Xue Jing's punch obliterated the cockroach man's head, but before anyone could react, the headless creature moved again. Its six legs stretched out, trying to grab hold of him.
"Tsk, just like a cockroach," Xue Jing muttered in disgust. He leapt back, dodging the creature's grasp, and delivered a powerful mid-air kick.
With explosive force, two of the cockroach man's legs were severed, sending its torso flying backward.
Crack!
Xue Jing didn't stop. Activating his Twin-speed ability, he flashed forward, appearing in front of the creature before it could recover. Fixing his eyes on the decapitated neck, he thrust his hand into the gap where its head had been.
Cockroaches can survive without their heads for days, but their true weakness lies in the subesophageal ganglion, just below the throat.
A sickening, sticky sensation spread through Xue Jing's hand as he reached deeper, grabbing something soft and squishy.
The cockroach man twitched violently, its legs flailing in resistance. Sharp appendages raked across Xue Jing's body, cutting deep into his flesh.
But Xue Jing was focused. Ignoring the pain, he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the creature's core. With a final effort, he yanked the soft mass from its body and slammed the cockroach man to the ground, pinning it under his weight.
In the dim light of Pei Youguang's flickering lighter, shadows danced across the room. Unseen by the others, black tendrils of energy spiraled toward Xue Jing's hand, and a ball of black flame erupted inside the creature's body.
The cockroach man's body swelled unnaturally before stiffening. Its frenzied movements slowed, then ceased entirely.
Pei Youguang, holding his lighter, stared at Xue Jing. He caught a faint glimpse of black flame flickering within the monster, unsure if it was real or just his imagination.
"My god... could it be Yagami's Qin Yueyin?" he whispered. (TN- Not fully sure what it means but from the little research I've done it might be a type of martial art made by Yagami)
As the creature lay still, Xue Jing pulled his hand free, dark green slime covering his palm.
"It's... over?" someone muttered, breaking the silence.
Everyone stood frozen, staring at the young man, his body covered in wounds and the grotesque remains of the cockroach man.
The monster, a nightmare incarnate, was dead at his feet.
"It's dead! The monster's dead!" someone shouted.
Cheers erupted, relief washing over the crowd. Even those splattered with the dark green slime from the exploded head joined in, celebrating their survival.
"Who is that guy? Which dojo is he from? I'm donating a million dollars to his school!"
"A million? I'll donate two million! I'll make him my godfather if that's what it takes!"
Excited guests swarmed Pei Youguang, urging him to introduce them to their unexpected savior.
Li Zhaoquan and Zhang Daqing, along with the other surviving disciples, could only gape at Xue Jing in disbelief.
Zhang Daqing clapped Li Zhaoquan on the shoulder, giving him a thumbs-up. "Old Li, from now on, I'll follow your lead. You had the guts to mess with this guy... who else in Qingcheng's martial arts scene would dare?"
Li Zhaoquan swallowed hard, his legs trembling. He had fought Xue Jing earlier, but now, realizing how strong he truly was, he felt a mix of shock and disbelief.
"I gave him a hand... my bones still hurt," Li Zhaoquan muttered, rubbing his sore limbs. Then a thought struck him. "Old Zhang, maybe I've struck gold."
Zhang Daqing raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Think about it—this Xue Jing is going to be famous, right?" Li Zhaoquan said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Zhang Daqing rolled his eyes. "Obviously."
"So when people ask about our fight, I'll just say it was close. That I almost beat him, just lost by a hair."
Zhang Daqing stared at him, wide-eyed. "You... you're actually going to brag about that? Have you no shame?"
Li Zhaoquan chuckled, unbothered by the judgment.
---
Meanwhile, Ye Chenglin knelt by the first victim, Ying Yang, sorrow etched on his face. As he spoke, the celebratory mood shifted to one of solemn realization.
Some of their friends hadn't survived.
"Why... where did that monster come from? Why did the power go out? Why can't we use our phones?" someone asked, voice trembling with confusion.
"This was a premeditated attack," Ye Chenglin growled. "My father will get to the bottom of this. Whoever did this won't get away with it!"
Fear gnawed at him. As the host of the banquet, he was responsible for the chaos that had unfolded. Even though his father was a ruling councilor, the deaths of so many influential guests would have serious consequences.
Ye Chenglin's anger simmered as he glanced at Pei Tiancheng. He clenched his fists, remembering Pei's earlier boast that nothing would go wrong under his watch. The reality had been very different.
He recalled how Pei Tiancheng had jumped to the side when the monster attacked, leaving others to die. His resentment deepened.
'These martial arts bodyguards are useless. If that young man hadn't been here, we'd all be dead by now' Ye Chenglin thought bitterly.
Pei Tiancheng opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated. In the end, he remained silent, a sigh escaping his lips. He hadn't expected the party to turn into such a nightmare. He had assumed the earlier death was the work of an ordinary killer, nothing beyond his control.
Who could have predicted a monster like that would appear?
---
Xue Jing, covered in blood and slime, exuding quiet strength, stepped forward.
The room fell silent as everyone turned to him, their earlier excitement replaced by awe. His presence radiated an inexplicable power, making it difficult for anyone to speak.
Xue Jing's voice was calm but firm. "Everyone."
"Though I've killed the creature, we may not be out of danger yet. We need to stay cautious."
His words carried weight. The crowd listened intently.
"From what I can tell, the power outage wasn't an accident. All the electronic devices went down at the same time, likely due to an electromagnetic pulse. This suggests the attack was deliberate."
"If it was man-made, then the monster was likely released here on purpose. This wasn't a coincidence."
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in.
"I'll leave the investigation to you. I'm just a bodyguard. Right now, my only priority is your safety."
He turned toward the door. "Let's go. I'll lead you out."
Despite his wounds and the blood covering his body, Xue Jing's words carried a commanding authority. Without hesitation, the crowd followed.
For now, the only place they felt safe was by Xue Jing's side.