Watching Sun Aotian walk straight toward the Exchange Stone Pillar, Wen Yu turned to the relieved Li Quanâan behind him and said, "Iâve returned the favor. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
Upon hearing Wen Yuâs words, the relief on Li Quanâanâs face vanished, replaced by bitterness. "Thank you, Brother Wen Yu, for saving my life," he said.
Wen Yu had tricked Li Quanâan once again.
Li Quanâanâs initial plea was for his life, which Wen Yu had saved, so naturally, this favor was repaid.
However, Wen Yu hadnât cared at all about Li Quanâanâs future. For a few magic crystals, he had let Sun Aotian go.
The next time Sun Aotian sought trouble with Li Quanâan, there would be no one to rescue him!
Damn it, I canât stay in this damn place,
Li Quanâan cursed inwardly.
He saw Bai Feifeiâs shocked expression nearby and the very calm Wen Yu. Sun Aotian was walking back after exchanging his magic crystals. Cursing inwardly again, Li Quanâan turned with his few subordinates and headed out of the camp.
Luckily, no one was paying any attention to Li Quanâan.
All eyes were focused on Wen Yu, filled with disbelief, awe, and even hope for survival.
Wen Yuâs strength allowed the others to see the possibility of defeating the Zombie Legion.
Sun Aotian directly handed the two attributeless magic crystals to Wen Yu. As Sun Aotian watched Wen Yu begin to absorb the three magic crystals in his hand, a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes. He lifted his chin and shouted at Wen Yu, "Just you wait! Donât bully the young and poor! Fortunes change like the riverâs course; sooner or later, youâll be a stepping stone on my path to becoming the strongest!"
Wen Yu had just finished absorbing the magic crystals when he heard Sun Aotianâs taunt.
"TSK. TSK." Upon hearing Sun Aotianâs words, Wen Yu suddenly found it rather pointless.
Why am I even bothering with this delusional brat? Heâs just an adolescent, full of protagonist fantasies, and underage to boot. Most importantly, he has absolutely no chance of defeating me. Should I kill him tomorrow?
For the first time, Wen Yu hesitated.
The kid hasnât really provoked me *that* much, has he?
As Wen Yu thought this, his killing intent slowly subsided. He nodded towards Zang Pengfei. "Get me a place to rest. I need a break."
"Come with me, Brother Wen Yu," Zang Pengfei said courteously, then led Wen Yu towards the inner part of the camp.
Watching Wen Yu turn and leave, and sensing Wen Yuâs killing intent slowly diminish, Sun Aotian took a deep breath.
My gamble paid off,
he thought.
I understood the trap in Wen Yuâs words. âI wonât kill you todayâ implied there was still tomorrow, and a long future after that. Having been in Chaihe Town since the apocalypse began, I naturally understand how terrifying the situation here is; I wouldnât run out of the camp like Li Quanâan. Outside the camp, even with my strength, thereâs no guarantee of safety.
Despite Sun Aotianâs outward display of a fearless, grandiose persona, he was, in reality, quite astute.
I knew Wen Yu wouldnât let me off easily, so I deliberately acted like a typical protagonist, loudly taunting the villain I couldnât beat for now. Wen Yu definitely wouldnât just let me go like a typical villain, but by understanding this trope, heâd surely look down on me. As long as he underestimates me and doesnât see me as a threat, I wonât be targeted.
Luckily, Sun Aotianâs gamble had paid off.
Turning his head, Sun Aotian led the terrified Bai Feifei and her brother towards their dwelling.
"Brother Tian, what should we do? I didnât expect Wen Yu to be so strong." Bai Feifeiâs heart was about to jump out of her chest. She had just found a strong backer, only to see that backer nearly crippled by someone else.
"What else can we do? Keep a low profile from now on, and donât provoke that guy," he replied.
Bai Feifei looked at Sun Aotian in surprise; this statement didnât match the persona Sun Aotian usually projected at all.
Recalling the feeling of being so close to death just now, a chill ran down Sun Aotianâs spine.
I absolutely cannot provoke Wen Yu again. Yes, itâs best to stay far away from him.
Sun Aotian, capable of becoming a Level 2 professionist, was definitely not just the immature character he appeared to be. Cautious, prudent, and adept at avoiding dangerâthose who didnât understand these principles were already dead!
ă...ă
Under Zang Pengfeiâs leadership, the two of them walked into a passable wooden house.
"Itâs a bit small, I hope Brother Wen Yu doesnât mind," Zang Pengfei said apologetically.
"No trouble at all; on the contrary, Iâm the one troubling Brother Fei."
As the saying goes, you donât hit a smiling face. Zang Pengfei was very polite to Wen Yu, and Wen Yu naturally returned the courtesy.
Zang Pengfei hesitated for a moment, then said to Wen Yu, "With Brother Wen Yu here, we wonât need to worry about those zombies."
This was Zang Pengfeiâs way of pressing Wen Yu to declare his stance, fearing Wen Yu might ignore the campâs crisis.
Wen Yu understood the meaning behind Zang Pengfeiâs words and felt no resentment. After all, they werenât related in any way; if he werenât valuable, Zang Pengfei would have no reason to be so courteous to him.
This settlement is definitely not as weak as it seems on the surface! Zang Pengfei, at the very least, has the strength to eliminate Sun Aotian.
"Donât worry, Brother Fei. Right now, weâre grasshoppers on the same rope," Wen Yu said, with a meaningful look at Zang Pengfei.
A look of understanding flashed in Zang Pengfeiâs eyes. He knew Wen Yu wasnât just referring to the external crisis threatening the camp, but also the internal one.
Zang Pengfei, Sun Aotian, and Wen Yu, the newcomer, constituted the three major power factions currently in the camp. The undercurrents here ran deep!
"With Brother Wen Yu here, I can rest easy!" Zang Pengfei patted Wen Yuâs shoulder affectionately before leaving the room.
Watching Zang Pengfei leave, Wen Yu lay down on the bed, a cold smile playing on his lips.
The complexity of human relationships, even in a small settlement like Chaihe Town, was remarkable.
People... they never want to relinquish the power theyâve acquired. Instead, they always want more. Greed, while a motivator, is also the root of all evil! Their own lives arenât even in their control, yet they still fret over such pointless things.
Wen Yu would never forget what he truly wanted.
All I want is to survive. But thatâs so hard, even for the current me.
Before long, Wen Yuâs snoring filled the room.
So much had happened that day, and Wen Yu was exhausted.
ă...ă
"Brother Tian." In another crude wooden house, Bai Feifei lay naked against Sun Aotianâs small frame.
"Hmm?" The recent bout of passionâhis first timeâhad left Sun Aotian somewhat drained.
"Tomorrow, can you take Quanâan to kill some zombies so that he can become a professionist too?" Bai Feifei asked tentatively; after all, pillow talk was often effective.
"Hmm." Sun Aotianâs eyelids drooped; he looked completely dispirited.
"Then Feifei thanks Brother Tian." Bai Feifei beamed, but her eyes flickered with mockery and disgust.
For a woman, especially a beautiful one, handling an inexperienced young man like this was far too easy, as long as she used the right method.