Chapter 23: Exploded!

Brother Long’s shoulder was injured, and the pain made him howl uncontrollably. As he screamed, he cursed Su Miao.

“You little wretch, I’ll kill you later!”

“If you’ve got the guts, come out!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As a threat, he hacked at the other half of the main door with his machete several times.

Hearing the noise, Su Miao couldn’t help but tremble again. Fear gripped her. But there was still half a door between them—what should she do if the crossbow bolt couldn’t reach him?

With fear churning inside her, Su Miao made a decision.

She moved to the other side of the door, stretched out her palm. A small red fireball appeared before her hand. The fireball gradually turned yellow, then white, then green, then pale blue. Magic power compressed within the growing, shrinking fireball.

When it felt ready, Su Miao pushed it forward.

In an instant, the pale blue fireball struck the door.

Boom!

Half the main door exploded. The terrifying blast sent fragments flying, and the shockwave hurled Brother Long, who had been cursing furiously outside, into the air.

Bang!

Brother Long’s body crashed heavily into the rain-soaked ground. He tried to grab something, but found that this time he no longer had a right hand. He wanted to crawl away, but his legs refused to respond.

The torrential rain poured onto him, making him feel as though he was submerged in boiling water, every inch of his body wracked with pain.

Yet his body’s protective instincts kicked in, rendering most of his sensations numb, so the pain remained barely tolerable, allowing him to stay lucid.

“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! It was my fault!”

Brother Long wailed in misery, begging for mercy. The crossbow was frightening enough, but explosives as well? Madness!

Su Miao was startled by the explosion. The door she had meant to protect was now destroyed by her own hand. What if more intruders came next time?

Su Miao looked at Brother Long groveling in the rain, raised her crossbow, her hand trembling, and shot a bolt into his brow, ending his suffering ahead of time.

Staring at the silent corpse, Su Miao’s fear eased somewhat. Yet, disposing of the body would prove troublesome. The torrential rain had only just begun; the water outside was barely five centimeters deep, nowhere near enough to carry away the body as had happened in previous days. Especially with the burly man she killed later—the corpse was simply too large.

Should she use small waterball spells to move them?

Su Miao shook her head. The blue fireball she’d just used had drained far too much magic; she couldn’t muster enough waterballs to carry the bodies right now.

In the end, Su Miao pushed the thinner corpse down the steps, hoping the torrential rain would last until tomorrow. Then perhaps the water would be deep and swift enough to carry both corpses away.

The only remaining issue was the blasted door. Hopefully, any ill-intentioned people who happened by and saw the two bodies left outside would be discouraged from entering the villa.

For safety’s sake, Su Miao returned to the second floor and lit a candle in the living room. The candlelight illuminated most of the room, offering some comfort.

But if someone came upstairs and saw her sitting in the glow, it would be dangerous.

With this in mind, Su Miao took several large cardboard boxes from her magical storage space and placed them in the living room. She crawled into one.

The darkness inside the box made her feel safe.

If anyone broke in upstairs, she could fire bolts at them from inside. Normally, intruders would probably check the rooms first to see if anyone was there.

Unconsciously, Su Miao fell asleep in the box.

Dawn arrived.

Su Miao woke, stepped out of the box. It seemed no one had broken in during the night.

Looking down from the second floor, the rainwater outside was now ten centimeters deep and appeared swift. The two corpses at the entrance had not yet been carried away. If the rain continued for a while longer, it should suffice.

Su Miao glanced toward Xia Xiao’an’s room, wondering if she had recovered.

Viral influenza rarely resolves in just one night; usually, it takes at least five days. Stories where someone recovers after only one night belong in anime.

This posed a new problem for Su Miao. The villa’s main door was destroyed. Where should she take Xia Xiao’an to stay?

The villas ahead had been inhabited before; whether anyone remained, she did not know. The villa at the northwest corner was close to the wild forest and hills; Su Miao worried about landslides and did not want to stay there.

Her original villa’s door was ruined—replacing it or not made little difference.

Su Miao looked at the stairs leading from the first to the second floor. Thinking of the blue fireball’s power, she considered whether she should demolish the staircase—perhaps that would ensure safety.

“Sister Su…”

Xia Xiao’an emerged from her room.

She stared at Su Miao standing in the cardboard box, blinking in confusion.

“Xiao’an, are you feeling better?” Su Miao asked.

“Thank you, Sister Su. It seems I’m not quite recovered yet,” Xia Xiao’an replied.

“Alright, then keep resting. I’ll prepare breakfast for you.” Su Miao left the box and headed to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Xia Xiao’an looked at the fragrant fish porridge before her, appetite awakened.

Su Miao smiled softly and ate her portion.

Xia Xiao’an seemed in good spirits. With luck, perhaps she would recover in three days. Whether they needed to move or not, things would become much easier.

As for defense, Su Miao now had a new idea. If anyone tried to rush upstairs, she’d simply blast the staircase with magic.

…

Dawn broke, but the roar of the torrential rain outside remained unchanged.

Old Song stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, certain that the past few days had not been a dream.

He was still alive.

His full name was Song Yourang, and those who knew him called him “Three Knives Song” or “Old Song.” In his youth, he was a coach at a martial arts school. When someone challenged the school, he accidentally killed them, spending more than ten years in prison. He never imagined that, after finally living honestly for a few years, he’d be forced to kill again.

That night, he was severely injured by Fei Chengqiang’s men. In a panic, he fled toward the landslide zone, waded through the water, and crawled across, expending every ounce of strength. He collapsed in the rain, and in a haze, someone brought him to this villa. When he awoke, he found that all his terrifying wounds had vanished.

Even so, touching the site of his injuries, he still felt some pain. Apparently, he hadn’t fully recovered internally. But that hardly mattered.

What mattered was remembering last night’s battle. Fei Chengqiang’s men had come again, and he had taken down three of them with ease.

Old Song clenched his fist, feeling his strength had grown tremendously. Could this be connected to the person who saved him? After all, healing such dreadful wounds in so short a time was unimaginable for ordinary people.

No matter what, he would remember this kindness!

He walked to the entrance, frowned at the corpses soaking in the rain.

Old Song strode over, picked up the body weighing more than one hundred eighty pounds—surprisingly light. He picked up the other corpse as well.

Old Song headed toward the landslide zone; better to dispose of the bodies.

At the edge of the mudslide area, with a light toss, he threw the corpses down.

The rainwater converged there, forming a swift stream. The bodies were swept away almost instantly.

But people appeared on the far bank.

They were Fei Chengqiang’s men.

“Ghost!”

They saw Old Song disposing of the bodies, terror written across their faces as they fled into the distance.