Watching Sun Aotian walk straight toward the Exchange Stone Pillar, Wen Yu turned to the relieved Li Quan’an behind him and said, "I’ve returned the favor. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
Upon hearing Wen Yu’s words, the relief on Li Quan’an’s face vanished, replaced by bitterness. "Thank you, Brother Wen Yu, for saving my life," he said.
Wen Yu had tricked Li Quan’an once again.
Li Quan’an’s initial plea was for his life, which Wen Yu had saved, so naturally, this favor was repaid.
However, Wen Yu hadn’t cared at all about Li Quan’an’s future. For a few magic crystals, he had let Sun Aotian go.
The next time Sun Aotian sought trouble with Li Quan’an, there would be no one to rescue him!
Damn it, I can’t stay in this damn place, Li Quan’an cursed inwardly.
He saw Bai Feifei’s shocked expression nearby and the very calm Wen Yu. Sun Aotian was walking back after exchanging his magic crystals. Cursing inwardly again, Li Quan’an turned with his few subordinates and headed out of the camp.
Luckily, no one was paying any attention to Li Quan’an.
All eyes were focused on Wen Yu, filled with disbelief, awe, and even hope for survival.
Wen Yu’s strength allowed the others to see the possibility of defeating the Zombie Legion.
Sun Aotian directly handed the two attributeless magic crystals to Wen Yu. As Sun Aotian watched Wen Yu begin to absorb the three magic crystals in his hand, a glint of cunning flashed in his eyes. He lifted his chin and shouted at Wen Yu, "Just you wait! Don’t bully the young and poor! Fortunes change like the river’s course; sooner or later, you’ll be a stepping stone on my path to becoming the strongest!"
Wen Yu had just finished absorbing the magic crystals when he heard Sun Aotian’s taunt.
"TSK. TSK." Upon hearing Sun Aotian’s words, Wen Yu suddenly found it rather pointless.
Why am I even bothering with this delusional brat? He’s just an adolescent, full of protagonist fantasies, and underage to boot. Most importantly, he has absolutely no chance of defeating me. Should I kill him tomorrow? For the first time, Wen Yu hesitated. The kid hasn’t really provoked me *that* much, has he?
As Wen Yu thought this, his killing intent slowly subsided. He nodded towards Zang Pengfei. "Get me a place to rest. I need a break."
"Come with me, Brother Wen Yu," Zang Pengfei said courteously, then led Wen Yu towards the inner part of the camp.
Watching Wen Yu turn and leave, and sensing Wen Yu’s killing intent slowly diminish, Sun Aotian took a deep breath.
My gamble paid off, he thought. I understood the trap in Wen Yu’s words. ’I won’t kill you today’ implied there was still tomorrow, and a long future after that. Having been in Chaihe Town since the apocalypse began, I naturally understand how terrifying the situation here is; I wouldn’t run out of the camp like Li Quan’an. Outside the camp, even with my strength, there’s no guarantee of safety.
Despite Sun Aotian’s outward display of a fearless, grandiose persona, he was, in reality, quite astute.
I knew Wen Yu wouldn’t let me off easily, so I deliberately acted like a typical protagonist, loudly taunting the villain I couldn’t beat for now. Wen Yu definitely wouldn’t just let me go like a typical villain, but by understanding this trope, he’d surely look down on me. As long as he underestimates me and doesn’t see me as a threat, I won’t be targeted.
Luckily, Sun Aotian’s gamble had paid off.
Turning his head, Sun Aotian led the terrified Bai Feifei and her brother towards their dwelling.
"Brother Tian, what should we do? I didn’t expect Wen Yu to be so strong." Bai Feifei’s heart was about to jump out of her chest. She had just found a strong backer, only to see that backer nearly crippled by someone else.
"What else can we do? Keep a low profile from now on, and don’t provoke that guy," he replied.
Bai Feifei looked at Sun Aotian in surprise; this statement didn’t match the persona Sun Aotian usually projected at all.
Recalling the feeling of being so close to death just now, a chill ran down Sun Aotian’s spine.
I absolutely cannot provoke Wen Yu again. Yes, it’s best to stay far away from him.
Sun Aotian, capable of becoming a Level 2 professionist, was definitely not just the immature character he appeared to be. Cautious, prudent, and adept at avoiding danger—those who didn’t understand these principles were already dead!
Under Zang Pengfei’s leadership, the two of them walked into a passable wooden house.
"It’s a bit small, I hope Brother Wen Yu doesn’t mind," Zang Pengfei said apologetically.
"No trouble at all; on the contrary, I’m the one troubling Brother Fei."
As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling face. Zang Pengfei was very polite to Wen Yu, and Wen Yu naturally returned the courtesy.
Zang Pengfei hesitated for a moment, then said to Wen Yu, "With Brother Wen Yu here, we won’t need to worry about those zombies."
This was Zang Pengfei’s way of pressing Wen Yu to declare his stance, fearing Wen Yu might ignore the camp’s crisis.
Wen Yu understood the meaning behind Zang Pengfei’s words and felt no resentment. After all, they weren’t related in any way; if he weren’t valuable, Zang Pengfei would have no reason to be so courteous to him.
This settlement is definitely not as weak as it seems on the surface! Zang Pengfei, at the very least, has the strength to eliminate Sun Aotian.
"Don’t worry, Brother Fei. Right now, we’re grasshoppers on the same rope," Wen Yu said, with a meaningful look at Zang Pengfei.
A look of understanding flashed in Zang Pengfei’s eyes. He knew Wen Yu wasn’t just referring to the external crisis threatening the camp, but also the internal one.
Zang Pengfei, Sun Aotian, and Wen Yu, the newcomer, constituted the three major power factions currently in the camp. The undercurrents here ran deep!
"With Brother Wen Yu here, I can rest easy!" Zang Pengfei patted Wen Yu’s shoulder affectionately before leaving the room.
Watching Zang Pengfei leave, Wen Yu lay down on the bed, a cold smile playing on his lips.
The complexity of human relationships, even in a small settlement like Chaihe Town, was remarkable.
People... they never want to relinquish the power they’ve acquired. Instead, they always want more. Greed, while a motivator, is also the root of all evil! Their own lives aren’t even in their control, yet they still fret over such pointless things.
Wen Yu would never forget what he truly wanted.
All I want is to survive. But that’s so hard, even for the current me.
Before long, Wen Yu’s snoring filled the room.
So much had happened that day, and Wen Yu was exhausted.
"Brother Tian." In another crude wooden house, Bai Feifei lay naked against Sun Aotian’s small frame.
"Hmm?" The recent bout of passion—his first time—had left Sun Aotian somewhat drained.
"Tomorrow, can you take Quan’an to kill some zombies so that he can become a professionist too?" Bai Feifei asked tentatively; after all, pillow talk was often effective.
"Hmm." Sun Aotian’s eyelids drooped; he looked completely dispirited.
"Then Feifei thanks Brother Tian." Bai Feifei beamed, but her eyes flickered with mockery and disgust.
For a woman, especially a beautiful one, handling an inexperienced young man was far too easy, as long as she used the right method.