Chapter 271: The Loser's Firestorm

My dad, when he was alive… did he really have a friend like this?

Baolis's first thought was doubt, but beyond this simple connection he truly couldn't imagine who else would risk their life to save him.

In fact, he believed that if Dr. Ji Ming saw it, he would definitely intervene, but as a Divine Chosen his abilities are all focused on handling the bizarre, and there's no way he could go through so many rounds against Fei En without losing.

So the mysterious man with the question‑mark face before him could only truly be, as he said, a former friend of his father who happened to pass by and lent a hand when he was in trouble.

Even though he had been stabbed in the back by so‑called relatives, Baolis instinctively wanted to stand up and bow in thanks to this elder.

"Thank you, uncle…"

But since those two dared to show their faces, the next moves were all lethal; even a hardy leopard person could only lie limp on the ground, barely able to speak.

Thus he didn't even have time to sit up before a rush of sweet, metallic blood Qi from his chest and abdomen forced him down, nearly dropping his HP to zero on the spot.

Damn, I risked it to save you; don't you dare die in front of me!

"Baolis, I saved you out of respect for your father; if you want to thank me, thank your father for being a good man, and you haven't disgraced his reputation."

Ji Ming, being the good guy, rummaged out a large‑stock Inner City healing potion, which of course had nothing to do with any famed divine doctor.

"Drink this; it should ease your wounds a bit."

As a warrior with a modest family fortune, Baolis instantly recognized it as a healing potion, unscrewed the cap, inhaled the familiar scent, and without further thought downed it in one gulp.

But the moment the liquid hit his throat, his eyes widened, because although he had drunk plenty of this stuff before, this bottle was by far the best‑tasting and most potent he'd ever had.

A cool sensation gradually spread to all his wounds, as the medicine began assisting the body in repairing damaged parts; with a bit more rest, he'd soon regain the ability to walk.

It seems this uncle who appeared out of nowhere is indeed a big shot, possibly acquainted with a top‑notch alchemist—maybe even someone of Ji Ming's caliber…

But time waits for no one; when the mercenaries were present, the eyes lurking in the darkness dared not act, yet now that they've left, these people are starting to stir.

If they learn that the mercenary leader is torturing the Adventurers' Guild president with a clown infiltrator, Inner City will have to be wiped out in rumors by tomorrow.

Although the concentrated outbreak of Inner City's conflicts is only a matter of time as players enter Sunlight City, that moment cannot be now.

Ji Ming believes that Fei Man, who is in the side‑effect period, thinks the same, and he doesn't mind maintaining a certain tacit understanding with him over such odd matters.

Therefore, after Baolis's bleeding had eased a bit, he whispered urgently.

"Alright, this place isn't safe to stay; let's retreat elsewhere!"

"Ugh… okay…"

Ji Ming limped Baolis a long distance away, stopping only when the Fart Technique could no longer detect even a single audible fart.

Dazed Baolis muttered: "Weird, what's up with the outsiders tonight? Did they all catch a cold? Why does it keep sounding like someone's constantly farting…"

"Alright, we should be safe now, you…"

He lingered in a dizzy, exhausted haze for an unknown amount of time, and when the stop command finally came, he suddenly felt his legs go weak.

So before Ji Ming could finish speaking, a thud like a weight lifted off came from behind.

"..."

A sigh echoed through the alley as Ji Ming simply opened the system and began drafting a temporary reward quest.

【Quest Name: Unspecified Omen】

【Quest Description: The arrival of the Pioneers seems to have intensified the conflicts among Sunlight City's elite; this mountain‑filled city may face an extremely bloody reckoning, but we still have time to respond】

【Quest Objective: Can't manage it, you all quickly send a person over…】

But halfway through, Ji Ming deleted that inner thought and replaced it with a more formal, serious phrasing.

He then left Baolis a note with pen and paper; this mysterious question‑mark uncle, who hides his achievements and fame, vanished into the night just as he had arrived.

And Baolis, who was lying on the ground with his fingers forward, didn't have to wait long before a crowd of players rushed over like monkeys.

"Didn't we just finalize the cooperation this afternoon? Why is that flashy‑headed guy kneeling tonight?"

"Could it be that they ran into a road‑robber halfway, like a fanatical big‑voiced male Furry enthusiast or something?"

"Sunlight City is way too dangerous; next time Brother Milk‑Cow goes out, be careful—if all else fails, we'll wear iron underwear."

"Why did we suddenly start talking about such bizarre topics? I'm live streaming; the admin can't handle this kind of hype!"

"Stop, stop, stop, no more talk—this NPC is on the brink of death; whoever has a rejuvenation serum, splash it on him now, or the quest will fail."

With a cacophony of voices they treated him, clumsily carried him; the players, like ancient hunters with rope and sticks, hoisted Baolis back.

"Don't say it—yeah, it does feel a bit astringent… Hey, brother, don't run away."

Baolis, who should have died tonight, was temporarily secret‑protected in the White Wolf Ancestral Temple thanks to Ji Ming and the players, while a bruised Fei En raged impotently in the arena.

Of course, as a courteous, competent mercenary leader, his impotent rage wasn't just simple smashing and shouting—

—it was a truly powerful smashing and roaring!

Amid a torrent of indescribable curses and insults, he swung his fists, punching the leopard person's face repeatedly.

Although not every leopard person is a "Sharp Claw," that didn't stop him from finding some of Baolis's kind to use as punching bags for venting.

Even orcs couldn't withstand such brutal assault; the leopard person, already vastly out‑leveled, had no capacity to resist at all.

After being grabbed by the neck again, hoisted high, then slammed down, his deformed head left him flat on the ground, unable to get up.

But before he could finish exhaling, his abdomen was struck again.

"Get up!"

It was Fei En, who kept kicking and trying to force a fight with the leopard person for an unknown number of rounds.

Unfortunately, Dr. Fei's physical rejuvenation technique failed this time, and the leopard person was beaten to death in a pool of blood.

"What a useless piece!"

Enraged, Fei En drew his sidearm and cleaved the leopard person's head off, but the last drop of fresh blood spurted straight onto his eyelid.

"Damn!"

After finally venting his pent‑up frustration, Fei En felt even more depressed; the person was already dead, so what's the point of his whipping?

He could only curse his way to the nearby restroom, dousing his sweaty head with a torrent of icy winter water.

Feeling the chilling cold that would tighten every pore, his brain gradually cooled, finally regaining its ability to think.

The current situation is that Mi Yang is dead, Bao Li Si was rescued by someone, and Ge Lei De is following himself…

While pondering in his mind, he suddenly heard a tentative call from behind.

"Lord Fei En, will I be able to become the president of the Adventurers' Association tomorrow?"

That was Ge Lei De, who had already been beaten by a wild boar into a black‑skinned domestic pig; his entire ugly face lacked any decent flesh, covered only with the fist marks left by that mysterious person.

Such a ridiculous appearance made Fei En feel both angry and amused; the amusement needs no further explanation, while the anger stemmed first from recalling this extremely ugly failure, and second because:

—Damn, why can others produce such a perfectly comprehensive swelling effect, while I collapse a skull after only a few punches!?

Feeling that even his specialty of violence was far weaker than others, Fei En grew more angry the more he thought, and more thoughtful the angrier he became, completely forgetting to answer Ge Lei De's foolish question.

But in Ge Lei De's eyes, this meant Fei En was reneging; the coveted presidency he had dreamed of would be stripped away on the eve of victory.

Wuwu— why am I so diligent yet so miserable? This world is far too cruel to ordinary people like me…

In his haste he rushed forward, ready to clasp the new father's thigh and plead.

But Fei En, whose mind was already in disarray, saw this black, ugly creature that seemed to have its wits intact yet was essentially a giant infant, and its mournful face twisted; frightened, he let out a startled scream.

"Get lost!"

Ge Lei De froze for a moment, recalling how his older brother had berated him during their previous fight, and the fire inside him finally ignited.

"Sir, you promised to make me president; are you now planning to renege?"

If it were ordinary, Fei En would certainly take a small step back to mend relations, after all the Puppet Adventurers' Association would still need this idiot's assistance later.

But the disgusted expression the other's behavior provoked made him frown in revulsion, and he kicked out a leg directly.

"Whether you can become president is entirely up to me; go back and wait calmly for news, okay? As if I could still trap you."

Even though he was kicked, he at least received a reply that favored him; just as Ge Lei De was about to lower his banner in self‑PUA, the still‑unsettled Fei En whispered another line.

"Besides, even if I don't grant you the presidency, what does it matter? You're just a filthy beastman, yet you still dare to set conditions…"

That finally hit Ge Lei De's sore spot; already insecure from back‑stabbing his older brother, he completely broke down, and within a few moves stepped forward, grabbed Fei En's shoulder, and roared loudly.

"Fei En, what does this mean? I betrayed my dearest big brother to show my sincerity, and this is the attitude I get from you!?"

"How dare you push me!"

A heavy stench of carrion and blood sprayed onto Fei En's face; this ignited Fei En's fury even more, his eyes blood‑shot as he broke free from Ge Lei De's grasp and shoved him back.

Unsteady, Ge Lei De staggered back two steps, emitting an angry snort.

"Y‑You— you—you— I just pushed you, what's the big deal? Hmph!"

The fiercest showdown often requires the most childish method; the two, blinded by anger, began a school‑yard style shoving match.

After several rounds of the performances titled "The Boar I Pushed" and "The Leader I Pushed", the quarrel finally escalated into a fight.

If this were outside, the other members of the Raging Wind Mercenary Corps would now be rushing out to mediate.

You shout "Calm down", he replies "Fine", and the two on the steps can preserve their face and pride, swallowing this petty grudge for now, ending with "This is for everyone's face."

But to vent, whenever Fei En comes here to torment prisoners he always forbids anyone, even the adjutant, from accompanying him; Ge Lei De, unable to hold back his thought, slipped in secretly hoping for a promise.

Thus the unrestricted two fought from the restroom all the way to the arena, their spiraling anger giving them no intention to stop.

In fact, if it were a quick strike, with Fei En immediately beating Ge Lei De single‑handedly, the fight might still have ended with a "good" conclusion.

But one was a weakened mercenary leader, the other a raging berserk beastman; despite a twelve‑level gap, they fought to a dead‑heat.

That ruined things; everyone thought that as long as they kept pushing they could win and regain the initiative in this collaboration, so the fight grew more intense.

You deliver a right whip kick, he counters with a left heavy stomp; soon the melee turned them into a pair of bloodied men, their words growing ever more absurd.

"Dead pig, do you think that without me you can't run the Puppet Adventurers' Association? You're just a useless tool, understand!"

"Don't think you're my only partner; at worst I'll go find Mr. Suo La, and he'll gladly accept my friendship and loyalty!"

That finally tore away the last veil of their cooperation; as Ge Lei De brandished a hand axe, the nature of the clash changed completely.

"Pulling a knife, huh? I see you're courting death!"

Perhaps because he had just sparred with a black‑clothed opponent for hundreds of rounds, the sudden duel of blades with a sluggish boar‑person gave Fei En an oddly extreme sense of ease.

Realizing his weaponry couldn't match the opponent, Ge Lei De, who was essentially digging his own pit, let out a panicked scream; after only a few moves his body was riddled with slash wounds.

"You damn thing, you still dare betray me; an untamed wolf deserves death!"

But before he could beg for mercy, a careless move let Fei En's dagger slice his throat.

"Uh… cough… cough…"

Fresh blood gushed out, carrying away the heat surging in his head; only after finally calming down did Ge Lei De realize the foolishness of his act.

He tried to call for rescue, but felt the air in his lungs leaking out through the wounds, and could only gasp weakly as blood foam choked him.

In a daze, a figure he knew intimately since childhood, who had accompanied him all the way to today, flashed before his eyes.

"Bao Li Si, big brother, save me…"