9: Section 9

Seeing this, a Dust Citizen youth hurriedly ran over, hoping to help his companion out of the situation.

While the other Wasteland Hunters were just watching the spectacle, only a blonde girl ran over, shouting, "Donnie..."

Before the blonde girl could finish her sentence, she saw the mustached youth sent flying by a kick from the Dust Citizen in front of him!

Everyone was shocked.

How could a Dust Citizen dare to attack an Upper Citizen?

Seeing this scene, several other Wasteland Hunters aimed their guns directly at Jing Yuan.

At that moment, a Wasteland Hunter walked up, pointed his gun at Jing Yuan, and said, "A Dust Citizen attacking an Upper Citizen—I can execute you on the spot!"

"What Dust Citizen?" Jing Yuan glanced at the man, pulled out his ID card, and said, "I am an Upper Citizen. An Upper Citizen fighting an Upper Citizen is just a common dispute."

An Upper Citizen's ID card has their name on it.

The other person asked in confusion, "Jing Yuan? Is there someone by that name in our team?"

"Jing Yuan?" A pretty red-haired girl ran over, looking at Jing Yuan with a face full of confusion, almost failing to recognize him. "Jing Yuan, it really is you! Why are you wearing Dust Citizen clothes?"

Jing Yuan hadn't noticed Erica was in the team either. He and Erica were former classmates; because of Erica's superb skills in piloting gravity bodies, she had been recruited into the Wasteland Hunters at the age of sixteen.

Now eighteen, she was already a two-year veteran of the team.

"Erica!" Jing Yuan naturally recognized Erica as well. Although she looked small and cute, she was certainly well-developed where it counted.

"Why are you wearing Dust Citizen clothes?" Erica asked.

Jing Yuan walked over to Erica and whispered, "I asked Captain Marc to bring me down to see the world, but since I'm not a Team Member, it's inconvenient. You understand, right?"

Jing Yuan spoke vaguely, but the innocent Erica didn't suspect anything.

But Donnie, who had just been kicked away, wasn't so easy to talk to. He ran over in a rage, drawing his pistol and aiming it at Jing Yuan.

Jing Yuan was wearing Dust Citizen clothes; if he were shot dead now, he'd have no one to blame but himself.

Seeing this, Jing Yuan moved his mind and caused the pistol to veer slightly.

Bang!

The bullet hit the ground.

Jing Yuan rushed forward and punched Donnie in the abdomen.

The intense pain made Donnie unable to straighten his back, and Jing Yuan took the opportunity to pin him to the ground.

"I already said I'm an Upper Citizen. Do you still want to kill me?"

Seeing this, several Wasteland Hunters hurried over.

"Forget it, forget it, it's all a misunderstanding!"

Donnie, however, roared from the ground, "He's a Dust Citizen impersonating an Upper Citizen! Damn him!"

Jing Yuan slapped Donnie on the head and laughed. "Whether I'm a Dust Citizen impersonating an Upper Citizen or an Upper Citizen impersonating a Dust Citizen, is that for you to decide?"

The slap carried very little force, yet Donnie felt extremely humiliated.

Erica quickly said from the side, "Forget it! Jing Yuan, since it's a misunderstanding, let's not let everyone be unhappy."

Jing Yuan didn't want to cause trouble either. For Erica's sake, he said, "I don't mind. It depends on this guy's attitude. If I let him go and he still wants to kill me, what then?"

At this time, the blonde girl also tried to persuade him from the side, "Donnie, just let it go..."

"Impossible!"

Before the blonde girl could finish, Donnie shouted loudly at her.

Jing Yuan slapped Donnie's head again and scolded, "Impossible? What do you want to do? She's trying to advise you out of the goodness of her heart; why are you shouting at her?"

"Your name is Jing Yuan, right?" The blonde girl looked at Jing Yuan and said cautiously, "It was wrong of Donnie to hit you just now! I apologize on his behalf!"

"He wasn't just hitting me; he wanted to kill me!" Jing Yuan looked at the blonde girl. Although she seemed two or three years older than him, her appearance, temperament, and figure were all very good.

Jing Yuan asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Penny, I'm... a member of the Wasteland Hunters."

Donnie was pinned to the ground, unable to move, and having a woman plead for him made him feel utterly humiliated.

Jing Yuan noticed this too. He said to Penny, "You don't need to apologize for him." Then he looked down and asked Donnie, "I'll give you two choices. First, you go back to the Lighthouse and report me to the Law Enforcement Office, saying I'm a Dust Citizen impersonating an Upper Citizen. As for how the Law Enforcement Office handles it, that's their business. Second, you duel me with just fists. Win or lose, this matter will be over. Which one do you choose?"

"A duel! I want to duel you!"

Chapter 9: Phage Beast Attack

Donnie had lost his mind. He couldn't wait to report it at the Lighthouse; he had to settle it here.

Jing Yuan released him and took a few steps back.

Donnie rolled over and stood up, throwing a punch at Jing Yuan before he had even steadied himself.

Jing Yuan gave a contemptuous smile, stepped back, and dodged the punch.

With his body strengthened, looking across the entire Lighthouse, only Marc had the ability to keep up with Jing Yuan's speed; the others weren't even worth mentioning.

Donnie steadied himself again and rushed at Jing Yuan once more.

Yet Jing Yuan continued to dodge calmly.

With that earlier kick and punch, Jing Yuan's anger had already dissipated, so he didn't intend to strike Donnie.

But things had reached this point; the more Jing Yuan refrained from attacking, the more Donnie felt he was being humiliated.

"This kid's moves are pretty good!"

The surrounding Wasteland Hunter Team Members began to gossip.

One of them asked Erica, "What's his name? What's his background?"

Erica replied, "His name is Jing Yuan. He's a student from 'Communal Schooling'!"

"Still a student? How did he get down here?"

"I heard Captain Marc brought him down for a trial." Erica accidentally let her own speculation slip out.

"Jing Yuan! It's him!"

Suddenly, a Team Member said, "It's him. Yesterday, he took down over a dozen Law Enforcers and City Defense Force soldiers."

"I heard about that too. So it was him!"

"Haha, Donnie's finished now. There's no way he can win."

Everyone had originally just come to watch the commotion, but now they were all laughing at Donnie.

"I think we should just call it a day!" Jing Yuan said while dodging. "You've seen for yourself; you're no match for me!"

"Ah!" Donnie felt increasingly humiliated, until finally, he drew a dagger.

Caught off guard, Jing Yuan's arm was slashed by Donnie's dagger.

He had kept backing down, yet the other party was pushing his luck. Jing Yuan felt a surge of anger and punched Donnie in the face, knocking him unconscious instantly.

Knocking Donnie out with a single punch—this strength surprised many of the Wasteland Hunter Team Members.

"Donnie!" Penny rushed over. Seeing that Donnie had only fainted, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Penny called another Wasteland Hunter Team Member over to carry Donnie to the vehicle to rest.

After a while, Penny walked toward Jing Yuan with medicine and bandages.

"I'm sorry..."

"It wasn't you who did it. There's no need to apologize!"

"Give me your hand. I'll bandage it for you."

Jing Yuan looked at his arm. Although it was just a superficial wound, it was safer to bandage it.

"Thanks!" Jing Yuan extended his arm to Penny, who skillfully began to bandage it for him.

Jing Yuan looked at Penny. Her appearance wasn't stunning, but she was very pleasant to look at.

Combined with her more mature age, she had the charm of a young married woman.

"She couldn't have already been to the Hall of Dawn, could she?"

Jing Yuan looked at Penny, his mind filled with idle thoughts.

"Come to think of it, what's her relationship with Donnie?"

"Penny? Donnie?"

Jing Yuan seemed to remember something.

In the original work, these two seemed to be a couple.

Of course, the Lighthouse doesn't allow people to have feelings, so they were only dating in secret.

Because human emotions cause the life source essence to emit a strong scent, which attracts Phage Beasts.

So at the very beginning of the original work, these two died because their life source essence emitted a scent that attracted Phage Beasts.

This also led to heavy casualties for the Wasteland Hunters team.