The Max-Level Boss Just Wants to Be a Slacker [Apocalypse] – CH14

Chapter 14: The Price

Looking at Mo Xiu like this, Xi Wenlin felt that every step the other man took seemed to tread directly on his nerves.

“M–Mo Xiu, what are you doing? I didn’t mean to! He was the one who insisted on walking deeper into the forest. I couldn’t stop him.”

Instinctively sensing danger, Xi Wenlin hurriedly began making excuses and fabricating lies, hoping to talk his way out of it.

But how could Mo Xiu possibly continue listening to his nonsense?

If it weren’t for him, Mo Qi wouldn’t have ended up like this! Breaking only one of his legs earlier had simply been because there wasn’t enough time.

Mo Xiu had no interest in wasting words. Grabbing Xi Wenlin by the collar, he immediately began beating him viciously.

Xi Wenlin tried to struggle desperately. After being punched several times and realizing he had no ability to fight back, he began to beg for mercy in a slurred voice.

When begging proved useless, he gave up trying to save face and shouted recklessly, “Stop hitting me! Mo Xiu, what’s done is done.

That Mo Qi must have been bitten by a zombie! Why did you bring him back? Are you planning to put everyone in danger for the sake of that fool?”

Hearing this, Mo Xiu paused for a moment—then his punches became even heavier.

This bastard still dared to deny bringing Mo Qi there, yet he even knew about the zombie!

Mo Xiu directly knocked several teeth out of Xi Wenlin’s mouth, beating him until his face was unrecognizable and blood filled his mouth, leaving him unable to say a single word. Only then did the anger in his chest ease slightly.

Noticing the change in expressions among the others in the team after hearing that Mo Qi had supposedly been bitten by a zombie, Mo Xiu coldly said to Xi Wenlin, “Do you really think I’m a fool who can’t see through your little tricks?”

After saying that, he turned to the others in the group and said, “There was no zombie bite. He’s just spreading alarmist nonsense.”

With that, Mo Xiu didn’t care whether they believed him or not. He simply returned to the car to check on Mo Qi’s condition.

“How is he?” Mo Xiu asked Lu Pingwan softly.

The young girl was using a cloth dampened with water created by her water-type ability to wipe Mo Qi’s face.

“He seems to have a slight fever. I can’t tell anything else. I have a few fever-reducing pills here—Brother Mo, do you think we should give them to him?”

Lu Pingwan frowned as she spoke, the worry on her face obvious.

Mo Xiu took the medicine she handed over and nodded. He knew very well how precious medicine was in the apocalypse.

Those who tried to harm him and Mo Qi—he would never let them go. As for those who showed them kindness, he would remember it.

He placed the medicine into the man’s mouth and tried feeding Mo Qi a little water as well. Fortunately, he could still swallow on his own without any problem.

Mo Xiu then gently placed his hand on the man’s forehead, silently praying that nothing would happen to him.

By now, the sky was nearing dusk. Mo Xiu knew they couldn’t delay any longer, and Mo Qi also needed a better environment to rest.

So he quickly made a decision, restarted the vehicle, and continued the journey with the others.

Xi Wenlin truly seemed like an indestructible cockroach. Even after being beaten so badly, he still managed to drag his broken leg onto the car.

Mo Xiu drove very fast for the rest of the journey. What should have taken more than half an hour took him less than twenty minutes to reach the next town.

After arriving, he spent a little time finding a spacious and comfortable place that looked like a vacation-style courtyard.

After clearing out the two or three stray zombies inside, he brought Mo Qi into the best room there.

As for the others, Mo Xiu had absolutely no mood to deal with them right now.

Inside the room, on the soft bed, Mo Xiu tightly held the man’s hand, hoping Mo Qi would endure this trial and wake up soon.

“Mo Qi, wake up, okay? I really need you…”

Although on the surface he was the one taking care of the other, Mo Xiu knew very well that compared to how much Mo Qi needed him, it was actually he who needed Mo Qi more.

Deep in Mo Xiu’s heart was a buried hatred and disgust for this world. And Mo Qi was half the meaning and support that made him willing to continue living in it.

He didn’t know that Mo Qi had already regained consciousness—or rather, he had been intermittently awake ever since being brought back.

Physical contact with Mo Xiu helped him absorb and circulate the energy within his body more quickly.

However, most of Mo Qi’s strength was being used to fight against the surging power inside him, leaving him unable to respond to the young man.

After using his divine sense earlier, Mo Qi hadn’t been sure whether he would survive the ordeal. But the green crystal core from the mutated plant had given him a helping hand.

After absorbing the energy from that crystal core, Mo Qi discovered that although the energy made his body feel even more swollen, it could also rapidly repair the damage inside him.

Even with that help, the process was still extremely difficult.

Combined with the side effects caused by his overly powerful soul, Mo Qi felt as though his body was constantly being shattered from within and rebuilt again and again.

Fortunately, Mo Xiu had appeared. Contact with him provided excellent assistance, allowing Mo Qi to completely relax his guard and focus on battling the energy inside his body.

No one knew that beneath Mo Qi’s calm exterior, the inside of his body was operating at high speed. Gradually, a diamond-shaped core began to form within his dantian.

The core shone with a dazzling red color, leaving Mo Qi—who could observe it with his divine sense—momentarily confused.

As an old hand in the cultivation world, Mo Qi initially wondered whether he was about to form a golden core.

But whose golden core looked like this?

Not only was the shape strange, it wasn’t even gold—it was red.

This was simply too bizarre for Mo Qi. Could it be because of this strange apocalypse?

Unable to figure it out, Mo Qi stopped thinking about it. Especially after discovering that once the core—resembling an inner pill—formed, the energy inside his body circulated faster and more smoothly. He no longer cared that the color and shape looked odd.

Mo Qi could feel that his body had been greatly strengthened through this process. The discomfort gradually weakened, and his expression slowly became calm.

Feeling the man’s breathing gradually stabilize, Mo Xiu finally let out a small sigh of relief. Judging from the situation, there shouldn’t be any major problems now.

He tucked the blanket around the man and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Only then did Mo Xiu notice that the sky outside had already turned completely dark.

The entire resort was quiet. Most of the people in the team had probably already gone to rest.

The courtyard they were using for shelter was quite spacious. Although all the buildings were single-story houses, there were many rooms. Usually, people would stay two or three to a room to look after each other, so there was plenty of space for everyone.

People had been assigned to keep watch in the courtyard according to a prearranged schedule.

Members of the group would take turns standing guard at night. Mo Xiu wasn’t included in the rotation. After spending some time together, they had already recognized his position and very consciously arranged the schedule themselves.

After confirming once more that Mo Qi’s condition had stabilized, Mo Xiu finally opened the door to the room.

He easily avoided the guards on duty, moving silently through the camp like a ghost. It didn’t take much effort for him to find the room where Xi Wenlin was staying.

Xi Wenlin had been beaten terribly by Mo Xiu earlier that day. Everyone had seen Mo Xiu’s attitude toward him and knew what he had done behind the scenes. Naturally, no one was willing to stay with him.

Although human nature was fragile in the apocalypse, someone who had clearly “stabbed another person in the back” still sent chills down people’s spines.

As expected, Xi Wenlin had been isolated and could only stay alone in the worst room in the corner.

His entire body ached with pain, and the leg Mo Xiu had kicked earlier hurt terribly. Without any painkillers, he couldn’t fall asleep at all.

Because of his injuries, he developed a fever after nightfall, leaving him sluggish. By the time someone approached, he only reacted slowly, opening his eyes with difficulty and murmuring, “Who?”

When he lifted his head, he met the young man’s icy gaze.

“M–Mo Xiu! Why is it you…?”

He wanted to ask why Mo Xiu had come, wanted to explain, wanted to argue his case.

For a moment, he even wondered if Mo Xiu regretted hitting him too hard and had come back because he felt guilty.

But in the next second, he lost the ability to think any further.

Because the man in front of him twisted his neck, cutting off his breath completely.

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