Chapter 83: Gunfight, Red Flower Society!
Back then, Li Wanglou had told her that if danger ever arose, she should hide in the basement. He himself would take cover on the second floor. At the crucial moment, Li Wanglou could distract the intruders, buying Li Wangmiao precious time to survive. Instinctively, Li Wangmiao believed Xue Feng wanted to do the same.
“There’s no time, you two hide first!” Xue Feng shoved Li Wangmiao into the basement and closed the door behind her. He himself took cover upstairs.
After waiting a little over a minute, footsteps echoed through the pet shop. It wasn’t just one person but a group.
“A pet shop? Wonder if there’s any food left inside.”
“Hah, what could you possibly find in a pet shop? Just dog food, I bet.”
“Dog food is fine, actually. It’s nutritious and won’t kill you. Plus, it keeps for ages.”
They chattered among themselves as five men in camouflage strode inside. To everyone’s astonishment, they carried guns.
They rummaged through the main hall for a while.
“Damn it, the dog food’s gone!”
“Of course, it was probably snatched ages ago. These days, even dog food is hard to find.”
“Let’s go, let’s go, try somewhere else. Careful not to get spotted by the Scarlet Lotus Society. We need to stay alert.”
With that, the group turned to leave.
Xue Feng frowned. What did they mean? This was Scarlet Lotus territory. Could it be… these men weren’t from the Scarlet Lotus Society? Were they other survivors?
Interesting. Xue Feng hadn’t expected to encounter other survivors here.
He was considering whether to approach them, gauge their attitudes, and perhaps recruit them, when—
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Suddenly, gunfire erupted outside, loud and relentless. Bullets riddled the walls and the racks were shredded. Clearly, this sudden attack was aimed at the men in the shop.
The gunfire paused briefly. The men downstairs quickly gathered, using the walls as cover.
“Those bastards from the Scarlet Lotus Society—they’re determined to wipe us out today!”
A man roared in fury. He had a square face and a thick beard.
“This is outrageous! Let’s fight them!” Another, thinner man grew agitated.
Without waiting for a response, he flipped the safety off his rifle and poked his head out to return fire.
“Monkey, wait! It’s too dangerous!” the bearded man shouted. But it was already too late.
Monkey’s head had barely emerged when—bang! A bullet pierced his skull and exited the back. He collapsed silently, his eyes full of unwillingness.
“Damn it! Monkey!” The other four cried out in anger, their eyes ablaze. Their grief for Monkey was genuine, not feigned.
“Calm down! Remember your wives and children—we can’t act rashly!” The bearded man’s eyes were bloodshot, but he gritted his teeth.
“But boss, we’re trapped! Even if the Scarlet Lotus Society doesn’t storm us, the gunfire will draw the zombies!” someone yelled in despair.
The pet shop wasn’t large. Once trapped, it was as good as a death sentence. There was no way out.
“Look for an exit,” the bearded man ordered, scanning the rear for any possible escape.
His gaze soon landed on a passage—the basement.
Xue Feng knew he must not let them enter. Li Wangmiao was still down there.
Though Xue Feng wasn’t certain if these men were trustworthy, their mention of families suggested some restraint.
“Give it up. There’s no back door here, but I can help you,” Xue Feng spoke up.
“Who’s there?” The bearded man and his companions were stunned, never expecting anyone else in the shop. Instinctively, they raised their guns toward the second floor.
“Don’t point your guns at me, or you won’t even know how you died,” Xue Feng scoffed.
At his words, the men hurriedly aimed their guns at the floor. They knew Xue Feng was right—he’d been inside the shop all along. If he’d wanted to ambush them, they’d already be dead. This proved he wasn’t with the Scarlet Lotus Society.
“Brother, what will you do?” The bearded man asked gravely.
Before Xue Feng could answer, a voice rang out from across the street.
“Tang Qiqiang, surrender and join the Scarlet Lotus Society.”
“In your dreams! Even if we fight to the last man, I won’t let you win!” Tang Qiqiang shouted back.
It was clear Tang Qiqiang and his men bore deep hatred for the Scarlet Lotus Society.
“Haha, it’s just a few women we played with. You’re so petty! We’ve got plenty of women on our side too!”
“By the way, there’s your cousin inside, isn’t there? She screams pretty loud.”
“Well, of course—after you broke her leg!”
The voices across the street mocked Tang Qiqiang, treating it like some twisted entertainment.
“You beasts! I’ll never forgive you!” Tang Qiqiang’s eyes were bloodshot, his hatred unmistakable.
The enmity between them and the Scarlet Lotus Society ran deep as blood.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Gunfire erupted again, bullets flying across the street. Tang Qiqiang and his men could only cower behind the walls, battered and outgunned. Their opponents had more people, heavier firepower, and had them pinned in the pet shop. The man upstairs had already told them there was no back door. What could they do?
“Brother, can you handle them?” Tang Qiqiang pinned all his hopes on the mysterious figure upstairs.
Just then, a bolt of lightning shot from the second floor, striking the opposite side of the street.
“Ah!”
“He’s an esper!”
“Run—ah!”
After a few screams, all fell silent across the street.
What!
An esper.
Tang Qiqiang and his men were stunned. They hadn’t expected the man hiding upstairs to be an esper. If he’d attacked them, they’d have been doomed.
“Is it over? Just like that?” Someone muttered, hearing the silence.
“Yes, all eight of them are dead,” Xue Feng replied, descending the stairs.
He had been observing through the second-floor window, confirmed there were eight targets, and unleashed his divine power. Lightning chained through them all, killing them instantly.
“Incredible,” someone gasped, instinctively stepping back, regarding Xue Feng as a monster.
Xue Feng understood well—in the eyes of ordinary people, espers were terrifying creatures.
“Let’s leave now; no one can guarantee they don’t have reinforcements,” Xue Feng urged.