Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Butler’s Plot

The zombie tiger surged forward like an arrow released from its string, carrying me at a speed so astonishing it defied belief.

Before long, we caught up to Jiang Yunjie and his group. They were truly courting death, fleeing at a leisurely pace while laden with supplies—a display of utter stupidity, like lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet.

"Jiang, you scum, stop! Let Luo Yucheng go!" I bellowed, my voice echoing across the desolate wilderness.

Hearing me, Jiang Yunjie whipped his head around. His eyes flashed with shock at how quickly I had closed the distance. He immediately ordered his men to open fire, and bullets whistled past my ears. But the zombie tiger was far too swift for them; it dodged the incoming fire with the fluid grace of a dragon dancing through water.

Seeing me closing in, Jiang Yunjie panicked. He drew his pistol, pressed it against Luo Yucheng’s temple, and shouted with a trembling voice, trying to feign composure: "Take one more step and I’ll blow her brains out!"

His hand shook as he held the gun, clearly lacking confidence. My heart tightened. "Fine!" I shouted back. "Tell me what you want!" I dared not gamble with Luo Yucheng’s life, fearing that his trembling finger might accidentally pull the trigger.

I leaped from the tiger's back and held my hands high, walking forward slowly. Every step was calculated, terrified that I might provoke the madman.

"Release her! Isn't it me you want? Take me in exchange," I said, my gaze locked on his weapon.

The mercenaries behind him raised their rifles, their eyes sharp with suspicion. Seeing I had no tricks up my sleeve, they exchanged glances.

"Third Young Master! You must not make this trade! She is our only leverage!" the steward, Chen Jing, warned with a tense expression.

Jiang Yunjie ignored him. Seeing me as no immediate threat, he relaxed and shoved Luo Yucheng toward me, sneering, "Fine, come and trade places!"

At that exact moment, the steward—the man who had always been so deferential to Jiang Yunjie—suddenly produced a pistol and aimed it directly at Luo Yucheng. His gaze was icy, as chilling as a winter frost.

My heart sank. Without a second thought, I sprinted forward, pulling Luo Yucheng into my arms and shielding her behind me.

In that instant, a gunshot shattered the air. A bullet whistled through space and struck me square in the chest.

"Ugh—"

A wave of excruciating pain surged through me, forcing a muffled groan. I felt my strength ebbing away, yet my arms remained locked around Luo Yucheng, refusing to let go.

"Fire!"

The steward’s command was cold, like a judge pronouncing a death sentence. The mercenaries obeyed, raising their weapons and unleashing a torrent of gunfire.

At this critical juncture, the zombie tiger moved like a bolt of black lightning, leaping in front of us to block the rain of bullets with its sturdy frame.

Jiang Yunjie stood by, stunned and bewildered. His lips quivered as he managed to stammer, "Old Chen, you... why?"

The steward remained expressionless, not even deigning to look at him, and coldly ordered, "Someone, take the Third Young Master away!"

Several mercenaries grabbed Jiang Yunjie and began their retreat. The others kept up the fire, weaving a web of death to cover their escape. Bullets tore into the tiger, spraying dark blood, but the beast felt no pain, standing firm to protect us.

Finally, the guns fell silent. Da Huang seized the moment, turning like an enraged beast to charge the remaining mercenaries. It opened its massive jaws, clamped onto one man's head, and tossed it aside with such force that the body was decapitated. The remaining men fled in terror, but the tiger hunted them down until the last was dead.

Its eyes burned with a fire that seemed ready to consume the world. It turned toward Jiang Yunjie and his group.

Seeing this, I felt a pang of concern and shouted, "Da Huang, stop... that's enough!"

The tiger halted, glanced back at me with a flicker of hesitation, and finally stood down.

***

The night was as black as ink. Jiang Yunjie and his men fled like stray dogs, abandoning their once-impenetrable base. Behind them, fire lit the sky, casting long, wretched shadows as they disappeared into the boundless night.

Jiang Yunjie’s mind was in turmoil. Seeing no pursuit, he let out a breath, but his expression shifted violently. He turned to his steward and roared, "You son of a bitch! Are you trying to get me killed?"

Chen Jing remained as submissive as ever, silent and unresponsive. Jiang Yunjie, burning with rage, stepped forward and grabbed the steward’s collar, glaring at him. "I’m talking to you, you old fool! Are you trying to betray me?"

In a sudden shift, Chen Jing’s eyes sharpened. He pried Jiang Yunjie’s hand away with force and calmly straightened his clothes. His gaze was cold as he stated, "You idiot. That woman was our last bargaining chip, and you traded her away for nothing. You are digging your own grave!"

Jiang Yunjie froze. It was the first time he had heard the steward speak to him with such venom. His eyes widened, trembling with fury.

"You... how dare you speak to me like that!"

Chen Jing showed no fear. "With that woman in our hands, we could have captured him. With our current numbers, keeping him around was a death sentence! If I hadn't fired to cause that chaos, we might not have escaped at all. You fool! Can you not even see that?"

Jiang Yunjie’s face flushed. Though he knew the steward was right, he could not accept such insubordination. He gritted his teeth and hissed, "Even so, are you trying to rebel, Chen Jing? How dare you act on your own?"

The steward glanced at him with utter disdain. "You pathetic excuse for a Jiang. If I hadn't spent the last two years protecting you, you would have died in this apocalypse long ago!"

Jiang Yunjie’s face turned livid. He shook with rage, screaming, "Do you want me to tell my father you’re trying to usurp the family?"

"Hmph!" Chen Jing looked at him with contempt. "I call you Third Young Master out of respect for your father; otherwise, a bastard like you isn't worth my service!" He flicked his sleeves and turned away. "I could have replaced you long ago if I wanted to. I suggest you be smart and listen to me, and I might let you live a few more years."

The man who had once been so subservient was gone, replaced by a torrent of insults that cut through Jiang Yunjie’s pride like a blade.

Jiang Yunjie, his face beet-red and his fists trembling, finally snapped. "You old bastard, you dare call me pathetic? I’ll kill you!"

He reached for his waist, and a gleaming pistol was suddenly in his hand, pointed directly at the steward’s back.

"Bang—"