Chapter 323 - 319: Familiar Face?

Su Changxing checked the bodies of the monsters on the ground and said:

"It seems these monsters aren’t very strong. By the time the Security Bureau people got here, they should have already lost most of their fighting power, being at an absolute disadvantage."

Zhou An nodded, indicating he understood. He knew Su Changxing said this to reassure them and replied:

"I just feel this battle is too cruel and brutal, happening in despair and hopelessness, and yet it has to go on."

"Don’t lament."

Zhu Wenwu patted Zhou An on the shoulder, pointed at the gas station, and said, "There’s something inside, maybe those monsters... but the aura is a bit weak."

Su Changxing made a hand gesture to call Monkey King from the back to circle around to the back of the gas station while he approached from the front.

The door was open, and the ground was covered with dusty, messy footprints. There was a noise coming from under the counter. Su Changxing slowly walked over, holding a knife in one hand and a gun in the other.

"Who?"

A hoarse voice could be heard, with a mouth full of blood, sounding indistinct.

Su Changxing countered, "Who are you?"

"······"

The person fell silent, lost in thought.

Su Changxing walked over, his eyes narrowing involuntarily, seeing a man with a broken leg, leaning weakly against the counter.

There were blood marks everywhere, and the blood had already congealed. By rights, he should have died long ago.

"Brother Su, how come you are here?"

The man spoke in a Chongqing dialect, both surprised and trembling, full of disbelief, thinking he was hallucinating.

"Huang Jixiang?"

Su Changxing was somewhat unsure. The person resembled the Security Bureau member he had encountered earlier, whose squad had been wiped out, leading him to join Chen Ling’s squad.

His appearance had changed dramatically.

Huang Jixiang’s face moved slightly, and he quickly nodded, "Yes, it’s me, it’s me... How did you come here? It’s very dangerous here."

Su Changxing took a bottle of water, opened the cap, and handed it to him, saying, "What happened to you guys? Where are the others?"

Huang Jixiang drank a big gulp of water, oblivious to the fact that his chest was already soaked, with water flowing out of a hole in his chin, speaking indistinctly:

"By the time we got here, we encountered those monsters. They ambushed us, and we lost a lot of people, a lot of people..."

Zhu Wenwu’s eyes slightly trembled, looking at Huang Jixiang’s state, feeling uncomfortable.

Zhou An leaned on the counter and said nothing, gazing outside, remaining on guard.

Ambush?

These monsters knew they were coming in?

Su Changxing pondered and asked, "Did anyone else survive?"

Huang Jixiang said dazedly, "Yes, Captain Chen Ling is still alive, leading the rest further in, saying that we must complete the mission. I was too injured and stayed here."

"But, they haven’t come back in a long time... Have I been abandoned?"

He realized his abnormal thoughts; when alone, he would tend to think a lot, thinking more comprehensively.

Su Changxing thought for a moment and said, "Probably not, maybe they haven’t come out yet."

Huang Jixiang’s face showed a look of disappointment, "Is that so?"

He still hoped that Chen Ling and the others would return alive, clinging to that hope.

Sometimes, hope is improbable, based on human self-suggestion and solace, crucial yet hindering rational judgment.

Huang Jixiang suddenly shouted, "Brother Su, can you save me? I know you are very powerful, you must be an Extraordinary. Save me, I don’t want to die yet."

Su Changxing felt his brow tingling slightly but didn’t rub it. Given that he and Huang Jixiang were somewhat acquainted, he wanted to try saving him if possible.

He patted Huang Jixiang on the shoulder with one hand and said, "Before you came in, you already knew you might die, but you still came, didn’t you?"

Huang Jixiang nodded woodenly, "Yes, this is important, we’re doing this for everyone, someone must sacrifice."

He understood Su Changxing’s meaning, full of bitterness but retaining some rationality.

Su Changxing smiled and said, "Leave him some food, and we’ll go."

Zhu Wenwu nodded, about to grab some food and drink for Huang Jixiang, when suddenly a swish sound was heard.

Su Changxing turned and decisively severed Huang Jixiang’s head with a single stroke, cleanly and sharply, only the dark red blood splattered beside the counter.

His face blank, he calmly said:

"He couldn’t survive, living would just be painful, better to die sooner."

Huang Jixiang was showing signs of turning into a monster, though the specific changes were unknown; directly killing him was the best option.

"The Security Bureau might still have people alive in the town; that’s some good news."

Zhu Wenwu said, thinking it might mean potential allies.

Su Changxing nodded in agreement, showing no happiness: "Their determination is greater than I imagined..."

Zhou An felt somewhat depressed. Seeing others’ miserable states naturally made him think of himself. Without Su Changxing, he might still be in the settlement or dead.

"Individual actions are always unpredictable, but groups can be."

Zhu Wenwu nudged Zhou An with his elbow and said, "Don’t overthink, with Brother Su, we’re fine."

Zhou An snapped back and laughed, "Ha, no, I just felt... it’s a pity, yes, such a pity."

Lan’an Town was large, with a river crossing its middle, a small city looking shaped like a shield from afar.

After getting close to the town, Su Changxing immediately felt Mysteriousness rising even faster.

The Energy Station’s influence was again enhanced.

Zhu Wenwu and the others could feel it too, not clearly but enough to feel uncomfortable.

"Someone’s watching us."

Zhu Wenwu whispered, casting a sidelong glance around, focusing on the first and second floors of a nearby building.

Most likely, these were the monsters; this was their territory.

Sure enough, as Su Changxing and the others reached the middle of the street, several figures rushed from the surrounding alleys, encircling them.

"Hehe, isn’t the outside nice? Why do so many people rush inside?"

Standing opposite Su Changxing, a man with a swollen chest grinned, thinking of Su Changxing and the others as meat on a chopping board.

"Outside?"

Su Changxing said with some surprise, "So, you are from the inside?"

He stressed the word "people".

"What else?"

The man fiddled with the machete in his hand, the blade stained with not fully dried blood marks.

Zhou An snorted coldly, "So you monsters were once people from our world?"

The man’s charcoal-black face showed a strange smile, "Monsters? No, we are New humans, far stronger than you, New humans. Haha, you are truly pathetic, knowing nothing."

Zhou An retorted, "I think you are the pathetic ones, turning into monsters and unaware. Are you really from our world...?"

The man’s eyes slitted, seemingly angered by Zhou An’s words, "So what if we are? The result is, you die, and we live. The dead seem to have no say."