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墨書 Inktalez
In the secret room, Nalan was entangled with Xiao Qiang, both unwilling to back down yet not truly trying to hurt each other.
Chixia observed Ding Bosheng, whose bloodied half-face was a terrifying sight. The pungent, alluring blood stench made her sensitive and disgusted. She didn’t inform him that Nalan and Xiao Qiang were merely instinctively retreating a step, standing silently with their hands at their sides.
Ding Bosheng staggered, blood dripping from him as he cursed loudly, "Nalan, you scum, get out here!"
The soundproofing in the secret room was effective; regardless of his insults, it didn’t draw either of them out.
Inside the room, the two had grown tired from fighting and sat on the ground to catch their breath while tending to their wounds.
Nalan was more seriously injured, with two bruises around his eyes resembling a panda's dark circles. He reached up to gently press on one, wincing in pain.
Xiao Qiang also bore injuries but was gradually healing without drawing attention; at first glance, it seemed as if he hadn’t been hurt at all. This was his first time engaging in close combat without using his abilities. Without his automatic recovery capability, he would likely have wounds just as numerous as Nalan's.
Nalan squinted at Xiao Qiang in confusion. He distinctly remembered landing several solid punches earlier, so why were there no visible marks?
Xiao Qiang asked, "Did you just return from the military?"
"Yeah."
"Not bad with your skills."
"You too, but... very few people have beaten me; you're the first..." Nalan leaned against the wall to stand up, feeling a burning numbness in his thigh. He couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly, "Damn it, kid, you almost ruined my manhood."
"Whoa! I don’t even remember how I accidentally hit you there," Xiao Qiang replied as he stood up, intending to help him but hesitated and stopped.
After their brief contact and struggle, he realized Nalan had a tough personality that made him aggressive.
He was the type who would never admit defeat; offering help now would clearly have a negative effect.
"I’m definitely keeping you as a friend," Nalan said as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes crinkled into a narrow slit like a pea pod when he smiled. He walked over to an exquisite wooden box and opened it with trembling hands to reveal several medals of different colors inside. Filled with pride, he stared at the medals and murmured, "I’ve faced death countless times in close combat during wars. Later on, I was left disabled and sent back by the military; they fitted me with a prosthetic leg in the hospital." As he spoke, he rolled up the pant leg of his right leg.
Xiao Qiang took a serious look and confirmed it was indeed a prosthetic limb; five inches below his thigh was artificial. Nalan was a soldier, which he had deduced from Nalan's fighting style during their earlier encounter.
Nalan's techniques were structured and disciplined, unlike the chaotic fighting style of an average person. Thus, Xiao Qiang concluded that he must have returned from military service.
Nalan said he was a non-commissioned officer, and after retiring a few years ago, he received government assistance. However, when a major pollution incident occurred, the aid was cut off, and he had to resort to doing some shady business to make ends meet.
They had become acquainted through an intimate struggle, and after understanding each other better, they seemed to appreciate one another and got along well as they emerged from the private room, laughing.
Just as Xiao Qiang and Nalan stepped outside, still wearing smiles on their faces, they suddenly froze…
On the ground lay a gruesome corpse, split in two. The deceased was Ding Baoshan, Nalan's old friend…
Nalan had very few friends in his life; Ding Baoshan was his only one, a close companion for decades. He stood there in shock, his expression shifting from clear to stormy—his eyes filled with rage as he glared at Chixia and Redemption of the Fallen, knowing they had killed his good friend. What he didn’t know was that Ding Baoshan had succumbed to the virus and attacked them; they had acted in self-defense and torn him apart.
Unaware of the situation, Xiao Qiang sensed trouble and wanted to ease the tension while also protecting Chixia. He hurriedly forced a smile and said, “What’s going on with you two? He is Nalan Shopkeeper's friend; you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, there was a soft sound—poof! Looking closely, he saw a red mark on Redemption of the Fallen's forehead. Turning to Nalan, he noticed Nalan holding a smoking silenced submachine gun.
“You…” Xiao Qiang's anger flared as he glared at him. “Ding Baoshan was infected with the virus; they were acting in self-defense.”
Things seemed to have taken a complicated turn. At the moment Redemption of the Fallen fell down, Chixia's eyes turned blood-red as she charged toward Nalan without hesitation.
Xiao Qiang found himself at a loss about whom to help. As Nalan fired again, bullets whizzed past and struck the wall but missed their target entirely. Chixia seized the advantage Xiao Qiang had given her; secretly favoring her, he had provided her with pure blood while Redemption of the Fallen received blood that was two-thirds animal blood. This was a precaution Xiao Qiang had to take; he could control Chixia at will but wasn’t sure how strong Redemption of the Fallen would become after drinking his blood.
The diluted blood had disrupted Redemption of the Fallen's genetic intelligence. Thus, he often felt hungry and unfocused; otherwise, he wouldn’t have easily fallen into Nalan’s trap.
“Nalan, let me explain,” Xiao Qiang interjected, jumping in front of Chixia to shield her. He quickly added, “Chixia is a woman I care about; she has self-control and isn’t the kind of violent bloodthirsty Fallen One you think she is.”
Nalan shot him a cold glance before reluctantly putting away his weapon and slowly walking toward Ding Baoshan's dismembered body.
With Xiao Qiang blocking her path, Chixia’s blood-red gaze gradually dimmed. She lowered her head and stood solemnly behind him.
Xiao Qiang signaled her not to move and walked over to inspect Redemption of the Fallen's corpse closely; it was indeed lifeless. Turning back to Nalan, he saw him looking pained as he gathered Ding Baoshan’s remains together.
“I’ll take him out for cremation,” Xiao Qiang said, referring to Redemption of the Fallen's body.
"Leave it to me," Nalan said with a grim expression.
"Alright then, hurry up. We should be heading to Eagle City soon."
Nalan shot a fierce glance at Chixia, who stood there with her head down, seemingly frozen in place. He made an 'OK' gesture towards Xiao Qiang and said, "You go pick out your weapons. I'll handle this; it shouldn't take long."
"Thank you," Xiao Qiang replied, grateful for Nalan's generosity, as it meant Chixia would not be harmed. After all, if it came down to a fight, Chixia might not necessarily lose. She was, after all, the Fallen One he had personally raised and nurtured.
It was also a way to give Nalan some face! He tried his best to prevent any unpleasant confrontation between Nalan and Chixia. Entering the secret room, this time he brought Chixia along; she needed to choose weapons that felt right for her.
Chixia had her eyes on a Micro Rocket Launcher, a semi-automatic M4 rifle, and a Flame Gun. Under Xiao Qiang's urging, she ultimately decided on the Flame Gun.
Xiao Qiang chose a Submachine Gun for himself, playing with it in his hands before nodding in satisfaction and smiling as he led Chixia out.
Nalan cleaned up quickly; the ground was spotless, not a trace of blood left behind. It seemed that he had developed a certain immunity to the smell of blood during his time in the military, allowing him to remain calm and composed in the face of such gruesome scenes.
Xiao Qiang nodded in appreciation and asked Nalan, who was sitting on the sofa waiting for them to return, "So? Are we ready to set off?"
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