Chapter 310: Just What I Want

Day twenty-three.Night.

Su Zhan slowly opened his eyes.

Twenty-three days without food or drink had made his cheekbones protrude slightly.

Only one checkpoint on the street was still lit, with two team members dozing off against the guard booth.

The drones had long since disappeared, and even the footsteps of the patrol teams had become sporadic.

It was time.

Su Zhan climbed down along the wall's water pipe, his toes lightly tapping on the wall's protrusions, landing without making the slightest sound.

Avoiding the main roads, he moved along the shadows of back alleys.

Su Zhan's stomach convulsed uncontrollably.

He needed to replenish energy...

When passing the third alley entrance, he stopped.

A convenience store fifty meters ahead was still lit, and through the glass window, he could see shelves filled with a dazzling array of food.

But two people in black uniforms were sitting inside the convenience store.

They were making instant noodles.

Su Zhan's Adam's apple bobbed.

Take the risk?

Or endure a little longer?

He chose to detour.

Turning the alley corner, he casually swiped a half-drunk bottle of mineral water from someone's windowsill.

The cool liquid slid down his throat.

Su Zhan squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

This bit of moisture was far from enough, but it alleviated the burning thirst.

Su Zhan reached the edge of the town.

The main reason was that he needed to eat and drink, to replenish energy.

Otherwise, he could have stayed here and worn them down forever.

Worn them down until the Aberrant Purge Division had no one left.

If he didn't leave now and ended up starving to death, what then?

In a few more days, his physical strength would be even worse.

So now was the time to leave.

Under the moonlight, looking at the three old acquaintances blocking his path ahead, Su Zhan felt a tumult of emotions in his heart.

Su Zhan dragged his weary body through the woods, thirst and hunger making his steps somewhat unsteady.

He stepped onto the mountain path turn.

Three figures emerged from behind trees, blocking the way ahead.

Feng Jue stood in the center, holding his long sword.

Liu Ziming leaned casually against a tree trunk.

Xu Hao held two daggers in his hands.

All three wore the black uniforms of the Aberrant Purge Division.

It was actually them who found me...

Su Zhan's first reaction upon seeing the three of them was shock.

Followed by relief.

The Aberrant Purge Division had cast a wide net, with Qin Bai personally overseeing it, yet in the end, it was these three young people who precisely intercepted him on his most critical escape route.

This keen insight far surpassed that of many veteran Aberrant Purge Division members.

He could imagine how they had painstakingly sifted through massive amounts of information to pinpoint this seemingly insignificant path.

This growth filled him, their former captain, with genuine pride.

But... this is really... troublesome.

Along with the relief came an intense sense of prickliness.

If they were ordinary Aberrant Purge Division members, he would fight or flee without hesitation.

But facing these three... how could he bring himself to strike?

So close, yet forced to cross blades...

A deep sorrow welled up in his heart, more suffocating than the hunger and thirst of the past twenty-three days.

Su Zhan had once fought side by side with them.

And now, he could only engage with them as a strange fugitive.

These three emotions churned violently within him.

Su Zhan slowly straightened his slightly hunched back, a thousand words turning into a sigh in his heart.

Su Zhan looked at the three old acquaintances blocking his path ahead, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He forced an innocent smile onto his face: "Officers, on such a late night, I just came to the mountains to enjoy the breeze, get some fresh air."

Liu Ziming snorted with laughter, folding his arms and sauntering up to him: "Buddy, that's a pretty lame excuse, isn't it? In this remote wilderness, with no villages ahead or behind, you specifically came here to enjoy the night breeze?

What, the wind in the city wasn't enough for you?"

Su Zhan deliberately scratched his head with a simple, honest expression: "The city... the city is too stuffy."

Feng Jue spoke up: "The nearest town from here is twenty li of mountain road away. You walked all this way just for the breeze?"

"This direction leads to Black City."

Xu Hao observed Su Zhan's expression: "A person traveling alone at night towards a lawless zone to enjoy the breeze... is truly hard to believe."

Su Zhan inwardly groaned, gritting his teeth and continuing to fabricate: "Well... I heard the scenery around Black City is unique, so I thought I'd get closer to take a look..."

Liu Ziming raised an eyebrow exaggeratedly: "Then tell us, what unique scenery does Black City have? Let us learn something new."

Su Zhan replied: "I read about it online, the specifics aren't clear."

Liu Ziming tilted his head, carefully examining Su Zhan's face, then looked down at the wanted poster image on his phone: "Hiss... look, the curve of these eyebrows, doesn't it seem a bit similar?"

"Indeed, although the overall appearance differs greatly, the height of the brow bone and the proportion of the eye spacing are very similar."

Xu Hao looked at Su Zhan: "Considering the limitations of disguise techniques, certain bone features are difficult to completely alter."

Feng Jue's gaze slowly moved from Su Zhan's forehead bone down to his jawline.

The other's jawline appeared more defined due to emaciation, but its basic structure did resemble that of the blurry-faced Chen Qing on the wanted poster.

"Especially from this angle,"

Liu Ziming turned sideways, using his finger to trace the outline of Su Zhan's profile: "The line from the cheekbone to the chin, it's like it was cast from the same mold, just gaunt from weight loss."

Su Zhan let out a soft laugh.

It carried a touch of laziness, a hint of mockery, and a condescending scrutiny.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three who were on high alert one by one:

"You guessed right. Yes, I am Chen Qing. But, you three..."

Su Zhan deliberately drew out the last syllable.

The oppressive aura of a High-risk Peak around him was no longer concealed: "What makes you think that three little guys at the initial stage of the Tide Realm, even combined, can defeat me... a High-risk Peak?"

Faced with this blatant disparity in strength.

Liu Ziming was actually the first to grin.

Not only did he not retreat, he took half a step forward: "Heh, High-risk Peak? Sounds pretty scary. But for over twenty days, you've been like a stray dog, hiding east and west, living in constant fear, right?

In that state, how much energy could you possibly recover?

How much of your strength could remain?

Aren't you just a paper tiger, putting on a false show of strength here!"

"Your last confirmed sighting was twenty-three days ago in that town."

Xu Hao continued: "We searched that area. All food storage points and water sources were under strict surveillance, which is also because the Aberrant Purge Division was aware of this predicament.

We found no signs of large-scale supplies being taken.

So it's highly likely you've been in a state of prolonged water and food deprivation during this period.

Even with the vitality of the High-risk tier supporting you, your combat power is greatly diminished. We still have a chance of winning."

"If one lacks the courage to challenge those above their tier, what's the point of walking the path of cultivation?"

Feng Jue slowly raised the Startling Swan Sword in his hand, its tip pointing towards Su Zhan.

His wrist gave a slight tremble, the blade emitting a clear, resonant hum as fighting spirit surged: "A battle with you suits me perfectly. Only in this way can we break through barriers and glimpse the scenery at greater heights."

Su Zhan smiled: "One last question? The official designated area is so vast. How did you know I was within this specific range? And you even blocked me precisely."

"A blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, pure luck."

Liu Ziming's eyes held a smile: "Yeah, the area the officials gave was too big. Such a huge range, how could we possibly search every inch of it?

We could only rely on luck. So our idea was to bet you were in that town just now, and then block you here. We never thought we'd actually run into you. Luck, that's all it was..."