Kill Him, It's That Simple

Jiang Zhaosu's guess was indeed correct.

Qi Xing's hurried travel these past two days was precisely because someone was chasing them.

The ability user team Qi Xing originally belonged to was under upper management. Compared to other spontaneously formed civilian ability user teams, it had relatively strict order and management.

As the captain of one of its sub-teams, killing a comrade and abandoning his post were serious violations of the Survivor Base's treaty regulations, and someone would definitely have to be held accountable.

However, in the apocalypse, human nature was complex, and everyone's emotions could easily be stirred up. Even within the Survivor Base, conflicts leading to hostilities and enmity between individuals were endless.

As long as they ran fast enough and outlasted this period of strict investigation, the base would not have the energy to pursue them indefinitely.

Unfortunately, Qi Xing's luck was truly terrible, as he ran right into Xiao Yi, who was here to complete a mission.

Dozens of neatly shaped ice shards struck the vines, shattering instantly and erupting in a large cloud of white mist, engulfing their van.

The surrounding temperature plummeted, and even the green vines that firmly protected their vehicle, coiled and intertwined, were coated in a thin layer of frost.

Jiang Zhaosu shivered, partly from the lingering fear of her earlier rash decision to get out of the car, and partly from relief that she had escaped quickly and hadn't been hit by the terrifying ice shards.

After a moment, the white cold mist dispersed.

A tall woman in a black, form-fitting outfit appeared in front of their vehicle and announced in a cold, flat tone:

"Team B, Number 4108, Qi Xing. You are charged with murdering a teammate, abandoning your post without authorization, and damaging a Surveillance Eye, violating articles 21, 63, and 65 of the Chasing Moon Base regulations, respectively. Please return with me to Chasing Moon Base to accept your punishment."

Jiang Zhaosu peered through the gaps in the vines, both curious and frightened, at the woman who spoke so rigidly, coldly, and seriously.

The woman appeared to be nearly thirty. Although she looked slender, her strong and sharp aura was undeniable. Coupled with the three-meter-high ice shards behind her, which exuded an oppressive, chilling glint, she was enough to inspire fear and a shiver down one's spine.

Above the woman's shoulder stood a large black crow.

The entirely black crow seemed to possess human-like intelligence. Its ruby-like eyes pierced through the obstacles, staring at them inside the car with a sinister and somber gaze.

Qi Xing's gaze lingered on the Big Black Crow for a few seconds before he said, "We've still been caught."

What?

Jiang Zhaosu, completely bewildered by the current situation, froze for two seconds before reacting.

So Qi Xing was in such a hurry to leave the city they came from because someone was actually chasing them?

But this woman looked like trouble. Could Qi Xing really win against her?

Jiang Zhaosu couldn't help but feel a flicker of worry for their safety, instinctively leaning closer to Qi Xing. A fearful, guttural whimper escaped her throat.

Hearing her beast-like whimper, Qi Xing looked at her.

"Oh no, Fugui is injured."

As he turned, the serious expression on Qi Xing's face vanished. He reached out and gently pulled out the glass shards embedded in her head one by one, resuming his usual casual and gentle tone as he smiled.

"It's okay, no need to worry. I can handle a fellow Rank A ability user."

Although she felt no pain, Jiang Zhaosu could still feel her blood and brain matter flowing out of the hole with each shard Qi Xing removed. She clutched the hole in her head with her hand, heartbroken.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Jiang Zhaosu felt her thoughts becoming sluggish as her brain matter drained.

She tilted her head, pondering, and inexplicably found the name "Xiao Yi" somewhat familiar.

She felt like she had heard it somewhere before.

After Qi Xing removed all the glass shards from her head, he put the hood of her hoodie up and instructed her, "Stay in the car and be good. Don't make a sound."

Afterward, Qi Xing retracted the vines protecting the vehicle and got out of the car.

Even Qi Xing said this woman named "Xiao Yi" was incredibly powerful. It looked like she could destroy him with a single gesture.

Jiang Zhaosu quickly and obediently curled up in her seat, hugging her knees, not daring to breathe too loudly.

"Captain Xiao, long time no see."

After getting out of the car, Qi Xing greeted the woman with a smile.

Although they hadn't worked together before, they had met at the ability user meetings held at the Survivor Base.

Qi Xing had a good reputation at the Survivor Base. He was capable, and among the captains, some hot-tempered and others cold, he was sufficiently gentle and tolerant towards his subordinates, making him popular with the young men and women in the group.

Xiao Yi had also heard of Qi Xing's reputation, so she held no strong negative feelings towards him.

Her stopping them today was entirely due to the announcement issued from above.

She was a rigid person, to the point of being pedantic, and absolutely obeyed orders from her superiors. "Captain Qi, please come back with me."

"Captain Xiao, I believe the base has some misunderstanding about me."

Qi Xing explained in a gentle voice, "I did not murder Ma Fei and Shen Qiang. They fired at me first, and I had no choice but to defend myself. As for abandoning my post, I had already submitted my resignation to the base earlier."

"The reason I joined the base's ability user team was to facilitate finding my sister. Now that I have found her, and as you just saw, my sister is seriously ill and not suited to live at the Survivor Base, which is why I left."

Qi Xing appealed to her emotions and reason.

"Captain Xiao, you have a sister too. I believe you can understand my actions. The Survivor Base we are in is currently not well-managed and is a mix of people."

"My sister is only in her teens, still a minor, and has no ability to protect herself. If I return to the base, I cannot keep her by my side at all times, and she might be bullied. Please let me and my sister leave!"

Sitting in the car, Jiang Zhaosu furtively watched the two outside through the windshield.

When she saw Qi Xing innocently blinking his beautiful fox-like eyes as he spoke, his gaze flickering with genuine emotion, Jiang Zhaosu almost couldn't hold back her reaction.

She truly admired his ability to lie with a straight face; she still had much to learn in that regard.

And that Xiao Yi actually seemed moved by Qi Xing's words.

Upon hearing the word "sister," a flicker of emotion crossed Xiao Yi's stern, cold features.

But soon, she composed herself again, saying seriously, "Captain Qi, if the situation is truly as you say, then if you return to the base with me, I believe the base will show you leniency."

"Okay, okay."

Seeing that appealing to emotion wouldn't work with Xiao Yi, Qi Xing reluctantly agreed. At the same time, he subtly reached behind his waist. "Captain Xiao, before I go back with you, there's one more thing I'd like to ask."

"What?"

"Are you on a mission alone this time?"

Before she could finish speaking, Qi Xing lightning-fast drew the pistol, with only two bullets left, from his back waist and pulled the trigger, aiming at Xiao Yi's head and chest.

Xiao Yi's expression changed instantly. Her eyes sharpened like arrows, and with a wave of her hand, she flung out a thick ice shard, blocking the bullets coming from both directions.

As a Rank A Ability User, Qi Xing naturally knew that ordinary handguns couldn't inflict fatal wounds on Ability Users of their level.

As he fired, Qi Xing subtly pointed his other hand towards the ground.

The ground began to shake as if an earthquake had struck. Several vines, as thick as a child's arm, pushed up strange bulges from the earth. As they neared Xiao Yi, they suddenly burst from the ground, charging at her with murderous intent.

Xiao Yi reacted swiftly. With one hand held up in a palm strike and the other gripping her wrist, both her arms turned transparent ice. A massive ice barrier quickly enveloped her body, blocking Qi Xing's fierce assault.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Qi Xing manipulated the vines, as hard as steel, striking Xiao Yi's ice shield repeatedly from all directions.

Where the tips of the vines met the ice shield, bowl-sized craters formed, and ice shards flew everywhere. The terrifying, heavy sounds made one's heart tremble.

Another vine, like a predatory snake, slithered slowly nearby, its roots dragging along the ground, waiting for Xiao Yi's ice shield to crack so it could pounce and strangle its prey, delivering a fatal blow.

Speaking again, Xiao Yi's voice carried a clear trace of anger. She sternly warned, "Qi Xing, your every move is being recorded by the Surveillance Eye. Don't break the law again!"

"Surveillance Eye?"

Qi Xing glanced up at the crow flying in mid-air, about to take flight, and let out a cold laugh, his tone casual and unconcerned.

"Just kill it."

With that, the vine that had been circling Xiao Yi for a long time, poised to strike, shot towards the sky and accurately, ferociously pierced the crow's chest.

Immobilized by the several vines pressing down on her, Xiao Yi looked at him as if he were a madman. "You'll regret this."

"Awoooo!"

From behind, Jiang Zhaosu's anxious and terrified roar could be heard.

Xiao Yi's gaze swept past Qi Xing, landing on Jiang Zhaosu, whose throat was being constricted behind him. She spoke word by word, her tone grave, "Unfortunately, I did not come alone."