200: The belief of murder

After Shen Bei freeloaded a lunch from the Four-person Group,

he verified the shortcomings of the Absorbing Skill on Niu Yanben.

Distance, absorption volume, and conversion volume were all areas Shen Bei currently needed to Cultivate.

Shen Bei once again vanished as if from the face of the earth.

For an entire week, he did not emerge from the basement.

Cultivating.

Desperate and frantic Cultivating!

...

Lingnan City Swimming Pool.

Zhou Poshan finished his day's work. Although the boss wasn't present, he still meticulously completed the final cleaning tasks on time.

He dragged the mop, carefully cleaning every corner of the swimming pool.

His expression was focused and serious.

Just then,

the swimming pool's main door was pushed open.

A man in his thirties walked in.

He wore a white tank top, bell-bottoms, and slippers. His hair was greasy and unkempt.

The term 'dead otaku' perfectly described him, without any inappropriate aspects.

He came to the poolside and brazenly lay down on a sun lounger.

On a nearby table, there was a half-empty bottle of drink left by a previous customer. He didn't mind, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

"Drinks without bubbles are all heresy."

He smacked his lips as he spoke.

Zhou Poshan didn't even look up, still wiping the pool: "Lin Wang, picking up others' food and drink isn't a good habit."

"Ha."

The man named Lin Wang was unconcerned, placing his hands behind his head, at ease: "What's this? When I was little, I was so hungry I rummaged through trash for food. I still remember the most delicious time was a lady's grilled squid."

"I had just taken a bite when it all fell onto the ground, and that lady even angrily stomped on it."

"Oh my God, do you know? I happened to be passing by, so hungry my eyes were blurry. Within three seconds, I picked it up, blew off the dirt, put it in my mouth, tsk tsk~~ it was like New Year's."

"I'll never forget that taste in my life. When I grew up, and could rob people, and had money, I tried to find that original deliciousness."

"Unfortunately, whether I threw it on the ground or forced another lady to stomp on it, I could never taste that flavor again."

Lin Wang's narration was devoid of emotional fluctuation, as if he was rambling about someone else's trivial matters, completely unrelated to himself.

Only his tone was filled with deep nostalgia.

Zhou Poshan stopped his work, turned his head, and glanced at Lin Wang: "There was once an emperor just like you."

"Is that so? My history isn't good, but I'm not learning from him."

"I know." Zhou Poshan climbed up the ladder, stretching: "Happy people are all alike; every unhappy person is unhappy in his own way."

"Tell me." Lin Wang finished the remaining drink, then tossed the bottle into the pool, smiling as he said: "Who do you want to make unhappy?"

Zhou Poshan extended his arm, his spirit surging. The drink bottle slowly floated up, guided by his direction, and landed in the trash can.

"I merely allow those who suffer to reunite with their families. Or rather, being alone is not as good as a family reunion."

"I don't want to hear your strange and twisted thoughts. Your stubbornness is purely an excuse for your killings."

Lin Wang spoke directly to the core of the issue, without beating around the bush or dawdling, continuing: "Really, I advise you not to think this way. If one day you change your mind and no longer believe in your reasons for acting, your spirit will be on the verge of collapse."

"Being like me is great; killing is just to join the Headhunter Tribe, it's just for Super-Modified Adrenaline. There are no ideological burdens whatsoever."

Zhou Poshan flipped his hand, and a cigarette landed in his mouth. He struck an old-fashioned match, and a small, flickering flame appeared.

He took a light puff, the tobacco crackled, smoke surged into his lungs, filtered, and then exhaled from Zhou Poshan's nostrils.

"Then you'll develop a habit of indiscriminate killing," Zhou Poshan said indifferently.

Lin Wang scoffed: "No principles, no restraints, understand?"

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Zhou Poshan extinguished the cigarette butt: "Where are the other two?"

"They went to Changtu County."

"Hmm? What are they doing in that place?"

"Lingnan's green onions, Kaiyuan's garlic, Changtu's girls are the prettiest, have you heard?"

Zhou Poshan laughed heartily: "Kaiyuan's green onions, Changtu's garlic, Lingnan's girls are the prettiest, have you heard?"

Lin Wang clicked his tongue: "So, we can just make things up."

"Never mind them."

Zhou Poshan sat cross-legged on the tiles, paused for a few seconds, then continued: "The four of us collectively underwent the Headhunter Tribe's outer member assessment, killing our way from the provincial capital to Lingnan City."

"Maru Go, Manyue, and your tasks are all complete. I still need one more."

Lin Wang's expression became serious, his gaze suddenly respectful, and he said in a soft tone: "This whole journey, we owe it to your command. The way you infiltrated and concealed our identities was excellent. We eliminated so many people, and those foolish constables couldn't even see our taillights."

"Just tell me if you have a target? Who is it? We'll just do it!"

Lin Wang still greatly admired Zhou Poshan.

The prerequisite for joining the Headhunter Tribe was killing to prove one's brutality, ruthlessness, and viciousness.

The number of people a Martial Artist needed to kill varied at each stage.

As a Four-Rank Martial Artist, one had to kill thirty people to gain the Headhunter Tribe's recognition.

Having killed their way here,

without Zhou Poshan's command, they would have been exposed long ago.

At this moment, Zhou Poshan's gaze was somewhat unfocused, and his body involuntarily swayed gently.

This state was his most relaxed moment.

He could achieve a peculiar feeling, like banishing himself to the Void Realm.

"Shen Bei."

Zhou Poshan spoke a name.

"Shen Bei..." Lin Wang stroked his chin, silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked: "It wouldn't be Shen Bei, the Three-Rank Invincible King, the king of champions, would it?"

Zhou Poshan nodded.

Lin Wang hissed, then said with a wry smile: "I say, you're only one person short, couldn't you pick a different target?"

"Are you scared?" Zhou Poshan looked at Lin Wang somewhat strangely.

This was the first time he had raised an objection.

"It's not that I'm scared. We're both Four-Rank Martial Artists, why would we be afraid of a Three-Rank Martial Artist?"

Lin Wang continued with extreme seriousness: "It's that we can't do it. Shen Bei is currently... oh, a sophomore, a sophomore student in Lingnan City. How do you propose we deal with him? Do you dare to attack a campus?"

In Lin Wang's opinion, as long as Shen Bei didn't leave the school, it was an unguarded forbidden zone.

Daring to cause trouble at a school wouldn't just involve constable investigations; it was highly possible that even War Gods would descend.

People who dare to risk their lives aren't necessarily crazy!

Lin Wang believed that Zhou Poshan was being too irrational.

Killing and being killed were two different matters.

Making a move and courting death were also two different matters.

Although the Headhunter Tribe's daily routine was to kill for money,

no one wanted to die!

At this moment, Zhou Poshan mysteriously shook his phone and directly made a call.

Soon.

The call connected.

"Hello, hello, I'm Zhou Poshan from the swimming pool. The boss gave me your number, we've met before."

"Yes, yes, it's me! It's great you still remember!"

"It's like this, I need to go to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow, could you cover a shift for me?"

"Alright, alright, you can pick up the keys from me at Qinghe Bridgehead, just open for business."

"Okay, okay, very OK!"

"Thanks for the help, mhm, mhm, hanging up now."

He hung up the phone.

Zhou Poshan chuckled: "He'll be out now."

Lin Wang's eyes were utterly bewildered, his face showing a shocked expression: "Shen Bei? He's going to cover your shift? Are you and he friends? Like... your colleague?"

Zhou Poshan shook his head: "Just a greedy student who likes to do odd jobs."

"Huh?"

Lin Wang's brain nearly crashed: "A Martial Artist Academy student, working odd jobs? That's a bit too sci-fi, isn't it?"

Zhou Poshan spread his hands: "That's just how it is. This guy really, really likes doing odd jobs."

"Hiss~~"

Lin Wang gasped, muttering to himself:

"I've seen plenty of strange Martial Artists, like those who like to cut off a piece of their own flesh with a blade for no reason, enjoying the pain. And those who like to bite and swallow metal pieces, and so on."

"But I've never seen one who likes to do odd jobs."

"It seems my perspective was too narrow..."

Zhou Poshan chuckled: "Aren't we also working to hide our identities?"

"That's different. Liking something and being forced to do it are two completely different things."

But Zhou Poshan shook his head: "Our work disguise is to avoid capture. Shen Bei's odd jobs must bring him benefits, it's just that we can't guess what they are."

"However, that's irrelevant to us. Shen Bei meets my criteria for killing. Tomorrow, you follow me, and we'll take him out!"

Lin Wang bared his teeth in a smile: "You still need me? You can do it yourself."

"When a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses its full strength."

Zhou Poshan walked to the light switch box and began to cut the power.

The ceiling lights extinguished one by one.

He continued: "Even a cornered rabbit will bite."

Clap, clap, clap...

After all the lights went out, the swimming pool was enveloped in darkness.

Zhou Poshan's voice echoed, coming again: "We cannot allow any accidents to happen."

Lin Wang scoffed, already at the door and walking out:

"I'll follow your arrangements. See you tomorrow!"