Zerui

The sky gradually darkened.

Even the darkness around the summer solstice was unusually gentle. With the evening breeze brushing past, it brought a distinct sense of comfort.

After settling all his brothers in, Liu Feng followed Liu Honggou out onto the street to enjoy themselves and sample the local flavor of the A58 Gathering Place.

Along the way, Liu Honggou kept casting strange glances at Liu Feng, his smiling face full of ulterior motives.

Liu Feng noticed it all but said little.

Chatting and laughing, Liu Honggou stopped in front of a lavishly decorated two-story restaurant.

"Brother, how about we eat here? Yifeng House is the only restaurant in the entire A58 Gathering Place. The food is quite a bit better than what the roadside cooks serve."

Looking at Liu Honggou's smiling face, Liu Feng could already tell he had something in mind. What exactly he intended to do, however, remained unknown.

"Brother Liu, I'll leave everything to you!"

With that, the two walked into Yifeng House, one behind the other.

Yifeng House was lavishly decorated on the outside, and its interior was even more extravagant.

As they stepped into the main hall, an antique-style interior greeted them. The old-fashioned tables, chairs, and tableware, the understated elegance of a bygone era, and the luxurious, brilliant chandelier overhead were all breathtaking.

"Brother Feng, this place is really nice!" Han Bing hurried over to Liu Feng and whispered beside his ear.

Liu Feng nodded without saying anything more.

Just then, a man came down the staircase facing the main hall, its branching layout shaped like the Chinese character for "claw."

The man wore loose, pale-white robes and held a feather fan. As he descended gracefully from the second floor, he had the bearing of a wandering hero from ancient times. Yet behind this frail-looking man stood a row of powerful, muscular men.

Sensing a change in the atmosphere, Liu Honggou slowly raised his head. He froze for a moment, then plastered a smile across his face.

"Zerui, it's been so long!"

At those words, Zerui gave a disdainful snort. He gently waved his feather fan and looked down as he said, "Old man Liu, I never expected you to come back alive. Looks like everyone was right about you. You really are a sly nine-tailed fox!"

"Zerui, you flatter me!" Liu Honggou replied shamelessly. "I only made it back alive thanks to your good graces."

"Oh? How so?"

Seeing the confusion in Zerui's eyes, Liu Honggou revealed a smug smile.

"You must know that Long Wu blocked my way at the gate. But the fact that you didn't go and help him was enough to spare my life!"

"Hahaha, Brother Liu, you certainly understand the bigger picture!" An inscrutable smile appeared on Zerui's face. He raised his hand invitingly and said, "Please, come upstairs. I've already prepared food and wine for you. We caught a Wild Chicken Beast outside just today, so we can all enjoy some meat!"

"Hahaha, then I'm in for a real treat!"

With that, Liu Honggou walked slowly toward the second floor.

Following closely behind Liu Honggou, Liu Feng now understood much of what had puzzled him.

"Brother Feng, judging by Liu Honggou's actions, he's planning to use someone else to do his dirty work!" Han Bing whispered, his expression serious.

"I can see that!"

A chill swept across Liu Feng's face, leaving it cold and stern.

"What a clever way to have someone else do his killing! Unfortunately, he's chosen the wrong blade!"

Although Han Bing was confused by what he heard, the determination on Liu Feng's face eased much of his anxiety.

By then, Little Knife, who was at the front, had already followed Liu Honggou into the private dining room. Liu Feng could hardly linger, so he followed her inside.

The private room was small, but it had more than enough space for seven or eight people.

As Liu Honggou settled into his seat, Zerui, sitting opposite him, finally turned his gaze toward Liu Feng.

"Well now, this young brother looks unfamiliar. Is he a new underling of yours?"

Hearing this, Liu Honggou turned to look at Liu Feng, who stood behind him.

"Hahaha, Zerui, you mustn't underestimate this brother of mine. If he hadn't shown up this time, I probably wouldn't be sitting here chatting with you!"

"Oh? Is he that impressive?" Zerui looked Liu Feng up and down.

"Of course. After all, he's a Gene Warrior!"

At those words, Zerui's heart jolted, and his body gave a sudden shudder.

"A Gene Warrior!"

Zerui quickly stood up, delight spreading across his face.

"Well, well! I knew this kid looked a little different. To think he's actually a Gene Warrior!"

Zerui's appraising gaze made Liu Feng uncomfortable. It felt as though he were a Mutant Beast locked in a cage.

Smack!

Suddenly, Zerui's large hand landed heavily on Liu Feng's shoulder.

Liu Feng's brows instinctively furrowed slightly, and he turned to look at Zerui beside him.

"Kid, are you really a Gene Warrior?"

Liu Feng smiled and raised an eyebrow mockingly. "What? Want to test me?"

His words left Zerui rather embarrassed. Zerui's face immediately fell, going taut as though it had been coated in paste.

"Hmph. Such a young brat, yet such a big temper." Zerui slowly returned to his seat, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag before saying in a measured voice, "To tell you the truth, I'm a Gene Warrior too! If you're really itching for a beating, perhaps I can oblige!"

A wicked, cold smile slipped across Liu Feng's thin lips, lending his languid air a chilling edge.

"Hmph. If you want a fight, I'll see it through to the end!"

At those words, Zerui's eyes flared with anger. His gaze swept over like an icy wind and locked onto Liu Feng's eyes.

Bang!

Suddenly, Zerui swept his hand through the air. A fierce gust blew open the private room's second-floor window. He turned sideways to look at Liu Feng, disdain showing in the corners of his eyes.

"This isn't a convenient place. Meet me at the Combat Arena!"

The moment he finished speaking, Zerui's figure flickered. His entire body became an afterimage, vanishing through the window and throwing the street below into chaos.

Watching the figure recede into the distance, Liu Honggou slowly stood, patted Liu Feng's shoulder, and shook his head. "Brother, it's all up to you now!"

At Liu Honggou's words, Liu Feng's thin lips slowly curved into a mocking smile.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure this is handled properly."

Liu Honggou nodded, then left the private room.

At that moment, Little Knife and Han Bing came over to Liu Feng.

Han Bing looked at Liu Feng anxiously. "Brother Feng, you knew this was a trap, so why did you still..."

Liu Feng smiled without offering much explanation. Instead, he turned to Little Knife and asked quietly, "Little Knife, did you get a clear look?"

Little Knife nodded and replied, "I did. He's a Speed-Type Gene Warrior, just like me!"

"Speed-type. Interesting!"

(End of chapter)