Chapter 116: So It’s Settled, Then

As Qinsheng had expected, the one behind Zhang Dong was indeed Guo Jun.

No wonder. He had never gotten along with her in the safe zone, and yet he had moved so quickly. If she had not already built up some immunity to those drugs herself, she would likely have been in trouble too.

If that was the case, then today Guo Jun and Zhang Dong might truly have succeeded.

Qinsheng lowered her eyes and thought for a few seconds. Seeing her pause, Zhang Dong grew tense as well. As long as she was willing to consider it, perhaps he really could be with Qinsheng in the future.

With a beauty in his arms, and as the captain of the Seventh Guard Squad of the safe zone, just thinking about it made Zhang Dong feel ecstatic. By then, who would still care that he had once been nothing more than a street thug before the end of the world?

He was still lost in that sweet reverie when he failed to notice the palm strike coming from behind.

Qinsheng had just lifted her head when she saw Shen Shi suddenly launch an attack from Zhang Dong’s rear.

Caught off guard, Zhang Dong took Shen Shi’s palm solidly. Fortunately, Shen Shi was still weak and could not muster much strength. Zhang Dong was merely knocked aside; it was not enough to count as an injury.

Shen Shi stepped directly in front of Zhang Dong. His tall, handsome figure then shielded Qinsheng, and she could no longer see what expression Zhang Dong was wearing.

Though it did not take much imagination to know exactly what face he was making.

Shen Shi’s expression was dark, his gaze wary as he stared at Zhang Dong. Even with so little strength left in his body, he still positioned himself behind Qinsheng to protect her.

Qinsheng did not know how to describe the feeling in her heart at that moment.

She still could not tell whether this was a scheme or whether Shen Shi had truly changed his mind.

At the very least, in her memory, on the second round of the arena match, Shen Shi had still been with Guo Jun’s niece, Guo Ting. It seemed unlikely that Guo Jun would simply give up on Shen Shi.

That made it even harder for Qinsheng to discern Shen Shi’s true purpose.

Before she could lower her head to think further, she heard Zhang Dong’s voice crack with frustration.

He had been only waiting for Qinsheng to agree, and then his plan would have been complete. Who would have thought this fainting brat would suddenly wake up and send him flying?

Zhang Dong had been splattered with dust, and now this brat was even standing in front of Qinsheng to protect her. He found it all the more unbearable. Was this not ruining his good fortune?

The more Zhang Dong thought about it, the angrier he became. His voice grew louder and louder until it sounded like a roar. “Shen Shi, what do you think you’re doing?”

Shen Shi’s face remained cold as he swept a frosty glance over the furious Zhang Dong before speaking slowly. “None of your business.”

Qinsheng, still seated on the ground, looked Shen Shi up and down. No wonder he had drawn the attention of every girl the moment he entered the arena. That build was indeed enough to make people swallow hard.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist. He was practically a walking coat rack.

And because Shen Shi always preferred light-colored clothing, the outline of his muscles showed through faintly. Qinsheng could hardly resist clapping for him.

Of course, it hardly seemed like the right time to be thinking about such things.

Still, it did not appear that Qinsheng needed to step in for the moment, so she simply sat back down and leaned idly against the tree, watching the scene unfold before her.

“What do you mean, Shen Shi? Can’t you tell our Brother Dong likes Qinsheng? Aren’t you ruining his good thing?” The bearded fool helped Zhang Dong, who had been knocked down, back up. So furious that his beard seemed to bristle, he pointed at Shen Shi blocking Qinsheng and shouted the question.

“I can’t tell.”

Shen Shi’s swift reply left the entire field in silence.

Qinsheng could not help but laugh out loud.

They probably never imagined Shen Shi was the kind of person impervious to both persuasion and force.

Hearing the derisive snort behind him, Shen Shi turned and met Qinsheng’s gaze. His eyes were cold, and his expression seemed to darken.

Qinsheng covered her mouth at once and chose to say nothing.

“Shen Shi, I advise you not to seek death. If you ruined our Brother Dong’s good thing, you can only atone for it with your life!” Seeing the veins bulge at Zhang Dong’s neck from anger, the bearded fool felt it was time for him to show his worth. He shouted at Shen Shi, clenched his fist into an attacking stance, and rushed forward.

Qinsheng naturally knew this bearded fool’s strike carried considerable force. Glancing at Shen Shi, who was still very weak, she raised a brow, her interest piqued.

Although Shen Shi was somewhat frail at the moment, his reactions were not slow. The instant the bearded fool’s fist reached the bridge of his nose, Shen Shi swiftly dodged.

The bearded fool had not expected Shen Shi to be so fast. Annoyed, he steadied himself and launched into another round of attacks.

Shen Shi’s imposing presence was instantly weakened by his condition, his strength greatly diminished.

He could only do his best to evade some of the bearded fool’s strikes.

Right after Shen Shi dodged the first blow, the bearded fool immediately clenched his left fist and attacked again, this time aiming straight for Shen Shi’s head.

Shen Shi clearly had not reacted in time. Just as the bearded fool thought he was about to succeed, Shen Shi finally came to his senses, but there was no longer enough time to escape completely. In the end, that fist landed on Shen Shi’s shoulder.

The blow was powerful. Shen Shi could not hold out and staggered to a stop.

Seeing that Shen Shi had finally been hit, the bearded fool stopped attacking with great satisfaction and taunted him shamelessly. “Shen Shi, you’re not that impressive after all, are you? How did you end up getting hit? Why don’t you keep dodging?”

Shen Shi said nothing. He reached up to brace his injured left shoulder, and in his eyes, anger and unwillingness flickered.

If it were not for the drug in his system, how could he have failed to evade that move?

He even began to blame himself for lowering his guard.

The bearded fool had no intention of letting it end there. He attacked again and again. After Shen Shi’s left shoulder was injured, his speed clearly dropped, and the number of times he was struck increased as well.

Qinsheng kept watching Zhang Dong’s expression at all times.

By rights, if these people really were Guo Jun’s men, Zhang Dong should never have stood by and watched the bearded fool keep fighting Shen Shi like this. At this rate, Shen Shi would not survive ten moves against him, and not only would he lose, he would be seriously wounded.

Even if Guo Jun were merely acting, he would not allow the bearded fool to beat Shen Shi to death like this.

Qinsheng was making a gamble.

Yet Zhang Dong still showed no sign of stopping them.

The bearded fool kept attacking move after move, and in the end, he drove a vicious kick into Shen Shi’s jaw. Shen Shi coughed up a mouthful of blood.

And yet even then, he still refused to concede.

The bearded fool had never killed anyone before, and now he did not know what to do next. He stopped and looked at Zhang Dong. “Brother Dong, what do we do?”

Zhang Dong glanced with interest at Shen Shi, who was half-kneeling on the ground, and a trace of mockery curved his lips.

“Finish him.”

Naturally, Zhang Dong’s meaning was also Guo Jun’s meaning.

Qinsheng’s brow furrowed slightly, and she instinctively looked toward Shen Shi.

Hearing Zhang Dong’s words, Shen Shi did not even bother to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. He let out a self-mocking chuckle, as though he had already anticipated this.

Only the fist he clenched tightly seemed to prove that the weak and battered man was deeply unwilling.

Shen Shi knew that, to Guo Jun, he was already useless. That was fine. He had never wanted to work for Guo Jun in the first place. He had only underestimated Guo Jun’s cold and merciless nature.

But at this point, he was like a kite with its string cut. No matter how many layers of unwillingness filled his heart, there was nothing left he could do. He had no way to take revenge.

Shen Shi slowly closed his eyes, quietly awaiting the next second when death would descend.

He had never felt death this near before. The sound of the bearded fool’s footsteps drawing closer, step by step, seemed to warn him that his life had reached its end here.

After receiving Zhang Dong’s order, the bearded fool pulled a dagger from his pocket and walked toward Shen Shi step by step.

This was his first time killing someone, and the hand gripping the dagger was trembling slightly.

Only by killing Shen Shi would he gain more standing with Zhang Dong in the future. He had to kill Shen Shi.

The moment the bearded fool made up his mind, he tightened his grip on the dagger and charged forward. Just as the blade was about to fall before Shen Shi’s face, a clear ring of steel rang out, and the dagger was knocked from the bearded fool’s hands.

A razor-sharp Tang saber entered the bearded fool’s vision. The moment the dagger collided with the blade, his hands went numb, and the dagger flew from his grasp into the grass nearby.

Hearing the clash of blade against dagger, Shen Shi slowly opened his tightly shut eyes.

Before him stood a petite figure, blocking the death that had been about to claim him and pulling him back from the abyss.

Qinsheng had caught the murderous intent in Zhang Dong’s eyes and knew Shen Shi had already been abandoned by Guo Jun.

She had only not expected it to happen so soon.

A replacement for Shen Shi had already appeared, one who would even silence him afterward. Since it was always the unjust who drew her ire, Qinsheng chose to act.

Zhang Dong did not know when Qinsheng had gotten up and moved forward to block the bearded fool’s attack. Seeing that she now showed no trace at all of being drugged, he seemed to realize something at last.

“You were faking it?” Zhang Dong said in utter disbelief. There was no trace left of the tender look he had worn just now; at this moment, he seemed ready to kill Qinsheng on the spot.

Qinsheng did not deny it. She had been faking it.

“So what if I was?”

Zhang Dong’s eyes were instantly swallowed by anger and betrayal. There was only one thought left in his mind: he would tear the acting Qinsheng limb from limb.

“Then don’t blame me for being rude!” Zhang Dong rubbed his fists together, as though he intended to kill Qinsheng with his own hands.

“Come on, then.”

In the next instant, Qinsheng sheathed the Tang saber and drew the same kind of dagger Zhang Dong had been using.

Zhang Dong raised a brow. Qinsheng’s actions were exactly what he wanted.

As long as she did not use the Tang saber, he still had confidence he could beat her.

Qinsheng curved her lips slightly. Just as she was about to strike, she heard a weak voice from behind her.

It was undoubtedly Shen Shi.

“Be careful.”

Qinsheng nodded, taking it as her reply to him. Then, like a gust of wind, she surged toward Zhang Dong. In her hand, the dagger was no longer merely a dagger; it moved so fast that one could hardly even tell what she was holding.

Zhang Dong had not expected Qinsheng to be so quick, and his focus sharpened as he moved to meet her attacks.

When the daggers collided, sparks flew, and a sharp ringing sound rose again and again, proving how fierce the fight had become.

With each strike, Qinsheng’s attacks grew more aggressive and her speed increased.

Zhang Dong was clearly beginning to struggle. Cold sweat started to bead on his forehead, and a bad feeling had already taken hold in his heart.