In the moment he turned around, Xu Qing quickly swept behind him.
He saw that about seven or eight zhang away, there were seven people at different positions, scattered towards him.
These seven people are all adults, both men and women. They mainly wear fur coats, which are dark gray in color and carry many leather bags.
Everyone has weapons on them and is scattered separately.
Three of them held bows and two held knives. None of them left their backs to the other, seemingly on guard.
There was another person wearing boxing gloves, walking alone, and he was in the very middle.
As for the one whose tone was odd just now, it was a tall and strong man.
This person was carrying a huge battle axe and was also the closest to Xu Qing.
He was extremely burly, with a hideous scar on his face and a full beard. At this moment, his eyes were filled with cruelty, and he strode towards Xu Qing with a sinister grin.
All of this was what Xu Qing saw at a glance.
His mind shrank abruptly, and in an instant, he analyzed that these people didn't seem like a single entity but more like a makeshift team.
This can be clearly seen from their positions and their preparedness.
And Xu Qing had already guessed the identities of these people. They... They are all scavengers!
The Southern Phoenix Continent is not short of scavengers. Most of them are cruel and have no bottom line to speak of. Everything is a blatant case of the survival of the fittest.
Obviously, this time the blood rain in the restricted area stopped, the barrier opened, and the scavengers around were attracted and swarmed over.
For them, although the restricted area is dangerous, they are already people who survive on the edge of a knife. The resources contained in the empty city are enough to make them envious.
Even though most of the materials were contaminated, there were still valuable things.
As his thoughts were spinning rapidly, Xu Qing's body swayed and he was about to leap away from one side.
But the big man who was approaching him, seeing Xu Qing about to run away, had an even more ferocious look in his eyes, and his sinister grin was tinged with bloodlust.
"Want to run? I love to brutally kill a brat like you the most. There must be quite a few things in your leather bag, right? Captain Lei, this kid, give them to me."
The cruelty in the big man's eyes seemed to be able to emanate from his childhood hole, creating a deterrent effect. Coupled with his tall figure and battle axe, the sense of oppression was extremely great.
At this moment, he strode forward, brandishing his right battle axe and throwing it directly in the direction where Xu Qing was about to leap.
With a whoosh, the battle axes whistled, cutting through the distance between the two sides and drawing near in an instant from mid-air.
The big man was very strong and his movements were not slow, but Xu Qing was even faster. Almost at the moment when the battle axe arrived, his body suddenly accelerated and moved to the side to avoid it.
The battle axe roared past him.
The wind that was raised blew against Xu Qing's face, lifting a bit of his disheveled hair and revealing beneath it, his cold and fierce eyes like those of a Wolf.
The next moment, Xu Qing's body rolled on the ground. Instead of running away, he came close to the big man, raised his right hand, and a dark black iron stick appeared directly in his hand.
Taking advantage of his shorter stature, Xu Qing leaped up with great force, and the iron stick in his hand pierced the big man's chin from bottom to top!
All of this happened too fast. Xu Qing's thin body and his previous attempt to escape provided a natural disguise for his move, to the extent that even the Han Dynasty felt a sense of a life-and-death crisis at that moment.
But he was, after all, experienced. At this moment, his expression changed dramatically. His upper body suddenly leaned backward, narrowly avoiding the iron sign, but still a bloodstain was left on his chin.
Before his inner rage could burn, Xu Qing's expression was cold. Missing the first strike, he quickly drew a dagger from his calf with his left hand.
When the big man leaned his upper body backward, he directly lowered his body and thrust the dagger into the instep of his right foot with great force.
With a puff, this dagger pierced through the straw sandals, through the flesh and blood, and was directly driven into the soil!
The big man's expression was distorted. Intense pain rolled over his entire body. Suddenly, a shrill scream rang out. Just as he was about to counterattack, Xu Qing was too agile. After making a move, his body shot backward to the side of a broken wall cover. He crouched there, ready to go.
The flickering firelight covered his face, making him look somewhat dim and uncertain. But the wolf-like gaze, which the firelight couldn't hide, looked at the scavengers with wariness and ferocity.
All this happened so fast that Xu Qing's age and figure were so misleading that many of the scavengers were taken aback and didn't react immediately.
At this moment, all of them had fierce glances in their eyes, and the eyes of the three who had drawn their bows suddenly became sharp.
Xu Qing, who was hiding behind the cover, did not look at the big man who was screaming and struggling to draw the dagger from the top of his foot not far away. Instead, he swept over the three bow-bearers and finally turned his gaze to the person standing right in the middle, wearing a boxing glove.
This man was an old man. Although his clothes were similar to those of others, his eyes were the shardest. Moreover, on him, Xu Qing faintly sensed the subtle fluctuations of his spiritual energy.
From his position and the instinctive gazes of the people around him, Xu Qing had made some judgment in his heart.
The other party... It should be the temporary leader of these scavengers.
Xu Qing looked at the old man, analyzing in his heart. The old man was also looking at him, and there seemed to be something strange in his eyes.
Soon, the old man shifted his gaze away, looking at the burning flames still rising not far away, and fell silent.
At this moment, the big man who had drawn the dagger had a rage in his eyes. He let out a roar and was about to charge towards Xu Qing.
"Little brat, watch me kill you!"
Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, revealing a sharp glint. Just as he was about to make a move, at that moment, an old voice came calmly.
"Enough!"
These two words seemed to have a deterrent effect, forcing the roaring big man to stop and turn his head to look at the speaker.
The one speaking was precisely the old man wearing boxing gloves that Xu Qing had been looking at just now.
"Team Lei..."
"This kid must be a survivor of the slums outside. Even the gods have shown lenient treatment to him. Don't make a move. Let's go." "
"But..." The big man's eyes were filled with intense resentment. He believed that he had just been careless before. If he really made a move, he was confident that within a few breaths, he could crush Xu Qing's neck.
Just as he was about to speak, the old man gave him a casual look.
Do I have to say it a second time?
The big man's expression showed a struggle, but in the end he lowered his head.
Just as he lowered his head, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Xu Qing who was hiding in the cover. A flash of murderous intent flashed across his face. Then, with a cold expression, he turned around and limped towards the old man.
Xu Qing sensed this murderous intent. His eyes narrowed slightly and he watched the group of scavengers warily as they gradually walked away.
Just after they had walked dozens of feet, the old man in the middle paused in his steps, turned his head, and after a while, he suddenly spoke. It was not clear whether he was looking at Xu Qing or at the burning flames of the cremation corpses.
"Child, would you like to leave here with me?"
Xu Qing was taken aback. He noticed that in the other person's words, it was about me, not us.
So he fell silent, his gaze sweeping over the group, and the old man was patient, not urging, standing far away waiting for an answer.
It was not until after more than ten breaths that Xu Qing repeatedly glanced at these people, looking at the old man and then at the big man with a cold expression who had been injured by him.
A strange glint flashed in the young man's eyes and then vanished.
He slowly stood up, said nothing and moved closer to them slowly.
Seeing Xu Qing approaching, the old man smiled and turned to continue walking. The others also gave Xu Qing a deep look and then walked away.
In this way, Xu Qing followed this group of scavengers, watching them search for valuable items within the city.
During this period, he learned the nickname of that hideous big man, who was called the "crippled ox" by others.
This person also glanced at Xu Qing many times, and there was always a cold glint in his eyes.
But clearly he was restrained. It seemed that he was not in a hurry and was waiting for the opportunity when the old man who had stopped him from taking action was not around.
And it seemed that he was also very certain that such an opportunity would surely come on the road ahead.
Xu Qing thought for a moment, considering the greed of that big man. So, relying on his familiarity with the city, he offered some help to these scavengers.
Xu Qing's posture was very low, which made these scavengers search for valuable things faster and find more items.
The broken ox, however, was clearly greedy. Even though it couldn't hold anything on its body and exceeded its own load, it still wanted to take more.
So, despite being injured, he searched a wider area than others and carried heavier items on his back.
At first, it wasn't a big deal, but as time went by, the big man's physical strength was obviously consumed in great quantities, and his exhaustion far exceeded that of everyone else.
As for the area of the City Lord's Mansion, Xu Qing considered that the old man known as the Thunder Team would be helpful to him, so he did not lead them there.
It was not until nightfall that the group finally left the city and set up camp in the former slum outside the city.
Their movements were very skillful and they pitched six tents.
Apart from the two people with knives in one tent, everyone else was alone. They even lit incense outside the tent. Some people took out some powder and scattered it in a circle around.
As the sky grew darker and darker, various roars began to reverberate within the city. These scavengers all walked into the tents.
Only Captain Lei glanced at the lonely Xu Qing, took out a sleeping bag from the side and threw it over.
"Burning incense can drive away strange beasts, and powder can avoid the eeriness. With your contribution today, with me around, even the remaining ox wouldn't dare to hit your attention. This place is still relatively safe." "
Having said that, the old man paid no more attention and walked into the tent.
Xu Qing didn't say a word. He just took a deep look at the old man's tent, picked up the sleeping bag, opened it and slipped in.
But it was not sealed up. Instead, a crack was left in the direction of the scavenger's tent.
Late at night, the roars and shrill sounds from the outside world grew stronger and stronger. Strange cries also swirled and swirled, and the terrifying atmosphere seemed to be everywhere outside.
It seems that no one is willing to leave the sheltered abode at this time.
Only Xu Qing...
He opened his eyes in the sleeping bag, remaining motionless and waiting silently.
It was not until time passed and it was the time when people were most soundly asleep in the dead of night that Xu Qing slowly climbed out of her sleeping bag.
His movements were very careful, trying not to make any sound as much as possible.
The roars and shrill cries within the city echoed in his ears, but they did not distract him in the slightest.
After carefully climbing out, Xu Qing silently walked towards the tent where the big Han's broken ox was.
He won't allow any hidden dangers around him that threaten his life. Even if it's just a hidden danger, he will find a way to solve it immediately.
This is the rule that Xu Qing learned through bloody lessons after surviving in the slums. This is also the reason why he agreed to follow this time.
Even during the day when he reminded everyone to gain more, it was all because he saw the greed of the broken ox and wanted it to become even more exhausted while still injured, thus losing its guard.
His deliberate act of lowering his stance was also aimed at luring the other party and making them less vigilant.
All of this was for the current move. At this moment, Xu Qing's expression was calm. He gently approached the tent and did not act rashly. Instead, he squatted there first and listened carefully for a long time.
The snoring sound that reached his ears was uniform, continuous and stable, not fake at all. After confirming this, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, slowly pulled out his iron pick, gently cut open the buttons of the tent, and slowly crawled in.
The tent was dimly lit. Xu Qingmo saw the broken ox lying there, sleeping very soundly. It was obviously due to the heavy load during the day and the injury it had suffered, which made it extremely exhausted.
Moreover, the mentality of a strong person also made the remnant ox never expect that the young man, who had a fawning and cooperative attitude during the day, would venture to arrive in the middle of the night when all the other scavengers were present.
So at this moment, he had no idea that there was an unexpected guest in his tent.
Xu Qing looked at the sleeping stump ox. His cold gaze was as calm as the deep sea. He approached gently until he stood beside him. Xu Qing didn't hesitate at all. With a flash of cold light from his right dagger, he instantly slashed the bewildered stump ox's neck with great force.
The force was extremely strong, nearly separating the body.
Blood gushed out in an instant.
The intense pain made the broken ox's eyes suddenly open wide. Seeing Xu Qing's expressionless face, his expression showed disbelief and terror. Just as he was about to struggle, Xu Qing quickly raised his left hand and pressed it against his mouth, preventing him from making a sound.
And at this moment, the struggle became even more intense. The broken ox's eyes widened and its whole body convulsed wildly.
But Xu Qing's hand was like a pair of iron pliers, pressing tightly. His right foot was even lifted and directly placed on the belly of the stump ox, transforming into a bow shape himself. With a steady force, the struggle of the stump ox was of no avail.
As blood kept gushing out, the broken ox was like a fish that had left the water. Gradually, a strong sense of despair emerged in its eyes, and even pleading was revealed.
But what he saw was still Xu Qing's calm face. As for the sound made by his body's struggle, it was drowned out by the outside roars and shrill cries, and could not be heard at all.
Time passed slowly. After about ten breaths, the struggle of the withered ox gradually weakened. Eventually, it trembled slightly and relaxed completely, remaining motionless. Only its open eyes, still filled with the fear of death, passed away.
Xu Qing didn't raise his hand immediately. Instead, he waited for a while longer to make sure the other person was truly dead. Only then did he let go of his hand. After wiping off the blood on it, he opened his leather bag.
Carefully taking out the snake head wrapped in linen from the inside, he carefully punctured the skin of the broken ox with the venomous teeth of the snake head.
In the next moment, as the toxin spread, the carcass of the dead cow gave rise to waves of green bubbles and gradually melted.
After a stick of incense was burned, the corpse completely turned into a pool of blood, seeping into the soil on the ground.
Xu Qing watched all this in silence, began to tidy up the scene, and then dealt with the relics of the broken ox to create the illusion that the other party was missing. Only then did he emerge from the tent.
A cold wind blew towards him, taking away some of the smell of blood that had smeared on him. Xu Qing looked up at the night, took a deep breath of the icy air, and slowly returned to his sleeping bag.
The moment he lay in the sleeping bag, his heart finally settled down. The sense of security brought by the elimination of the hidden danger made him close his eyes and fall asleep quickly, but the iron stick in his hand remained tightly held, never letting go of it in the slightest.
There was nothing to say all night.
The next morning, the dawn light fell, illuminating the earth. Xu Qing opened his eyes and quietly climbed out of his sleeping bag, his gaze casually sweeping towards the tent where the broken ox was.
The next moment, his eyes contracted slightly.
The tent of the broken ox has actually vanished.
Xu Qing's heart sank and he became even more vigilant.
Soon, other scavengers also came out of the tent one after another in the early morning. They were the first to notice this and were all astonished. Some searched everywhere but to no avail.
But since the broken ox had vanished completely and even the tent was gone, some people judged that the other party must have left in the middle of the night out of greed for the things in the city, or for some other reason, without saying goodbye.
In short, within this restricted area, there are too many reasons that could make a person disappear.
It was a team formed temporarily and the broken ox was alone, so soon these scavengers no longer paid attention to the matter. Some looked at Xu Qing, but seemed to think that this matter could not be related to Xu Qing. Besides, they had no obligation to investigate, so they withdrew their speculation.
Only the old man known as Team Lei gave Xu Qing a meaningful look when he retrieved his sleeping bag and spoke indifferently.
Now, are you still coming with me?
This sentence was profound in meaning. Xu Qing remained silent.
The old man said no more. He called out to everyone and continued on his way under the first rays of the sun.
Xu Qing stood still for a moment and instinctively turned his head to look at the ruined city. Finally, he turned his head and looked at the old man's back. After thinking for a moment, he followed him. As he walked on, his steps gradually became more firm.
Six scavengers and a child, their figures were stretched very long in the sunlight...
From afar, a breeze blew, carrying away the sighs and sentiments they had felt as they moved forward.
This is the divine catastrophe, with the entire city being destroyed.
"There's one more forbidden zone in this world..."
This is nothing. Have you heard of it? About seven or eight years ago, there was a big city in the northern region. When the deity opened his eyes, that area along with the city walls vanished in a strange way, as if it had never existed.
The voices of the conversation grew fainter and fainter. Under the first rays of the sun, among the departing figures, the young man remained silent, listening and leaving in silence.
The further you go, the further you go.
------