Chapter 4 Uninvited Guests

In the moment of turning around, Xu Qing quickly scanned behind him. He saw seven people at varying distances of about seven or eight meters, scattered and approaching him. These seven were all adults, both male and female, dressed mainly in dark gray leather jackets, adorned with many leather pouches. Each of them was armed, spreading out amongst themselves. Among them, three held bows, two wielded knives, and they all seemed to be on guard, not turning their backs to one another. One person, wearing gloves, was moving ahead alone, positioned right in the middle. As for the one who had spoken earlier in a strange tone, he was a tall and robust man. This man was shouldering a massive battle axe, the closest to Xu Qing. His physique was extremely burly, with a grotesque scar across his face and a thick beard. At this moment, his eyes gleamed with cruelty, and as he grinned, he strode forward, closing in on Xu Qing. All of this was what Xu Qing observed in one glance. His pupils contracted, and his mind quickly analyzed that these people did not appear to be a cohesive group, but rather a temporary assembly. This was evident from their stances and their apparent wariness of each other. Xu Qing had already guessed their identities; they were all scavengers! The Southern Phoenix Continent was not short of scavengers, most of whom were ruthless and lacked any moral boundaries; it was a blatant survival of the fittest. Clearly, this time the blood rain in the forbidden zone had ceased, the barrier had opened, and the surrounding scavengers were drawn in like a swarm. To them, although the forbidden zone was dangerous, they were people who lived on the edge of a knife. The resources contained within the empty city were enough to make them greedy. Even though most supplies were tainted, there were still items of value. As his thoughts raced, Xu Qing's body swayed, ready to leap away from one side. But the burly man closing in on him intensified the ferocity in his gaze, his bloodthirsty grin growing wider. "Want to run? I love torturing little brats like you! You must have quite a haul in that pouch of yours, Lei, take this kid down for me!" The malice in the man’s eyes seemed to radiate from his pupils, forming an intimidating aura, paired with his towering stature and battle axe, creating immense pressure. At this moment, he charged forward, raising his right hand to throw the battle axe directly toward Xu Qing's direction. With a whoosh, the battle axe whistled through the air, slicing through the distance between them in an instant. The man was incredibly strong, and his movements were not slow, but Xu Qing was even faster; almost at the moment the axe arrived, he accelerated sharply and dodged to the side. The battle axe whizzed past him. The wind it stirred whipped against Xu Qing's face, tousling his disheveled hair, revealing his wolf-like, cold eyes beneath. In the next moment, Xu Qing rolled on the ground, not fleeing but instead closing the distance to the burly man. He raised his right hand, and a dark iron spike appeared in his grasp. Leveraging his shorter stature against the opponent's height, Xu Qing leaped upward, thrusting the iron spike upward to stab the man's chin! All of this happened too quickly; Xu Qing's small frame and his earlier attempt to escape served as a natural cover for his strike, instilling a sense of life-and-death crisis in the burly man. However, he was experienced; at that moment, his expression changed drastically as he leaned back sharply, narrowly avoiding the spike, but a gash still appeared on his chin. Yet, before he could let his anger ignite, Xu Qing's expression remained cold. Missing the first attack, his left hand quickly drew a dagger from his calf. As the burly man's upper body leaned back, Xu Qing swiftly ducked down and plunged the dagger viciously into the back of the man's right foot. With a thud, the dagger pierced through the straw sandal, penetrating flesh and embedding itself into the ground! The man's face contorted, intense pain engulfed him, and a shrill scream erupted. He was about to retaliate, but Xu Qing was too agile; after his strike, he shot backward behind a broken wall for cover, crouching there, ready to spring. The flickering firelight cast shadows on his face, making him appear somewhat uncertain, but his wolf-like gaze was not concealed by the light, filled with vigilance and ferocity as he stared at the scavengers. Everything happened too fast; Xu Qing's age and physique were deceptive, causing many of the scavengers to let down their guard and not react immediately. At this moment, they all revealed fierce glints in their eyes, the three bowmen's gazes sharpening even further. Hiding behind the cover, Xu Qing did not glance at the man who was now howling in agony, struggling to pull the dagger from his foot. Instead, he scanned the three archers and finally fixed his gaze on the person in the center wearing gloves. This person was an elder; although his clothing was similar to the others, his gaze was the sharpest, and Xu Qing vaguely sensed a subtle wave of spiritual energy emanating from him. From his position and the instinctive looks of the other scavengers directed toward him, Xu Qing had formed a rough judgment in his mind. The other party... was likely the temporary leader of these scavengers. Xu Qing looked at the elder, analyzing in his heart, while the elder was also observing him, his eyes containing something unusual. Soon, the elder shifted his gaze, looking at the distant flames still rising from the cremation of corpses, falling into silence. At this moment, the man who had pulled out the dagger had a raging fire in his eyes and let out a roar, charging toward Xu Qing. "You little brat, let me show you how to die!" Xu Qing squinted his eyes, revealing a sharp glint, about to take action, but at that moment, a calm, ancient voice came through. "Enough!" These two words seemed to carry a sense of intimidation, causing the roaring man to halt in his tracks and look back at the speaker. The one who spoke was the elder Xu Qing had been watching. "Lei..." "This child should be a survivor from the slums outside. The gods have spared him, so you shouldn't lay a hand on him. Let's go." "But..." The man’s eyes burned with intense unwillingness. He believed that his previous negligence was the reason for his failure. If he truly attacked, he was confident he could crush Xu Qing's neck within a few breaths. As he was about to speak, the elder cast a faint glance at him. "Do I need to say it a second time?" The man struggled internally, but ultimately lowered his head. However, as he looked down, his peripheral vision caught Xu Qing hiding behind the cover, a fleeting flash of killing intent crossing his face before he turned coldly and limped back toward the elder. Xu Qing felt this killing intent, his eyes narrowing slightly, watching the scavengers as they gradually moved away. But just as they walked several dozen meters away, the elder paused, turned his head, and said, whether to Xu Qing or to the burning pyre of cremated corpses, "Child, do you wish to leave here with me?" Xu Qing was taken aback; he noticed that the elder used "me" instead of "us." So he fell silent, scanning the group. The elder, however, showed patience, not urging him and standing at a distance awaiting an answer. After a dozen breaths, Xu Qing had scanned these people several times, glanced at the elder, and then at the cold-faced man he had injured. A strange glint flickered in the boy's eyes. He slowly stood up, said nothing, and began to approach them. Seeing Xu Qing walk over, the elder smiled and turned to continue forward, the others casting deep looks at Xu Qing before following suit. Thus, Xu Qing followed the group of scavengers, watching them search for valuable items within the city. During this time, he learned the nickname of the grotesque man; others referred to him as the "Scarred Bull." This man also glanced at Xu Qing multiple times, his eyes filled with a cold glint. But he was clearly holding back, seemingly not in a rush, waiting for the opportunity when the elder who prevented him from acting was not around. He seemed quite certain that such an opportunity would arise in the future. Xu Qing pondered for a moment, thinking of the man's greed, and with his familiarity with the city, he offered some assistance to the scavengers. Xu Qing's low profile made the scavengers find valuable items more quickly, leading to a greater haul. The Scarred Bull was clearly greedy; even when he couldn't carry more than his own weight, he still wanted to take more. Thus, he searched a larger area than the others, carrying heavier loads despite his injuries. At first, this wasn't much, but as time passed, the man's strength was clearly depleted, and his fatigue far surpassed everyone else's. As for the area around the lord's mansion, Xu Qing considered that the elder called Lei might be of help to him, so he did not lead them there. Until night approached, the group finally left the city and set up camp in the former slum outside the city. Their movements were very practiced; they set up six tents. Except for the two with knives, who shared one tent, the others were separate, and they even lit incense outside the tents, with some sprinkling powder around the perimeter. As the sky darkened, various howls began to echo within the city, and these scavengers entered the tents. Only Lei cast a glance at the solitary Xu Qing, took out a sleeping bag from the side, and tossed it over. "The incense can dispel strange beasts, and the powder can avoid anomalies. Given your contributions today, with me here, even the Scarred Bull won’t dare to lay a hand on you. This place should be relatively safe." After saying this, the elder no longer paid attention and entered his tent. Xu Qing said nothing, only gazing deeply at the elder’s tent before picking up the sleeping bag, opening it, and crawling inside. But he did not seal it off completely; instead, he left a gap facing the scavenger tents. In the dead of night, the howls and eerie sounds outside grew stronger, the strange cries echoing around, creating a terrifying atmosphere that seemed omnipresent. It seemed no one was willing to leave their sheltered abode at this hour. Except for Xu Qing... He opened his eyes inside the sleeping bag, remaining motionless, silently waiting. As time passed, when it reached the deepest part of the night when most people were deeply asleep, Xu Qing slowly crawled out of the sleeping bag. He moved cautiously, trying his best not to make any noise. The howls and screams within the city echoed in his ears, but they did not distract him in the slightest. Carefully crawling out, Xu Qing silently approached the tent where the Scarred Bull was. He would not allow any threats to his life to linger nearby; even if it was just a potential threat, he would find a way to eliminate it immediately. This was a rule Xu Qing had learned from the bloody lessons of surviving in the slums. It was also the reason he agreed to follow them this time. Even during the day, he had prompted others to help them gather more, having noticed the Scarred Bull's greed, wanting to exhaust him further while he was already injured, making him lose vigilance. His deliberately low profile was also a tactic to lull the opponent into a false sense of security. All of this was for the current moment of action; at this moment, Xu Qing's expression was calm as he gently approached the tent, not acting rashly but squatting there first, listening carefully for a moment. The snores he heard were even and stable, seeming genuine. After confirming this, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, slowly drew out his iron spike, gently unfastened the tent's latch, and quietly slipped inside. The tent was dimly lit, and Xu Qing vaguely saw the Scarred Bull lying there, deeply asleep, evidently exhausted from the burdens of the day along with his injuries. Moreover, the mentality of a strong person led the Scarred Bull to think that no matter what, he would not expect the boy who had shown a cooperative demeanor during the day to take the risk of coming at night while the other scavengers were present. Therefore, at this moment, he was completely unaware that an unexpected guest had entered his tent. Xu Qing looked at the sleeping Scarred Bull, his cold gaze as calm as the deep sea. He quietly approached until he stood beside him, and without hesitation, his right hand flashed with the cold gleam of the dagger, swiftly slicing across the Scarred Bull's neck. The force was tremendous, almost severing the head completely. Blood gushed forth. The intense pain caused the Scarred Bull's eyes to snap open, and he saw Xu Qing's expressionless face, disbelief and terror flashing across his features. He was about to struggle, but Xu Qing's left hand swiftly rose, pressing against his mouth, preventing any sound from escaping. As the struggle intensified at this moment, the Scarred Bull's eyes widened, his body convulsing uncontrollably. But Xu Qing's grip was like an iron clamp, holding him tight, his right foot lifted to step directly on the Scarred Bull's abdomen, his body arched like a bow, using stable force to render the Scarred Bull's struggle futile. As blood continued to pour out, the Scarred Bull resembled a fish out of water, despair slowly creeping into his eyes, even revealing a plea. But what he saw was still Xu Qing's calm face; as for the sounds produced by his struggles, they were drowned out by the howls and shrieks from outside, unable to escape even a hint of sound. Time slowly passed, until after a dozen breaths, the Scarred Bull's struggles gradually weakened, eventually trembling once, his body relaxing completely, motionless, with only wide-open eyes retaining the fear of death before he passed away. Xu Qing did not immediately release his grip but waited a while longer to confirm that the other party had truly died. Then he loosened his hand, wiped the blood off, and opened his pouch. He cautiously took out the snake head wrapped in cloth and carefully used its fangs to pierce the Scarred Bull's skin. In the next moment, as the poison spread, the Scarred Bull's body began to bubble with green gas, slowly melting away. After an incense stick's worth of time, the body completely turned into a pool of blood, soaking into the earth. Xu Qing silently observed all of this, started to tidy up the scene, and handled the Scarred Bull's belongings to create the illusion of his disappearance before crawling out of the tent. The cold wind blew against him, carrying away some of the blood scent clinging to him. Xu Qing looked up at the night sky, took a deep breath of the icy air, and slowly returned to his sleeping bag. The moment he lay down, his heart finally settled; the safety brought by eliminating the hidden danger allowed him to close his eyes and quickly fall asleep, yet he still tightly gripped the iron spike without loosening his hold in the slightest. A night passed without incident. The next morning, as dawn fell and illuminated the earth, Xu Qing opened his eyes, quietly crawled out of the sleeping bag, and casually glanced toward the tent where the Scarred Bull had been. The next moment, his eyes narrowed slightly. The Scarred Bull's tent had actually vanished. Xu Qing's heart sank, growing even more vigilant. Soon, other scavengers also emerged from their tents in the morning, quickly discovering this matter and expressing their surprise, while some began to search around in vain. However, due to the thorough disappearance of the Scarred Bull, even his tent was gone, leading some to conclude that he must have left in greed for something from the city at night, or for some other reason, disappearing without a trace. In any case, there were too many reasons within this forbidden zone for a person to vanish. Since it was a temporary team, and the Scarred Bull was alone, these scavengers quickly shifted their focus away from this matter. Some looked at Xu Qing but seemed to feel this event could not possibly be related to him, and since there was no obligation to investigate, they retracted their speculations. Only the elder known as Lei, when retrieving Xu Qing's sleeping bag, glanced at him with profound meaning and said lightly, "Now, will you still come with me?" This sentence carried deep significance, and Xu Qing fell silent. The elder did not say more, calling out to the others as they set off under the rising sun. Xu Qing stood still for a moment, instinctively turning to look back at the ruins of the city. Ultimately, he turned back, gazing at the elder's back, thought for a moment, and then stepped forward to follow. As he walked, his steps gradually became more resolute. Six scavengers, one child, their figures stretched long in the sunlight... In the distance, the wind blew past, dispersing their sighs and reflections as they moved forward. "This is the calamity brought by the gods; the entire city perished." "Another forbidden zone has appeared in this world..." "This is nothing; have you heard? Seven or eight years ago, in the northern region, there was a large city that, when the gods opened their eyes, vanished eerily along with the entire area, as if it had never existed." The conversation grew fainter and fainter. Beneath the dawn, within the distant figures journeying forth, the boy remained silent, listening quietly, walking quietly. The farther he walked, the more distant he became.