Chapter 23: My Sworn Brother is an Eighth-Rank Corpse King!

"Yellow-Tooth" swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he whispered, "Honestly, if we stop the car now and kneel, I doubt they'd do anything to us. What do you think?"

Li Xingyue knew Yellow-Tooth was terrified of entering Starsea City. After all, the Zombie King had just slaughtered the city, and there was a good chance the creature was still lurking there. Li Xingyue, however, felt exactly the opposite. He was praying that the Tyrant and the others were still in Starsea City—it was his only hope for survival. Though, he had no idea if they were truly there. Regardless, turning back now would be a guaranteed death sentence.

Li Xingyue patted Yellow-Tooth’s arm. "Don't worry, brother. My boss is in Starsea City. We won't die today!"

Yellow-Tooth remained unconvinced, continuing to wail and lament. To him, Li Xingyue’s words were nothing more than the hollow comfort of a dying man.

Behind them, the occupants of the nine pursuing vehicles watched as the duo drove straight toward the heart of Starsea City. Fear began to take root in almost everyone.

"Captain, they’re heading straight for Starsea City! An eighth-rank Zombie King is in there. Let’s turn back!"
"Damn it, if they aren't afraid, why are you? Besides, the Zombie King would have moved on by now after the massacre, or Freedom City would’ve been wiped out already!"

"Captain, we shouldn't pursue them any further. We’re almost at Starsea City, and there’s a Zombie King inside!"
"Hell, the lead team isn't afraid, so why are you acting like a coward? The Zombie King has definitely left. We’ve finally caught some easy prey; we aren't letting them go now, are we?"

The conversations across the various teams were much the same. Once their captains weighed in, the majority of the men convinced themselves the Zombie King had vacated the city, and their fear largely evaporated. They pushed their vehicles to the limit.

About an hour later, Li Xingyue reached the eastern entrance of Starsea City. Although he had only been gone for a little over a week, a strange sense of detachment washed over him, as if a lifetime had passed. *Almost there! Ten more minutes and we’ll be at our old hideout!*

Li Xingyue slammed his foot down on the gas, but the car suddenly began to lose speed. He glanced at the dashboard—the fuel light was on.

*Damn it! They’re going to catch us!*

Li Xingyue slammed on the brakes. Yellow-Tooth, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, went flying into the dashboard.

"What the... hell! Why’d you stop? Keep driving!"
"We're out of gas! Get out, run!"

Li Xingyue unbuckled his seatbelt, kicked the door open, and bolted. Yellow-Tooth, stunned for a split second, scrambled out and chased after him.

Within two minutes, the first vehicle caught up. The men jumped out, checked the empty car, and then spotted the two figures running in the distance.

"Captain, the car’s out of gas. Let’s just refuel it and go; the other cars are right behind us!"
The captain, a muscular youth who clearly spent a lot of time training, hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Forget the car. Since we’re here, let’s go in and take a look. If this place is rich with supplies, we won't have to go back to Freedom City and scavenge for scraps!"
"The captain makes sense! If that’s the case, we’re going to be living like kings! Hahaha!"
"Exactly! Let the losers in the back have this junker!"

They roared with laughter, piled back into their vehicle, and continued the chase. No sooner had they left than the other vehicles arrived. None of the dozens of men stepped out; they simply exchanged glances, looked toward the retreating car, and with a silent, mutual understanding, stepped on the gas to follow.

Li Xingyue and Yellow-Tooth ran for their lives, covering a kilometer in two minutes, but soon their lungs burned. Yellow-Tooth collapsed, gasping for air. "I... I can't. I really can't run anymore." He slumped onto the ground, wheezing.

Li Xingyue looked back, desperate. He was in slightly better shape, but not by much. He could manage maybe a few hundred more meters, but the vehicles were closing in fast. He couldn't outrun them. Realizing the futility of it, he decided to save his strength for the inevitable fight—he would take at least one of them down with him. He sat down beside Yellow-Tooth and tried to catch his breath.

A minute later, the screech of tires echoed in their ears.

Li Xingyue stood up to see nine men climbing out of a pickup truck, all armed with long blades. The muscular man in the center sneered at him. "Run, why don't you? You were so fast a moment ago, weren't you, little punk?"

Li Xingyue felt a wave of disgust at the man’s smugness but kept his expression neutral, feigning confusion. "Big brother, what do you want with us? I don't think we know each other, do we?"
"Oh, look at this kid trying to play dumb. Captain, don't waste time—just finish him!"
"Yeah, they look well-fed; they must have a ton of points on them. Easy money!"

The lackeys clamored to finish them off and steal their wristbands. The muscular leader, originally wanting to savor the thrill of the hunt, decided to make it quick, fearing the other teams following them might complicate things.

He gave the order to kill. But just as his men stepped forward, blades raised, the sound of roaring engines and blaring horns filled the air.

*Screech!*

The sounds of tires biting into the asphalt erupted as the remaining teams converged on the scene. Within moments, more than forty people stood gathered, including Li Xingyue and Yellow-Tooth.

Yellow-Tooth, having caught his breath, shuffled closer to Li Xingyue. "Are we that popular? Why are there so many of them?"

The crowd was divided into five distinct factions, each team nearly at full capacity. The muscular man felt a flicker of unease at the sheer number of people. He stepped forward, addressing the other captains. "Brothers, my team found them first. I think maybe..."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" someone interrupted. "You think we wasted all that fuel to listen to you?"
"Exactly. Don't get ahead of yourself. My boss is a second-ranker!"
"Damn it, what are you bragging about? My captain is a second-ranker, too!"

The muscular man’s words sparked a shouting match among the forty-plus men, though everyone was careful not to make the first move. Finally, one of the shorter captains pulled out a pistol and fired a shot into the air, silencing them.

"Wait, he has a gun?"
"I heard pistols cost a fortune in points. He’s loaded!"

The short captain basked in their shock, then pointed the gun at Li Xingyue. "Tell me, how do you want to die?"

Li Xingyue stared at the man, speechless. *You’ve already pulled the gun, and you’re still asking me how I want to die?*

He decided to gamble one last time. A smile spread across his face as he looked calmly at the man. "I suggest you don't touch me. My sworn brother is an eighth-rank Zombie King!"

"The Tyrant, the Shura, the Nun, the Blood Moon—they are all my dear brothers and sisters. Before you move against me, think about whether you can withstand their wrath!"

"I know you don't believe me, but if I shout just once, they will appear immediately!"

As Li Xingyue finished his sentence, everyone present seemed to freeze, as if turned to stone. Even Yellow-Tooth looked on with a completely blank expression.