Hu Xiang: Ran Into a Freak

The two walked to the edge of the camp. Hu Xiang took out an iron case and pinched out a slender cigarette wrapped in brownish-gray paper.

Seeing Su Chen shake his head, he put it in his own mouth instead. Flames flared from his thumb as he took a deep drag, the ember growing brighter.

After blowing out a smoke ring, he slowly said, "Zhou Zong's father is Zhou Xian, the head of the Internal Affairs Hall. We're going to be in big trouble."

"He should be looking for the Azure-Scaled Lion." Su Chen frowned.

Hu Xiang said helplessly, "He can't find the Azure-Scaled Lion, so he'll only come looking for us."

"He'll blame us for not acting sooner. He'll blame us for not protecting his son."

"At the time, I was fighting the leader, so I barely have an excuse. But you had a conflict with Zhou Zong. He won't let you off easily. Even if you didn't secretly make a move, so what? People like them don't care about evidence."

Su Chen's expression shifted, but he did not continue that topic. "Who hired you to do it?"

Hu Xiang's movements stiffened slightly. The cigarette between his lips smoldered faintly; he clearly had not expected Su Chen to ask so directly.

Su Chen turned to look at him. "Silence? Is that your answer?"

"Qi Chuan..." Hu Xiang's lips moved as he gave a name.

"Ah... so it was the victim." Su Chen was not too surprised. After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "What price did he pay for my life?"

"A lead on the Mist Nightmare Pearl..."

"Just a lead?" Su Chen was stunned.

"This lead is very important to me. It might be able to wake my wife." Hu Xiang stubbed out the cigarette in his hand, recollection showing in his eyes.

"So devoted?" Su Chen gave him a rather surprised glance, then asked, "Why did you deliberately look after me before?"

Hu Xiang looked somewhat uncomfortable. "Maybe... guilt."

"Guilt?" Su Chen grinned. This answer was truly beyond his expectations. "I thought you'd say something like making me lower my guard."

"I never used to do this kind of thing..." Hu Xiang defended himself. Perhaps because he had confirmed Qi Chuan's plan had failed, he seemed less burdened.

"I don't care..." Su Chen cut him off. "I don't want to know your emotional journey, and you don't need to tell me."

Hu Xiang gave a bitter smile. "Yeah. No matter what I say, I was involved. It's only natural for you to hate me."

"Hate you?" Su Chen looked at him strangely. "Who said I hate you?"

"You took someone's money and handled their troubles for them. I can understand that." Su Chen explained patiently. "If someone offered me a price I couldn't refuse, I'd come after you without hesitation too."

Hu Xiang was dumbfounded. Were all refugees this sharp-minded?

"However, you failed, so you have to pay the debt." Su Chen said with a smile.

Hu Xiang's thoughts were in disarray. He tentatively asked, "What if... I refuse to acknowledge the debt?"

Su Chen looked at him with a beaming smile. "Then for the rest of my life, as long as I'm alive, I'll keep my eyes on your wife."

Hu Xiang's heart trembled, and a chill ran through him.

Su Chen smiled. "In the future, don't expose your weakness to someone when you aren't sure whether they're friend or foe, even if you only want to seem more candid."

"Of course, you still have a chance. Kill me now."

Hu Xiang instinctively glanced at the main group not far behind them. People were still looking their way from time to time, while Bai Fengxi stared at them without blinking.

Hu Xiang shook his head with a bitter smile. "Little brother, stop messing with me."

Hu Xiang completely admitted defeat. This framing scheme had already left him uneasy the entire time.

"Let's go. It should be mostly dealt with by now..."

The City Patrol Guard worked quickly. The corpses had all been piled to one side, and the chaotic camp had once again become orderly.

When Su Chen and Hu Xiang returned, everyone's expressions remained complicated. The mountain-like pile of corpses beside them constantly reminded them that everything that had just happened was real, not a dream.

"Brother Su Chen, this is your tent, right..." Shen Ying'er came over, hugging the khaki tent in her arms and puffing out her chest. No one knew where she had hidden just now.

Her clothes were somewhat torn, and her eyes were slightly red as she looked at Su Chen with a pitiful expression.

"If you want it, it's yours." Su Chen said casually.

"No, I..." Shen Ying'er watched Su Chen walk away without hesitation and regretted not trying harder to build a relationship with him earlier.

"How do you plan to deal with these corpses?" Hu Xiang asked from the side. "They're your spoils of war. Under normal circumstances, fifty percent of the sale price goes to you."

He then explained, "Because the City Patrol Guard has to process, pack, and carry these things, a portion has to be divided out."

It was an unspoken rule. Su Chen said nothing and nodded. "You decide."

"How about this..." Hu Xiang thought for a moment, then said, "There are too many corpses this time, and we don't have enough manpower. We'll use them as food first, then calculate your share once we get back."

"Fine." Once the two settled it, the students who were bandaging their wounds and resting could not help casting envious looks their way.

Hu Xiang usually berated people at every turn, and nothing he said ever sounded pleasant. This was the first time they had seen him use such a consultative tone.

Hu Xiang said a few more words. This time, he did not scold the students for their chaotic performance in battle. Instead, he comforted and encouraged them, making many of them feel better.

"Tonight, the students don't need to stand watch. Go rest. The watch perimeter will be cut in half. I'll make the rounds." Hu Xiang gave his final order.

He was a highly capable man. Barely half an hour after the battle ended, the camp had mostly returned to normal. The students all went to rest, and quiet sobbing could be heard from quite a few tents.

The battle had left Su Chen somewhat exhausted as well. He got a tent from logistics and set it up, but he could not fall asleep no matter what.

He still could not completely lower his guard around Hu Xiang.

In the latter half of the night, the camp was silent. A figure quietly slipped out of a tent and headed toward a corner of the camp, where a tightly wrapped corpse lay.

Zzzzt...

He carefully pulled open the body bag's zipper. Zhou Zong, with only half a head remaining, stared wide-eyed with his single eye.

He searched the corpse with his hands, growing increasingly agitated. "Where is it? Where exactly is it..."

"Tang Chen, what are you doing?" A voice suddenly sounded behind him.

The figure searching the corpse froze abruptly, then carefully turned around. "C-Captain, weren't you making rounds outside?"

"I asked what you're doing." Hu Xiang's tone was cold and hard.

"I-I heard some movement here, so I came to take a look..." Tang Chen swallowed and explained softly.

"What movement could a corpse make?" Hu Xiang's face was icy as he tossed out a pair of iron cuffs. "Cuff yourself."

Tang Chen's face changed. "Captain, I really just came over to take a look."

"Don't make me do it." Hu Xiang stepped forward, and the surrounding air began to heat up.

Tang Chen had no choice but to pick up the iron cuffs from the ground and fasten them around his wrists. Electromagnetic light flickered across their surface, and with a click, they forcibly snapped together.