I Return From Hell

Chapter 137: Chapter 130: Surprise After Surprise

”I’m sincere about wanting to join you!”

Snake Man vowed, ”I’d heard about strange incidents like this breaking out before. My men even got some photos of the mist. But now that I’ve been a part of it myself, I realize the world is far more complicated than it seems.”

”I don’t want to live in ignorance, not knowing how or when I might die. You all know everything. That’s why I’m truly sincere about joining you.”

Xia Yu’s eyes were icy, and she remained unmoved.

”Hmph.”

Xie Shaokun said flatly, ”Our team does not accept the useless.”

”What about her?”

”She’s not part of your team, is she?”

Snake Man knew he had to fight for his life. He pointed directly at Little Ai, then looked to Xia Yu and asked, ”Ma’am, you seem to care a lot about her. Are you planning on inviting her to join your team?”

”Uh.”

Xie Shaokun had also noticed Yu was giving Little Ai special treatment. ’I don’t get it,’ he thought, but that didn’t stop him from retorting, ”Yu wishes it so. What concern is it of yours?”

The man was quite clever. His deductions were spot on.

Thinking about his performance during the Mist Event, she had to admit she was somewhat impressed.

An idea sparked in Xia Yu’s mind, but she remained silent.

STEP.

Little Flower took a step forward, its expression indifferent.

”Wait!”

Seeing this, Snake Man’s heart sank. He hurriedly continued to list his uses, hoping they would spare him. ”I’m a manager at a collections agency! I know where the company’s black-market ledgers are temporarily stored.”

”I can get them for you.”

STEP.

Little Flower didn’t stop.

”I... I...”

Snake Man grew more frantic. His previous cunning vanished as he revealed his last resort. ”I have over 600,000 saved up! You can have it all!”

”I’m begging you, please let me go.”

THUD.

As he spoke, he dropped directly to his knees.

Xie Shaokun fell silent. It was only then that he realized why Snake Man wanted to join them: he was afraid Yu would kill him to silence him.

If he didn’t join, he would die!

His earlier retort had practically been a death sentence for the man.

’Are we really going to kill an innocent person?’

In the past, Xie Shaokun might have questioned Yu. But he had grown harder now. He chose to turn his head, unable to watch what would happen next.

Soon, Little Flower had Snake Man captured. He was like a fish on a chopping block. He could only blurt out every favorable thing he could think of. ”In that last fight, even if I didn’t get any glory, I at least pulled my weight, right?”

”I’m just an innocent bystander who got dragged into this! You can’t be so cruel.”

”Just let me join, and I swear I’ll be the first to charge into battle.”

...

Just as Little Flower was about to make its move,

”Wait.”

Little Nannan’s voice rang out.

”Are you pleading for him?”

Xia Yu asked coolly.

”No.”

Little Nannan shook her head decisively.

The glimmer of hope that had just ignited in Snake Man was instantly extinguished.

”I have a question for him,”

Little Nannan said.

”???”

The others were confused.

”Just now, when the crooked-neck tree pierced my palm, I felt the branch’s power suddenly drop and its speed abruptly slow down. That’s what gave me the chance to survive.”

Little Nannan stared at Snake Man and asked, ”Were you the one helping me?”

’Uh.’

’Anyone who isn’t an idiot would nod, right?’

Xie Shaokun wanted to retort but managed to hold his tongue.

Sure enough.

Snake Man nodded frantically, his face lighting up with surprise. ”At that moment, I was just desperately thinking that if the branch’s power could be a little weaker, a little slower, maybe you could survive.”

”Did it work just because I thought it?”

’In his dreams!’

Xie Shaokun almost burst out laughing, but in the next moment, a thought struck him, and his expression froze.

”Back then, I sensed a familiar power emerge. That’s what made the branch’s Power weaker and its speed slower.”

”This Power is very similar to the Power Brother Kun uses when he activates his superpower, but it’s also different.”

Little Nannan looked at Xia Yu and said seriously, ”Ma’am, is he a Spiritual Ability User?”

”!!!”

Hearing this, Xie Shaokun was completely stunned.

With a thought, Xia Yu ordered Little Flower to release Snake Man.

”Do you see this?”

An oral organ appeared in her palm. She stared at Snake Man and said, ”Use the same power you used to save Little Nannan. Otherwise, this will pierce your head.”

”I...”

Snake Man was about to say something when he saw Xia Yu flick her wrist, sending the oral organ flying toward the spot between his eyebrows.

’No!’

’Slower!’

’If it’s slower, I can dodge it!’

His mind was completely focused, every fiber of his being wishing for the oral organ to slow down and give him time to dodge.

And then...

The oral organ actually did slow down. The closer it got to Snake Man, the slower it became, until it stopped completely and fell to the ground!

THUMP.

Snake Man fainted on the spot.

Evidently, that one exertion had consumed a great deal of his spirit, and his already weakened body simply couldn’t take it.

”A Spiritual Ability User!”

Xie Shaokun exclaimed in shock. ”That Power... it’s so familiar!”

Little Nannan also clenched her small fists, her face full of excitement.

’He really is a Spiritual Ability User!’

’If he can join the team, then Ma’am will have another strong fighter, and he won’t have to die.’

’Killing two birds with one stone!’

’This is great!’

”He is a Spiritual Ability User.”

”His superpower seems to be related to ’Weakening’.”

A flash of surprise crossed Xia Yu’s eyes. She said, ”We’ll take him with us when we leave.”

Hearing this, Xie Shaokun and Little Nannan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xia Yu began to lay out the plan. ”The flesh of Mutated Beasts is inedible, but the flesh of Spirit Transformation Beasts is. Those two animals that were bitten to death were both Spirit Transformation Beasts. Remember to take them with us.”

”Also, the area outside the mist is definitely surrounded. I...”

...

...

「Outside the Mist Event.」

Shunyang City’s Forest Park had long since been cleared out. A large number of warriors stood ready, dozens of sniper rifles were positioned at high points all around, and they had even deployed tanks and helicopters.

And the person leading them was none other than the recently demoted Gao Zhengting!

Although he had been demoted, Gao Zhengting could still manage the special incidents for an entire city on his own.

His ability was outstanding, and the Gao Family backing him was incredibly powerful—a renowned clan across the country. No one objected to this arrangement, especially since Shunyang City was one of the cities the Gao Family focused on managing.

Having him stationed here would indeed garner the greatest local support.

”Zhengting, don’t you think this formation is a bit of an overreaction?”

Beside him stood Gao Weiguo, the head of the Gao Family’s operations in Shunyang City. He was in his fifties and was Gao Zhengting’s uncle. The reason he was here was to let some of the Gao Family members in Shunyang City see the legendary ”monsters” for themselves.

He wanted to instill a sense of crisis in them.

He hoped they would stop their debauched lifestyles and stop paying lip service to the family’s new rules while secretly defying them.

”No.”

Gao Zhengting shook his head, his expression grave. ”This is a zoo, filled with animals that have been well-fed and fattened up. The probability of them becoming Mutated Beasts is extremely high.”

”There are also a lot of people inside. A rough estimate puts the number of Mutants at over a hundred!”

”If they manage to get out... the consequences will be unimaginable!”

He had originally disagreed with Gao Weiguo bringing a group of clansmen who were drained by wine and women. Not only would these people be of no help, but they might even make things worse!

However, Gao Weiguo held a high position in the Gao Family and had a very strong grip on Shunyang City. Offending him would be detrimental to his future work.

Besides, their preparations this time were thorough. There shouldn’t be any mishaps.

After weighing the pros and cons, he had agreed.

”Mutants?”

”Mutated Beasts?”

Gao Weiguo’s brow furrowed. ”Are those the terms for these monsters? The family hasn’t sent over any related intelligence.”

’Those are the names Xie Shaokun came up with for the monsters. I just learned them myself, so it’s no wonder you haven’t heard them!’

Just as Gao Zhengting was about to explain, his whole body tensed up, and he roared, ”All units, attention!”

”Prepare for battle!”

With a series of crisp, synchronized sounds, the warriors moved as one, their orderly and powerful movements inspiring a profound sense of security.

The mist gradually began to dissipate.

A group of three people walked out step by step. The person in the lead shouted loudly, ”Don’t shoot! We’re human!”