RITAAB 54

Chapter 54: 【o(￣︶￣)o】

After all the talking, Xia Liansheng finally got to the point. What exactly is it? Could this person predict the future? Can they change what is destined to happen?

If it wasn’t predicting the future, how could they say such things?

Xia Liansheng said, “Qin Jiulin and I are destined to be together. Your appearance is just an insignificant stumbling block on our path.”

Qin Jiulin, who was hiding and eavesdropping, thought to himself that in his past life, Liu Zhongyuan really was just like Xia Liansheng said, just a stumbling block, with no other purpose. Once he crossed over, everything was fine.

Liu Zhongyuan casually shook his massive snake head, as if asking if he was done talking so he could leave and not accompany them here.

Somehow, Xia Liansheng seemed to understand what Liu Zhongyuan was trying to express. He could only feel frustrated in his heart, snorted coldly, and finally said, “Don’t think that having a large animal form means everything. I will definitely surpass you, and in the end…”

In the end, you will surely die by my hands!

Xia Liansheng’s last sentence didn’t have a clear beginning, but the meaning was conveyed. After saying the last sentence, he turned around and left.

But Liu Zhongyuan seemed to have guessed the meaning of the unfinished sentence. When Xia Liansheng turned around and hadn’t taken a few steps forward, a huge snake tail suddenly fell heavily beside him on the flat ground.

Fortunately, there was nothing here except weeds, so it just raised some dust and small clumps of dirt. Xia Liansheng was startled and jumped.

He looked in shock at the snake tail beside him, which was only two meters away. If the snake tail had fallen directly on him, without a doubt, he would have turned into a pile of mush by now.

He turned his head back in astonishment and saw that the snake tail had been lightly retracted, even swaying at him as if bidding him farewell.

“You… Are you planning to kill me? I am now part of the military’s team of beastmen, just like you. I am even a squad leader. The military knows that I came to find you. Do you dare to kill me…”

Before he could finish his words, Liu Zhongyuan shifted his gaze away and left in another direction. Although he didn’t say a word, the message couldn’t be any clearer.

It was as if he was saying, “Who do you think you are? Are you even worthy?”

Sassy snake!

Xia Liansheng clenched his fists in anger, so tightly that he didn’t even notice the blood dripping from his palm. Fortunately, he didn’t lose his temper completely and knew that he was still outside. Liu Zhongyuan had already left, so he didn’t need to transform into a beast form in an empty place.

He tore his clothes and transformed into a larger black panther. As he prepared to leave, he realized he was injured when his front paw touched the ground. Injuries sustained in human form would also be reflected in his beast form, so he would need to be more careful in the future.

However, Xia Liansheng still held Liu Zhongyuan responsible for this incident, along with Qin Jiulin. After all, in his eyes, Qin Jiulin was nothing more than his prey.

He decided to return quickly. He looked down at the small trace of blood left by his paw on the ground. In the past, such a small amount of blood would have meant nothing, but now…

Animals with atavistic traits have heightened senses, so he was certain that it wouldn’t be long before animals approached to investigate the situation. They might even be attracted by the scent of blood.

Of course, whether he could win a fight after being found was a question, but if he was found, no matter how weak the animal might be, it would still bring him trouble.

This was not something he wanted to encounter right now. Xia Liansheng calmed himself down and suppressed his anger towards Liu Zhongyuan. He turned around and disappeared into the distance with a few leaps.

Although Liu Zhongyuan had been delayed on the way, he hadn’t been gone for long when he returned to the street. Qin Jiulin and Qi Yue didn’t even realize it.

Liu Zhongyuan hadn’t bothered to inform Qin Jiulin about what happened. After all, there was no need to. Xia Liansheng posed no threat to him. Instead, after they finished their business, the three of them discussed hunting the half-beast individuals in the square.

Qi Yue said, “The rationality of the half-beast individuals is almost nonexistent. Their brains only have instinctual reactions related to feeding on flesh. As for animals…”

“Once the number of half-beast individuals decreases and they realize the danger we pose, they should leave on their own. So, we should start by directly hunting down those half-beast individuals,” Qin Jiulin added.

Liu Zhingyuan nodded expressionlessly, not saying anything else. Qin Jiulin, on the other hand, disagreed, “Children need praise to boost their confidence, otherwise they won’t have enough later.”

Qie Yue retorted, “Do I really need this kind of education at seventeen?”

“What’s wrong with that? It’s not even New Year yet. As long as you’re underage, it’s still applicable!” Qin Jiulin replied.

Qi Yue remained silent.

Well, he didn’t feel like he needed this kind of education. However, Liu Zhongyuan… no, Liu Ge always seemed to be at odds with him, especially when Qin Jiulin’s attention was focused on him. So, was he just a third wheel?

But he shouldn’t entertain such thoughts. After all, these two people had helped him a lot, and he hadn’t been of much use to them before leaving. There was a high probability of them seeing him as a liability and setting a trap for him when they met again.

He knew how powerful these two individuals were, even if he could fly, what difference would it make? How high could a giant tiger jump? He had seen Qin Jiulin’s tiger form effortlessly leap onto the rooftops of three or four-story buildings. Not to mention Liu Zhongyuan’s fifty-meter-long giant snake!

When it stood upright, it could reach at least thirty meters, right? Wouldn’t he be in danger then?

Qin Jiulin said, “Enough, stop talking nonsense. Just tell us, which direction is the most convenient for us to break through?”

Liu Zhongyuan replied, “This way is the most convenient. It’s also the closest to here. Just walk straight south along this street and you’ll see the square. It’s only a distance of one or two kilometers.”

Qin Jiulin said, “Alright then, but should we approach on our own or use some bait to lure out and eliminate some of the half-beast creatures there?”

Liu Zhongyuan answered, “Let’s charge in directly… It’s no problem to escape if we’re surrounded by so many half-beast creatures, but it might be difficult to fight them all. For safety’s sake, let’s use bait.”

Qin Jiulin agreed, “That’s settled then.”

No matter how powerful they were, they couldn’t be foolish enough to charge directly into the midst of thousands of half-beast creatures. If they really did that, they would be acting like fools.

Qin Jiulin said, “As for the bait, we can just kill one of the half-beast creatures somewhere else. Let’s go. This is a long-term mission, and I have no idea how long it will take us to clear this square and the surrounding area.”

Liu Zhongyuan reassured him, “Don’t worry, our presence will definitely be missed.”

Qin Jiulin replied, “Of course.”

Then the two of them looked at Qi Yue. Qi Yue understood and stood up, saying, “Then I’ll go out first.”

Qi Yue’s task was to go there and check the ground conditions. For him, it was relatively simple. He just needed to fly a few circles there.

Qi Yue flew several circles in the air above the square, observing the situation in and around the square. When he returned, he was shocked by what he saw. There were an unusually large number of half-beast creatures in this area!

Especially on the square, it was packed with people, just like when the square first opened. There was no space even for people to pass through. Such a large number of half-beast creatures were gathered less than two kilometers away from their current location. The thought of it made his scalp tingle.

Fortunately, these half-beast creatures weren’t randomly running around.

After Qi Yue returned, he drew a simple map for them and placed it on the table. He said, “All the empty squares and streets are filled with countless half-beast creatures. I didn’t see a single animal. As long as there’s space to fit, there are half-beast creatures there.”

Qin Jiulin blinked and said, “That’s a bit exaggerated.”

Liu Zhongyuan agreed, “Yes, yes.”

Qin Jiulin added, “But it means we’ll just need to spend a bit more time. It’s not a big problem.”

Liu Zhongyuan suggested, “Let’s start today. Oh, and Qi Yue, when unexpected situations arise, remember to call out if you see anything.”

Qi Yue nodded and said, “Okay, I understand.”

Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan soon left. Liu Zhongyuan transformed into a giant snake, but Qin Jiulin didn’t transform into a beast form. Instead, he sat on Liu Zhongyuan’s head, as he had other things to do later.

On the way to their destination, Liu Zhongyuan casually swatted a half-beast creature that approached with his tail. Of course, he didn’t use too much force to avoid turning it into minced meat that would be difficult to move.

The corpse of a half-beast creature ended up on his tail. When they approached the end of a street that led to the square, they could already see the densely packed half-beast creatures.

Seeing is believing. It was indeed densely packed with half-beast individuals, jostling and squeezing each other. There were very few gaps in between. Qin Jiulin exclaimed in surprise, “So many…”

Liu Zhongyuan threw the corpse of the half-beast creature he had just killed nearby and smashed it to pulp with his tail, even the bones were crushed into tiny pieces that couldn’t be distinguished within the blood pulp.

Qin Jiulin, feeling a bit disgusted, said, “Don’t forget to wash up when we go back!”

Liu Zhongyuan nervously shook his tail, as if trying to shake off the blood. Fortunately, Qin Jiulin didn’t observe for too long.

He transformed into a giant tiger and leaped down from his head, landing on the ground, ready to face the approaching half-beast creatures that he sensed were coming this way.

The first wave of approaching half-beast creatures… holy cow! There must be more than a thousand of them!

If they were to unleash their full strength, it wouldn’t be too difficult for them. However, Gao Yang’s mission also included not causing excessive damage to the surrounding buildings. With this constraint, they… at least Liu Zhongyuan’s movements had to be confined to the streets, they couldn’t just haphazardly destroy the surrounding structures.

Qin Jiulin said, “Let’s retreat a bit first, there’s no rush.”

Liu Zhongyuan didn’t object and turned around to retreat a distance.

Qin Jiulin climbed up to the balconies of the surrounding floors, reaching a height of seven or eight stories, and looked ahead. Many of those half-beast creatures were squeezing towards that pool of blood, and the ones in the middle were either biting or licking the ground with their mouths, trying not to waste so much blood.

Especially later on, because the half-beast creatures on the outskirts couldn’t get any, they went berserk and started attacking the other surrounding half-beast creatures. This behavior was quickly imitated by the surrounding half-beast creatures.

They had officially started a big brawl, without a fixed target to beat up. One would come here, and another would come there. In short, whoever died first became food, and whoever survived got to eat.

Qin Jiulin just stood there and watched. In less than two minutes, he saw dozens of half-beast creatures already become food for their kind.

Liu Zhongyuan, of course, saw it too. He glanced at Qin Jiulin and continued to observe silently.

Qin Jiulin, “…”

It was quite spectacular. Even the half-beast creatures that hadn’t joined the fight initially started attacking their fellow creatures under the stimulation of such a strong smell of blood.

The two of them continued to observe the surroundings for about half an hour, and the number of over a thousand half-beast creatures had already been reduced by half, or even less!

But by this time, they stopped attacking each other, as if they had reached a consensus at the same time. Maybe they had eaten enough and weren’t hungry enough to attack their own kind like crazy?

Qin Jiulin didn’t fully understand, but he knew that it was time for him and Liu Zhongyuan to take action. The smell of blood over there had become too strong after this internal war, and they needed to act swiftly.

Qin Jiulin approached from the left, while Liu Zhongyuan approached from the right, each responsible for one side.

Qin Jiulin, in his transformed giant tiger form, was more agile. With each swipe of his paw, he could crush a half-beast creature’s head, and with one bite, he could directly snap its neck!

From time to time, he would jump onto the wall, using the force to leap in another direction, and directly pounce on the ones biting to death.

In contrast, Liu Zhongyuan was even more restricted in his movements. After all, his size was too large, and he had to control his strength and speed to avoid crushing the roads below while slapping the half-beast creatures. He also had to be careful not to bump his head or tail into the surrounding buildings when turning.

Fortunately, these half-beast creatures had no intelligence. When they encountered enemies, they only charged forward without interruption. They wouldn’t run away because of the enemy’s strength. Their minds were not so complex, and they were not aware of fear.

After killing all these hundreds of half-beast creatures, Qin Jiulin’s fur was covered in blood. His beautiful fur was all matted together, very uncomfortable. He would absolutely not use his own tongue to lick it!

Even his mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and there was even a bit of flesh hanging on his teeth. Even his claws were filled with bits of shredded flesh.

As for Liu Zhongyuan… it was even more extreme. His entire tail was almost dyed red with blood. The spikes on the back of his snake body had barbs, so some of the half-beast creatures that managed to climb on him were impaled and hung there. Two of them were still alive but couldn’t break free.

Qin Jiulin felt a bit speechless when he saw this. He carefully jumped up, avoiding the spikes, and killed these two half-beast creatures.

Liu Zhongyuan then shook his tail at Qin Jiulin, indicating that the next steps would be simple, and they just needed to wait here.

With so many half-beast creature corpses here, the smell of blood was strong. Once the surrounding half-beast creatures caught a whiff of this blood, they would swarm over like sharks. By patiently waiting here, they could keep killing until they were exhausted. It was very convenient.

The two of them stood guard here for a whole day. They couldn’t remember exactly how many half-beast creatures they had killed, but they knew that they had become numb by the end.

Liu Zhongyuan could barely move his tail anymore. He was numb!

Qin Jiulin couldn’t even perform the motion of swiping his claws. He had done it too many times and was starting to forget how!

This small area was piled up with a thick layer of half-beast creature corpses. Standing on top of this pile, their line of sight was level with the third floor.

Qin Jiulin flicked his tail, signaling for Liu Zhongyuan to follow. The two of them first went to the nearby river to wash themselves clean. Then they transformed into their human forms on the shore, picked up the towels brought by Qi Yue, and wiped themselves clean. They soaked in the water for a long time, finally getting rid of the smell of blood.

But they would definitely have to take a thorough bath when they got back.

Qi Yue handed them their clothes and said, “Let’s go back first?”

As Liu Zhongyuan and the others got up, Qi Yue added, “I roughly calculated the numbers for you. It seems like you killed around three to four thousand half-beast creatures today.”

Qin Jiulin asked, “Does it look like the number of half-beast creatures in the square and the surrounding streets has decreased?”

Qi Yue nodded, “It does seem like there are slightly fewer, but not very noticeable.”

Qin Jiulin said, “That’s good. By the way, according to the current speed, how much time do we need to complete this mission?”

Qi Yue responded, “Perhaps it will take around ten days to two weeks?”

Qin Jiulin sighed, “Ten days should suffice, but half a month seems a bit excessive, don’t you think?”

Qi Yue blinked, uncertain about Qin Jiulin’s method of calculating the required time, but it wasn’t a concern. After all, he wasn’t the one getting tired. His task was simply to fly in the sky and monitor the situation.

However, the brutal slaughter occurring on the ground was profoundly horrifying. As he watched, a chilling sensation ran down his spine. If he were in their position, he surely wouldn’t possess the same level of mental fortitude.

Upon returning to their quarters, their first order of business was to head to their respective rooms for a shower. Qi Yue had been flying all day, so he had picked up a faint scent of blood, although he hadn’t come into direct contact with it, so it wasn’t overpowering.

After the refreshing showers, the three of them felt rejuvenated, as if they had been reborn. They made their way to the cafeteria for dinner. Their presence surprised the other individuals present, as they rarely dined there.

After all, their appetites were voracious, and there was always the risk of unintentionally consuming all the available food.

Fortunately, this time they didn’t overindulge. They merely had an extra five bowls compared to the other beastmen individuals, in order to replenish their nutrition.

Late at night, lying in bed, the three of them were exhausted from the day’s activities. The repetitive movements had taken a toll on both their bodies and minds. They quickly drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the nearby military camp, many individuals found sleep elusive, particularly Xia Liansheng, as well as Duan Qiufeng and Qin Jiuzhen.

Ever since encountering Qin Jiuzhen, Duan Qiufeng would occasionally cross paths with him. However, their interactions were brief and fleeting, as if Qin Jiuzhen was merely an acquaintance.

With this understanding, Qin Jiuzhen gradually began to feel less aversion towards Duan Qiufeng. In fact, Duan Qiufeng even got to know Xia Liansheng because of Qin Jiuzhen.

The moment had arrived.

Xia Liansheng gazed at the western sky, where the sun had completely set, leaving behind a faint glow of twilight. Then he turned his gaze towards Duan Qiufeng, with Qin Jiuzhen standing by his side, gently holding his wrist.

He softly explained, “Brother Liansheng, it wasn’t what you saw earlier. I accidentally tripped over a stone on the ground and nearly fell. He helped me up!”

Of course, Xia Liansheng was aware, having witnessed the incident just moments ago. It was indeed the case, but he couldn’t help but feel discontented. Why wasn’t it him who helped Qin Jiuzhen?

Duan Qiufeng awkwardly took a step back, “I apologize, I apologize. I instinctively came to your aid. I am a married man and have no ulterior motives. Please do not misunderstand!”

Xia Liansheng’s expression softened upon hearing about Duan Qiufeng’s marital status. “I didn’t misunderstand. Thank you for your assistance earlier.”

Qin Jiuzhen felt relieved when he saw that Xia Liansheng didn’t misunderstand the situation. He hadn’t introduced this person to Xia Liansheng anyway, as he was just an acquaintance to him.

Seeing Qin Jiuzhen’s nonchalant attitude towards this person, Xia Liansheng’s mood improved. But he maintained his attitude as an older brother and said, “I need to talk to Xiaozhen about something, so I’ll leave first.”

Duan Qiufeng replied, “Alright, I also have something to attend to.”

After Duan Qiufeng left, Qin Jiuzhen grabbed Xia Liansheng’s arm and started complaining, “Brother Liansheng, the expression on your face was really scary just now. It startled me!”

Xia Liansheng apologized, “I’m sorry, Xiaozhen. It’s just that seeing him half embrace you made me uncomfortable.”

Qin Jiuzhen nodded, “Is that so? Then I’ll be more careful when walking in the future.”

As he said that, he kicked the stone that had almost tripped him into the nearby bushes. His mood improved after he couldn’t see it anymore.

Xia Liansheng chuckled, “You’re such a scatterbrain. By the way, who is this person? When did you meet him?”

Qin Jiuzhen frowned slightly, as if trying to remember, and then said, “His surname is Duan, but I can’t recall his full name at the moment… Hmm? It seems like it’s Duan Qiufeng?”