Chapter 18: Chapter 18: The Unpredictability of Life and Death
A pedestrian blocking his path was tossed aside by him with one hand, flying six or seven ters away before falling heavily to the ground.
Luckily, the cars on the street noticed sothing was wrong and imdiately braked, preventing a tragedy.
"He’s a Barbarian, take him down, don’t let him escape." A middle-aged man who also fled from the bookstore shouted, grabbed a broom from a nearby shop, and wielded it like a sword for confrontation.
His stance clearly showed he had learned Swordsmanship, possibly even a Martial Artist Apprentice, otherwise no one would have the courage to confront a Barbarian in such a situation.
Chen Shouyi, who was preparing to escape, couldn’t help but slow down his steps.
As a young man, his heart wasn’t cold yet, and his blood still hot, as he looked left and right trying to find a weapon at hand.
Yet before he could find a weapon, the Barbarian rushed towards the middle-aged man instantaneously, Chen Shouyi couldn’t describe his speed, even his naked eyes could barely capture it, covering ten plus ters in an instant.
The middle-aged man’s sword hadn’t even thrust before a fist hit his skull heavily.
His body flew into the air, soon rolling to the ground like a broken sack.
The skull smashed to bits, like a waterlon crushed into pieces.
The scariest part was, throughout the whole ti, the Barbarian held a large bag made from bed sheets, filled with books, weighing at least a hundred pounds.
Chen Shouyi only glanced at the tragic corpse, and his hot blood quickly dissipated, a chill spread through his body, and the initial eager anticipation vanished, leaving only the fear deep in his heart.
Fortunately, the Barbarian did not continue senseless slaughter, and after intimidation, he looked vigilantly to both sides before quickly fleeing forward, his steps heavy and vast, spanning five to six ters with each stride.
Within re seconds, the Barbarian had disappeared into the street.
The incident happened so fast, by the ti the heavily ard special police arrived, three minutes had already passed.
By that ti, Chen Shouyi had already left the scene.
Both were pushing bicycles, and pedestrians on the road, upon seeing the bloodstains on both, avoided them with frightened expressions.
Yet in their disturbed minds, neither seed aware.
Zhang Xiaoyue was exceptionally quiet, her body trembling slightly.
Chen Shouyi could feel her fear, actually, not just her, he himself was no different.
People living in peace always find it hard to imagine the brutality of death, even when such news is often broadcasted, as they feel too distant to truly experience, appearing less real.
Dongning City had always been a quiet and peaceful small city, even the war against another world invasion from twenty years ago was only a small-scale high-intensity conflict happening in distant borderlands.
In terms of scale, it couldn’t compare to the world wars, and barely affected everyday life.
Perhaps Chen Shouyi would read online with great interest about how much advanced equipnt was used in that war, yet never truly felt the cruelty of it.
In this small city, the only event that could be called a different world invasion was from two years ago.
Two smuggling Barbarians were killed in the outskirts of Dongning.
Not long after, a hidden wormhole near Dongning City was discovered, then the military stationed there.
The police were efficient, as they walked down the street, the square’s ad screens were broadcasting the wanted notice for the Barbarian, attracting many to stop and watch, with panic written on their faces.
Chen Shouyi escorted Zhang Xiaoyue to the gate of her residential complex, saying, "Class monitor, I’m leaving now."
After a pause, he added comforting words, "The Barbarian shouldn’t be able to escape, there are caras everywhere on the street, perhaps by tonight, the news will report on it."
"Thank you, Chen Shouyi, if it weren’t for you dragging
along, I might have..."
"You’re our class monitor, how could I leave you behind? Don’t overthink this, I’m off now." Chen Shouyi forced a smile, pretending to be relaxed.
Saying so, he cycled away quickly.
Along the way, he received a phone call.
"Why are you still outside? Hurry back!" The voice on the phone was Mrs. Chen’s, filled with anxiety.
"Mom, I’m coming back now." Chen Shouyi didn’t ask why.
He hung up and sped ho.
It was closing ti, and the rolling door was half shut, he placed his bicycle through the back door, only to be pulled inside by Mrs. Chen, who quickly locked the rolling door.
"Thank the Bodhisattva, you finally ca back, you don’t know what happened earlier, it was terrifying." Mrs. Chen said tensely.
Suddenly her expression froze, her face turning pale.
"Why is there blood on you?"
Chen Shouyi touched it, the blood was already dried, on his palm only leaving scabs, possibly with so flesh fragnts. Rembering these things were splattered from a corpse, he felt uncomfortable.
Seeing it couldn’t be concealed, Chen Shouyi could only confess honestly.
"You... why go to a bad place, must go to the bookstore, you almost scared
to death." Mrs. Chen felt both relieved and afraid, finally couldn’t hold back and hit him twice heavily: "Quick, take off your clothes, I’ll burn it later. Then pray to cleansing Bodhisattva."
As a business operator who opens doors for business, superstition is most common, his family had been offering to Guanyin and the God of Wealth for years, but neither he nor his sister frequently prayed.
"Alright, mom. By the way, where is Xing Yue?" While taking off his coat, he asked.
"She ca back long ago, watching the news upstairs with your dad."
Under Mrs. Chen’s watch, after Chen Shouyi prayed to Bodhisattva, he went upstairs and was interrogated by Chen Dawei.
The TV was broadcasting the news from earlier, he saw censored corpses being carried out from the bookstore, so were even just a pile of rotten flesh fitted into bags.
"As of now, the number of deaths from this attack has reached 135, with 43 severely injured, currently undergoing urgent rescue..."
Chen Shouyi took a glance but watched no more, the scene was crueler than reported, he got up and went to the bathroom, taking a shower to wash away all the remaining blood scent off his body.
In the evening, after a simple dinner, the family gathered before the TV, watching the latest news.
On the street outside, police sirens could be heard occasionally, apparently all police forces had been mobilized.
The atmosphere in the living room was a bit oppressive, few spoke.
Such a terrifying otherworldly terrorist road the city, no one could eat or sleep well, as if everything were normal.
At seven in the evening.
A news suddenly interrupted.
The host glanced at the script, showing a hint of joy, but quickly turned solemn: "Now broadcasting a report. Under the city blockade, at 6:40 PM, Dongning City’s special police force and several honorary special police from the Martial Arts Association finally found the Barbarian’s hiding place in Yanghu Park. After intense fighting, the Barbarian was finally killed.
In this battle, including Dongning City’s Martial Arts Association Vice President Zhou Shaofeng, four special police officers unfortunately died in the line of duty...
Zhou Shaofeng died!
Chen Shouyi paused for a mont, the first ti he heard Zhou Shaofeng’s na was from his school’s Martial Arts Teacher.
Two years ago, those two Barbarians in Dongning’s outskirts were defeated by his single-handed, miraculous stabbing.
However, such a powerful figure, a senior Martial Artist, unexpectedly died, in the battle against the Barbarian.
He felt a sense of dread, yet sowhat relieved.
If he had acted impulsively at the ti, charged forward, perhaps...
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