Chapter 39: The Tide Turns, Li Chengdong’s Transformation

Gu Feng cast a sidelong glance at Scarface and continued walking for a short while.

After pushing through a thicket of bushes, Chen Fan and his two companions suddenly came into view. Seeing Yang Keli’s curvaceous figure, especially the smile that graced her face as she turned, Gu Feng couldn't help but swallow hard. A cunning glint sparkled in his eyes as he whispered, "Exquisite. That girl is a prize."

He signaled for his men to prepare for the attack, while he remained hidden behind the bushes, quietly observing every move Chen Fan and his group made. Chen Fan, Yang Keli, and Xu Xinjie were completely unaware of the looming danger as they continued discussing the best locations to trap animals.

Chen Fan pointed toward a direction on the vast plain and said, "I’ve seen plenty of animal tracks over there before. Let's head that way and take a look."

Just as they were about to set off, a dozen men suddenly burst out from the nearby woods, rushing toward them with loud, aggressive shouts.

Chen Fan’s eyes narrowed instantly as he drew his diamond sword. "Prepare for battle!"

Xu Xinjie quickly pulled out his weapon and stepped in front of Yang Keli. Within moments, the three of them were completely surrounded.

Gu Feng emerged slowly from the nearby brush with a wicked grin on his face. "I'll give you two choices: submit or die!"

Looking at the dozen men, Chen Fan let out a cold laugh, his expression fearless. "You think you can scare me with this? Keep dreaming!"

Although the opposition numbered over a dozen, Chen Fan could see at a glance that their weaponry and equipment were far inferior to his own, so he felt no fear. Furthermore, Chen Fan had already sent a message to Zhao Gang to notify Ram and the others. It was far from certain who would be the one doing the killing before long.

Yang Keli stepped out from behind them, raising her diamond sword toward the enemy with a look of disdain. "Do you really think you can make us submit with just the likes of you?"

When Gu Feng saw the diamond swords in the hands of Chen Fan and Yang Keli, he was struck with a sudden, violent jolt. His eyes widened, fixed greedily upon the cyan-blue blades, a surge of intense jealousy and covetousness welling up within him. Could it be that they had secured their rewards using these very weapons? The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that his guess was correct.

In this dangerous world, where resources were scarce, possessing such a weapon was equivalent to holding immense power. If he could seize them, he could act with total impunity. He could easily claim those beautiful girls for himself and perhaps even dominate the entire region.

Gu Feng snorted, "Hmph, you choose the hard way instead of the easy one. Men, attack! Kill the males, but keep that girl alive for me!"

At his command, his men swarmed forward. The battle erupted instantly. Chen Fan swung his diamond sword, leaping high into the air, and brought it down upon an approaching enemy. A red "-10" appeared above the man's head, and he dropped to the ground instantly. A one-hit kill.

Xu Xinjie was not to be outdone, wielding his iron sword against the enemy. Each of his strikes only dealt 7 points of damage, assuming the target lacked iron armor. If the enemy were wearing iron gear, the damage from Xu Xinjie's iron sword would be slashed by 50%. If he were using a stone sword against an armored enemy, the damage would be pitiful—merely 1 point—hardly posing a real threat.

Just then, a burly man wielding an iron sword approached Chen Fan rapidly. Chen Fan was currently occupied with three attackers and was unaware of the man closing in from behind. Seeing this, Xu Xinjie shouted a warning, "Brother Fan, watch your back!"

Hearing the shout, Chen Fan turned to parry, but it was too late. The burly man’s iron sword struck him squarely.

-5

Chen Fan winced in pain, but he gritted his teeth and used the momentum of his turn to strike back with his diamond sword. The blade grazed the burly man’s arm and torso, a "-8" floating up. The man recoiled in pain, his sword nearly slipping from his grasp. Furious, Chen Fan gave him no time to recover and slashed again, killing him instantly.

He had barely finished off the burly man and caught his breath when he heard a roar of battle approaching from afar. Chen Fan’s heart leapt with joy, and he instinctively looked toward the source of the noise.

Over twenty people appeared on a small hill, led by Ram’s group, all brandishing weapons and charging toward them with fierce momentum.

Seeing this, Gu Feng cursed, "Son of a b*tch." His face turned sheet white. His plan to swarm them and seize the diamond swords vanished instantly.

He no longer cared about his dignity; only one thought remained in his mind: run. He spun around and bolted, stumbling so hard he nearly fell face-first into the dirt, yet he dared not stop for even a second.

"Damn that Scarface!" Gu Feng muttered as he scrambled into the depths of the forest. "He said there were only four of them! Where did these twenty people come from?" He looked utterly pathetic in his flight.

The dozen men who had followed Gu Feng, seeing this turn of events, lost all will to fight. Only six or seven remained. Watching their leader, Gu Feng, flee in a panic, they didn't hesitate to turn and run as well, shouting, "Boss, wait for us!" They scrambled after him, terrified of being left behind and becoming the next target.

Seeing them flee, Chen Fan would not let them off easily. He quickly drew his bow, notched an arrow, and let it fly. The arrow struck one of the enemies in the leg; the man shrieked, collapsed, and struggled to crawl away. Yang Keli, equally relentless, pulled out her own bow and joined Chen Fan in the pursuit. Within moments, three more of the fleeing men were struck down.

Seeing Gu Feng vanish into the forest in a panic, Chen Fan knew well that one must pull up the weeds to prevent them from growing back. His expression hardened as he shouted, "Zhao Gang, Cheng Dong, stay behind and clean up these stragglers! Rem, take the others and follow me!"

Without hesitation, Chen Fan and Yang Keli sprinted deep into the forest. He didn't even glance at the struggling Scarface and the others as he passed them.

Meanwhile, Zhao Gang and his three companions arrived at the scene, looking at the three men on the ground and the bloodstains scattered about. The faint metallic scent of blood, mixed with the smell of earth and grass, made the atmosphere feel suffocating. Zhao Xiaoqian, unable to stomach the sight, covered her mouth and ran to the side to vomit.

Zhao Gang frowned, his voice trembling slightly as he said to Li Chengdong, "Chengdong, this... I really can't bring myself to do it."

Li Chengdong did not respond; he only gripped his sword, his hand trembling slightly.