Chapter 76: The Killing Move
When everyone inside the villa finally recovered from the sonic shockwave, the spider woman was already dead by the window.
The official Walkers were equal parts shocked and elated. How did he do that?
The spider woman possessed formidable vitality and regenerative abilities. Ordinary attacks barely scratched her, and the only viable strategy had been to slowly wear her down. Yet their colleague had cut her down in just two or three strokes.
Isn't he a rookie? How is he this strong? Amid their excitement, a flicker of confusion passed through the Level 2 Walkers' minds.
Li Dongze, clutching at his shoulder and leaning on his cane, called out loudly from the direction of the kitchen, "Good, very good! Guan Ya, focus all your support on White Dragon and Big Muscle. Don't worry about anyone else. Yuanshi, coordinate your movements with Captain Green Vine to take down that insect. Tang Guoqiang, hang in there a little longer."
He was already orchestrating things from behind the scenes—truly worthy of a Scout.
White Dragon and Big Muscle on the second floor, and Captain Green Vine and the others on the first, all felt a boost in morale. If they hadn't been locked in combat, they would have showered Yuanshi Tianzun with praise. A rookie he might be, but his combat prowess was anything but inferior, and was far more reliable than his Squad Leader.
Tang Guoqiang, who had been clinging desperately to the great serpent's tail while it coiled itself around his own body, let out a breath of relief and threw himself fully into the wrestling match.
The Enchanting Demon truly is a class born for slaughter, Zhang Yuanqing thought as he felt the power surging back into him after the Bloodthirsty Blade had drank its fill. A fierce battle lust ignited in his chest, and he charged straight toward the humanoid insect.
When the Bloodthirsty Blade consumed blood, it plundered the vital essence from its victim and fed it back to its master. The Enchanting Demon class had a similar passive attribute, growing stronger with every kill.
Guan Ya slid past him with a smooth sidestep, brushing shoulders with him as she went, and flashed a smile. "Nice work."
The two crossed paths and parted. The open-minded lady reloaded her weapons and unleashed a hail of gunfire down the second floor corridor, punching crater after crater into the walls and cranking up the pressure on Rampaging Recklessly.
Rampaging Recklessly swept a glance at the situation downstairs. Ignoring the great serpent entirely, he barked at his other remaining companion, "Get up here and help!"
The official Walkers had been carving up the battlefield, trying to pick off enemies one by one. Rampaging Recklessly had the same idea, but the spider woman had died far too quickly, and the situation had deteriorated in an instant. They could no longer afford to fight separately.
As for why he didn't go downstairs himself, there were too many official Walkers on the first floor. If he descended, the Fire Sage and Water Ghost would follow him down, and he'd be trapped deep in enemy territory.
Hearing the summons, the humanoid insect bent its reverse-jointed knees and launched itself upward. The floor tiles cracked with a sharp snap beneath its feet, and its towering frame hurtled upward like a speeding car, slamming into the beautiful woman in the qipao and sending her flying.
Zhang Yuanqing, who had been charging in that direction, hurriedly sheathed the Yanagiba knife and threw his arms wide to catch the voluptuous beauty sailing through the air.
He underestimated the force of the impact. Their two bodies collided with a heavy smack and tumbled together until they crashed into the glass cabinet beneath the television. Zhang Yuanqing could faintly hear his own bones groaning, on the verge of fracturing, and his heart stopped for several seconds.
The humanoid insect, having launched its target away, sprang into the air and unfurled its elytra. Wings as thin as cicada membranes vibrated with a violent hum, whipping up ferocious gusts of wind.
Captain Green Vine, lying in Zhang Yuanqing's arms, conjured a vine from thin air and snapped her wrist to send it flying. The brown vine whistled through the air and coiled around the humanoid insect's ankle, stringing it up in midair like a kite.
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but study the ageless looking woman. Are Wood Demons actually this strong?
Then, he noticed that the buttons on her chest had popped loose during their collision, folding back a corner of her collar to reveal black lace cradling a pale, creamy curve. The visual impact was considerable.
Captain Green Vine, your collar's come undone, he offered a silent reminder as he averted his gaze. He was still just a kid, and he absolutely refused to peek at anything indecent.
"Burn its wings!" Green Vine commanded as she pressed her entire body against Zhang Yuanqing's chest, arms locked tight, straining against the creature.
Two Fire Sages heard the order and immediately opened their mouths wide, drawing deep breaths. At that moment, two muffled puffs sounded from the humanoid insect's groin, and a cloud of dark yellow gas sprayed out, engulfing the Fire Sages below.
The two muscular men went rigid instantly. Then, they staggered and collapsed as if they'd downed bootleg liquor, white foam bubbling from their mouths.
Even from a distance, Zhang Yuanqing caught a whiff of the acrid and faintly sour gas. His tongue went numb on the spot, and he quickly held his breath. The pill he'd been holding in his mouth earlier kicked in, and the mild toxins were rapidly neutralized.
The humanoid insect struggled for a moment but couldn't break free of the vine. It seemed to remember something. It glanced down at its own ankle, and in the next instant, the lower half of its legs dissolved into a surging flow of water.
The vine couldn't bind water, and dropped uselessly to the ground.
Captain Green Vine, propelled by the sudden change in momentum, crashed hard into Zhang Yuanqing's arms, and her face drained of color. "This is bad."
Suddenly, the humanoid insect, which was just about to lunge toward the second floor to assist Rampaging Recklessly, began dodging erratically in midair, as if battling an invisible opponent.
Green Vine whipped her head around and saw a thick, inky black substance swirling in the boy's eyes behind her.
She understood the situation immediately. An illusion! Without a moment's hesitation, she lashed out with her vine again, coiling it around the creature's ankle. Following its combat instincts, the humanoid insect once again turned the lower half of its legs into water.
"Now!" Green Vine shouted,
Two Earth Wraiths moved in silent accord, dropping to one knee and pressing both palms flat against the floor. The surface of the living room split open as sand and dirt burst through the tiles and swallowed the humanoid insect whole.
Controlling dirt, water, and fire—all these were signature skills available at Level 2 for the Earth Wraith, Water Ghost, and Fire Sage classes respectively.
The humanoid insect, having lost its legs below the knees, plummeted from the air. A stream of murky, muddy water writhed nearby, struggling to rejoin the main body, but the sand that had been mixed into it made reunion impossible. Earth overcomes water.
Seizing the opening, Green Vine twisted at the waist, launched herself upward, sprinted and leaped, then dropped to both knees on top of the humanoid insect.
Two Earth Wraiths and two Wood Demons pounced simultaneously, pinning down its arms and legs.
Green Vine pulled her right fist back and thrust her chest forward, her upper body drawn taut like a mighty bow, and hammered her fist down. A drunken man striking a tiger would have looked no different.
Thud, thud, thud. The humanoid insect's head split apart under the relentless barrage. Grayish-white brain matter and bright red blood splattered across the floor, mingled with a dark green, foul-smelling liquid.
Zhang Yuanqing's spirits soared. Another one down. Victory is ours!
The enemy had lost two monsters, while they had only lost one Level 3 Scout and two Fire Sages. Barring any surprises, the scales of victory had already tipped firmly toward the side of the officials.
They were all close calls, but nothing we can't handle. I won't need to play my trump card after all!
The thought had barely crossed his mind when a dark blur streaked through his field of vision, slamming into Green Vine's curvaceous figure like a cannonball.
It was Tang Guoqiang, still wearing his hardhat. The two of them went tumbling together, smashing through furniture along the way.
Captain Green Vine's face turned deathly white, and she vomited a large pool of blood.
What happened? Was the foreman unable to hold off the serpent anymore? The thought had barely formed when Zhang Yuanqing felt an itch in his throat. A fit of violent coughing overtook him, and at the same time, a wave of soreness and the feeling of bloating spread through his limbs, as if lactic acid had flooded his muscles after extreme exertion.
His legs buckled and he collapsed to the ground, completely baffled.
Then, he heard Guan Ya let out a soft groan, and she slumped against a pillar and slid to the floor. Almost simultaneously, Li Dongze, who was still in the open kitchen, the four elite members around the humanoid insect's corpse, Tang Guoqiang, and Green Vine all began coughing to varying degrees. Every one of them looked visibly weakened and drained.
The great serpent that had flung Tang Guoqiang across the room was slumped over as well, its tail dangling limply over the second floor railing, apparently affected by whatever was afflicting the rest of them.
"We've been poisoned." Captain Green Vine called out, her face ashen. She coughed again. "Poisoned."
Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank. Poisoned? When did that happen? Up until that very moment, he hadn't noticed a single abnormality in his body. As a Nocturnal Specter with robust vitality, he should have detected any toxins within his body instantly.
Moreover, the Hundred Flowers Society's Wood Demons possessed life-domain skills. If anyone should have been sensitive to poison, it was them. Yet all three Wood Demons, Captain Green Vine included, had clearly noticed nothing.
There was a sharp crack as the railing along the second floor shattered, and White Dragon, clad in her racing suit, tumbled down, along with her black longsword. A ball of flame hurtled down after her, flaring outward before resolving into a staggering figure clutching his stomach. It was Big Muscle.
His abdomen had been pierced clean through, blood gushing out from the horrific wound in torrents too thick to staunch with his hands. His hulking frame was covered in bloody claw marks. Both captains looked haggard, their hands and feet trembling, muscles weak and unresponsive.
A tall, dark silhouette leaped down from the second floor, shaking the ground upon landing. It was Rampaging Recklessly. Many of his surface scales were cracked and seeping blood, but he charged straight for Big Muscle without slowing. His leg rose from the ground, knees flexed, unleashing a vicious kick that arced upward like a rising blade. If it connected, the Level 3 Fire Sage's jaw would burst open like a watermelon.
At that critical moment, Green Vine flicked her wrist out with the last ounce of her strength. A vine coiled around Tang Guoqiang's ankle and, with a whoosh, she flung him at Rampaging Recklessly.
Rampaging Recklessly switched from a straight kick to a roundhouse. With a loud boom, Tang Guoqiang sailed away like a football.
Rampaging Recklessly had clearly developed a grudge against Big Muscle during the fight upstairs. He ignored Tang Guoqiang entirely, instead dropping into a low stance and driving his fist forward, determined to kill his nemesis.
The other captains' expressions twisted in anguish. Utterly powerless and unable to intervene, they could only watch on as their comrade faced death.
At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing, whose recovery ability was nothing short of extraordinary, summoned a burst of strength and staggered out. He caught the football that was Tang Guoqiang, planted himself in front of Big Muscle, and held the foreman up as a shield.
Thud, thud, thud! Rampaging Recklessly's fists rained down like a storm, hammering into Tang Guoqiang over and over.
Zhang Yuanqing stumbled backward step by step, still hoisting his "shield" up high.
"You... You're going a bit too far here," Tang Guoqiang sputtered between mouthfuls of blood. His skin was thick and his bones were tough, and a few punches wouldn't kill him. It just wasn't a pleasant experience.
"This is an emergency measure," explained Zhang Yuanqing apologetically.
The words had barely left his mouth when a whistling roundhouse kick sent both him and Tang Guoqiang flying.
Rampaging Recklessly swept his gaze over the official Walkers slumped on the ground. He spread open his grotesque mandibles, and human speech spilled out, his tone dripping with satisfaction. "What futile resistance! I never said my trump card was these three idiots. How could I possibly defeat fifteen official Walkers with just them? Even my modifications wouldn't have been enough.
"Hah! They were nothing but a smokescreen to distract you. The real killing move was my secret item. It releases a colorless, odorless poison gas. Even Saint-tier Walkers would be affected.
"But it has its drawbacks. It only works in an enclosed space, and it needs enough time to take effect. I told you, this is a banquet of slaughter which I prepared just for you. Are you enjoying it yet?"
Li Dongze, Green Vine, White Dragon, and the other captains seemed to grow even paler. They had fallen into a trap the very moment they had stepped into this villa, one that had been meticulously prepared.
The other Level 2 Walkers exchanged glances, despair written across their faces.
Rampaging Recklessly turned toward Zhang Yuanqing, his gaze settling on the Bloodthirsty Blade tucked at his waist, and clicked his tongue. "Isn't that Ou Xiangrong's item? I've had my eye on it for a long time. I thought after Ou Xiangrong died, I'd never get another chance to claim it. Yet here it is, delivered right to my doorstep."
His eyes drifted to Tang Guoqiang's hardhat, White Dragon's black longsword, Guan Ya's handguns, Green Vine's vines, and Li Dongze's cane.
"What a bountiful harvest. The boss was right. Killing and looting is the fastest path to riches. To thank you fools for your generous gifts, I'll make it quick."
His amber eyes with their slit-like pupils swept over Guan Ya, Green Vine, and White Dragon in turn, lingering on the curves of their bodies. The wicked Hex Master made no effort to conceal his desire as he let out a low, leering laugh. "Well, you three don't have to die. I'll modify your bodies, strip away your minds, and turn you into mindless beasts who do nothing but beg on all fours."
Captain Green Vine's expression changed instantly. If that was the alternative, she would choose death.
"Pah!" White Dragon spat a mouthful of bloody foam and raised an eyebrow in a cold sneer. "When that day comes, I definitely won't forget to bite it right off."
As she heard Rampaging Recklessly's words, Guan Ya, who had shown little fear of death until now, slowly shuddered. A wave of intense revulsion and terror rose from the pit of her stomach. She snapped her head toward Zhang Yuanqing, her beautiful eyes glinting with a sliver of hope.
She knew Yuanshi possessed a rule-type item. He still had a trump card he hadn't played. If anyone here could turn the tide, Guan Ya believed it was him.
Zhang Yuanqing cracked a grim smile as he met Guan Ya's gaze. Most Evil-class Walkers were scum who deserve to die a hundred deaths over. He forced his weakened limbs to support him and rose to his feet, summoning the Red Veil from his Inventory.
After weighing every option, the only thing that could kill this bastard quickly was the Ghost Bride. He hadn't wanted to play this trump card so soon, but now that the moment demanded it, he wouldn't hesitate.
"Hm?" Despite his gloating, Rampaging Recklessly hadn't let his guard down for a second and kept a close watch on every official Walker. His eyes snapped to Zhang Yuanqing's face, then fell to the object in his hand: a red veil embroidered along its edges with gold thread.
The monster's reaction drew the captains' attention too, and they turned to see Zhang Yuanqing holding up the Red Veil.
What is that thing? Does he still have a trick up his sleeve? Green Vine, White Dragon, and Big Muscle were bewildered yet hopeful. Li Dongze and Guan Ya, however, looked startled and disappointed. The thing Yuanshi had produced was nothing like what they had imagined.
Zhang Yuanqing met Rampaging Recklessly's stare, a strange smile spreading across his face. "Do you want to know what it feels like to be a groom?"
The Cat King Speaker in his waist pouch crackled with static, and the air was filled with the shrill, mournful wail of a suona, along with an eerie song.
"She laughs while she cries, can you guess how she laughs while she cries? She's crying now, can you see how she cries while she laughs..."
The suona howled on and on, eerie, piercing, soaring.
With a flourish, Zhang Yuanqing shook open the Red Veil, and under the bewildered gazes of everyone present, lowered it over his own head.
