Chapter 245: Holding Xu Yi Hostage
Xu Sa stared at the glasses man with a half-smile. Hearing Xu Yi’s reply, he chuckled and followed Lu Weiyi farther away.
Li Xiuyin didn’t respond and stayed in place. Bald-headed Su Wei with the spiked club walked up, staring at the backs of the four as he chuckled softly. “I thought no one could handle him.”
Li Xiuyin didn’t join in and only said, “The guild can’t afford to lose a healing-type ability user.”
That was the real reason Xu Yi was tolerated no matter how much trouble he stirred up—his ability was the highest level and had the best healing effect.
People with ability always had a temper.
Su Wei shrugged, telling himself that to rationalize it.
Lu Weiyi slowly carried Zhuang Ai Yi up the slope, set him down to pee, then looked around, eventually resting his eyes on a few zombies wandering in the distance.
“How do you think they’ll die?” he asked Xu Yi beside him.
Xu Yi shook his head. He had a feeling Lu Weiyi didn’t intend to kill him. Compared to death, his ability was more useful alive.
“I think they’ll explode,” Lu Weiyi said quietly.
He reached out toward the zombies, paused—then clenched his fist.
The slowly shambling zombies suddenly suffered an unknown attack. Their heads abruptly exploded, scattering pieces everywhere. Xu Yi instinctively stepped back, his face pale as he looked at Lu Weiyi.
“How do you think the others will die?” Lu Weiyi casually absorbed energy from a crystal core, looking calm.
“I… I…” Xu Yi’s lips trembled—he didn’t dare say a word.
Lu Weiyi wasn’t expecting an answer. He muttered to himself, “They’ll probably explode too.”
As soon as he finished, the remaining zombies burst apart.
Xu Yi didn’t hear any sound, but it felt like something exploded inside his chest—silent, but pounding.
Lu Weiyi turned his gaze on Xu Yi.
Xu Yi suddenly felt something in his brain swell, a formless pressure. He shivered all over, and Xu Sa quickly helped him stay upright.
“I’m leaving here. Are you coming with us?” Lu Weiyi asked “considerately.”
Xu Yi didn’t respond. Lu Weiyi glanced at the zombie corpses in the distance and said to Xu Sa, “Let the old classmate decide for himself. Let’s head back.”
Xu Sa hesitated but released Xu Yi. When Lu Weiyi picked up Zhuang Ai Yi, Xu Sa took him over instead.
Something invisible seemed to have been planted in Xu Yi’s mind, throbbing every now and then, demanding attention.
As Lu Weiyi and Xu Sa walked farther away, the throbbing in his head grew stronger. Xu Yi looked at the silent zombie remains and quickly ran to catch up with Lu Weiyi.
“I’m the highest-level healing ability user,” Xu Yi said quietly, trying to prove his worth.
“That depends on whether you’re useful to me or to the enemy,” Lu Weiyi replied blandly.
When they neared the truck, Lu Weiyi turned and looked at Xu Yi. With many factions watching, he said gently, “We were classmates. I’m inviting you to our base. If you don’t want to go, it’s no big deal—don’t force yourself.” Just a life, after all.
Lu Weiyi was only interested in Xu Yi while he was still alive. But someone like Xu Yi, if not held tightly, had to be eliminated. Letting him go today meant he could strike back at any time.
“Fifteen minutes,” Lu Weiyi said, leaning close like he was placing a death curse on him.
Then he turned and walked toward the truck entrance with Xu Sa. Xu Yi was left standing there. Soon, the glasses man and the bald guy came up.
“Mr. Xu—”
“Get lost!” Xu Yi roared. “Get far away from me!”
His chest heaved with anger. His head felt like it was about to burst. He ignored their dark expressions and ran toward the car he came in.
*
Lu Weiyi collapsed as soon as he entered the truck. Xu Sa set down Zhuang Ai Yi and quickly helped him onto the bed.
“What happened?” A group gathered around.
“He was pretending to be tough,” Xu Sa said knowingly. “The first wave was manageable. The second drained him. Making it back was already pushing it.”
Lu Weiyi waved weakly at the others while absorbing energy from a handful of crystal cores. After a while, he finally recovered.
Judging the time, he quietly activated his ability again. Less than a minute later, noises of an argument erupted outside. “Go help out,” he signaled with his eyes to Li Zhuang and the others.
Xu Sa’s eyes lit up and he immediately jumped down. Li Zhuang, Gu Qingji, and Ning Yuan followed.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw Xu Yi with a backpack, being held by the arm by Li Xiuyin. A group had gathered to watch.
“Help me already!” Xu Yi shouted at Xu Sa.
When he joined the guild, he didn’t receive any special benefits. All this time, he had only received a share based on the number of people he treated. Now that he wanted to leave, the Hunter’s Guild wouldn’t let him go.
“Tsk tsk tsk, what’s going on here?” Xu Sa said cheerfully as he approached.
“Let’s all talk it out peacefully, no need for violence,” Ning Yuan added.
“I want to leave with you, but he won’t let me,” Xu Yi said, feeling the thing in his head like a death curse, stabbing him from time to time like a countdown to death.
“That’s not right. Doesn’t your Hunter Guild always promise freedom to come and go?” Ning Yuan, suddenly energized by the appearance of a healing ability user, found his angle. “He’s a free man, not your property, right? Forcing people out in the open like this—everyone from other teams is watching. How can your Hunter Guild keep its reputation like this? You can’t just go back on your word like it’s nothing.”
Behind Li Xiuyin stood several ability users, usually tasked with protecting healers. The Hunter Guild didn’t have many strong combat ability users; it mainly relied on healers to unite the various hunting squads.
For this outing, other than the guards for the healers, the rest were from different teams.
“I’m worried Mr. Xu is being coerced,” Li Xiuyin said, looking at Xu Yi. “Mr. Xu, we’ve always had a smooth cooperation with no issues. If anyone is threatening you, just say the word—we’ll stand up for you.”
Ning Yuan paused and looked at Xu Yi.
Xu Yi looked toward the truck and saw Lu Weiyi sitting at the back door, legs dangling in the air, looking at him.
“No one is threatening me,” Xu Yi said, feeling utterly humiliated just by speaking those words.
“Everyone saw what happened just now,” Li Xiuyin pointed to Xu Yi’s still-broken arm.
“So what? I like it that way. Who the hell are you to care? I want to follow him—what are you gonna do about it?” Xu Yi was tormented by the stabbing sensation in his head and was on edge.
“You don’t look like you’re on good terms…”
“That’s just your blindness! I like it this way. Can’t you see how obsessed I am? I’d gladly take a few stabs for him! Heaven or hell—I’m willing! What, are you going to control my sexual preferences now too?” Xu Yi shouted impulsively, then realized what he just said and wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
“Pfft,” Lu Weiyi let out a small laugh, breaking the awkward silence.
With his beautifully defined features, he looked effortlessly charming. Casually, he said, “Didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, Xu Yi.”
“…Sh*t,” Xu Yi muttered, feeling like he had completely lost both dignity and face. He shook off Li Xiuyin’s hand and ran toward Lu Weiyi, clambering into the truck with a few loud steps.
*
Xu Yi curled up in a corner clutching his backpack. Xu Sa sat next to him considerately, eating sunflower seeds and chattering nonstop to brainwash him.
Lu Weiyi sat at the edge of the truck, fine threads of mental power spread out around him, capturing every surrounding sound—laughs, curses, hidden whispers.
He kept filtering them, hoping to catch useful information.
A man with a contemptuous look walked up, arrogantly speaking to Lin Mo, who blocked his way. “I’m Zhuang Mingxu’s cousin. Let him come out to see me.”
Lin Mo looked back and saw that Lu Weiyi didn’t react, so he ignored the man. “Please stay back.”
“Do you know who I am? You dare block me—” Zhuang Mingze seemed to have only aged physically, completely ignoring how everyone around him was watching with amusement.
Lu Weiyi looked at him with open disdain.
“Xiao Yi,” Zhuang Mingxu said from behind, being wheeled over. “I’ll go talk to him.”
Lu Weiyi frowned, and Zhuang Mingxu whispered, “We need to tie the Zhuang family to us first.”
After a moment’s thought, Lu Weiyi nodded, jumped down, and helped Zhuang Mingxu down in the wheelchair.
“Lin Mo, let him in,” Zhuang Mingxu instructed.
Lin Mo stepped aside. Zhuang Mingze adjusted his clothes and walked over, eyeing Zhuang Mingxu. “So you’re a cripple now?”
Lu Weiyi’s fists clenched, but Zhuang Mingxu quietly held him back to stop him. “Mm. How’s the family?”
“Fine. Your grandfather awakened an earth-type ability, strong as an ox.” Zhuang Mingze had always hated Zhuang Mingxu, the golden child everyone praised. Seeing him like this now was deeply satisfying.
With a superior smirk, he added, “Bet you didn’t know, did you? Your dad brought back a mistress. The illegitimate son is already 15. There’s a daughter too—she’s 7.”
Zhuang Mingxu sharply looked up at him, fists clenching. “What… what did you say?”
His parents had a political marriage. While they weren’t deeply in love, they were respectful and treated him well. He had never imagined his respectable father would cheat, let alone have illegitimate children.
Lu Weiyi patted his shoulder, signaling him to calm down.
“Haha… They’ve been at the Zhuang house since the beginning of the apocalypse. Your dad and grandpa both accepted them. You think it’s fake?” Zhuang Mingze enjoyed watching Zhuang Mingxu lose his composure. “While you were gone, they were having the time of their lives.”
Zhuang Mingxu only lost control for a moment before regaining his composure. He nodded and said calmly, “Got it.”
“…You’re going back?” Zhuang Mingze looked warily at the crowd of clearly powerful ability users around.
“I have to go back. After all… we’re family.” Zhuang Mingxu’s voice was steady, but loud enough for everyone watching to hear.
“Thanks for telling me. Lin Mo, see him out,” Zhuang Mingxu said, turning his wheelchair toward the truck.
“Zhuang Mingxu…”
“Zhuang Mingxu, I still have things to ask…”
Zhuang Mingze was shoved a few steps back by Lin Mo. He shouted and struggled, about to use his ability.
From the top of the truck, Li Zhuang sent a ball of earth hurtling into Zhuang Mingze’s stomach, knocking him back three meters. The ball crumbled to dust with no trace left behind.
After a brief silence, the surrounding crowd began whispering again.
“Uh… hey, nephew, uh…” One of Lu Xiao’s subordinates called out, but seeing Lu Weiyi turn his head, awkwardly scratched his nose. “Is our captain awake?”
“Still resting,” Lu Weiyi replied.
“Oh, okay. Thanks,” the man mumbled as a few others nudged him.
Before anyone could say anything, Lu Weiyi pushed Zhuang Mingxu back into the truck.
Lin Mo showed no expression and returned to his post, standing guard again.
