Chapter Forty: Frame Me

However, at this critical juncture, Steward Luo, standing close by, reacted with lightning speed. He drew a gleaming, cold-lit blade from his back and stepped forward, his figure swift as a flash of lightning.

A single blade-flash cut through the sky, accompanied by a crisp "clang" that pierced the air, much like a bolt of lightning across the night sky.

Before Jiang Yunjie could even react, he felt a sudden chill at his neck. A slender, bloody line quietly materialized, and instantly the wound widened as if being torn apart, blood gushing out like a fountain.

His eyes widened in utter disbelief. He hurriedly pressed his hands against his neck, desperately trying to stem the flood of blood that poured out like a breached dam, but it was already too late.

"Chen Jing, you... how dare you..." A hoarse and feeble voice escaped his lips.

Before he could finish his words, his body collapsed limply into the pool of blood like a kite with a snapped string.

Chen Jing did not look back. A cold, merciless sneer curled upon his lips, brimming with mockery and disdain.

Slowly, he opened his mouth, his voice as chillingly cold as a bitter winter wind.

"The Third Young Master has been killed by Li Linyu! Everyone, follow me back to report to the Patriarch!"

"Understood!"

The mercenaries behind him responded in unison, their voices crisp and decisive.

Following closely behind Chen Jing, the group departed swiftly, leaving behind only the shocking pool of blood and Jiang Yunjie's gradually cooling corpse.

——————

Jiang Clan's No. 9 Survivor Base.

I lay upon a makeshift operating table while Luo Yucheng busied herself with surgical instruments in a tense yet orderly manner. Her gaze was focused and resolute as her scalpel pressed straight toward the embedded bullet lodged in my chest.

Accompanied by a sharp wave of agony, the bullet was finally and meticulously extracted. I felt an immediate sense of relief in my chest, and my breathing grew much smoother.

"You really do have a cat's nine lives!" Luo Yucheng wiped the sweat from her forehead, her tone carrying a hint of banter, though her eyes were filled with profound concern. "That bullet was just a couple of centimeters from your heart. You were *this* close to losing your life, you know!"

I forced a wry smile. "Of course. Even King Yanluo himself refuses to take me, which just means I still have great things to accomplish."

On the battlefield, the forces of the Jiang Clan had been devoured and swept away like autumn leaves before a gale, leaving behind only panicked, fleeing stragglers scattering in all directions.

Supported by Luo Yucheng, I walked out, took a deep breath, and gently patted the zombie tiger beside me.

"Have them return to the city. Leave the cleanup here to us."

I commanded the zombie tiger to lift the zombie animals' mobilization and ordered them back to the city. Given their massive numbers, I feared staying here any longer might provoke unforeseen accidents.

The zombie tiger let out a low roar, and the zombie animals that had been poised for action instantly pivoted, retreating like a receding tide and leaving behind only a chaotic battlefield strewn with corpses.

At that moment, Xu Hanfeng and the others were helped out of the shipping containers, their bodies wrapped in bandages. Seeing that they had all been properly bandaged, the heavy stone in my heart finally dropped.

Seeing that Luo Yucheng and I were safe and sound, the tight frown between Xu Hanfeng's brows finally relaxed slightly.

Afterward, I strode to the center of the base and motioned for Luo Yucheng to strike the bronze bell. That bronze bell was standard equipment in every Jiang Clan survivor base, used to summon all personnel within.

The bell's toll was dull and resonant, echoing "dong, dong, dong" across the sky above the base like a horn of victory, rousing every dormant corner.

Lights flickered on in room after room. Survivors cautiously opened their doors, poked their heads out, and stared with blank, curious expressions.

I cleared my throat and shouted loudly, "The Jiang Clan's forces have been annihilated by us, and Jiang Yunjie has fled! From now on, this place belongs to me, Li Linyu!"

A gentle breeze swept past, yet the base remained astonishingly quiet. I scratched my head in mild embarrassment, thinking to myself: *Isn't this the part in movies where the crowd erupts into thunderous cheers and support? Why is this script playing out differently?*

Quickly adjusting my emotions, I continued, "I know you may not know much about me yet. But let me tell you this: those who wish to stay may carry on with life as usual, and I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety and livelihood; those who wish to leave may do so right now, and I will not stop you!"

As the words fell, the survivors began to whisper among themselves in low murmurs. A glimmer of hope flickered in the eyes of some, while others wore expressions of hesitation.

A moment later, a voice rang out.

"We are willing to stay!"

Instantly, that single voice swelled into a torrent, echoing throughout the entire base.

I turned my head to look at Luo Yucheng, and the two of us exchanged a smile. Her eyes were filled with encouragement and trust, sending a warm surge through my heart.

......

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the shattered windows into the room, breathing a trace of vitality into the ruins.

Xu Hanfeng got up early despite his injuries and began organizing the people to clean up the battlefield. He led by example, even with bandages still wrapped around his body.

The base had been a complete mess, with corpses, blood, and severed limbs of zombie animals scattered everywhere, but through everyone's joint efforts, it quickly became much cleaner and more orderly.

I woke up in Jiang Yunjie's room. The room looked entirely ordinary from the outside, but the interior was quite exquisitely decorated—a rare luxury in this apocalyptic world.

I touched the scabbed gunshot wound on my chest, the round scar still seemingly recounting the heart-pounding events of the previous night.

I got up and walked over to a mirror, where my scarred body came into view. Although the wounds had all healed, the scars remained shocking to the eye, recording my combat history and my trajectory of growth.

Dressing myself, I stepped out of the room to find Xu Hanfeng and the others busy rebuilding our home. In a distant building, Luo Yucheng was meticulously changing the dressings for those who had been whipped.

Standing upstairs at that moment, I felt almost like the new savior of this land, carving out new territory and expanding my influence here.

The fire of vanity within my heart burned fiercely in this illusory glory, and an unprecedented sense of contentment surged like a tide, permeating every single thought.

Life proceeded in an orderly fashion, each day filled with busyness and hope. That fellow Jiang Hanchuan spent the entire day immersed in the armory, utterly enamored with the firearms and artillery shells. Leading a group of youths, he carefully polished each cold piece of hardware before arranging them neatly by model and purpose.

He glanced up at me, far too busy to engage in small talk, and lowered his head again to fiddle with the sole remaining light tank, his hands fluttering with a wrench and a screwdriver.

Leaving the armory, I headed to the training ground. Xu Hanfeng and Mu Wanqing were leading a group of sturdy middle-aged and young men in rigorous training.

Some practiced combat techniques while sweating profusely, while others aimed their rifles at targets with unwavering determination in their eyes—a necessary measure to adapt to the survival laws of this apocalyptic era.

At that moment, my gaze was drawn to a group in the distance. Luo Yucheng was leading them in removing the Jiang Clan's signs and insignia one by one, after which they used vibrant paint to brush the large characters "New Dawn Homeland" onto the wall. The bold, powerful calligraphy felt like our declaration and aspiration for a new life.

I smiled, turned around, and strolled with my zombie tiger, Dahuang, into every corner of the New Dawn Homeland. Seeing everyone's busy and fulfilling figures, an inexplicable sense of pride welled up inside me.

I truly had yet to fully adapt to this transformation in status. Once a mere ordinary survivor, I had now become the ruler of this homeland.

Though I knew it was partly just a joke, my heart still swelled with secret delight......