Chapter 86: The Retaliation Begins

Watching the lackeys of the Tu family swaggering about with their weapons, along with the personnel from various factions eager to curry favor with "Turtle" Tu, Liang Jing sneered to himself. This was only the beginning; there was no need to rush.

Liang Jing’s appearance had changed drastically. Beneath everything, he wore captured body armor; over that, he wore leg guards and a helmet fashioned from the hide of a Steel-Spined Beast; and outermost was a suit of metallic armor. Jia Yujin had crafted this according to Liang Jing’s specifications using the metal transmuted from the [Short Blade]. It lacked ornate, imposing designs, focusing instead on high defensive capability and mobility. At 1.5 centimeters thick, it was finished in a dull, non-reflective hue to remain inconspicuous. Every joint was specially treated to ensure total freedom of movement, despite the suit weighing over three hundred pounds.

Since killing those three Awakened, Liang Jing’s attributes had each increased by another point. With his base strength combined with the equipment’s buffs, his power level had reached 32. For Liang Jing, carrying [Baroque’s Sorrow] while wearing full plate armor and additional supplies was hardly a burden. He remained in a constant state of combat readiness.

The harvest from killing those three Awakened went beyond mere attributes; his internal energy had actually broken through again! It had been less than two days, yet he had already reached the third tier of internal energy. If Gao Yaotai and the others, who considered themselves heaven’s favorites, knew that while they were still struggling at the first tier, Liang Jing was already advancing toward the fourth, they might just cough up blood and die from the sheer disparity.

Hiding in a concealed corner, Liang Jing felt quite secure in his new gear. As long as he remained wary of autocannons, his safety was virtually guaranteed. While the armor was only 1.5 centimeters thick, the quality of the material ensured its defensive properties were formidable. Of course, it would not withstand an autocannon; the thought of such a weapon tearing through walls and tanks sent a chill down his spine. Fortunately, autocannons were cumbersome to move and required a stable setup; as long as he stayed mobile, even an autocannon posed no threat.

As long as he avoided ambushes, evading fire was simple. It was like an elephant trying to catch an agile mouse—it was utterly helpless.

The night was dark. The wind blew, causing the mutated, alien flora to sway and dance. It was a perfect night for murder, though the moon was absent, the bright stars served just as well. From the distance came the roars and howls of beasts, and occasionally, mutated bats or mosquitoes would flutter through the air, though they seemed to avoid this area, sensing the danger.

The hunt on the ground was underway in silence. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night—a night of slaughter.

"Ah! No, please!"

A man struggled violently in Liang Jing’s grip, but he was far too weak. Before Liang Jing, he was like an ant trying to shake a mountain. With a silent, ripple-like radiance emanating toward the man’s mind, Liang Jing unleashed [Light of Temptation].

The man looked at Liang Jing with eyes full of terror and despair. He looked at the three corpses on the ground—his companions who had died from this very same move—and then at the two men standing beside Liang Jing. He was paralyzed with fear. If he had a choice, he would never have shouted and chased after Liang Jing after spotting him, nor would he have invoked the name of Young Master Tu to threaten him. This man was truly terrifying.

*Hummmm!*

"Ah!" As the dim, rippling light struck the man, his eyes rolled back. Intense pain forced a scream from his throat, but soon, his eyes cleared, and he looked at Liang Jing with absolute obedience and reverence.

*Hmm.*

Liang Jing nodded as he watched the man’s demeanor shift after the successful use of [Light of Temptation]. He glanced at the two beside him: one was the zombie "Brother Huang," and the other was another man enslaved by the same light. These were all former underlings of "Turtle" Tu, now repurposed as Liang Jing’s pawns to dismantle Tu’s forces and those who sought to appease him. Liang Jing would show no mercy to these people. Talk of ruthlessness or cruelty was nonsense; if someone came to take your life, how could you not take theirs in return?

Being a saint was only for those living in fantasies. Liang Jing only knew that good people didn’t live long, while villains survived for a millennium. Strike first to gain the advantage; strike late and suffer the consequences. If you don’t pull out the weeds by the roots, they will grow back with the spring breeze.

Liang Jing hadn't brought the Toxic Ripper this time. First, Jia Yujin and the others needed protection, and the powerful, tireless Toxic Ripper was the best choice for that. Second, this mission was dangerous, and he didn't want to risk such a high-potential subordinate; it would be heartbreaking if it were destroyed. As for "Brother Huang," his growth rate was too slow, and without his transformation, he was barely stronger than an average human. Liang Jing wouldn't feel much grief if he were lost, so he preferred to use these enslaved pawns for dangerous tasks.

He equipped the two lackeys with sharp daggers and small porcelain vials containing the venom harvested from the Toxic Ripper. A mere touch of it on their blades turned them into lethal weapons.

In a dark basement Liang Jing had discovered in the village—a place unlikely to be found—he sat cross-legged. From here, the reach of his [Light of Temptation] could essentially cover the entire village, which was currently packed with soldiers, "Turtle" Tu, and the leaders of various factions, all with lackeys patrolling everywhere.

"Go. Do your best to kill them."

Liang Jing ordered the two enslaved lackeys out. One wore a brown leather jacket, the other a black leather coat.

...

"Halt! Which faction are you from?" a man in a brown leather jacket barked at the two lackeys carrying blades.

"W-we are from the Nine Heavens Alliance. Are you guys under Young Master Tu?" The two seemed to know that such arrogance could only come from Tu’s men, their voices lacking confidence.

"Yeah, come here! We have something to ask you!"

*Thwack! Thwack!*

"Ah! Guh—!"

Before the two Nine Heavens lackeys could realize what was happening, they were stabbed in the abdomen by the men in the brown and black jackets. Their mouths were clamped shut, stifling their screams into muffled grunts. They died quickly, their bodies already beginning to corrode, revealing white bone.

Seeing the two dead, the lackeys turned and hurried away to find their next target.

...

"Old Zhang, Little Li, did you find anything? The Young Master is furious this time; he’s issued a death order. The reward is a position as a leader of a fifty-man squad."

"By the way, Old Zhang, Little Li, come here for a second. I have something to tell you, heh heh... you know!" the man in the black leather coat said with a lecherous, secretive grin.

"Oh? Let’s hear it." Old Zhang and Little Li’s eyes lit up as they hurried over.

*Thwack! Thwack!*

"You—!"

In an instant, Old Zhang and Little Li, fellow underlings of Young Master Tu, were dead, dispatched as easily as chopping vegetables.

...

"We’re Brother Leopard’s men. What do you want?"

*Thwack! Thwack!*

"Guh—!"

Two more men collapsed, one with a large, corrosive hole in his body. The men in the brown and black jackets turned and left.

...

The two lackeys actively avoided the army soldiers who were still searching. That was per Liang Jing’s orders. Unless absolutely necessary, Liang Jing still held onto a sliver of caution; this was his greatest concession. He hoped they wouldn’t force his hand.

The slaughter continued. A pungent, bloody stench permeated the air, thick with a cold, terrifying aura.

Slowly, people began to notice something was wrong. A patroller tripped over a corpse and, annoyed, looked down to see what it was.

"Murder! Help! Someone, help!"

Following the panicked shouts, the various faction leaders—who had been about to call off the search and rest, assuming Liang Jing had already fled the village—received the news. Upon investigation, they discovered that a large number of the men they had sent to search for Liang Jing were dead—all of them, with no survivors.

Panic ensued. Who could have done this? They sent men to investigate, but found no suspicious clues. They couldn't find the killer; it was as if he didn't exist.