Chapter 44: I Am the Law! I Am Justice!
"No!!" Si Ruoqing's eyes widened in horror.
The next moment, a flash of a blade...
Blood sprayed everywhere.
An arm, still gripping an axe, fell to the ground with a thud.
The Scarred Man's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his own arm. He whipped his head around, and a figure had appeared behind him, silent as a ghost.
"Aaah!!! Ugh!" The Scarred Man's scream was cut short. Blood gushed, and his head hit the floor.
"You you you!! How can you still be alive?!" Zhou Zhengyu and the other thugs stared in terror at the reappeared Xiao Yi, their hands holding weapons trembling uncontrollably. "What kind of monster are you?!"
Xiao Yi looked coldly at the group. Without a word, he lifted his Mo Dao and walked slowly toward Zhou Zhengyu.
The thugs gripped their weapons and slowly huddled together.
"Brothers! He's just one man! He can't possibly be a match for us!" Zhou Zhengyu's face twisted into a vicious snarl. "Kill him, and the women and supplies here will all be ours!"
"That's right! Brothers! He's alone! Two fists can't beat four hands, not to mention there are so many of us! Let's get him together, kill this brat!" another thug roared with a similarly ferocious expression.
"Young man, you shouldn't have come back! They have the numbers; we're no match for them." A young woman said to Si Ruoqing, her face etched with despair.
"Xiao Yi! Be careful! He has a crossbow!" Si Ruoqing also shouted at Xiao Yi with concern.
But Xiao Yi acted as if he heard nothing, continuing his advance toward Zhou Zhengyu and the others.
"Bastard! You fucking stand right there!" Zhou Zhengyu raised his crossbow, aiming it at Xiao Yi while trembling. "Take one more step, and I'll shoot you dea—"
Before he could finish, Xiao Yi suddenly accelerated, charging forward like a phantom.
"Thwack!" Zhou Zhengyu didn't even have a chance to scream before Xiao Yi cleaved him in two with a single stroke.
Blood splattered across Xiao Yi's face, making him look even more ferocious and terrifying.
"We surrender! We surrender!" One of the thugs, already having wet himself in terror, threw down his weapon, fell to his knees, and kowtowed frantically, begging for his life.
The other thugs also gave up all resistance, falling to their knees and wailing for mercy.
"Please, spare us! We're willing to be your followers!"
"We were forced by Scarface and Zhou Zhengyu! We're willing to turn over a new leaf and follow you now!"
"We can go out and find food! We can be your lackeys! Please, spare us!"
"Hey kid! It's the apocalypse; there aren't many of us survivors left. We're all human, we should help each other! You can't just kill innocent people like this!"
Xiao Yi looked down at them with a sidelong glance. Some were putting on a show of loyalty and feigning pity to win his sympathy. Others were spouting grand principles, hoping Xiao Yi would spare them for the sake of their shared status as survivors.
"Xiao Yi, the main culprits are dead. These are just accomplices. If we go by the laws of the country, their crimes don't warrant death. After all, they were just followers who didn't actually do anything. I think we should let them go and leave them to their own devices." Si Ruoqing walked to Xiao Yi's side, frowning, and said with a hint of reluctance.
"After all, there are so few survivors left. For the future of humanity..."
Before Si Ruoqing could finish, Xiao Yi had already raised his blade and brought it down upon the kneeling thugs.
Nine heads hit the ground in unison, splashing blood all over Si Ruoqing's face.
Xiao Yi turned his head and said coldly, "The laws of the country? What laws? Who enforces these laws? You?"
Xiao Yi sneered and walked over to a few middle-aged men who had not participated in the riot.
The short man leading them quickly nodded and bowed, crawling to Xiao Yi's feet. He trembled as he pleaded, "Benefactor! I didn't participate in the riot! I'm a good citizen! I even tried to talk them out of it! Please, spare us!"
The other two middle-aged men also crawled forward, pleading bitterly, "Benefactor! We were forced! We didn't join their riot! We're willing to follow you and Officer Si! We can work for you!"
Xiao Yi's blade fell, and three more heads rolled onto the ground.
"This is the apocalypse! There are no laws! There is no justice! If there truly were laws, then my words are the law! My actions are justice!"
Xiao Yi turned to look at Si Ruoqing. "I hope you can understand this principle. This is the most important lesson you must remember if you want to survive in this apocalypse!"
Si Ruoqing stared blankly at Xiao Yi, her face instantly turning deathly pale, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
Just then, the women Xiao Yi had saved with his thunderous methods all got up from the ground and gathered around him, looking at him with adoration.
"Brother! You're so amazing! There were so many zombies, and you killed them all so easily! Can you teach us how to kill zombies?" The young sisters stepped forward, gazing up at Xiao Yi in worship, their eyes filled with pure adoration as they spoke in unison.
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