Chapter 91: The Death of Chu Qi (Subscribe for 3rd update)

When they returned upstairs, the sky had completely darkened. Lu Luo, Gu Fangyi, and Qi Xinzhu sat cross-legged, none of them speaking. Lu Luo remained silent because he was pondering, while Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu were waiting for him to speak. What Lu Luo was considering was quite simple: the risk of having Wu Sen and his people nearby versus the danger of the city’s night. Wu Sen’s look at him and Gu Fangyi had been like seeing dead men, and the look he gave Qi Xinzhu was full of greed and possessiveness. Perverts are everywhere, huh! There was no helping it; Qi Xinzhu’s appearance stood out too much in an environment outside the wall. In safer times, it could be pleasing to the eye, but at a critical moment like this, Qi Xinzhu’s looks could well be the source of disaster. The team members from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals had suffered a huge setback, and their psychological state was easy to analyze. They felt anxious, angry, and resentful, desperately needing an outlet. Lu Luo wouldn’t be surprised at all if they resorted to violence against his group, because Qi Xinzhu’s beauty could satisfy the desires of most men, making her a perfect outlet. After clarifying the situation, Lu Luo turned to Qi Xinzhu with a slightly dissatisfied look in his eyes. This discontent came abruptly and inexplicably, leaving Qi Xinzhu somewhat at a loss. "Why are you looking at me like that? There’s something strange in your eyes." "They want you." "What?" Qi Xinzhu was initially stunned, then quickly realized what Lu Luo meant. She lacked experience and was flawed in social interactions, but being naive didn’t mean she was a fool. Lu Luo’s meaning was clear and straightforward, which Qi Xinzhu naturally understood. "But I’m with the Church..." Qi Xinzhu found herself unable to continue. These past few days outside the wall, she had experienced many things. The cold, merciless killing that Lu Luo displayed that night still echoed in her mind from time to time. The laws and rules of the Alliance didn’t apply outside the wall, and she had come to understand that. "If they capture me, what will they do?" "Ten desperate men, who’ve just suffered a huge setback. If they catch a beautiful woman at a time like this, what do you think they’ll do? Play house?" Qi Xinzhu fell silent, unsure how to respond to Lu Luo’s question. However, as a Believer and a Believer of Light, she had her own choices to make. Qi Xinzhu stood up and looked at Lu Luo, her eyes steadily growing resolute. "My strength is still decent; I should be able to hold them off. If they really come, you guys go first, and I will cover the rear." Lu Luo was somewhat surprised. Who would have thought that such an apparently foolish and stunned girl could also be impressive! He didn’t know if this was the education method of the Church or her personal will. "Your words might as well not have been spoken! How could I possibly let you cover the rear? What a naive woman." It was quite apparent that Lu Luo wouldn’t let Qi Xinzhu cover the rear. Qi Xinzhu, mistaking his refusal for disbelief, emphasized, "I’m serious." "Shut up!" Lu Luo said impatiently. "Oh!" Qi Xinzhu became obedient. "What do we do now?" Gu Fangyi asked, his voice showing he had regained his composure. Still, Lu Luo could see the hesitation in his eyes. Brother Gu, being so emotional, ultimately couldn’t let go of Chu Qi. "I don’t know where the bottom line for those from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals lies, and I’m not about to bet on others’ moral standards. So, after some thought, I’ve decided to leave." "At night? Isn’t that too risky?" Qi Xinzhu furrowed her brows. No matter when or where, never march at night; this is a line mentioned in every Hunter’s manual, every mercenary’s handbook. Of course, Lu Luo knew that moving at night was very dangerous. Exotic Species were more active at night, tending to gather, and reckless movement could attract more until one was surrounded and killed by them. Moreover, the night’s visual conditions were too poor, decidedly unfavorable for combat. Yet, even if moving at night was perilous, one had to compare the levels of danger. This was merely a city area, with the strongest Exotic Species being only Second Tier. Compared to Second Tier Exotic Species, Lu Luo felt the danger posed by the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals squad was much higher. "Even if the night is dangerous, compared to the human heart, what’s the danger of the night really worth?" As he spoke, Lu Luo glanced at Qi Xinzhu again, and that look made Qi Xinzhu even more uncomfortable. "Why are you looking at me again? You’re not going to blame me again, are you?" "If not you, who else should I blame? Can I blame myself, the captain? When you’re out here, someone’s got to take the fall." What Lu Luo really wanted to say was, ’You’re a Believer of Light, so what’s the point of being so pretty? 99.9% of Believers of Light never marry. If you were butt-ugly, wouldn’t this all be avoided?’ "What does ’taking the fall’ mean?" Seeing that Qi Xinzhu couldn’t keep up with him, Lu Luo suddenly felt bored. "Alright, if you have no objections, let’s head out. If we delay any further, we’re just gambling with our own lives." Gu Fangyi had been silent the whole time, and Lu Luo knew that Gu Fangyi wanted to go save Chu Qi. He paused, as if to gauge Gu Fangyi’s thoughts. If it were the old Gu Fangyi, he might have rushed to save someone without thinking. But now it was different; Lu Luo needed him, so he wouldn’t act rashly. Moreover, he wouldn’t beg Lu Luo for help. Gu Fangyi had become too sensible these days. "Okay." However, Gu Fangyi didn’t guess what Lu Luo was really thinking. In Lu Luo’s heart, he had never intended to let these people from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals go. But he wouldn’t make his move here, and he definitely wouldn’t strike without confidence. Just as the three of them got up, ready to leave the building, the room suddenly shook. "An earthquake?" the three of them wondered simultaneously. ... In another building, the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals squad was also resting. Wu Sen’s face was dark and gloomy, and the others didn’t look much better. "Let’s report. How many blood pouches did everyone collect?" They were Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ private team, and their sole purpose for coming outside the wall was to collect blood pouches. Blood pouches were an essential ingredient for Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals to manufacture their drugs and were the sole focus of their mission. Any other gains were just a bonus and fundamentally trivial. The number of blood pouches would directly affect the company’s attitude towards them. It would also determine his status as captain upon return, his bonus, and whether the company would discard them. The team members glanced at each other and then presented the blood pouches they had collected. Chu Qi had none. The remaining ten men had only managed to keep a total of 53 blood pouches, far short of the company’s minimum requirement of 300. Without a doubt, the operation was a failure—a total and complete failure. They had lost almost half their men and abandoned a significant amount of equipment and supplies, all for these 53 blood pouches. "Damn it!" Wu Sen cursed, slamming his fist into the wall. BANG! The suppressed emotions and undirected anger made him lose his cool again. He turned to look at Chu Qi, his eyes like a venomous snake, making her shiver. Chu Qi knew this man was not about to play by the rules anymore. The other team members had already noticed Captain Wu Sen’s expression. Being veterans themselves, they knew what that look meant. One of the team members dragged another woman, not Chu Qi, into an inner room. The rest followed, including Wang Zheng, who didn’t give Chu Qi a second glance. They left Chu Qi and Wu Sen in this room. Soon, the cries and screams of a woman emerged from the other room. Wu Sen quickly approached Chu Qi. This time, she refrained from any suicidal actions, her face calm. Times had changed; Wu Sen was clearly not going to let her go now. "Ready to compromise, little Chu Qi?" Seeing Chu Qi put up no fight, Wu Sen couldn’t help but laugh. He walked up to Chu Qi and slowly lifted her chin before ripping off her top. After a forceful squeeze, he began to strip off his own clothes. "Good that you understand. Stick with me, and I won’t mistreat you." Chu Qi nodded naturally, but just as Wu Sen pulled his shirt over his head, obscuring his vision, she abruptly raised her gun. BANG! BANG! BANG! Chu Qi’s pupils shrank as she fired three shots in quick succession. She hadn’t expected Wu Sen to react so quickly, to dodge even in such a situation. "Did you think I’m some sort of trash? That I lack even that basic level of caution? Naive. If there’s anyone to blame, blame your good looks. You threatened Song Hana, the Captain of the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals East Ring branch. There aren’t many captains in that branch who haven’t slept with her. You, an orphan girl with no backing, should never have crossed her." Wu Sen sneered. Looking at Chu Qi who stood with a gun in hand, he suddenly struck out. His speed was extremely fast, easily dodging the direction of Chu Qi’s gunfire, and with one kick, he knocked the newly purchased Rose 390 handgun from her hand. Chu Qi drew her knife, ready to resist again, but Wu Sen was far stronger than her; how could he possibly give her a chance? Wu Sen punched Chu Qi in the stomach, then grabbed the arm holding the knife and twisted hard. CRACK! The sound of a bone breaking emanated from Chu Qi’s arm. "Ugh—AH!" Chu Qi let out a pained scream, but it was meaningless. RIP! Her combat trousers were torn off by Wu Sen in one swift motion. Chu Qi, enduring the agony of her broken arm, bit down hard on Wu Sen’s fingers. Even with his strength, he couldn’t withstand the pain at that moment. "AH!" Wu Sen kicked Chu Qi in the stomach, sending her flying. Approaching Chu Qi again, he grabbed her hair and lifted her up. Following that were two punches that broke several of Chu Qi’s ribs, completely nullifying her combat ability and leaving her limp on the ground. "Hmph, what’s the use? It seems you don’t understand the gap between First Tier and Second Tier. You insisted on getting beaten up, but what good did it do? You’re still going to be at my mercy." Wu Sen walked up to Chu Qi, knelt on top of her, and began to tear at her clothes. But just then, he felt the building shake slightly. "An earthquake? A quake happening outside the walls?" Wu Sen wondered aloud. The walls had stopped shaking by now. Wu Sen regained his composure and went back to tearing Chu Qi’s clothes, stripping away the few remaining scraps. Just as he was about to proceed, Wu Sen seemed to suddenly remember something. He immediately jumped away from Chu Qi and swiftly retreated several steps. BOOM! CHITTER CHITTER! The wall collapsed with a thunderous crash. A Maternal Lemongrass made a strange sound as it swiped at Wu Sen, but he had already jumped back and avoided disaster. The Maternal Lemongrass had no intention of pursuing these people any further, but as it roamed the Stony Wilderness hunting for sport, it suddenly caught their scent. These humans were so foolish. They had merely moved to the periphery of the city area to rest. So, the Lemongrass decided to dig through and launch a surprise attack, which unfortunately failed. The Maternal Lemongrass shook its head, seeming very dissatisfied with the environment in the city region. In its opinion, this place was worse than the Stony Wilderness. Not only was there no water, but the stones here were especially hard and difficult to burrow through. It didn’t like it here; it wanted to leave. Before departing, the Lemongrass noticed a little human lying on the ground—the edible kind. But it was already full from feeding in the Stony Wilderness. What to do? It was a bit reluctant to leave it! The Lemongrass crawled over to Chu Qi. Seeing the monstrous face before her, Chu Qi forced herself to stand, picked up the handgun beside her, aimed it at the Maternal Lemongrass, and fired. BANG! ... "Gunshots? What’s happening?" Qi Xinzhu asked, but Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi had already dashed downstairs. From a distance, Lu Luo saw the collapsed building. Even though it was dark, they could still clearly see the huge body of the Lemongrass churning among the broken floorboards. "A Lord-level Maternal Lemongrass!" The three of them didn’t speak. They slowly retreated and hid in the shadows without making a noise, quietly watching the Lemongrass cause destruction. The Lemongrass, not in high spirits, played around for a while and then left. Right after, they saw the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals team hurriedly fleeing. Several of them weren’t even dressed. It was early February, and the weather was still cold; sleeping naked in such an environment was impossible. One glance was all it took for Lu Luo to guess what had happened in the building. However, even after all of them had gone, Chu Qi was nowhere to be seen. Not just Chu Qi, but the other woman was also missing. Lu Luo could feel Gu Fangyi’s fingers trembling. Ah, Brother Gu is still too soft-hearted. Lu Luo knew Gu Fangyi was struggling, so he took the initiative to speak first. "Brother Gu, the people from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals have all gone. Don’t you want to say something to me?" Gu Fangyi was a bit surprised. Although he wanted to say something, he also remembered what Lu Luo had once told him. Only with enough strength does one have the power to exercise authority. He felt his strength was not enough, so he decided it was better to say nothing at all. "You said that when people are weak, villains are most numerous, and when you lack strength, you shouldn’t speak." Lu Luo nodded. He understood Gu Fangyi’s meaning and knew what he was worried about. But he had still concealed a lot from Gu Fangyi, such as his own strength. The person he was before leaving the wall and the person he was now were two entirely different concepts. A few days ago, they might not have had the strength to do what they wanted, but now, things were different. And if Wu Sen went back, he would certainly remind Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals of their existence as two insignificant figures. Lu Luo didn’t want them to remember him. So... "Brother Gu, what if our strength *is* enough? What would you do then?" "Enough?" Gu Fangyi looked at Lu Luo with confusion, carefully pondering the meaning behind Lu Luo’s words. "If our strength is enough, I will kill all those people." "Good!" This time, it was Lu Luo’s turn to be terse. Qi Xinzhu, standing to the side, couldn’t understand what Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi were talking about. However, as she stared into Lu Luo’s eyes in the darkness, she seemed to grasp something. ... When Lu Luo returned to the small building, he received a message from the Observer. [There is still a breath of life inside. It’s your classmate named Chu Qi.] Lu Luo’s eyes narrowed. Relying on his immense strength, he directly moved the broken floorboards and then approached the dying Chu Qi. Seeing Chu Qi’s condition, the usually silent Gu Fangyi harshly pounded the wall and cursed aloud, "Fuck!" Qi Xinzhu covered her mouth, then hurriedly ran to Chu Qi’s side to use Holy Light to stop the bleeding. At that moment, Chu Qi had only one arm left. Her legs were bitten off at the thighs, and a large piece of her left side, including bone and viscera, was missing. With such injuries, she should have already died, but the delayed-death drugs Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals had injected allowed her to remain alive, at least until her life force was completely exhausted. This was also why Wu Sen had attacked her without hesitation before: people from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals were not that easy to kill. Chu Qi’s eyes were blank and her breathing was very weak. However, upon seeing Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi, her gaze gradually brightened, and she even smiled. Facing death, it was the first time in many days that Chu Qi had shown a smile that came from her heart. She raised her hand, stopping Qi Xinzhu’s treatment. "Lu Luo, you were right. I was too greedy." "What a pity we don’t get second chances in life, and there aren’t any Resurrection Coins," Lu Luo joked. "Yes, it’s a pity there are no second chances. Ambition and desire really can make a person lose their reason. I was so foolish..." Halfway through her words, Chu Qi suddenly stopped, her expression pained. After a moment, she continued, "I hate these tear-jerking moments, and my body is in so much pain. So, Lu Luo, please let me go!" Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi were both silent. Qi Xinzhu, suddenly realizing the meaning behind Chu Qi’s words, quickly said, "I—I can try to save her! My Sequence has strong healing power. Maybe I can save her!" Qi Xinzhu looked toward Lu Luo, hoping for his consent, but Chu Qi simply shook her head. "I don’t want to live a pitiable life." She too was a genius from the orphanage, reaching First Tier at a young age in such an environment. Compared to Gu Fangyi, she was his equal, if not superior. A genius like that, who had struggled out of the harsh conditions of the Fourth Ring orphanage, shared the same pride as Gu Fangyi. Even if she survived, her future would just be that of a crippled person, without hands or legs. Chu Qi’s pride wouldn’t allow her to live so humbly, dependent on the pity of others. So she chose death to end her life. Lu Luo understood Chu Qi’s wish. He slowly extended his hand, moving it above Chu Qi’s head. "Lu Luo, what are you doing? She’s your friend!" Qi Xinzhu continued to plead, while Gu Fangyi had already turned his head away, unwilling to watch. Qi He gathered in Lu Luo’s hand, but as the moment arrived, his palm hesitated slightly. Seeing Lu Luo’s inaction, Chu Qi placed her own mangled, bloody hand on the back of Lu Luo’s and pressed down forcefully. HUM! The vibration of Qi He instantly killed Chu Qi, allowing this complex and stubborn woman to pass away quietly.