Chapter 250
The manager of Lin Hai Town, Li Zhentian, calmed down a bit after hearing the report from his subordinates and glanced around at the people present.
“God of Commerce Sect? Have any of you heard of them?”
The people around him all shook their heads, except for one burly man who seemed hesitant to speak.
“Da Biao, do you have something to say?” Li Zhentian pointed him out.
“Lord, we previously discovered people selling sea salt privately in Guanyu Village, but we couldn’t figure out how they were selling it…”
This Da Biao was the one who had dragged Little Hai Lan out from under the bed earlier.
He continued, “Our boss just caught this person and was about to interrogate him. Could the mysterious person be referring to him?”
Li Zhentian then looked at the squad leader standing nearby.
“Li Peng, what do you think?”
Li Peng was Li Zhentian’s adopted son—though, with a man like him, Li Zhentian had dozens of adopted sons.
Once called upon, Li Peng quickly responded: “The person is on the road…”
“Idiot!”
Li Zhentian slapped him on the head, “Go get him now!”
Li Peng opened his mouth but finally complied, walking off with his men.
What he had actually wanted to say was…
It might already be too late. The steel behemoth was already heading towards Guanyu Village.
The three-wheeled vehicle was bumping along the rough dirt road, and those escorting Hai Jing were almost at the center of Lin Hai Town.
“Why is it suddenly raining?”
The people sitting in the vehicle looked up at the sky, which had suddenly turned cloudy, and rain began to pour down.
“Nice, it’s cooling down!”
“Look ahead! Is something happening?”
At first, there were just a few people standing there, but in the blink of an eye, there were suddenly hundreds more.
The people in the truck blinked their eyes in disbelief, wondering if the heavy rain had caused them to see things.
The driver quickly slammed on the brakes.
However, the bizarre event continued. The people ahead were rapidly approaching them at incredible speed.
Every time they blinked, the people disappeared, and the next blink showed them reappearing even closer, with more people joining the group!
The four of them were stunned, and Hai Jing also watched this scene in confusion.
The rain curtain blocked their sight, but they could see a massive, blurry black shadow behind the crowd, getting closer as if it were pushing the crowd along.
When the crowd appeared out of nowhere around them, the four of them finally reacted.
They tried to flee from the vehicle, but before they could, they disappeared from their spot, leaving only Hai Jing, who was bound with ropes, in the back of the truck, unable to move.
Watching the massive black shadow approaching through the rain, Hai Jing was engulfed by despair.
At that moment, it felt like he was back in the ocean, struggling in the wild waves, tiny like a speck of dust amidst the giant mutated creatures surrounding him.
But…
Thinking of his daughter waiting for him in the village, a new surge of survival instinct arose in Hai Jing.
He struggled desperately to break free from the ropes, wanting to escape.
Finally, when he fell from the back of the truck to the ground, the massive black shadow stopped about ten meters away from him.
Hai Jing froze.
He stared blankly at the steel behemoth before him—this… wasn’t this something he had seen in elementary school textbooks?
It wasn’t a mutated creature!
Then, a system message popped up: [You have gained the right to enter “Peace Grocery Store.”]
Immediately afterward, the torrential rain suddenly stopped.
No, not stopped.
The rain was still falling, but it was being blocked above them, unable to touch the ground.
Hai Jing stared blankly at the “car”—the steel behemoth. The doors opened, and a set of stairs lowered as two figures stepped out.
They wore black cloaks, and their faces were covered with silver and black masks.
The two didn’t touch the ground; after stepping out of the vehicle, they flew directly toward him.
Hai Jing stared at them in a daze, unsure of what to do.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
The person with the silver mask flew down in front of him. His voice was clear and gentle, like a soft breeze brushing past Hai Jing’s ears.
He stared dumbfounded as the masked figure reached out his hand.
The hand was covered in a pair of white velvet gloves, clean and elegant, a shocking beauty that Hai Jing had never seen before.
The hand reached toward him and landed on the rough and dirty rope binding him, then gently twisted it.
“Snap—”
With a crisp sound, the thick rope binding Hai Jing, which was as thick as a finger, simply snapped.
If the previous shock came from the overwhelming beauty that felt like a visual impact, then now, that shock carried an added awe of immense power.
The string in Hai Jing’s mind finally connected.
He glanced at the message board, then at the silver mask on the cloaked figure and murmured, “Are you… Lord Silver Light?”
The cloaked figure nodded slightly, seemingly about to help him up.
Hai Jing, startled, quickly stepped back. “Divine Envoy, I can get up myself!”
Then he scrambled to his feet.
At this moment, Hai Jing felt as if he were in a dream. Had the Divine Envoy really appeared before him and saved him from this peril?
His gaze shifted to the silent black-masked figure.
So this person is… Lord Dark Moon?
“Are you injured?” The young voice from the silver-masked figure rang out again, bringing Hai Jing back to his senses.
He quickly shook his head, “No, I’m fine.”
Then he saw the silver-masked figure reach out his hand again. A bright light appeared from the palm of his gloved hand.
Next, he gently threw the light orb toward Hai Jing, and it enveloped him.
Hai Jing had never felt such warmth and relaxation.
The bruises left by the beating were vanishing, and the bloodstains from the rope marks were healing rapidly.
The pain and exhaustion faded, and Hai Jing’s anxious heart slowly calmed down.
With reverent eyes, Hai Jing watched as the silver-masked figure tossed another orb of light at him. This time, it took away the filth from his body.
By the time the light dissipated, Hai Jing was completely clean, except for being damp from the rain, and no dirt could be seen on him.
“Go change into clean clothes.”
Tang Yu’an now had a new set of clothes in his hands, which he handed to Hai Jing to change into, so he wouldn’t catch a cold.
Hai Jing accepted them respectfully but didn’t dare make any bold moves in front of the Divine Envoy.
He rushed to the side of a tree behind him to change.
Tang Yu’an didn’t pay him any further attention and instead looked toward the back of the RV, where he had activated the “close shop” mode, causing the RV to become invisible once more.
The people outside couldn’t see or approach, all gathered around the protective barrier, watching.
“Now that the person has been saved, what do we do next?” Zhou Qi asked him.
Tang Yu’an thought for a moment and then asked, “The manager of Lin Hai Town… do you think you can handle him?”
None of them had fought against mid to high-level human ability users before, and Tang Yu’an wasn’t sure how strong the other party was. But—
“If we defeat him, can we take over Lin Hai Town and become the new managers here?”
They naturally wanted to cooperate and win over managers like Hong Li and Lan Yunqing, but the manager of Lin Hai Town not only monopolized everything but also exploited the ordinary fishermen.
This kind of evil force was better eliminated swiftly, like cutting through a knot with a sharp knife.
If they established a branch here, they wouldn’t have to be bound by any restrictions and could operate freely, just like in the Ruins City.
“Should we give it a try?” Zhou Qi didn’t oppose.
Tang Yu’an smiled and nodded. He didn’t rush to find someone but instead opened the RV’s 3D map and began to operate it.
After the guardian shield was upgraded and expanded, it could now be retracted.
Tang Yu’an contracted the shield back to a five to six-meter radius.
Just as Hai Jing, who had changed into new clothes, was looking around, he suddenly saw the RV and the two divine beings disappear in front of him.
Instinctively, he ran forward, and at one point, he passed through an invisible barrier and saw that the steel beast and the divine beings who had saved him were still in place.
Hai Jing froze and hesitated as he ran forward, then backtracked.
After trying two or three times, he finally confirmed that he wasn’t seeing things. He scratched his head in confusion, wondering what kind of magical technique this was!
Since the rain had stopped, Hai Jing wasn’t getting wet anymore.
He was wearing comfortable, clean clothes and hesitantly approached the two divine beings. “Lord Silver Light, Lord Dark Moon…”
Tang Yu’an nodded at him and said, “You should go inside the car.”
He would deactivate the “closed shop” mode soon. Since it was daytime now, the aftermath of the battle might affect Hai Jing, so it was safer for him to stay inside the RV.
Just as Hai Jing was about to reply, his peripheral vision caught sight of a figure, and his eyes immediately burned with hatred.
It was Li Peng, who had come with Da Biao and others in pursuit.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Yu’an looked at the pursuers. “Do you recognize them?”
“That bald guy,” Hai Jing gritted his teeth, “He dragged Hai Lan out from under the bed that day. If it wasn’t for that leader beside him, Hai Lan might’ve…”
Hai Jing clenched his fists, trembling as he recalled that scene.
Since that day, he had often had nightmares about it… He ground his teeth. “A scum like him needs to be killed by my own hands, or else more innocent children will suffer!”
“Do you want to participate in the fight?”
Tang Yu’an watched as Hai Jing took out a gun from his storage space.
They had received a gun from Chi Hao earlier, but they hadn’t used it yet.
Tang Yu’an didn’t try to dissuade him but instead looked toward the group that had just arrived.
Li Peng stopped with his men. He didn’t know why, but they were suddenly able to approach the steel beast.
Looking at the two masked individuals, Li Peng swallowed nervously, feeling an indescribable pressure.
“You’re definitely working together!” Da Biao, standing next to him, spoke first.
Li Peng cursed him silently and was about to speak when the person wearing the silver-white mask spoke, “Did you attack our Merchant God Sect members?”
Though the voice was clear and pleasant, it sent a shiver down Li Peng’s spine.
He was about to apologize when the silver-masked person casually waved his hand. Li Peng instinctively took a step back, thinking he was about to be attacked. However, he quickly realized that the attack wasn’t meant for him.
Da Biao, standing next to him, suddenly crouched down, clutching his stomach.
“You…”
“Hahahaha—hahahahaha—”
A burst of laughter erupted. Da Biao clutched his stomach, laughing uncontrollably, even while groaning in pain.
At this moment, the masked individual waved his hand again.
Da Biao, who was still laughing, suddenly started crying. He laughed and cried simultaneously, as if he had gone mad. The people around quickly distanced themselves from him.
Tang Yu’an waved his hand again. Of course, this was just to deceive the others. In reality, he had used his sight to aim the magical marble at that person.
This time, it was the unlucky marble.
Hai Jing raised the gun and aimed at Da Biao, but his hands were shaking badly. Clearly, this was his first time killing someone.
The “teachings” of the Commerce God Sect didn’t prohibit killing.
In such a post-apocalyptic world, it would be unrealistic to completely ban killing, so Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi hadn’t included this clause.
Looking at Hai Jing raising the gun, Tang Yu’an didn’t stop him but merely turned his head slightly.
He thought the bald man deserved it, just like those two who ambushed them at the base of Jufeng Mountain earlier.
However, seeing this scene still made him feel reluctant.
At that moment, Zhou Qi gently held his hand.
Tang Yu’an took a deep breath and also held his hand in return.
The others didn’t notice their small action because…
“Bang—”
A gunshot rang out, and Hai Jing fired the shot. Due to the powerful recoil, the second time he fired, he missed.
However, Da Biao, who was lying on the ground laughing and crying, suddenly jerked his head back, and the bullet hit him square in the forehead.
A blood hole appeared in his forehead, and he fell to the ground, as if he had been seeking death all along.
After firing the shot, Hai Jing collapsed onto the ground.
That being said, Li Peng and his subordinates were all startled and took several steps back, while the ones at the back of the group took the opportunity to flee.
The fighting methods of the Merchant God Sect were just too bizarre!
However, when the remaining people tried to escape, a strong voice came from behind them.
“I’ll see who dares to run?!”
Everyone turned to look and then showed fear, quickly retreating to the sides to reveal a path for someone to pass through.
It was Li Zhentian, who had realized he could approach the RV, bringing his men along.
For the people of Lin Hai Town, Li Zhentian was like a demonic overlord. They followed him not only because of the power he wielded but also because of his abilities.
As the manager of Lin Hai Town, his powers weren’t limited to just causing rain.
His water-related abilities allowed him to instantly drain the moisture from someone’s body! As long as someone was covered by his rain, they were within his control.
With such strength, Li Zhentian had ruled Lin Hai Town for many years like a local emperor.
But today, he had met his match.
These two mysterious individuals from the Commerce God Sect had somehow used some method to prevent him from approaching and blocked his rain, completely countering him.
Li Zhentian was still thinking about how to deal with this tricky situation when he unexpectedly saw that these two had taken the initiative to undo their previous methods.
He didn’t waste time and once again waved his hand to summon the rain, signaling for the five level-six ability users accompanying him to act as well.
Tang Yu’an quickly grabbed Hai Jing and, as the Shadow Umbrella, which had been waiting nearby, flew over to cover them, shielding them from both sight and rain.
Tang Yu’an opened the RV door and shoved Hai Jing inside. The moment the door opened, four pets that had been waiting outside immediately rushed out.
In the blink of an eye, they all completed their transformation into larger forms.
When the four mutated creatures appeared suddenly, Li Zhentian and his men froze for a moment.
However, being level-six ability users, they quickly regained their composure, each targeting one of the creatures and starting to fight.
Li Zhentian’s gaze locked onto Zhou Qi.
He controlled the rain to pour over himself, but for some reason, as soon as the water touched his skin, it evaporated.
A fire-type ability user?
A look of disdain flashed in Li Zhentian’s eyes. So what if he’s a fire-type? Let’s see how he extinguishes this fire with water!
This strange group from the Commerce God Sect, emerging from nowhere, truly doesn’t put their Hai Lan Town in any regard.
Although they do have some strength, they are not pushovers either!
Li Zhentian controlled the rainwater to converge into a massive water ball, enveloping Zhou Qi completely.
On the other side, Tang Yu’an was also facing a six-tier ability user, but as previously mentioned, he had many methods at his disposal now.
Joy, sadness, misfortune!
With three magical marbles taking turns, the six-tier ability user collapsed in less than a minute.
After all, how can you fight when you can’t see your opponent, who can still launch attacks just by visual contact, and once hit, you’re under strong control for ten minutes?
How are you supposed to fight?
Watching as the opponent slammed into a rock and passed out, Tang Yu’an shifted his focus to other battlefields.
Black Pearl, Yuan Bao, and Wang Cai were all fine, but Yin Bi…
Unexpectedly, Tang Yu’an noticed that Yin Bi was doing fine as well.
Because Li Zhentian was focused on dealing with Zhou Qi, the torrential rain stopped once more. The large white dog, soaked, shook the water off while hopping around the ability user.
It even grinned happily, as though playing with the ability user.
The ability user, too, had a strange, silly smile, chasing after Yin Bi, playing in a merry chase.
Tang Yu’an observed for a while, noticing that every time the ability user looked somewhat awake and attempted to attack, Yin Bi would bark at him.
Then, the ability user would break into a goofy grin again, continuing the chase.
Tang Yu’an: 0.0
Wait, is this Yin Bi’s ability?
Normally, when Wang Cai and Yin Bi chase each other, it shouldn’t be under control, right?
If it is, then this ability… seems kind of fun?
Tang Yu’an watched for a while and realized Yin Bi seemed to be getting tired of the game, so he used a magical marble to deal with the ability user.
He casually tossed the person next to the first one who had fallen unconscious.
Meanwhile, Yuan Bao and Black Pearl had already finished their battles.
The size difference alone made it hard to match up, and Yuan Bao and Black Pearl were smart and often went hunting in the Giant Wood Forest.
Having stayed with Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi in the Giant Wood Forest for over two years, they had become far stronger.
The remaining ability user, although still combat-capable, was covered in spiders, and it was only a matter of time before he was defeated.
At this point, Tang Yu’an finally walked out from under the umbrella.
The four ability users were now all lying together.
Li Peng and his group had been pushed to the edge of the battlefield and, not daring to leave, could only huddle together, trembling with fear, watching Tang Yu’an and his four giant beasts.
The Commerce God Sect is so strong, why had they never heard of it before?
Hai Jing, who had been shoved into the RV by Tang Yu’an, was now watching the battle outside from the window, stunned.
He had been worried—although he was saved, what about the villagers of Guanyu Village?
The two divine messengers couldn’t stay and protect them forever…
However, now he realized that he didn’t need to worry about that at all. The people who should be worried were clearly the management of Hai Lan Town!
At this time, Zhou Qi’s battle also reached a conclusion.
Li Zhentian was undoubtedly the most powerful ability user in Hai Lan Town, and he had rich battle experience.
Upon realizing that the water spheres could not deal with Zhou Qi, and that he could not turn him into a dry corpse, he began to retreat, using the terrain for cover.
“You’re just a human! Stop pretending to be a god!”
Zhou Qi didn’t respond but simply continued attacking.
Although he couldn’t match this old man in single-type ability, he felt he was around tier five.
However, due to his multi-type abilities, his methods were simply too numerous, and when combined, they overwhelmed Li Zhentian!
In the end, they fought all the way to the seaside.
“You little brat, don’t push me!” Li Zhentian stood by the shore, pointing at Zhou Qi, shouting with a fierce expression.
He had bullied Hai Lan Town for over twenty or thirty years and never thought that one day, he would be cornered like this by two young men.
Their methods were simply too strange! But… gods? Bah! These are clearly two humans, and he could sense it through his abilities!
“Hand over the authority of Hai Lan Town, and I’ll spare your life,” Zhou Qi said calmly, holding a flying sickle.
“You wish!” Li Zhentian sneered, “Even if I have to destroy this place, I will never hand it over to you!”
As soon as his words ended, he suddenly clutched his body in pain but continued to laugh wildly.
Then, in front of Zhou Qi and the fishermen watching from the shore, Li Zhentian’s body began to rapidly swell and mutate.
In the blink of an eye, a giant sea beast, over seven or eight meters tall, appeared on the beach.
Everyone who saw this screamed and fled in all directions.
Tang Yu’an, who had just flown over, could no longer maintain his “divine messenger” stance. In panic, he shouted.
“No!”
Upon hearing his shout, Li Zhentian, still holding on to a shred of sanity, let out a hearty laugh.
The deafening roar of the sea beast echoed across Haichao Town, sending everyone into a frenzy of fear.
However, Li Zhentian gradually realized something was wrong.
The young man who had been following him through the battle showed no special reaction after he transformed into a monster.
He still hovered in midair, quietly watching him.
If he were to remove Zhou Qi’s mask at this moment, he would see that his eyes had turned red.
A wave of fear inexplicably surged in Li Zhentian’s heart, prompting him to raise his giant hand and strike at Zhou Qi.
However, Zhou Qi simply dodged the attack with a slight movement.
The next moment, just as Zhou Qi was about to attack, the sea beast, transformed by Li Zhentian, turned around and dove straight into the sea, fleeing!
Panic had forced it to escape, and the remaining trace of Li Zhentian’s rationality could not suppress his body’s instinctive reaction.
Why was it fleeing? Was that young man really that terrifying?
Soon, he would know the answer.
Because—
That young man was directly chasing after him. Although he was no bigger than the sea beast’s hand, when he stood atop its head and pressed his hand on its body, the enormous creature froze.
A flicker of blue light struggled, but it was helplessly sucked out of the sea beast’s body.
