Chapter Forty-Five: Venting One’s Anger

The next day, Lu Sheng went straight to the territory of the Thunderflame Squad.

Early in the morning, Zhou Jian stepped out yawning, only to see Lu Sheng approaching. Instinctively, he recalled the scene of Lu Sheng sending Niu Ming flying last time, and shrank his neck in fear. But he quickly remembered—this was the domain of their Sixth Squad. What was there to be afraid of?

“Stop!” Zhou Jian strode up to Lu Sheng, emboldened. “What are you doing here? You’re not welcome. Get lost!”

After the previous incident, the tension between the Sixth and Seventh Squads was well-known throughout Gale Gathering. No one bothered with pretense anymore.

Lu Sheng recognized this fellow—he’d helped them last time and was bitten in return. The memory made Lu Sheng’s blood boil. Without hesitation, he landed a punch, folding Zhou Jian into a heap, who retched up bile; after a night’s digestion, his stomach was empty, and only bitter water came out.

For this sort of person, Lu Sheng didn’t even need the powers of the Spacetime Ant.

Zhou Jian curled up on the ground, his eyes filled with a tangle of emotions: terror, disbelief, fear.

Just then, someone emerged to wash up and saw the scene. He shouted, “Brothers! Get out here! Someone’s causing trouble!”

His loud voice woke everyone on the east side of Oxhorn Village. Two squads lived there: the Sixth and Seventh. The first to appear were members of the Sixth Squad—it was their turf, after all.

Over a hundred men poured out, many bare-chested and wielding weapons. Lu Sheng stood in the most conspicuous spot, with a man lying at his feet—there was no way to ignore him.

The Sixth Squad surrounded Lu Sheng, bristling with aggression, as though he wouldn’t leave alive without an explanation.

Thunderflame himself arrived, now fully dressed. “Did you do this on Wang Ziping’s orders?”

Thunderflame’s expression was grim. Anyone would be in a foul mood if someone came to their doorstep to start a fight at dawn.

Lu Sheng’s tone was calm. “No, I’m here to reclaim my due. I’ll give you two choices.”

“First: compensate me with one hundred Tier One source pearls, or items of equal value.”

“Second: I’ll take them myself.”

He left Thunderflame no room for negotiation, his attitude utterly forceful and arrogant.

Thunderflame’s face darkened, and the Sixth Squad erupted in curses.

“And who do you think you are, talking to our captain like that?”

“Even your captain Wang Ziping wouldn’t dare act so brash.”

“I think you must be out of your mind!”

A man beside Lu Sheng spat venom. “Some nobody from nowhere, doesn’t even piss and look in the mirror to see what he really is.”

“That’s right, that’s right, I piss yellow, maybe—”

“Bang!”

One of the Sixth Squad hadn’t finished echoing when his words were cut off. The man who had insulted Lu Sheng was sent flying with a kick, crashing into a nearby building along with those who had gathered around. Instantly, cries of pain rang out. The one who had taken the kick head-on lay motionless on the ground.

The once noisy scene fell silent in a flash. The groans of the injured were jarring. All shouting and insults vanished, swept away utterly.

Sometimes, a fist is the best way to make someone shut up. If words aren’t enough, Lu Sheng’s fists could silence them forever.

“Now, it’s time to choose,” Lu Sheng said, standing calmly, waiting for Thunderflame’s decision. If they didn’t know their place, he wouldn’t mind teaching them all a lesson.

Thunderflame’s face twisted in anger. “You’ve gone too far! Don’t think that just because you lucked into breaking through to Tier Two you can shit on my head!”

He could tell Lu Sheng’s strength was only at the early Tier Two level. What gave him the right to act so arrogant?

He knew Lu Sheng’s life card was the Mighty Ant, granting tenfold strength—Lu Sheng must be using its power now. But he was nothing but a brute with strength, barely awakened for a month. What combat experience could Lu Sheng possibly have?

Thunderflame’s own life card was built for combat and, with years of accumulated fighting experience, he saw no problem in defeating this muscle-bound upstart.

Lu Sheng sighed, “Seems you’ve made an unwise choice.”

Thunderflame could no longer restrain himself and attacked in a flash. “Hmph! Let’s see what makes you so cocky!”

Blue lightning crackled over his fists as he rushed at Lu Sheng.

Lu Sheng neither dodged nor flinched, the Spacetime Ant’s power coursing through him as he struck.

Knowing Lu Sheng’s strength, Thunderflame didn’t plan to contest it head-on. He twisted to retract his attack, spinning to deliver a whip kick.

He targeted Lu Sheng’s waist with the powerful blow—if it landed, the consequences would be dire.

Lu Sheng lacked advanced combat experience, but he had: “Spatial Freeze!”

He froze the space between himself and Thunderflame for a brief moment—just one second.

To the onlookers, it seemed Thunderflame suddenly froze. In the next instant, Lu Sheng’s whip kick landed, sending Thunderflame flying. He crashed through two racks outside, finally landing on the ground, coughing blood, looking seriously injured.

Before Thunderflame could react, Lu Sheng leapt over and unleashed a flurry of punches.

The intense pain made Thunderflame scream, and the murderous intent in Lu Sheng’s eyes broke him utterly. Survival was all that mattered; he pleaded desperately,

“Please... for the sake of being in the same gathering... spare me.”

“I know I was wrong... I don’t want... to die.”

Lu Sheng’s gaze was icy. “Why should I spare you?”

Thunderflame produced a card, showing it to Lu Sheng. “From now on, I’ll follow you wherever you lead.”

[Mother-Child Worm]

Quality: White

Tier: Tier One, Mid-stage

Skill: Shared Life and Death

Shared Life and Death: Those who willingly ingest the child worm have their lives linked to the mother worm. If the mother worm dies, the one who took the child worm dies as well. Ineffective for Tier Three.

Lu Sheng’s expression softened. “So you’re willing to take the child worm?”

Thunderflame nodded. “Yes, I am.”

Lu Sheng thought for a moment. “Alright, summon the worms.”

Thunderflame summoned the Mother-Child Worm—a smaller child worm and a larger mother worm. Without hesitation, Thunderflame swallowed the child worm and handed the mother worm to Lu Sheng.

Lu Sheng casually tossed the mother worm into a pocket dimension. “In that case, I won’t trouble you further. I won’t take the hundred source pearls either—consider it your medical bill. For now, don’t let my involvement be exposed. Remember, your life is in my hands.”

With that, Lu Sheng left the Sixth Squad’s territory.

The whole matter ended quickly, so fast that only the Sixth Squad knew what had happened.

Thunderflame watched Lu Sheng leave, still shaken—he’d barely escaped death.

“All of you listen up: whoever leaks today’s events, if I find out, I’ll kill them first!”