HAGLTP Chapter 20

Ye Qi’s appearance interrupted the tense atmosphere between Xiao Lu and Chai Yige.

Xiao Lu released Chai Yige and sized up Ye Qi’s condition. Although he had some stains and blood on him, the color of the blood indicated it wasn’t his own.

Seeing that his teammate was fine, the nameless anger in Xiao Lu’s heart gradually subsided.

He lightly punched Ye Qi’s chest: “I didn’t expect Ye the Shadow Emperor to be quite good at close combat.”

Ye Qi lowered his gaze at him, silent.

Chai Yige watched from the side, fully aware of what was going on.

Ye Qi had trained with a renowned martial arts master for a role of a swordsman, and it was said that the master was quite strict, not lowering the standards just because of Ye Qi’s status. Ye Qi didn’t make a fuss about it; he simply canceled all his activities and engaged in closed training.

After the movie was released, it received a warm response, and Ye Qi’s martial arts scenes amazed countless viewers. The fact that he didn’t use a stunt double and underwent closed training also spread, earning him numerous praises from both inside and outside the industry for his dedication.

As for how Chai Yige knew this.

After learning that Ye Qi and Xiao Lu were together, he began to investigate the other party.

Unfortunately, there was no internet at the moment, so he could only start with physical newspapers and magazines. Yun City was a city of variety shows, and the gossip and entertainment culture was rampant, which meant he didn’t gather much useful information, but he did read a ton of colorful praises.

Ye Qi’s title of Shadow Emperor was well-deserved, but unfortunately, he didn’t leave a name in the original plot, probably having died early.

·

The three continued forward.

Along the way, Xiao Lu and Ye Qi were “chatting happily,” while Chai Yige silently hurried along, feeling quite superfluous.

As they walked, a strange scent wafted through the air.

It was truly strange—hot pot.

The zombies definitely had no interest in hot pot; it would be a miracle if their brains weren’t being boiled in the pot. For such a commotion to occur, it had to be something alive.

Xiao Lu looked at the pale decor around him, recalling the zombies he had beaten along the way. In such an environment, could anyone still eat hot pot? Were the mentally ill having too much fun?

As the aroma grew stronger, the three arrived at the entrance of a room.

“Who would have thought, going on a mission and still getting to eat something hot. Dead Fatty, even though you’re useless, you still have some value.”

“What else do you have? Hand it over!”

“Why not join us? In Yun City, with the name of the night, no one dares to mess with you. You can hit whoever you want, swap women at will, and if you like men, that’s fine too.”

“Hahahaha… look at him, he hasn’t even grown all his hair, and he dares to play with men?”

The unrestrained laughter came from behind the door, and Xiao Lu’s mood, which had just lifted, sank again. It was clear without thinking that the “Dead Fatty” they referred to was none other than Huang Sansheng.

After all, among the people traveling together, the only one with a round physique was Huang Sansheng.

He recalled how Huang Sansheng had stuffed a self-heating hot pot into his backpack before setting off, claiming it was better to be prepared in case his skills failed. At that time, Xiao Lu had just let him be.

He didn’t expect Huang Sansheng to be right, but it also attracted the attention of others.

“No way, that’s our stuff; you guys have had enough to eat.” Huang Sansheng shrank in the corner, his tone weak but unwilling to back down.

“Fuck, I’m not asking for your opinion! Hand it over, right now!” A Liang shouted angrily, immediately standing up and rolling up his sleeves, ready to teach this oblivious Dead Fatty a lesson.

Xiao Keyang sat leisurely not far away, watching the impending scene unfold, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

He had seen this kind of drama too many times; when the world order fell into chaos, the survival of the fittest became the norm. Huang Sansheng had resources but lacked the strength to protect them, making him a target for others.

A Liang was already standing in front of Huang Sansheng, his tall shadow looming over the curled-up little fatty.

“I’m going to teach you right now what it means to not know how to read the room—”

The unfinished threat turned into a cry of pain as Huang Sansheng realized that the tall man in front of him had vanished. Searching left and right, he found the other party clutching his waist, collapsed not far away.

“Get up.” Xiao Lu’s voice came.

A hand reached out in front of him, interrupting Huang Sansheng’s gaze. Looking up, he saw the expressionless Ye Qi.

Xiao Lu walked behind Ye Qi, just in time to witness Ye Qi kick the man flying after breaking through the door, the movement smooth and flowing, a cinematic visual treat.

Seeing the Shadow Emperor’s action scenes in person was worth it.

Xiao Lu passed by Ye Qi and Huang Sansheng, heading straight to the still-unable-to-stand A Liang, grabbing the collar and delivering a punch: “Can’t read the room?”

“Fuck, what are you doing?!” Kang He couldn’t help but stand up.

The effects of the drugs were wearing off, and Xiao Lu felt his strength returning, his abilities becoming more apparent. He figured it wouldn’t be long before he fully recovered.

“Wait!” Xiao Keyang, who had been watching the show, finally spoke up, “He’s one of the night.”

Xiao Lu maintained his previous posture, only glancing at Xiao Keyang from the corner of his eye: “Are you saying we should consider the owner when beating a dog?”

His gaze returned to A Liang: “Bark and see.”

A Liang’s face instantly flushed with anger.

“Xiao Lu!” Xiao Keyang’s eyes were filled with rage, “Do you remember we’re on a mission?!”

Xiao Lu smiled: “So you guys remember we’re on a mission, huh? That makes things easier.”

“Why don’t you tell us what clues you’ve gathered? It just so happens to cover the meal expenses.”

He tossed aside the person in his hand and turned to Xiao Keyang, not worried about A Liang attacking him from behind, with Ye Qi keeping an eye on things.

Xiao Keyang’s face darkened as he stared at him, clearly unwilling to comply with the other party’s wishes.

But if a fight broke out now, Xiao Lu and Ye Qi were not easy opponents. On their side, A Liang had been ambushed first, and in a fight, he and Kang He wouldn’t have an absolute advantage.

Moreover, this was a mission that the boss valued highly; losing combat power here would…

“I think this proposal is good; it can help us complete the divine trial faster. I’m willing to share my experiences along the way for free.” In another corner, a figure draped in a gray cloak spoke up.

He looked at Huang Sansheng, who was tidying his clothes, with a hint of envy in his eyes.

This was Du Huang from the Divine Punishment Society, who had remained silent like an invisible man. Even when faced with the night people’s bullying of Huang Sansheng, he showed no reaction. According to the teachings of the Divine Punishment Society, suffering is both a trial and a redemption; experiencing suffering is equivalent to being watched by the divine, something to be deeply felt.

MIKI was right; this group was indeed a bit mystical.

Xiao Lu didn’t want to argue with the zealot, but the topic was good, so he continued, “Two against one.”

Xiao Keyang glared at the zealot, his fists clenched in anger.

In the end, Xiao Keyang didn’t persist further, and the three parties exchanged their experiences. Essentially, they were all similar; they woke up in a room, injected with drugs to suppress their abilities. Some faced zombie attacks, while others, like Huang Sansheng, were luckier and didn’t.

As for those who weren’t present, some had been found dead, while others had gone missing.

But aside from Xiao Lu, no one else had received any messages.

It seemed that to the people behind the scenes, only Xiao Lu was the special one.

After exchanging information, everyone rested, replenishing their strength with food while waiting for their abilities to recover.

·

Xiao Lu gently moved his fingertips, golden star patterns appearing on his skin as he wished.

He looked around; Ye Qi and Huang Sansheng’s abilities had also recovered, and Xiao Keyang and the others were about the same.

At this moment, Xiao Lu had a vague premonition that something was about to happen.

Not because his sixth sense was strong, but because only he knew that everything the group was experiencing was a man-made game. What would happen when the main characters’ states were fully restored and their combat power increased?

A happy ending?

How could that be possible?

Naturally, it would be a new challenge.

“Crack—”

“Clack clack—”

“Boom—”

Strange noises came from the ceiling.

Many, chaotic, clearly more than one thing was up there.

Everyone stopped their actions and looked up, only to see the ceiling, made of an unknown material, trembling incessantly.

Chai Yige couldn’t help but ask, “Is this ceiling sturdy?”

“Shut up.” Xiao Keyang seemed to recall some bad memories and immediately scolded, fearing his bad luck would come true.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

In almost an instant, the ceiling collapsed. Countless twisted animals pounced down, a wave of putrid odor hitting them.

These animals had damaged star patterns on their bodies, just like the zombies seen before, but star brilliance typically wouldn’t choose animals; they preferred the most dominant species on the current planet.

Xiao Lu saw the star pattern crystals behind them; it was evident whose work these zombie animals were.

Compared to humanoid zombies, animal zombies were more direct in their behavior, and naturally, more brutal. Some didn’t even wait to land before attacking the people inside; if there were similar creatures in front, they would also be targeted.

Faced with a large number of animal zombies, staying indoors was clearly not an option. Everyone fought while searching for a way out, scattering in the process.

Xiao Lu led the way, with Huang Sansheng and Ye Qi ready to back him up.

As he had anticipated, the next round of “games” had indeed arrived.

Looking at this situation, the road ahead would only become more dangerous, making him want to smash the head of that nameless letter writer—let you show off! Let you play games!

Turning the corner, he found himself in a corridor with no branches, with closed doors on both sides.

As Xiao Lu stepped into the corridor, it felt like he had triggered some mechanism; suddenly, the doors on both sides swung open simultaneously. Under the pale light, elongated shadows were cast from the rooms into the corridor, almost dyeing the white floor gray.

An attack was about to erupt ahead.

Behind him were the pursuing animal zombies.

And they were the main characters trapped in a dilemma.

“Such a twisted sense of humor.” Xiao Lu said disdainfully, the light in his hand shining brilliantly as he charged towards the zombies stepping out of the rooms.

Ye Qi and Huang Sansheng’s star patterns flickered, resolutely following behind him.