Hu Xiang's Dread: Why Was He Fine?

The other side seemed certain of his location. Once they both closed to within three meters of him, they paused briefly before suddenly lunging.

Whoosh—

The sound of something cutting through the air came from the fog.

Chen Xing was also a Strongman, but his build was well-proportioned. He had achieved a perfect Profession advancement, and his Profession ability, [Strength], had already been activated.

His muscles tensed, his skin taking on a faint reddish hue. Even though the other party was merely a drifter, he did not let down his guard. He sprang forward to attack in the safest, most reliable way.

The target was already within reach. Perhaps because their attack had been too sudden, the other party had not even reacted. There was not the slightest trace of fear on his face.

He really does have a pretty face... Chen Xing could not help thinking. He subconsciously held back some of his strength, afraid of killing the other party.

Their goal was to abduct him, not kill him.

But at that moment, the target slightly turned his head and looked at him, his eyes utterly devoid of panic.

"Hm!" Chen Xing's expression changed drastically. Alarm bells rang in his mind as he realized something was wrong.

Su Chen boldly activated [Wind Erosion]. He had been secretly building up power for a long time. His right arm muscles tightened, his hand clenched into a fist, and his waist twisted, driving his upper body forward.

The mist was stirred by the whirlwind coiling around his arm as his fist smashed toward the attacker on the left.

Bang!

Their fists collided, sending ripples through the surrounding fog.

Riiip!

Chen Xing's eyelids twitched violently, and his face filled with horror. The clothes on his arm were torn apart inch by inch, while dense bloody marks appeared on his skin like cuts from tiny blades. A stabbing pain surged through him.

The attack actually carried elemental power. What the hell kind of Profession was this?

A drifter? Drifter my ass!

The target's performance did not match the information they had received in the slightest.

Fortunately, the two of them had come this time.

Fortunately, he had always been cautious and attacked together with his companion.

Since this guy had chosen to block him, he would inevitably have to take his companion's—

Before Chen Xing could finish the thought, his eyes suddenly bulged.

Behind the target, strands of fibers like blue-green hairs seemed to gather. They looked slow, yet condensed at incredible speed into a blue-green iron chain, stretched taut like a long spear.

As though controlled by an invisible force, it shot out abruptly.

Pfft!

The fat man's face was full of terror. The momentum of his attack made it impossible for him to retreat, and it was as if he had thrown himself onto it. His obese body slipped into the blue-green shaft with almost no resistance.

Chen Xing watched helplessly as his companion's eyes widened in terror, as though he still wanted to struggle.

But in the next moment, his companion's body stiffened, and blue-green fibers actually protruded through the surface of his skin.

A chill ran through Chen Xing. He could even imagine the horrifying sight of those hair-like things crisscrossing through his companion's body.

"You..." In the instant he was dazed, the target did not stop. A fist smashed toward his head.

Chen Xing hurriedly raised his guard, but fear had already taken hold of him. All he wanted was to run.

Bang!

The corpse of his companion on the other side lost its support and crashed heavily to the ground. Chen Xing's heart jolted, cold sweat breaking out all over him.

And at some point, the other party's arm had become wrapped in a layer of blue-green armor. Sharp spikes like knuckle dusters had even formed over the joints of his fingers.

Pfft!

This time, the other party's attack pierced through his skin without obstruction, and pain instantly spread throughout his entire body.

Chen Xing's eyes widened as darkness consumed his consciousness.

The pincer attack had ended in death in the blink of an eye.

"What perfect timing. Old Zhao had barely left..." Su Chen withdrew his stance and stared at the two corpses on the ground, his brows tightly furrowed.

"They could even pinpoint my location with such accuracy... They were certain I was here. Someone working with them from the inside... Old Zhao?"

"No, if it were him, there would have been no need for him to leave. He could have stayed and attacked me with them."

"The person who assigned the night-watch positions and times was Hu Xiang. Could it be..."

As Su Chen considered the possibility, he could not help feeling that it was troublesome. If it was Hu Xiang, things would be difficult.

That guy was clearly not a Tier 1 Professional.

"Still, since he did not act personally and merely arranged all this, it means he has his reservations..." Su Chen crouched down and searched the two corpses.

He quickly found several items: wallets and a few potions. He swiftly pocketed them, then dragged the bodies a little farther away.

After waiting a while longer, Hu Xiang estimated that the attack had already ended and said, "Let's go. We'll head to the scene."

Old Zhao remained silent. The two went one after the other toward the night-watch area.

"Why is there blood here?" Hu Xiang stared at the bloodstains on the ground, his expression ugly. "What idiots..."

Two Professionals attacking a drifter, yet they could not even control their strength properly.

Old Zhao's face tightened. "If there's blood, then blaming it on the Mist Nightmare won't work so well. What if they investigate it..."

The Mist Nightmare was a special creature that was almost incorporeal and could possess living beings.

His expression was wary as he looked at his captain, afraid that whatever new explanation Hu Xiang came up with would drag him into it as well.

Hu Xiang noticed Old Zhao's gaze and felt nothing but sorrow. If not for the price the other party had offered this time, which he desperately needed, he would not have done this.

He sighed. "Then we'll say it was Corpse Beetles... Old Zhao, you'll need to leave some injuries on yourself."

City Patrol Guards leading students on patrol generally would not go anywhere dangerous. Every student death required a detailed report.

Southwind Academy would even send people to inspect the site in person.

Based on his own experience, Hu Xiang arranged the scene until it was mostly convincing. Old Zhao clutched one arm, his face pale.

Hu Xiang looked at Old Zhao's unsightly expression and was about to say something when the locator he had been gripping in his hand suddenly lit up with an urgent, dangerous red glow.

"The camp!"

Hu Xiang's face changed dramatically. He did not dare delay. Grabbing Old Zhao, roaring flames surged from his body as he tore through the fog.

A few breaths later, the camp was right before them. There was no attack by mutants, but every City Patrol Guard was standing in an extremely vigilant combat stance.

"What happened?!" Hu Xiang demanded with a grim expression.

"C-Captain..." Old Zhao clutched his arm and stared blankly toward the center of the camp.

Hu Xiang followed his gaze. His composed expression nearly collapsed, and a flicker of dread passed through his eyes.

Su Chen, whom he believed had already been abducted, was standing quietly in the middle of the camp, watching them.

"How could he..." Hu Xiang blurted out before abruptly shutting his mouth.

"Old Zhao!" Su Chen hurried over, his face full of concern. "Are you okay? What happened to your arm...?"

"I-I'm fine..." Old Zhao did not dare meet Su Chen's eyes and answered vaguely.

"Captain Hu Xiang, what happened to Old Zhao? Did you run into danger?" Su Chen turned to Hu Xiang.

Hu Xiang's eyes shifted evasively. Guilt and unease made it difficult for him to respond for a moment.

"Su Chen, what's going on? What danger could there possibly be?" Zhou Zong questioned from afar. He had been abruptly woken from sleep by Su Chen, so naturally he was annoyed.

The others were still bleary-eyed and confused. Bai Fengxi stood behind the crowd, deep in thought.

"Shut up!" Hu Xiang shouted in a low voice. "Old Zhao encountered danger, but I scared it away. Su Chen is right. Better safe than sorry!"

Zhou Zong was utterly baffled. What was wrong with Hu Xiang? Hadn't he merely complained once?

"It's good that you're fine..." Su Chen seemed to relax, then spoke with a troubled expression. "Captain Hu... my legs are still shaking. I want to rest for a while."

He definitely was not going back to stand watch. Hu Xiang was a Tier 2 Professional; he could kill him with one hand.

Before Hu Xiang could speak, Zhou Zong jumped out and said coldly, "Your night-watch shift isn't over yet. If everyone were as afraid of danger as you, then nobody should stand watch at all."

"Fine. You rest first tonight." Hu Xiang did not hesitate. He then pointed at Zhou Zong. "You'll take his place."

Zhou Zong was stunned. Had something gone wrong with Hu Xiang's brain?

The others were equally confused. How much time had even passed? Why was Hu Xiang becoming more and more biased toward Su Chen?

Su Chen was also rather surprised. He stared at Hu Xiang. That reaction did not seem like a deliberate attempt to frame him.

He had originally planned that if Hu Xiang forced him to continue standing watch, he would tear away all pretense.

He refused to believe that Hu Xiang had enough control to make so many people keep silent.

At the very least, he had some confidence where Bai Fengxi was concerned.

But the situation now... had become even more baffling.

Zhou Zong went off to stand watch in anger, while Su Chen returned to his little tent. The others gradually headed back as well.

"What a bizarre situation..." Su Chen remarked.

For the time being, he suppressed the doubts in his heart and took out the things he had looted from the bodies. There were not many gold coins in the wallets, but there were two pale gold cards.

"...Southwind Currency Depository..." Su Chen stared at the words on them. "Bank cards?"

"I wonder if they need passwords..." His former self had never encountered anything so high-end.

He then looked at the remaining bottles of potion. They were clearly not Blood-Activating Potions. Their color was a deeper, richer red, with some black sediment inside.

"Blackflame Potions?" Su Chen was not entirely certain.

Ever since he had taken potions from Zhou Zong last time, he had found time to visit the library and cram a great deal of potion knowledge, precisely to avoid stealing something valuable without recognizing it.

When he turned one of the bottles upside down, the black sediment seemed to receive some kind of stimulation, blooming into firework-like flames within the bottle.

"So it really is..." Su Chen could not help grinning.

This was also a Tier 1 potion, but it was more precious than a Blood-Activating Potion. It was only used after one's Profession development had reached a certain level and progress had begun to slow.