Coercion

Zhou Zhi calmly looked ahead.

A man of about twenty stood there, dressed in a white special uniform. He held a long blade in his right hand, quite similar to the surgical knife Zhou Zhi was currently using.

The man looked somewhat bedraggled, his white uniform damaged in several places, but the hostility between his brows was even more pronounced.

"What, didn't you hear me?"

The man sounded impatient.

"I'm Yu Jinhai."

"A third-year student at Changdu First Medical College of Pingchang Circuit."

"If you want to live, you'd better listen to me."

Yu Jinhai lightly moved the blade in his hand.

Boom!

A terrifying pressure erupted.

It spread forward.

Lei Heng and the others' legs immediately gave out, and they collapsed to the ground.

Zhou Zhi's eyes shifted slightly.

He watched the subtle changes around him.

Spiritual power.

This was the aura emanating from the man—spiritual power.

"A Plague Exterminator... a Plague Exterminator...!"

This man was a genuine Plague Exterminator!

Lei Heng realized it in the first second.

His aura was completely different from Zhou Zhi's.

It felt overwhelmingly powerful.

Lei Heng came back to his senses and hurriedly scrambled up. "Lord Plague Exterminator, Lord Plague Exterminator!"

"A Plague Exterminator has come!"

"Save us!"

"We have a Plague Exterminator too!"

"You can talk to each other, talk it over..."

As he spoke, Lei Heng pointed at Zhou Zhi in the center of the group.

Yu Jinhai's gaze turned cold as it settled on Zhou Zhi.

He glanced at Zhou Zhi's surgical knife.

He sensed his spiritual power.

Then, a mocking smile appeared on Yu Jinhai's face.

"You do have a little spiritual power."

"And holding a Plague-Slaying Blade makes you look the part."

"Heh heh..."

Yu Jinhai's voice was filled with contempt.

Beside them, Xia Yu looked at Zhou Zhi with some concern.

Zhou Zhi showed no reaction.

Judging by spiritual power alone, the boy before him was indeed far stronger than he was.

This was a proper, orthodox Plague Exterminator of this world.

Yu Jinhai had seen plenty of people like Zhou Zhi.

Xuanyuan was vast. There were countless frauds who had mastered one or two so-called folk-remedy Plague Extermination Arts, possessed a trace of thin spiritual power, and went around calling themselves Plague Exterminators.

He had no need to care about one.

Perhaps it was because of this person that these ordinary people had managed to survive in the Pestilence Zone.

Yu Jinhai shifted his gaze.

When he saw Xia Yu's face, his eyes lit up.

A trace of greed flashed through them.

"You are..."

Yu Jinhai looked at the girl.

Xia Yu nodded slightly in respect. "Xia Yu."

"Very nice name."

Yu Jinhai said, "I already told you, we need guides. Take us to Blue Stone Town Central Hospital, and we can get you out of here."

Nothing was more persuasive than strength.

Lei Heng had now been completely won over by Yu Jinhai, along with his lackeys.

"Of course, sir."

Lei Heng smiled ingratiatingly. "We were heading to the central hospital anyway. It's on the way, on the way."

Lei Heng's eyes burned with excitement.

He had long found Zhou Zhi unpleasant.

What kind of Plague Exterminator was he?

This man was a real Plague Exterminator.

An orthodox Plague Exterminator!

Yu Jinhai nodded coldly, his gaze sweeping over Xia Yu without seeming to.

But Zhou Zhi's eyes passed over the man and looked behind him.

That sound just now was...

Boom!!!

Another violent crash rang out.

"Yu Jinhai, what are you still doing here?!"

"The Throat Beast is catching up!"

A girl emerged from the smoke and dust.

Like Yu Jinhai, she wore a white special uniform and held a slender surgical knife in her hand.

The energy known as spiritual power erupted around her, forming faint currents of air.

Yu Jinhai's expression changed drastically upon hearing this.

"Tell me which direction the central hospital is in. Now."

Yu Jinhai grabbed Lei Heng by the collar with his right hand and snarled.

"It's... it's..."

"It's over there..."

Lei Heng coughed twice.

Riiip!!

A terrifying pressure erupted from afar.

It was extremely distant, yet the aura it brought was horrifying.

"A beast?"

"Or something else?"

The ground trembled.

"Lin Rui."

Yu Jinhai spoke in a low voice.

"Find a way to hold off the Throat Beast."

"We don't need this many guides."

Yu Jinhai's voice was chilling.

At that moment.

The explosive noises finally stopped.

And what appeared before Zhou Zhi was an extraordinary monster like a tank.

It moved on all fours.

Its body was covered in organs resembling throats. Countless windpipes coiled and spread over it like maggots, some even tangled into knots.

With every step it took, the ground trembled harder.

At its very center was a single eye radiating pure malice.

Zhou Zhi took a step back.

Obviously.

Yu Jinhai's companion had led this monster here.

[Throat Beast].

[Pathogenization Index: 92%].

[Pathogenization Source: Influenza].

[Pathogenization Level: Intermediate Disease Seed].

[Pestilence Abilities: 1. Intermediate Infection. Remaining in the same space for a short time will significantly raise the Pathogenization Index].

[2. Coughing Blood. Any attack it launches will cause the target to enter the (Coughing Blood) condition.]

[3. Intermediate Physical Enhancement. Greatly increases resistance to ordinary weapons and substantially improves overall physical abilities].

[4. Pestilent Fever Hide. Slightly increases resistance to Plague-Slaying Blades while greatly reducing damage caused by certain Plague Extermination Arts].

[5. Pestilent Fever Claws. The Throat Beast's claws can inflict reversible damage on (low-level Plague Armor) and (low-grade Plague-Slaying Blades)].

[A fierce beast from the outskirts of Blue Stone Town, transformed after contracting a terrifying Pestilence. Its throat burns unbearably, and it seeks to tear apart every living thing that enters its territory].

It was a monster on a completely different level from the previous Mucus Man and Liang Xiao!

Aside from its bizarre appearance, the Throat Beast resembled a giant wild animal.

With a savage roar, the Throat Beast moved with incredible speed and charged at Yu Jinhai.

"You beast!"

Yu Jinhai gripped his Plague-Slaying Blade, his gaze icy.

Then he swung.

Spiritual power wrapped around the blade.

Clang!!!

The violent sound spread through the town.

With one strike.

The Throat Beast was temporarily knocked back.

Yet Yu Jinhai's face turned livid, looking extremely ugly.

Because a hairline crack, invisible without close inspection, had already appeared on his Plague-Slaying Blade.

"Damn it."

Yu Jinhai retreated several meters.

Seeing the Throat Beast charge again.

Yu Jinhai did not hesitate to grab one of Lei Heng's lackeys and place him in front of himself as a shield.

The lackey let out a shrill, despairing scream and tried to struggle.

But Yu Jinhai's hand was like an iron clamp. He could not break free at all.

"Run!!!"

The Throat Beast truly moved like a wild beast.

Yu Jinhai's face was vicious as he directly threw Lei Heng's lackey at the Throat Beast.

Then he turned and ran!

Behind him came the teeth-grating sound of chewing.

"This..."

Xia Yu's expression changed. She took Xiao Nan and immediately followed after him.

Lei Heng cared even less.

What lackey?

His own survival was what mattered most.

Zhou Zhi shook his head and ran back as well.