Chapter Twenty-Four: A Show of Force

Ma Zhanlin’s arrival was within Shen Lie’s expectations, though he felt the man was a bit late; under normal circumstances, he should have come knocking the previous night. As Shen Lie stepped out the main gate, he saw a figure swathed in an oversized trench coat, with a broad-brimmed hat obscuring his head, making it impossible to discern his age or features. Shen Lie recalled Li Cheng’s description of Ma Zhanlin: after awakening, the man’s body had undergone severe mutation, his skin now covered in something like scales—evidently, it was true.

“Shen Lie?” Ma Zhanlin had come alone, without any subordinates—a clear sign of absolute confidence in these troubled times. He sensed Shen Lie’s presence and, tilting his face up slightly, uttered his name in a low voice.

Shen Lie’s eyes narrowed. In the instant Ma Zhanlin raised his head, Shen Lie caught sight of his face, densely covered in greenish-blue, fish-scale-like patterns—the so-called mutation.

Though a flicker of surprise rippled through him, Shen Lie’s expression betrayed nothing. He simply nodded lightly, and then, calm as ever, spoke the other’s name in return. “Ma Zhanlin?”

After exchanging names, the two fell silent, standing where they were, gazes locked. Shen Lie sensed a strange energy emanating from Ma Zhanlin, a forceful pressure bearing down upon him. Before he could even react, his own foreign energy surged forth, instinctively resisting the other’s oppressive aura.

This silent contest lasted not long, but neither was it brief—about a minute passed. Just as Shen Lie felt over half his energy depleted, Ma Zhanlin’s expression changed imperceptibly, and he softly uttered a single word.

“Fire!”

As Ma Zhanlin spoke, flames suddenly burst forth from his palm. With a flick of his wrist, the fire coalesced into a blazing sphere and shot toward Shen Lie!

This was the first time Shen Lie had witnessed such a magic-like attack outside the pages of a novel. Yet, after more than three months fending off spider monsters in a different world, he lacked nothing in combat experience. He knew he couldn’t dodge this fireball—this was a test of his strength. If he evaded, more attacks would surely follow. He would have to take it head-on.

The fireball moved with blinding speed, and given the short distance between them, it reached him almost instantly. This was no ordinary flame; even such a small sphere radiated a searing heat that made one’s scalp tingle. When it came within a meter, Shen Lie’s hair began to singe, as though he faced a raging forest fire.

With a low grunt, Shen Lie instantly gathered all his energy into his right hand and, without hesitation, reached out to grab the fireball.

His heart pounded with uncertainty—though his right hand, infused with energy, was now tough as iron, it was still flesh and blood. Plunging it directly into the fireball was a gamble. Yet, recalling the golden bones in the underground palace, he trusted his golden right hand would not burn so easily.

His judgment proved correct. The fireball, though fierce, shattered into countless sparks under the grip of his golden right hand, scattering harmlessly in all directions without threatening him.

Slowly withdrawing his hand, Shen Lie quickly glanced over it. Apart from a slight fading of color and a mild ache, there was no injury. His heart eased, and his confidence grew.

“Is King Ma trying to intimidate me?” Shen Lie’s gaze turned cold, his tone icy. “I, Shen Lie, am not one to take a beating without fighting back!”

Ma Zhanlin chuckled. “Don’t misunderstand, Brother Shen. A new awakener suddenly appears in town and gets into a scuffle with my men—it’s only natural I’d come take a look. Now that I’ve confirmed you’re indeed an awakener, I won’t trouble you further. Still, I think you’ll find it worthwhile to stay in touch with the rest of us awakeners here. After all, we’re no longer ordinary people. Only among ourselves can we speak freely—and only we have the means to leave this place.” With a lingering glance at Shen Lie’s right hand, Ma Zhanlin turned and departed without another word.

As Ma Zhanlin left, everyone in the compound—including Zhang Jing and Li Cheng—heaved a sigh of relief. The pressure these awakeners exerted was immense; they seemed more monster than man, making resistance unthinkable.

Shen Lie paid no mind to the others’ relief. He watched Ma Zhanlin’s retreating figure, lost in thought. The man’s final words sounded like a veiled message—could he have already found a way out of this town?

“Brother Shen?” Zhang Jing, seeing Shen Lie lost in thought, approached and asked softly. Shen Lie snapped back to reality, shook his head, and motioned for her to continue leading the way to fetch the planks.

The agricultural supply depot was not far, and under Zhang Jing’s guidance, they arrived quickly. Luck was with them—a long plank was found, along with an unused plastic drum half-full of diesel, about twenty kilograms’ worth.

With so many abandoned vehicles in the streets, it was easy to siphon some diesel into one. They used the vehicle to transport the planks and supplies, with Zhang Jing driving them back to the banks of the Red River.

Shen Lie stood on the shore, gazing upstream for some time. Seeing no more of the drifting white flowers, he set to work. He unloaded the plank, positioned it at the river’s narrowest point, and with a firm shove, set the far end securely on the opposite bank.

The river remained calm—his theory proved correct. The water seemed only to react to living things; dead objects like the plank, even if spanning the river, went unchallenged.

Once the plank was in place, Shen Lie didn’t cross immediately. He took out his binoculars and carefully scanned the opposite shore. Seeing no sign of spider monsters, he hefted his black spear and began to make his way across the makeshift bridge.

Though he’d already tested this, Shen Lie was still uneasy. The crossing was only a few meters, but every step felt treacherous—especially when a sudden ripple disturbed the water beneath him, nearly making him lose his balance. He silently cursed his own recklessness.

Yet the river made no move to attack. Safely across, Shen Lie instructed Zhang Jing to stay in the car and not move until he returned. He’d given her the pistol—against ordinary people, it would serve as a deterrent, unless awakeners or monsters appeared.

Zhang Jing’s face was tinged with worry, but she nodded firmly and returned to the car, watching as Shen Lie’s silhouette vanished into the distance. Neither of them noticed the pair of sapphire-blue eyes watching intently from the woods behind them.

...

She waited nearly half a day. When Shen Lie finally reappeared in Zhang Jing’s sight, it was already past two in the afternoon—and he was driving a truck. The vehicle lurched as it approached, barely avoiding obstacles thanks to the emptiness of the terrain.

With a loud slam, Shen Lie got out and began unloading the goods from the truck, tossing each item to Zhang Jing’s side of the river. She quietly packed everything into their car.

There was a lot—enough to fill half the trunk. Shen Lie then used his black spear to point at the river and crossed back.

“Brother Shen, you’re hurt!” Only upon his return did Zhang Jing notice the bloodstains on his clothes and a fresh gash on his face, making her cry out in alarm.

“It’s nothing. I just ran into a few spider monsters while gathering supplies. No big deal. Let’s head back—these supplies should keep us going for several days.” Shen Lie’s voice was weary. This trip had not gone smoothly. He’d first encountered a group of seven or eight black spider monsters, killed two, and barely escaped, only to run into the white spider.

That white spider clearly remembered the theft of its precious flower. Upon seeing him, it immediately activated a frenzy, attacking like a mad beast. Shen Lie’s carelessness had cost him a wound to the face.

But once again, the black spear proved invaluable. With its toughness and sharpness, Shen Lie held his ground against the white spider. Just as defeat seemed imminent, the big black cat appeared from nowhere. This feline seemed to harbor a deep-seated hatred for all spider monsters. Upon seeing the white spider, it let out a strange yowl and joined the fight as Shen Lie’s ally.

Two against one, they finally drove the white spider away. Not daring to linger, Shen Lie quickly scavenged some supplies and retreated.

“Let me clean that for you,” Zhang Jing said, moving closer. She took out a wet wipe from her bag and gently dabbed at the wound on his face.

As her gentle hand brushed his cheek, Shen Lie felt the air around him grow warmer. After a period of heartbreak, he suddenly became acutely aware of the feminine presence beside him, stirring feelings he thought he’d forgotten.

Zhang Jing, though not particularly young or stunning, had a pleasing appearance and a well-endowed figure. In the apocalypse, a woman like her would rarely escape misfortune. But thanks to the unique environment of this small town, large-scale chaos had yet to erupt. Order, though fragile, still held, especially with Li Cheng’s small group offering some protection. For now, no major disasters had befallen her.

“Ahem! Have you finished packing? Let’s head back. With all these supplies, it’s not safe to linger here,” Shen Lie said, suppressing his inner heat and climbing into the car first.