Chapter 410: Is the King of Hell Easy to Meet?

"I'll tie you up, I'll tie you up, I'll tie up your damn brother!"

A low roar erupted; Liu Ge twisted his body away from the blade, narrowly avoiding a throat slit, and prepared to strike again with a surprise attack—only to…

Thud! His skull slammed hard into the floor, producing a dull thump that made the floorboards tremble—the kind of impact that would make the downstairs tenant bang on the ceiling!

If that were all, it would've just been dizziness—but before Liu Ge fully regained his senses, a faint sting appeared on his neck…

"No no no, I'm wrong, I'm wrong, big brother, I won't dare again, I give up, I give up…"

Liu Ge was truly terrified. In the freezing cold, a sharp blade cutting his skin might not even register pain; since he now felt pain, the wound must be deep—and it was on his neck, a fatal spot. He trembled in dread, thinking: that sudden attack had come like thunder, and even after he'd surrendered, the man struck again—and yet he'd deflected it effortlessly. What the hell kind of monster is this? Too strong…

Before Liu Ge could think further, his wrists were bound tightly with zip ties, then his ankles were secured just as firmly. He was spun around and yanked upright into a kneeling position, facing the corpse of his dead companion…

"Big brother, don't kill me—stop the bleeding! If you didn't kill me right away, I must be useful! Don't let me die!"

Liu Ge's skull was incredibly hard; after that heavy blow, his mind remained crystal clear, and he pleaded with logical precision.

"Name? Where are you from? Why are you here?"

A cold voice came from behind. Seeing the man had no intention of stopping his bleeding, Liu Ge tilted his head, squeezing his neck to slow the blood flow, and answered.

"I'm from—no no, I'm just trying to stop the bleeding, no other meaning, big brother—I came from Qincheng. I'm from Tianqi—no, I'm from Xiao Ying, Xiao Ying Society. My name is… uh… Liu Ming. I came here to… to… sssss…"

Liu Ming had started to lie, but remembered his life hung in the balance and switched tactics. When asked his purpose, he tried fabricating a story—but the pain dragged him back to reality. "I came to investigate a camp called Tianma Yu! We're here to investigate Tianma Yu!"

Zhang Su was baffled—he'd never heard of the Xiao Ying Society. Where did this bunch come from? Why investigate his camp? "I only know of one faction in Qincheng—the Survivors' Alliance. There's no Xiao Ying Society. You're lying!"

As he spoke, Zhang Su swung the dog-leg knife straight at Liu Ming's head.

Clang!

"Sssss…"

Liu Ming gasped in pain, whimpering for mercy. "Big brother, I don't know who you heard it from, but he lied to you! Qincheng has way more than one survivor camp—I know at least seven or eight!"

"I saw you had more people with you. Where did they go? How many of you came?"

Zhang Su set aside the Xiao Ying Society for now and pressed for other critical details.

"Big brother, give me something to stop the bleeding! If I bleed out before answering, it won't help you either, right?"

Liu Ming felt his neck was soaked—he guessed his collar was drenched in blood.

"If you're afraid of bleeding out, answer faster!"

Zhang Su had only tapped the blade's spine against Liu Ming's neck to create pain—he hadn't broken the skin. Had he used the edge, Liu Ming would've been dead already. He hadn't spared him just to scare him—he kept him alive to extract information.

Liu Ming had no idea how bad his wound was. The cold had dulled his senses, and his mind raced with panic. He knew there was no chance to bargain—he began speaking in a rapid-fire torrent.

"We sent eighteen men out, but two are dead now—sixteen left. The other fifteen come from three different factions: five each from the Survivors' Alliance, Tianqi Group, and Civilization Guard—all here to investigate Tianma Yu!"

"Why investigate Tianma Yu? Because the leader of the Survivors' Alliance wants to expand northward, and he found out Tianma Yu was luring zombies into the city—giving Liao Youzhi a reason to act. Why team up with us? Because our territories are all north of Qincheng. That's basically how it happened. Big brother, I've told you everything I know!"

Liu Ming spoke exceptionally well—fast, clear, every word crisp and distinct, none mumbled.

But Zhang Su paid no attention to his delivery. His entire focus locked onto the words "Civilization Guard." He remembered clearly: Xiao Xuejian had told him that near Culture Road Barracks in the northeast, there was a faction called Civilization Guard, led by a man surnamed Li.

"I know Liao Youzhi—the leader of the Survivors' Alliance. Who leads your Xiao Ying Society, Tianqi Group, and that Civilization Guard?"

As he spoke, Zhang Su struck Liu Ming's head again, making him flinch.

"Our boss is Liu Yao—three 'earth' radicals, Liu Yao. Outsiders call him Boss Liu. He used to be some low-level official. Tianqi Group's leader is Coward Yang—no no, Yang Xinqi. Civilization Guard's leader is Li Zongkai. Everyone calls him Director Li—he was also a former official."

Liu Ming answered without hesitation.

Zhang Su nodded inwardly. Li Zongkai must be Old Li—the same Civilization Guard Xiao Xuejian mentioned. In a tiny place like Qincheng, such a coincidence was impossible. "Tell me more about the other three groups. Answer well, and I'll spare your life." This time, Zhang Su was unusually polite—he didn't strike Liu Ming's head.

Liu Ming braced for another blow, but heard the sheath snap shut. He exhaled sharply, relief flooding him—but he still felt blood dripping, so he spoke fast.

"The Survivors' Alliance are Liao Youzhi's personal guards—strong individually. Their leader is Wu Baokang. Rumor says he was a bandit, got out of prison, and he's terrifying! Tianqi Group? Five useless trash—cowards and weaklings. Their leader is Fan Dahai! Uh… Civilization Guard? Big brother, honestly, I don't know them well. Our camps are too far apart. We met them tonight for the first time. I only know their leader's surname is Wu—Wu Daqiang. I don't know anything else. Hehe… did I answer well?"

Wu Daqiang. Zhang Su's face twisted into a strange expression. Wasn't that the soldier Wu from before? "Hmm. Better than before—but still falls short. One more chance. Don't waste it."

To ease Liu Ming's tension, Zhang Su stood and stepped back slightly.

Liu Ming tensed at first, then relaxed. "Big brother, who are you? Are you from Tianma Yu? Or a local survivor?"

"I'm the leader of Tianma Yu."

Zhang Su replied calmly.

"Eeek!"

Liu Ming let out a strange cry. Cold sweat burst from every pore on his back. He thought he was incredibly unlucky—captured by the boss himself. But then he realized: this might be his chance.

As the saying goes: the King of Hell is easy to meet; it's the minor demons that are hard to deal with. Maybe meeting the boss was lucky. His mind raced, calculating his next move.

"Oh, Leader!" Liu Ming's voice turned heart-wrenchingly sincere. "You don't know—we Xiao Ying Society opposed this mission from the start! We thought Liao Youzhi's plan was flawed—but he wouldn't listen."

"I've decided to cut all ties with them. From now on, I'm yours. I'll infiltrate the enemy and gather intel for you. Is that acceptable?"

In the darkness, Zhang Su wore a strange smile, listening to Liu Ming's nonsense. Had the setting been different, he might've laughed out loud.

Was this mocking his intelligence?

"I just killed two of your companions. Why would you serve me?" Zhang Su asked, amused.

Liu Ming didn't hesitate. "Accidents happen in tense moments—mistaken kills. The key is to not let misunderstandings fester. Boss, you agree, right?"

Zhang Su had rarely dealt with other factions like this. He'd met bloodthirsty bandits—but never someone as shameless as Liu Ming…

"Uh, Boss… about what I just said?" Liu Ming, seeing Zhang Su silent, hurried to press.

"Your matter can wait. Answer my questions first. Answer well, and I'll give you a chance."

"Yes yes, Boss, ask! I'll tell you everything I know!"

Liu Ming's energy surged—he felt better than before, though his neck still worried him.

"Why didn't they stay with you three? And describe every weapon you all carried—be as detailed as possible!"

"They looked down on us Xiao Ying Society for only sending three men—they ostracized us! You know, we never wanted to join this mission. But due to special reasons, Boss Liu had to send us as a token presence…"

Liu Ming's eyes darted, spinning lies effortlessly as he continued.

"We all carried guns. But our Xiao Ying Society gear was basic—just pistols. Tianqi Group was similar—five police pistols. Civilization Guard was well-equipped: three of their five carried standard rifles, two had submachine guns. Their camp was a military base—they had plenty of weapons. The Survivors' Alliance had five men as well, nearly matching Civilization Guard's gear—but their special equipment was lacking!"

"For example?" Zhang Su pressed.

"For example, our night-vision goggles were provided by Civilization Guard. They themselves had thermal scopes—military-grade gear—and drones. They'll be crucial for reconnaissance. I saw their gear bulging—they must be wearing body armor!"

Zhang Su stored every detail in his mind, then spoke calmly: "Anything else you know? Say it all."

"Big brother, I've told you everything I know. Look…"

Swish! Before he finished, a gust of wind sliced through the air—then came a gurgling sound, followed by a thud as the corpse collapsed.

In his final moment, Liu Ming felt profound satisfaction—he'd started with the thought: "The King of Hell is easy to meet." And now, it had come true…

(End of Chapter)