Marvel's Death Merchant

Tang Xing began his next plan. This world was extremely dangerous, but with caution, it was possible to survive. However, just as he was preparing to leave, an uninvited guest found him.

"Are you... that assassin? It seems you have something to ask me." Tang Xing had just stepped outside when Zhao Yingkong appeared in front of him.

Tang Xing touched his nose and, seeing Zhao Yingkong's still icy expression, didn't say anything. Tang Xing knew a little about what she wanted to do.

“Hmm, not bad. I want to understand the situation in this world. I know you are different from others. The coldness and wisdom you possess are not something these people can have.” Zhao Yingkong looked at Tang Xing and voiced her thoughts. She knew Tang Xing was different. If others were afraid of the story world, then Tang Xing was excited—excited about this dangerous world.

"Your observation skills are quite good. So what would you like to know?" Tang Xing asked directly, clearly not wanting to waste any time.

"I'd like to know what you just said. You seem to know a lot about this world. And no matter what the situation, even when Captain Zheng Zha did something that surprised us, there was no surprise in your eyes. That means you know a lot." Zhao Yingkong, as expected of someone from an assassin family, could observe and understand people. So, with just careful observation, she discovered that Tang Xing was different from others.

"As I just mentioned, this world is a gathering place for dark creatures, and all sorts of extremely powerful dark creatures may be found here. However, with the power of the Main God Space, we will basically not encounter these things. And then, my secret is something you don't need to know; I will tell you when the time comes." Tang Xing finished speaking and left. Zhao Yingkong didn't make a move but just watched quietly.

Tang Xing took a few steps, then turned around and threw a silver-white dagger, which landed right in the direction of Zhao Yingkong.

"What is this?" Zhao Yingkong held the dagger Tang Xing had thrown at her. She sensed the gentle power within it, and the dagger was covered in mysterious runes. It was filled with a holy aura, as if it could dispel darkness itself.

“That’s it. A dagger infused with mithril and a light magic circle, something you’ll need,” Tang Xing said as he walked, then his figure gradually disappeared.

"Thank you," Zhao Yingkong said softly, watching Tang Xing's retreating figure.

That evening, having made a promise with Zheng Zha and the others to gather every night no matter what, they obtained what they needed and immediately returned to the Sunshine Hotel. As they went upstairs, Tang Xing saw Zheng Zha and his group of four carrying Buddhist scriptures. He realized they were lucky enough to have obtained a quest item that could ward off curses.

However, before they could even begin to recount their excitement about the Buddhist scriptures, they were stunned by what they saw. As soon as they opened the door to Zheng Zha's suite, they heard terrified screams coming from inside, the screams of two men.

"No, don't come any closer! A gun, that's right, I have a gun..." That was Lu Renjia's voice.

"Waaah, don't drag me in! I didn't see anything! Don't drag me in!" This was the sound of someone crying out to the crowd.

All the lights in the suite were turned on, and the TV was not only on but also turned up to the maximum volume. Fortunately, the hotel had excellent soundproofing, otherwise room service staff might have come to inquire. As soon as the four opened the door, they saw two young men huddled in the middle of the carpet, one of whom was holding a pistol that was trembling as he pointed it in their direction.

Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie rushed toward the two youths at the same time and snatched the gun away before they could fire.

The two youths seemed to only then realize who the newcomers were. Lu Renjia immediately grabbed Zheng Zha's leg and howled, while the other youth, Qun Zhongding, huddled on the ground and cried incessantly.

Apart from Tang Xing, the others exchanged glances, a sense of foreboding creeping into their hearts. Zheng Zha quickly grabbed Lu Renjia and asked, "What exactly happened? Where's Xiao Bingyi? Where's Ming Yanwei? Why are only the two of you here? What happened?"

"Don't ask them anymore, those two are scared out of their wits."

Ming Yanwei's voice came softly from beside them. Everyone turned to look, and they felt that this person was a bit strange.

She laughed as she said, "When I went out today, there were gunshots coming from the bathroom, and a few minutes later only those two idiots came back."

Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie, and Saito were still questioning the two terrified college students. Since they couldn't even utter a normal sentence, their questioning was making no progress. At this moment, Tang Xing said, "It's obvious they encountered that thing, but they're really unlucky. They've made us aware of the danger."

“If they followed my approach, I would just eliminate them, because in my mind, this team has no need for useless people,” Tang Xing continued coldly.

"Okay, I understand." Zheng Zha simply agreed with Tang Xing's words and did not deal with the two people, because in his mind these people should be alive.

After dealing with the matter, everyone fell silent again. Apart from the two people who were still sobbing, the only sound in the room was the television set at maximum volume.

"What an interesting way to die..." Just then, Zhao Yingkong slowly walked in with the book she could never put down, breaking the silence: "...Several new deaths have appeared on the police network. A young man was found in the drainpipe of a shopping mall toilet. In the pipe, which was only a dozen centimeters thick, his whole body was completely stretched into a sausage shape, and his internal organs were all squeezed together. When the person was taken out, it was impossible to tell what he looked like. I really want to go to the scene and see such a bizarre way of dying."

Zhao Yingkong ignored the others, found a sofa, sat down, and muttered to herself. Especially when she said the last sentence, a bloodthirsty smile appeared on the face of this incredibly pretty girl, sending a chill down the spines of those around her. (To be continued...)

Chapter 265 Hidden Dangers

What sets Tang Xing apart from the others is his ability to handle any situation calmly. The fact that someone with this kind of personality can secure a place for him in the team demonstrates that Tang Xing's overall qualities are beneficial to others.

"It seems Zhao Yingkong has started using psychological manipulation on these people again. Zheng Zha, who is clearly annoyed by these things, will definitely clash with her." Tang Xing knew the current situation, but he didn't do anything because it wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Four other strangely deceased bodies were also discovered. One of them was cut into hundreds of pieces, each only the size of a fingernail, making it look as if a bomb had exploded inside him. However, no explosives were found in the flesh. Two others died from bloating. Forensic examination revealed that they had no internal organs except for their stomachs, and their internal organs were found inside each other's stomachs. And then there was another person..."

"Stop talking!" Zheng Zha grabbed Zhao Yingkong and lifted her up, the book falling to the ground. The man roared angrily, "What do you want to do by telling us all this in detail? Do you want to make us all lose faith? Are you trying to demoralize us? Huh! Do you think a group of people who have lost the will to resist can hold out for seven days?"

Zhao Yingkong's previously nonchalant gaze instantly sharpened, and she coldly said, "Let me go... It's my business what I say. Joining this team doesn't mean I acknowledge you as members. In my opinion, apart from Tang Xing and Zero Point, who are qualified to be my team members, all of you..."

Zheng Zha wanted to say more, but a sudden pain shot through his wrist, and blood gushed out. A sense of danger surged through him instantly; Zhao Yingkong's delicate little hand was as sharp as a blade. With a light slash, she severed the vein in Zheng Zha's wrist, and then, with a flick of her wrist, she aimed for his carotid artery.

Zheng Zha reacted incredibly quickly, but someone else reacted even faster. Just as Zheng Zha was about to throw Zhao Yingkong away, the virus on Tang Xing's body rapidly surged. In an instant, his speed surpassed the speed of sound. Tang Xing seized the opportunity and used the telekinetic power generated by the virus to push the two of them back a few steps, and the scene instantly quieted down.

"Enough. You didn't come here to fight. The situation isn't safe right now. Our priority is to get through this storyline safely, not to do meaningless things." Tang Xing looked at them coldly. The dark power emanating from him made them pause and fall silent.

"I hope this doesn't happen again. I need this to be the last time," Tang Xing said solemnly, clearly not joking.

At this moment, Lingdian also returned, and the two of them relaxed their tense atmosphere. Zhao Yingkong was the first to exit the gene-locked state. She picked up the book from the ground and silently sat on the sofa, not even wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. She simply said, "You are a qualified member. You can reasonably arrange these things in this team. You are better than that guy."

Zheng Zha, however, did not revert to his unlocked genetic state. He coldly said, "Stop with the same old talk. Who do you think you are? Do you think the team members need your approval? One Chu Xuan is enough. I don't want to see my own people harming each other! Either you get out of here now, or you treat the team members sincerely from now on. If you still think you're so powerful that you're above others, I can kill you right now!"

After saying that, he flicked his left hand, and the submachine gun appeared in his left hand as well. He said coldly, "I'm serious. Don't think I'm joking!"

"Enough. Zheng Zha, I've already said that." Tang Xing had barely finished speaking when he instantly teleported in front of him and crushed the submachine gun in his hand into pieces.

At this moment, Zhao Yingkong lowered her head and read a book while saying, "No problem, you are the captain. If you ever fail to satisfy me, I will naturally challenge you to kill you. Until then, your words are orders... So, continuing from what we just said, another person has also died. In other words, a total of five people died today, one from us and four from them."

Zheng Zha finally emerged from the state of unlocking the gene lock. He carefully sat down behind Zhang Jie, and Lingdian also sat down next to him. With these two guarding him, he said, "So, they still have two newcomers left... plus Chu Xuan?"

Zhao Yingkong didn't speak again, but Zhan Lan touched her forehead and laughed, "If this continues, we won't be able to last seven days at all. So, should we contact Chu Xuan?"

"No need!" Tang Xing saw that Zheng Zha was already shaking his teeth tightly, obviously suffering from the aftereffects of unlocking the gene lock, but Zhao Yingkong was just looking at her book. Apart from the fact that she was sweating more on her forehead, the little girl seemed to be doing nothing wrong.

Zheng Zha wiped the cold sweat from his brow and said, "If he wants to contact us... then he will naturally contact us. If he truly wants to return to the team, as long as he abandons his self-destructive thoughts, we will naturally..."

The newcomers, unaware of Chu Xuan's identity, were naturally unconcerned. Only Zhang Jie and a few others sighed silently. Then, Qi Teng excitedly began explaining the history of the Buddhist scriptures to everyone. Upon seeing the scriptures, Ling Dian and Zhao Yingkong were quite surprised. They hadn't expected that the group would receive any help from the temple, but they hadn't anticipated that they would actually retrieve something that could counteract the curse. Initially, the two were somewhat skeptical, but after touching the scriptures, they both felt a sense of relaxation, which finally convinced them completely.

Zhao Yingkong could also sense that it contained the same feeling as her mithril dagger, which could be said to be very effective against dark creatures.

Qi Tengyi kept talking. The young man seemed very cheerful. He laughed loudly and said, "You don't know, we were attacked by the ghost of that little boy, Ju-on. But as soon as we entered the Kai-zi Mountain Gate, the ghost never dared to show up again. Hahaha, it seems that as long as we have this Buddhist scripture, we can definitely survive these seven days."

After discussing it, the group decided to divide into groups of three to guard the Buddhist scriptures, while the other six would take turns sleeping and guarding them. Apart from the three girls who were assigned to a fixed group, the other six were chosen by drawing lots. Zheng Zha, Zhang Jie, and Ling Dian were assigned to one group, while Qi Tengyi was assigned to a group with the two college students who seemed much calmer. Tang Xing refused the guarding task by saying that he knew necromancy. In this way, the three groups took turns guarding the Buddhist scriptures for three hours each night until the next day.

Although Zhao Yingkong was extremely unwilling, she did keep her promise. When Zheng Zha suggested that they stay in the suite for the next few days, the little girl silently accepted the arrangement and finally lived with the other two girls.

Everything seemed perfectly arranged, except that Zheng Zha and his companions didn't see the furtive glances exchanged between the two college students, or the subtle smile on Ming Yanwei's face as she watched them. A hidden danger was about to unfold. (To be continued...)

Chapter 266 The Treacherous Nature of Human Hearts

The first shift at night consisted of Zheng Zha, Ling Dian, and Zhang Jie, while the second shift consisted of Saito Ichiro and the two college students. The two college students were discussing something, while Saito Ichiro picked up a Buddhist scripture and began to study it with great enthusiasm.

"Snapped!"

Qi Teng felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, and then he fell forward violently. At that moment, two hands caught him on the left and right, and the owners of the hands were Lu Renjia and Jun Zhongding, whose expressions had become somewhat ferocious.

Jun Zhongding gently put down the blood-stained ashtray in his hand. He and Lu Renjia, pale-faced, took the Buddhist scriptures. Their expressions were a mixture of ferocity, madness, and a seemingly liberated peace of mind.

“These idiots, they haven’t seen the terror of ‘that thing’. Do they think they can be safe just by putting Buddhist scriptures in this hall? They should all die…” Lu Renjia and Jun Zhongding held the documents and chuckled softly.

"Would you be willing to take me with you?"

A voice startled the two of them. Lu Renjia pointed his pistol in that direction, only to see Ming Yanwei leaning against the wall with an "I knew it" expression on her face, clearly not surprised by their actions.

"I don't want to die, so can you take me with you? I'll be counting on you guys from now on..." Ming Yanwei said earnestly to them, her eyes filled with a deathly stillness, a resignation to life.

Just as the group tiptoed downstairs and quickly left the hotel, they found an ATM nearby and were about to withdraw money when they suddenly noticed Tang Xing, the most aloof member of the group, standing before them. He was surrounded by men in black carrying submachine guns. Despite the unexpected turn of events, there was no panic because Tang Xing had already secured the services of the local inhabitants by selling them high-tech equipment.

"Gentlemen, it's so late, are you still planning to go shopping? Or perhaps I already knew?" Tang Xing said unhurriedly, without even glancing at them.

At the entrance to the entertainment district, in front of the ATM, four people stood. Tang Xing coldly looked at the three opposite him; their deaths were already inevitable. Tang Xing didn't need to do anything for them, to spare their lives. These worthless people could only serve as stepping stones for this group.

“It’s you, that terrifying guy. But I won’t give up. Killing me will cost me 1000 reward points. So you can’t kill me.” Jun Zhongding said hopefully, but Tang Xing’s next words put them in a dilemma.

"I don't need to worry, because the people around me will take care of you. I won't do it myself," Tang Xing replied coldly, lighting a cigar.

However, just as they were talking, Zheng Zha and the others arrived. This time, Zheng Zha truly felt incredulous.

“Leave the Buddhist scriptures behind, and I can let you leave. I won’t let Tang Xing harm you,” Zheng Zha said coldly.

Jun Zhongding, clutching the Buddhist scriptures, roared, "Leave my ass! Do you know how terrifying 'that thing' is? Without the scriptures, we might as well commit suicide! Damn it, why did you chase after us? Why didn't you let us take the scriptures safely? You're so powerful. Why didn't you give the scriptures to us, who are much weaker than you! Bah! What do you mean by putting the scriptures in the hall so everyone could avoid it? It's clearly you few seniors who wanted to seize it. I'll wipe out your whole family!"

"Oh!"

Before Zheng Zha could even make a move, a loud bang rang out, and Qun Zhongding's left leg vanished instantly, a tremendous impact pulverizing it into pieces. The Gauss sniper bullet's power even penetrated the concrete beneath his feet, creating a crater the size of a bowl.

"Long-range sniping, is it Zero Point?" Zheng Zha thought to himself.

After the gunshot rang out, all three men were visibly stunned for a moment, with Lu Renjia reacting the fastest. He turned around and grabbed Ming Yanwei, holding her in front of him, pressing the pistol firmly against her head. Beside them, Qun Zhongding lay on the ground, howling wildly.

At that moment, Tang Xing saw Zhang Jie, Zhao Yingkong, and the other two rushing towards him. Lu Renjia shouted, "Don't come any closer! I'll kill anyone who dares to come closer... and that Buddhist scripture, stay away! If they dare take another step forward, crush that scripture to pieces!"

Zheng Zha was filled with hatred, his teeth clenched. This was the first time he had ever seen such ugliness in human nature. Although it often appeared in books and on television, the shock of seeing it in front of him was indescribable.

As everyone was speaking, another gunshot rang out. The arm he was holding the Buddhist scriptures was severed at the shoulder, and the severed arm, along with the scriptures, fell to the ground. Seeing this, Zheng Zha and Zhao Yingkong rushed towards the scene.

Chun Zhongding seemed determined. He knew that Zero was definitely sniping at him somewhere. He remembered that when they first introduced themselves, Zero had said that he was a sniper. Without hesitation, he frantically threw the Buddhist scripture onto the road. As he threw the scripture, his arm was also blown off at the shoulder. However, the scripture landed irreversibly on the road with a crisp crack. A speeding car ran over the scripture, scattering the shattered pages in the wind. Only specks of gold remained on the ground, catching everyone's eye.

"No!" Zheng Zha was now furious. He raised his dagger and slashed at the laughing madman, but Tang Xing stopped him.

"Tang Xing, why are you stopping me? They should die!" Zheng Zha said angrily to Tang Xing, clearly hurt by what had happened.

"Zheng Zha, calm down. Even if you're going to kill someone, you can't just kill them directly. Have you forgotten what Zhang Jie said?" Tang Xing shouted at Zheng Zha. Zheng Zha finally came to his senses and realized what Tang Xing meant, so he didn't do it.

“However, I can do it. These people are also hired by me; they are not like me. Alright, you can take them out now.” Tang Xing pointed to the Tokyo men in black next to him and gave them orders, then turned to Zheng Zha and said.

"Yes, sir," the Tokyo man said respectfully, then cleanly and swiftly pierced the man's carotid artery and heart, and he soon stopped breathing.

At this moment, Zheng Zha, Tang Xing, Zhang Jie, and Zhao Yingkong all looked at Lu Renjia, who was trembling with fear. Yellow liquid was continuously leaking from his trouser legs. When he saw Tang Xing and Zheng Zha looking at him, the college student stammered, "No, don't kill me! Don't kill me! Killing someone will deduct 1000 reward points, right? No, don't let these people kill me..."

"Oh!"

Then came another deafening explosion. Lu Renjia's hands trembled violently, especially the one gripping the pistol. A flash of gunfire erupted from the pistol pressed against Ming Yanwei's head, instantly shattering half her skull. Everyone stared in stunned silence as he slowly collapsed to the ground. A few seconds later, Lu Renjia suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. (To be continued...)

Chapter 267 The Meaning of Seven Days

Before Zheng Zha could make a move, Zhao Yingkong rushed up and slashed Lu Renjia into a human stick at his suggestion. Tang Xing even implanted the T-virus into Zhao Yingkong after he finished. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be another biohazard crisis. However, this had nothing to do with Tang Xing.

At this moment, Zheng Zha took out his communicator and said to Tang Xing, "Tang Xing, if there are any street cameras nearby, please ask these people to remove them. Also, Lingdian, please find us a place to hide. We'll come back sometime after the police leave."

"...Understood. Go straight for 500 meters from where you are. There is a sewer entrance there. After entering the sewer, run to the right. There is a park at about the twelfth uphill passage. Wait there until noon when there are more people and then come back."

"No problem, you understand now!" Tang Xing turned to the group and indicated that he understood the captain of the men in black before leaving the area.

"Midnight, thank you... I'll say sorry in person when we're all together..."

“Zheng Zha, you don’t need to be like this. Your real mistake is that you’re too trusting of others. What you should really be doing is respecting our comrades. Take Chu Xuan for example, his significance is definitely more important than any of the newcomers here. If he were here, this wouldn’t have happened, you know?” Tang Xing said thoughtfully to Zheng Zha, the implication of which was clear to everyone.

"Really?" Zheng Zha thought to himself after hearing Tang Xing's words.

It was the dead of night when the three of them arrived at the park. However, the deeper parts of the park were pitch black, enough to send chills down their spines just by looking at them. Helpless, the three of them had no choice but to stand back to back and each look to one side. Between their backs were several protective talismans. Tang Xing, being an enhanced magic apprentice, was not afraid of these things.

(Did I really do something wrong? Was it the right thing to do to treat newcomers as cannon fodder and not trust them from the start?)

Zheng Zha felt as if a hand was constantly stirring inside his head, and just as his head began to throb, his communicator vibrated again.