Chapter 133: Another Earthquake
After untying the waterproof canvas, Zhang Ning carefully tore open all the transparent plastic bags before gently washing away the dust from the wound. He changed the water several times during the process, then repeatedly disinfected the injury with alcohol until he finally felt at ease.
Throughout it all, his master watched expectantly, acting as if he expected to be served at every turn, which made Zhang Ning both annoyed and somewhat amused, and even a little guilty.
Having asked the owner of the farmhouse and found no hydrogen peroxide available, Zhang Ning began to feel uneasy. Cleaning wounds with alcohol was painful, but he held onto the thought that making his master suffer a bit might remind him that Zhang Ning was still just an ordinary person. So he went ahead and applied the alcohol directly to the wound. To Zhang Ning’s surprise, Chu Hanyu neither uttered a sound nor showed any change in expression. This only deepened Zhang Ning’s admiration—his master truly was a man among men!
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Downtown Brlin City
“What? Someone actually survived the Jingxing Mountain ordeal? How fascinating!” The man’s tone was smooth and intrigued. His subordinate trembled all over and dared not lift his head, even when the man playfully pinched his neck. He didn’t dare resist in the slightest.
For this man was the Laughing God—a powerful esper entrenched in Brlin City. Not only was his ability formidable, but his mind was also twisted; he delighted in chaos and carnage. His uniquely potent vibration powers made everyone revere him, fearful of making any rash moves. In a short span, Brlin City had become his playground, where he set countless deadly traps, forcing those caught to endure suffering for his amusement.
What was even more terrifying was his strong sense of purpose. The chaos and slaughter were only brief pleasures; the few survivors became his long-term toys. He seemed to prefer the chaotic aftermath to the process itself.
Thus, for his subordinates, the fear of death was far greater than the fear of capture. That there was a lucky survivor from the Jingxing Mountain beast trap was something he could tell without even looking up—he knew exactly what that madman’s expression was.
The Laughing God’s face was not fierce but rather stretched into a wide grin, as if genuinely pleased like a parent proud of a child’s achievement. His delicate, ordinary features contrasted with his gaunt frame, the open collar revealing a prominent collarbone, and his eyes always glowed faintly green, giving him the appearance of a ravenous wolf.
This wolf spoke, “Wow, so who is this little survivor?”
His trembling subordinate handed over a dossier, silently praying the madman’s attention would shift to the documents, while inwardly cursing. The trap had been so perfectly planned: covertly persuading a company leader to organize a team-building camping trip on Jingxing Mountain, then releasing a variety of wild beasts specifically captured for the occasion... all office workers, yet someone had survived?
Moreover, after descending the mountain, the survivor seemed to vanish without a trace. The subordinate bitterly wondered: Why didn’t he take the path I arranged? Wouldn’t it have been better to die obediently? He should have died—how else could I earn the Laughing God’s favor? How else survive under his hand?
But this subordinate was doomed never to win the madman’s favor. The Laughing God studied the survivor’s file, chuckled for a long time, then gently stroked the subordinate’s cheek and said softly, “He really is a lucky one, isn’t he?”
The subordinate nodded stiffly, but suddenly his cheek twitched, and blood began streaming down his face. He screamed in terror and despair, “Master, have mercy! Mercy!” His voice was sharp and distorted.
Yet the Laughing God was unfazed, his smile growing wider. “You’re a lucky one too!” Then he pressed his hand firmly to the subordinate’s chest.
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Three minutes later
Those who nervously came to clean up under the Laughing God’s orders found nothing but a pile of shredded flesh. As they trembled, obediently gathering the remains, they heard their master’s childlike, innocent sigh: “What a pity, I haven’t had my fill yet! Tonight, let’s shake Brlin City up, shall we?”
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At the farmhouse
After dinner, Zhang Ning chatted with his master for a while before preparing to lie down, thinking the child’s weary body would finally get some rest. However, before long, the ground trembled violently, shaking their bed with loud thuds, and a nearby rolling chair slid off into the unknown.
Zhang Ning was momentarily bewildered, still thinking they might be in another realm and that some powerful figures were battling outside. Then he realized it must be an earthquake. He grabbed his master and rushed outside. Chu Hanyu needed no reminder; within a few steps, he lifted Zhang Ning into his arms.
Outside, Old Li’s entire family was emerging one by one. Old Li’s daughter-in-law looked pale with fright, and the child wailed uncontrollably, but Old Li himself remained composed, soothing everyone before approaching Zhang Ning and his master.
Old Li was the homeowner of the farmhouse. He lived there with his wife, their son and daughter-in-law, and their eldest grandson. Because it was a tourist area, the family had no grand ambitions and simply sought a peaceful life, which they had managed quite well. Today, Zhang Ning was impressed by Old Li’s calm demeanor during the earthquake, which showed the true bearing of a family head.
Old Li waved them off, saying, “It’s nothing. Don’t be alarmed. Brlin City often has these earthquakes. Just sleep outside tonight, and you’ll be fine.”
Zhang Ning was surprised and, after careful questioning, learned that earthquakes were indeed common in Brlin City. Old Li had long since grown accustomed to them, though his daughter-in-law, new to the area, was less familiar. The house had been newly built in the past two years, so Old Li wasn’t too worried about it collapsing. However, after each quake, the police would arrive quickly and never allow anyone to sleep inside. They had to prepare for a night on the floor.
After Old Li walked away, Zhang Ning quietly called his master’s name. Chu Hanyu patted his back in response, but his expression was no longer as warm as before; it had grown cold, tinged with a faint, barely perceptible disgust.
“That’s right,” he said. “Someone is definitely behind this.”
“You mean the earthquake was man-made? Then—”
Chu Hanyu nodded firmly, gazing toward downtown Brlin City. Zhang Ning clenched his teeth. Who could it be? The one who caused trouble on Jingxing Mountain before, now engineering an earthquake—what did he want? Was it to strike at enemies or just for amusement? How many innocents would suffer? Could this even be called human?
After a moment, Chu Hanyu finally said, “There haven’t been many casualties.”
Zhang Ning breathed a silent sigh of relief but harbored a dark resolve. The urge to kill had already taken root.
Chu Hanyu looked between Zhang Ning and the city center, hesitated briefly, then carried Zhang Ning onto the bed. Seeing Zhang Ning still silently seething like a wolf cub sharpening its teeth, he reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately.