367: Chapter 367 Blood of the Pioneers

Click.

The young man casually closed the door and turned the lock.

The eyes behind his lenses were exceptionally bright as he quickly swept his gaze around the room.

They finally landed on the middle-aged man at the lead.

"Wang Wu, how was the situation for this mission? Did the target show any resistance or other anomalies?"

The middle-aged man called "Wang Wu" immediately bent his body and replied respectfully:

"Master Jia, we found the target you mentioned at the teahouse."

"At the time, he was talking to a very young man, and two boxes of cash were placed on the table, as if they were conducting some kind of transaction."

"We then pretended to be robbers and threatened him to hand over the money. The target himself didn't resist, but the man talking to him seemed to be a Martial Artist and suddenly stepped in to stop us."

"This subordinate is ashamed; I was completely no match for that man, so the probing mission was forced to be interrupted."

His words skirted around the important parts, intentionally omitting the huge amount of cash and even less mentioning the wretched process of being subdued by a single move.

He simply reduced Fang Cheng to a "kung fu expert".

Standing aside, Black Ox and Mouse also lowered their heads with restrained expressions, lacking even half of their previous resentment.

"Ran into an expert? Even you were no match..."

The young man pushed up his glasses, his gaze lingering for a moment on the bruised and swollen faces of Black Ox and Mouse, before sinking into deep thought.

Suddenly, as if thinking of something, his expression changed slightly.

In an instant, his entire person transformed from a lazy house cat into an alert cheetah.

Without the slightest warning, he took a step back, his figure drifting like a ghost behind the door, pressing one eye to the peephole to quickly scan the hallway outside.

After confirming no one was there, he darted to the window like lightning and lifted a corner of the curtain.

His sharp gaze, like a falcon, carefully searched every corner of the street downstairs.

The entire action process was executed with skilled methods and agile movements, resembling an experienced secret agent.

Until confirming there were no followers, he let out a sigh of relief and stood back in the center of the room.

The gaze behind his lenses flickered slightly, seemingly pondering something.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Wang Wu cautiously spoke up:

"Master Jia, us brothers have already handled four missions for you. Where is the medicine you promised to give us?"

As he spoke, he pointed to his two subordinates behind him, one fat and one thin.

"Black Ox and Mouse, they injected the serum once before, and their observation performance has been very good recently."

"Are they now qualified to join your organization's 'Vanguard Talent Selection Program'?"

Hearing this, Black Ox and Mouse immediately puffed out their chests and raised their heads, their eyes filled with unmasked anticipation.

The young man pondered for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Finally, he nodded and took out a portable medicine box from the canvas bag behind him.

With a soft "click", the box was opened.

Lined with black velvet inside, beside a brand-new syringe, five injections storing light blue liquid lay quietly.

In the dim light, the liquid emitted a faint fluorescence, as if harboring some mysterious magic.

Wang Wu subconsciously swallowed his saliva, his gaze inevitably turning scorching hot.

Black Ox and Mouse's breathing also turned heavy, their two pairs of eyes staring fixedly at the tubes of liquid.

That greed and desire were even a hundred times stronger than when they saw the two boxes of cash at the teahouse.

Because this was the "Blood of the Pioneer" after all!

A miraculous medicine with transcendent magic that the Noah Organization spent decades successfully developing.

External legends said that it could allow a person with no power to undergo a complete rebirth in a short time, turning into an Incarnation.

How could such a thing that can change fate not excite them?

Especially Black Ox and Mouse, who had long witnessed the miraculous effects of this serum with their own eyes.

The reason their boss could become so powerful was also thanks to its effect, allowing his strength to surge several times over.

Watching the three people behave like this, the corner of the young man's mouth hooked into an arc:

"This is the new medicine rewarded to you."

"Wang Wu, you take three portions; Black Ox, Mouse, you each take one portion."

As he spoke, he handed over the medicine box.

A trace of joy flashed across Wang Wu's face, and he immediately took it.

His fingers gently rubbed against the cold glass tube, as if caressing a rare and precious treasure.

Black Ox and Mouse also hurriedly crowded over, staring straight at the medicine, scratching their ears and cheeks, their hearts itching unbearably.

Watching their drug addict-like appearance, the young man smiled and said:

"After the two of you inject this time, if there are no overly severe adverse reactions within the two-week observation period, I can make the call to formally incorporate you into the 'Vanguard Talent Selection Program'."

"Thank you, Master Jia! Thank you, Master Jia!"

Hearing this, Black Ox and Mouse were overjoyed, repeatedly nodding and bowing.

Wang Wu also thanked him on behalf of his brothers and handed the two portions of medicine to them respectively.

The two treated them like treasures, carefully holding them in their palms.

The young man's gaze flickered slightly. Seeing that the three of them were just holding the medicine and stroking it affectionately, he spoke up again:

"Aren't you going to try it now?"

Mouse swallowed his saliva, seemingly very eager to do so, yet having some scruples:

"Master Jia, didn't you say this medicine has huge side effects? Before injection, we need to adjust our state and prepare enough nutritional supplements."

"That's right."

Black Ox also chimed in in a muffled voice, looking still terrified:

"Last time after I injected it, my neck swelled for several days, my body itched everywhere, and I broke out in lots of red rashes."

A gentle smile still hung on the young man's face:

"Rest assured, this medicine has been improved multiple times by the organization's laboratory and upgraded to version 2.0. Both safety and tolerance have been greatly improved."

"You can try it right now, and I'll make some preliminary experimental records by the way."

As he spoke, he also took out a notebook and a pen from the canvas bag.

Hearing this, Black Ox and Mouse's eyes immediately lit up, without a shred of hesitation left.

Wang Wu's lips moved, wanting to say something.

But looking at his two brothers' excited appearance, he ultimately didn't stop them.

Black Ox acted first, impatiently tearing open the syringe packaging, piercing the needle into the rubber stopper of the medicine, and drawing the entire tube of light blue liquid.

Then, he tilted his head back, aimed the needle at his own neck, and stabbed it in fiercely, quickly pushing all the liquid into his body.

Mouse followed closely behind, also quickly completing the medicine injection.

The young man watched their actions, then turned his head to look at Wang Wu, who was standing motionless aside:

"Why aren't you injecting?"

Wang Wu hurriedly bowed and replied:

"Master Jia, I just fought that man at the teahouse and suffered some internal injuries. It won't be too late to inject after I go back and adjust my state."

"Very well."

The young man nodded and didn't pursue the matter.

His gaze fell back onto Black Ox and Mouse, who had already completed the injection.

The pen in his hand hovered above the notebook, striking a pose ready to record data.

In his eyes, a trace of inexplicable anticipation flashed.

The room was dead silent.

Outside the window, the setting sun had already sunk below the horizon.

The light grew increasingly dim, making this dilapidated room appear even more eerie.

Wang Wu stood aside, vaguely feeling that the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.

A few minutes later.

"Uh..."

Mouse suddenly furrowed his brows and let out a painful groan.

The eyes behind the young man's lenses instantly lit up with light, and he immediately asked:

"What is it? Any special feelings?"

"This medicine is very strange..."

Mouse's face turned flush red, and sweat beads the size of beans oozed from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks.

"I feel... so hot! So itchy!"

He kept raising his hand to wipe sweat, his movements becoming increasingly hurried, and even began scratching his neck.

"Me too!"

Black Ox tore off the T-shirt on his body in one go, exposing his plump belly.

At the same time, he panted heavily, his tongue sticking out like a dog's:

"Did we not turn on the air conditioner... So hot! So hot! Can't take it anymore..."

It seemed that because of a high fever, he became somewhat muddle-headed, and his speech became incoherent.

Seeing this, Wang Wu's expression changed, and he anxiously asked:

"Master Jia, what's going on? Are the side effects of this medicine so intense?"

Yet the young man appeared exceptionally calm, speaking indifferently:

"No problem, wait and see a bit longer."

However, the situation showed no signs of easing.

Instead, as time went on, it became increasingly intense.

Both of their skins became like boiled prawns, crimson and swollen.

Blue veins squirmed under their skin like earthworms, and steaming white smoke began to emerge from their entire bodies.

Even their muscles began to expand abnormally, stretching the clothes on their bodies tighter and tighter.

Rip! Rip!

The clothes couldn't bear the bulging bodies and were ultimately torn apart one after another.

"So painful... So painful!"

Mouse's facial features were distorted, and he dully lowered his head, looking at his own body, his eyes filled with terror and incomprehension.

"I... Have I grown taller? And fatter?"

At this moment, his body was still continuing to expand, and his skin turned from blood red to dark purple.

Cracks began to appear on the surface, resembling a dried-up riverbed.

Following that, muscle fibers tore apart in patches, shockingly revealing glistening white bones.

"Ah—"

A shrill scream, accompanied by a crisp "crack" sound, and his left leg snapped at a bizarre angle.

Mouse could no longer stand steady, crashing heavily onto the ground, rolling and wailing incessantly like a dying beast.

On the other side, Black Ox was still barely holding on.

His figure also became even more massive, his waistline already as thick as a bucket.

"So uncomfortable... My body... feels like it's going to explode!"

He roared in pain.

His eyeballs were completely filled with bloodshots, turning into a terrifying crimson red, and continuously bulging outward, as if they would squeeze out of their sockets at any moment.

"Boss... Save me... I... Why can't I see things anymore!"

Wang Wu watched in trepidation, retreating repeatedly until his back pressed against the cold wall.

Pointing at the two subordinates undergoing terrifying transformations, he looked toward the culprit who caused this accident:

"Th-this... What is going on?"

"Master Jia, didn't you say this medicine has been improved, is very safe, and has very small side effects?!"

The young man slowly lowered the notebook in his hand and pushed up his glasses.

The lenses reflected the last glimmer of light from outside the window, making the smile on his face appear incomparably eerie.

"I said it, and you actually believed it?"

"You?!"

Wang Wu was both shocked and angry, the words of questioning stuck in his throat, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.

Just at this moment, the strong and robust Black Ox finally couldn't hold on anymore.

He let out a roar unlike that of a human, his body suddenly stiffened, and then he collapsed with a crash.

The two convulsed in pain on the ground, the magnitude of their struggle growing smaller and smaller, until finally their breathing gradually faded away.

The room returned to a deathly silence.

Only a strong smell of blood and scorched odor permeated the air.

The young man stepped forward, respectively extending his fingers to test the breathing and carotid arteries of the two corpses.

"Still a failure..."

He muttered to himself, then squatted down, took out the notebook, and began to carefully inspect and record.

Flipping open Black Ox's eyelids and observing the already dilated pupils, the tip of his pen wrote "swish, swish" on the paper.

Suddenly, a fierce sound of wind rang out from behind him!

The young man reacted extremely quickly, not even turning his head, his body slamming heavily to one side.

However, the pistol tucked into his back waistband had already been snatched away by a large hand.

"Don't move!"

An angry roar sounded.

The young man turned around and saw Wang Wu holding the gun with both hands, the pitch-black muzzle pointing rigidly at his head.

"Bastard!"

Wang Wu's eyes were crimson, looking like a mad tiger: "You clearly knew this medicine was poisonous, yet you deliberately harmed us!"

The young man snorted softly, facing the muzzle without the slightest fear on his face:

"If I were you, I'd obediently put down the pistol and cooperate with me to complete this test-medicine record."

"If you're lucky enough to survive the medicine's effect, perhaps you'll still have a chance to join our organization in the future and become a formal cadre."

"Besides, mere punks are just punks; if they die, they die, what's so pitiful about it..."

"I fuck your mother! You still dare to lie to me!"

Wang Wu was completely enraged and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Bang!

Fire burst forth, and the gunshot was deafening.

The moment Wang Wu pulled the trigger, the young man's body suddenly lowered, his feet exerting force.

Instead of retreating, his entire person Advanced, rushing forward like an arrow released from a bowstring!

At some unknown point, an eye-piercing cold light was carried in his hand.

Swish—

The bullet hit an afterimage.

"Ah!"

Almost simultaneously, Wang Wu let out a cry of pain, his body stumbling backward.

Only to see that his right hand holding the gun, along with the pistol, had been severed neatly at the wrist and fallen to the ground.

"Your speed is too slow."

The young man chuckled softly, a sharp military dagger abruptly appearing in his hand.

His steps did not stop, his figure like lightning, instantly closing in on Wang Wu's front once again.

Wang Wu endured the intense pain, a fierce look in his eyes, clenched his fist with his remaining left hand, and smashed it over fiercely.

Wanting to make a desperate fight to the death!

The cold light flashed once more.

The two passed each other by.

Wang Wu's movements came to an abrupt halt.

His eyes widened round, and a "he-he" sound came from his throat.

It seemed he wanted to say something, but not a single word could be spit out.

A subtle line of blood gradually appeared on his neck, and then slowly expanded and spread.

Thud.

His head rolled off his neck, rolling rumble-rumble into the corner of the wall, his expression still retaining shock, anger, and unwillingness.

The young man shook off the blood droplets on the dagger, backhanded it back into the leather scabbard at his waist.

Then, looking at that dead-eyed head, he softly said:

"Wouldn't it have been fine if you just obeyed honestly? Why did you have to force me to take action before realizing that the organization's rules cannot be violated?"

Finishing his words, he turned to look at the two corpses on the ground that no longer looked human, and sighed.

"I originally wanted to use you guys a few more times. Since you were in such a rush to seek death, then simply serve as qualified test-medicine subjects and make your final contribution to the organization, saving me the trouble."

He took out the notebook again, squatted down, and continued to record.

While reaching out to flip open the corpses' eyelids and carefully observing the changes in their pupils, he wrote something in the notebook.

"April 3rd. Test subject codenames: Black Ox, Mouse. Observer: Jia Liang."

"Test subjects injected with the enhanced version of 'Blood of the Pioneer' 2.0, showing severe rejection reactions within five minutes..."

Finishing the last line of words, the young man named Jia Liang stood up and shook his head:

"The medicine's efficacy is still so overbearing. Before the success rate is greatly increased, even I dare not easily use it."

As an Advanced cadre of the Noah Organization, one of his primary tasks was to be responsible for observing these unlisted test subjects who had been injected with the serum and recording detailed data.

However, recently the internal organization was in turmoil and the situation was complex, so he had no choice but to take on another task.

Jia Liang put this logbook back into the canvas bag, took out another black notebook, and casually flipped it open.

Densely recorded on it were many names.

In one of the lines, Xiaosa's name "Xiao Jianren" shockingly appeared.

The annotated identity was the godson of Red Tiger Gang leader Chen Chen.