Chapter 108: The Wolf Pack [Third Update]

“Damn, he actually got away. That guy is way too strange—he managed to escape even such a terrifying attack.” Zhang Tianling muttered in disbelief as he moved aside. His entire body was soaked, rainwater dripping continuously.

“All right, there’s no shelter left anywhere now. We have no choice but to head home,” Gong Juechen said with a smile, looking at Luffy. “Thank you for saving us, and for wiping out the two formidable quasi-Kings in the Xiangxi Safe Zone. You’re truly incredible.”

“Idol, are you going to the Xiangxi Safe Zone?” He Xueqi’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Luffy, full of anticipation.

“No, I’m headed elsewhere. You all should go back,” Luffy replied.

He had originally planned to visit Su Ningxue but reconsidered and decided to go to Kunlun Mountain first.

“Oh, then what about me? I want to go with you,” Ma Xiaoqian said helplessly, looking at Luffy. “I can give you the Dragon Bone, just let me tag along.”

“How about you come with me?” Gong Juechen offered with a smile.

“I’m not going with a pervert,” Ma Xiaoqian flatly refused.

Gong Juechen was left speechless.

“Although the Dragon Bone is valuable, I can’t take it from you—that would cost you your life. You should go back to the Xiangxi Safe Zone with them. I have matters to attend to and can’t take you along; it’s too dangerous.”

Luffy glanced at Ma Xiaoqian, then at Gong Juechen and He Xueqi. “Take her to see Su Ningxue and tell her I asked her to look after Ma Xiaoqian. Show her this, and she’ll understand.”

He handed a vial of body-tempering liquid to He Xueqi, speaking seriously before turning to leave.

“Uh…” They were stunned as Luffy vanished into the rainy night like a fleeting dream—he came without a trace and left the same way.

“No, don’t go!” Ma Xiaoqian cried, heartbroken that he didn’t want to take her along.

“He said the place he’s going is too dangerous to bring you along. He’s afraid you might slow him down or get hurt. Come back with us,” Zhang Tianling said, shaking his head.

Gong Juechen and He Xueqi supported Ma Xiaoqian as they left the scene.

…

The next day,

At dawn,

In the Jiuzhou Safe Zone,

Lu Haoran sat before the television watching the news.

A reporter was interviewing Li Chaodan.

“Is it true that it was Young Master Li who repelled this wave of zombies and wild beasts? The lone hero who defeated six quasi-Kings, defending the safe zone and shedding blood for the people?” the female reporter asked respectfully.

“It was tough. I did fight them off alone, giving it my all. You can’t imagine how terrifying those monsters were. If I hadn’t persevered, the Jiuzhou Safe Zone would have fallen,” Li Chaodan said with determination.

“So, Young Master Li is the people's hero. But I heard the Li family suffered heavy losses in that battle, with only a few left. Many other families also lost strong fighters. How do you plan to rebuild?”

“Rebuilding is essential. The Li family will unite other families into a grand alliance led by us. Anyone who joins will receive body-tempering liquid and cultivation techniques,” Li Chaodan said earnestly after some thought.

“Oh man, this guy is shameless,” Luffy’s clone sneered while watching Li Chaodan’s interview on TV. This guy shamelessly stole all the credit for saving the Jiuzhou Safe Zone without lifting a finger. How greedy!

Of course, the real Luffy, far away, was fully aware of everything his clone saw.

“Damn, how can he be so shameless?” Zeng Hongseng, resting in a hotel, was furious watching the news. Their people had fought desperately for that victory, yet some utterly useless guy stole the glory.

“Damn it!” Ma Bi was preparing to visit the graves of their fallen comrades who had fought with them today. Seeing this news, he couldn’t believe how shameless Li Chaodan was.

“Boss should have set off by now, right? What do we do? This guy!” Ma Bi asked Zeng Hongseng.

“Don’t bother with him,” Luffy’s clone said as he entered the hotel, pushing open the door and addressing Ma Bi and Zeng Hongseng.

“Boss, weren’t you supposed to go to Kunlun Mountain? Why haven’t you left?” Zeng Hongseng was puzzled, not knowing what was going on.

“No worries. I heard you’re going to pay respects to the fallen comrades. Let’s go together,” Luffy’s clone said coolly, one hand in his pocket.

“Good!” Zeng Hongseng and the others nodded. With the boss around, they felt much safer. No matter what Li Chaodan did, they wouldn’t be afraid.

“You didn’t go?” Little Dragon Girl approached, looking at Luffy’s clone in surprise.

“Whether I go or not doesn’t matter,” the clone replied.

“Why are you still here?” Zhao Liying was shocked to see Luffy’s clone, followed by Liu Yanmeng, Zeng Shuna, and Hua Qianyu. None had expected the boss to still be here.

…

They all arrived in the mountains and saw many wooden grave markers carved with names. The burials were simple, without any grand ceremonies. After all, this was the end of the world; having a place to rest was already a blessing.

Seeing their former comrades eternally buried underground, everyone felt a bitter taste in their hearts.

This is the apocalypse—brutal and cruel.

Luffy’s clone poured a bottle of wine onto the ground and took a sip. “You are honorable. You died protecting your loved ones and the people. Your deaths are justified.”

Everyone took a sip and then poured the wine out.

“Birth, aging, sickness, and death are inevitable, but we can live happily,” Zhao Liying said earnestly.

Then,

They left.

“Don’t slow your pace of cultivation. Those zombie and wild beast quasi-Kings haven’t given up on attacking the safe zone. The Four Symbols Formation must remain activated at all times,” Luffy’s clone said before vanishing.

At dawn’s first light, Luffy continued toward Kunlun Mountain.

Leaving the vicinity of the Xiangxi Safe Zone,

After two days of arduous travel through forests and mountains, he arrived at a small mountain village nestled before a hill.

Luffy had gone two days and nights without sleep, planning to rest on the mountain near this village before setting out again.

This place felt safe, surrounded by mountains on all sides. There shouldn’t be any powerful wild beasts nearby. He unpacked his tent, placed it beneath a tree, and closed his eyes to sleep.

Five hours later, he awoke to the howling of wolves. His eyes, still groggy, adjusted to the darkness—it was nighttime. He unzipped his tent and saw a strange sight: the village was surrounded by a pack of wolves that kept attacking.

However, a yellow, semi-transparent barrier shielded the village. Though it warped and twisted under the wolves’ assault, they never broke through.

Luffy was surprised. This village held some mystery.

“Howl…” Suddenly, a ferocious wolf lunged at Luffy.

[Do you have any rewards? Recommendation votes? Donors are the kindest souls.]

(End of chapter)