Chapter 72: Critical Moment. Seek Red Tickets and Save.

“Leave it to luck!” Zhang Bao said simply and straightforwardly. In fact, after a night, the remaining scents had almost disappeared. Relying solely on the six dogs by his side was impossible. Although the six dogs were mutated military hounds, they hadn't reached that level of invincibility. It was just hoping to follow the scent and pray that the opponent hadn't run far. So, running a large circle around them, the mutated military hound Six might be able to pick up a faint trail.

Lü Fengsheng's face turned tense at this moment. After all, to achieve anything, you first had to find the target. After all, without finding a person, nothing could be done. He prayed in his heart: Heaven, must protect me. Only with great difficulty did he find a path, and if this failed, it would be hard for him to get back up. Uncle Xie that bastard had already become wary of him.

“Move! Everyone, search everywhere along the six dogs' trail. If you see any house or hidden spot, report it immediately. Don't alert the enemy.”

Lü Fengsheng could only hope that Liang Jing and the others hadn't gone far, that they were spending the night nearby. They had seized Brother Huang and the firearms. This was the breakthrough point for the mutated military hound Six to play its role. They needed a safe and hidden place to rest for the night, and in this open wilderness with no mountains, the targets were obvious: endless fields, ditches, and waterways.

“Woof—!”

“Six! Six! —Found it! Everyone, gather up, discover the target!”

Zhang Bao, the squad leader, saw Six's excited reaction and shouted loudly for once. He knew Six had found the target, just a short distance away, where two rows of low, tiled houses could vaguely be seen.

Lü Fengsheng heard Zhang Bao's shout, his face filled with joy. He quickly gathered the group. Finally, victory was within reach. Liang Jing, I'm coming. Do you still remember me?

……

Liang Jing, who had only been away for a short time, had no idea that danger was steadily closing in on his woman, his brothers, and his subordinates. His front was now blocked by a group of people.

“Boss, it's him! Exactly him!”

“Yes, yes, wearing that ferocious mask, carrying a dark golden giant sword on his back.”

“We were lucky to run into the target right after leaving. We're going to make it this time. I wonder what Young Master Tu will reward us with. It would be great to serve under Young Master Tu. Once we reach N City, we'll be unstoppable.”

……

“You're Liang Jing?”

The leader was a young man of similar age to Liang Jing. With an air of refinement, he raised his right hand to signal the group to stop. He scanned Liang Jing from head to toe, searching for anything different about him that would make him so important to Young Master Tu that it even angered him.

This young leader was named Hao Lianwu. Previously, in Shanghai, he had worked a standard nine-to-five job. After the world became mutated, he had looted a Type 54 pistol from the body of a police officer who had been killed by a monster. Using that as his foundation, he gathered men and declared himself a boss. But now he was no longer content with such modest beginnings.

In the morning, he had received information from Young Master Tu: report Liang Jing's exact whereabouts immediately, and there would be heavy rewards. Not only would firearms be part of the prize, but he might also become an official underling in Young Master Tu's army. The待遇 would be far better than his current chaotic gang life, which was on the brink of collapse. This was an iron rice bowl!

However, he now harbored other ambitions. Since merely reporting the location could yield such generous rewards, what if he captured the target himself? Wouldn't the reward be even greater, at least doubled? At this moment, the opponent didn't seem particularly formidable. He carried a gun, and the man dared to resist—wouldn't he fear his own weapon? One shot would end it.

As for the awakened? For these small-time gangsters, it was out of reach. The awakened were now embedded in powerful factions like Young Master Tu's army, or they recruited followers to build their own empires. He had little contact with any of them.

……

“Eh?!”

Liang Jing was greatly surprised, a bad premonition rising in his heart! He had underestimated the opponent. He hadn't expected them to learn his information so quickly. After all, even if Hao Lianwu couldn't recognize his current disguise, how had they known?

And how had he not yet approached the crowd to scout Young Master Tu's forces' precise location when they were intercepted? It seemed he had also underestimated them, or perhaps Huang Yanzhe and the others had concealed something from him?

“Are you underlings of Young Master Tu?”

Liang Jing's face slowly darkened, his voice low and cold.

“You scum! How dare you insult Young Master Tu!”

……

The subordinate beside him exploded. Someone had dared to insult Young Master Tu—that was seeking death! Unforgivable!

“Hahaha! Yes, you're Liang Jing, aren't you? Hurry up and lie down, kowtow and confess your sins!”

Hao Lianwu had also heard Liang Jing's disrespectful address for Young Master Tu. He found it amusing but kept it hidden, for he might not live to see the next day. Immediately, he adopted a haughty tone, acting superior as he bestowed his favor upon Liang Jing, pretending to be an underling of Young Master Tu and flexing his power.

But he failed to notice the shift in the atmosphere.

“Is that so? Since you're underlings of Young Master Tu, then there's nothing to feel guilty about!”

In Liang Jing's view, underlings of Young Master Tu were no better than Young Master Tu himself—utterly wicked, more cruel and venomous than the man himself. More importantly, Su Yuting was his woman now. What the opponent had done to his woman was absolutely unforgivable. After all, Liang Jing was domineering, fiercely protective of his own, and possessed an overwhelming sense of ownership over women!

A cruel smile curved his lips. How could these underlings of Young Master Tu be so lawless and rampant? Did they truly believe he was the Son of Heaven, untouchable? So, starting today, he would show them the consequences.

“You—!”

At this moment, Hao Lianwu realized something was wrong. Seeing the cruel smile on Liang Jing's face, he immediately drew the gun at his waist and was about to fire.

Liang Jing wasted no words. There was no point in being verbose with these insignificant figures. Better to capture them first to learn the information. He ignored the gun pointed at him, took a powerful step forward, and charged like a fierce tiger descending the mountain toward the dozen or so men.

Bang! —

Hao Lianwu hadn't finished speaking when he saw the opponent pounce so swiftly. Startled, he fired, a smile still on his face. Since you're courting death, I'll take your corpse back to claim the reward.

But in the next moment, his expression froze. The man was grabbed by the throat and lifted into the air. The handgun was seized and pointed at the underlings of Hao Lianwu.

“Don't move! Otherwise, this gun might misfire!”

……

There was actually no need for Liang Jing to threaten them. Seeing that their leader had shot Liang Jing and he was unharmed, they realized they had kicked an iron plate. Now that a pitch-black gun muzzle was aimed at them, any sign of movement? Only then did the crowd understand why Young Master Tu had only required their report on the location. It was because the opponent was not someone they could handle.

The subsequent events proceeded smoothly. After the leader was beaten to death or crippled by Liang Jing, the others, facing his questions, offered everything without holding back...

He was now wanted by every major force in the crowd. Under the wanted notices issued by Young Master Tu and the military, with bounties luring them on, almost all factions had mobilized to seek him out for trouble.

Within the military, there was a mutated military hound that had learned to coexist with humans; it had departed that very morning!

Disaster!

Liang Jing's expression changed. His zombie Brother Huang had not removed his clothes, only wearing leather armor and carrying those few automatic rifles. Facing a mutated military hound's search—

In an instant, Liang Jing understood the situation. It was far beyond his expectations. Even in the morning, preparing for the worst had been merely precautionary. He had not expected the opponent to actually succeed.

At this moment, Liang Jing was burning with anxiety. He had no intention of bargaining with these people anymore. You will all serve as sacrifices for the golden weapon [Baroque's Sorrow]! These people, Liang Jing had no intention of sparing. Since they were enemies, he could not leave any witnesses. If released, who knew what troubles they might bring back?

Ssh! Ssh sh! —

Ah! Aaaah! —

[Baroque's Sorrow], one meter five in length plus Liang Jing's arm span, created an enormous attack range. The giant sword in his hand was as light as nothing, flashing with dark golden light curtains through the air, unleashing a rain of blood, severing enemies at the waist.

“Stop—!”

These so-called underlings of Young Master Tu had never expected Liang Jing to be so ruthless, intending to kill them all. By the time they reacted, most had already been slain by Liang Jing. The others were so terrified their courage had shattered, standing frozen in place.

Just then, Liang Jing heard distant shouting. It was quite far from here. Liang Jing's movements did not pause. He quickly finished off the remaining few whose courage had broken. Only then did he turn his gaze toward the distant shouters...

It turned out to be soldiers!

Liang Jing looked at the ten or so soldiers in camouflage uniforms, his face darkening. I hope you do not challenge my bottom line!

Otherwise, Son of Heaven, I will slap some anti-human crime on you, and I will also poke through this sky, no life or death!

He glanced at the officer who was ignoring him, holding a telescope and looking his way. Such a distant shout could only be heard by those with five senses more acute than himself. He immediately turned his head and returned to their camp.