The matters here were considered resolved.
As Lin Xiao and the other person emerged, Ming Yi had already managed to bottle the corpse smoke he'd found. He, too, carried such jade bottles with him.
When they stepped out of the room, Zhu Guangyu, who was waiting by the door, asked curiously, "What about the person in the room? Is he dead?" He wasn't sure if Lin Xiao would kill the person inside, but it was certain they wouldn't meet a good end.
"Zhu Guangyu, you just don't understand me at all. How could I kill someone so casually?" Lin Xiao said, gesturing for him to go in. "You handle him, follow the proper procedures."
"Okay."
Zhu Guangyu nodded quickly. It was good of Brother Xiao to know he needed cases; keeping this person to boost his record wasn't bad. Following the proper procedures, this person might face the death penalty, depending on whether he'd committed any other heinous acts in recent days.
Lin Xiao and Ming Yi returned to the main hall.
Just as the two were about to leave, a person covered in bandages rushed in frantically.
"Where is he! Where is he!" The man's left hand was gone, his entire left shoulder bandaged. His face was contorted with rage. As he roared, his colleagues tried to restrain him, "Calm down, it's over..."
"What's over? He killed one of our brothers, broke my arm, and you say it's over!" If he hadn't lost an arm, his struggles would likely have been even more violent.
Lin Xiao looked at the man and shook his head, saying, "Calm down, or your bandages might split open, and your injury will take longer to heal." Didn't these people know how to take care of themselves after all this time?
"I don't care!" The man's emotions were clearly unstable. He roared, his voice tinged with a sob, "Damn it, not only is my arm gone, but it's a human life! He told me just a few days ago that he was planning to get married before the end of the year! He even sent me an invitation!" httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
A wave of silence followed this outburst. A flicker of pity crossed Lin Xiao's eyes. Fate was unpredictable.
"Where is that bastard?! I'm going to kill him!"
"Enough!" Ming Yi couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "Look at yourself!"
"Don't you think about it? Your brother is dead, and you, you've lost an arm. Your strength is insufficient. If you're so reckless, even if we tell you who's controlling the zombies behind the scenes, can you beat him?"
"Are you going there to die for nothing? Do you want your family to grieve as much as your brother's family will?" As he spoke, he almost roared, suppressing the man's voice, even channeling his true qi as a master cultivator.
Lin Xiao patted his shoulder, understanding Ming Yi's feelings. Back in Beijiang, so many brothers had died, sacrificed. Of the same batch, only a handful remained. Among their group, some were preparing to go home and get married, some already had wives and children and were waiting for the holiday to return home for the new year... But in the end, they became the last line of defense with their bodies. They slept forever.
Whenever Lin Xiao and Ming Yi thought of them, their emotions were inevitably stirred. Just like now, Ming Yi was reminded of those people. It was precisely because of this that he had to live, had to survive, so that those brothers with whom he had shared life and death could rest in peace below.
This man, in his rage after losing his arm, resembled Ming Yi in the past. That time... he had lost his reason, shouting for revenge... And then he lost. The price? Someone died saving him. If Lin Xiao hadn't arrived in time, that entire squad would have been wiped out.
That time, Lin Xiao didn't reprimand him or punish him severely. He simply made him kneel before the graves of their fallen comrades to repent and to think clearly about what he should do as the squad leader.
"It's none of your business! Damn it, even if I die, I'll strip a layer of skin off him!" Clearly, the man who had lost his reason couldn't calm down.
This made Ming Yi frown. He walked up to the man and punched him hard in the face. The blow made the man's eyes water.
"If you still can't calm down, I'll keep hitting you until you do." Ming Yi's fist didn't hesitate. In his eyes, someone who could so easily lose their reason and couldn't calm themselves down shouldn't be in this special department.
No one objected to Ming Yi's actions. Although they looked somewhat pained, they also understood that at this moment, someone like Ming Yi needed to step forward.
"I'll fight you!"
"Let him go!" Ming Yi commanded, ordering everyone to release their hold. "Let me see what your so-called 'fighting' is capable of?"
Since Ming Yi had said so, the men exchanged glances and finally let go. The moment they released him, the man charged at Ming Yi like a wild horse. Ming Yi stood his ground, his true qi flowing, showing no intention of dodging, as the man's fist came crashing towards him.
*Thud!*
The punch landed squarely on Ming Yi's nose. However, Ming Yi showed no reaction that one would expect from being hit. He stood there, unmoving, his gaze unwavering. His eyes held disdain. "Your footwork is erratic, your breathing is weak, your punch lacks power..."
"Even if I stand here and let you hit me, can you actually land a solid blow?" The fist was stopped about a centimeter from his nose. It was Ming Yi's true qi.
The man seemed unwilling to believe it and threw another flurry of punches at Ming Yi. Ming Yi remained standing, neither dodging nor flinching. Zhu Guangyu also came downstairs at this moment. Seeing the scene, he was about to speak when Lin Xiao stopped him.
"No hurry, just watch."
"Yes."
Zhu Guangyu silently stood beside Lin Xiao. He had heard the earlier shouts clearly. Yes, it was true. Brothers with whom they had shared life and death during missions, rivals they had often competed with in secret, had died. It was a significant blow to him. He could understand. He had experienced it too.
Finally, the man with the severed arm grew tired and calmed down.