Chapter 76

Deep crimson blood.

Following the Dagger's constant dripping,

it gathered on the ground into a pool of blood.

Jiangnan quickened his pace, stepped forward, and crouched down.

He extended two fingers and placed them on Group Leader Li Zuzhang's carotid artery.

After a moment, he slowly withdrew his fingers.

"Jiangnan, Group Leader Li Zuzhang—"

Mu Tong's voice trembled slightly.

Jiangnan remained silent, only shaking his head slowly.

"No!"

Zhou Cong let out a sudden roar of anger.

He rushed to Group Leader Li Zuzhang's side and fell to his knees.

"Group Leader Li Zuzhang, wake up!"

His voice was hoarse, tinged with sobbing.

"You can't die!"

His hands trembled as he tried to support Group Leader Li Zuzhang.

But he dared not touch the wound on his body.

"Who?"

"Who did it?"

Zhou Cong jerked his head up, his eyes blood‑red like a wounded beast.

"Who killed Group Leader Li Zuzhang?"

His voice echoed through the cavernous hall, filled with boundless rage and sorrow.

Xu Mao stepped forward and patted Zhou Cong's shoulder.

"Zhou Cong, calm down."

His voice was equally low, carrying a hint of comfort.

"Now is not the time for grief."

"We must find the murderer and avenge Group Leader Li Zuzhang."

Zhou Cong's body trembled slightly.

He inhaled deeply, striving to steady his emotions.

"Right, revenge!"

He said through clenched teeth.

…

"Group Leader Li Zuzhang's corpse is not yet cold; we should quickly arrange his body for collection."

Mu Tong suddenly spoke, her eyes blood‑shot, her tone saturated with sorrow.

Zhou Cong lunged forward in a single stride, intending to lift Group Leader Li Zuzhang.

But at that moment, a hand blocked him.

It was Jiangnan.

"What are you doing?"

Zhou Cong jerked his head up, glaring at Jiangnan, his eyes ablaze with fierce fury.

"Step aside!"

He roared, his voice hoarse.

Jiangnan watched him quietly, his gaze as still as an ancient well.

He shook his head slowly.

"You…"

Zhou Cong, burning with rage, shoved Jiangnan aside.

"You coward who fears death, what right do you have to block me?"

He pointed at Jiangnan's nose and cursed loudly.

"Group Leader Li Zuzhang was gravely wounded while saving us."

"Now that Group Leader Li Zuzhang has sacrificed himself, you still refuse to let us collect his body; are you still human?"

"I'm telling you, Jiangnan, you are a cold‑blooded, ruthless, selfish scoundrel!"

Zhou Cong grew increasingly agitated, spitting saliva everywhere.

His chest heaved violently, like an enraged lion.

Jiangnan remained silent, standing there quietly as if everything around him were irrelevant.

His gaze was terrifyingly calm, without a ripple.

Seeing Jiangnan stay silent, Zhou Cong grew even angrier.

He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging deep into his flesh, blood dripping from the gaps.

His body trembled, blue veins bulging on his forehead like writhing earthworms.

Zhou Cong spun around sharply, trying to go around Jiangnan.

He powered his legs, bent over, ready to lift Group Leader Li Zuzhang's body,

but the instant his hands were about to touch Li Zuzhang's body, a sudden anomaly erupted.

A cold beam shot out like lightning from beneath Group Leader Li Zuzhang.

The cold beam, swift as a startled swan, flew straight for Zhou Cong's throat.

Zhou Cong's pupils contracted sharply, and he felt a chill surge from his feet straight to the top of his head.

Their mind went blank, body stiffened, as if an immobilization spell had been cast.

A shadow of death enveloped their mind, and they could even smell the scent of death.

Zhou Cong felt his legs go limp, his body trembling uncontrollably, like chaff being sifted.

Sweat instantly soaked their clothes, sticky and icy, making them feel as if they had fallen into a freezer.

At that hair‑trigger moment, a hand suddenly yanked them away.

The cold beam skimmed past their scalp, and a few strands of hair fell.

Zhou Cong collapsed onto the ground, face ashen, lips trembling, yet no sound came out.

Their gaze was vacant, eyes unfocused, as if their soul had left their body.

They opened their mouth wide, but could only produce a "ho ho" sound, like a duck with its throat strangled.

"Zhou Cong!"

Xu Mao's roar pulled them back from the brink of death.

Zhou Cong came to himself and saw Xu Mao clutching his severed arm, moaning in pain.

Xu Mao's right arm was severed cleanly at the shoulder.

The wound was a grisly mess of blood and flesh, white bones exposed, a sight that shocked the eyes.

Fresh blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the ground red.

The air was thick with a heavy scent of blood, making one feel nauseous.

Crimson blood spread across the ground…

"Xu Mao, you…"

Zhou Cong's voice trembled,

They tried to step forward, but found their legs still as soft as noodles.

They could only watch helplessly as Xu Mao's fresh blood kept flowing.

"What are you still standing there for? Help me stop the bleeding!"

Xu Mao clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

His complexion was pale, lips bluish, body trembling slightly.

But Zhou Cong remained slumped on the cold ground, unable to rise at all!

At that moment, the regained Mu Tong quickly tore open her sleeve, revealing a snow‑white arm.

She tightly wrapped a strip of cloth above Xu Mao's severed arm wound.

She tied a knot firmly.

Attempting to stop the blood from gushing.

She clenched her teeth.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead.

Her fingers trembled slightly from the exertion.

Fortunately, the hemostasis proceeded fairly smoothly,

Xu Mao's complexion eased a bit, and only then did Zhou Cong finally come to his senses.

"Damned it,"

All of this is because of Jiangnan!

If he had acted just now, how could Xu Mao have lost an arm?

So he glared at Jiangnan with hatred and demanded:

"Hey, why didn't you act just now? Do you know that because of you, Xu Mao lost an arm?"

Mu Tong bit her lower lip hard, her canine teeth nearly embedding in the flesh, leaving a deep mark.

She jerked her head up, eyes blazing, glaring at Zhou Cong.

"How dare you speak!"

Her voice was sharp, laced with uncontainable anger.

"If you hadn't acted recklessly, how would Xu Mao have been injured?"

Her chest rose and fell violently, like a volcano about to erupt.

"Mr. Jiang had warned us long ago that this place is dangerous!"

She extended her trembling finger, pointing at Zhou Cong.

"And you? Did you hear?"

Her voice was hoarse, each word forced out of her throat.

"You think you're so great, look down on everyone, and now you've caused Xu Mao to lose an arm; are you satisfied?"

Her eyes reddened, tears swirling in her sockets, yet stubbornly refusing to fall.

Zhou Cong was choked silent by Mu Tong's barrage of questions.

He opened his mouth to argue, but found his throat blocked as if something were clogging it, unable to produce any sound.

His complexion shifted between pallor and a bluish hue, like a constantly changing palette.

Within him, guilt and anger intertwined, like two poisonous snakes gnawing at his heart.

He lowered his head, daring not to meet Mu Tong's eyes nor look at Xu Mao's wound.

He clenched his fists, nails digging deep into his flesh, fresh blood dripping along the gaps, yet he remained oblivious.

But…

The voice was low, with a trace of unwillingness.

If Jiangnan had acted just now, we wouldn't have been injured at all…

They suddenly lifted their head, looked at Jiangnan, eyes filled with venom.

He clearly had the ability to save us, yet he stood by, watching Xu Mao get injured with his eyes wide open…

The voice trembled, laden with deep resentment.

They… they are a cold‑blooded, heartless monster!