Chapter 17: The Mysterious Shadow [Second Update]

"Are you truly admitting you were wrong?" Luffy sneered coldly.

"I really was wrong—please, don't kill me." Zhang Rishan's face turned ashen, cold sweat pouring down his body. This youth before him was terrifying beyond belief, a demon he couldn't possibly contend with.

"Where were you wrong? Tell me, how can I possibly spare your life?" Luffy's voice was icy. This man had already escaped once; he couldn't be allowed to get away again.

Zhang Rishan's men looked equally distraught.

The bald one couldn't comprehend why the boss would kneel—he felt as if the world had turned upside down. "Boss, why are you kneeling to him? He's just a punk. I could take him out myself."

"Exactly. With your strength, you can easily handle him," one of the teachers chimed in.

"You must be blind. Only your boss knows just how strong ours is," Zeng Hongsen scoffed. Zhang Rishan, at least, had the sense to recognize Luffy's power instantly.

"Courting death," the bald man muttered, unwilling to sit and await his fate. He lunged at Luffy, machete raised high.

But before the blade could fall, Luffy slapped him away with one hand. The bald man's face twisted sideways as he flew like a cannonball, smashing into the nearby wall with such force it caved in, cracks spiderwebbing in every direction.

Everyone stared, eyes wide as dead pigs. Was this even human?

One slap, and the man was not only sent flying but killed outright.

Just one slap?

What sort of monstrous strength was this?

No wonder the boss had knelt.

The shock was indescribable—Zhang Rishan's men were petrified. Most fell to their knees, overwhelmed by terror. Was there anything more terrifying? None wished for death; all knelt to live.

"Heh, feeling stupid now? You see how formidable my boss is?" Zeng Hongsen grinned with delight, then hurried to rescue Zeng Weixin and Zeng Shuna.

"Kneeling will do you no good. I don't need members who harbor betrayal in their hearts," Luffy said coldly. "Whether you realize your mistake or not, I don't care. Even if repentance is worth its weight in gold, I won't accept it. I want nothing but unwavering loyalty from start to finish. Kill them all. Zhang Rishan is mine."

Without hesitation, everyone drew their guns and steel crossbows.

Gunshots and the twang of crossbows filled the air, screams erupting. The kneeling men, desperate to survive, grabbed weapons and fought back.

In the chaos, Zhang Rishan tried to slip away into the crowd. He'd already escaped once—Luffy wouldn't let it happen again.

He charged forward. "Xiaolongnu, block his path!"

"Yes, Master," came a melodious voice. Xiaolongnu appeared before Zhang Rishan, her sword leveled at him.

"A...ghost!" Zhang Rishan's eyes widened in horror. He hadn't expected a stunning woman to suddenly materialize, sword in hand.

"Do you really intend to drive me to death?" Zhang Rishan grew frenzied, his eyes bloodshot. "You think I figured out on my own that the crystal nucleus could make us stronger? No. Someone told me. That person is among us now. Aren't you going to show yourself? Do you want me to die?"

"So, there's a hidden traitor," Luffy murmured, surprised. A shadow darted toward him with lightning speed.

Sensing danger, Luffy instantly summoned his dragon aura. The shadow rebounded, flung away by the force.

A ghastly wail filled the air, chilling to the bone, as if a myriad ghosts were shrieking.

Suddenly, black mist erupted from the shadow, shrouding the area in darkness.

Luffy couldn't see a thing, and in the next instant, the mist vanished—Zhang Rishan was gone.

"Wh-what was that monster?" Zeng Hongsen's hair stood on end, his scalp tingling with fear.

"I don't know either," Luffy replied, surveying the corpses strewn across the ground. The few survivors were utterly spent, no longer able to fight.

They were all wiped out.

"I know what that thing was," Xiaolongnu mused after a moment.

"What was it?" Luffy asked, looking at her.

"Just a mass of black mist," she said, sticking out her tongue.

"Go invisible," Luffy shot her a glance. This woman's personality was nothing like the Xiaolongnu from television—she was far too wanton.

With a mischievous giggle, Xiaolongnu vanished.

Zeng Hongsen watched, full of curiosity. "Where did that beauty go? She was stunning."

"She's not human—she's a heroic spirit. Don't even think about it; she belongs to me. As for that thing just now, it was probably some kind of malevolent spirit, something truly bizarre. Maybe it's lived for hundreds of years—otherwise, how could it have spirited Zhang Rishan away? That man is too dangerous. If you encounter him again, destroy him on sight. If you can't, just run."

With those words, Luffy turned his gaze to several women trapped in an iron cage nearby—all of them naked.

They were radiant in their beauty.

"Set them free. If they wish to follow me, let them come. Give them clothes. Ignore those who don't wish to join," Luffy produced several outfits, then strode outside. "Take these bodies to the school—let the zombies come."

"Understood!" Zeng Hongsen nodded. No matter how bizarre that thing had been, it was nothing compared to their boss. Following Luffy was their best option.

He called a few girls to help the newly freed women get dressed.

"Do you want to come with us?" he asked them once they were clothed. "We can make you as strong as us—you'll have food and shelter."

"We'd like to..." one of the girls whispered.

"Good—then let's get to work," Zeng Hongsen smiled, hauling ten corpses to the school.

"It's time to slaughter zombies," Luffy announced. "Prepare yourselves. You, over here—take the body-tempering serum first. Only by growing stronger can you exterminate the undead." He handed each of them two vials of the enhanced serum.

They turned their attention to the school. Thirty people in all, as more and more zombies surged toward the gate.

Luffy charged forward, kicking a zombie so hard it exploded, sending a dozen more flying like rag dolls. Zeng Hongsen wielded the Scarlet Flame Sword, reaping enemies left and right; Su Ningxue too charged, shouting as she fought.

Before long, the ground was carpeted with corpses, though the horde was endless.

But this was the best kind of training for them—only benefits, no drawbacks.

They swiftly felled a thousand, then two, then three thousand zombies.

Suddenly, two terrifying roars reverberated, making the ground tremble.

From the distance, two second-tier zombies rushed forward—each a towering three meters tall.

Luffy’s eyes lit up with anticipation.