Going All Out

Gao Teng was obviously joking.

After resting for a while, he waited until he had fully recovered, then said to Zhang Meizhu, "Come on. Let's go all out."

"Mm."

Zhang Meizhu nodded solemnly, her expression grave.

During their break, she and Gao Teng had already discussed a plan.

They would charge straight into the neighbor's apartment and attack any monsters they found!

Yes, it was that simple and brutal.

The two of them went out and headed straight for the door of apartment 1901 across the hall.

They exchanged a glance. Zhang Meizhu immediately gathered her qi and kicked the security door with all her might.

"Bang!"

A deafening crash rang out. The security door caved in, warped, and flew off its frame.

A green snake was coiled on the living room floor. It was as thick as an adult's waist, and its scales gleamed with a metallic sheen.

At the sound, the monster jolted awake from its slumber and raised its head sharply.

Gao Teng and Zhang Meizhu didn't hesitate for even half a second. They shot forward at the same time.

They channeled all their qi into their legs and kicked the snake's head.

The Green Snake didn't have time to dodge. Both kicks landed squarely.

Its head jerked back violently, dragging its massive body through the air before it slammed into the wall.

Neither Gao Teng nor Zhang Meizhu celebrated or stopped attacking. Almost simultaneously, they charged at the Green Snake again.

But the Green Snake reacted with astonishing speed. Its head shot forward like a spring, its fangs snapping at Zhang Meizhu with a shrill hiss.

Zhang Meizhu's pupils contracted. At the last possible moment, she twisted sharply to the side.

The snake's head scraped past her chest. Its scales sliced through her clothes and scraped against her skin, throwing off sparks.

At the same time, Gao Teng closed in on the Green Snake.

Qi surged into his fist as he punched.

"Thud!"

His fist struck the snake's belly, and the force drove deep into its body.

The Green Snake flew into a frenzy, whipping its head around to attack Gao Teng.

In an instant, the stench of blood filled the air.

In the blink of an eye, its gaping maw was less than an arm's length from Gao Teng.

It was too fast!

Fortunately, Gao Teng was ready.

In a flash, he launched himself into the air.

Then he plummeted like a meteor, bringing down a terrifying force as he slammed onto the snake's neck.

"Boom!"

The ground burst apart in a spiderweb of cracks, and countless fissures raced up the walls.

The Green Snake let out a shrill, anguished hiss, then thrashed wildly, forcing Gao Teng and Zhang Meizhu to retreat again and again. They couldn't get close.

As the seconds passed, its movements grew weaker until it finally went limp.

Zhang Meizhu relaxed.

She was about to go check when Gao Teng suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Careful!"

His eyes were grave. Normally, killing a monster should earn him merit points.

But he still hadn't heard a notification.

That could only mean one thing: the snake was playing dead!

He gave Zhang Meizhu a slight shake of his head, signaling her not to act rashly.

Zhang Meizhu immediately understood what he meant. Her heart tightened, but she didn't doubt his judgment.

The two of them silently watched the Green Snake, caught in a strange standoff.

About ten seconds later, the bedroom door suddenly opened, and Wang He poked half his body out, trembling. "I-is... is that snake dead?"

The moment he finished speaking, the Green Snake sprang up and lunged at Gao Teng as fast as lightning!

Wang He hadn't distracted Gao Teng. He'd kept his eyes fixed on the Green Snake the entire time.

So when its head shot toward him, he immediately sidestepped and easily dodged the deadly strike.

At the same time, Zhang Meizhu moved.

She charged at the Green Snake, her leg sweeping forward with immense force as she kicked it squarely in the belly.

The kick sent the Green Snake flying sideways into the wall. Blood poured from its mouth.

Gao Teng seized the opening. With all his strength gathered in his fist, he slammed it into the Green Snake's eye socket, burying his entire arm up to the shoulder!

"Squirt..."

The moment he pulled his fist free, a torrent of blood sprayed out.

Writhing in agony, the Green Snake thrashed wildly. Dark yellow mucus sprayed from its genital opening, splattering across the entire living room.

Gao Teng and Zhang Meizhu dodged in every direction, but they still got splashed. Their clothes were soon drenched in a nauseating stench.

[You have gained 856 merit points]

This time, the Green Snake soon ran out of strength to struggle. It collapsed on the floor, lifeless.

Gao Teng grimaced and wiped his face. The mucus the Green Snake had sprayed hadn't hurt him, but it stank so badly that he wanted to throw up.

"Is it dead this time?"

Zhang Meizhu warily scanned the Green Snake, still not entirely convinced.

Gao Teng said casually, "It's dead. Don't worry."

Zhang Meizhu eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

Gao Teng declared proudly, "I'm absolutely sure. No scheme or trick in this world can escape my eyes."

Zhang Meizhu curled her lip. "You're such a braggart."

Gao Teng smiled without arguing.

Smart people never wasted time arguing with idiots. He wasn't going to waste his breath.

"Um... well..."

Hearing that the living room had gone quiet, Wang He opened the bedroom door again and leaned out. "Is that snake dead?"

At the sound of his voice, Gao Teng and Zhang Meizhu both looked at him.

Wang He swallowed nervously and said in a trembling voice, "Thank you for saving me. I've been trapped with that snake for so long. I thought I was done for."

As he spoke, his eyes reddened, and his voice grew choked with sobs.

Zhang Meizhu's gaze was icy. "You survived, but what about the girls you lured into your apartment?

You fed them to the monster. You deserve to die!"

Wang He stiffened, then hurriedly tried to defend himself. "I-I-I didn't trick anyone. Have you got the wrong idea?"

His words made Zhang Meizhu feel sick to her stomach.

"I saw everything clearly through the smart peephole. Every girl who came into your apartment over the past few nights, they all... Forget it. I can't be bothered explaining. Go explain yourself to the Public Security Bureau!"

Zhang Meizhu took out her phone, ready to call the Public Security Bureau.

Wang He went pale with terror and dropped to his knees with a thump, clasping his hands in a desperate plea. "Please, don't report me. I'll give you whatever you want.

"I have hundreds of thousands in savings. I can sell this apartment and give you all the money. Please, spare my life."

Zhang Meizhu paused.

Wang He seemed to see hope. Overjoyed, he said, "You're still a student, right? You'll need a lot of money to practice martial arts.

"If you send me to prison, you won't get anything. What good would that do you?"

As he spoke, Wang He shifted his gaze to Gao Teng, trying to find a way in.

"Hey, man, don't you agree?

"These days, it's hard for kids from poor families to get ahead. We can't be stupid and give up money for people who have nothing to do with us.

"Talk some sense into her. Our future is what matters most!"