Chapter 26: Shadows of Doubt

(Note: If you skipped the previous chapter, you only need to know the following: Jiang Yunhan ordered everyone to remain silent, and the vanguard team has split into two.)

On the other side, Chen Xiao was still tailing Jiang Yunhan and his seven-man team. This group possessed relatively strong combined strength, and their pace was considerably faster than before. They were now only a third of the way from the summit. However, the closer they got to the top, the higher the probability of encountering New Humans, and the intensity of the confrontations grew accordingly.

Lü Xingji desperately wanted to ask why so many powerful New Humans were suddenly appearing near the summit. If this were a lower-quality team, all seven of them would be in danger of being wiped out.

"Boom!"

Lü Xingji crushed a New Human under his foot. Looking back, he saw Jiang Yunhan had just finished off another one. He gestured, asking: It’s getting harder the further we go; should we continue?

Jiang Yunhan nodded firmly, gesturing back: Move!

Chen Xiao raised an eyebrow. No wonder Jiang Yunhan was such a big shot in his previous life. Most people lacked this kind of intuitive grasp of opportunity and sheer nerve. Chen Xiao even suspected that most people in his past life had only heard of the Tier 2 New Humans in the South City, never having actually seen one. Could it be that Jiang Yunhan had intentionally spread rumors while he himself claimed this "opportunity for evolution"? It was very possible.

"Hehehehe."

A familiar laugh drew the team's attention. More New Humans? In such a short time, they had already encountered dozens.

The group turned to see a rather peculiar New Human. It was only one meter tall, possessed extraordinary agility, and moved in leaps and bounds toward them. Its pure white pupils emitted a terrifying radiance.

Jiang Yunhan did not hesitate; he realized this New Human was different. He immediately ordered: "Attack together!"

Lü Xingji took the lead, drawing his blade and lunging at the small creature. The others followed, unleashing their talents—most of which were strength-based. However, they soon realized they couldn't land a hit. The short creature was too fast—faster even than those with agility-based talents.

Chen Xiao remained in the shadows, not intending to intervene. There were two reasons: first, Jiang Yunhan had obtained the "opportunity for evolution" in the past life and shouldn't die here; second, he knew he couldn't catch the creature either.

The situation reached an awkward stalemate. The creature’s attacks posed no threat to the team, but the team couldn't catch it. Lü Xingji looked at Jiang Yunhan with frustration; he wanted to speak, as this was hurting their efficiency.

Jiang Yunhan understood his meaning and sighed. "Speak. The rule is cancelled!"

Receiving the order, Lü Xingji began rattling off commands like a machine gun: "Lang Fei with me, Huang Shan with Kui Jiang, Yu Zhu with Xu Sheng, and Boss Jiang on his own. We’ll flank from four sides and take it down in one go!"

Field command was where Lü Xingji excelled. The others understood immediately, spreading out to surround the creature.

"Go!"

Lü Xingji roared, instantly activating his S-rank talent, [Ant God Critical Strike]. His strength reached its peak. He leaped into the air, determined to finish the monster off once and for all. But the creature was exceptionally cunning; seeing itself surrounded, it chose to break through instead, lunging directly beneath the feet of the airborne Lü Xingji.

Lü Xingji’s lips curled into a smile: "Third brother, your turn!"

Strangely, there was no response. "Lang Fei, you can talk now!"

He was answered only by Jiang Yunhan’s horrified expression in the distance. He had never seen Boss Jiang so agitated. What was he afraid of? He could see Jiang Yunhan gesturing wildly, his mouth opening and closing as if shouting, but he couldn't hear a thing. He could only hear the howling wind and the sound of his own feet hitting the dirt.

"Squelch!"

A sharp, searing pain erupted. Lü Xingji felt his back being pierced through. He instantly collapsed to his knees. Struggling to turn his head, he met the cold, merciless gaze of Lang Fei.

"Third... brother..."

"Boom!"

He fell, his final words left unsaid.

Jiang Yunhan’s eyes burned red as he looked at Lang Fei nearby. A terrifying power surged within him—it was hatred. Jiang Yunhan was truly enraged. He rarely used his talent recklessly, but at this moment, he refused to hold back.

SS-rank magic talent, [Mystic Turtle Vitality]!

In an instant, Jiang Yunhan felt waves of vitality pouring into his body, transforming into boundless strength. Few knew that his physical power was no less than Lü Xingji's. Glowing with a green aura, Jiang Yunhan charged forward.

"Hehehehe."

Lang Fei laughed, baring his teeth, completely unfazed. He even licked the blood off his hands—blood that had been gouged out from the massive wound in Lü Xingji’s back.

"Hehehehehe."

Jiang Yunhan exploded with fury. With a single punch, Lang Fei was pulverized, his blood and gore splattering everywhere. As for the short creature, it had long since vanished without a trace.

With this, only one of the original founders of the South City warehouse remained.

A long, heavy silence fell over the scene. No one knew when Lang Fei had been replaced, but they all understood one thing: tonight, trust no one.

Jiang Yunhan began to reflect on whether bringing his team to such a dangerous place had been the right choice. Lü Xingji was his best friend. Even if he was foul-mouthed, liked to show off, or flirted with his sister, he was dead now. Lang Fei had been his college roommate. He had loved architecture, studying obsessively every day to help everyone live better in the apocalypse. But he was dead, too.

Someone patted Jiang Yunhan on the shoulder, then sighed and walked ahead. Looking at the back, he saw it was Huang Shan; he had come to comfort him.

However, in the next second, Jiang Yunhan keenly sensed something was wrong. Huang Shan had just... used the back of his hand to pat him.

A bone-chilling cold swept through Jiang Yunhan. He quickly looked forward. Huang Shan was walking with his arms hanging unnaturally at his sides. Most importantly, his palms were facing outward, and the backs of his hands were facing inward.

He was not Huang Shan.

Jiang Yunhan had nerves of steel; he barely let any emotion show. He calmly began to observe the others. Aside from himself, there were only four people left in the team: Huang Shan, Zhao Kuijiang, Yu Zhu, and Zhang Xusheng. After what had just happened, Jiang Yunhan was certain that Huang Shan had been swapped. He couldn't detect any issues with the other three, but he would no longer trust anyone.

After the recent battle, the team moved even faster. They were now only a step away from the summit. As they drew closer, the area narrowed, and more people appeared. From a distance, Jiang Yunhan saw another group. He had seen their leader just a few days ago—the second-in-command of Tianyi Warehouse, the possessor of the S-rank [Electric Eel] talent, Lin the Second.

"The people from Tianyi have arrived, as expected." Zhao Kuijiang muttered, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag.

Zhang Xusheng whispered, "Boss Jiang, the flash is just ahead. What’s the plan?"

"Wait and see. Don't make any rash moves." Jiang Yunhan pondered for a moment, deciding to hold back. The situation was too unclear; between the interference of Tianyi and his own internal crisis, he didn't know how many of the people around him were actually still themselves.

"Boss Jiang, long time no see."

A shrill, androgynous voice drifted over, giving everyone goosebumps. Although Jiang Yunhan hadn't initiated contact, the other side had. Lin the Second was wearing a tight white tank top, his thin, tall frame looking malnourished. In his hands, he was fiddling with two walnuts.

"Lin the Second, didn't Boss Lin come?" Jiang Yunhan asked indifferently.

"My big brother is a busy man; there’s no need to trouble him with such trifles. My presence alone should be enough to show our importance, hahahaha." Lin the Second’s laugh was unsettling. He scanned his surroundings, licked his lips, and continued, "Shall we talk about a partnership?"

Jiang Yunhan hadn't expected Lin the Second to propose a partnership; it defied logic. The founders of Tianyi Warehouse had always been arrogant, and the Lin brothers were notoriously overbearing. If they were proposing a partnership now, either they had encountered something massive, or he, too, had been replaced.