Heroes Return

"..." Upon hearing his words, Xiao Zhan couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

"Alright, let's stop discussing this. What should we do next? After all, this involves the Salvation Army." The bespectacled man's voice suddenly rang out: "Speaking of which, shouldn't you request some reinforcements? This time, the Salvation Army seems to be very difficult to deal with."

The bespectacled man had barely finished speaking when a notification from the Hero Association suddenly appeared on everyone's communicators.

"Sigh! I was hoping to enjoy this rare peace a little longer. But in the end, even the best medicine is useless against those troublemakers." Looking at the communicator, Lin Jie sighed helplessly, "The gods have been destroyed! Couldn't they have at least restrained themselves?"

Although he sounded like he was complaining about the hassle, Lin Jie still looked at the communicator.

"Attention all heroes in the vicinity, this is Bai Yu. Proceed immediately to the location indicated at the coordinates. This time, we are hunting down Zhao Lei, the leader of the Salvation Army! We need as many heroes as possible to support us!"

"So it's the leader?" Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhan frowned. "I didn't expect the Salvation Army's leader to be nearby. No wonder."

After checking the communicator, the group didn't hesitate. As soon as the rescue aircraft appeared, Lin Jie and the others headed straight for the direction marked by the white feather...

Meanwhile, Zhao Lei was listening to his companion's report: "Have he already left the five spirit swords? Good. I wonder if he will accept the gift I gave him? I've already cleared out all the insects that wanted the Xuanyuan Sword for him."

Chapter 15

When the group arrived in town, they didn't see Bai Yu and the other superheroes. All they saw was a peaceful-looking little town. It seemed that Bai Yu and the other heroes who had come to help had already entered the town.

"Is Zhao Lei here?" Lin Jie glanced at the calm Xiao Zhan and casually sat down in front of a noodle shop: "Boss, a steamer of xiaolongbao, please."

"Give me one too." Xiao Zhan sat down as well. "And an extra order of shumai. The tofu pudding should be salty, with lots of chili oil."

"Hey, you two, is this the time to eat this stuff? Shouldn't we be looking for the Salvation Army leader right now?" Looking at the two lazy guys, the bespectacled guy couldn't help but say to Lin Jie and Xiao Zhan, "The Salvation Army could appear here at any moment! And shouldn't we be taking you to find them quickly? Is it really okay to eat here?"

"Oh! Would you like some xiaolongbao?"

"Yes, and also bring me some aged vinegar and chili oil." Shizuo, the bespectacled man, sat down and said this to the shopkeeper, then spoke to Lin Jie and the others again.

“Yes, we should get down to business first,” Dong Xiaoye couldn’t help but say.

"Even if you say that, investigating without any clues is a problem in itself, isn't it?" Lin Jie shrugged. "So, since they're hiding in the town, how could the Salvation Army possibly show up in front of us? Alright, you guys should sit down and have something to eat first. Didn't Bai Yu and the others come in earlier? But it seems they haven't clashed with the Salvation Army yet. Otherwise, the town wouldn't be so quiet."

Hearing Lin Jie's answer, Dong Xue'er and Dong Xiaoye simply settled down in the town. From the moment they entered the town, their communication devices had been blocked. Undoubtedly, this was the work of the Salvation Army. To minimize harm to the townspeople, capturing Zhao Lei this time seemed unlikely to be easy.

"However, it would be better if we investigated as soon as possible," Dong Xue'er said hesitantly.

“Alright, after we finish the steamed buns, we’ll investigate the Salvation Army. There should be some hidden Salvation Army members among the people in the town.” Xiao Zhan said, then looked at the shopkeeper: “Boss, have you seen any strange outsiders entering the town recently? Those people could very well be members of the Salvation Army, they’re very dangerous.”

"No...I didn't see any outsiders," the owner said with a smile, then went into the kitchen, seemingly to prepare food.

……

In the kitchen, the steamed bun shop owner said to his wife, his voice trembling slightly, "Wife, they must suspect me! Sitting down to eat was definitely a test. I can't believe they found out after all this time!"

"Honey! What do we do? Those heroes look like they're not to be trifled with."

“Yes, Dad! Those heroes look dangerous,” the boss’s daughter couldn’t help but say to her father.

"Just keep them calm for now! Don't forget, Zhao Lei has already given the order to stop these heroes. Let's prepare some food for them first." The shop owner said helplessly, "If all else fails, I'll have to go out and fight them myself! For our better life! I absolutely cannot let our Saviors' spirit be broken. So what if they have superpowers? I'll chop their heads off like a cleaver king."

"husband!"

"Dad! You're so handsome!" The shop owner and his wife looked at the shop owner with admiration.

……

Outside the kitchen, Lin Jie and the others were still chatting leisurely: "But where are we going to find the Salvation Army? Bai Yu and the others seem to have disappeared as well."

"Thinking about it carefully, the Salvation Army can't possibly be right under our noses, can they?" Dong Xiaoye slumped onto the table in exasperation. "We can't possibly investigate every single house, can we?"

Their words had barely left their lips when a violent collision echoed from the nearby alley. Immediately afterward, right in front of Lin Jie and the others, two heroes were sent flying backward.

"It's the B-class hero, Fried Dough Stick Man! And over there is the A-class hero, Twist Dough Stick Man!" Xiao Zhan looked at the scene in front of him with some surprise: "The fried dough duo that's been quite famous online lately!"

"Watch out!" Just as Xiao Zhan revealed the identities of the two heroes, a masked man emerged from the alley.

"Do you consider yourselves heroes? If you really think I'm a criminal, then show some heroism!! Stand up and stop me! Heroes can't fall." The masked man spoke coldly to the two men in front of him, his words filled with indescribable anger.

"Hey, isn't it a bit inhumane to make a seriously injured person stand up?" Lin Jie couldn't help but say to the masked man.

"Huh?" At this moment, the masked man turned to look at Lin Jie: "Are you heroes too?"

“Of course, we are heroes too! You must be a member of the Salvation Army, right?” Dong Xiaoye stood up and coldly said to the person in front of her, “You must be a member of the Salvation Army, right? In that case, you are under arrest!”

"You think you can arrest me?" Hearing their words, the man let out a maniacal laugh, followed by an angry roar: "You dare call yourselves heroes? Look at what you're doing! Heroes? Didn't you come here to fight our Salvation Army? Other heroes are investigating and fighting! And you're eating here? You dare call yourselves heroes? And you two over there, since you call yourselves heroes! Then show some heroism and stop me! Stand up! Heroes shouldn't fall...!"

Before he could finish speaking, he was sent flying by a punch. Lin Jie, seemingly out of nowhere, was already standing in front of the man: "Alright, we've captured a wild Saviour. Now we can talk. This guy really talks a lot of nonsense."

"But speaking of which, who exactly is this guy?" Xiao Zhan couldn't help but step forward and ask.

"Who knows? It's probably just a case of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), the kind where you think you can't stand the whole world." Lin Jie thought for a moment, then replied.

"You're making her sound so pitiful! She clearly has a very distinct personality!" the bespectacled man couldn't help but say.

"Hmph, maybe I'm just a chuunibyou! Maybe I am in your eyes. But my ideals are beyond the comprehension of pseudo-heroes like you! Remember, I am the one who will personally end this world of heroes!" The man who was knocked away by Lin Jie actually stood up from the ground: "I will personally kill all of you pseudo-heroes."

"Damn! He actually managed to stand up after taking a punch from me?" Lin Jie was somewhat surprised by what he saw. After all, Lin Jie had used quite a bit of force in that punch.

Before he could finish speaking, the man vanished from everyone's sight in an instant, and for a moment, almost everyone was surrounded by terrifying figures.

"You are indeed very strong, but with your fists, you can't possibly defeat me! Even if I am killed, it will only be by Zero!" The man's cold words echoed in the air, and countless figures flashed past the crowd, with terrifying cold lights constantly appearing.

Seeing this, Lin Jie punched one of the figures. Then all the figures vanished. As for the masked man in front of him? He'd been sent flying into the air by Lin Jie's Personality Correction Fist!

……

Picking up the cleaver, the shop owner, with a sense of heroic resolve, said to his wife and daughter, "I'm going!"

After saying that, he grabbed the kitchen knife and rushed outside. What he saw next was a masked man falling from the sky. Immediately afterward, Lin Jie punched the man, sending him soaring into the air before he crashed heavily to the ground.

"How could I possibly be..." The man insisted on standing up, but at this moment Xiao Zhan and the others also made their move.

In an instant, the scene transformed from a superpowered battle into an exceptionally brutal and inhumane beating.

Wiping the blood from his fist, Lin Jie looked at the shop owner beside him: "Boss, are the steamed buns ready? Don't be afraid, this is a Salvation Army member, we're dealing with him! Hey? Why are you carrying a kitchen knife?"

As Lin Jie spoke, behind him, Xiao Zhan was pointing a pixelated, stick-shaped object at someone...

Swallowing hard, the boss managed to utter a single sentence: "Um..."

"???" Lin Jie tilted his head in confusion and looked at Lao Ben. At this moment, there were still a few drops of blood splattered on his face.

"No... I just came out to watch the fun. Your steamed buns will be ready soon." The owner said, then ran back as if he had wet himself.

"This boss is really energetic!" Looking at the boss's appearance, Lin Jie sighed helplessly, and then went over to check on the two injured heroes.

……

Back in the kitchen, seeing the expectant looks on his wife and daughter's faces, the shop owner wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Give me a drink of water."

After drinking another large pot of tea, the shop owner couldn't help but say, "They...they're quite formidable!"

"What should we do then?" Hearing the shop owner's words, the proprietress couldn't help but panic: "If all else fails, I'll confess! We can't let our daughter be implicated!"

"Mom and Dad, you can't confess!" The daughter looked at her parents with some panic.

"Wife, bring out that jar of wine from the cellar, and those two ancestral kitchen knives." Bring them here! With a determined look, the shop owner couldn't help but speak again.

……

On the other side, the masked man who had been severely beaten was not knocked unconscious.

"Even if you destroy my body, I will not be defeated by you. I will only be defeated by true heroes, I will only be defeated by..."

"Don't assume anything about a person!" This time, his words were interrupted by a slightly lazy person: "Do you know Zero? Have you ever met Zero? Have you ever lived with Zero? Don't just assume you have an idealized image of Zero! Have you ever thought that Zero isn't actually what you think? Have you ever thought that Zero isn't so selfless, that sometimes Zero is selfish? That Zero also has joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness? You people are just assuming that Zero is the person you hope for!"

Chapter 16

As he spoke, Lin Jie grabbed the collar of the person in front of him: "Never place your expectations on other people, and strive to become that kind of person yourself."

After saying this, Lin Jie released the person in front of him and pressed them to the ground, knocking them unconscious. A large crater appeared in the ground. Seeing Lin Jie's condition, Xiao Zhan couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder: "Buddy, have you been having another bout of chuunibyou lately? There's no need for this, is there?"

"It's nothing. I just feel a bit helpless." Lin Jie sighed. "Don't you think it's very similar to the Salvation Army's behavior and style?"

"You said it looks a lot like it?" Upon hearing his words, Xiao Zhan couldn't help but fall into thought.

“It’s very similar to Zero from the past.” Lin Jie didn’t wait for Xiao Zhan to guess the answer; he gave it directly.

Upon hearing Lin Jie's words, Xiao Zhan was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Lin Jie with an ambiguous expression: "Hey, you don't usually say things like that lately. Besides, the fact that so many people admire you already proves how great you are, right?"

"But how long will they have to rely on Zero?" Lin Jie asked again.

"..." Hearing his words, Xiao Zhan was silent for a moment before saying, "You seem to be preoccupied. If there's anything, feel free to tell me. At least in my opinion, people don't want to rely on Zero forever. Otherwise, everyone wouldn't be working so hard to improve. At least I won't rely on Zero forever either. You should know that I challenged it once, and although I lost, it doesn't mean I'll completely give up in the future."

Hearing Xiao Zhan's words, Lin Jie nodded: "Give you time, and maybe you'll be even greater than Zero."

"I'm a little embarrassed by what you said." Xiao Zhan couldn't help but smile when he heard Lin Jie's words.

At this moment, the bespectacled guy on the other side finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Alright! Stop with the business hype, this guy seems to have passed out. What do we do? Our only lead seems to have gone cold."

"You guys went too far! How are we supposed to find out where the others are if this keeps up?" Dong Xiaoye looked helpless as she looked at the scene before her.

At this moment, because of the commotion outside, many residents in the surrounding area came out of their houses to watch the excitement.

Just then, the shop owner quietly walked up behind them with two kitchen knives in his hand.

"Hey, you're actually a member of the Salvation Army, right?" Just as he was about to get behind Xiao Zhan, Xiao Zhan's voice suddenly rang out.

"..." Upon hearing his words, the shop owner trembled uncontrollably, opening his mouth but unable to utter a word. Recalling the scene of Lin Jie sending a Salvation Army soldier flying with a single punch, the shop owner's face turned deathly pale. His trembling legs instinctively knelt down towards Xiao Zhan.

"I can't believe you recognized me? Kid, how did you figure it out?" Four voices rang out simultaneously from the crowd. Four men stepped out from the crowd, but after exchanging glances, they revealed strange expressions.

"Holy crap! I was just bluffing! Four of them actually showed up!" Seeing this, Xiao Zhan couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

Upon hearing Xiao Zhan's words, the four exchanged glances, their expressions turning somewhat unpleasant. The atmosphere became extremely awkward.

"Hmph! You're all just playing clever tricks. Now that you all know, there's no need for the four of us to hide anymore!" A man coldly snorted at Xiao Zhan, and instantly a set of mechanical armor appeared in his hand: "I've been hiding for thirty years, but I didn't expect you to find me today! Fine! Let me use my latest mechanical research to... ah!"

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Jie had already grabbed him and then delivered a knee strike to his stomach. In less than a second, this guy who claimed to have been hiding for thirty years was knocked down by Lin Jie.

Seeing that it was the four of them who stepped forward, the shop owner finally breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, he wasn't the only one who felt this way; almost everyone who had come out to watch secretly breathed a sigh of relief…

Well, actually, only those four simpletons would step forward willingly. Of course, the reason they were willing to step forward might also be because they were very confident in their abilities.

"Hmph! The Salvation Army has only been established for a few years! And you still dare to brag like this! I didn't expect to find such a piece of trash as you here." An old man coldly looked at the man who had been knocked down by Lin Jie. Two twin swords appeared on their bodies almost simultaneously: "It seems that I, Twin Swords Liu, will have a good time with you! My ancestral twin sword technique is so advanced that even those high-level heroes might not be able to handle it."

As he finished speaking, the man wielded his twin swords with incredible skill and imposing aura. Even from a distance of several meters, the intense sharpness of the blades and the aura emanating from them could be felt.

Then Xiao Zhan took out a stain remover stick and used its spray nozzle to deliver a high-pressure spray to his opponent. A thick, white liquid sprayed out, and Double-Blade Liu was sent flying, crashing into a nearby wall.

“I recently switched from a high-pressure water gun to high-pressure glue. It’s almost impossible to get anything out of this family now.” Xiao Zhan nodded to Lin Jie.