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Chapter 32: The Weapon in His Hand

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: The Weapon in His Hand

A large hand whipped through the air, aimed for the back of Xu Qingsui’s head.

Xu Qingsui had just finished bandaging a wounded person on the ground. By the time she sensed the danger, it was too late to dodge.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and prepared to brace for the inevitable.

SQUELCH!

A wet, fleshy impact sounded out. The expected agony never came. Surprised, she turned around.

Xu Ruming’s eyes blazed with fury. ’So close!’

When she saw Xu Qingsui treating the wounded, she first looked on with disdain, but then her eyes widened in realization.

She glanced around. Everyone was either busy fighting Mutants or tending to the wounded, completely preoccupied.

’Xu Qingsui is busy saving people, too. I can use this chance to kill her.’

’The scene is so chaotic. By the time they find her body, no one will suspect it was me.’

’Then I won’t have to worry about what rank Xu Qingsui is. A dead person can’t compete with me.’

A sturdy figure appeared in Xu Qingsui’s line of sight. A familiar aura revealed his identity, and the corners of her mouth turned up in an unconscious smile.

"You focus on the wounded. I’ll cover you!" A stern voice rang out, but the cold words warmed Xu Qingsui’s heart.

Xu Qingsui nodded and immediately refocused on treating the wounded.

Lu Jingyu’s cold eyes glinted. With a flash of his blade, the figure before him was cleaved in two.

CLANG!

The knife fell from Xu Ruming’s hand.

A shiver ran down her spine, and she began to gasp for breath.

’Phew!’

’Thank goodness I was a step too slow!’

’Otherwise, I might be the one split in two right now.’

As it turned out, once the murderous impulse had taken root, she had prepared to act.

But before she could even get close, a Mutant had appeared behind Xu Qingsui.

Seeing a Mutant about to do the dirty work for her, Xu Ruming had stopped in her tracks, ready to enjoy the show.

But just as she was getting excited, just as the moment she longed to see was about to happen, Lu Jingyu swooped in.

Lu Jingyu’s clean, decisive strike made her feel as if she were in the Mutant’s place, as if a blade had just split her own body in two.

Xu Ruming stood rooted to the spot, stunned. In her daze, she imagined she met Lu Jingyu’s icy gaze.

But it was only for an instant. Lu Jingyu immediately turned back to fight the Mutants swarming him.

With Lu Jingyu’s arrival, the tide of battle, which had been a series of demoralizing losses, immediately turned.

The Mutants, who had previously held the upper hand, couldn’t last more than a few exchanges against Lu Jingyu’s blade.

Seeing the tide turn, the squad members who had been losing hope found their courage once more.

Low-ranked Sentinels began to group up, coordinating their attacks against the enemy.

The wounded were carried off the battlefield one by one to receive proper medical attention.

Soon, only the giant pig remained.

The remaining squad members gathered behind Lu Jingyu, facing the massive pig.

With the situation under control, Xu Qingsui stood quietly in the crowd. ’Maybe I’ll get a chance to scavenge some easy loot,’ she thought.

But a cool gaze met hers. Lu Jingyu gestured with his hand. "Over here!"

Numerous gazes fell on Xu Qingsui. She gave an awkward smile and walked over to Lu Jingyu’s side, feeling everyone’s eyes on her.

Once Xu Qingsui was beside him, Lu Jingyu said nothing more, his attention returning to the massive pig.

Many of the squad members looked away, but two pairs of eyes remained fixed on Xu Qingsui.

Xu Ruming clenched her fists, her earlier fear forgotten as she cursed internally.

’What gives her the right to hog the spotlight?’

’She’s just some bastard from the backwoods! What right does she have to stand next to Lu Jingyu?’

Shen Ling’an, already resentful about his position behind Lu Jingyu, grew even more indignant.

Now, seeing Xu Qingsui placed in front of him as well, his anger flared.

’A woman I cast aside... what right does she have to stand in front of me?’

The fact that Xu Qingsui had attacked and insulted him before she left had already left a knot of resentment festering in his chest.

Now he felt utterly humiliated, and his blood began to boil.

’I’ll prove myself. So what if he’s Lu Jingyu?’

’Sooner or later, I’ll make you all see my true power. I’ll make you kneel before me, begging me to take you back.’

The massive pig watched as its underlings were wiped out. After a brief standoff, it let out a furious roar at Lu Jingyu.

Lu Jingyu flipped his hand over, a pistol materializing in his palm. He aimed the muzzle at the massive pig.

"Wait! Let me fight on behalf of the Alliance!" Shen Ling’an shouted, stepping forward just as the shot was about to ring out.

He was desperate to prove himself, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Shen Ling’an strode forward, pointedly pausing to glance at Xu Qingsui as he passed her.

Then he turned to Lu Jingyu. "Captain Lu, Meng Meng and I just joined the Alliance. We should be contributing more. Leave this Mutant to me!"

Lu Jingyu’s brow furrowed slightly, disdainful of such blatant grandstanding.

But since someone was volunteering for the dirty work, he had no reason to refuse.

"Fine, it’s all yours. I just hope I don’t have to clean up your mess again."

After Shen Ling’an recovered, he’d heard from others what had happened after he went berserk.

He’d been trying to force himself to forget that experience, so he was furious that Lu Jingyu would bring it up now, especially in front of everyone.

Shen Ling’an’s face flushed crimson. He fought the urge to snap, but considering his current circumstances, he could only swallow his anger.

That person had gotten them the opportunity to join the Heiyu Alliance, and in return, they had promised to be at that person’s beck and call.

For now, their benefactor’s demand was for them to establish a firm foothold in the Heiyu Alliance. The next step would be to gradually replace Lu Jingyu.

Thinking of his ultimate goal, Shen Ling’an looked at Lu Jingyu, a flicker in his gaze.

He ignored Lu Jingyu and turned, glaring fiercely at the massive pig.

’I can’t do anything to Lu Jingyu right now, but I can take my anger out on this pig.’

At this thought, a raging fire ignited in Shen Ling’an’s eyes as he stared down the massive pig.

With a flick of his wrists, a pair of rod-like objects slid out from his sleeves.

Before the massive pig could make a move, Shen Ling’an kicked off the ground, blurring into an afterimage as he charged forward.

In an instant, Shen Ling’an was locked in combat with the massive pig.

Everyone’s attention was fixed on the battle. Only Lu Jingyu watched Shen Ling’an in silence, his expression unreadable.

The others might not have noticed, but Lu Jingyu had seen Shen Ling’an’s actions clearly.

Although Shen Ling’an’s weapons hadn’t been fully revealed, based on the mere tip of the iceberg he had seen, Lu Jingyu already had his suspicions. But...

In this Apocalypse, aside from the ranked division of Sentinels and guides, a well-suited weapon could also play a decisive role in battle.

For this reason, powerful weapons were often found only in the hands of a select few.

And from what he knew of Shen Ling’an, he wasn’t qualified to possess the weapons he now held.

Besides, if he had such a powerful weapon, he should have used it against the giant cat last time. Lu Jingyu was certain, however, that Shen Ling’an had not used it back then.