Chapter Thirty-One: Searching for Mo Xiaoxiao

Oda Shinichisuke’s fist, glowing with golden light, smashed into a nearby tree. With a deafening crack, the tree was left with only half its trunk! If that blow had landed on Zhao Bai, there would be nothing left of him but dust.

“I’ll take you on!” Xiao Zhang shouted, spreading his arms and wrapping them tightly around Oda Shinichisuke, ramming him straight into a car parked nearby. The impact crumpled the vehicle into a twisted wreck.

The crowd of onlookers that had gathered quickly scattered in terror, though a few bold souls whipped out their phones to record the chaos.

Xiao Zhang fought with everything he had, grappling and wrestling with Oda Shinichisuke. He knew he didn’t stand a chance in a straight fight—especially since his opponent had special abilities and he did not. His only hope was to keep things at close quarters, preventing Oda from using his skills.

The two tumbled and struggled, and Xiao Zhang took blow after blow, so many that even the motorcycle helmet he wore was deformed by the hits. Oda Shinichisuke’s face twisted with menace, murder gleaming in his eyes. Was every random guy on the street this strong? And this one was just a naked man in a helmet!

Though Xiao Zhang returned punch after punch, the protective suit Oda wore made it feel like striking solid iron.

“Die!” Oda roared, and suddenly golden flames erupted from his hand again. He aimed a heavy punch straight at Xiao Zhang’s chest.

Xiao Zhang twisted desperately, but the fist landed on his shoulder. With a scream, his right arm was obliterated in an instant.

Seizing the opportunity, Oda clamped a hand around Xiao Zhang’s throat.

Xiao Zhang felt his breath falter, blood gushing from his shoulder, and he saw that Oda was preparing to smash his head with another blow.

At that very moment, a motorcycle came flying through the air and crashed squarely into Oda Shinichisuke’s head with a thunderous bang.

Oda’s eyes rolled back, and he released Xiao Zhang, who immediately rolled away. Oda was now sprawled on the ground, clutching his head, and quickly scrambled off in another direction.

Looking up, Xiao Zhang saw an older man standing there, thick brows furrowed in anger. “Oda, do you take your Brother Nan so lightly?”

…

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Zhang forced himself to stand. In his mind he repeated over and over, “Grow back, grow back.” Before his eyes, his arm regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Without hesitation, he took out an intermediate healing potion and poured it down Zhao Bai’s throat. Somehow, Zhao Bai had managed to hold onto life by sheer will.

Oda Shinichisuke was already on his feet, fixing his eyes on Haonan with an intense stare. “Wait, you… you’re Haonan of the Great Wall? Impossible! How could it be you?”

Oda’s expression shifted dramatically, as if he’d just realized something of grave importance.

“Of course it’s me. Who else but Haonan of the Great Wall would dare claim the name?”

Seeing Zhao Bai’s battered state, Xiao Zhang boiled with rage. Wrench in one hand and cleaver in the other, he charged at Oda Shinichisuke.

A perfect arc of sword light flashed across Oda’s body, sending him flying. Stunned, he looked at the old man wielding a broom that had just unleashed the sword aura. “Damn, old man, you’re pretty badass!”

“Don’t call me old man—call me Brother Nan!” Haonan retorted, brandishing the broom. “Oda, taste your Brother Nan’s Dog-Beating Sword Technique!”

By the time the flurry of blows ended, Oda Shinichisuke was nearly unrecognizable, his face swollen like a pig’s head.

Xiao Zhang couldn’t help but clap for Haonan. “Damn! But, old man—stop for a second! Ask him where he took my friend!”

Only then did Haonan pause to ask, “Your friend?”

“Yes, Mo Xiaoxiao! The one this little runt called ‘Mo Kuang’—he took her!”

Haonan was taken aback. “Wait, aren’t you Mo Kuang?”

“What the hell is going on here?” Haonan reached out, yanked Oda Shinichisuke into the air, and squeezed his throat. “Where is she?”

Damn it, did I get the wrong person? Is this kid not the one I’m after?

…

Oda Shinichisuke gave a twisted smile, cocked his head, and suddenly died on the spot.

His corpse exploded with a bang, sending Xiao Zhang’s senses reeling.

As the smoke cleared, Oda’s voice echoed through the air. “Haonan, when next we meet in the instance, I will avenge today’s defeat!”

“Come back here! Give Mo Mo back!”

“Save your breath! He’s already escaped. But don’t worry about your friend—the entire S City is locked down. Unless they can teleport straight back to Country D, they’re not getting out.”

“Old man, you can take care of this mess, right?” Xiao Zhang glanced at the wrecked cars strewn about.

“Call me Brother Nan!” Haonan grumbled, tugging at his thinning hair. “Just call me Brother Nan and you don’t have to worry about these trifles!”

Hesitantly, Xiao Zhang called out, “Brother Nan.”

“What?” Haonan sighed again.

After a pause, Xiao Zhang took a few steps back, drew a deep breath, and even gave a little bow. “Brother Nan, good day!”

Haonan waved him off. “Let’s go, kid. Next time you run an instance, if you don’t have a team, consider joining ours.”

“Will do, Brother Nan!” Xiao Zhang hefted Zhao Bai onto his back, ready to take off.

“Hold on, what do you look like right now?” Haonan gestured for Xiao Zhang to set Zhao Bai down. With a wave of his hand, a dragon-shaped torrent of water swirled around Xiao Zhang, washing away all the blood and grime, even popping off the turtle shell helmet from his head.

Then, with another wave, a whirlwind of fire dried him off instantly.

“Damn, Brother Nan, you’re amazing!” Haonan tossed Xiao Zhang a few spherical objects. “Put those on. Stop looking like a refugee all the time.”

Xiao Zhang stared at them, baffled. “Protective gear?”

He pressed one of the spheres to his chest, and it vanished instantly, clothing him in proper attire. Just as he was about to ask a question—

“Don’t ask who I am.” And with a few quick steps, Haonan vanished.

“Hey, do you have any more of these? Just these few aren’t enough for all the fighting!” Xiao Zhang watched Haonan disappear with surprising agility—he didn’t move like an old man at all. Maybe he was actually a twenty-something programmer in disguise?

At that moment, Zhao Bai finally stirred. Xiao Zhang quickly checked his map and noticed a green dot not far from his location.

He thought back—hadn’t Mo Xiaoxiao invited him into her squad earlier?