first reaction was not to charge in for a rescue, but to run! To flee! If even Young Master Tu and Uncle Xie, both awakened ones, were no match for Wu Yong inside that room, wouldn't rushing in be tantamount to suicide? Besides, even if they could defeat Wu Yong, did they really dare enter that room? It was packed with hidden explosives; if the opponent triggered them before dying, everyone would perish together.

"Run! Run quickly! Wu Yong has gone mad!"

"Oh no! Could Political Commissar Gong be trying to murder Young Master Tu?"

Having been relentlessly slaughtered by Liang Jing over the past couple of days, Tu's remaining underlings had been reduced to a pathetic handful, living in constant terror. At this moment, they possessed zero courage, remembering only how to flee.

"No, this news must be reported to Political Commissar Gong as fast as possible!" One of the double-dealing underlings immediately sprinted toward the building housing Political Commissar Gong.

Inside the room.

"You are truly weak!" Liang Jing stowed away the items dropped by the two men and said to the panting Wu Yong.

Both were awakened ones, yet Wu Yong was essentially an ordinary person at core, untrained, and his innate ability was not combat-oriented. Had Liang Jing not intervened to dispatch both Tu and Xie just now, Wu Yong wouldn't even have been able to handle a bed-ridden, severely wounded Tu the Turtle.

Wu Yong rolled his eyes inwardly; if his own combat power weren't weak, why would he need to scurry around looking for powerful backers and trying to become a boss himself?