RIACMET chapter 178

 

Chaotic and muffled crashing sounds echoed from the Chen family’s room as Tang Ji, drenched in blood and wearing a protective mask and helmet, walked out slowly.

He took off his helmet and mask and let out a deep breath.

Thanks to Jiang Nian’s top-tier purification skills, the infection in Tang Ji’s arm had stopped spreading. Though his face was pale, and dark circles hung under his eyes, he otherwise looked normal.

Of course, the real reason was that he was tall, lean, and good-looking, with a cold, brooding aura straight out of a tragic romance novel. His worn-out appearance gave him a certain “broken beauty.”

Jiang Nian was about to check the room, but Tang Ji stopped him two steps away with a wave of his hand.

“It’s way too disgusting, Brother Nian. Don’t go in.”

“Everyone’s curious. Don’t worry. I just came out of something disgusting myself.”

Jiang Nian smiled and headed for the door.

The moment he opened it, a choking stench of blood, medicine, and rotting flesh hit him. He instantly regretted it.

Tang Ji’s hands were stained darker than his own.

Xia Weiwei had been bitten and devoured by her perverted doctor and his assistant. Flesh, bone fragments, and organs were splattered everywhere, mixed with thick blood.

She wasn’t wearing a special collar, and she couldn’t use her superpowers under Tang Ji’s control. Of course, she stood no chance against the two zombified men.

After they ate her, Tang Ji sedated the doctor and his assistant alternately and hacked off their limbs as if he were butchering pigs. In the end, he split their heads open, spilling their brains across the floor.

It was repulsive.

“…”

After holding his breath for a moment and taking it all in, Jiang Nian quietly shut the door.

Depravity is part of human nature. If unleashed, anyone could perform it with flair.

Gurgle—

The sound of someone swallowing was unusually loud. Jiang Nian turned around and saw Tang Ji standing there, awkwardly trying to act casual.

Liao Yu and Li Liang quickly stepped between them, blocking Tang Ji’s view of Jiang Nian.

Tang Ji took two steps back, looking guilty.

“I’m fine. I just felt a little hungry, that’s all. Don’t panic.”

Suspicious, but trying to lighten the mood, Liao Yu said half-jokingly:

“Are you kidding me? You swallowed right in front of my godfather! You think I wouldn’t panic?”

Honestly, if Brother Jing were here, Tang Ji would be as good as dead by now.

Li Liang stared at the door, then asked,

“Didn’t Brother Chu just feed you? Are you hungry again after smelling blood?”

“A little. I just took off my helmet and mask, and then this weird feeling hit me…”

Tang Ji admitted, then glanced nervously at Jiang Nian.

“Brother Nian, I…”

“No, no. Brother Nian already called dibs on me. How old are you again?” Liao Yu interrupted, crossing his arms.

“Nineteen. Sophomore. Height: 181 cm,” Tang Ji answered honestly.

Tang Ji answered honestly.

“Perfect,” Liao Yu said with satisfaction. “Same age as Li Liang. Just a bit shorter than me.”

Tang Ji immediately jumped ship.

“Brother Liao, Brother Li.”

Even Li Liang grinned. “Same age? No problem. First come, first served.

“Let’s go find a clean spot. I’ll purify you again,” said Jiang Nian with a calm smile.

He led them to the old storeroom where they had once hidden people. Since purification hurt like hell, Tang Ji would need a place to lie down.

Many of the basement rooms still had simple beds. They picked one that hadn’t collapsed yet.

While using his superpower earlier, Jiang Nian had felt warmth, swelling, and pressure in his dantian[mfn]”Dantian”(丹田) is a Chinese word often used in martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, and cultivation or qi (chi) practices. It refers to an energy center inside the body where qi (life energy) is stored, gathered, and cultivated. It’s similar to how some systems describe chakras or energy cores.[/mfn]. It might finally be time for a breakthrough.

“…”

Tang Ji lay down and let out a nervous breath.

“Tie me up.”

Purification was no joke—it hurt like death itself, both physically and mentally.

Liao Yu and Li Liang brought out the chains they had prepared and secured Tang Ji to the bed. This would keep both him and Jiang Nian safe.

As the familiar blue-white halo appeared, Tang Ji’s resistance to purification was noticeably weaker than before.

“Mmmmmm!”

“Hiss… ugh!”

Instead of screaming, he gritted his teeth and let out low grunts, trying to endure it. He tried to distract himself by talking to Jiang Nian.

“Brother Nian, you saved me. From now on, I’ll be your ox, your horse. My life belongs to you.”

After the toxic rain, infection meant a death sentence. In the six months since the apocalypse, no one had ever been cured after being infected.

Jiang Nian was the epitome of a novel’s protagonist: kind, strong, capable, handsome, gentle, backed by the authorities, and surrounded by reliable teammates.

He was the perfect male lead.

Perhaps it was Tang Ji’s deceased little sister looking out for him, guiding him toward his savior.

Jiang Nian chuckled.

“No need to act like a slave. Just be friends. We don’t do melodrama here.”

Having someone like Tang Ji around would be helpful when dealing with others who had powers. Jiang Nian couldn’t win against high-tier powered people, but almost no one could beat him against those without powers.

“…”

Tang Ji hesitated, then asked,

“Then, Brother Nian, do you have a boyfriend? If I don’t have to be your slave, can I be with you?”

He seriously didn’t know of any other way to repay the guy for saving his life.

“…”

Jiang Nian’s hands trembled slightly.

Tang Ji’s expression was dead serious. If he had to describe it, it was a bit like Jian Cheng’s innocent, dumb look.

It really didn’t match his cold and aloof vibe. A major case of character inconsistency.

Worried that the guy was too stubborn for his own good, Jiang Nian dropped his smile and said seriously,

“No, I’m married. I’ll introduce you to my partner, Chen Jing, later. He’s our team captain with dual attributes: lightning and fire. He’s strong enough to roast top-tier zombies into ashes in seconds.”

He emphasized that last sentence.

He actually liked Tang Ji and didn’t want him to die prematurely.

“Hiss… Sorry for bothering you, Brother. Please forget I said that.”

Tang Ji sucked in a breath and instantly dropped the idea of throwing himself at the man.

He wasn’t interested in being roasted alive, especially by someone who owned a crematorium.

Friends it is. If Jiang Nian ever needs help, he’d give him everything he had.

“…”

Jiang Nian repeatedly purified him while fighting to suppress and control his own superpowers. The heat and burning sensation in his dantian and abdomen continued to intensify.

He stopped talking, sweat soaking through his clothes layer by layer. He was exhausted, yet his mind remained clear as if he could finally sense his crystal core.

“Brother Nian, if you’re tired, take a break. I’m fine,” Tang Ji said gently, worried.

Jiang Nian ignored him, focusing on the subtle, gradual changes within his core. He could feel it clearly.

Just a bit more… Just a little further…

He was so focused that he lost all awareness of the world around him. Over an hour passed without his realizing it.

Then, suddenly, a subtle click echoed through his mind.

It might have been an illusion, but—

Jiang Nian trembled. The faint restraints hidden deep within his consciousness shattered.

At that moment, he knew.

He had broken through. His superpower had advanced successfully.