Chapter 48

Song Xiaozhu did not choose to kill him to silence him.

It wasn't because of morality—these people all deserved to die—but because they wanted to deliver a message to Boss Hu.

She has weapons, and weapons far exceeding those available at the bottom of the Garbage Mountain.

If Old Madam Hu still wants to force the issue, she needs to reassess the fighting strength of Liu Family Village.

On the other hand, Song Xiaozhu also wanted to leave room for maneuver.

Now that she has killed Cui Jiao, Old Madam Hu will surely be furious and launch a counterattack on Liu Family Village.

Song Xiaozhu needs some time to familiarize herself with Liu Family Village and see if it's suitable as a base.

Yes, it's not just about opening a store.

She needs a reliable base of operations!

Chapter 48

Once the effects of the hemostatic powder wore off, Cui Jiao's men stopped rolling around, jumped to their feet, and looked completely bewildered.

Where are they?

What's going on?

They're acting like they're possessed!

Cui Jiao had the most severe injuries and was covered in the most hemostatic powder, so he was the last to recover.

He stood up with a gloomy expression and examined his body.

The wound was very shallow, so shallow that it didn't bleed. If it weren't for the holes punched in his clothes, he would have almost thought that he hadn't been hit by an arrow at all.

What's with this bow and arrow?

What kind of poison was applied?

Especially that first arrow, which rendered him completely immobile...

Thinking of that arrow, Cui Jiao's expression turned serious.

His men began to discuss:

"What's with this poisoned arrow? It doesn't seem to be working."

"It's hurting so badly, and you're saying it's not working?"

"But the wound isn't bleeding uncontrollably, and there are no signs of poisoning..."

"Indeed... it seems there's nothing else besides pain..."

Cui Jiao interrupted their conversation, saying, "Collect all these arrow shafts and pebbles."

They were all stone arrows; now only the wooden shafts remained, the arrowheads scattered and turned into a pile of small pebbles.

His men exchanged bewildered glances. The arrowhead was undoubtedly poisoned, and the thought of the excruciating pain made them all hesitate...

Cui Jiao: "Wear gloves!"

"Oh, oh, oh."

These people then got to work. They might not have been carrying gloves, but they could simply tear their clothes to cover their hands and grab the items.

Cui Jiao looked up towards Liu Family Village, knowing he wouldn't be able to catch up with her today.

He only brought these five fools with him. Because he underestimated them, he didn't even think about bringing firearms. Even if he caught up with them now and intercepted them before they reached Liu Family Village... he would only be attacked again by these strange stone arrows.

After his men finished cleaning up the stone arrows on the ground, Cui Jiao glanced at the powder-covered arrows, his expression uncertain. "Back to the community."

Old Madam Hu paced anxiously in her office, while the little cat hid on the roof beam, quietly watching below.

Chen San stood to the side with his hands behind his back, even his breathing was very soft, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

Old Madam Hu suddenly stopped. She walked to the window and drew back the heavy curtains.

They saw Cui Jiao and the others rushing back. Their clothes were tattered, and they weren't injured, but the problem was... they returned empty-handed.

"Useless." Hu Yuan scoffed.

Chen San, standing beside him, lowered his head and breathed even more softly.

A short while later, Cui Jiao quickly went upstairs and knocked on the office door.

Hu Yuan sat down in the chair, her voice returning to its usual calm. "Come in."

Cui Jiao pushed open the door and entered. He first bowed, then recounted his experiences in detail, and finally spread the stone arrow fragments on the floor.

Hu Yuan stood up, and with a sway of his muscular body, he arrived in front of Cui Jiao.

Cui Jiao: "District Chief, that Song Xiaozhu is really strange. I don't know where she got the poison from, but she actually made us..."

With a snap.

Cui Jiao was slapped, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back down.

Hu Yuan: "Don't make excuses, it's just that you're not as skilled as others."

Cui Jiao, a burly and strong man, replied with a wronged expression, like a timid wife, "Yes."

Hu Yuan ignored him and bent down to examine the stone arrow fragments. Cui Jiao couldn't help but ask, "District Chief, that powder..."

Hu Yuan took a pinch and put it in her mouth. After a while, she said, "It's not poisonous."

Cui Jiao wanted to argue again, but remembering the slap he received, he swallowed his words.

Old Madam Hu doesn't like making excuses.

There's only one reason a mission fails: you're not good enough.

Everything else is just an excuse.

White mist spread from Hu Yuan's palm, enveloping the stone arrow fragments. She closed her eyes, concentrating intently on sensing them...

This scene evoked both respect and awe in Cui Jiao and Chen San.

They didn't know much about the Awakened, and whenever they saw this power that ordinary people couldn't control, they felt a sense of fear about the unknown.

After a moment, Hu Yuan dispelled the white mist, stood up, and said, "Indeed, an Awakened."

Cui Jiao skipped a beat, and he asked, "Is it Qiu Shuyu?"

Hu Yuan shook her head. "It should be Song Xiaozhu."

Upon hearing these two names, Chen San's eyelids twitched. He didn't show it on his face, but inwardly he cursed, "That bastard Luo Tong, he's really obsessed with money!"

"She... she was looking at..." Cui Jiao's pupils contracted, "That arrow that immobilized me, it was shot by Song Xiaozhu!"

Hu Yuan: "That's not important. This kind of special weapon has the same effect no matter who uses it."

Cui Jiao was confused. "How could the district chief..."

"Is it confirmed that Song Xiaozhu is Awakened?"

Hu Yuan explained, "Master Bai has a ' Bodily Transmission ' Awakening Stone. He did initially take a liking to Qiu Shuyu and wanted to give her the Awakening Stone, but... that girl received special training in the city and can only absorb specific Awakening Stone; otherwise, she will self-destruct and die..."

This was something neither Cui Jiao nor Chen San knew. They listened intently; although they were just ordinary people, who hadn't dreamed of becoming a "superman"?