Chapter Thirty-Four: Killing (Part Three) Please recommend and add to your favorites.

Liang Jing nodded at the group who were stopping to catch their breath, clearly satisfied. "Stay alert and prepare for battle!"

Upon hearing his words, Wang Meng and the other five instantly changed their expressions, unconsciously raising their 54-type pistols as they looked at Liang Jing with questioning eyes.

"Over there! Keep your guard up. If anything unusual happens, shoot!" Liang Jing gestured toward Black Snake and his men. The group's marksmanship was certainly not as good as his, but as long as they could intimidate Black Snake's gang for a while, that would suffice.

After giving these instructions, Liang Jing observed that Zhang Hu and the other five, though exhausted from the long sprint, dared not relax their vigilance now. Facing two or three dozen enemies across from them, any lapse could mean disaster—no one could cover for accidents in a life-or-death situation.

Black Snake and his henchmen watched as five more helpers suddenly joined Liang Jing’s side—men and women alike, all looking worse for wear. When they saw that Liang Jing had instructed the newcomers to raise their pistols, five dark muzzles aimed at them, ready to devour lives at any moment, their expressions changed dramatically. They too were familiar with firearms; though they hadn’t brought any this time due to certain circumstances, they knew all too well the danger. Now with five pistols pointed at them, none dared make a move. Though their side had numbers, when faced with death, no one wanted to be the first to step forward.

"How are you guys? Are you alright?" Liang Jing walked over to ask Mouse and the others. From their earlier words and Black Snake’s group’s expressions, he knew their story was mostly true. These men, in the face of danger, hadn’t abandoned their good brother Jia Yujin, suffering heavy casualties for him, yet never giving up—even when hope was gone and despair set in, powerless to resist, they still faced their enemies openly, refusing to compromise or betray. Liang Jing deeply admired this reckless disregard for life and death, and felt glad that his brother had found such loyal companions. He liked this pure feeling.

"We... we’re probably done for. Please take good care of Master Jin, help him find his brothers, Liang Jing." Mouse, the least injured among them, spoke clearly, though he could sense his own end approaching—his body was growing cold, strength fading fast. Even if there were a hospital, survival would be unlikely; they simply couldn’t hold on any longer. Medicines and energy supplements needed time to work. Looking at Old Zhou’s cooling corpse in his arms, remembering how they’d left prison with high hopes, planning to forge a new world together, he couldn’t believe things had come to this. Apart from Master Jin, only he, Iron Pillar, Dunzi, and Liu Kui remained of eight brothers; the rest had died miserably or been killed for betrayal. His heart was extinguished, like a lamp gone out.

"No! I have a way to save you. Old Jia is still alive and well—don’t you want to eat meat and drink wine with him as brothers again?" Seeing their despair, Liang Jing hurriedly interrupted. If their spirits died, their already broken bodies would collapse even faster. He took a water flask from Wang Meng’s backpack, still half full, and without hesitation poured in the rest of the life potion, shaking it to mix and dilute.

Hearing that Jia Yujin was safe, Mouse and the others were instantly reinvigorated. Seeing Liang Jing produce the miraculous potion he’d used to save Master Jin, their eyes lit up. The next steps were easy—Liang Jing had them evenly share the flask and drink all the water. Though diluted, the life potion worked wonders; in just fifteen seconds, their wounds and conditions improved greatly. Though not miraculously cured like Jia Yujin, their situations stabilized, and they could even stand and move. With good rest, they might well recover to full strength.

Bang!

Woo—boom!

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, followed by a brief wailing and a violent explosion, then screams. The crowd had been distracted, watching Liang Jing treat Mouse and his companions. Under Black Snake’s incitement and threats, someone tried to lead a retreat. Wang Meng reacted first, firing at the lead, but his aim was poor—he hit another man’s thigh. Next came Liang Jing’s [Violent Throw], a steel ball that blew apart the front man’s head, instantly shocking the crowd into stillness.

At this moment, Black Snake’s face was extremely grim. He realized the other side had no intention of letting them off; a handful of people dared take on his two or three dozen. Escape was impossible—it was better to fight. With that in mind, his eyes turned cold.

"Who are you, really? You’ve saved your people—what more do you want?" Black Snake stepped forward, facing Liang Jing and his group, staring him down. Even if he lost today, he had to know the identity of his enemy—so he could seek revenge later.

Liang Jing’s anger had never abated; he’d merely been interrupted by Zhang Hu and the five’s arrival while dealing with life-and-death matters. Now, with everything settled, it was time to settle accounts.

"Alright! Since you’ve asked so many times, I’ll tell you. But you won’t have any chance to seek revenge," Liang Jing said slowly, his expression one of disdain. "My name is Liang Jing—did you hear that? Today, I’ll make sure you die knowing exactly who killed you."

"Liang Jing? Ha... the same Liang Jing who was driven out, who couldn’t stay at home?"

"Hehehe, just perfect—I can resolve both my tasks at once. Heaven must favor me, sparing me the trouble of hunting you down one by one." Hearing the name, Black Snake’s expression changed, and he let out a sinister laugh.

"Haha, so it’s the coward everyone talks about, the timid weakling..."

"Bah, I thought he was some big shot. We’re from the Zhang family—let’s see if he dares to do anything to us," a Black Snake henchman sneered.

"Haha, the fool who was so badly messed with he lost his job and went hungry. Damn... what a disgrace."

"He killed so many of us—let’s see what happens to him. Who dares provoke the Zhang family?"

Black Snake’s men seemed to forget Liang Jing’s terrifying presence, bursting into laughter after he revealed his name. Before the mutation, they’d chased Jia Yujin’s group from G Province to Jiangnan. After the world changed, they’d forced Jia Yujin’s group to flee through the wilderness, killing them off whenever they met mutants. They’d never met anyone else, and didn’t realize the world was no longer the same. Liang Jing was just a former butcher; even if he was strong, what could he do? One word from the Zhang family had cost him his job, left him begging for food, forced him to work elsewhere, unable even to speak out. If he’d had any courage, he would have sought revenge on the Zhangs long ago. Facing such a "weak, timid legend," what was there to fear? Knowing they were from the Zhang family, surely he would beg for mercy.

Black Snake, still dwelling on the shock and humiliation of losing so many men, felt a cruel smile return to his face as he imagined getting his revenge soon.

Woo! Woo! Woo!

Bang bang bang—three more shots, and the three most boastful Black Snake henchmen were executed on the spot. The scene fell silent again—no one expected such ruthlessness. Liang Jing knew they were from G Province’s Zhang family and still struck without hesitation. The crowd grew increasingly uneasy, realizing this was no ordinary foe.

"You! You! Do you know who sent us? We’re from the Zhang family in G Province!" Black Snake suddenly reacted, realizing that Liang Jing’s actions didn’t match his reputation—so fierce, so contrary to rumor. Shaking all over, he was unsure whether from anger or fear.

"Attack!" Liang Jing’s face was cold, ignoring their words. He ordered the mutated black-backed dog (now a zombie) to strike. After being enslaved by necromancy, the dog was now a zombie, its body incredibly tough, immune to most toxins. Corrosive substances might have some effect, but not much—zombies feel no pain and aren’t easily affected. Black Snake’s poisonous attacks would be useless in close combat; Liang Jing doubted they could release poison gas at such close range. And even if they did, who could guarantee immunity?