Chapter 227: The Phoenix Man Who Soared Before the Apocalypse (32)

“Big bro, big bro, I was wrong! Please, stop hitting me!”

The man’s yellow hair had been scorched, though you could still faintly make out the original color at the tips. His clothes were no better—charred black from electricity. He lay on the ground clutching his leg, wailing in pain.

Who the hell was this guy? He was terrifyingly strong.

Sure, he knew there were differences in strength among those with Supernatural Abilities, but this was just absurd. Dozens of people couldn’t even lay a finger on him…

And this man wasn’t just a single-ability user—he had both lightning and fire types. They didn’t stand a chance.

Shen Xiuyan grabbed the man by the collar and forced him to look him in the eyes.

The underling trembled in fear.

Shen Xiuyan slapped his face lightly with disdain. “Weren’t you acting all high and mighty just now? So tell me, who’s the real naive one here—me, or you?”

“It’s me, it’s me!” Shen Xiuyan let go, and the guy collapsed to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly. “It’s all my fault! Please, be the bigger man and let me off just this once!”

His face was now a mess of snot and tears, utterly disgusting.

But he couldn’t care less about appearances right now. In the face of death, dignity meant nothing.

The mocking glint in the man’s eyes made it clear—he hadn’t even used his full strength. If he wanted to kill them, it would be as easy as snapping a twig.

The underling was filled with regret. If he had known things would turn out like this, he never would’ve followed behind Brother Lei, pretending to be tough.

Brother Lei? What a joke. Didn’t he get beaten so badly he couldn’t even stand?

What he still couldn’t figure out was—why? There were so many of them. Even if they just wore him down, they should’ve been able to exhaust his powers. But the man in front of him looked like he hadn’t used any energy at all…

His ability was like a bottomless pit. It was terrifying.

This was the gap in levels. Shen Xiuyan had been among the first to learn how to level up Supernatural Abilities. Combined with his extraordinary talent, if these people were at level one, he was probably already at level five.

And with multiple abilities at his disposal, both offensive and healing, Shen Xiuyan could confidently say—there were few in the entire country who could stand against him.

He let out a cold laugh, dragged the underling like a dead dog, and slammed his face against the front of the car.

“Weren’t you so arrogant just now? Daring to hit my car? And you even made such a huge dent?”

Shen Xiuyan looked at him like he was already dead. “Do you know this car made it all the way here without a single scratch, and now it’s ruined—by you?”

The underling was practically pissing himself in fear.

His face was only ten centimeters away from the massive dent he’d made. So close, yet it felt impossibly far.

Struggling to speak, he said, “Bro, bro, we’ve got someone who can fix cars! I swear we’ll make it look brand new again! Brother Lei, say something, will you?!”

Hearing that, Shen Xiuyan let go. The underling’s knees buckled again and he slumped to the ground, watching Shen Xiuyan with trembling eyes, waiting for the final verdict.

Shen Xiuyan tilted his chin toward the side. “Who can fix it? Brother Lei? Him?”

“Yes, yes, him! It’s him!” The underling pointed directly at Brother Lei, who was trying his best to hide in the crowd.

“Our dear friend, Little Nezha?”

The underling: “…”

Seriously? You’re cracking jokes at a time like this? What, trying to show off your sense of humor?

“Ha.” Shen Xiuyan crossed his arms and said mockingly, “You coming over on your own, or do I need to come get you?”

Brother Lei’s body stiffened. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he jogged over.

“Here, here! No need for you to come over. Just tell me what you need!”

“Heh.” Shen Xiuyan sneered. “Looks like you’re the leader of this bunch?”

“N-no…” Brother Lei tried to deny it, but under Shen Xiuyan’s icy gaze, he quickly changed his tune.

“Yes, yes, I am…”

“And the people from here?”

Brother Lei forced a smile. “We… we drove them out…”

Shen Xiuyan suddenly grabbed him by the collar. “Where did you drive them to?!”

“I-I don’t know…”

Brother Lei looked pitiful and helpless. Who cared where the people they kicked out ended up? In his mind, he was cursing the underling who had ratted him out.

Why drag him down too? As the saying goes, it’s easy to invite a god, but hard to send one away. And this guy—what kind of god had they invited in?

“Tch, looks like you’ve got a death wish—” The crackling sound of electricity surged around Shen Xiuyan. A massive Lightning Ball materialized in the air, ready to smash down on Brother Lei’s head.

Brother Lei stared at the Lightning Ball in horror. So when this guy beat them earlier, he hadn’t even used half his strength…

Faced with such a dire situation, he could only close his eyes in despair.

He was done for…

“Xiuyan? Is that you?!!!” A familiar voice rang out from the distance.

Shen Xiuyan turned toward it, eyes lighting up. Sure enough, on the second floor of a nearby villa, a middle-aged man was waving his arms excitedly.

“Dad, it’s me!”

Shen Xiuyan flung Brother Lei aside and immediately headed toward the villa.

Brother Lei, having narrowly escaped death, hunched over and tried to sneak away.

Shen Xiuyan turned his head. “I’m watching you. If anyone dares to run, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Brother Lei immediately straightened up. “Yes, yes! We’re not going anywhere. We’ll stay right here and wait for your orders.”

So they stood there, under the blazing sun, watching as the car and its driver disappeared into the courtyard.

The underling limped over, rubbing his bruised mouth. He whispered, “Big bro, they actually went into that troublemaker’s house. Looks like his family’s just as troublesome…”

Brother Lei smacked him on the head. “Watch your mouth! You trying to get yourself killed? That’s not a troublemaker—that’s our ancestor.”

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right.” The underling clamped a hand over his mouth and looked around nervously, as if afraid Shen Xiuyan had left something behind to eavesdrop on them.

“Hmph, now you’re scared.” Brother Lei slung an arm around his neck. “Come on, now it’s time for me to settle things with you. You ratted me out earlier, didn’t you? Heh.”

“Ow ow ow! It hurts! Big bro, don’t hit me!”

*

Inside the villa, Father Su and Mother Su had already rushed out.

Father Su grabbed Shen Xiuyan’s hand, his face full of concern. “What are you doing here? Are you hurt? Did you run into any danger on the way?”

His expression showed not a trace of treating Shen Xiuyan as an outsider. He looked at him with the same worry and affection he’d show his own son.

One had to wonder what the original host had been thinking, always assuming his father-in-law looked down on him. If that were true, he never would’ve allowed him to marry his precious daughter.

“No danger,” Shen Xiuyan said obediently, shaking his head. “By the way, do you still have enough food? If not, we can start unloading the supplies from the car.”

Father Su slapped his thigh. “We’ve been running low for a while now. No matter how much you stockpile, it’s never enough with so many mouths to feed.”

With that, he went inside to call people out to help unload.

Su Mingyue was already hugging Mother Su tightly. The two of them stood off to the side, whispering sweetly to each other. Only Young Master Huo stood alone, slumped against the car door, looking utterly dejected.

Shen Xiuyan noticed the gloom hanging over him and walked over to pat his shoulder in comfort.

Young Master Huo looked up, his voice tinged with sorrow. “Didn’t they say everyone had been driven out? But Uncle and Auntie are still here… Do you think maybe my parents are still home too?”

“Want me to go back with you and check?”

“No need. I can go alone.” Young Master Huo forced himself to stay strong.

Just as he took a step forward, a joyful shout rang out from behind.

“Hua Hua? Is that you?!”

— Translator’s Notes —

• kowtowing: A traditional Chinese gesture of respect or submission involving kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground.

• Nezha: A protection deity in Chinese mythology, often depicted as a youthful hero with supernatural powers. The reference here is likely mocking or sarcastic.

• easy to invite a god, but hard to send one away: A Chinese proverb meaning it’s simple to get into a difficult situation but hard to get out of it.