The Great Merchant in the Cataclysm

Chapter 85: Power of North City

The wolfdog sprinted over and leaped into the air. A scene immediately appeared before Zhang Mu’s eyes.

Zhang Mu frowned. The scene was too bloody and tragic.

There were injured people scattered all over the ground. Some had bandages wrapped all over them, some had not been treated yet. Blood could be seen everywhere. Wang Liang was sitting right in the middle, his expression hideous as he accepted the treatment of someone who looked like a doctor.

Even someone as careful as Wang Liang is hurt? What did the search party meet when they went out to find supplies? If Wang Liang had planned properly, they would be able to easily handle over a thousand walking dead with the 20 sets of armor that he gave them. Why have they come back in such a state?

Filled with doubts, Zhang Mu got off the wolfdog’s back and slowly walked towards the injured people. Most of the injured were so weak that they were unable to greet Zhang Mu when he walked past them. Zhang Mu signaled to them to continue resting.

When he saw Zhang Mu, Wang Liang asked the doctor to quickly finish treating him and to help the other people who were injured.

Zhang Mu frowned and asked after the doctor had left, “What happened to your arm? And also, what happened to all of you? Why are you injured too? I remembered you saying that after getting the 20 pieces of armor, the injury rate is close to zero?”

Hearing the doubt in Zhang Mu’s tone, Wang Liang eyes burned with anger and snarled, “It’s the North City survival base.”

“They attacked you? You helped them clear the walking dead that they were afraid of and yet, they attacked you? But even if they did, you have more than 200 evolvers under your arm. I have been to 10 other survival base to do business and the one in the North City only have at most 90 evolvers. That is less than half of your army. Why are you all in this state?”

Wang Liang listened to the string of questions in silence. After a long while, he said coldly, “If they attacked us alone, we would not be in this tragic state. When we first went over to their base, their leader welcomed us with a good attitude and even led us to the area with the walking dead.”

“However, I didn’t know that a person can be so shameless. When we were fighting 1500 walking dead at the North City, their leader lured another group of close to a thousand walking dead to us using fresh blood.”

“You mean he caused you all to be surrounded by the walking dead?” Zhang Mu was totally stunned. The Luoyang City he knew didn’t have such a vicious leader. Was the leader supposed to be dead last time but because of him, the future was changed?

This was just the tenth day after the cataclysm and the ugly side of the human race had been exposed. Honestly, this wasn’t even an issue about personal benefits. It was just regarding a bunch of walking dead and some small amount of supplies.

“Yes, when I saw a car dragging a child and driving towards us, I sensed that something was amiss. As expected, a thousand walking dead came charging at us.”

Wang Liang gaze turned dangerous. He slowly continued, “Brother Mu, you know that we do not have the ability to face a herd of a thousand walking dead head on. We need to make use of the terrain and the powers of the earth-type evolvers as well as the special armors to slowly kill the walking dead. However, the new group of walking dead disrupted our plan and I had no choice but to order a retreat. We didn’t even have the chance to pick up the crystals.”

Zhang Mu was even more curious after hearing the explanation. If what Wang Liang said was the truth, then why were the group of them injured so badly?

After some thoughts, Zhang Mu immediately guessed the situation. His tone turned icy, “it was the North City base. When you were retreating, they attacked you.”

Wang Liang raised his head and looked at Zhang Mu. His face was filled with sorrow and anger, “yes, I was retreating with my men towards the two small roads that we had discussed earlier. However, we were ambushed by the North City base.”

Wang Liang’s voice was calm, as though he was talking about an event unrelated to him. However, Zhang Mu knew how much anger Wang Liang was experiencing when he said his story.

“They had carefully prepared their attacks and it completely stopped us from retreating. The walking dead caught up on us. We could have fought with them on the small street, but the North City had a lot of fire-type evolvers. They attacked our people at the front and dragged them into a fiery hell while their earth-type evolvers build a wall behind us to cut off our routes to retreat.”

“Brother Mu, you know that I do not have any water-type evolvers in my team. The North City people even poured oil into the fiery hell. Not even my earth-type evolvers can put out the fire. I, Wang Liang, can only watch my men burn to death one by one before me.”

Wang Liang’s voice was trembling when he reached this part. He remembered how helpless he felt when his men cried for help, and yet he was unable to do anything.

Pouring oil was a common tactic seen in the future. However, that was when there was a loss of humanity. Why is it appearing now?

Wang Liang waved his intact arm and pointed to his other arm, “This was the result of a sneak attack when I was trying to destroy their earth-type attacks.”

“In the end, the walking dead broke through our defense line. Luckily, I was able to destroy the wall build by the many earth-type evolvers and escaped with the men that were left. They must have thought that we won’t be a threat anymore because they didn’t pursue us.”

His expression dimmed, “the doctor took a look at my injury and told me that with the circumstances, he can only wrap some bandage around it and let it heal by itself. However, this type of injury inflicted by fire-type energy will still have a detrimental effect on the agility of the arm.”

“This arm is crippled.”

Wang Liang’s voice got softer but the next moment, he gazed at Zhang Mu with eager eyes and said, “My team is only left with half the size. It is my fault. I owe them. I want to take revenge for them, for my brothers who died in the fiery hell and for those kids that died tragically.”

Wang Liang’s voice continued trembling as he said the last sentence to Zhang Mu, “Brother Mu, I have never begged you before. But this time, I beg you to help me. I cannot do this alone.”

His last word softened Zhang Mu’s heart.

“Please.”