Chapter 173: One Punch, One Life
Chapter 173: One Punch, One Life
"You talk too much nonsense."
Zhan Lian clenches his fists, twists his neck, and shifts his stance slightly. His military boots scuff the ground as he settles into a standard combat posture, feet spread apart in a slight squat. With a gloved hand, he beckons to the Green Dragon tattooed man, fingers curling in a taunting gesture. Barbs begin to sprout from his knuckles as he smirks disdainfully.
"I was careless earlier. I didn’t think someone like you could show up in a place as insignificant as this—a place that’s no bigger than bird shit. Come on, let’s settle this. All of you, together."
Zhan Lian realizes he has underestimated these men. His years as a soldier have conditioned him to look down on ordinary civilians, but this gas station is full of power users. Among them, the Blue Dragon tattooed man stands out—a high-level power user with enough strength to kick Zhan Lian back two steps. That’s no small feat; had it been anyone else, they’d likely have been sent flying.
As the barbs on Zhan Lian’s fists emerge, the Green Dragon tattooed man freezes, visibly shocked. He hesitates, pointing at Zhan Lian with an incredulous look. "What kind of superpower is that?"
"Never seen it before?" Zhan Lian asks, his brows furrowing in irritation. He steps forward without waiting for an answer, punching a power user who has the misfortune of blocking his path. The man lets out a bloodcurdling wail as he crumples to the ground.
"What kind of superpower it is doesn’t matter," Zhan Lian growls. "What matters is that I can beat you."
The men surrounding Zhan Lian are stalling, their chatter grating on his nerves. His patience is running thin. Every moment wasted here delays his search for his wife and daughter. Fueled by desperation, Zhan Lian stops holding back. With the barbs on his fists gleaming, his punches turn deadly. One punch, one life.
He quickly identifies the Green Dragon tattooed man as the leader of this ragtag group and doesn’t bother dragging things out. With ruthless efficiency, he punches left and right, each strike felling a man.
If he doesn’t take this seriously, these people might think he’s just a weakling pretending to be strong.
The Green Dragon tattooed man, now horrified, realizes the extent of Zhan Lian’s power. One glance at the sharp barbs protruding from Zhan Lian’s fists is enough to confirm that he won’t survive a direct confrontation. As Zhan Lian tears through his subordinates, the Green Dragon tattooed man hatches a plan: escape while Zhan Lian is distracted and seize the mobile granary instead.
After all, his so-called "brothers" are expendable. They’re just men he’s banded together with a few days ago. At critical moments like this, they can die for all he cares. His survival is what matters most.
Without hesitation, the Green Dragon tattooed man turns and bolts, heading toward the back of the gas station.
Zhan Lian reacts instantly, kicking the ground and sending out a golden blade. The blade slices through the air, embedding itself into the wall ahead, cutting off the Green Dragon tattooed man’s escape route. Forced to a halt, the Green Dragon tattooed man panics, darting into the supermarket instead.
Inside the dimly lit supermarket, chaos reigns. The Green Dragon tattooed man stumbles over debris, his breath ragged. He isn’t the only one in a state of fear—several men cower in corners, paralyzed by terror. Among them, two women, disheveled and half-dressed, rush toward Zhan Lian as if he’s their savior.
"Save us! Please save us!" they cry, clinging to him desperately.
"Take us with you! Don’t leave us behind!"
Their pleas fall on deaf ears. Zhan Lian, his face shadowed beneath his sunglasses, frowns in annoyance. He moves to step past them, intent on pursuing the Green Dragon tattooed man, but the women cling to him like lifelines. One wraps her arms around his waist, the other around his thighs, refusing to let go.
"Get out of the way!" Zhan Lian barks, his voice sharp with irritation.
Zhan Lian, a man who prides himself on his discipline and cleanliness, especially when it comes to interactions with women other than his wife, grabs their clothes with both hands. With little effort, he pulls them off him and sets them aside.
Striding forward without sparing them another glance, he enters deeper into the supermarket, his focus locked on catching the fleeing Green Dragon tattooed man.