Chapter 90: Encounter on the Road

Chapter 90: Encounter on the Road

Chen Shouyi was startled.

Mice were far from docile creatures—when provoked, they could become quite vicious, not to mention carrying all sorts of germs.

He quickly glanced under the bed, only to realize he had overthought it.

He had vastly overestimated Shell Woman’s courage.

There she was, warily eyeing the mouse in the corner, cautiously retreating step by step like a thief.

When she noticed Chen Shouyi’s feet, it was as if she had spotted a lifeline. She hurriedly took a few steps back, tightly clutching the hem of his pants, her whole body trembling.

Chen Shouyi picked her up and placed her back on the bed, teasing, "Weren’t you just eager to see the mouse?"

"You liar! This isn’t a mouse!" she protested, her face pale with fright, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mice don’t look like this!"

Chen Shouyi paused, then nearly laughed at the absurdity.

Were the cute, harmless mice from cartoons the same as real-life rodents?

---

Early the next morning, the family packed lightly and prepared to head to Dongning City.

Their goals were twofold: to reclaim the money invested in the underground loan company and to see if they could sell their old house.

Chen Shouyi had initially objected, but his parents insisted. Considering Dongning was under martial law but its public order hadn’t deteriorated, he reluctantly agreed.

As they stepped outside, he spotted Zhou Xue again.

She was practicing swordplay in the yard.

"Uncle, Auntie, are you heading out?" Zhou Xue called, pausing briefly to glance at Chen Shouyi.

He smiled in acknowledgment.

"It’s Xue! We’re going back home for a bit. Let your mother know we might not be staying here much longer," Chen Mu said warmly.

"Oh," Zhou Xue replied flatly.

The family soon passed her by, and she resumed her sword practice, though her movements seemed slightly distracted.

She stopped again and turned to look, but they had already stepped through the gate, vanishing from sight.

---

The bus was sparsely populated, with only a dozen or so passengers scattered about.

Chen Shouyi sat behind his parents, resting the sword case and briefcase on his knees.

He placed his backpack on the seat beside him—inside were the components of his bow and arrows, a precaution in case they encountered another situation like last time.

The bus soon set off.

The journey was bleak.

Most of the industrial zones along the way remained shuttered, with only a few chimneys belching white smoke into the sky.

"Brother, how’s Hedong City these days?" Chen Xingyue asked from the back seat.

"Pretty much the same as before. It’s the provincial capital, after all—resources are prioritized there, and public security is decent. Once we reopen the family restaurant, things will go back to normal," Chen Shouyi replied after a moment’s thought.

Though he longed to return to Dongning, he knew people didn’t live just for themselves. He couldn’t be that selfish.

---

Time passed quickly in idle chatter.

Before long, the bus neared Dongning City.

Up ahead, Chen Shouyi noticed a checkpoint—a dozen fully armed soldiers stood by the roadside, with spike strips laid across the opposite lane.

Every vehicle leaving Dongning was subject to inspection, though the scarcity of traffic meant no congestion.

"Why has Dongning gotten so strict now?" one passenger muttered.

"Can't be helped. I heard they've already caught a big fish—probably trying to stop the Cult from escaping!" the driver said.

"These people deserve to be shot."

"Who wouldn’t agree? Every day feels like walking on eggshells."

...

At that moment, Chen Shouyi suddenly sensed something off about two cars driving side by side in the opposite lane. The car windows slowly rolled down, and the next instant, his pupils constricted.

"Damn!"

Several large hands holding guns swiftly extended out.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...!"

Gunfire erupted abruptly.

Then, distant gunshots suddenly rang out.

Several soldiers fell to the ground.

Soon, the remaining soldiers returned fire at the two cars.

Screams erupted from inside the bus as the terrified driver slammed on the brakes.

Chen Shouyi swayed slightly but quickly steadied himself, immediately turning to check on his parents in front.

"Dad! Mom, are you okay?"

"We're fine!"

"What about Xingyue?" Chen Shouyi asked again.

"I'm okay too."

...

Chen Shouyi glanced out the window. Fortunately, the gunfight was happening about 50 to 60 meters away from the bus, making it relatively safe.

The gunfire lasted for about 20-some seconds before stopping.

Eight soldiers lay dead.

Then, the remaining soldiers cautiously advanced toward the two cars, guns raised.

Before they could get within three meters, the car doors burst open with a loud "boom," and a blood-soaked figure wielding a sword dashed out. It was impossible to tell if the blood was his or someone else’s.

A soldier barely had time to raise his gun.

The figure flashed past him.

The soldier froze mid-motion.

His gun fell.

His hand fell.

Along with half his shoulder.

The figure moved like a ghost, ruthless and precise. Every time he closed the distance, a soldier died in an instant. In just a few breaths, three more soldiers were dead. The remaining soldiers frantically retreated while firing back.

But it was useless. The figure dodged left and right with inhuman speed—not a single bullet hit him.

Instead, he closed the gap and killed two more.

Chen Shouyi understood—it wasn’t that the man was faster than bullets, but his reflexes outpaced the soldiers’ trigger fingers.

"Mom, Dad, stay here!" Chen Shouyi’s expression turned icy as he swiftly drew his longsword from the sword case. Before his parents could react, he slipped out the window like a fish.

As a Martial Artist, he enjoyed elevated privileges, but he also bore the responsibility of maintaining order. He couldn’t just stand by and watch this happen right in front of him.

Especially not when it involved the Cult—he had a deep-seated hatred for them.

If not for his strength, his entire family of four would have been slaughtered.

"Come back!" Chen Mu shouted anxiously from behind.

"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!" Chen Shouyi waved her off and broke into a sprint. His steps were like the wind, his body a blur, kicking up dust behind him like a gale-force storm.

By now, the Bloodied Swordsman had killed another soldier, leaving only two alive.

The soldiers’ mistake had been getting too close earlier. If they’d kept their distance, they wouldn’t have been so helpless. With seven or eight guns and proper training, they could’ve easily taken down a Martial Artist.

"Stop!" Chen Shouyi roared as he unsheathed his sword.

"Another one seeking death!" As the Bloodied Swordsman spoke, his body flickered, effortlessly crossing over four to five meters in an instant. His longsword sliced through another soldier's throat, sending blood gushing like a fountain.

"Damn it!" Chen Shouyi's rage surged. With a powerful push from his feet, he swung his sword at the Bloodied Swordsman.

The swordsman took a step back, blocking with his longsword.

A deafening clang rang out, sparks flying in all directions.

"If you want to die, I'll oblige." The Bloodied Swordsman roared, his muscles bulging as he pressed down with his sword. His Strength was actually a notch above Chen Shouyi's, easily overpowering his blade before slashing viciously toward Chen Shouyi's throat.

Chen Shouyi retreated abruptly, nimbly circling to the right before thrusting his sword toward the swordsman's neck. "You're far from capable of killing me!"

The last remaining soldier, seeing this, hastily backed away to create distance before raising his rifle.

Breathing heavily, he aimed for a long moment before reluctantly lowering his weapon.

The two combatants were like intertwined phantoms, their positions shifting at high speed—making it impossible for him to take a clear shot.

The Bloodied Swordsman appeared to be in his twenties, his face twisted with malice. He sidestepped Chen Shouyi's horizontal slash, but his clothes tore as if by an unseen force, a thin line of blood seeping through.

Chen Shouyi's Sword Energy extended only two centimeters—seemingly insignificant, but against an expert accustomed to dodging by the narrowest margins, it proved unexpectedly effective. The swordsman had been wounded without even realizing it.

After just a few seconds of combat, several more bloody streaks marred the swordsman's body. His expression darkened. "No time to waste on you. It ends now."

"Frenzy Technique!"

He growled the words.

"Divine Skill?" Chen Shouyi felt a flicker of surprise.

The next moment, he noticed the enemy's speed had increased slightly, his Strength also growing marginally stronger.

Fortunately, the boost was minimal—quantifiable as roughly a 0.1-point increase in both attributes.

After all, this was Earth. Divine Skills transmitted here not only required a thousandfold expenditure of power but also had effects so negligible they were almost meaningless.

"Is that all you've got?" Chen Shouyi smirked coldly.

No longer cautiously testing or dodging, his swordplay abruptly accelerated.

His Agility, a full point higher than an ordinary Martial Artist's, erupted in full force. He deflected the swordsman's diagonal slash with a single motion, stepping forward with the grace of a spirit cat. At the same time, his longsword shot out like a celestial strike, piercing straight through the swordsman's forehead and out the back of his skull.

He withdrew the blade—its surface still pristine, untainted by even a drop of blood.

Turning, he sheathed his sword.

Behind him came the heavy thud of a corpse hitting the ground.