Seizing the opportunity, Liu Zheng struggled to his feet and pressed a few spots at his waist.
A new Psionic Shield rose, blocking the arrows flying at him from behind.
Gritting his teeth, he yanked the arrow out of his thigh, widening the wound and sending blood pouring out.
But Liu Zheng produced an injection from somewhere and jabbed it into his leg.
The bleeding wound quickly stopped bleeding and even began healing at a visible rate!
Instead of finishing off the burly man on the ground, he sprinted into the woods at incredible speed!
"Guwa-!"
The remaining burly men in Beastskin Garments hurried over, panic-stricken.
The burly man roared a few furious words.
The others immediately set off in pursuit of Liu Zheng.
Before long, only two men remained to protect their leader. Sitting on the ground, he took out a Medicine Pouch and had his subordinates tend to his wounds.
He could cut through a Psionic Shield with one slash and survive being shot. That was definitely transcendent power! That burly man was a transcendent lifeform!
Most likely a Transcendent Martial Artist!
But if low-grade shells could hurt him, his transcendent tier couldn't be very high!
Wu Yu's eyes flickered as he looked in the direction Liu Zheng had fled, deep in thought.
Liu Zheng had plenty of equipment, and the injection he had used was clearly high-end.
Although Wu Yu was too far away to make out its precise effects, the fact that Liu Zheng could run and jump spoke for itself.
He probably had more than one on him, yet earlier he was still asking whether we had any healing items.
Wu Yu grew thoughtful.
The man had an extraordinary background, cared about appearances, and was deeply calculating.
And judging by how decisively he had abandoned Fat Chef, he was certainly not someone who would sacrifice his interests to save face.
Without a conflict of interest, he would surely act fairly and impartially to maintain his image as an "Inspector."
But once his interests were involved...
Not someone to get close to!
Wu Yu felt relieved, though he wondered what had happened to the Middle-Aged Woman and Yu Tiezhu who had accompanied Liu Zheng.
Come to think of it, Liu Zheng probably didn't finish him off because he wanted the wounded leader to tie down more men, giving him a chance to escape.
But that leader was surprisingly bold. He kept only two guards and sent everyone else after him.
An idea struck Wu Yu. He carefully climbed down from the tree and headed over.
"Kuwa Guwa!"
The burly leader cursed as he had the two men in Beastskin Garments apply medicine and bandage him.
These men might have been good at fighting, but they were decidedly clumsy at tending wounds.
When one accidentally touched his wound, the leader cursed angrily and slapped him across the face.
The man hastily apologized and knocked his forehead against the ground several times.
Suddenly,
the leader's scarlet eyes widened as he looked to his left.
A small stone flew toward them from far away.
Seemingly sensing something, the leader decisively threw himself backward.
The next moment,
the stone landed at one of the men's feet.
He froze, holding the Medicine Pouch, unsure what to do.
BOOM-!!!
A golden Divine Bird Rune flashed, and flames engulfed the surrounding area.
The two men tending the wounds were blown apart, leaving only a few charred pieces of severed limbs to fall to the ground.
Behind a large tree, Wu Yu watched intently, sheltered in an angled recess beside a boulder.
Even if archers fired at him here, they would pose no threat.
Yet not a single arrow had flown his way!
Looks like no hidden archers stayed behind.
Wu Yu stirred at the thought and looked toward the explosion.
As the flames dissipated, a towering figure charged out of them. Instantly pinpointing Wu Yu's location, he roared and rushed at him, brandishing his saber!
It was the burly leader!
His wounds were even worse, but his fury drove him to a burst of speed. The power of his vitality grew so concentrated that it almost formed a thin membrane over his body.
By the time he was ten meters away, the leader had spotted Wu Yu. His face twisted viciously, he looked ready to hack Wu Yu to pieces.
Then...
Golden lines appeared on his face.
In an instant, the rune took shape, forming a Divine Bird Sigil!
"?" The burly leader.
BOOM-!!!
Another explosion erupted, flames dancing with the Divine Bird Rune.
When the flames cleared, only a mangled, headless corpse remained, collapsing to the ground.
"You really were tough!"
Wu Yu clicked his tongue and put the small stones in his hand back into his Inventory.
"Good. Everything went as I expected."
He cautiously approached, remaining alert the entire time.
But nothing unexpected happened. The leader's mangled corpse turned into light and vanished, leaving three cards on the ground.
One was a [Vitality Pill], while the other two were cards Wu Yu had never seen before.
[Hundred Taels of Silver] Type: Resource. Quality: White. Description: Grants one hundred taels of silver upon use.
"Tiger Roar Eight-Slash Saber" Type: Technique. Quality: White. Description: Grants beginner-level proficiency in "Tiger Roar Eight-Slash Saber" upon use.
"Silver and a technique?"
Wu Yu was startled.
He had suspected the leader's drops might be different, but he hadn't expected these.
Silver isn't worth much. In this world, it's a low-grade material unless it's processed into mithril or Spirit Energy silver ingots.
A Technique Card... Instant beginner-level proficiency upon use? Isn't that just like a knowledge chip?
The thought stirred Wu Yu.
Knowledge chips were a well-known technology developed after the Great Cataclysm, allowing someone to master a subject instantly.
There were knowledge chips of every kind, from beginner-level learning to knowledge that could take you all the way to the grave!
But the megacorporations monopolized everything, so knowledge chips naturally cost even more than medicines! It was an absurd era: geniuses emerged in endless numbers, yet transcendent resources were outrageously expensive.
I don't know what will happen when I use a Technique Card. What if I pass out... Better put it away for now!
After a moment's consideration, Wu Yu stored the items in his Inventory.
Then,
he checked the drops from the two ordinary burly men in Beastskin Garments. Leaving the unwanted items behind, he collected two [Vitality Pill] cards.
He looked into the distance, where cards dropped by the dozens of burly men Liu Zheng had killed lay scattered everywhere.
If he spent some time collecting them, the haul would surely be substantial...
Ordinary burly men drop [Vitality Pill] cards at best. I can't take that risk!
Wu Yu forced himself to calm down, decisively turned away, and ran toward Redfang Village.
At dusk, the sky gradually darkened.
At the edge of a valley, Wu Yu held a small stone and gazed into the valley from afar.
Redfang Village lay inside!
A spiked fence stood across the valley entrance, guarded by over a dozen armored villagers.
Some held spears, while others carried quivers on their backs.
Buildings filled the distance, with smoke rising and figures moving among them.
I wonder whether these people are friends or foes, and how they treat outsiders.
Wu Yu considered this briefly, then checked his Inventory.
He had already stored more than forty small stones inside, enough for a small-scale assault on a fortified position.
"Huh!?"
Just then, Wu Yu narrowed his eyes and spotted a familiar figure inside the village.
"Liu Yu?"
"He actually got here before me."
Wu Yu pondered for a moment, then strode over.
Before he could get close, the sharp-eyed villagers spotted him and immediately drew their weapons.
"Who's there!?"
These people actually spoke the Federation Common Language?
Startled, Wu Yu immediately changed his plan and called out, "I'm not a bandit!"
"Hmph, we're not blind!"
A spear-wielding villager said, "You're not wearing Evil Tiger Stronghold's clothes!"
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