Chapter 41: The Plump Hero

When their scheduled return time had long passed, Ye Tang drove into the village. Finding not a single soul there, she muttered, “Those two idiots.”

During her inspection, she discovered they had escaped from the rooftop; there were footprints by the back door—three sets in total. “There’s a woman’s footprint as well.”

Following the tracks, she found a cave with remnants of a campfire. She quickened her pace.

Boom! The main doors of the research institute were smashed apart as easily as if they were made of paper. A swarm of villagers surged in with a cacophony of shouts, and in an instant, Hu Guozheng found himself beset on all sides.

“They must’ve broken in,” Zheng Shasha said, flipping through her father’s notebook, but the sound of the doors breaking and the sudden clamor of footsteps interrupted her.

Hu Guozheng shouldered his backpack, approached her, gripping the Azure Dragon Blade tightly. “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, we’ll get out safely.”

The two of them ran down the corridor toward the emergency exit. They had barely made it far when a group of villagers, brandishing weapons, came at them with murderous intent. To protect her, Hu Guozheng swung the Azure Dragon Blade. The villagers weren’t strong enough and were knocked aside; he kicked out, sending one crashing into the others.

“Hurry, don’t stay here!”

They dashed down the stairs, but at the front entrance, a mass of people was charging in their direction. “Damn it, why is everyone chasing me and not Old Du? Is it because I look too good with a blade and they can’t stand it?”

“There’s a way out by the back door.”

“Then move quickly!”

Zheng Shasha turned the corner, but before Hu Guozheng could follow, the villagers had surrounded him. Without hesitation, he swung the blade—not to kill, for that was unthinkable, even though these villagers hardly seemed human, but he could at least render them powerless.

“Damn you all.” Hu Guozheng braced himself, blade ready. One villager lunged at him; he ducked, charged, and sent the man flying several meters back.

“I’ll kill every last one of you beasts!” Hu Guozheng fended them off, shouting, “Go! I’m distracting them—run while you can!”

Just then, a shovel struck him violently on the head, leaving him dazed. Another villager smashed his leg with an iron rod, and he heard the crack of breaking bone.

“Damn it, a sneak attack!”

The pain was unbearable; tears sprang to his eyes as he glimpsed weapons raised again. Gritting his teeth, he swept the blade at their legs—blood spattered, his vision went red, and he no longer cared who lived or died. In that moment, only one thought remained: kill or be killed.

“Hu Guozheng, are you all right?” Shasha crouched beside him, tears streaming at the sight of his battered body.

He pushed her away. “Don’t worry about me—just go.”

“You said we’d leave together.”

“Don’t be silly! I’ll be fine. If you hadn’t come back for me, you would’ve had time to escape. But now—”

“I know you told me to run to save me, but I can’t leave you here. If we’re going to die, let’s die together.”

Hu Guozheng was stunned, his face flushing with embarrassment, unsure what to say. The pain from his broken bones was excruciating, but he forced a smile.

“You’re bleeding so much, your face is deathly pale.”

Shasha looked at him with concern. Hu Guozheng gently patted her head. “Of course I look terrible—I’ve lost so much blood. You look so worried—did I scare you?”

Shasha shook her head, tears mingling with a faint smile. “At least you can still joke.”

He laughed. The moment brought a rare calm, but it was shattered by the rising roar of approaching villagers. Shocked, they watched as the mob drew closer; Shasha screamed. Hu Guozheng struggled to rise, limping, and with Shasha’s help, managed to walk. They had barely made it a hundred meters from the back door before they were surrounded again.

“Life and death are in fate’s hands; wealth and honor are in heaven’s.”

Shasha looked at him. Though terrified, she found herself strangely unafraid of dying. In a quiet, sincere voice, she replied, “No. After all this, death doesn’t frighten me anymore.”

Hu Guozheng managed a faint smile before dizziness swept over him. He knew his body was failing from blood loss. He thought to himself that now he truly understood the pain Du Bin had endured, and why he’d ended up in the hospital last time. Gripping the Azure Dragon Blade, he said, “Don’t give up easily. We still have unfinished business. We won’t die so easily.”

The villagers surged forward. Ignoring the pain, Hu Guozheng slashed wildly. Even a man who’d never killed would be driven to this under such circumstances—perhaps this was the test Ye Tang had meant for them. The two sides wrestled for several minutes. With a feint, Hu Guozheng tricked his opponent and drove the blade into his heart.

At that moment, another villager ambushed him from behind with a kitchen knife. Caught off guard, Hu Guozheng tried to dodge, but his injuries left him sluggish. The blade struck his arm, and blood spurted like a fountain. Hu Guozheng collapsed, clutching his arm and crying out. Shasha’s face turned ashen; she longed to help but was powerless.

The young man wielding the kitchen knife swung down again, this time aiming for Hu Guozheng’s head. The blade flashed down with deadly speed, and Hu Guozheng silently prayed to every god he could think of.

“Aah!” Zheng Shasha couldn’t bear to watch, covering her face and screaming. At that moment, a stream of fire shot from the woods, striking the attacker in a vital spot. The man froze for a heartbeat, then exploded like a balloon—flesh and blood everywhere. Hu Guozheng stared, half-certain he had witnessed a miracle.

Zheng Shasha lowered her hands, overjoyed to find Hu Guozheng still alive. But as the villagers remained, her relief was short-lived. Noticing something odd about the mob, she followed their gaze.

“Reinforcements at last! This fat man has finally survived.” Hu Guozheng dragged himself upright, elated to see a familiar face.

It was Ye Tang, wielding her sword. Everywhere she passed, bodies fell. With a single sweeping slash, searing flames burst from her blade, spreading in every direction. The fire engulfed the villagers, turning the forest into an inferno. Those who could fled in panic. Zheng Shasha was stunned into silence by the surreal scene.

“Fatty, are you dead yet?”

“Thanks to you, I’m still breathing. But as for your friend, I can’t say.” Hu Guozheng leaned against a tree, panting.

“What do you mean? Wasn’t he with you?” Ye Tang, not seeing Du Bin, asked in confusion.

“Heaven knows. I thought he was with you.”

Without waiting for more of Hu Guozheng’s nonsense, Ye Tang pressed her sword to his throat—a gesture that sent him into a panic. He thought to himself that this woman was truly terrifying when she lost her temper; no wonder only Old Du could handle her.

“He and I split up. He went down the mountain early to find you. Unless…”

“No unless. I can sense he’s still alive.” The more Ye Tang thought about it, the more worried she became. She knew Du Bin couldn’t control the necklace, but he should be able to protect himself.

Zheng Shasha, realizing these were Hu Guozheng’s friends, finally relaxed. She tore a strip from her shirt to bandage his wounds.

“Who is she?”

“She’s a tourist I met in the village—the daughter of a professor from this research institute.”

Ye Tang glanced at her, then closed her eyes and extended her hand. Flames danced in her palm. From the fire, she sensed subtle messages. She opened her eyes and strode forward. “I know where he is.”