Chapter Forty-Two: A Pawn

Chapter Forty-Two: A Pawn

In the next moment, terrifying waves of energy surged from not far away. Two forces collided, sending ripples through the air. Instantly, the surrounding buildings shuddered under the impact of their powers—glass shattered, doors exploded, and cracks began to snake across the floor.

Chen Zilin stared wide-eyed at the clash between Shen An and the butler. He saw the butler retreating, unable to withstand the assault. At the very first exchange, the butler was already forced back. He had rushed here from a great distance, gathering momentum, but Shen An shattered it in an instant—not through any skill, but with sheer, overwhelming strength.

Ever since Shen An began absorbing primal oxygen, he had been constantly transforming his body. Each time, under the stimulation of this energy, his physique grew stronger, his muscles denser, and his control over his strength ever sharper. It could be said that Shen An had absorbed most of the primal oxygen generated by the three shocks. Now, his body surpassed that of most awakened individuals. Of course, he might still lag behind those born with extraordinary power or monstrous physiques, but the gap was no longer significant.

Shen An unleashed another surge of power, advancing once more. His fists rained down like a storm on the figure who had appeared so suddenly. The butler, after all, was already advanced in years. He might have seemed formidable, but he simply couldn’t withstand Shen An’s relentless onslaught. Before long, he was struggling to defend himself. Shen An’s attacks were so rapid, they gave the butler no time to react or think.

Bang!

A punch landed squarely on the butler’s chest. He failed to block it. Another punch followed, then a third. The blows came in an unending torrent, reddening the butler’s face until, with a sickening sound, he spat a mouthful of blood.

The butler staggered back several steps, his gaze now dark as he fixed his eyes on Shen An. The strength of the young man before him had far surpassed anything he’d imagined. He had only come to retrieve Chen Zilin. Had the situation not been so urgent, had he not seen Chen Zilin’s distress signal, he would never have come. He had assessed the risks and knew the opponent was formidable, but he had not expected such overwhelming strength.

“Uncle Zhou, save me!” Chen Zilin called out at once when he saw the butler.

He seldom addressed him as Uncle Zhou—usually, he called him 'butler', or even 'old man' or 'the old fellow' behind his back. Yet, hearing Chen Zilin’s plea, the butler glanced inside and, seeing there was no immediate danger to Chen Zilin’s life, let out a sigh of relief.

“Let him go, and let’s put an end to this. What do you say?” The butler’s tone was conciliatory. “He was in the wrong. You, young man, have awakened your abilities at such a young age and possess extraordinary strength. Your future is limitless. Why make an enemy of the Chen family and throw away such a bright future?”

Shen An found their behavior laughable. Had these people not bothered to investigate him before coming here? Each one thought their power allowed them to act with impunity, believing there was no problem in this world they couldn’t solve. Was this what it meant to be a great family? They dared come to capture him without understanding the situation, to order his death without care, and now, to ask him to let someone go without knowing anything. It was all utterly ridiculous.

“I am Shen An,” he declared.

At his words, the butler’s face changed dramatically. His mind was filled with recent rumors about Shen An—he had killed Lei Jin, slain numerous family-trained experts at Wanyuan Mountain, disrupted family plans, and now, the Chen family was gathering its forces and arranging its best to deliver a fatal blow to Shen An.

This man…

Seeing the mocking curve of Shen An’s lips, the butler suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. He said nothing further; instead, he lunged towards Chen Zilin. The opponent’s strength was far beyond his own—he had heard as much. Defeating him was out of the question. The only thing he could do was rescue Chen Zilin. If he could get Chen Zilin out, the Chen family would certainly reward him. His plan was simple: escape with Chen Zilin.

Boom!

A wave of energy erupted, as if the very air had been sucked dry. In a flash, Shen An appeared before him, his figure ghostly, barring the way between him and Chen Zilin.

“Uncle Zhou, kill him!” Behind him, Chen Zilin’s face twisted with madness. His frenzied shout filled the air as a pistol appeared in his hand.

Bang!

The trigger was pulled.

At the same time, in response to Chen Zilin’s cry, the butler attacked Shen An again. But Shen An merely tilted his head, letting the bullet whistle past his ear. In the same motion, his hands seized the butler’s arms.

His grip was like a pair of iron clamps—no matter how the butler struggled, he could not move.

Bang!

A bullet struck the butler’s body. He grunted in pain. More gunshots followed. The butler’s face turned ashen. He had not expected Shen An to dodge the bullets and use his body as a shield. Shen An kept evading, and whenever a bullet was about to miss, he would tug the butler into its path, making him a moving target. One after another, six bullets entered the butler’s body. At last, the butler let out a howl of agony.

“Enough! Stop shooting! Please stop!” The butler, now heedless of dignity, began to shout in desperation. Chen Zilin was truly a piece of work, firing so many shots with his eyes closed.

Looking at Chen Zilin’s state, the butler could not help but feel a wave of sorrow. Shen An tossed the butler aside with casual ease. After taking six bullets, the butler resembled a pile of mud as he landed in a heap. Awakened ones were far more resilient than ordinary people; though the butler had been shot six times, his life force remained robust, and with time, he would recover quickly. Shen An knew the man was not truly incapacitated—he simply chose not to move.

Seeing the butler discarded, and Shen An unharmed, Chen Zilin hastily threw the gun aside.

“Don’t kill me, Shen An. I was wrong!” he pleaded.

Shen An advanced toward him without expression.

Crack!

He brought his foot down.

Watching all this, the butler’s expression grew somber.

Meanwhile, in a towering skyscraper, several people gathered. One middle-aged man stared grimly at the screen on the wall. It displayed a live feed captured by their surveillance technology. Every movement of Shen An was clear, every expression of Chen Zilin’s terror documented, right up to the moment Shen An lifted his foot and pressed it against Chen Zilin’s head.

The middle-aged man, who had been watching intently, suddenly crushed the corner of the conference table with his hand. The others looked up as one.

With a voice heavy with authority, the middle-aged man said, “Turn it off. That boy brought this upon himself. If he dies, so be it.”

It was as if he were announcing something of no consequence at all, passing final judgment on the entire affair.