Chapter 189 Old Zhu's Tactics
"Brother Zhu, I'm joining the camp."
Suddenly, a voice rang out, making Qin Zhao's face twist in anger.
He had been hoping that if enough people stayed silent, even if not everyone did, it would still pose a significant threat.
It was known that on the side of the Tree Domain, aside from their leader Su Han who was a Third Order, the others like Zhu Xiong, Yan Meiyu, and Gan Xinglei were just Second-Order Contractors.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
They had a fighting chance with numbers on their side, just needing to survive this banquet of deception and later draw the monsters to distract Tree Domain, securing their safety.
'Damn, Zheng Xiong, that coward.'
Qin Zhao cursed in his heart, but the people present wouldn't switch sides easily due to his instigation.
After surviving three or four months of the apocalypse, who was still naive? Would Zhao have stepped up if Patriotic Grain and Oil Market didn't have an abundance of resources that were tough to manage?
"Brother Zhu, we three will also join."
The situation quickly shifted towards a clear imbalance—Zheng Xiong, Guo Du, and others knew too well the strength of Tree Domain as they were deeply intertwined with it.
Joking aside, Tree Domain only had a few Second Orders, you haven't seen those ancient tree breeds.
"Move aside, keep your distance."
Zhu Xiong smiled amicably, soon the group split into three factions; Zheng Xiong and his followers almost entirely sided with Zhu Xiong, surrendering.
On the other side, several people kept silent, inclined towards relocating.
Only Qin Zhao stood together with his team, his expression turning extremely ugly.
"Attack!"
Qin Zhao knew the odds were not in his favor, he yelled out, and his subordinates immediately threw several mud bombs towards the most crowded area.
The moment the bombs were thrown, they rushed towards where the vehicles were parked, looking to exit the place on the spot.
However, Zhu Xiong had anticipated this move; a swift red shadow dashed down from a high building, a fierce wind sweeping through, catching all the mud bombs and tossing them onto the vehicles.
Everyone turned to look, revealing a monster with a tiger head and human body, blood-red membranous wings on its back.
"Boom"
The flames instantly engulfed the jeeps, Qin Zhao and his men barely escaped being hit by flying shrapnel, their faces turning utterly grim.
Zhu Xiong lightly patted the Bone Armor Giant Pig beneath him, which then charged forward, roaring as it rushed towards Qin Zhao and his team.
The Gluttonous followed closely, moving at great speed, its arms extended long like a python.
"Kill him!"
Qin Zhao hardened his heart and drew a pistol, firing at Zhu Xiong; the bullets swiftly flew towards him.
But Zhu Xiong was already using his skills, Bone Armor on his body, where the bullets merely clinked and sparked upon impact.
Qin Zhao didn't have as many weapons as guards and the Armed Forces.
However, his summoned Apostles charged forward, two Giant Macrophage Dogs and Blood Bone Dogs nearly four to five meters tall, mutants of the large dogs he had kept before the apocalypse.
Two Second Orders charged with their two lieutenants who were also Second Order, the Apostles crawling and tyrannical types, swiftly moving and instantly dividing the street to try to encompass Zhu Xiong at the very front.
Qin Zhao's eyes were cold and ruthless, knowing there was only one path to survival—capturing Zhu Xiong.
"Let's move in."
Guo Du and others immediately summoned their Apostles, wanting to intervene, but Zhao Yimin stopped them.
"Brother Zhu can handle it himself; you all just watch."
Zhao Yimin's own Apostle stood by his side, motionless; following Zhu Xiong's command.
"Roar!"
The giant creature beside Zhu Xiong engaged in close combat, its sharp fangs piercing into the body of the Giant Macrophage Dog, blood spurting out with a squelch.
The Blood Bone Dog viciously attacked, but Zhu Xiong abandoned the Bone Armor Giant Pig and leaped high, his hammer raised like a guillotine.
Power Burst
Bone Armor
With two skills enhanced, Zhu Xiong's hammer struck down with terrifying force.
A sudden crack was heard, and the Second Order Blood Bone Dog's head hit the ground, blood staining the surroundings, only some skin and flesh dangling.
Zhu Xiong unexpectedly gained the upper hand, and as a Second-Order Intermediate Contractor, his strength was certainly no less than any second-grade monster.
Keep in mind, he had two skills activated simultaneously, and his battles, both big and small, scarcely ever ceased.
His combat power and combat skills were definitely those of a veteran.
As Zhu Xiong landed, a second-rank apostle dashed forward obliquely, aiming to pounce on him before he could stabilize himself.
If the Contractor dares to enter the battlefield himself, he then becomes the biggest weak point.
The apostle's cold glare and evident murderous intent revealed their deep entanglement with Qin Zhao, leaving them no choice but to fight fiercely.
The monster charged fiercely, nearly reaching Zhu Xiong, and the deputy also hurled a long spear with a deadly accuracy.
In the blink of an eye, the Devourer's right arm, like a python striking, latched onto the densely barbed neck of the monster.
The momentum of the pouncing attack was disrupted by the Devourer. Before it could react, the Devourer's form had already surged forward, pinning the monster beneath it.
"Swoosh"
At that moment, as the spear approached, Zhu Xiong's eyes were steely. He reached out with his right arm and firmly caught it, causing the tail of the spear to tremble incessantly.
"A sneak attack?"
He grinned, his right arm fuelled by the explosive strength of his skill, and hurled it back. The power far exceeded the original throw, and its speed was like lightning.
Not good!
The deputy who attempted the sneak attack on Zhu Xiong had no cover in front of him. Now with the instantaneous counterattack and no time to dodge, a puncturing sound rang out as his body was penetrated.
A fatal strike, and both apostles, like puppets with severed strings, ceased moving.
Zhu Xiong had the upper hand in the confrontation, but in the next moment, another deputy's monster charged at him, already reaching his front.
Bang
He gripped his axe-hammer horizontally and resisted desperately, being pushed back several steps. His muscles involuntarily strained, and his expression darkened.
Damn it, die!
Under Zhu Xiong's struggle, his gaze grew even more ferocious, and the Devourer's arm, freed and striking like a python, suddenly hit the monster, causing it to stagger.
As another monster attempted to help, Zhu Xiong swung his axe-hammer around and smashed it down violently. A cracking sound ensued; the skull shattered and even the horns broke off.
In a three-on-three scenario, the Giant Macrophage Dog and the Bone Armor Giant Pig were grappling. The latter was already overpowering, breaking bones with its massive jaws, nearing death.
The Devourer was pinning down another second-rank apostle, mercilessly beating it, while another second-rank apostle in front of Zhu Xiong was just trying to struggle back to its feet to continue the attack.
But another heavy blow from the axe-hammer had already descended, crushing the head entirely, like smashing a melon.
Zhu Xiong strode toward Qin Zhao and the man beside him, his body smeared with the blood of the apostles, the bone armor looking even more fierce.
"Bang Bang Bang"
Qin Zhao was frantically firing a handgun, but under Zhu Xiong's control, the bone armor covered his entire body, even resembling a skull mask on his face.
The bullets were ineffective, and Zhu Xiong had already reached him.
"Pssh"
With a sweep of his axe-hammer, two heads dropped to the ground instantly, leaving no chance for pleas.
Clang
With the death of the two men, the forty to fifty subordinates immediately dropped their weapons and begged for mercy, "Boss Zhu, we—we'll join the Tree Domain."
"Yes, yes, we'll join. Please, let us go! I'm First Order Upper Grade, still useful..."
"Zhao Yimin, round them all up and interrogate them before dealing with them."
"Yes"
Zhao Yimin led his men forward, and the search team members controlled them one by one, chaining their hands and feet. Although this couldn't suppress the Summon Apostle, as long as the apostles appeared, they could directly eliminate the Contractors who fled, which was still highly intimidating.
With his bone armor bloody, Zhu Xiong took large steps to the forefront of the group, his gaze sweeping over these camp leaders. He retracted his face mask, grinned, and said, "Just establishing a bit of authority. The Tree Domain will take back the north side of the city, and anyone who stands in our way will be eliminated. However, if you cooperate, then things can stay as they are.
Some people are content with the status quo and do not seek advancement, but there must be others who are doing what needs to be done, right?"
No one dared to respond to Zhu Xiong, but he kept talking, "Each of your camps has over a hundred people, temporarily safe, but there are quite a few small groups of survivors in the north of the city, hiding and narrowly escaping. We can't just let them all slowly die at the mouths of monsters. So, how you choose in the next three days is what you'll do.
The east side of the city is a bit safer; you can go there to buy some more time. Though the west is chaotic, we have no immediate plans to go there; you can stay even longer. Consider it carefully, just don't regret it later; consider this a fair warning."