Chapter 143: The Guardian

"No... please, I beg you, don't break my legs."

"The one who bullied your sister yesterday was Old Four Hu, it has nothing to do with me at all."

"I will make amends, breaking my legs won't do you any good. I'll give you all the food I've hoarded, please, don't—ah!"

Several men were still pleading, but a sudden, piercing scream cut through the air. The man bit down hard on his teeth, his face drained of all color, and large beads of sweat dripped from his face onto the ground. Even so, he continued to beg Lu Tao desperately, trying to find a way to save his own life. However, Lu Tao's expression had long since twisted into something grotesque.

"Hold him down for me!"

Lu Tao's eyes were bloodshot, like a mad bull catching sight of a red cloth. Seeing his expression, the subordinates dared not utter a single syllable of dissent. They hurriedly pinned down the trembling prisoner, pulling his right leg straight.

"Bang!"

Lu Tao raised the heavy hammer high and brought it crashing down directly onto the man's knee. With a sharp crunch, the man's leg snapped in two on impact.

"Isn't this... a bit too cruel?"

Liu Hao stood by the window, looking down. As a doctor, he could say with one hundred percent certainty that this kind of injury would leave permanent disabilities even in an era with advanced medical care.

Let alone under the harsh and unforgiving conditions of the present day.

"Cruel?"

Fan Li looked at those pain-twisted faces and nodded. "Yes, it is indeed a bit cruel. Because under the old laws, even for forced acts against women, they would only face a fixed-term imprisonment of anywhere from three to ten years. Their crimes wouldn't warrant death."

"So..." Liu Hao still wanted to intercede.

Fan Li turned around, his indifferent eyes meeting Liu Hao's. "So what? Should I let him go after breaking his leg? And then keep feeding and sheltering disabled villains who committed vile acts?"

Liu Hao's hands and feet grew somewhat cold. Compared to the residents of Jingmen Huafu, after spending some time together, he understood all too well what kind of terrifying strength Fan Li possessed. If the man wished, he wouldn't even need to lift a finger—a single glance from him could turn Liu Hao into a pulp of flesh or a fine meal in the belly of a zombie.

"I didn't mean that..."

Fan Li's authority grew day by day. Previously, Liu Hao could still delude himself into thinking they were on equal footing—a remnant illusion of the old egalitarian mindset. But today, after seeing the man's wrath, Liu Hao finally understood the vast chasm between them. It wasn't just physical strength; even in spirit, the difference was immeasurable.

[Prestige Value: 50]

[Your ability to instill fear in your own kind has once again made you a hot topic among the monsters.]

Every prompt from the Monster Manual had a purpose. As the prestige value increased, clear changes were taking place within him.

Fan Li could sense that every single action of his, even an unconscious frown, could cause a ripple effect on the people around him.

Perhaps this was the power of the prestige value. The reason monsters grew curious about him was precisely because he possessed the capital to make other humans terrified.

Fan Li didn't mean to blame Liu Hao; he merely wanted to awaken the man, unaware that it would cause such severe psychological pressure.

Fan Li softened his tone slightly. "Whether you admit it or not, eye-for-an-eye justice has become the primary melody of this land."

"The crimes of these people aren't particularly out of the ordinary in the apocalypse, because I know that those onlookers are just as tainted. They've all engaged in crime-adjacent behavior to varying degrees. But the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. They can only blame themselves for crossing paths with me at a time like this."

"We are newcomers. To most people, we are like a blank sheet of paper. Whatever we write, they will believe. Do you think if I let those people go, they would be endlessly grateful to me? Do you think the other survivors would view me as a benevolent ruler?"

Liu Hao didn't know what to say now; he just stared blankly at Fan Li.

Fan Li flashed a smile, but it lacked its previous warmth, carrying instead a hint of cold detachment. "Perhaps. If I put on a good enough act and spend time with them, they might genuinely learn to love me and obey my commands. But I don't have that much time to waste on such meaningless socializing."

"Compared to that circuitous route of winning people over, fear is the fastest shortcut. Those people are merely sacrificial lambs for me to establish my prestige. After that, many labels will be pinned onto me—cruel, tyrannical. While none of them have to do with kindness, every single person living here will obey me without condition. Do you know why?"

Fan Li took a step forward, aligning himself with Liu Hao, and said in a voice meant only for the two of them: "The reason these people will be obedient is simply because they are afraid I will kill them!"

"Although we possess considerable power now, our enemies span across the entire county, and beyond the county lies the city, and above the city lies the province. There are simply too many enemies. I don't have the luxury of time to maintain a pristine persona."

Fan Li patted Liu Hao on the shoulder. "I'll play the villain. As for you, just focus on your duties. Those injured people won't have to die anymore. Through continuous exploration and the introduction of new medical practitioners, one day you will become the hope of survival for those patients."

Liu Hao didn't speak. He simply stood in place, as if digesting the meaning behind Fan Li's words.

Without paying him any further mind, Fan Li walked out of the conference hall and headed straight to his new room.

Unlike cage-bound birds like Liu Hao, Fan Li had witnessed far too much evil and death while accumulating his kill count.

Monsters grew stronger by killing humans. If left unchecked, as the monsters continued their slaughter, the survivors of Jingmen Huafu would eventually give birth to a new Corpse Giant, or something even more terrifying.

Liu Hao might think Fan Li was cold and ruthlessly indifferent, but little did he know, as the master of the Monster Manual, Fan Li had already chosen the harder path—choosing to be a protector rather than a pure destroyer.

After all, once the lives of hundreds were sacrificed, his kill count would multiply exponentially.

Fan Li rubbed his temples. Too much had happened in the past few days, and he hadn't had a proper sleep.

Whistle and his subordinate zombie legion were guarding the entrance. Coupled with the Alien and Ellie remaining in the camp, unless a Corpse Giant-class zombie showed up, this place was as solid as a fortress of bronze and iron, impossible to breach easily.

Hu Huayao and Yang Shuo had also started taking over the workload, meaning he didn't have to micromanage everything himself.

Fan Li's eyelids felt heavy. With everything settled, he could finally get some proper rest.

He lay down on the bed and quickly drifted off to sleep. However, not long after, Fan Li was abruptly jolted awake by the sound of children chanting outside.

"One, two, they're coming for you."

"Three, four, better lock your door."

"Five, six, grab your crucifix."

"Seven, eight, will you stay awake?"

"Nine, ten, never sleep again."

It seemed to be a nursery rhyme...