One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Lu Lin's expression changed drastically. He shoved away the enemies around him with a palm strike and tried to rush forward. But his hand was trembling—not from fear, but from anxiety. His sister, who had always been lively, cheerful, and always smiling, had now transformed into a bloodthirsty beast. He took a few steps, but was blocked by another member of the roster. The man brandished a large machete and swung it at him, forcing him to stop and parry.

Nie Lingfeng's eyes narrowed, and he was about to make a move—

"Brother Lingfeng, wait a minute."

Chen Duo pulled him back. Her hand was steady, and her voice was steady as well.

"She seems... to still be in control of herself."

Nie Lingfeng stared intently.

Although Lu Linglong had entered a berserk state, her blood-red eyes burning with a frenzied fighting spirit, her gaze had not completely lost its rationality. There was something else in her pupils—a small, dark object, like a candle flame about to go out.

It was herself.

She stared at the terrible disease before her, a bloodthirsty smile curling at the corner of her lips.

That smile wasn't Lu Linglong's smile. Lu Linglong's smile was clean, bright, like sunshine. But this smile was twisted, wild, carrying a primal, long-suppressed joy finally being released.

Then--

She moved!

She was so fast that she was almost invisible! In a flash—"whoosh"—she disappeared as if she had vanished into thin air, and when she reappeared, she was already standing in front of the disease.

Lu Lin watched from a distance, feeling his heart skip a beat. When did his sister become so fast? Even he couldn't keep up with her speed.

His right hand gripped his neck like an iron clamp!

Her fingers dug deep into the flesh of the sick man's neck, her nails digging into his skin, and black blood seeped from her fingertips.

"Uh...uh..."

The man, gripped so tightly by her choking, gasped for breath, his mouth agape, his tongue lolling out, the barbs on it trembling in the air. He struggled desperately, his hands gripping Lu Linglong's arms, his fingernails carving white marks into her skin—but he dared not exert force, for his fingernails were also poisonous—but Lu Linglong's strength was astonishing, like a machine that, once started, could not be stopped.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free even a fraction of an inch.

"You... bit me..."

Lu Linglong's voice became hoarse and deep, with an inhuman quality.

Something was churning in her throat, like lava rolling. The way her vocal cords vibrated had changed; her voice was half a tone lower than usual, with a metallic, rough texture.

"Then I'll... give you a piece of my mind!"

After she finished speaking, she opened her mouth, revealing two sharpened canine teeth.

Those two teeth were no different from ordinary teeth normally, but at this moment—they became longer and sharper, gleaming white in the sunlight, like two small fangs.

It bit down hard on the shoulder of the malignant disease!

"ah--!!!"

The disease emitted a piercing scream.

The scream was so loud that even the fishing boats on the distant sea stopped, and the fishermen on board turned around to look in their direction. His body convulsed violently in Lu Linglong's hands, like a snake nailed to a wall, its tail thrashing weakly.

Lu Linglong bit his shoulder and tore it open forcefully.

"Sizzle—"

She ripped a large chunk of flesh off! Blood splattered, staining half her cheek red, and dark red blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto her clothes and the sand.

With those blood-red eyes, he looked like a demon crawling out of hell.

She chewed twice and swallowed the meat in her mouth. Her Adam's apple bobbed, making a "gulp" sound. Then she licked the blood from the corner of her mouth, her bright red tongue slowly, very slowly licking around her blood-red lips.

Clutching his bleeding shoulder, he scrambled backward, his feet slipping on the sand. He struggled to his feet, his face contorted with terror.

"Monster...you're a monster!"

"monster?"

Lu Linglong licked the blood from the corner of her mouth, revealing a radiant yet chilling smile. That smile bore a resemblance to Lu Linglong—radiant and bright—but the underlying tone had changed, like a glass of water stained with blood, the red spreading slowly and irreversibly through the transparency.

"Thank you for the compliment."

She was about to give chase—

"Linglong, that's enough."

Nie Lingfeng's voice came through.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was very clear. It was like suddenly hearing a bell tolling in a noisy market, drowning out all the other sounds.

Lu Linglong stopped in her tracks.

She turned around and looked at Nie Lingfeng.

In those blood-red eyes, madness and reason were locked in a fierce battle. The two forces tore and fought deep within her pupils, like two snakes of different colors intertwined, devouring each other, neither able to swallow the other.

"You've already won."

Nie Lingfeng looked at her calmly.

His eyes were the same as always, without fear, worry, or tension. Just calm—like a stagnant pool; if you throw a stone into it, it won't even cause a ripple.

"Come back."

Lu Linglong stared at him for a few seconds.

In those few seconds, the bloodshot in her eyes seemed to be slowly washed away by something. From deep red to light red, from light red to pale red, from pale red to transparent. The dark red lines faded slowly from her skin, like ink being wiped away.

She swayed and almost fell, but was caught by Lu Lin who arrived just in time.

Lu Lin held her tightly in his arms, encircling her in his embrace. His hands were trembling—not from fear, but from heartache.

"Linglong, are you alright?" Lu Lin asked anxiously, checking her injuries.

"No...it's nothing..."

Lu Linglong smiled weakly. The smile was faint, like a flower about to wither. The bloodstains on her lips were still there, starkly contrasting with her pale face.

Then her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Chen Duo stepped forward.

She took out the dark blue cloth bag from her bosom, opened it, and took out a small porcelain bottle. She uncorked the bottle and poured out a small, dark green pill, about the size of a grain of rice. The pill was small, but its aroma was strong; a cool, herbal scent filled the air, a stark contrast to the previous stench.

She pried open Lu Linglong's mouth, put the pill inside, and gently lifted her chin to let the pill slide down.

Then he checked her injury, gently pressing his fingers around the wound to observe its color and the degree of swelling.

Then he said to Nie Lingfeng, "The toxins in her body have been suppressed by that violent power, and she is fine. She's just overexerted and needs rest."

Nie Lingfeng nodded and looked at the members on the list.

At this moment, the bald man had been subdued by Wang Zhenqiu. He was lying on the ground, his face buried in the sand, and his unresponsive arm was pinned behind his back by Wang Zhenqiu, who was stepping on it with one foot.

Most of the other members were also knocked to the ground—some were coughing up blood while clutching their chests, some were howling in pain while clutching their broken legs, and some lay motionless in the sand, unsure whether they were unconscious or dead. Only two or three remained standing, all of them covered in wounds, their faces filled with fear, unable to even lift their weapons.

"roll."

Nie Lingfeng only said one word.

The voice wasn't loud, and the tone wasn't forceful. But the word sounded like a stone falling from a height, hitting the ground with a "thud" and leaving a dent.

Those men, as if granted a pardon, scrambled to their feet, helped their wounded comrades to their feet, picked up their dropped weapons, and fled the beach in a sorry state. The bald man, supported by two men, dragged one foot on the ground, carving a long furrow in the sand. The one with the most severe illness was the fastest runner; though he was the most badly injured, he ran faster than anyone else, blood still seeping from the wound on his shoulder, but he didn't look back.

The beach returned to silence.

The waves were still lapping against the beach, making a "whoosh-whoosh" sound, at the same rhythm as before, neither too fast nor too slow.

Seabirds have returned, foraging in the distance, their white forms moving about in the shallows.

It's as if nothing ever happened.

Li Muxuan walked to Lu Linglong's side, squatted down, looked at the wound on her arm, and then looked at her furrowed brows even in her unconscious state.

Her brows were furrowed, and her lips were pressed tightly together, as if she were having a nightmare or fighting with something.

Li Muxuan sighed.

"This girl... has the blood of a madman within her?"

"What is the Blood of Madness?" Zhang Chulan asked.

"An extremely rare bloodline inheritance," Li Muxuan explained, gently touching the dark red patterns remaining on Lu Linglong's arm with his finger. The patterns were slowly fading, but had not completely disappeared.

"Legend has it that people with this bloodline will enter a berserk state under the stimulation of extreme emotions or life-or-death crises, with their strength, speed, and recovery ability greatly enhanced. But at the same time, they will also lose their rationality and become bloodthirsty and murderous."

He paused.

"This kind of bloodline is extremely rare. I have only heard of it in all my years of life, and this is the first time I have seen it with my own eyes."

He looked at the unconscious Lu Linglong, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"This girl was just infected by the virus of a terrible disease, which accidentally triggered the Blood of Madness. Although the toxin has been suppressed for the time being, it will probably leave hidden dangers in the future. If she can't learn to control this power, she will eventually be devoured by the Blood of Madness. The Blood of Madness is like a sword without a sheath; you can use it to kill your enemies, but it can also cut your own hand."

Nie Lingfeng remained silent for a moment.

His gaze lingered on Lu Linglong's face for two seconds. Then he said, "Take her back to rest first. We'll discuss the rest after she wakes up."

He looked at Li Muxuan.

"Sir, are you willing to have a proper talk with us now?"

Li Muxuan gave a bitter smile.

That bitter laugh contained helplessness, relief, and a touch of self-mockery.

"Since you've saved me, it would be incredibly rude of me to keep anything from you. Let's go, find a quiet place, and I'll tell you everything I know."

He paused, then looked at Zhang Chulan. His gaze lingered on Zhang Chulan's face for a moment, as if confirming something.

"Especially about your grandfather and Wugensheng."

Zhang Chulan's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded vigorously.

He clenched his fist at his side for a moment, then relaxed it. His fingernails left a few shallow crescent-shaped marks on his palm.

The group helped the unconscious Lu Linglong away from the beach and headed towards the market.

Lu Lin carried her on his back, supporting her knees with one hand and her back with the other. Her head rested on his shoulder, her breathing steady, but her brows were still furrowed.

The morning light spilled across the sea, making it shimmer. The specks of gold on the surface grew more numerous and denser, as if someone had scattered gold dust from the sky.

A new day has just begun.