Chapter 54: Ding Longyun’s Confusion

“Alright, the three of you step back a little.” Ni Jianrong said this while picking up the hammer. Seeing the three retreat, he tossed the hammer over.

The hammer, dragging the nylon rope, landed on the balcony. Ding Longyun stepped forward, grabbed the rope, and helped stabilize the raft.

The raft approached the balcony and stopped. Ni Jianrong climbed over the railing first, followed by Fang You and Wang Kaikang.

“Are you the only three here?” Ni Jianrong looked around, then his eyes scanned Xu Xuehui and Su Li before settling on Ding Longyun’s face. He seemed to recognize that Ding Longyun was the leader of the group.

“Yes, there were a few others, but they’re all dead. It’s just the three of us now,” Ding Longyun replied, adding, “Where did you three come from? And why don’t you have any supplies?”

He was equally curious about the lack of supplies on their raft.

Ni Jianrong looked slightly startled, then offered a wry smile. “We didn’t have much to begin with, and what we did have was lost in an accident along the way. Anyway, let’s not talk about that…”

He paused before asking tentatively, “Speaking of which, there are three floors of this building not submerged. You must have quite a few supplies, right?”

“Not a lot. Just enough to get by for now,” Ding Longyun said. “It’s almost noon. You must be hungry. Let’s go upstairs, and we can talk more in detail.”

Ni Jianrong hummed in acknowledgment, appearing deep in thought.

Su Li, meanwhile, remained silent, closely observing the three newcomers. He noticed that apart from Ni Jianrong, Fang You and Wang Kaikang were just as quiet as he was, constantly darting their eyes around and looking at them.

More accurately, they were subtly watching Xu Xuehui, a look of contemplation on their faces, as if they were puzzling over some question after seeing her. Their expressions struck Su Li as somewhat strange.

Ni Jianrong claimed their supplies were lost in an accident, but the three of them were wearing clean clothes and didn’t look like they had fallen into the water. If they hadn’t gotten into an accident, how were the supplies lost?

And if the supplies hadn’t been lost, why would Ni Jianrong lie?

Su Li didn’t know why, but a feeling of caution rose in him toward these three survivors. This caution led him to quietly touch the dagger tucked in his waistband.

The dagger, which Ding Longyun had given him to replace the cleaver, was kept close to him at all times, as was Xu Xuehui’s. They rarely used them, saving them for emergencies if their main weapons were lost.

His iron rod was leaning against the other side of the balcony. If he walked over to grab it now, it would signal his wariness. Keeping his guard up while remaining inconspicuous might yield a better result.

Of course, it was possible the three men meant no harm, and Su Li was simply overthinking things, but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

Xu Xuehui, afraid of their intense gaze, quietly retreated behind Su Li and tugged on his sleeve.

Su Li looked back at Xu Xuehui’s eyes. He sensed the girl wanted to tell him something but couldn’t speak in front of the others.

Ding Longyun remained enthusiastic, actively leading the way, intending to take the three to the top floor and prepare a lavish meal to host them. After all, they were companions now and needed to work together to survive.

“By the way, all three of you are Spiritual Source Wielders, right? What levels are you? I’m only Level 3, and they are both Level 2,” Ni Jianrong asked with a smile, volunteering their levels to show sincerity.

Hearing Ni Jianrong state their levels, Ding Longyun didn’t hide his own. He chuckled and replied, “I’m Level 4. Su Li is Level 3. The little girl, Xuehui, is a bit lower; she only reached Level 2 last night.”

Hearing Ding Longyun say he was Level 4, Ni Jianrong’s expression shifted. He looked deeply impressed and said, “Brother Ding, you are truly incredible! To already be a Level 4 Spiritual Source Wielder! This is the first time I’ve met anyone as powerful as you…”

As Ni Jianrong spoke, he stepped forward, extending both hands to tightly clasp Ding Longyun’s hand, displaying extreme excitement and respect.

Ding Longyun laughed heartily and said, “You’re exaggerating. Level 4 is nothing special. I feel like the change compared to Level 3 isn’t that big, and it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m more formidable. Someone like Su—”

He was about to say that even though Su Li was one level below him, in an actual fight, he might be stronger than a Level 4 Spiritual Source Wielder like himself.

The word “Su” had just left his lips when Ni Jianrong, whose face was full of respect and excitement, suddenly flicked his right hand. A bone spur shot out from his palm and plunged into Ding Longyun’s chest.

The sudden attack froze the wide smile on Ding Longyun’s face.

Almost simultaneously, Fang You and Wang Kaikang also attacked. As if on cue with Ni Jianrong, Fang You suddenly produced a small iron axe in his right hand and swung it toward Su Li’s head. With his strength, that axe blow, if landed, would split Su Li’s skull open.

Meanwhile, Wang Kaikang lunged toward Xu Xuehui, who was right next to Su Li.

He didn’t use the weapon on his back. Instead, he reached out with both hands to grab Xu Xuehui’s arms. If he seized her arms and twisted them back, he could subdue her. Clearly, he intended to capture Xu Xuehui alive.

The entire sequence came as a complete shock. Fang You and Wang Kaikang moved with incredible speed, completely inconsistent with being mere Level 2 Spiritual Source Wielders. This was the speed that only a Level 3 Spiritual Source Wielder could achieve.

Unlike Ding Longyun, who was caught completely off guard and looked stunned, Su Li had been wary.

The moment Fang You raised his arm and revealed the axe, Su Li lunged out. The four “Gluttony Fangs” on his left hand extended and raked across Fang You’s chest. Su Li shot forward like an arrow.

He had no time to pull out the dagger in his waistband to attack Ni Jianrong. Su Li could only rely on his body to ram the assailant. He knew that even a half-second delay would mean certain death for Ding Longyun.

With a “bang,” he slammed squarely into Ni Jianrong.

Ni Jianrong, who had just landed the attack and was about to slice the bone spur downward to disembowel Ding Longyun, never expected Su Li to be so fast. He felt a sharp impact from his side. Struck by Su Li, he was sent flying backward.

Ding Longyun finally reacted. He let out a yell, clutching the wound on his chest, which was spurting blood. He stumbled backward, his face turning ghostly pale. He shrieked, “Why?!”

He truly didn’t understand. Everyone was facing this apocalyptic crisis. They should be sticking together and trying to survive. Why would these three suddenly attack them?

He was completely bewildered. Didn’t they know that the more people they had, the higher their chances of survival?

(End of Chapter)