Chapter 236: Chapter 236

Fortunately, just as the situation became critical, Jing Shu’s Bees stung in time, allowing them to narrowly escape death.

Jing Shu couldn’t ascertain if her family had been trampled in the chaos, or how the bride and groom were faring; she couldn’t afford to be distracted. She instinctively remembered that Grandma Jing, her elder aunt, and the others were in the kitchen, probably unharmed. Her parents were outside, having luckily avoided the most dangerous kerosene bottles. This update is available on novel⚑fire.net

All Jing Shu could do was quickly deal with the robbers.

Soon after, the eight intruders began to scream miserably. Affected by the potent venom of the Five-step Snake and Maqianzi, they felt something terribly wrong immediately after being bitten. They screamed one by one and soon collapsed, convulsing on the ground.

At that moment, Jing Shu emerged from the darkness. After slitting each of their throats with a knife, delivering the killing blow, she walked towards the courtyard entrance, where a few more robbers seemed to be.

Jing Shu stripped a so-called "instrument" from one of the dead men. It appeared to be a rudimentary thermal imaging device. She then donned a bulletproof vest.

A few men at the entrance were sorting through the wedding gifts received that day, muttering curses, clearly unsatisfied.

"Alright, getting a gun means we broke even. I didn’t expect these people to have guns. Lucky we came prepared."

They had a pickup truck with an attached trailer, presumably for hauling supplies.

Nearby, Mrs. Jing, Mr. Jing (her father), Mr. Jing (her grandfather), Qiao Lian’s father, and her two brothers lay contorted on the ground! Their life status was unknown!

The fury inside Jing Shu was beyond description.

Jing Shu felt her head heat up as if something was about to burst from her body; a bloodthirsty state instantly surged within her. She didn’t dispatch the Bees to sting anyone, nor did she use her gun. Instead, she summoned the Wolf Fang Club from her storage space and sprinted forward, feeling as if she would explode if she didn’t unleash the power surging within her!

Jing Shu’s veins bulged. The double-edged sword of her long-term consumption of the Spiritual Spring was manifesting: she gained strength, but agitation easily made her lose her sanity, leaving only the urge to kill in her eyes.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" These were the only words echoing in Jing Shu’s mind.

The men with thermal imaging sensed someone approaching at an alarming speed. One of them shouted, "They’re out already? So fast?"

Jing Shu’s chilling voice cut through the air, "They’re likely to remain in Hell forever."

"Quick, grab the guns and shoot her!"

One of them reacted swiftly, tossing a handful of powder towards her. But Jing Shu’s speed, instead of decreasing, actually increased. She swung the Wolf Fang Club in a devastating arc, instantly pulverizing the man. A sickening THUD followed.

Jing Shu, wearing a gas mask, was utterly fearless!

A nearby man, terrified, wet his pants and began screaming, firing his gun wildly. His screams, however, were cut short as the next devastating blow from the club landed on him.

Seeing things go south, another robber turned to flee, but Jing Shu hurled the Wolf Fang Club. It struck him in the back of the head, securing her triple kill.

Jing Shu’s heart was pounding extremely fast; if measured, her heart rate would have been terrifyingly high.

"Dad, Mom!" Jing Shu felt several extremely painful spots on her body, but she couldn’t care about that now. She quickly located her family on the ground and checked their breathing. Relief washed over her as she found them unharmed, with no visible injuries. It must have been the sedatives the robbers had scattered that induced their coma. Her racing heart finally began to settle.

It seemed these robbers had used sedatives from the outset. Mr. Jing had managed to fire two shots before succumbing to the drugs. That was how the attackers had obtained the gun. As for why they hadn’t killed Mrs. Jing and the others... well, in these times, bullets were more valuable than guns. With everyone on the ground defenseless, there was no need. They didn’t even want to waste time; their primary target was provisions!

Jing Shu pulled a few bullets from her vest. While they hadn’t pierced her skin, the bulletproof vest, though stopping penetration, didn’t negate the impact force. She felt intensely painful, dark bruises forming on her abdomen and chest.

She hadn’t endured such pain since her rebirth. A wave of guilt washed over her. She hadn’t anticipated such an event; it was her carelessness. In the apocalypse, over 90% of registered individuals were strictly monitored by big data. However, some had completely despaired, choosing instead to form marauding gangs.

"Thank goodness for the bulletproof vest and the gas mask," Jing Shu gritted her teeth in pain, gradually regaining her senses. She quickly grabbed a megaphone to announce that the danger had passed. "Those who were burned should come out and let the rain wash over them; it will help."

This robbery came quickly and ended even faster. It all unfolded in mere minutes. The people inside were still reeling from the terror of the kerosene bottle attack, scarcely believing the robbers had already been subdued.

"I heard it was Wei Chang’s relative. A single person took down over a dozen robbers! Even Lao Xing’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He said he’d never witnessed such brutal methods; the attacker had directly crushed their heads."

"Really? If that’s true, then we really owe our thanks to such a formidable person. Otherwise, we’d all have been finished."

"Yeah, Lao Xing said you could take the bodies to the police station and claim a reward. At least thirty Virtual Coins per head."

"That’s not a bad take."

Uncle, accompanied by the local police, came out to manage the chaotic scene, extinguish fires, disperse the crowd, and assess casualties. Thankfully, only three or four people were seriously burned; they had already been treated with the ointment Jing Shu had brought. The remaining ten or so people had minor burns.

Those frightened by the incident also needed time to compose themselves. It was an extremely chaotic scene. Grandma Jing rushed out, weeping and searching for her family. When she found them all safe, her tears of relief flowed even more copiously.

"Those bastards, damn them all! Thank heavens everyone is safe!"

They carried the unconscious individuals inside and began administering fluids to help flush the drugs from their systems and speed up their metabolism. Jing Shu gave each of them a little diluted Spiritual Spring water.

Uncle, ever the diplomat, immediately announced that all wedding gifts would be returned as compensation. Furthermore, he invited everyone to a complimentary meal to celebrate the happy couple’s union.

Many guests demurred, saying it wasn’t right to take back gifts already given. In response, Uncle announced an upgrade to the banquet: Initially, only salt-and-pepper pork fillet was on the menu. Now, each table would also receive braised pork ribs and Dongpo pork—and any leftovers could be taken home! How precious is meat these days? It costs three times the price of grain!

Additionally, those injured would receive free medical treatment until they fully recovered.

These gestures considerably lightened the mood, which had been soured by the robbery, and also elevated Wei Chang in everyone’s estimation.

Meanwhile, Jing Shu returned to her room to practice with the Magic Cube. She didn’t know why, but after every such episode of extreme agitation, practicing with the Magic Cube always felt exceptionally productive, bringing a profound sense of clarity. She had a faint premonition that she was on the cusp of a breakthrough.

It was like a thin paper screen, tantalizingly close yet impossible to pierce.