Chapter 39: The Strength of Gong Wanru

After parrying Wang Nu's attack, Gong Wanru channeled her ability to the fullest. Flames erupted across her body, burning intensely, yet she remained completely untouched by the fire.

Gong Wanru lunged at Wang Nu, raising her flaming blade to strike. She knew Wang Nu was unskilled in close-quarters combat, a field in which she excelled; as she swung her blade, it proved more fearsome than the scythe of the Grim Reaper.

Bang!

Wang Nu remained composed. A path of solidified ice materialized beneath his feet, and sliding across it as if on skates, he retreated to a distance in an instant.

Then, Wang Nu let out a roar: "Thousand-Mile Frost!"

Countless snowflakes appeared out of thin air, rushing toward Gong Wanru and completely engulfing her. Wang Nu had used this move before; though it consumed a great deal of energy, its power was formidable, having once frozen a dissenting survivor into a statue.

Using it now against Gong Wanru was a clear attempt to kill her. While she was the most beautiful woman in Donghai City and undeniably attractive—and Wang Nu had indeed desired to conquer her—he realized her strength was too great. If he held back, he might be the one to die. Compared to his own life, beauty was of little importance. Once he survived and absorbed Gong Wanru’s crystal core to further his power, he could have any woman he wanted—campus beauties, flight attendants, nurses, models—all would be within his grasp.

As the snowflakes buried her, Gong Wanru was instantly encased in an ice sculpture. The onlookers sighed in regret, lamenting that such a charming and noble beauty was gone forever.

"Sigh, that's Gong Wanru, the premier beauty of Donghai City. If I could spend just one night with her, I’d wake up smiling in my dreams."

"Forget it. Didn't you see she's an ability user? You'd be set on fire before you even touched her."

"Hiss, true. Terrifying. We ordinary people shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Let's just focus on gathering supplies and staying out of trouble. If we can latch onto Wang Nu, we'll never have to worry about food or shelter again."

"I never liked Gong Wanru's chances. Look at the result—she ended up just like the last one, frozen into a statue by Wang Nu. Though, come to think of it, once the ice melts, maybe we could... hehehe."

"Brother, that's a twisted thought. You'd better worry about yourself; now that Wang Nu has won, well..."

"Shh, keep it down. Do you want to die?"

Seeing Gong Wanru frozen, Wang Nu's henchmen sighed in mock regret while beginning to shower him with praise. "The boss is truly powerful!"

"That goes without saying."

"Once the ice melts, the boss can have his fun, and maybe let us have a sip of the soup."

Hearing the flattery, Wang Nu laughed heartily. What was Gong Wanru? Nothing but a defeated opponent. He was the invincible one. It was a shame about such a beauty, but fortunately, she would still be usable once thawed. After all, she was the city's top beauty; he had to taste her to satisfy his desires.

On the scene, only Ye Nan saw the reality. While everyone else thought Gong Wanru was finished, she was merely hoarding her energy, waiting for the chance to deliver a fatal blow to Wang Nu.

Wang Nu gestured toward the ice sculpture and shouted, "Come, move this statue back for me. Tonight, I’m going to enjoy myself."

One henchman chimed in, "The boss is mighty!"

Wang Nu laughed, "Naturally. I am invincible. Follow me, and you'll live a life of luxury."

The henchmen moved to carry the statue, but suddenly, cracks appeared on the ice. Bursts of flame erupted from the fissures, burning violently. In an instant, the ice shattered completely, revealing Gong Wanru. She was wreathed in flames, appearing like a being made of fire, and her aura was climbing, far stronger than before.

Gong Wanru surged forward, her speed reaching its zenith, her flaming blade striking at Wang Nu like lightning.

Wang Nu never expected her to not only survive but break free. Her speed was so great and her attack so ferocious that he had no time to react. He cursed under his breath but didn't wait for death; he condensed five ice walls in front of him, hoping to block the strike.

"Block it!" Wang Nu roared, pouring his energy into the walls to bolster their defense.

But it was useless. Gong Wanru's blade was unstoppable, shattering the walls one by one before landing on Wang Nu's shoulder.

"Agh!"

Wang Nu let out a shriek as his shoulder was cleaved, blood gushing out. He retreated to a distance at top speed. At the wound, the flesh was already charred, and the searing heat seeped into his body, causing unbearable pain.

In the distance, everyone was stunned. They never expected such a turn of events. They thought Gong Wanru was finished, yet like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she had dealt Wang Nu a grievous blow.

Ye Nan chuckled; he knew she wouldn't be defeated so easily. She was, after all, his woman.

Wang Nu’s eyes widened as he roared, "Bitch, you played me!"

Gong Wanru sneered, "Heh, you pathetic trash. You’re only blaming me because you're incompetent. Is that all you've got?"

Wang Nu hissed, "You'd better pray I don't catch you, or I'll show you what I'm capable of."

Gong Wanru retorted, "Then you'd better pray I don't kill you. If I do, I won't just end you—I'll have my man take your women, try every position with them, and even after you're dead, I'll make sure you're wearing a dozen green hats."

"Bitch, you're courting death!" Wang Nu glared.

Before the apocalypse, he had a woman he loved deeply. When she became pregnant and gave him a son, he was overjoyed and threw a lavish wedding. He even accepted her demands for a massive dowry and for her name to be on his house and car, believing it was the right thing to do. Many warned him about marriage scammers, but he ignored them.

After the wedding, her true nature surfaced. She did no chores, gambled, blew through his money, and even threatened divorce—all within a month. He realized he had been scammed. Later, he caught her cheating with a vulgar, middle-aged man. When he confronted her, she admitted it was for money. He performed a paternity test and found the child wasn't his. In a fit of rage, he murdered them both and was sent to prison, only to escape after the apocalypse began. That experience remained his nightmare, and "green hat" (cuckold) was a taboo he could not bear.

Gong Wanru’s words pushed him over the edge. Gritting his teeth, he erupted with murderous intent. "Gong Wanru, I will crush your bones one by one!"

"Bring whatever you've got," she challenged. "If your skill matched your mouth, I'd have run away long ago."

"Die!" Wang Nu charged, abandoning all caution.

"Good!" Gong Wanru didn't dodge. Her blade danced like a serpent, striking from tricky angles.

Wang Nu, blinded by rage, fought head-on. If he had chosen to flee, she might have struggled to stop him, but by engaging in a death match, he handed her the advantage.

Bang!

Gong Wanru unleashed her full power, layering flames onto her blade and sending Wang Nu flying.

"Again!" Wang Nu rose and charged once more.

"Slay!" Gong Wanru leaped into the air, bringing her blade down like a divine decree.

Boom!

The strike, fueled by all her strength, was insurmountable. Wang Nu took a massive wound to his chest. Realizing he had been too impulsive, he turned to flee, but Gong Wanru pursued, slashing his back.

"Agh!"

Wang Nu collapsed, his heart sinking. He abandoned all pride. "Gong Wanru, spare me! I'll be your subordinate! I'll do whatever you say!"

"Do you really think that's possible?" she asked.

Wang Nu pleaded, "It's the apocalypse. Ability users are rare. With me as your ice-attribute subordinate, you could conquer all of Donghai City! We would be a perfect match."

"If you're begging, use the right tone," Gong Wanru said. "You're still acting high and mighty. Do you want to live, or are you tired of life?"

Wang Nu gritted his teeth and knelt. "Big sister, have mercy! My territory is yours, my men are yours. I'll go through fire and water for you!"

"It's too late for mercy." Gong Wanru didn't hesitate, swinging her blade and severing Wang Nu's head. Keeping such a threat alive would be foolish.

Ye Nan approached and gave a thumbs up. "Well done. I'll reward you tonight."

Gong Wanru rolled her eyes. "Spare me that."

Ye Nan said, "Wang Nu's crystal core is yours." She took it without argument, planning to absorb it later. "Let's go check Wang Nu's place. There might be a big haul."

Gong Wanru pointed at the remaining henchmen. "What about them?"

Ye Nan made a throat-slitting gesture.

"No! Please, we'll do anything!"

"Sister Gong, we were wrong! Please, have mercy!"

Gong Wanru showed no mercy, her blade falling repeatedly to end the lives of those who had done so much evil.

At the neighboring villa, they found Wang Nu's residence. Ye Nan broke the door open with his ability.

"Aaaah!" The women inside screamed in terror, thinking Wang Nu had returned.

Seeing their bruised bodies, Ye Nan understood the situation—Wang Nu had been a cruel captor. Though they were beautiful, they paled in comparison to the women in Ye Nan's circle, and they were physically broken. He had no interest in them.

"Don't be afraid," Ye Nan said gently. "I'm not a bad guy. Wang Nu is dead. You are free."

One woman looked up, stunned. "Wang Nu is dead?"

Gong Wanru nodded. "I killed him."

"Really? But he was an ability user..."

Gong Wanru summoned her flaming blade. Seeing the fire, the women realized she was also an ability user, and her claim became credible.

Thud!

The women knelt and began kowtowing. Gong Wanru sighed. "Life is hard for everyone. Get up, there's no need for this."

"Sister, thank you. You don't know what we've been through. That beast Wang Nu... killing him is like giving us a new life."

"We hated him so much, but he was too strong and too cautious. You’ve freed us from this hell. This is the greatest grace anyone could show us."