Self-Inflicted Suffering

Outside the window, flames suddenly flared, and immediately after, the glass window was smashed to pieces by someone outside!

The window had iron bars, and before Wu Yingting could block it, he saw a homemade Molotov cocktail thrown inside!

Yu Yi and her daughter Yu Yu panicked, rushing to fill basins with water in an attempt to extinguish the Molotov cocktails.

However, the gasoline-coated Molotov cocktails spread incredibly fast. The fire roared to life, quickly igniting the flammable items inside the room!

Before long, the floor of the room became a carpet of fire. A second and third Molotov cocktail were thrown in, setting the windows and walls ablaze as well.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Wu Yingting's eyes turned bloodshot. He raised his gun and fired at the people outside the window throwing the Molotov cocktails!

"He has a gun! He has a gun!"

"Block the door! Burn him to death!"

"He actually dares to resist!"

No one dared to throw more Molotov cocktails into the room, but the fire inside had already spread. Thick smoke billowed, rapidly engulfing the cramped room.

"Cover your noses with wet towels and get down!" Wu Yingting shouted to his wife and daughter.

"Xiao Hen is still in the room..." Yu Yi immediately rushed into the bedroom, attempting to wake Wu Hen.

"Use the wheelchair! I'll go out and fight them to the death; you take Xiao Hen and run as far as you can!" Wu Yingting was burning with rage.

He never expected that He Zhichou, the brother who had built his fortune alongside him, would be so ruthless. There wasn't even room for negotiation; he was willing to burn his entire family to death for a mere hundred thousand!

Yu Yi and Yu Yu worked together to move the still-unconscious Wu Hen onto the wheelchair and pushed him out of the room.

Wu Yingting fired several shots directly at the door. Confirming that no one dared to block the entrance, he immediately kicked the door open.

"Block it! Don't let him get out with that gun!" a man with a raspy voice shouted.

The people outside had found iron racks from somewhere. They hid their bodies behind the door frame, using the iron racks to wedge the door shut, preventing those inside from getting out.

Although the door was open, the Wu family couldn't charge out. Even though Wu Yingting had a gun, he couldn't hit the people hiding behind the walls.

It was clear that these members of the Black Shirt Organization had come prepared, and they knew very well that a cornered beast would fight to the death!

"Cough, cough... cough, cough..."

"Cough!"

Inside the room, the fire grew more intense. Yu Yi and Yu Yu had already begun to cough violently. Toxic gas filled the room; if they didn't get out soon, they would surely suffocate.

The fire began to sear his skin. Wu Yingting was as furious as a wild beast, repeatedly slamming his body against the iron frame in front of the door.

"You will all die horrible deaths! All of you will suffer!" Wu Yingting roared.

"Old man, throw the gun out to us, and maybe the Black Shirt Organization will spare your lives," the man with the raspy voice said.

"Old Wu, everyone knows you used to be a man of great power. Stop pretending and hand over everything you've hidden!" He Zhichou continued to mock him.

Wu Yingting looked back at his wife and child, his eyes bloodshot.

"Don't give it to them..." Yu Yi shook her head desperately.

To burn an entire family alive for a mere pittance—the Black Shirt Organization was truly brutal. Once they handed over the gun, they would be at the mercy of these butchers.

Rather than suffer such humiliation, she would rather the whole family die right here.

Wu Yingting felt a sense of painful despair. He realized he was truly old and simply unable to adapt to this kind of world.

He loaded the pistol, looking at his wife and daughter, who were just as stubborn as he was.

Rather than being roasted alive at the end of their lives, it would be better to end it cleanly and swiftly; at least it would be less painful.

Yu Yi looked at her husband and nodded at him.

Wu Yingting's entire body trembled as he raised the pistol...

In truth, what he wanted most was to shoot himself first, but as a man, he had to endure the most cruel act in this world: granting his family release first.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

Inside the house, the flames burned brighter and brighter. Billowing thick smoke poured out from the windows and the door, choking the group outside until they could barely hold on.

Even so, they had no intention of letting go. Any sense of mercy had long since vanished when this world announced the arrival of the apocalypse.

The mother and daughter had already closed their eyes. They were terrified, but they could only place their hope in the afterlife.

Yet, Wu Yingting hesitated to pull the trigger.

He still wanted to fight for a path of survival for his family!

Wu Yingting handed the gun to Yu Yi, then walked to the wall, ripped down the burning curtains, and wrapped them tightly around his body!

His intent was clear.

He was going to become a human fireball and charge through the people holding down the iron frame at the door!

But this also meant that even if he managed to break through, the fire on his body would be difficult to extinguish. He would be burned alive!

Yu Yi's heart was also filled with extreme rage. She gripped the pistol tightly, swearing that once they broke out, she would kill every single one of those people outside!!

However, just as she went to grip the butt of the gun, Yu Yi suddenly felt her palm go empty; the firearm that had been in her hand just a moment ago was gone.

Yu Yi immediately looked down and discovered that Wu Hen, who had been slumped in the wheelchair in a deep sleep, had woken up at some point. The old-fashioned pistol was now in his right hand...

"Dad!"

This call made the old father, who was just about to drape himself in flames, freeze in his tracks.

Wu Yingting turned around in disbelief, watching his son, Wu Hen, slowly stand up from the chair.

Thick smoke billowed and flames raged, yet none of it seemed to affect Wu Hen in the slightest. His posture was upright, his eyes gleamed with radiance, and he gave Wu Yingting the feeling that he had been reborn!

It was a feeling Wu Yingting had only ever sensed from those Supernatural beings.

Wu Hen was back!

And he had transformed!!

"Dad, leave it to me." Wu Hen walked to Wu Yingting's side, snatched the burning curtain away, and tossed it deeper into the room.

Wu Yingting was overjoyed and nodded heavily.

Wu Hen said nothing more. He simply listened for a brief second, pinpointing the exact positions of the group outside in the hallway.

He walked to the shattered window. There were people guarding this spot as well; the moment Wu Yingting dared to reach out to fire, an iron rod would have been waiting to strike his wrist!

But Wu Hen didn't need to reach out at all.

He walked to the window and coldly hurled the firearm out!

The old-fashioned pistol flew straight out into the hallway, tracing a parabolic arc as if it were about to fall to the floor below.

The man with the raspy voice thought the people inside had finally surrendered, a smug smile spreading across his face. In this apocalyptic world, having a gun meant he could do whatever he pleased!

However, the next scene left the man with the raspy voice completely stunned.

Because the gun, which should have been falling to the floor below, hung in mid-air like a black bird!

The dark muzzle aimed itself directly at the group of arsonists in the hallway!

"Bang!! Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!!"

Four consecutive gunshots rang out.

The four people in the hallway collapsed almost simultaneously!

The bullets pierced through their bodies, leaving scorched impact marks on the old wall.

Blood splattered across the corridor. The arsonists didn't even have time to wail before they were lying on the ground, their bodies twitching uncontrollably!

The man with the raspy voice collapsed at the doorway.

He had been struck in the abdomen; it wasn't an immediately fatal wound, but blood was gushing out like a fountain.

The man with the raspy voice stared in disbelief at the gun that could fly on its own, his pupils dilated to their limit.

For days, he had relied on his early membership in the Black Shirt Organization to run rampant, never imagining he would run into one of the rumored Awakened today. How could he be so unlucky...

Regret was useless now, especially since his intestines had just been perforated.

He hadn't even had the chance to enjoy himself amidst the chaos before dying; he was filled with such bitter resentment.

"Clang!"

A kick sent the iron rack outside flying.

Wu Hen led his family out of the smoke-filled house.

He glanced at the few people struggling on the ground, noticing that three of them were wearing black shirts.

This uniform black attire—why did it look so familiar? It was cut from the same cloth as the cockroaches.

"Don't... don't kill me... I was just trying to scare you! Nephew, I'm your Fifth Uncle!" He Zhichou lay on the ground, his courage shattered, and began to beg.

Wu Hen noticed that He Zhichou had been shot in the left thigh.

This couldn't help but make Wu Hen give Xiao Yi a big thumbs-up. Who knew Xiao Yi was so considerate? It even knew that a piece of trash like this shouldn't be allowed to die so easily!

"You and Yu Yu go downstairs first," Wu Yingting said to his wife and daughter, who had already escaped.

Yu Yi and Yu Yu immediately ran toward the stairs.

Fortunately, they hadn't been burned. Aside from inhaling some smoke, they should be fine.

"Take some supplies." Wu Yingting went in and out of the burning house, carrying out bags of daily necessities.

He had prepared these in advance, though he hadn't expected the family to be forced into homelessness so soon.

Wu Hen helped by shouldering a large outdoor pack and beckoned, causing the pistol to return to his palm. He then aimed at He Zhichou, who was crawling along the floor, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Just as he was about to finish He Zhichou off, Wu Yingting stopped him. "Don't waste the bullet, and don't dirty your hands. Let me handle it."

Wu Hen nodded, put the gun away, and headed toward the stairwell.

Upon reaching the stairs, Wu Hen still felt a bit uneasy.

He wanted to tell his father that there was no room for mercy in these times.

But as Wu Hen turned his head, he saw a father he found utterly unfamiliar...

It was a silhouette. He held an iron rod, striking it heavily against He Zhichou's knees, one blow after another!

He Zhichou's left knee was already injured, and now his right kneecap was shattered on the spot. His screams of agony echoed throughout the entire building.

"I was wrong! I was wrong, Big Brother, I was wrong, I was really wrong!!!" He Zhichou wailed, begging for mercy.

Wu Yingting did not stop. Only after confirming that He Zhichou's right leg was completely ruined did he finally drop the iron rod.

"We were brothers once; this is the last bit of mercy I can show as your big brother," Wu Yingting said coldly.

After saying this, Wu Yingting shouldered a backpack stuffed with supplies and ran toward the stairwell.

Inside the room, the fire spread with increasing ferocity. The layout of the old building was not disaster-resistant, especially against fires. With wooden window frames, miscellaneous goods, cardboard boxes, and frayed electrical wires everywhere, once a fire started, it only spread faster and faster.

Before long, the hallway was engulfed in tongues of flame, and thick smoke billowed throughout the entire building...

A man with mangled, bloody lower limbs was crawling toward the stairs, inch by inch.

Snot and tears mixed together on his face as he struggled in despair.

He was trying his hardest, yet he crawled slower and slower.

Meanwhile, the thick smoke and raging fire continued to expand, like a vicious beast dragging him into the heart of the blaze!