Apocalypse: Last Traveler

"So, those three people inside just now, are they hostages brought in by Fa?"

Lu Xi'an asked.

Hearing Liang Si speak, Lu Xi'an confirmed that "Fa" was the name of that young kid.

"Yes."

Liang Si said, "But they are also considered collaborators. After Fa killed the previous leader Duan Nan here, he intimidated the others, and it's safe to say he's the new leader now.

"He united and controlled a group of people, executing and expelling those who were disobedient, gradually taking over the entire Tongzhou County.

"But then he thought there were too many people around him, making resource distribution quite troublesome, so he split them up, letting those three groups each manage a territory.

"He patrols the areas every few days and absolutely forbids communication between people in those three areas.

"He took one individual from each of the three places, acting as liaison officers and also as hostages.

"He has a gun, but since he killed Duan Nan, he hasn't used it on outsiders anymore; it's only for self-defense and dealing with his own disobedient men."

Right as he finished speaking, Lu Xi'an heard a "bang" sound.

The gunshot had a slightly different sound than Yao Wei's pistol, suddenly reminding Lu Xi'an of what Liang Si just said, startling him.

Fortunately, a scream followed shortly from afar; it was the voice of that little rascal Fa.

It seemed that even if Fa fired the gun, he couldn't harm Yao Wei.

Lu Xi'an let out a long breath and said, "Why didn't you speak sooner?!"

Liang Si's face turned pale and said, "I just remembered now.

"Fa hasn't used a gun for a long time. Now if there's someone to teach a lesson, he would have us restrain the person, and he would carve them up himself with a knife."

Lu Xi'an said, "You two tools are rather competent at your jobs."

Liang Si said sullenly, "He set new rules, and by following him, the rules bring benefits; we don't suffer a loss."

"You clearly understand it..."

Lu Xi'an said, then asked, "And? Besides these people you've mentioned, is there anyone else here?"

Liang Si said, "No, outside Tongzhou County is too desolate; others who didn't die and were expelled couldn't survive either."

"Alright."

Lu Xi'an nodded, then took out his small blade from his sleeve and ended Liang Si's life.

After killing someone, you have to loot their body.

Lu Xi'an wiped the blade on Liang Si to clean off the blood, then stowed the knife away, patting down Liang Si and Liang San.

Liang Si had a thick heavy pipe over a meter long hidden in his sleeve, rough to hold and hollow inside, seemingly like a heating pipe.

With the pipe in hand, his arm lying on the ground couldn't bend, but because there wasn't time, the pipe couldn't be taken out to be used.

Liang San had a bow and a quiver of arrows.

The bow was a simple straight-pull bow. When Liang San fell, he crushed the bow with his weight, actually breaking it.

Yet Lu Xi'an was indifferent since Yao Wei had an American hunting bow, so even without Liang San's bow, the recently seized arrows could still be of use.

Lu Xi'an directly picked up the quiver and counted eleven arrows in it, more than Yao Wei's.

Now Yao Wei didn't have to worry too much about arrow wastage.

Lu Xi'an slung the quiver over his shoulder, picked up the heating pipe, and only after confirming nothing else was on Liang San and Liang Si's bodies besides the weapons, did he return to the station building.

Yao Wei wasn't by the car but was waiting for Lu Xi'an inside the station building.

When Lu Xi'an returned, he saw that Yao Wei had already broken both of Fa's arms and legs.

Due to brutal methods, the parts Fa had broken were already swelling, with even traces of blood oozing out. He dangled in Yao Wei's grip, his limbs swinging, trembling constantly, and groaning incessantly.

But Lu Xi'an merely glanced at him, then turned his attention to Yao Wei, asking, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Yao Wei had a new gun in hand, probably seized from Fa.

With a nonchalant expression, she shook her head and said, "I was just trying to ask him about things here, didn't control him tightly, then he pulled out a gun from his bosom, trying to shoot me. Now he can't shoot anymore."

Lu Xi'an glanced at Fa again.

From what Liang San said earlier, he felt this kid wasn't worth sympathy, and hearing from Yao Wei that the brat even attempted a sneak attack, he thought the kid deserved it even more.

Lu Xi'an asked, "What did he tell you?"

Yao Wei said, "He keeps reciting the same lines, telling us not to trust those two, claiming they have three groups in Tongzhou County, warning us to be careful and leave quickly."

"Sounds almost kind-hearted."

Lu Xi'an chuckled.

Yet Fa, forcing his quivering body upright, said, "I-I'm telling the truth! Run quickly, their associates are coming, you won't be able to escape!

"Hmm... You can spare my life. Those two bad guys made me relay messages for them, so everyone else knows me.

"If you meet their associates on the road... Ha... I can cover for you!"

Due to extreme pain, the kid's lips trembled constantly as he spoke, his voice quivering and occasionally letting out a pained whimper.

"Really?"

Lu Xi'an asked, "How can I trust you?"

Fa shakily forced a harmless smile, saying, "Uncle, Auntie, I'm just a small kid, how could I not be trustworthy?

"Hmm... Ah... Otherwise, they wouldn't have let me be the liaison."

His words made it seem like he hadn't just attempted a sneak attack with a hidden gun.

Full of lies, the kid looked like an innocent child, but nothing he said was trustworthy.

Lu Xi'an, through Fa's behavior, confirmed Liang Si's words were true, so he directly stabbed Fa in the neck.

Fa's eyes widened instantly in disbelief, and then his gaze darkened.

Lu Xi'an pulled out the knife, and Yao Wei dropped Fa.

"This little rascal, really cunningly vicious, yet seemingly not too bright."

Lu Xi'an sighed, saying.

He couldn't understand how a kid, with so many flaws in his words, his actions contradictory, relying on blunt cunning and viciousness, managed to rule a place.

Yao Wei said nothing, seemingly unimpressed by Fa's behavior. Maybe in such a post-apocalyptic world, people and events like this were something she had seen often.

Lu Xi'an said, "Let's quickly search here and get out.

"If Liang Si wasn't lying, there are still three groups in the city, in cooperation with Fa.

"With the gunshot just now, if they heard the noise, they might come over."

Yao Wei nodded, saying, "Okay." Then she and Lu Xi'an acted together, conducting a brief search of the place, gathering some loot, and returning to the car.