Chapter 445: The Three of Them Had More Personality

"My position is clear: the Yanluowang killed three of my Little Eagle Society brothers. Unless he makes proper compensation, there's nothing to discuss. The northern region is vast—he can't control it all. If I can't fight him, can't I just avoid him?"

Liu Yao leaned against a car, his face twisted with resentment.

After a period of calm, he recalled earlier events, and his anger surged again. If it weren't for Tianma Yu's tanks and control over the flame zombies, he wouldn't have let this go so easily.

"I say, Commander Liu, don't you see the situation? Though I'm with the Survivors' Alliance, I'll speak plainly: Liao Youzhi originally planned to eliminate you two, the Civilization Protectors, and Tianma Yu, so the Alliance could dominate alone."

"Now Liao Youzhi and Gong Chengming are both dead at Tianma Yu's hands. Who do you think will be the most powerful leader in the north from now on? You say you want to hide—fine, where will you hide? Qincheng is probably out of the question. Go to another county? Or Tangcheng, Chengcheng? That's not realistic. If you don't seize this chance to mend ties, are you waiting until you're truly at war? It's unnecessary!"

Zhang Xin spoke with solemn earnestness.

He wasn't stupid. After brief thought, he saw clearly: Zhang Su would surely absorb the Survivors' Alliance, and with the Civilization Protectors—already close to Tianma Yu—northern Qincheng and most of Qingxian would become Tianma Yu's territory.

During the negotiations, his intent was unmistakable: he subtly signaled that the Little Eagle Society and the Tianqi Corps should merge into Tianma Yu, or at least become its vassals—not enemies. Fighting was pointless.

Yang Xinqi's thoughts differed entirely from Liu Yao's. After the Knight of Light, Fan Dahai, returned, he gained more information and strongly desired to maintain friendly relations with Tianma Yu. If sufficient benefits were offered, he'd gladly lead his men to fully join Tianma Yu.

Wherever you go, you're still alive—wherever the soil is, it'll bury you! "Anyway, I, uh..."

Liu Yao still wanted to say something when suddenly five people approached—Zhang Su leading, followed by two men and two women. The fierce woman who had killed three members of the Guard Unit with her ghostlike movements was among them. His words died on his lips.

In Liu Yao's mind, Zhang Su was ruthless—he'd made the bold decision to eliminate the Survivors' Alliance leaders without fear of being gunned down. But the one who truly impressed him was Ju Wuying. He'd never seen such a fighting style—two words: uncanny! "Gentlemen, how did your discussions go?"

Zhang Su smiled broadly as he asked. He'd overheard some of the earlier talk, but not all of it.

Though it was a smile, many saw it as dangerous and instinctively stepped back half a pace.

Zhang Xin noticed this and quickly led his men forward: "The Survivors' Alliance has reached a unified decision. Being friends with the Yanluowang is truly our honor. Let's clear up this misunderstanding so it doesn't erode trust between us!"

Tan Huajun didn't join them. She stood at a distance, watching. If she'd heard Zhang Xin's words, she'd have gained new respect for this fruit merchant.

"Welcome, welcome! In this damned apocalypse, we should scheme less and be more sincere!"

Zhang Su extended his hand and shook Zhang Xin's. He smiled warmly, then turned to Yang Xinqi: "Commander Yang, how did your discussions go?"

" Yanluowang, it's an honor. First, let me state my position: the Tianqi Corps has no intention of becoming enemies with Tianma Yu. This whole affair was instigated by Liao Youzhi. We must talk calmly. From now on, the safety of northern Qincheng and all of Qingxian rests in your hands!"

Yang Xinqi stepped forward under Zhang Su's gaze to declare his stance.

Come on—among the Four Tigers of Beicheng, the strongest pair's leaders were dead, their forces leaderless. The second-strongest, the Civilization Protectors, were already allied with them. What's left but the third and fourth? What's the point of struggling? Better to surrender now!

"Only by pooling our strengths can we ensure safety. I can't do it alone, ha ha!"

Zhang Su stepped forward, clapped Yang Xinqi on the arm, and pointed to Fan Dahai and the other hostages: "Commander Yang, you command your men well. These fellows were very cooperative—gave us no trouble at all. Well done!"

Well done? Pfft!

Liu Yao, standing nearby, was furious. Cowardice is cowardice—calling it good command and being cooperative? This was absurd!

Before his thoughts could deepen, the Yanluowang 's gaze swept over him.

"You must be Commander Liu. I see your face is full of rage—you're still bitter about the deaths of your three men. The matter is settled. Now I'll tell you the truth."

Zhang Su reached for his cigarette, pulled one out, and offered it to Liu Yao.

"I don't want your cigarette. Tell me the truth first."

Liu Yao shook his head; the bullets on his body clattered. He knew this was the moment Zhang Su was trying to win hearts—he wouldn't openly turn hostile now. He could negotiate.

Zhang Su smiled, passed the cigarette to Zhang Xin, then pointed to a nearby shop.

"See that two-story clothing store? Last night, eighteen of our scouts rested in this town. Three from the Little Eagle Society were particularly stubborn—they split from the main group and slept in that store. Everyone else slept across the street. You can ask Fan Dahai if that's how it was."

Fan Dahai, hearing Zhang Su call his name, spoke up immediately: "Last night was interesting. Wu Baokang originally planned to sneak into Tianma Yu's camp. The Little Eagle Society agreed too quickly. But our men and the Civilization Protectors opposed it, so the plan was canceled. That Liu from the Little Eagle Society mocked our men, then went off to sleep there! We didn't want to stay with them, so we crossed the street. Probably because we had more people. Later, the Civilization Protectors and Survivors' Alliance followed us over. Sometimes, you just have to follow the crowd—don't be too stubborn!"

His final remark cut like a knife. Liu Yao nearly fainted from rage.

Zhang Su spread his hands: "Last night, I was patrolling outside and noticed eighteen people sneaking near our camp. I had to investigate, so I chose the smaller group to probe. And then..."

"The three from the Little Eagle Society thought I was an easy target. They attacked me without asking why. I killed two, captured one named Liu. I wanted information, but he refused to cooperate. He tried to ambush me twice. In the end, I had no choice—I killed him too."

Zhang Su described last night's events vividly, with expressive gestures. Everyone listened intently.

"So... your three men weren't killed during the earlier call with Liao Youzhi. They were killed last night—exactly as I just described. I can take you to the scene. You'll see for yourself."

"Let's go see!"

Liu Yao didn't care if it was just politeness—he was determined to see it himself. He needed to recover his brothers' bodies.

The distance was short. The group quickly climbed to the second floor of the shop. Nothing to say: the three corpses were exactly as they'd been last night—each with a small hole in the skull. But from the blood traces, it was clear the wounds were added after death—to prevent reanimation.

The cluttered shop reeked faintly of blood. Other supplies had already been taken.

Liu Yao and his men examined the scene. There were signs of struggle—but nothing intense. If there had been a fight, it ended instantly. This puzzled him deeply.

Three against one? How could a melee with cold weapons end so quickly? The noise should've been enormous.

Liu Yao himself was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. After inspecting the scene, he had serious doubts about Zhang Su's story.

(End of Chapter)